free guide to art stamps: fun ideas and easy stamping ...€¦ · carved rubber stamps. the...

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free guide to art stamps: fun ideas and easy stamping techniques 1 a look at . . . stamp-carving supplies 2 make your own stamps with dies and foam DANEE KAPLAN 3 the workshop: roll out the backgrounds LINDA CALVERLEY 4 print fusion: combining calligraphy, foam-plate printing, and hand-carved stamps for one-of-a-kind collages CECILIA SWATTON presented by cloth paper scissors ® 3 2 1 4

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Page 1: free guide to art stamps: fun ideas and easy stamping ...€¦ · carved rubber stamps. The resulting prints have a primitive, hand-drawn look that can make your collage as unique

free guide to art stamps: fun ideas and easy stamping techniques

1 a look at . . . stamp-carving supplies

2 make your own stamps with dies and foam DANEE KAPLAN

3 the workshop: roll out the backgrounds LINDA CALVERLEY

4 print fusion: combining calligraphy, foam-plate printing, and hand-carved stamps for one-of-a-kind collages CECILIA SWATTON

presented by cloth paper scissors®

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it’s nice to be able to go to an art supply store and buy rubber stamps for your mixed-media art projects, but

you also like to make things yourself, right? Try making your own art stamps! In this free eBook from Cloth Paper Scissors, a Guide to Art Stamps: Fun Ideas and Easy Stamping Techniques, talented artists show readers how to make art stamps, foam stamps, and roller stamps; share stamp-carving techniques; and present ideas for using your stamps. Use these techniques to make backgrounds, design your own printed fabric or papers, or create a unique piece of art.

Almost any design can be turned into an art stamp, including your signature or favorite flourish, but you need the right tools to make stamps. Learn the tools of the trade in “A Look At . . . Stamp Carving Supplies.” There are some basic items you’ll want on hand: carving blocks, a bench hook, carving tools, inks and paints, brayers, and barens. In this beginner’s guide, you’ll also learn a few tips for making clean stamp impressions.

Next, you’re ready to “Make Your Own Stamps with Dies and Foam” with Danee Kaplan. While experimenting with foam door hangers, she came up with this stamping technique: “I die cut some butterflies and decided to see if I could alter the surface of the foam to add some dimension to the stamp,” Danee says. “What I came up with gives the look of a hand-carved stamp but is much easier, faster, and doesn’t require any specially purchased carving tools.” In addition to teaching you the steps to make your own stamps, Danee shares ideas

How to Make a Stamp 4 Free Articles on Carving

Art Stamps and Stamping Techniques

presented by Cloth Paper Scissors®

ONLINE EDITOR Cherie Haas

CREATIVE SERVICES DIVISION ART DIRECTOR Larissa Davis

PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Stein Korday Studio

Projects and information are for inspiration and personal use only. F+W Media is not responsible for any liability arising from errors, omissions, or mistakes contained in this eBook, and readers should proceed cautiously, especially with respect to technical informa-tion.

F+W Media grants permission to photocopy any pat-terns published in this issue for personal use only.

for adding details and stamping with precision. “Mounting the die-cut shapes on acrylic blocks or clear plastic makes it easy to line up the stamp right where you want,” she advises.

In “The Workshop: Roll Out the Backgrounds,” Linda Calverley shows how to make your own rolling stamps for paper and fabric. Using mostly recycled cylindrical objects, glue, and cutting tools, she explains how to carve rolling stamps from corks and foam insulation. Linda also gives stamping ideas for rollers and patterns and offers tips on how to stamp with these objects.

“Having a fling with several art-making processes, I’ve created an array of elements for Garden Collage (featured here) and other art pieces,” says Cecilia Swatton. “My dabbling included three simplified versions of printmaking: foam-plate printing, collagraphy, and stamping with original-design, hand-carved rubber stamps. The resulting prints have a primitive, hand-drawn look that can make your collage as unique as a signature.” Learn Swatton’s stamping techniques in “Print Fusion,” as she walks you through the steps to make your own stamps.

In this free Guide to Art Stamps: Fun Ideas and Easy Stamping Techniques, you’ll get a wealth of ideas for stamping and making signature works that are uniquely yours. Inspired? Click here to let your Twitter followers know that you’re going to “make an impression” with your own stamps!

Best regards,

Cherie Haas Online Editor, Cloth Paper Scissors Today

clothpaperscissors.com

Where mixed media artists come to play

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Adapted from Cloth PaPer SCiSSorS® May/June 2014

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a look at . . . stamp-carving suppliesstore shelves are full of stamps to purchase—but why not carve your own?

Add a stamp to a piece of art whenever you need it. Make a custom

stamp that suits your project perfectly—or even carve your signature. Just about

anything that you can doodle, draw, write, or even photograph can be made in

to a stamp, as long as you have the right tools and know how to use them.

toolsbench hook speedball bench hook/ink plate

Once your carving block is chosen, a bench hook/ink plate (1) is a great tool to have. Featuring a lip designed to hang over a desk or table edge, this metal plate helps to keep hands and fingers safe. In addition, it can be used as an inking plate once you’re ready to stamp.

carving tools speedball l inoleum cutter

Having the right carving tools is essential to success in carving. You can buy tools with a specific tip or a tool that comes with several tips, like the one pictured here (2). This type has an adjustable metal chuck for easy installation of the tips and a handle with a twist-off cap for convenient storage of the tips.

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carving blocksspeedball®: speedy-carve™, speedy-cut, speedy-cut easy

To begin, you’ll need to decide on your carving block (3). The rubber blocks are a great choice for beginners and come in a variety of sizes and qualities. The pink and blue blocks pictured here are made of an eraser-like material that is easy to carve. Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, author of Carve Stamp Play, recommends Speedy Carve as her favorite. This type of block also readily accepts image transfers to make carving even easier. You could also try an eraser or a piece of foam to carve a quick stamp.

inks and paintsspeedball block printing inks, fabric & paper block printing inks

There are also choices as to how you’ll print your carved image. An ink pad is an obvious choice, and there are many to choose from. Another choice is printing inks (4), which provide bold, opaque color; great transfer tack; and easy cleanup. Some people choose to use paint with their stamps, depending on the project.

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brayers and barensbrayer, red baron™ baren

A brayer (5) is a good tool for applying the ink or paint to your stamp. When printing a large stamp, inking the stamp face-up and then laying the paper on the stamp and burnishing the paper with a baren (6) makes for a clean impression.

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instructionCarve Stamp Play & Stamp-Making Adventures Workshop™ DVDjulie fei -fan balzer, interweavestore.com Good instruction is essential when learning a new skill, especially when special tools are involved. If you are totally new to stamp carving, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s Stamp-Making Adventures Workshop video (7) is a great place to start. Julie shares easy-to-follow instructions, tons of ideas for creating stamps, along with plenty of tips and tricks to have you carving stamps in no time. Julie’s book Carve Stamp Play (8) is also an excellent resource and covers everything you need to know about making and using stamps.

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make your own stamps with dies and foam

Adapted from Cloth PaPer SCiSSorS® May/June 2013

by Danee Kaplan

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directionsnote: I used a die-cut machine, but you could also cut the foam with sharp, heavy-duty scissors, working slowly and carefully.

1. Begin by choosing your die-cut shapes. Obviously, not all die-cut shapes will work for this technique. As you select the shapes, think about how the shape would be improved by adding lines to define areas, to make it look more natural, or to add interest.

2. The size of the die will determine how it is positioned on the foam. Play around with positioning the foam on the die in order to cut the shape correctly.

3. Run the die and foam through the die-cutting machine. Because the foam is thick, it needs a little help to get started. I found it easiest to use the extended cutting pads and start with the die itself 1"–2" from the edge of the cutting pads so that the cutting pads slid into the machine before the bulk of the sandwich. The foam door hangers cut beautifully.

i discovered this method serendipitously while working through Tim Holtz’s

a compendium of curiosity, Vol 2. In a technique Tim calls simply “Custom

Foam Stamps,” die-cut craft foam is used to make a rubber stamp. The resulting

stamp is a basic, one-dimensional shape.

As I set out to explore this technique, the only craft foam I had on hand was

a package of door hangers, which happen to be significantly thicker than the

standard craft foam sheets. I die cut some butterflies and decided to see if I

could alter the surface of the foam to add some dimension to the stamp. What I

came up with gives the look of a hand-carved stamp but is much easier, faster,

and doesn’t require any specially purchased carving tools.

materials• Craft foam door hangers

• Steel Rule Dies, capable of cutting thicker materials (I used Sizzix® Bigz dies and Movers and Shapers.)

• Die Cutting machine (I used a Sizzix Vagabond machine.)

• Carving tools: wooden skewer, toothpick, dry ballpoint pen, paintbrush, etc. (I like to use a Tim Holtz® Craft Pick.)

• Recycled plastic packaging or acrylic blocks

• Adhesive, Aleene’s® Tack-It Over & Over glue or double-sided adhesive sheets

optional• Hot glue

detail tips• Birds, butterflies, and animals all

look better with added details such as facial features, defined body parts, wings, etc.

• Hearts can be sweet with words written on them (remember to write everything backwards) or be whimsical with added design details.

• Houses and cars are enhanced with windows and doors, defined rooflines, and shutters.

• Flowers and leaves are fun and super easy to jazz up by adding veins and texture.

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4. Add lines, circles, dots, hash marks, etc., to the die-cut shapes with the carving tools to enhance the image. Use different tools for different effects. Play around and have fun. If you don’t like how it looks, flip the foam over and carve the other side. (Figure 1)

5. To make repositionable stamps for use with acrylic blocks, paint a thin coat of the Tack It Over & Over on the back of each stamp and allow it to dry for several hours before adhering the stamp.

6. If you want to permanently mount the stamps, I recommend removing the film from one side of an adhesive sheet and applying the sheet to the back of the foam before you die-cut it. Run the foam/adhesive through the cutting machine, remove the second protective film, and mount the foam to either a piece of recycled plastic packaging (Figure 2) or to cardboard cut to the appropriate size. You could also use hot glue to adhere the foam to the plastic.

tip: The stamps clean up well with baby wipes.

This technique is a great way to get extra use out of your die-cutting system, expand your stamp collection, and it’s an inexpensive way to get stamps that are personalized by you.

Simple die-cut stamp

Faux hand-carved version of the simple

die-cut stamp

Figure 1

Figure 2

quick tips• Cut multiple copies with the

same die and then cut the foam apart to allow you to ink up the various components with different colored inks.

• Mounting the die-cut shapes on acrylic blocks or clear plastic makes it easy to line up the stamp right where you want it.

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i i have been making flat stamps for some time, but the rolling ones are fairly

new to me. It started when I bought a cheap set of tiny rolling stamps for

children. I thought I might be able to alter them by fixing my own designs on

them, but I admit I failed. However, it did get my creative juices “rolling,” and

I came up with ideas using recycled items, bits and pieces from my treasure

drawers (junk), and fun foam. Be prepared to get your fingers dirty...and be

warned: it can become addictive.

directions fun foam1. Measure the amount of foam you will

need by wrapping it around your selected roller and

marking it. When measuring the width, be sure to leave a space at each end of the roller for your fingers. Measure the circumference and cut. Double check to be sure the foam fits the roller before doing anything else, and make adjustments as necessary.

by Linda Calverley

MAKE YOUR OWN ROLLING STAMPS FOR PAPER AND FABRIC

materials• Recycled items to use as rollers:

anything cylindrical (such as hard cardboard paper towel tubes or a plastic soda bottle) or wheel shaped (round with a flat edge)

• Found objects to use as pattern makers, such as heavy lace, string, or open-weave fabric

• Fun foam (funky foam), available in sheets

• Scissors—large and small (For small fiddly bits, curvy nail scissors work well.)

• All-purpose adhesive such as UHU® (It must be a strong glue, or the shapes will come off when washed.)

• Craft knife

• Pinking shears/decorative edge craft scissors

• Revolving punch pliers for different size holes

• Roller paint—acrylic, poster, ink pads, etc.

• Background paints—acrylic wash, watercolor, Brusho (pigment powder), dye solution, fabric paints, etc.

• Paintbrushes and/or paint rollers

• Paper and/or fabric to print on

• Tape or pins

• Plastic to protect work surface

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the workshop:roll out the backgrounds

Adapted from Cloth PaPer SCiSSorS® September/October 2009

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ideas for rollers & patternsrollers: plastic bottles; denture tablet tubes; wine corks (rubbery ones); thick, strong cardboard from rolls of tape; cylindrical polystyrene; containers from gravy granules and salt; empty thread spools; toy rolling pins; sponge craft rollers with handles; spongy tube pipe insulation; wooden dowels; tins; empty aerosol cans

patterns: lace and trim (the thicker type works best), zippers, curtain heading tape, netting found on the back of small ceramic tiles, patterned textured fabric such as dish cloths, wallpaper, sinamay mesh or other open-weave fabric, jute, cord, string, purchased foam shapes, knitting, doilies (crochet rather than paper)

note: Fun foam is very easy to cut. Strips of fun foam can be cut with pinking shears, a craft knife, or fancy craft scissors, and holes can be made with punch pliers.

2. Draw your design directly onto the foam, or draw it on paper first and then copy it onto the foam. For a “repeating” pattern the design will need to match at the same place, top and bottom, where the ends meet. To do this, fold over the 2 ends or hold the foam in place around the roller, matching the edges together, and mark the foam where the pattern needs to join. Place a join in the most suitable place. Some patterns don’t need to repeat, they look fine as blocks of pattern.

3. Glue the foam to the roller, matching where required. Allow to dry.

4. Cover your flat printing surface with plastic, then tape your fabric or paper to it.

5. Using a brush, apply color to the patterned area on the roller or just to selected parts. (If your design is large, a paint roller will give you more even coverage for applying paint.)

6. Start rolling at one end of your fabric or paper and work toward the other end. Some of the rollers can be used like a rolling pin. Most need to be guided with your fingers, quite firmly: with each hand, use your index finger above, middle finger to the side, and your thumb guiding from the back. If there is no space on the edge for your fingers, you may have

to place them on the painted area. It is quite messy and sometimes finger marks are left in the painted area, but these look like part of the pattern when a topcoat of color is applied. If the roller is hollow in the center, you can guide it by inserting your fingers there.

7. After rolling is completed, and the paint or ink has dried, a colored wash can be applied over the top. Alternatively you could start with a colorwash before you do any rolling on of color.

8. For an all-over pattern, roll from end to end with the “stripes” of pattern side by side until the sheet (fabric or paper) is filled.

9. Most rollers can be rinsed under the tap after use. If it is a cardboard roller, just wipe it with a damp cloth.

textile patternsYou can use lace, trims, textured fabrics, cord, knitting samples, etc., or even embossed wallpaper.

1. Look at the lace (or other patterned material) to determine how big the repeat is and find a roller that it will fit. (If not 1 repeat, try 2, 3, or 4

repeats.)

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• Acrylic paints can be used with the stamps, but if you’re printing on fabric, use fabric paint, silk paints, or dyes for the background colors. Acrylics can leave the fabric quite stiff. Thickened dyes are another alternative.

• If some areas don’t print well, you can cut the best areas out for collage, or disguise the bad bits with more stamping on top.

• The paint will last longer on the bigger rollers as they cover a larger area. The paint will become lighter the farther you roll, but there are some nice effects when the paint is quite light. Apply more paint to the roller if it becomes too faint, even if it’s halfway across the page.

• Experiment on scrap paper to check the amount of paint required for your chosen roller and effect. Add water to the paint as required; it may need to be a little runnier for fabric.

• Build up layers of pattern by using one roller on top of another after allowing the first one to dry.

• If you really don’t want to get paint on your fingers, make all your rollers using kids’ craft rollers with handles. Remove the sponge and replace it with fun foam, building up the layers to make it fatter and firmer, but don’t overlap the foam. Decorative paint rollers, wallpaper seam rollers, or lint rollers could also be an option, although I haven’t tried these—yet. Or, just wear gloves when you paint.

• Some of the rollers leave a better impression than others. For instance, a pattern made in fun foam using punch pliers can create a pattern that looks more like lace than real lace.

• Some rollers will last longer than others. Use them as long as possible and then discard.

• If you want a section without patterning, mask the area with paper before rolling.

• Roll some patterns with a deep paint color, allow them to dry, and then scan them into the computer. They make wonderful backgrounds for your digital work.

If you want a bigger roller, glue funky foam onto the cork. Let the edges of the ends meet, but don’t overlap them. (I used this system on an old craft sponge roller: I removed the sponge and glued fun foam in its place. I used 2 layers of foam plus a layer with a foam pattern—3 layers in total.)

spongy tube pipe insulationThis is really easy to cut with a craft knife and it is easy to use.

1. Draw your design on the tube with a marker.

2. Carefully carve out the pattern areas with a craft knife.

3. Apply paint and roll as above. These tubes can be rinsed under tap water after use.

linsart.co.uk

2. Wrap the lace around your selected roller and mark where it should be cut.

3. Cut it to size and recheck that it fits before gluing it to the chosen roller.

4. Use acrylic paint to make your first print, and then let the roller dry with the paint left on. Once dry, the paint will act as a coating on the textile and the roller can then be washed after the next use. This only works on a non-porous roller.

note: Knitting becomes soggy when washed and takes too long to dry, so it’s better to leave the paint to dry on the

roller after each use.

wine bottle corksCorks can be cut (carefully) with a craft knife. Simple marks can make a nice pattern. A simple, long, thin triangle from the edge is an example.

Rolling a pattern with a cork is time consuming as the cork is small so you will have to roll it many times. Also, corks cannot hold a lot of paint so you will probably have to apply paint for every “roll.”

tips

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print fusionAdapted from

Cloth PaPer SCiSSorS® March/April 2007

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beginning preparation

directions1. Lay a base of newspaper on your

work surface.

2. Crisscross lengths of string across the newspaper to create a grid pattern.

3. Cover the grid with white tissue paper and bond the 3 layers

by brushing on Liquitex Gloss Medium, pre-mixed with Golden’s quinacridone crimson (2 parts medium and 1 part acrylic paint).

4. From the mesh produce bag, cut 2 irregular shapes, varying in width from 1⁄4" to 21⁄4", one 8" long and the other 4" long. Brush with gold metallic acrylic paint.

preparing the vegetables

Cecilia Swatton

materials• Newspaper

• Liquitex® Gloss Medium

• Golden® quinacridone crimson

• String

• White tissue paper

• Mesh produce bag

materials• Fresh vegetables

• Pot with hot water

• White felt—multiple layers, approximately 6" thick

• A heavy object for pressing, such as a large hardcover book

having a fling with several art-making processes, I’ve created an array

of elements for “Garden Collage” and other art pieces. My dabbling

included three simplified versions of printmaking: foam-plate printing,

collagraphy, and stamping with original-design, hand-carved rubber stamps.

The resulting prints have a primitive, hand-drawn look that can make your

collage as unique as a signature. I chose a fruit-and-vegetable theme and even

added dried slices of carrots, oranges, and zucchini as collage elements. As the

viewer’s attention travels through the work, I want to provide interest every inch

along the way.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR

foam-plate printing1. Cut your foam into desired shapes.

There are several craft foams available, but you can also use a thoroughly washed meat tray.

2. Lightly draw your design onto the cut shapes, but don’t press into the foam yet.

3. When you are happy with your design, go over the lines with a ballpoint pen, pressing firmly to pierce the skin of the sheet and create an impression.

4. Lay your paper on your work surface.

5. Brush a light covering of ink or acrylic paint onto your print block and place the block face-down onto your paper.

6. Run a brayer over the block and then peel the block off the paper.

To read more about foam-plate printing, I recommend Moira Ackers’ article “Who Can Resist Magic?” in the Spring 2006 cloth paper scissors®.

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COMBINING COLLAGRAPHY, FOAM-PLATE PRINTING, AND HAND-CARVED STAMPS FOR ONE-OF-A-KIND COLLAGES

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directions1. Simmer the desired vegetables

(whole) in water until they start to soften.

2. Remove the vegetables from the water, cool, and slice to a 1⁄8" thickness. Sandwich the slices between layers of white felt and press under a heavy object. Replace the layers of felt nearest the slices every few hours, as they become moist.

note: this felt-stack method is exactly the same process used in

papermaking, for press-drying handmade papers.

In a few days they will be “dried” and ready for use.

printmakingIn “Garden Collage”, the foam-plate prints are: the center image (cherries and halved orange) and the two red rectangles, one in the upper right (apple, cherries, pear) and the other at bottom-center (pear, halved).

Collagraphic prints are the red cherries at the upper right corner, the red mini-pear with cherries in the upper middle portion, and the red apple directly under the central halved orange.

note: Materials, set-up, and procedures for collagraphy and foam-plate printing are so similar that it’s my practice to segue immediately from one process to the next.

collagraphy

preparing the collagraphic printing plate1. Draw, stencil, or stamp images on the

glossy cardstock and cut them out.

2. Using gloss medium, glue your cutouts to the illustration board, then coat the entire surface with gel medium. Use a wide brush for large areas and a narrow brush for

materials• Paper towels and disposable gloves

(Clean fingers keep the prints clean.)

• 4” rubber brayer

• Plastic cutting board with a somewhat rough surface

• Speedball® Water-soluble Block Printing Ink (red) and Ink Extender

• Substrates (including newspaper)

• Burnishing tool (bone folder, back of a spoon, or other)

• Very sharp, short-blade scissors

• Liquitex® Gloss Medium

• Assorted brushes

• Krylon® spray fixative

• Thick, sturdy cardboard (preferably with white, glossy surface)

• Crescent hot press illustration board, cut down to a workable size

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removing excess medium around the edges of the cutouts.

3. Allow it to dry and then turn the board face-down and evenly coat the back in the same manner.

4. Repeat step 3 twice more, making the plate waterproof.

directions 1. Squeeze a dollop of ink onto the

cutting board, add a dab of extender, and roll the brayer across this several times to mix it and coat the roller with the mixture.

2. Hold the printing plate in place while rolling the inked brayer across the raised area of the cutout.

3. Holding the plate face-up, press the substrate down onto it. Burnish from the top to transfer the ink and then peel the print and plate apart.

4. When you are done printing, wash the plate.

At this point you can create foam-plate prints. When finished, make certain to immediately wash all tools.

collage assembly 1. In separate bowls, mix diluted Flow-

Aid with each of the 3 colors of paint to thin them.

2. In a spray bottle, mix some thinned crimson with some thinned nickel azo gold.

This page: Foam printing plates.

Previous page: A collagraphic printing plate.

materials• All previously prepared materials

• Tissue—patterned orange and Chinese red

• Loose-weave maroon and ivory handmade papers

• Kraft paper

• Asian newspapers

• Golden® acrylics – turquoise (phthalo), quinacridone nickel azo gold, quinacridone crimson

• Rectangles cut from plastic window screen

• Black brads

• X-acto® knife

• Asian-themed rubber stamp

• Sta–z-On® Ink pad in jet black

• Small grid cut from needlework plastic “canvas”

• 3-dimensional molded resin pears

• Liquitex® matte gel medium

• Liquitex® Flow-Aid™, diluted

• Scissors

• Spray bottles

• Cotton swabs

• Assorted brushes

• Disposable bowls

• Rags

• Masking tape

• Pre-stretched canvas, (16" × 20"), gallery-wrap style

• Large book for transfers

• Transparency sheet(s)

• Computer with program that reverses text

• Inkjet printer

• Bone folder

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3. Using masking tape, tape the small plastic grid to the canvas and then spray orange-crimson through the grid.

4. Paint other areas with thinned nickel azo gold, rag rubbing randomly.

5. Reposition the plastic grid, add more crimson to the spray bottle, and spray again through the grid.

6. Place the book underneath your canvas to support it.

7. Create a transfer by printing reversed text onto the

“wrong” (shiny) side of a transparency. Place the transparency, wet-side down, on the canvas and burnish with a bone folder.

Print 2 sheets in

succession,

making 1 transfer on the upper left and another on the lower right.

8. Tear the red and orange tissue into scraps and use gel medium to glue some of the orange scraps to the canvas.

9. Add some thinned turquoise. In some places, pour the paint on the canvas, allowing it to run downward. In other areas, dry brush a turquoise layer over the crimson and nickel azo gold.

10. Randomly brush some thinned crimson onto the canvas, then use it to stain some of the Asian newspaper.

11. Crumple and re-smooth some Kraft paper, then stamp it with an Asian-style stamp using jet black Sta–z-On ink.

12. Using gel medium, add the following to the canvas in repeating, overlapping layers:• red tissue scraps• torn scraps of handmade papers• “plain” and red-stained Asian

papers, edges torn

• red collagraphy prints on Asian newspaper scraps

• 3 sets of sliced, dried fruit and vegetables

• gold-painted mesh • 3 foam-plate prints • grid paper from Process 1

13. Spray the canvas randomly with thinned turquoise paint.

14. Cut the window screen into 3 rectangles, 2 the same size as the 2 red foam-plate prints.

15. Remove the book from beneath the canvas and use the X-acto knife’s tip to cut 8 tiny slits in the canvas, 1 at each corner of the 2 red foam-plate prints. Insert black brads to hold the screens in place.

16. Working from the back, spread the brad legs and use cotton swabs to dab gel medium onto the cuts.

17. Near mid-canvas, use gel medium to add the molded resin piece (2 pears with leaves).

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