Paper Marbling Techniques #2 – Oil Based Paint and Water

Marbling with two products that resist each other is a wonderful way to add unique and interesting textures to your background paper. In this case oil based paint is used with water to create the most delightful designs on paper crafts. The results are fabulous for using with clear hobby rubber stamps to make fascinating cards and scrapbook designs.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • Disposable cake pan
  • Water
  • Spray paints – 2 or more colors)
  • Stir stick
  • Cardstock
  • Newspaper
  • You may wish to use tweezers or pliers to remove the paper from the water
  • Paint thinner for cleanup if you get paint on your hands.

TO MARBLE PAPER USING SPRAY PAINT AND WATER

  1. Lay newspaper out on work surface. Ensure that your protected surface is much larger than your cake pan.
  2. Fill cake pan with water about 1″ deep.
  3. Spray the first color onto the water. Do this in short shots of paint in different areas of the pan.
  4. Add the second color, and if desired, do the first color again, until you are happy with the amount of paint sitting on the surface of the water.
  5. Using the swirling stick, stir the colors together until you are happy with the result. Do not over stir.
  6. Drop paper flat onto the surface of the water. If you need to tap the corners down.
  7. Remove from the water immediately using tweezers or your fingers (you will get paint on them though). Lay your paper onto the newspaper to dry.
  8. Add another piece of paper to the waters surface where there is still lots of paint. Repeat this process until all the paint has bee used up.
  9. Begin again with a new set of colors if you like. If you do this, be aware, that a very small portion of the first color is likely still in the water and will show up lightly on the next paper.
  10. Allow the paints to dry thoroughly before adding additional details or sayings with your clear hobby rubber stamps.

Paper Marbling Techniques #1 – Coloring with Shaving Cream

Marbling paper with food coloring and shaving cream is a great activity for all ages! Kids will love this, but for scrapbookers and card makers, this technique will open up a whole new world of background papers. The end result of each project is beautiful and unique and makes a great background for clear rubber stamping projects!

  

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • Shaving cream or foam
  • Coloring medium: food coloring, refill inks, water based paint
  • Porous paper or cloth
  • Stick for swirling colors together
  • Cookie sheet or tin foil
  • 4×6 sheet of heavy cardstock
TO MARBELIZE YOUR PAPER
  1. Protect your work surface with newspapers. Next cover the bottom of a cookie sheet with tin foil.
  2. Spray the shaving cream over an area that will cover your paper (this will depend on the size of paper you are using. Make the shaving cream layer about 1″ thick.
  3. ADDING COLORS: If you are using food coloring, as illustrated,begin dropping bits of color over the shaving cream. You can use 1-4 colors as desired.  (If you are using water based paint, thin it down, then you can squirt bits over the shaving cream. You can even use a paint brush to make designs if you wish. If you are using refill inks, you can either squirt lines of ink into the shaving cream or you can add the ink the same way the food coloring is added, drop by drop.)
  4. Once you have added your color, use your swirling stick to lightly swirl the colors together. You want your colors to be sharp and vibrant so be careful not to overmix the colors. Also the colors should stay on the top of the foam as much as possible.
  5. Next lay your porous paper (or cloth) over the marbled design. Press the paper or cloth down lightly. Paper can be lifted off after a few seconds, cloth must sit on the surface for 1-2 minutes to allow the colors to penetrate fully.
  6. Lift paper off the shaving cream mixture.
  7. Next scrape the shaving cream off your paper (or cloth) using the 4×6 heavy cardstock. As you remove the shaving cream you will find that you are revealing the wonderful swirled art that is delightful to use.
  8. You can do this repeatedly with the same shaving cream mixture as desired. The more mixed your colors get the more muted the marbling will be.  
  9. Allow your paper (or cloth) to dry. Use your marbleized paper to create fun cards or scrapbook page features. These designs make wonderful backgrounds for rubber stamping scenic art!

 

Designing Background Scrapbook Paper with Clear Rubber Stamps

Some of the most fun I have is decorating my own coordinating background papers for my scrapbooking and card making projects. It is really very simple and easy to do.

FallBackgroundPaperMaking your own background paper will always produce the perfect colors and depth for your own personal projects because you put it all together. Everything matches and contrasts just like you want it to.

Advantages to making your own pattern paper

  • All your elements complement each other
  • You don’t have to decorate more paper than you need for the project which saves paper for other ideas
  • Colors in your background paper will definitely match the stamping you are doing for sentiments or other key elements
  • No one else will ever have the same look in their background paper because only you designed it.
  • Your background paper can develop and enhance the theme you want

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 35 other followers