Embossing Adventures

I don't often do mixed media, but when I am in the mood I like to use Seth Apter's techniques for painted backgrounds. I recently bought some of his new embossing powders. They will emboss stamped images, but that isn't what he made them for. I have been playing around with the Vintage Beeswax which gives you the look of an encaustic finish without using real wax. Seth says the only difference is that real encaustic pieces are matte finish and embossing powder is shiny. To create that matte finish, he recommends covering your finished piece with matte medium. This works well, but what if you don't own matte medium or you want some of the shine back in your piece?

I was playing with the Vintage Beeswax over the weekend and wanted to edge my piece with Staz-On ink. I got carried away with the color and wanted to knock it back a bit. I thought of using rubbing alcohol since Staz-On is solvent based and something unexpected happened! The alcohol removed the ink but it also made the embossed layer go matte! It turns out that the alcohol removes some of the embossing and turns it matte as well. To get the shine back just reheat the layer, but it you want a quick, inexpensive way to get the matte look, just use rubbing alcohol.

Here are some pictures of the results.

-Enjoy!

Matte finish from applying rubbing alcohol.

Shiny finish using Seth Apter's Vintage Beeswax embossing powder.

My ATC made with Seth's background painting technique and one of my dress forms. The bottom of the dress is shiny and the top is still matte from the alcohol. I just reheated the bottom half to bring back the shine.

All About ATC's

Today's topic is ATC's or Artist's Trading Cards. ATC's are 3.5 x 2.5 inch cards that artists create with any type of media they like. ATC's can be painted, rubber stamped, covered in collage, mixed media, etc. If it will fit on a 3.5 by 2.5 inch piece of paper then it works. There are groups that meet and trade, there are online trading sites or you can simply trade with your friends. The only catch is that these cards have to be traded, not sold. I have been making them for a few years off and on, but recently I have been making lots of them. I try to make sets of 9 as my album has page protectors with 9 slots. Here are some examples of the ATC's I have created recently. Enjoy and if you want to trade, let me know.

-Gina

"Cameo" set of 4

"Back of Fashion" set of 5

"Advice" set of 4

"Water Nymphs" set of 9

"Beaded Fragments" set of 9

"Beaded Fragments" detail. I made the Greek statue fragment with collaged papers that I tore into the body shape. I then applied glue and clear micro beads to give it some sparkle. I stamped the background with "Greeking" text and Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy and Antique Linen and used the inks on the edges too.

Detail of "Water Nymphs" using Tim Holtz Brushed Corduroy and Antique Linen again with his marble paper stamp. The image was stamped on a glossy photograph of my family in blue rain ponchos that we wore on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls.