Thursday, February 8, 2018

Second Thursday Tutorial: Too cold for step outs


I was hoping to have a tutorial today because I had one I want to make.  However, I can't find one of the key components (required product) that I want to use, so I either used it all, or lost it in the basement flood last year.

Instead, I am making a few backgrounds made with shaving cream.  I didn't take any step out photos, but I have a few old ones I can share, even though they were taken with my old worthless camera.

Here are the supplies I used before.  From left:
Cookie sheet designated for crafts ONLY, knitting needle, pick, reinkers (distress reinkers were not used in this tutorial), shaving cream (not gel), various papers, photos.
Not shown: credit card

Shake the shaving cream, then squirt it onto your cookie sheet or baking pan. Be sure the pan is larger than the paper you will be using.

Spread shaving cream with an old credit card or old hotel key card.

Continue spreading until the shaving cream covers an area larger than your largest sheet of paper.

Make sure the shaving cream is relatively level.

Place a few drops of one reinker color randomly on the shaving cream.

Add a second color, and a third if you wish.

Don't use more than three colors at a time or your shaving cream will get muddy.

Drag your favorite tool (I used the hair pick), through the shaving cream and reinkers. Don't press too deeply, just skim the surface.

Continue doing this until you have a pattern you are happy with.

Lay a sheet of paper over the shaving cream and GENTLY press into the mixture.

Carefully lift the paper from the shaving cream. Most instructions tell you to scrape the excess shaving cream away from the page, but I'm going to offer an alternative suggestion.   After all, as the Queen of FREE, I hate waste of any kind.

As an alternative, gently lay another sheet of blank paper on top of the first sheet.

Press the top paper gently into the bottom sheet, being careful to not rotate or move the bottom paper.

You now have a mirror image bonus page.  Only NOW should you remove any excess shaving cream from your two pages.  I used a dry cloth to remove the excess shaving cream.  You may need more than one cloth in the event the cloth begins to smear and no longer takes the excess shaving cream.

At some point you're going to have to add more ink to the shaving cream. This is the time to change colors if you wish. You will not have to add any more shaving cream, especially if you used as much as I did.

Clean up is easy: just use warm water to remove any excess shaving cream, then follow with soap and hot water.

I like how my studio smelled so clean and fresh after I finished the project.  The shaving cream has a definite appealing scent, unless you are allergic to, or affected by, any scent. I also like how soft and pliable the paper is when finished. Since the shaving cream has very little liquid and no water, the pages don't curl or warp like they do with many other background techniques.

Here are a few of the pages I made this time in the warmth of my office.    I kept the ones out that are mainly pastel because I'm trying to wish for spring.

I realize this was not much of a Second Thursday Tutorial, so I also created a tag that will go well with three challenges this fortnight.

This tag is for Tag Tuesday, whose theme is Have a Heart, Moo-Mania and More, whose theme is Love (or Valentine's Day), and Try it on Tuesday, whose theme is Love is in the Air.

A few step out photos show shiny hearts,

two foamy hearts topped with a sticker, and rounded corners on the top paper.

I included the hand written words "Be Mine" to show this could be thought of as a Valentine.

I was going for lots of layers by using and coloring corrugated cardboard.

I love how the reds matched so well.  That was quite serendipitous, because reds seldom match this well.

I cut the tag by hand from some corrugated cardboard I colored using a red bingo dabber.  For the second layer, I colored the background with red pigment ink and allowed it to dry before adding the second layer of cardboard.  For the top layer, which is actually pink but doesn't look so in this late afternoon photo, I cut it to size, used a punch to round the corners, and added many shiny hearts.  For the focal hearts, I used foam and cut the foam to size.  I added the sticker to the top of the two foam hearts.   Finally I added the words using my red gel pen.

Thanks for joining me today for my Second Thursday tutorial, and thanks for staying to see the tag I made for Tag Tuesday, Moo-Mania and More, and Try it on Tuesday.  Perhaps I'll see you at one of these places, too!

23 thoughtful remarks:

froebelsternchen said...

Your tag is precious Elizabeth - I would like to know for whom you created it ?♥♥♥♥♥
So happy to see it linked to Try It On Tuesday and Moo Mania and More! I wish you a very happy Thursday ♥♥♥!
oxo Susi

froebelsternchen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
froebelsternchen said...

And I forgot - I just made shaving cream backgrounds one single time yet- I should have fun with this again - great tip with taking a ghost print from the extra foam.
Thank you for sharing your tutorial!!! Great new papers! Lovely colors and for sure great to use in future projects!
Susi

Valerie-Jael said...

Glad you had fun with the shaving cream, that's something I used to do with the fifth graders back in school, they always loved it, even if they did sometimes like throwing shaving cream at each other, too....The tag is beautiful, love all the little hearts and especially the corrugated BG. Thanks so much for joining us at Tag Tuesday and TIOT, hugs, Valerie

Rike said...

I love your shaving cream tutorial! You got great results! Last year I also tried this technique and I too liked how it smelled through the whole room. That's a good tip to use a secong sheet of paper to remove foam!
Your tag with the many of layers and the red hearts is gorgeous!
Wish you a happy day!
Rike x

craftytrog said...

A great look at this old technique Elizabeth, and the mirror print is a lovely idea!
I love the textures and hand-written words on your pretty heart tag too.
Hope you warm up soon!
Alison xx

My name is Erika. said...

Nice tag. You reminded me about the Moo Mania Challenge. This new semester has been busy and I've had some things after school so I haven't really been thinking art challenges unless you put it right under my nose so to speak. But I love your hearts. They are cool. And your shaving cream paper is cool too-can't say I have ever done that. I like how it looks though. Do you just let the shaving cream dry on your paper or do you wipe it off? Hope all is well. We had a good dumping of snow yesterday that turned into freezing rain. Glad I was home before the freezing rain came along. And you mentioned in your comment yesterday how Sally said they never had snow days in Syracuse. They probably didn't like we didn't get that many either, but now that life includes more lawsuits, we now get more snow days. At least around here. Hope you have a great day. Hugs-Erika

Let's Art Journal said...

Beautiful tag! The corrugated card that you coloured with the red bingo dabber looks amazing and I love those shiny red hearts - perfect 😁. Thanks so much for joining our Love is in the Air challenge at Try it on Tuesday! Have a great day! J 😊

Sandra Cox said...

Hey Elizabeth!
The shaving cream tutorial was fascinating. I would have never thought of that.
I loved the Valentine Tag it made me smile:)
I hope your day is filled with sparkle and joy, my friend.
Oh yeah, I'm 'officially' back tomorrow:)
Hugs

CJ Kennedy said...

Sweet tag. i enjoyed the steps for the shaving cream tutorial. can other media be used like watercolors, acrylic ink?

pearshapedcrafting said...

I loved seeing this and the handy tip about getting a second print! I used to do shaving foam prints with my Special Needs classes - yes it did get everywhere!! You have some lovely effects there - wishing for Spring too!!! Your tag is fabulous! Love the corrugated card tag and the colours you used! So pleased you linked to Try It On Tuesday too! Hugs, Chrisx

kathyinozarks said...

thank you much for tutorial-I had about this technique with fabrics but I am loving the idea of using it with papers-and I think your old camera did a good job.
pretty tags! Hope you are getting a warm up too-mid 50s here today and tomorrow and then winter is back again.

da tabbies o trout towne said...

really nice pieces elizabeth; tuna and dai$y said they thought you were using frosting ~ YUM !! :) ☺☺♥♥ hi to S & B !!

Divers and Sundry said...

Shaving cream! This looks like great fun. And such a variety of pretty pieces you came up with. I'm wondering if biscuit cutters make make good designs for this. I like the Be Mine tag, too. The layers always impress me.

Meggymay said...

I loved seeing the results you got using the shaving cream, It has to be a couple of years since I tried that technique
I love your heart tag it looks so special and romantic, wonderful layers, those hearts look beautiful and have a lovely shine on them
Thank you for joining us all at Try it on Tuesdays.
Yvonne xx.

Cindy McMath said...

Fun seeing your shaving cream creations - it’s been many years since I used that technique, and as soon as you talked about the scent I remembered the same pleasant aroma. I love the heart tag! The corrugated cardboard with red paint is lovely. One of my favourite colour combos. :)

RO said...

I had no idea that shaving cream could be used so artfully, Elizabeth, and I really enjoy the colors you chose. You should get on You Tube to show people about your craft work. I like the Valentine art, and looks like the perfect gift for that special someone. Hugs...RO

Lotte Kristensen said...

Thanks for showing the shaving foam technique - it's one I've never tried, but I might just give it a go this weekend!

Lula said...

Thanks a lot for sharing your Valentine Tag with us at Try it on Tuesday this time. It is much appreciated! Hugs!

Eileen The Artful Crafter said...

I've heard of printing with shaving cream but was clueless. I'm intrigues. You got some nice background prints with less mess than with gelatin plate printing ;-)

Very cute Valentine's tag.

Jeanie said...

Love, love, love your lovely tag! And thanks for the printing tutorial. I've heard about that with marbeling. The results look good and it seems relatively easy and maybe not TOO messy!

Marfi-topia said...

love the tutorial..i will make this with H and let you know how it goes!
that tag is so cute!!

Rosie said...

Wow, Elisabeth, I love your wonderful tag and the tutorial.

Thank you for joining us at MOO MANIA & MORE and TRY IT ON TUESDAY