MUCHO MACHO

I recently tried a pretty cool technique. Not sure what it's actually called, I will think of it as stamping into Fun Foam.

The focal point on this card is made using this technique:

With a little bit of a closer view, the viewer will notice that there isn't an overabundance of detail. Actually though, the stamp I used didn't have any more detail than what you see here. It is meant to be used as a silhouette stamp. 

The first stamp I tried was a little more detailed. Plus it was circular. When I finished, the rubber on the outside of the stamp also impressed itself, giving it something of a drunken look. Not at all appealing.

After that fiasco, I went in search of a more suitable image, 

and this is what I came up with:

The Fun Foam I used was 1/8" thick and tan in color. 

Once the impression has been made into the Fun Foam, it is, of course, all one color. In order to bring out as much detail as possible, slowly build up a slightly darker shade of ink than the foam with a stamping sponge, concentrating on keeping the ink only on the raised surfaces.

I went over and over this impression with sponged ink until finally I was happy enough with the detail. A problem: I noticed that wherever I touched on the sponged area, my fingers removed some of the ink.

With that in mind, I allowed it to set for a few days, hoping the ink would have dried sufficiently in that time. 

Even though I created this more than a week ago, the foam area remains iffy, transferring ink to my fingers every time I touch it. 

I'm not sure what a layer of fixative or some such product would do to the foam and/or the color and look of the piece. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Because the color and the image looked fairly masculine, I decided to go masculine all the way. I dug through my hoarded Designer Series Paper to discover this one that I'd been saving for . . .  Well, this project? It was kind of a western/cowboy look, so I deemed it ideal for my purposes. 

Using Tombow Multipurpose Glue (my beloved Green Glue) close to the edges of the Fun Foam I adhered it to a piece of the DSP so I had a mat, then surrounded that with a thin layer of Early Espresso cardstock, the color of the ink that I'd used to sponge on the foam.

After adding a couple more masculine-looking elements, I was happy with the end result.

How do you do this technique, you ask? 

Use a piece of Fun Foam that is 1/8" thick in any color you choose. I'd done this technique on a bright yellow years ago, and it was wonderful. In that case though, I did not do any sponging. The yellow Fun Foam, combined with the image I chose to stamp into it, cast enough shadows to give the piece pleasing dimension. So, that card is not at all fragile -- if you touch it.

Cut the Fun Foam to a size slightly larger than the stamp you choose to use. Lay the Fun Foam on a heat bearing surface and use a heat tool on it until it starts to curl somewhat. Have your stamp right there, because at this point, you want to slam the stamp into place on the hot foam, holding it in place for a few beats. Then slowly lift the stamp straight up off the foam. The stamp image should have transferred itself deeply into the Fun Foam.

Let it cool completely before you start with the sponging. Then, as I noted before, sponge in layers, gradually building up the complementary color until you are satisfied.

Off the subject: This is a VERY IMPORTANT post -- my 800th post since I began Paper Seedlings in September of 2012. Yay me!!

Foamy

Smiles.