The Creative Laboratory - Chain Reaction
~ Leandra
I am always looking for new ways to add texture and relief to my projects so this topic seemed the perfect opportunity to try something new and explore the possibilities of this pairing. I used my findings on one of my little obsessions, a notebook !
My curiosity was piqued by Scrapcosy blogpost celebrating her new release last January. On one of her gorgeous samples, she used Grunge Paste as a medium to stick embossing powder, making it really dimensional once melted. I loved the idea and the result and decided to try it myself.
Ever since seeing Scrapcosy's technique, I was thinking: you can stamp directly into Grunge Paste (with good quality red-rubber stamps), you can stamp directly into melted embossing powder (also with good quality red-rubber stamps), surely you can stamp into a mix of both? I therefore experimented a little....
I wanted a rather simple, open and defined stamp so I used the electron
cloud from HP2103.
Here are the successful
results.
I used Scrapcosy's Decadent Ruby from WOW! Embossing, with different processes :
1: Scrape Grunge Paste through the stencil, sprinkle with embossing powder, let dry, heat
2: Scrape GP through the stencil, sprinkle with embossing powder, heat without waiting
3: Scrape GP through the stencil, stamp, sprinkle with embossing powder, let dry, heat
4: Scrape GP through the stencil, stamp, sprinkle with embossing powder, heat without waiting.
All the results are interesting but I particularly love the grunged look from the stamping. It makes the chains look corroded, especially with the multi toned embossing powder.
I dithered quite a bit on what to do using this technique. I felt I needed to use a rather sturdy substrate to withstand a lot of wetness and heat without buckling to much. I chose Grey Board which led me to make a notebook in my favorite colour : red !
The covers were first
painted with
Fresco Finish Acrylics. The main colour is London Bus but I added an
gradient around the edges, using the same electron cloud stamp with Red
Lipstick, Blood Orange and Claret.
I linked the two covers with fabric,
making it simple to sew on the pages. It is only when choosing the pictures for
this blogpost that I realised that I glued the covers wrong ! The open
side of the back was supposed to face the binding so that the pattern would
flow from one cover to the next... Oh well, what is glued is glued !
I kind of forgot to add a closure to my
notebook, something I think is necessary. I messed round with hinges
and a clasp to fix that. It was quite fiddly, but I like the result. I think it
works well with the chains and metallic embossing.
Stay creative !
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