Faux Metal ATCs

I don't remember if I mentioned in previous blog posts or not that the idea for them came from Jenny Crossley's article in Somerset. I just found her blog and she has some great stuff on there. I loved the deMengish type art.

Here is the link:

http://amarkintime.blogspot.com/

Copper paint question from Sandra

The super copper paint I used was Lumiere. All the background paints - silver, bronze, and super copper were Lumiere paints.

Faux Metal ATC - Step-by-Step

I am doing some trades with people in my Mixed Media Art group. I originally got the idea for the faux metal background from the Mar/Apr issue of Somerset Studio. It is from the "Industria" article starting on page 79. I first tried it with silver Lumiere, then bronze, and now super copper. I like the silver and super copper the most. The copper look is great - like it's all rusty.

1. I took some chipboard ATCs and painted them with the super copper. Two coats - let dry in between coats.

2. Take some coarse sand paper and sand the edges and random spots of the ATC. You should go all the way down to the chipboard. Wipe off residue. You can also take the end of a paper clip or something similar and make some deep scratches. Not too many - just a few random ones.

3. Use a Distress pad in frayed burlap and rub it all over the ATC. You can use a sponge but I just use the pad itself. I do the edges first and then rub the pad in a circular motion in the middle. Make sure you get the exposed areas that you took off with the sand paper. I also used some green and walnut stain in different areas to add to the look. I also used a dab of interference green oxide fluid acrylic in random areas. It gave that greenish verdigree look. Let dry.

4. I did the holes next. I used my crop-a-dile. Punch the inner holes first so you can line up the outer holes later on. It is easier that way. You can adjust the crop-a-dile so that the hole is punched the same length from the edge every time. Put on eyelets. I did sand the eyelets and used a little interference green oxide on them so the eyelets did not look new.

5. Take some narrow strips of fabric and use some Distress inks on them so they don't look so new. I used some dyed muslin. You can also just use the ink on the fabric after you have put it through the eyelets. I did both. If you want the "X' like I have, then you need to start at the top and go from the back to the front. Cross the fabric so you have your first "X". When the ends are in back again, take the ends and put it through the other end to the front. Pull tight. That is what lets you make the next set of "X"s. Cross the ends over and put through the eyelet to the back of the ATC. Once the ends are at the back again, take the ends and put them through the front of the other end. So, you are not confused. There is a left and right eyelet hole in back. Where you pulled through the right end, take that right end and pull it through to the front of the left hole that is next to the right hole. Take the left end and pull that through to the front of the right hole next to it. Pull tight. Now you can cross the ends and make your next "X". Do that until you get to the bottom. Knot in back and cut off excess. Take some Distress ink and rub it on top of the fabric until you get the look you want. I used some green, blue, brown, and red randomly.

6. Pick out pieces of grungeboard that you want to use. I got my grungeboard from Frances at heartsintouch.com and Christina at skybluepink.com. Use a Distress pad in whatever color and rub into the grungeboard. Spritz a little water on it and blend the color into the grungeboard. Dab excess moisture off with paper towel. Rub another color on top to get the top texture a different color. I used blue for the background and red for the texture.

7. Position your elements on the ATC. I was going with mostly found objects except for the grungeboard. I used a hot glue gun (my Dremel one) to adhere the elements to the ATC. I used hot glue because I think it adds to the look. The only thing severely annoying about it was the little glue strings all over. I had to use a pair of tweezers to get all of them off.

8. Use some fluid acrylics to color some of the elements so they don't look so new. I used some transparent yellow oxide, transparent red oxide, and interference green oxide.

9. The grungeboard looked too bright. So, I used my finger and rubbed on some walnut stain (Distress Ink). I sanded the grungboard down a little to get it a little rougher looking and then rubbed some more walnut stain on.

10. I punched holes where I needed to put brads. I added a little rusty clip. Done.

You can click on the picts for a larger view. Comments welcome.

Easy game tile pendants

You can get individual domino, mah jong, and other game tiles at skybluepink.com. This is an easy method of coloring the tiles and then stamping an image with StazOn. I tried embossing but it did not work well even with an acrylic base. Must be the nonporous surface.


To get the great color, you just need to sand the blank side of the game tiles a little. Wipe off dust. Put in pot with some tea bags or coffee grounds. I put in lots of coffee grounds. Put in enough water to cover the tiles and then some. Let boil and keep to low boil 45 minutes to an hour. Stir periodically. Check the color. Some will color better than others. Rinse, let cool, and dry them off with a towel. Stamp on them with permanent ink.


I have also tried it with herbal tea and have gotten the greatest burgundy/plum colors. You want the water concentrated with tea or coffee so the game tiles will stain.

Somerset Technique

This is the on page 79 called Industria by Jenny Crossley. It is the Mar/April issue of Somerset. I have done a similiar technique with sandpaper and paint but never lumiere. Complete step-by-step instructions are in the magazine. It also works with other colors of lumiere and acrylic paints. I also used the Distress inks in walnut ink and the green one.

I really liked the ATC. I did not take off as much paint as they did in the magazine. I will try to take off more the next one I do.

Question about the dye used

I use color wash. I did some techniques in the beginning of this blog with Adirondack color wash.

http://www.rangerink.com/products/prod_dyeink_adirondackcolorwash.htm

Here is the link so you can see what the colors are. There are a lot of scrapbook/stamp stores that carry it. If you don't find it, there are a lot of online vendors for it. I buy mine from heartsintouch.com or franticstamper.com.

Adirondack color wash is great for dyeing fabric, dyeing paper towels, and coloring paper. I do an emboss resist with Color Wash.

Setting dyed fabric

This post was from Cathy Johnson in the Fabricinalteredart Yahoo group:

Last night (well, yesterday but I watched it last night) on Simply Quilts (which just came back on here) they were dyeing silk. The guy wet it with white vinegar before he poured the dye on it, then stuck it in the microwave at half power for 5 minutes (in a microwave saft dish of course....lol) . Then he rinsed it and let it dry. He did not lose much color when it rinsed it in cold water. I decided to try the same thing tonight. I used a piece of white tone on tone that has little music notes on it. I laid the fabric in the dish, poured some vinegar on it to wet it and squeezed out the excess, then sprayed a few colors on. I spread the fabric square out in the dish and put it in the microwave on 5 for about 2.5 min since I had a small piece of fabric. I kept checking it until it was dry. When I rinsed it out you could barely see the water change color. The color is really set!

If you don't want to invest in a lot of dye and chemicals, it is a quick easy way to color a little fabric at a time. You just might need to create that perfect color for a project!

Blogger - no picts

Blogger is glitching right now and I can't upload picts. Will add them later when Blogger feels better.

Credit Card Technique

Credit card techniqueby Elizabeth Kertz
This is definitely a background for beginners.

Materials:
Freezer paper or plastic cloth/garbage bag to protect your work surface Plastic cups or container of your choice to put paint in acrylic paint of your choice in dark, medium, and light values credit cards cut to various widths, or a 1" putty knife cardstock makeup sponge (OPTIONAL)

Instructions:
1. Cut credit cards lengthwise in various widths. Alternately, you can use a 1" plastic putty knife.
2. Place your darkest paint in one of the plastic containers. Do NOT dilute.
3. Spread DARKEST paint onto one of the credit card ends using a makeup sponge, or by directly dipping into the paint cup. the cardstock.
4. Spread the paint by quickly swiping the credit card (which has paint on one end) across the paper. Spread the paint in various directions on the paper.
5. Allow paint layer to dry.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 above using the MEDIUM value paint color.
7. Allow second layer to dry.
8. Repeat steps 2-5 above using the LIGHTEST value paint color.

Ruminations:I was pleasantly surprised by this technique. Although I used regular acrylic paint (cheap stuff in a bottle), I still got a very translucent effect similar to what you would get if you used glazes.This is the easiest background technique you will ever find.
Elizabeth

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abc_alteredbookclub
http://alteredbooklover.blogspot.com/

Paper Paste Technique

Paste Paper Technique adapted from Lisa Vollrath's instructions
by Elizabeth Kertz

This paste paper technique was originally published by Lisa Vollrath on her site: http://www.lisavollrath.com/pages/107 However, this may be an old link.

Supplies (shown in photo): From left clockwise: Cups for mixing, cheap acrylic paint, Sta Flo, various papers and surfaces, credit cards cut using decorative scissors, foam brush, knitting needle, bamboo skewer, rotary cutter for pie crusts, comb/pick, pastry cutter.
Not shown: Plastic or drop cloth to cover your surface.
ALTERNATELY you can use liquid wallpaper paste instead of the Sta Flo.

Instructions:
1. Pour a small amount of paint into a cup. Add about five times that amount of Sta Flo to the paint and stir until completely blended.
2. Repeat the process for the second color.
3. Using a foam or bristle brush, apply the first color.
4. According to Lisa's site, apply the second color while the firstcolor is still wet. I found I had better luck with the outcome when I waited for the first color to dry completely before adding the second color.
5. While the second color is still wet, use a tool of your choice to "scratch" patterns into the paper. Be sure to wipe the excess buildup off your tool, and clean up with soap and water as soon asyou are finished. Cleanup is difficult if you allow the paste to dry on the tool.

Ruminations:I'm not completely sold on paste paper. For some reason, I don'tseem to enjoy making these, although they do come out smooth in the end. I just don't have the talent it takes to make them look all that good, no matter what tool I use. Further, I'm not sure what I'll ever use these backgrounds for. However, if you are a scrapbooker,these might make great backgrounds for photos.I suggest using two very different color combinations, like red andy ellow, or green and purple. I used pink and lavendar in the examples and there wasn't enough contrast. I also had better luck when I allowed the first color to completely dry before adding the second color. That is what I did on the frames and heavy CS with the design made from the pick.Be prepared for warping, no matter how heavy the material. Note that the mat board of the photo frames is warped. However, you can minimize the warp by placing them under a heavy object overnight.I have to admit, this is much easier than the previous method of cooking flour, etc. Your paper even smells halfway decent, too, and you don't have to worry about spoilage because you can control yourbatch size.

I would also like to thank Lisa Vollrath for the excellent instructions. Although I didn't follow them exactly, I found them helpful when doing this project.