2016 #1 Beautifully Transparent {by Wanda Hentges}

 2016 Topic 1: Transparent Art

Hi everyone, Wanda here.

Tonight I'd like to share with you a post where I'm working with a transparency along with some gold leaf and also a technique once called Caught In Crystal to make a card.

Years ago there was a popular technique called Caught In Crystal using clear glue (Crystal Lacquer was popular and might be why it was called Caught In "Crystal"), ink, and often glitter along with tissue paper on the back of stamped transparencies.  I'm tweaking the supplies but the basic technique is as fun now as it was back then.   

Step One: I started with a piece of transparency larger then I would need.  I did this because quite often while working on the back, I get some product along the edges on the front and I wanted to be able to trim the piece down to get rid of any messes.  I stamped the flower from EEV10 onto the "back" of the transparency with Fresco Finish Little Black Dress. 

EEV10

Still working on the back, I painted in the flower with Duo Embellishing Adhesive. This goes on white, dries clear, and is sticky when dry.  Over the adhesive I applied gold leaf flake, pressing it down all over the adhesive and burnishing it well with my finger.  Any excess gold leaf should be put into a container and saved as every little bit can be used. The brush marks from applying the adhesive I consider a bonus as it really give the look of added texture to the flower.  The transparency was turned over and the words stamped on the front with StazOn Jet Black Ink.

Step Two:  The colors I chose for the transparency are Fresco Finish Beach Hut, Glass Blue, and Zesty Zing.  Each color was mixed into a puddle of Gloss Glaze along with one drop of Metallic Glaze.  After mixing each color well, transfer the colors to the back of the transparency using a palette knife and drizzled on extra Gloss Glaze.

Step Three:  Take a piece of white tissue paper larger than the transparency, crumple it very well, open it and lay it over the transparency pressing it into all the color and glaze causing all the puddles to spread out over the transparency.  I had some corners where there was no glaze and I just picked up the tissue, added some glaze and pressed it back down.  You want the tissue adhered everywhere.  Set this aside to dry completely.  

Step Four:  Once the tissue was completely dry I trimmed down the piece and went around the front edge with a Gold Krylon Pen.  I cut a piece of heavy smoothy 1/4" larger on all sides than my transparency, stamped the sketchy diamonds (EEV07) with Archival Inks Forget-Me-Not and Buttercup, distressed the edges and attached the transparency to the center with double stick tape.

EEV07

Step Five:  On the front of my folded white card I stamped the same flower I used on the main panel - twice on the left, masking the first flower before stamping the second, and once on the right.  (I'm so sorry I forgot to take a picture before attaching the main panel!!)  To "ink" the flower I used paint, a mix of Gloss Glaze, Beach Hut and just a bit of Glass Blue for the flower and Hey Pesto for the stem.  I dabbed the colors onto the stamp with Cut 'n Dry Foam and stamped onto the card repeating the "inking" for each flower.  Be sure to clean your stamp before the paint dries on it. 

I painted in the flowers with watered down Glass Blue and Hey Pesto and dried them.  I somehow dropped a blob of Hey Pesto onto the farthest left flower.  When I noticed it, I wiped it up and repainted the flower.  You could still see a little green but not bad.  I loosely went over the stamp lines of the flower petals with a white gel pen.  Then, to give the flowers a more "faded" look, I scraped Fresco Finish Snowflake over the front of the card allowing some spots without Snowflake.  After drying the Snowflake paint, a wet paintbrush was used to splatter on Beach Hut.  

Metallic embroidery floss was tied around the main panel and it was attached as shown with foam mounting tape. 

I hope you can catch a glimpse of the shimmer in the colors from adding that drop of Metallic Glaze.

I love today's card. The techniques are quite easy and fun!!!  I just might put this card into a frame.  Thanks for reading to the end and I hope you are inspired to play along with this first theme of the year.  If so, don't forget to link up your project so I can some take a look!!  You all inspire me!!!!!

~Wanda
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Oh Wanda this brings back memories of a great technique, back in the day we used Johnson floor cleaner(as the lacquer) on the back of the acetate. It is making me smile, and making me want to revisit this technique. A beautiful end result, the layers and little touches of shimmer are perfect. 

We would love to see how you interpret this Transparent Art topic by linking what you make to our 2016 Challenge #1: Transparent Art, on this page HERE.

All of our bloggers love to see your twist on their ideas, particularly if you were inspired directly by their post. 

Links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store. The Transparent Art link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, January 17th. The winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.