Earlier this week I was at lunch with Joe Morgan and Carole Lassak, and, as usual, we were talking about crafting. We work together at our “real job” (Delphia Consulting) and have lunch together every day. And because we all love to craft, we inevitably talk about ideas, projects, products, etc.  This time the topic was Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) from USArtQuest and fabric.

We knew from Susan Pickerington Rothamel’s demonstrations that PPA works great on Studio Cloth -  a soft, durable, triple laminate, non-rolling canvas, that does not curl, and does not fray when cut. But I wondered about “regular fabric.” What would happen if I tried to collage with PPA on an ordinary household fabric?

Luckily for us, there was  Goodwill Thrift Store right near where we had lunch! So, we ran in and I picked up an old gold tie. In it’s prime, it must have been pretty special because it had the original price tag – $49.50! Now, at $3.90, it was a steal! LOL!

Once home, the project began. I applied PPA Matte on the tie in small sections. The silk really absorbed the PPA, so I had to put it on pretty liberally. Then I collaged the napkin pieces just like I’ve done on wood and chipboard (here’s a video showing how). It worked really well.  I noticed the PPA did darken the silk a bit, so I was sure to cover any PPA areas with napkins.

I wasn’t sure how stiff the PPA would be when it was dry, so I decided to only do the bottom portion of the tie. This project really was an experiment – a way to learn.

After it was dry, I painted over the design with Perfect Pigment Pure Liquid Acrylic Paint. I wanted to brighten up some of the flowers, the birds and the cages. Joe Morgan lent a hand and added some turquoise flourishes and sponged some paint at the top of the collage with a Texture Sponge to help it blend better into the tie.

After the paint was dry, I applied a finish coat of PPA Matte and sprinkled it with some Crystal Effectz while it was still wet.

The collaged area isn’t stiff at all. It’s very flexible and feels somewhat similar to the finish that’s on a vinyl tablecloth. Best of all, it’s water resistant! If I spill anything on that portion of the tie (very likely!) I can simply wipe it off!

I’m thrilled with the transformation of an old gold tie and learned how well PPA works with fabric! Now I wonder what else I could find to collage on…. hmmmm

You can see more of my projects on my blog at Create & Craft.

Happy Crafting!

Joe

 I adore flowers and recently embarked on creating them from water color paper. They take on life, all by themselves. It is really fun.

The tiny canvas has a secret layer of writing, that was painted over with Perfect Pigments in turquose, and then written upon with a white gel pen and Sharpie.

The flower is torn from water color paper and old encyclopedia pages. The large petals are painted with Perfect Pigments and then over painted  with Mica Colors. The printed pages were painted with Mica Colors only.

The instructions can be found here.

I hope as an artist, you consider expanding your artist’s tool box using some of the finest products available on the market. The design team has demonstrated some really fun and exciting ways to use them, but we all know that we provide only the inspiration, the real work comes from your heart !

Have a very artful day.

I love the way that the Perfect Pigments dry on the Studio Cloth. Using a brayer and the Cobalt Turquoise Hue on the Calligraphic Print Makers Plate, I was able to achieve a graphic bold, graphic textured base. Painting the alternate blocks in Napthol Red provided an upbeat background for the simple flowers. On the inside, I carried the block graphic look into a ‘loose’ pattern. Likely in the future, it will be embellished with art words as I wait for the kids to finish their outdoor activities.

With the 1/2 yard Studio Cloth piece, you can make this and several other projects.

The weather is getting milder and my mind turns to sketching outdoors.  I have so many opportunities: be it at my daughter’s soccer practice, or just at the park with the kids.  So today I decided to create a little traveling journal bag, that could hold a few drawing implements and a small sketchbook.

I pulled out a small watercolor journal, and a little mesh lined purse that I found in the discount bin at the Christmas Tree Shoppes.

I cut a piece of Studio Cloth to size, to create a front pocket on the purse and for decoration.  I sized it to the large daisy stamp.

I adore working with Studio Cloth, because it is such a great smooth surface for stamping, and the edges don’t fray like traditional canvas.  This is especially important for me, because I am a complete amateur when it comes to sewing!  Less steps are definitely a plus.

I lightly tapped the stamp with the texture sponge to apply an even, light coating of fluid acrylic paint in the Wheat color.

I stamped it onto the Studio Cloth and immediately cleaned the stamp to prevent the paint from drying on the rubber.

This is just to give me a starting point for the flower.  Now I’m going to take a waterproof pigment pen and outline the petals and flower elements, leaving the solid portion alone.

Next, I applied a wash of color, using Fluid Acyrylic Paint in Deep Sky Blue with plenty of water in my brush.

I dried it with a heat tool and then applied a 1:1 ratio mixture of Permanent Medium Green and Yellow Ochre in a few areas.

Next a dry brushed a little bit of Purple Mist onto the edges.

And then to brighten up the background a bit, I applied Cobalt Turquoise Hue.

Now it is time to paint that flower.  I mixed a 1:1 ratio of Magenta and Wheat, and applied a light wash of color over the petals.  For shading, I added a touch of Purple Mist along the lines and to create depth in the petals.

Then I mixed a 1:1 ratio of Yellow Ochre with Wheat for the center of the flower.

I took the word collage stamp and lightly tapped the Permanent Green Medium / Yellow Ochre mix onto its surface and applied it vertically to the right side of the project.

I dried this with a heat tool and then proceeded to call out a few words with my detail pens in black pigment and white gel pen for highlights.

The final paint application was a dry brush of White Pearl in the upper left and lower right corners as well as a few dots, using the handle end of my paint brush.

I appliqued this to the purse, by pulling the liner inside out, and stitching with waxed linen thread around the sides and bottom of the design.

And now I have a cute little art journal sketching bag, complete with a small journal and a few drawing implements in the pocket.

Now it’s off to have some art adventures!

What will you alter today?  No surface is beyond your reach with these wonderful products.

US Art Quest Products used today:

• 3/4″ Stroke Brush

• Perfect Pigments, fluid acrylic paints in Deep Sky Blue, Magenta, Wheat, Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Permanent Medium Green, Purple Mist, Yellow Ochre and Pearl White
• Texture Sponge
• Studio Cloth, 1/2 yard
• Stamp, Sandi Miller Art Stamp - Large Daisy
• Stamp, Sandi Miller Art Stamp – Word Collage, Dream

Thanks for looking!

Sally Lynn MacDonald
www.sallylynnmacdonald.com
www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald

Glazed surfaces always catch my eye. Seeing a photo, stamp or drawing under a translucent layer of color adds a rich, dimensional aspect to any project. If things are whitewashed or have a sepia glaze they look more “vintage.” That’s why I was compelled to pick up the Tin Bucket Perfect Glazes™ set from USArtQuest. With colors like Ochre, Verde Gris, Rust, Sepia, Black, Metallic Gold, Whitewash and Clear, how could I go wrong?

I saw a call for entries for a contest called “Columbus Compositions” at Utrecht and decided this would be the perfect opportunity to use these glazes. Why not layer images that remind me of Columbus, Ohio to create a piece that says “Columbus Is My Hometown!” while celebrating its bicentennial.

I started by taking the 5×7 Artist’s Canvas they supplied and covering it with Metallic Silver Perfect Pigment® Pure Liquid Acrylic. Once it dried, I applied Black Perfect Glaze. To me, the result looks old – almost like a soot covered piece of metal.

I wanted the next layer to be a map and have it break the borders of the frame. So I cut out a piece of corrugated cardboard in the familiar shape of Ohio and collaged it with a map I printed on tissue paper using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) Matte. Once it was dry, I glazed it with the Rust Perfect Glaze.

Most of the embellishments I selected were photos of Columbus past and present. I fussy cut them out using my Zing electronic cutting machine and then covered them with Clear Perfect Glaze. The glaze made them feel more durable – even flexible. I think they will hold up much better than cardstock alone. I bet PPA (Matte or Gloss) would have worked equally well.

Downtown Columbus is the home to a huge ART sculpture than spans a street near the Columbus Collage of Art and Design (CCAD). To duplicate that sculpture, I cut the shapes out of cardboard 4 times, glued them together with PPA and then painted the resulting pieces with Napthol Red Perfect Pigments.

The “EST. 1812” plate was created using cardboard cutouts glued to a rectangle using PPA , aluminum tape and Mars Black Perfect Pigments. Once the paint was dry, I removed some of the paint on the raised areas using steel wool. The result looks like old steel! The nailed the finish plate to the frame under the canvas.

Using a Cut Bond Create double-sided adhesive sheet and Mica D’Lights and the same technique I shared on an earlier post (Red-eyed Tree Frog Box With Mica D’Lights and Cut • Bond • Create ), I created the “200 Columbus” billboard. It’s literally the high point of the project!  To elevate it above the frame, I drilled two small holes in to the frame under the canvas, inserted kabob skewers and adhered the billboard to the skewers with PPA .

The Ohio State University and Columbus Zoo logos are paper piecings. I love how you can take paper and create just about any logo.

The map and images were layered on to the final project using different thicknesses of adhesive foam tape. Lastly, the ART sculpture was adhered at an angle, crossing several layers, using PPA .

The finished piece now hangs in the Columbus Short North Arts District at Utrecht Columbus. If you’re in the area, stop by and take a look at all the wonderful submissions. Between now and April 4, 2012, customers who make a purchase of $10 or more can cast a voting ballot selecting three entries based on quality and originality of work. Winners are announced on April 5^th and first prize is a $150 gift certificate! There will be a special canvas-swap reception on April 7, including door prizes, refreshments, and live entertainment!

I’m thrilled with how it turned out and somewhat surprised there weren’t more collage or assemblage entries. The entire look or tone of this piece comes from USArtQuest glazes, liquid acrylics and Mica D’Lights and it was easy to do! If you haven’t tried glazes yet, consider getting the tin bucket assortment and playing with it. Card makers and scrapbookers could easily use this to add a layer of translucent color to their projects too!

Check out my blog on Create & Craft to see more of my projects.

Happy Crafting!

Joe

Today’s project started with a victorian doll, pictured in a vintage photograph.  The entire concept grew from there.

Every now and then I come across doll parts when I’m going through a thrift store.  Because once I find a treasure, I tend to want to use it in many ways in my art, I made a mold of a doll’s face and created it using clay.

I took the clay out of my custom mold.

Then I gave her a bit of hair, using a doll wig from a discarded toy.  I secured this with Perfect Paper Adhesive and set it aside to dry.

Once the clay has cured more we will come back to decorate the doll’s face.

As I said before, this entire project was built around a vintage photograph.  I wanted to use the photograph as a layer in my project – so I layered it under a large mica sheet and attached the top and bottom edge with a bit of PPA Matte.  I secured this with binder clips while it dried.

I then set about decorating the inside of the shadow box.  This stamp has a nice scale for a backdrop.

So I used a fabric ink and stamped it repeatedly onto a piece of studio cloth.

Studio Cloth is nice and smooth, compared to canvas – so it is ideally suited for stamping.  It’s also wonderful as compared to canvas and paper in that it doesn’t fray.

I heat-set the studio cloth using an iron with the steam setting turned OFF.  Follow the manufacturer’s directions for whatever ink you use, and make sure that it is suitable for fabric.  I used Versacraft (formerly called Fabrico) in Black.

I mixed up some Perfect Pigments Fluid Acrylic paint to work on the background.  I mixed 3 parts Wheat to 1 part Magenta to create a light pink.  I like Wheat vs. White for a more vintage look to the colors.  Then I went around the edges with a little of Burnt Umber, mixed with water to create a wash.

Unlike paper, Studio Cloth won’t buckle or pill up.  It also doesn’t get as easily over-saturated with water as a regular canvas.  It’s ideal for doing multiple layers of color washes as seen here.

While that is drying, I used PPA to outline the edges of the glass frame on my shadowbox.

And then I applied two colors of PRILLS to the wet glue.  I used one color at a time, so I could place the remainder back into the container.

These two colors remind me of pearls.  I thought it was a girly way to embellish the outside of the shadow box.

I adhered the decorated Studio Cloth to the inside of the shadow box.

And now I need to decorate the doll.  I used a coat of Wheat fluid acrylic paint to start up her skin tone.

You can use a heat tool - but be VERY CAREFUL to not burn the hair.  It is plastic and will curl right up and become a frizzled mess.  It’s either best to wait for paint to dry, or keep your heat tool oscillating and at a safe distance, about 10 inches to a foot from the face.

Next I took a ratio of 3:1 Wheat and Magenta paint to add some color to her cheeks and lips.  I used a graphite pencil to outline her eyes and a combination of Ultramarine Blue, Carbon Black and Pearl White for her eyes.

I adhered the doll’s head to the Studio Cloth with PPA, and layered the Mica Sheet and photograph onto the lip of the shadow box.

What will you alter today?  No surface is beyond your reach with these wonderful products.

US Art Quest Products used today:

• Prills, Ice Queen and Minnie Pearls mixtures
• 3/4″ Stroke Brush

• Perfect Pigments, fluid acrylic paints in Magenta, Burnt Umber, Wheat, Ultramarine Blue and Carbon Black
• Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) Matte
• Mica Sheet
• Texture Sponge
• Studio Cloth, 1/2 yard
• Stamp, Sandi Miller Art Stamp – Alphabet

Thanks for looking!

Sally Lynn MacDonald
www.sallylynnmacdonald.com
www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald

About two weeks ago, the Create & Craft team and I taught a collage frame class at Red Letter Journals in Grove City, Ohio. The class was inspired by the Botanical Paper Napkin Collage Frame I posted by in January. While the class was well attended, some of my “regular” students didn’t sign up. Turns out, some were intimidated by the technique. They said they felt that collage is “too hard” or they are “card-makers, not artists.”  Today’s post is for them. Collage is really easy – especially when you’re working with beautiful prints of butterflies and birds – and can be used for cards and scrapbook layouts!

These four cards were created for a class JoeM, Betty and I are teaching on Sunday, 3/11, at Red Letter Journals. Come join us! See how easily you can collage just about anything. In fact, after the frame class, one student told me if her cat sat still long enough, she would collage it! That’s how much fun she’s having collaging found objects, cards, pages – you name it!

Now on to the four cards…

	Collage isn’t limited to backgrounds, large areas or even overlapping patterns! Joe Morganfound a little cocktail napkin with these adorable chicks on it and decided they would be the perfect focal point for an Easter card. He used a single image from one napkin. Collage the image on stiff cardboard or chipboard using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA). The cards in the Art Canvas pack work great! They are the perfect size to use standalone as an artist’s trading card (ATC) or on the front of a greeting card. For added sparkle, while the adhesive is still wet, sprinkle the top of the image with Crystal Effectz™.  Once it’s dry, ink the edges, mat it and attach all the layers using Great Tape. §
	Having been a florist for 40 years, Betty can’t resist flowers and butterflies. She used images from 2 different napkins to create this collage. One napkin had flowers and butterflies and the other had postcards, postmarks and stamps. To make this card, Betty collaged the image on stiff cardboard using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA). While the adhesive was still wet, she sprinkled Crystal Effectz™ on top. The background is sheet music that’s been distressed and inked. Add a strip of lace and a stamped sentiment embellished with Candi Dots and you’ve got a great vintage looking card. §
	Collage can be used as the first step in your creative process. It’s easy to stamp or paint on top of a collage to add layers and highlights.To make this card, I stamped a map on the card front in black ink and then stamped the fleur-de-lis with turquoise Perfect Pigments™ - Pure Liquid Acrylics™ using a foam stamp. I collaged the butterfly on a tag using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA). Once the collage was dry, I highlighted parts of the wings with the same paint I used on the card base. The #4 Round Brush was perfect for adding fine details.  Once that was dry, I used a brush to apply Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) to some small areas of the card. While the adhesive was still wet, I applied Blue Topaz Mica D’Lights to really make the wings pop! Attach the tag to the card with a brad and add some distressed tickets and you’re done! §
	This card was so much fun to make! I found a napkin with the crown and sentiment and thought it would be the perfect  background for a vintage photo. I think it worked perfectly with purple flowers and butterflies from two other napkin patterns.Collage the crown, flowers and butterflies on still chipboard using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA). Once the collage was dry, I highlighted the stones in the crown withturquoise Perfect Pigments™ - Pure Liquid Acrylics™. Once again, the #4 Round Brush was perfect for adding fine details.  Once that was dry, I used a brush to apply Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) to some small areas of the card. While the adhesive was still wet, I applied Gold and Ruby Mica D’Lights to add sparkle to the crown. It turned out the sentiment on the napkin was just too faint. So, I printed the sentiment on top of an image of twill ribbon in font that looked like rubber stamps (Stampede from dafont.com). I cut out the image and attached it to the front of the collage with Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA). The girl is a stock photo that’s been printed out on glossy paper, fussy cut and attached to the background with pop-dots. Attach the collage to a purple card with Great Tape and you’ve got a message fit for a Queen! §

You can see more of my projects on my blog on Create & Craft.

Look around. Think about what you’ve got at home, or things you’ve seen at thrift stores or garage sales. What could you transform or create using napkins, Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA), Crystal Effectz, Mica D’Lights and paint? I would love to hear what you’re thinking!

Happy Crafting!

Joe 

Today’s project started with a little antique oil lamp that I found at my local antique and what-not shop.  I thought the glass portion resembled a feminine shape of a bodice or dress form.  It definitely looks like the beginnings of a bottle of something interesting.

Next, I found an old showerhead.  Miraculously, its neck fit perfectly into the flexible pieces around the wick assembly.  Now it was time to make it become a container for the mystical fountain of youth from my discoveries.

First, I attached the shower head with 101 Artist Cement, Heavy formula.  While I was waiting for this to dry, I concentrated on the bodice of the bottle.

I took a rusted TINZ ivy vine…

and bent it around the ‘waist’ of the bottle.  It was a little too small, so I used a piece of black waxed linen thread to tie it together.

Then I added a broken piece of jewelry, tying it to the prior piece of black waxed linen thread to secure it into place.

Now it’s time to start adding texture to our piece.  I took some of the 101 Heavy Artist cement and sponged it onto the glass, the top of the showerhead and around the surface of the piece randomly.  What I like about this material, besides having adhesive properties is that it is extremely durable, flexible and paintable.  And it makes things look rusty and crusty if that is what you are going for.

It’s key when making an assemblage to have the pieces be unified.  Texture and color can accomplish this very well.

I used the 101 Heavy not only to cross the barrier between elements, not only adhesive – to which I applied a random coating of the Taken For Granite Prills, but also as an undercoat for adding color to the metal and glass, since acrylic paint would otherwise not adhere very well to these surfaces.

I colored the piece using a combination of the Fluid Acrylic Perfect Pigment paints:

• starting with Cobalt Turquoise Blue mixed with a touch of Wheat for a verdigris,
• a wash of Yellow Ochre for aging
• and Indian Red Hue for rust

This aged and brought the pieces together with color over the textured surface.

To further embellish the piece, I used the 101 Heavy Artist Cement to adhere a piece of Mica tile underneath the jewelry component.

I also used it to add a vintage glass button to the dial of the oil lamp, and pressed some Prills into the cement that seeped out of the buttonholes.

I haven’t decided if I’m going to put some colored liquid into my bottle or not.  I think the little Alice in Wonderland inspired label, “Drink Me”, might be just too much of a temptation for somebody…  But I attached the tag anyway, with a layer of mica underneath it.

We’ll just have to say the bottle’s contents had already been used by some mysterious ancestor or relative.  I think it must be my younger sister, Katie – who never appears to age.  Hmmmm?

What will you alter today?  No surface is beyond your reach with these wonderful products.

US Art Quest Products used today:

• 101 Heavy Artist Cement
• Prills, Taken for Granite mixture
• 3/4″ Stroke Brush

• Perfect Pigments, fluid acrylic paints in Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Yellow Ochre, Wheat and Indian Red Hue
• Tinz – rusted tin shapes, Ivy Vines
• Mica Sheet
• Texture Sponge

Thanks for looking!

Sally Lynn MacDonald
www.sallylynnmacdonald.com
www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald

Sometimes ideas for a project float around in my head for weeks or months. Concepts float to the top, sink to the bottom, fade in or fade out. That was certainly the case for this project. Here are some of the random thoughts that came together to create this little box.

My favorite electronic cutting machine, the Zing! For the first time, I can cut very detailed designs, with lines about 1/16”. I can also easily control the blade depth and cutting speed, so I can cut very lightweight paper up to wood veneer and grunge board. And with the software that comes with it, Make The Cut!, I can design my own cutting files!

Cut • Bond • Create from USArtQuest, a thin, acyrlic-based, double-sided adhesive sheet is heat resistant, transparent, non-yellowing, flexible and acid-free. Cut • Bond • Create has three layers; the bottom layer is paper (feels a bit like wax paper), a thin sheet of adhesive as the center layer and a top later of paper (with a blue grid pattern on it).

Mica D’Lights, also from USArtQuest, are sparkling bits of mica with a touch of glitter.  Mica D’Lights have a natural organic quality and a beautiful metallic sheen and are available in 18 colors! I used Collection 1 which comes with 8 colors.

Inspiration from several wonderful ladies I met at CHA Winter 2012 who travelled all the way from Australia to attend the show, including Mary Wilcockson, Kaye Churchill (A Crafter’s Passion) and Lee-Anne Thompson (Scrap Therapy).

Jillian Sawyer’s book, Bush Beauties, where the animals, trees, and flowers of the Australian outback come to life in a collection of more than 50 crafting designs. Litoria chloris, also commonly known as the Red-eyed Tree Frog, is a species of tree frog native to eastern Australia.

A tiny little box; all that remains of a stationary set that was a gift from a friend years ago. Yes, I save everything.

Here’s the process. You can click on each photo to enlarge it.

	Cut Zoology Stripe 12ZS398 paper from Bo Bunny to fit the top and sides of the box. Ink the edges and fronts of the paper with Ranger Archival™ Inkpad #0 Sepia ink using an AppliQates sponge.
	Paint the edges of the box with Burnt Umber Perfect Pigments™ – Pure Liquid Acrylics™.
	Use Great Tape to adhere the paper to the box and then add some Burnt Umber to help blend it in to the edges of the box.
	Use the Red-eyed Tree Frog design from Jillian Sawyer’s book, Bush Beauties, to create a vector image in Make The Cut! Put the silhouette of the frog in one layer and all the other shapes in a second layer.
	Put the Cut • Bond • Create on the Zing! cutting mat and brayer it in place. Use the Zing! to “kiss cut” all the interior shapes that make up the frog. “Kiss cutting” means the force behind the blade is low enough that only the top layer of paper is cut. The adhesive layer and bottom paper layer remain intact. Then increase the pressure and cut out the silhouette (cutting through all three layers). You can see the cutout of the silhouette in this photo, but it’s impossible to see the delicate kiss cut of the top layer.
	Peel off the bottom layer of the silhouette, exposing the bottom side of the adhesive layer, and press it down on the top of the box. The silhouette is now firmly adhered to the box lid.
	Use a pin to get under the edge of the top layer of paper and peel up the cut that outlines all the other shapes. In a stained glass window, this would be the leading. This exposes the top side of the adhesive layer (only where you peeled off the paper).
	Sprinkle JudiKins EP013 Black Detail opaque embossing powder over the exposed adhesive. It will only stick where the adhesive is exposed. Shake/brush off the excess and heat emboss. Cut • Bond • Create is heat resistant, so you can use it to emboss without any worries. Now the “leading” of our design is a nice shiny smooth black.
	Working with one color of Mica D’Lights at a time, from the darkest color (i.e., Tanzanite) to the lightest color (i.e., Gold) peel off sections of the frog to expose the top layer of adhesive, apply the Mica D’Lights, press it into the adhesive a bit with your finger, and shake off the excess.
	Since some of the shapes are very tiny, I found it easiest to use a pin to lift off the top layer of paper. You can see the size of the frog’s upper lip compared to the pin – it’s very narrow! This process reminded me of paint-by-numbers.

After you have applied each color, your Red-eyed Tree Frog box is complete!

I think this technique would work really well with any design that’s suitable for a stained glass window or paper piecing. And with 18 colors of Mica D’Lights to work with, just image the images you could “color!”

You can find more of my projects on my bog on the Create & Craft Website. You can also see some pictures of my work on Pinterest.

Happy Crafting!

Joe

I have a stash of metal tags that I often experiment with and add to a deck for inspiration.  I love metal tags because of their strength and resilience.  Today I came across one of my metal tags that was blank on one side.  So today I am going to experiment with metal and US Art Quest’s versatile products to get this tag into the deck.

This piece of metal is made of tin.  It’s messy from my working on the other side.  But I like things to start of in a ‘natural’ state.

The first thing I did was add a little color to the metal with alcohol-based inks.  I also added a little texture, with a piece of lightweight cheesecloth, adhered to the bottom, right corner with clear-drying Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) in Matte finish.  Because of my metal substrate – I was a bit of a brat and hit this with a heat tool to speed up drying time.  Be careful when handling hot metal though!

Next I used the PPA to collage some punched out book text onto the tag.

And I also collaged a book text flower onto another piece of metal that I’m going to layer.  This is probably brass – but I like mixed metals.  It’s a Vintaj metal blank that I’ve run through an embossing folder and rounded the corners to make it contrast to the background tag.  I brushed the PPA across the entire metal surface to give it a bit of tooth for the next step.

Next, I floated a layer of 101 Heavy Artist Cement over a stencil, overlapping the metal and the book text flower element.

I then layed the stencil over the larger metal tag and did the same where the pattern would match up when the pieces were layered together.

Not content to do the same thing twice, I added additional texture to the 101 Heavy on the smaller metal piece by laying a small piece of mesh fabric over the top and gently wrapping it around the edge of the piece so that it would come into contact with the more raised portions of the cement and give me a random impression.

Remove the mesh… and see what you get.  Isn’t this a cool texture?

I hit these two piece with the heat gun, but just for a moment to start the process.  Because it is metal, the surface can be heated up a bit to help.  But realistically  I need them to dry naturally, for the most part, or I’ll just end up with a dry ‘skin’ and the material underneath will stay soft and not hold the texture and shape for the steps that are coming up.

So while I’m waiting for the cement to dry, I took a small pinch of dicrofibers and placed them on a non-stick teflon craft sheet.  I held them in place with a wood skewer while I ran the heat tool over the top to fuse to each other in a thin layer.

Once the cement was dried, I added a wash of Perfect Pigments Fluid Acrylic Paint in Cobalt Turquoise Hue to the corners of both metal pieces.  I used my heat tool to dry this thoroughly.

Then I added a wash over the top and remaining areas of Yellow Ochre.  This really gives the paper a vintage look and goes into all those textural nooks and crannies of the cement.

Lastly, I used the texture sponge to dot the edges with a bit of Burnt Umber.

I brushed a small amount of Cobalt Turquoise Hue onto the tips of the petals of this mulberry flower as well as the edges of this cardstock ruler embellishment.

And used the texture sponge to add a bit of the color to this tin dragonfly embellishment as well.  I sprayed it with water and used a baby wipe to remove some of the paint, to form a ‘patina’ appearance.

One thing I hadn’t done with my metal tags yet was to layer multiple pieces of metal together.  Usually this has to be accomplished by drilling a hole through the pieces to attach them.  But I decided to test the durability of the 101 Heavy for this purpose as well.  So I layered the Dicrofibers underneath the square piece of metal and adhered them to the top of the metal tag.

Lastly, I stained a bit of ribbon with the Yellow Ochre paint and ran it through a hole I punched in the tag with my Cropadile.  I layered a small mica circle around the hole for embellishment.

Here is a closeup view of all the wonderful textures on the tag.

And the final tag view.

So the verdict is a resounding ‘YES!’.  You can mix Heavy 101 with metal and create some neat effects, plus utilize the strength of the material to adhere your elements to one another.

Now if Spring would just get the hint from this tag and decide to show up…

US Art Quest Products used today:

• 101 Heavy Artist Cement
• Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA) in Matte finish
• 3/4″ Stroke Brush
• Dicrofibers, Bark color

• Perfect Pigments, fluid acrylic paints in Cobalt Turquoise Hue, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber
• Tinz – rusted tin shapes, Dragonfly
• Mica Rings, Small
• Texture Sponge

Thanks for looking!

Sally Lynn MacDonald
www.sallylynnmacdonald.com
www.facebook.com/sallylynn.macdonald