Sunday, February 8, 2009

Distressing Crepe Paper, Tinting Mica Flakes Recipes!

Here is my recipe for distressing crepe paper and letting clear mica flakes look tinted:

Materials:
-Cream Crepe Paper (Use White, or Beige for a substitute)
-Perfect Pearls (Rustic Colors: Gold, Bronze, etc.)
-Martha Stewart Clear Mica Flakes
-Elmers Gel Glue

Directions:
1. Layer the desired art piece with crepe paper such as crepe papering the bottom of a crown base for a ruffled look or using crepe paper to make a doll skirt or a collar.
2. Now cover the crepe paper with the Gel glue, rubbing the glue onto the crepe paper with your fingers, lightly.
3. While the glue is still wet, dip your finger into the perfect pearl color of choice and rub into the wet glue, again, lightly.
4. Rub some more glue onto the top of this, then sprinkle with Mica Flakes, tap off excess and let dry for an hour.

This will give you the same look of the doll collar on my Faerie Shrine Ciagr Box Front Cover.

Other Options:
-Using strong coffee that's been steaping for a day to paint onto the crepe paper, or strong tea.
-Use antique glazing medium to spread onto the crepe paper.

For Dying/Staining Mica Flakes:

Materials:
-Small paper bowl (soup bowl size)
-2 Tablespoons Water
-2 squirts of Tim Holtz Distressing Ink in Walnut
-Clear Mica Flakes by Martha Stewart

Directions
1. Drop 2 Tablespoons water into small bowl
2. Squirt the ink into the water, mix with a craft stick or plastic spoon
3. Pour mica flakes into the bowl until covered, mix, let dry over night.
4. Now decorate your favorite projects!
Options:
-Use other ink colors for different looks
-Try food coloring.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello,

Can you dye white crepe paper with watercolors? Will the paper fall apart? Do you know much about this technique? I really need help in knowing how to do this.

Thanks,

Dick