Spray (and paint and stamp and draw) AND Paste

The Mad Scientist, Part II

I just couldn't stop....wondering how Wendy's metallic embossing pastes would look over some more of my favorite coloring media.  And of course the wondering led to the experimenting, which led to a whole lot of colorful sample pages.

Row 1:  Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels, applied dry.
Row 2:  Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels, applied wet.
Row 3:  Ranger Distress Markers.
Row 4:  Ranger Distress Ink (applied with ink pad direct to the paper).
Row 5:  Ranger Distress Stains.

Stencil:  Michelle Ward for Stencil Girl.

 

 

Then I decided to use Ranger's Color Wash sprays again, but this time stick to some deeper, darker colors.  I didn't expect to be wowed by the results, but I was.

 

 

Stencil:  Circle Explosion, The Crafter's Workshop

 

 

I had a few misters full of homemade sprays.  These were made with Distress Reinkers and Perfect Pearls.  Don't ask me which colors, because I didn't label them and made them ages ago.

 

 

Stencil:  Stencil Girl (one of the the March stencils from the Stencil Girl monthly club)

 

Before hanging up my lab coat I decided to see how the pastes would react when applied over paint.  And I do have an awful lot of paint.  I narrowed my sampling down to the ones I tend to use the most.

 

 

 

Rows 1 and 2:  Ranger Distress Paints

Row 3:  Ranger Claudine Hellmuth Acrylics

Rows 4 and 5:  Golden Fluid Acrylics

Row 6:  Your garden variety store brand acrylic, the kind you find under the Dick Blick, Utrecht, or Cheap Joe's brand, to name a few.

 

 

Stencils:  I have no clue.  They are very pretty border stencils, but the manufacturer is not printed on them and the original packaging is long gone.

I thought I was finished, but went back and filled a page with Derwent's Inktense Color Blocks.  These are highly pigmented inks in stick form, and when water is added they produce intense yet translucent colors.  And when they dry, the color is permanent.

 

Stencil:  Daisy Cluster, The Crafter's Workshop

 

I just had to try the pastes over alcohol inks.  First I coated the page in my journal with Ranger's glossy glue n seal to create the nonporous surface the inks work best on.  Then I applied a variety of inks the usual way, pouncing them on with the felt covered tool.

 

 

 

Stencil:  Diamonds by Julie Fei-Fan Balzer for The Crafter's Workshop







Have I come to any conclusions?  Well, in my opinion, these metallic pastes look great over everything I've applied them to.  My personal preference is the gold....most of the time.  I just think the underlying color comes through a little better with it than the silver.  Also, a lighter coat of paste (usually) reveals more color than a thicker coat.  I've noticed exceptions to all these observations, so bottom line:  just go for it, have fun playing, and honestly, I doubt you'll be disappointed in any of your results.















Spray 'N Paste

Yesterday, Lori (list mom of Everything Wendy Vecchi) shared a link that really inspired me.  Britta Swiderski did a video of her technique of applying Wendy's metallic embossing paste over a background of Dylusions spray inks.  There is an interesting reaction between the two, and the results are just gorgeous.  Just click on Britta's name to see what I'm talking about.

Anyway, Lori decided that the new challenge at EWV would be to use that technique on a project.  First I pulled out my great big, nearly untouched Dyan Reaveley journal, and decided that this would be where I'd do my experimenting from now on.  With no worries about the finished product.  So far, it's working for me.

Here are a few of my experiments.  First, a background with some of the green Dylusions and a Michelle Ward Stencil Girl stencil with gold embossing paste.  Then, another part of the same background, same stencil, but this time I used the silver paste.

 

 

Next, I used Wendy's stripes stencil.  First I applied the gold paste holding the stencil so the stripes are vertical.  After it totally dried I repositioned the stencil right over the vertical stripes, this time holding it horizontally,  and applied the silver paste.  Before removing the stencil I very lightly pounced over the paste with a paper towel for a little extra texture.  This isn't the greatest photo; it's really striking in person.

 

 

 

Then I decided I should try the technique with different colored backgrounds.  Again, these do look way better in person.  First, some deep purples/blues with gold paste, followed by pinks/reds with silver paste.  And the stencils I used are Wendy's layered flowers. 

 

 

 

Before leaving the experimental phase and actually using this technique in a project, I started to wonder how it would work with a different spray.....namely Ranger's Color Wash.  Now, generally, the Color Wash sprays are darker and earthier than the Dylusions, so I just used the brightest that I had.....butterscotch, terra cotta, and red pepper.  And I didn't bother with a stencil.  I just scraped some gold paste over the dried ink with an old credit card.

 

 

 

I think the Color Washes work well, at least the shades I chose.  The next time I decide to play mad scientist I'll try this with some of the other colors.  And while I'm at it, I'll see what happens when the paste is applied over other sprays, ink pads, crayons, chalks......

 

Here is the journal page I did for the challenge.

 

 

 

The gold paste was applied over Wendy's lovely leaves stencil.  When the paste was nearly dry but still a bit soft I pressed a stamp onto the leaves (any old stamp; I wasn't trying for an image, just some texture).  I also used a stylus to make some dots. 

 

By the way, I keep a few sheets of deli paper on my table, and use it to blot off excess inks, paints, sprays, etc. After a day or two of blotting action, the paper is full of colorful goodness.  The two butterflies (Wendy stamps) were stamped onto one of those sheets, cut out, and then glued onto the page.  The page also has some random stamping, doodling, and little dots of paint.

 

**CAUTION**  If you're experienced in such things, this warning may seem as obvious as a take-out coffee cup announcing that the content is hot, but if you're new to all this, you'll be thankful.  WASH THE EMBOSSING PASTE OFF YOUR STENCILS AND STAMPS BEFORE IT DRIES!  I'm just sayin'.











Keys4Art 2013, Part III

MORE PROJECTS

 

 

Daisy showed us a lovely technique using alcohol inks.  A picture was stamped on glossy paper and heat embossed with black powder.  This created "wells" that allowed us to paint with the inks without them straying into other areas. 

 

This one I will probably use on a card or an art journal page.

 

These two I put directly into the little journal we worked on at the retreat.  More about that soon.

 

 

Jacquie taught a quick lesson on using plaster embedded gauze to create wonderful textures.  We made journal covers.  Some of my very industrious friends actually used them and made wonderful journals with exposed spine bindings.  Me, I just have these two covers.  Someday....

 

 

ROAD TRIP

 

One afternoon we took a break and drove south to Islamorada, where the Lazy Days restaurant is located.  Last year we stopped there on our way back from Key West, and I ate the best lobster sandwich I've ever had.  I have been thinking about it for a year, so we took a road trip to get it again. And I wasn't disappointed.  One of the best sandwiches of any kind I've ever had.

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way back from lunch we couldn't help but notice this rather large crustacean, drawing people into a mall of both touristy crap and very beautiful pieces made by local artists.

 

 

 

 

And I couldn't help but notice that there was something odd  unusual  sexual  interesting (?) about this tree trunk.

 





 

 

Poor Teri; she didn't have a clue what was happening on the other side of the tree, but we talked her into this pose. 

 

 

 

And mind you, sticking out her tongue was all her idea.  I swear.

 

 

BACK AT THE HOUSE

 

 







One of the gifts we received from Elena wss a smallish Maya Road chipboard album, and in between classes and mojitos (a big shout out to both Jen and Karen who were always ready to mix us up some cocktails) we worked on the album.  In fact, mine was nearly finished; all I had to do when I got home was add some photos.

 

See how great the key from the pillow fairies looks on the front cover! (Fleur de lis stencil is one of my favorites, by Michelle Ward for Stencil Girl).

 

 

The Hebrew lettering stencil on the back cover is also a Stencil Girl product.

 

 

This is the inside front cover.  Some gelli plate prints, pieces of a decorative napkin, and a Dyan Reaveley stencil.

 

 

 

The last gift the pillow fairies left was a decorated letter sized envelope.  I deconstructed, then reconstructed it to fit on the inside back cover, and it now holds all the small memorabilia that I didn't have room for within the journal.

 

 

Here it is, Keys4Art 2013 in a nutshell.

 

 

 

 

I think I have enough random pix to warrant a fourth installment.  Stay tuned.....