Creative Chemistry 103: Join the Resistance!

Last technique I will be attempting for this course is Texture Paste Resist from Day 3.
I just started a quick spread in my Large Journal to test out the principles. I had both Transparent pastes, in matte and gloss. I own these because I WANT my paste to resist. I don't want my paste to be sucking up color from beneath it or from above it. But I hadn't actually used them with ink, only over collaged paper. So...time to experiment.

I decided to do a side-by-side comparison. The page on the left is the Matte transparent paste and the right side is the Glossy. I applied the matte to a blank page and the glossy to a page that already had some spray on it.

The matte side dried clear and so I decided to put spray ink over it. I knew it would resist the ink but I wasn't sure if the ink would seep under the paste through the paper. It did not. I was very impressed. So I decided to go all-in and try black ink spray over the Glossy one.

It worked perfectly. I was mindful of how much ink I was spraying at first and blotted it up too early. I actually blotted up all the ink that was in the fine lines between the paste. Ooops. So I did it again, this time I even added some water and it worked fine. I really thought after my first saturation that the ink would seep underneath the paste via the damp paper. It DIDN'T! Happy, happy!

Just look at that close-up! I'm going to be trying this out for several ideas. The black background was Dylusions spray ink then I went over it with Dylusions paint because I didn't want any of the other ink to show through. And I just adore the glossy sheen.

This definitely makes my back pocket!
-Wy

Creative Chemistry 103: Resistance is Futile

From the Crayon day...Day 4...in Creative Chemistry, I tried out the Watercolor Resist.
I admit, I am impressed. I like the way it works; the way it looks; the simplicity of the one-layer, if I wish to keep it so.

And of course, I tried it out with the Robot stamps!
Some photos:

Tim's Rusted Robots:   Since I was cutting up watercolor paper, anyway, I cut up enough for mistakes and 2 sets of Robots. (See how confident I was? I cut up paper for mistakes.) After coloring in my first robot, I decided to make a Rusty set and a Brand New set. The cards with the brown backgrounds are my Rusty Robots.

After yesterday's experiments with Distress Crayons, I was thinking that I probably wouldn't need any more. However, I had a great deal of fun with this technique! It does have a learning curve and you have to embrace imperfection so it may not be for everyone. Honestly, it's changed my mind about "needing" more Crayons. I find them much more forgiving than the Distress Markers (with which I also have a Love/Hate relationship) and easier to get the blended results that I want.

Brand New Robots:   I pretty much just colored these guys with the crayons, no blending or anything fancy. Again, these are unfinished card fronts. These came out great but I think I prefer the Rusty set over these. 

Once again, I am loving the resist techniques best. And it may have just sold me on more Distress Crayons!
-Wy

Creative Chemistry 103: Day 4

Day 4 was Crayon day! I tried 3 of the techniques and will have to go back and review a video or two about a couple others. I can't seem to wrap my head around the printed directions. Maybe it's creativity overload!

Once again, nothing is a finished project but these backgrounds will be used for cards eventually.

Blended Background:  I was not a big fan of this technique. I thought I would be...it seems simple enough. I think I will give this one another go on a different watercolor paper. The crayon just didn't seem to want to move even with water and brushing. I will be attempting this technique again with a different paper. I also don't like the colors I currently have for this technique. I like the colors separately but when I start putting them all together, I get a mess. Which means I either have to 1. invest in more crayons, or 2. just stop using them. Hmm...

Gesso Fresco:  This technique is very cool and rather fun to do. The crayons smudge pretty well but because they do dry pretty quickly, I didn't end up making too much mud as I had with the Blended Background technique. Overall, I don't know if it'll be a "back pocket" technique for me, but I will keep it in the back of my mind.

Textured Resist:  This was my favorite technique that I tried out today with the Distress Crayons. I guess I just like resist techniques the best...they seem like magic!

I feel a bit more comfortable with Distress Crayons but I'm still on the fence as to whether they are for me. They are fun to play with and do give interesting resists but I can also achieve the same look with my other mediums. Paints will resist, pastes will resist, embossing powder will resist. I'm leaning toward using what I've got and resisting the urge to buy more.

I'll see if I can try out the other techniques from Day 4 tomorrow. Perhaps, therein lies the spark that makes me fall in love. But for now, Distress Crayons, you're just a friend.
-Wy
"The soul that can speak through the eyes can also kiss with a gaze". ~Gustavo Adolfo Becquer

Creative Chemistry 103: Day 3

Creative Chemistry 103 class Day 3was "Paste" day. Most techniques used some form of texture paste. I'll share the one that I finished but I'm still waiting for more paste to dry. Probably post that tomorrow if it works out.

Texture Paste Embossing:  This was the technique I got excited about. I always love the look of thick embossing but can't ever get it with just embossing powder. What a great way to get the thick layer without all the extra heating. I used super fine copper EP from Ranger with a bit of EP from Lindy's Stamp Gang, sorry I forget the color...Reindeer Moss? This technique goes in the arsenal.

I'll probably get a couple Steampunk type cards out of these tags.
-Wy

Creative Chemistry 103: Day One (cont)

Almost forgot to share my other card fronts from techniques I learned in Creative Chemistry 103.

These card fronts combine another two techniques: DIY Ombre Inkpad and Washed Watercolor. I admit that I've been itching to do the Washed Watercolor since I got my Distress Glaze but just never got around to it. Then, well...you know the story...supply gets "lost" on the craft table then gets "put away" and it's out of sight, out of mind. The leaf is from Unity Stamps (the Autumn Grunge set) and works very well for watercolor techniques.

I created the Ombre Inkpad with a Kaleidacolor blank stamp pad. I've had this thing for years and decided to try it out with Distress inks. It works. This ink pad is one that has a slider that pushes the inks together when you use it, and then pulls them apart for storage. Like the photo below.

So I picked these five Distress colors and made a Falling for Distress Palette: Seedless Preserves, Dried Marigold, Shabby Shutters, Scattered Straw, and Fossilized Amber. My leaf stamp wasn't big enough to hold all five colors but I did like just a touch of that purple on the edge, rather than double the golden colors on the other end.

I used my Distress Stains (dauber tops) for the color around the outside. I used: Barn Door, Abandoned Coral, Ripe Persimmon, and Fossilized Amber. I really like how these colors blended into each other.

These fronts aren't finished either. I'll definitely add some brown around the edges to tone down the ORANGE and no doubt stamp a sentiment beneath the leaf. Really like these results today.

-Wy

Creative Chemistry 103: Day One

So over at Online Card Classes is a class taught by Tim Holtz, creative director for Ranger. It's the third installment of Creative Chemistry. It's amazing how much you can learn about, not just Ranger products, but ALL your art/craft products.

So here's a look at my technique "Tags". I'm not doing tags...I'm doing card fronts, mostly. Or just experimenting with scrap paper. I've got lifetime access to this info so no worries about forgetting info.

This card front combines a couple of techniques: Picket Fence Highlight and Off-Set Stamping. I wasn't sure about the highlight but it really comes out nice. I have been wanting to do more cards on kraft cardstock but I was always turned off by the fact that my inks (I own mostly dye ink pads.) never seemed bright.

This front is not finished. I'll most likely add some smaller stamp images to fill in a bit of the background and maybe some bling. But I'm pretty happy with these results. It really opens up my options for a lot of the new Layering Stamp sets I've been buying.

-Wy