How to maintain natural leather tones with basket stamping

[calibre]

Hi All, 

I'm trying to achieve the effect shown in the attached basket stamp. The gel antiques that I have used tend to colour the raised areas of the baskets tamp that I want to remain a natural tone. I thought to apply a finish to the raised areas, but this seems tedious for the effect. Any suggestions on how to accomplish this effect? 

Thanks! 

Jason 

[DJole]

So you want the color to stay in the "valleys" of the stamping and the "peaks" to be a natural tone?
I believe the way to do this is to learn how to carefully wipe with a flat item, one that will remain stiff and not conform to the patterns and dip down into the valleys.
Now, that's the theory -- hopefully somebody who has actually done this (which I vaguely remember reading about).

I bet this will require practicing on scrap pieces with this basket weave pattern.

[fredk]

Nearly there; two ways;

1. apply a resist first, eg a few coats of resolene, then apply an antique. Wipe off immediately - do not allow it to dry at all. Use kitchen paper towel folded up into a stiff wad block, or even a few layers on a block of wood - refresh the paper surface frequently; one wipe, new paper etc

2. use a dye like Fiebings standard type. Then use a cloth wad, wetted with alcohol such as meths or IPA, to wipe over the work. A stiff wad of cloth or wrapped around a bit of wood. Refresh the cloth surface frequently. The alcohol will remove almost all the dye from any raised surface but will leave some staining behind.