ATC: Women

On ccswaps. the theme for the monthly 6:5 ATC swap is women. When I think of the women in my life I think of: warmth, love, nourishment, caring, support and acceptance. Rich warm feelings need rich warm colors, so I started with some Pearly Mottled Paper I made earlier, and cut into ATC sized pieces.
Stamped an appropriate feeling image onto the paper with brown StazOn ink. Like the effect so much, don't want to add much to it and muck it up.

Trimmed the image slightly, colored the edges with gold Krylon pen, added some red heart brads and layered to black card stock.

Sending out lots of love to all the wonderful, loving, nurturing, caring, supporting and accepting women in my life!!!

Book Study: Pearly Mottled Paper

On NGS group we are doing a study of Julia Andrus' book "Paper Transformed". This week, I tried her technique Pearly Mottled Paper and must admit I did not achieve the gorgeous look she has created. (More experimenting is necessary by me).
I applied dye inks to coated paper with a combination of direct to paper and using a brayer.
Then, holding a squirt bottle about 8" to 10" above the paper, squirted water to make splatters. Then gently blotted with a paper towel.

While the paper was still slightly wet, applied Perfect Pearls with a brush. The Perfect Pearls clinging to the wet area. I was disappointed on how much of the dye ink faded on the coated paper with this technique, the ink has faded even more since taking this photo. (I blame me and NOT Julia).

Used the same dyes and Perfect Pearls on non coated thicker paper. The inks stayed more intense in color, but the water absorbed so quickly into the paper. It didn't get that nice splattered look than Julia had and the water so diffused into the paper, I didn't need to blot it and the Perfect Pearls didn't stick. I ended up adding more water and have lots of Perfect Pearls now on it. I need to find some other types of papers to try later.

Note: If you don't have Julia's book "Paper Transformed" I HIGHLY recommend it. So many fabulous techniques, PLUS many amazing "Sparkling Paper Projects" with instructions in this book.

Artist Sketch Book

ccswaps is having an "A" swap. Where you are to make an item with a type of medium, technique, or a theme that starts with the letter "A". I'm afraid I went overboard with "A". For this swap I made an Artist sketchbook. The outside covers were made using Acrylic Layered papers. I stamped a saying with black StazOn ink onto light blue vellum, then stamped star images with dark blue StazOn ink and added an Angel image with wings made out of Angelina Fibers that I'd embossed. Stamped part of the saying with black Acrylic paint on the cover and highlighted with black Sharpie marker.
For the inside covers, I used Alcohol Dissolve on Acrylic backgrounds. And continued with the same saying stamp on vellum. I colored the vintage Angel images with watered down Acrylic paints. Cut out some words on vellum from the same saying and attached to the photos. Also added the words "Adorn" & "Artist" with circle letter stickers to these inside covers.

Back cover just has more of the saying stamped on vellum attached. Used sketch papers inside the book and bound it all together with the Zutter Bind-it-All.

Hope my swap partner enjoys it.

A is for Angelina Fibers Embossed

Angelina Fibers are made out of the same material as Fantasy Film, they are very thin strands instead of sheets. For this technique, I first ironed two different colors of Angelina Fibers together between two sheets of parchment to make a thin wispy sheet. Next I ran it through the Cuttlebug with a butterfly die and an extra sheet of card stock to help the die cut all the way through the fibers. Then I ran the cut out fibers through a Cuttlebug Butterfly embossing folder, again I added an extra sheet of card stock under the folder to help place more pressure on this very thin material.

Here's a close up of the embossed Angelina Fiber Butterfly.

Punched out some small butterfly shapes with a punch, having a sheet of wax paper under the ironed Angelina Fiber. This helps the punch to cut all the fibers. Then I ran the punched fibers through a detailed embossing folder, again having extra card stock under the folder.

Close up of the small embossed Angelina Fiber Butterflies. This is fun.

A is for Acrylic Paint Layering

This is another technique with endless possibilities. One of the things I like about acrylic paint is, if you don't like what you've done: paint over it!!!
I had one sheet of gessoed canvas paper that I didn't have success with the alcohol dissolve acrylic paint techniques. I painted over it with green acrylic paint and let it dry.
I roughly mixed blue and white acrylic paint and sponged it over the paper, and let dry.

I'm starting to get an idea for using this paper, so I cut it in half. Sponged on a mixture of white and silver metallic acrylic paints over sequin scrap. Choose to apply more paint to two of the corners and less in the middle, then let dry.

Added some more acrylic paint, by mixing in some blue acrylic to the white/silver metallic paint mixture and applied with a round piece of plastic.

I choose to stop here. There is no right or wrong with this technique. Have fun playing and stop when you like what you've done.

A is for Alcohol dissolve on acrylic

For this technique, use a primed surface, so the surface is not too absorbent. Be prepared to work quickly.

I choose to try this on a small canvas. Apply a thin layer of acrylic paint to the surface, using either fluid or diluted acrylic paint.

Apply undiluted isopropyl alcohol to the wet paint with an eyedropper, toothbrush, spray bottle, or like me, flicked it on with my finger. Must do this step very quickly, as the thin layer of acrylic paint dries very rapidly and the effect of the alcohol diminishes as the paint dries. The alcohol dissolves the paint and keeps on spreading outward for a few minutes.

Here's the dried canvas:

Also tried this technique on gessoed primed canvas sheet, using the same watered down acrylic paint and applied the alcohol with a toothbrush.

A is for Acrylic Paint Sandwich Background

A is for Angelina Fibers & Films, Airbrushing, Acetone Transfers, Alcohol ink techniques, Antiqued Vellum and a vast array of Acrylic Paint Backgrounds. I decided to play with the Acrylic Paint Sandwich Technique, it is very easy .
Start with 2 sheets of card stock the same size. On one sheet, squeeze 2 different colors of acrylic paints direct from the tubes/bottles (I used blue and yellow) on to the card stock.
While paint is still wet, layer second sheet of card stock directly over top to create a "sandwich". Press down and swirl card around.

Remove top card stock to reveal the two sheets.

Did a second set using red & yellow acrylic paints.

Third set using blue & red acrylic paints.

There are endless possibilities on how these turn out, depending on what colors you choose, how much paint, where you place the paint, and how much you swirl. A great technique for playing, while waiting for inspiration.