Thursday, August 9, 2018

Second Thursday Tutorial: Use it up


Back when I was a UHU gluer, they had (and still have, I'm sure) a product called Twist & Glue.  It was a clear liquid and I attempted to get it to crackle.  I fear it was woefully dismal.

Today, instead of using the UHU liquid glue, I'll be crackling with good old PVA white glue you get anywhere glue is sold.   I started by laying down some turquoise acrylic craft paint and allowing it to dry.

Once dry, I added the white glue.

I used Elmer's, but I know that isn't available to the international bloggers.  Any white glue will work.

Now comes the tricky part.  You must wait until the white glue has set enough to become tacky. What does that mean?  Ask four people and I suspect you would get four different  answers. I just made sure when I stuck a finger in the glue, I didn't get glue on my finger, which I did the first time I tested the glue, but after more waiting the glue felt sticky to the touch.

My big problem was, the glue was starting to dry in spots where I had laid it down thinner and was still incredibly wet and still white in spots where I got it on too thick.   Note to self and others: try to spread the glue as evenly as possible over the entire page.

Although the glue was a mess in the middle of the page, I added the light acrylic craft paint and hoped for the best.

Even though the glue was still white and very wet in parts of the page, the edges were starting to crackle right before my very eyes.

I was so happy, I allowed it to dry overnight, then took it to my dining room table to photograph the end results.

It's fairly obvious where I got too much glue, but I was still over the moon with joy.  Even the part where there was too much glue at least TRIED to crackle.

I was so happy and considered this a complete success, something I'm often not used to in my second Thursday tutorials.

However, you know I'm not finished because you possibly know by now that Bleubeard and I are hosting Art Journal Journey this month.  My theme is Count your blessings, one of which includes some very nice art supplies.

However, sometimes I don't use them as quickly as I should.  I'm going to use this copper embossing powder to show yet another technique.

For example, I allowed my Versamark ink, which is the ink most of us use when using embossing powder, to dry up due to lack of use.  Instead, I will be using more of my PVA glue to create a heart.

I poured the embossing powder over the glue, but because I wanted a grungy look, I didn't turn it over, tap it on the back and try to remove all of it like I normally would.  Instead, I allowed the glue to get tacky, full well knowing once it reached that stage, it would create bubbles.

And create bubbles it did.  I was so happy with the bubbles this created.  I wanted this to look funky.

YES!!

It was now time to move it from my craft room table to my dining room, where the lighting was much different.

Then I added the sentiment.

"Don't save the good stuff so long it goes bad."

For example I purchased some expensive Tim Holtz/Ranger crackle paste and when I got it home, it was dried up and unusable.  I called the store I bought it from and they were indifferent to my complaints.

I bought two DecoArt paint markers that were dry before I used them.  The same was true for a Marvy Deco Color pen and a Faber-Castell pen.  All of my black Zig pens bite the dust when I try to use them over any painted surface.  I'm sure we've all had ink pads dry out, too.  So, I hope you get out those products you paid so much for, even if they were on sale, and use them.  Count your blessings and don't let them go bad.

Bleubeard, my fearless and welcoming co-host and I are delighted you stopped by to check out my second Thursday tutorial which can be found on my Tutorials page as soon as this post goes live.   We also invite you to join us at Art Journal Journey where my theme this month is Count your blessings
 


20 thoughtful remarks:

Valerie-Jael said...

Wonderful page, looks like you had fun playing. Have a great day, Valerie

froebelsternchen said...

I just LOVE this post Elizabeth! What an inspiring and beautiful result of this second Thursday tutorial. The crackles really are a big successa and the heart fits perfectly and looks really funky! And that quote: Simply fantastic for the post and now the page is a pleasure to look at and a fantastic entry for your AJJ theme! WOW! You are so right with all the black pens etc. Yes all the expensive stuff- I will not buy this things any longer..each year a whole new thing and if you don't have it you are kind of "OUT". But I will just use up what I have in the future I decided. Bought nothing new for a very long time now.
And ruining expensive black pens is worrying! That's the reason I so love the Stabilo Mark it All in Black so much. You can't ruin it. And when you write or mark with it and later take a waterbrush to activate it's pigment in the end it looks like very black ink.
If I am not too lazy I sometimes also love to use a dip pen and india ink to write and make marks. This is a fantastic way not to ruin an expensive black fineliner or Artist pen. They all get ruined over plastic .. and gelmedium and acrylics are unfortunately plastic..so when writing over collages or paintings it's the better way to just writing on cardstock and gluing that on -- or writing on tissue and gluing that on.

Thank you for this wonderful post! I enjoyed it very much my friend!Happy Thursday Elizabeth!
Big hugs, Susi

Anonymous said...

Great success with your crackle. Sometimes simple is best. I don't stay on trend, you could go crazy buying all the stuff out there, not to mention quickly broke! Use it up yes. xox

CJ Kennedy said...

Interesting technique and very cool results

My name is Erika. said...

I never have luck with those expensive crackles either but this method seems to work fantastic. I need to get a bottle of elmer's glue for home. I love how your page ends up looking like tree bark. It is true about materials drying out. Over the years I've thrown out many a bottle still half full of materials like paint and media. It always kills me. Very cool page today, and thanks for the tutorial. Happy Thursday, I'm off to the dentist but only for a cleaning. Hugs-Erika

Caty said...

Your page is wonderful Elizabeth !! I love to see how you have created it, using white glue instead of crakle. Thank you very much for your fabulous tutorial. I don´t use cracke very much, and, I´m sure that it may be dry now, and I note that I´ll use white glue next time. I also have black permanent pens, all dried!
This heart is magical!! love it, love the sentiment too. Congratulations!
I wish you a very nice day, big hugs,
Caty

Meggymay said...

A great tutorial post Elizabeth and Wow you got an amazing crackle result.
I am also one to have dried out bottles of stuff, not putting the lids back on properly is my downfall. I remember once putting a dried out bottle of glue in the microwave for a few seconds to see if that would work.
In that particular case it didn't but it was worth a try.
Yvonne xx

Birgit said...

This is a great tutorial and I will try this because I like the crackle effect and tried stuff I bought at a craft store as well but am not impressed by it. Elmer’s is perfect for this medium and I bet the thinner it I still applied the more delicate the cracks. . Great look with the blue showing through

craftytrog said...

Fabulous crackle! It's been a while since I used white glue for this technique, having so many crackle pastes around now. And, your page looks great, I love the bubbly embossed heart.
Alison xx

Divers and Sundry said...

This is so cool! I didn't realize that white glue could do that, and it'd add a new dimension to the surface.

da tabbies o trout towne said...

how cool is this Elizabeth; it look like tree bark !!!! ☺☺♥♥

Little Artbee said...

The crackled color looks great dear Elizabeth and the rusty heart fits well with it.
I also like to make experiments with different materials, also glue and hotglue. Keep on making experiments, that brings lot of fun.
Dear greetings
Sabine

Sandra Cox said...

The crackled paper really turned out well. You did a great job.

Rita said...

Love the colors together. Turned out really textured and pretty. :)

Sharon Madson said...

It is a beautiful piece, Elizabeth! I thought maybe you were going to write in the heart like someone loves someone, because it looks like a heart carved in a tree. And you are right, we should use stuff before it goes bad. I tend to hoard things, and by the time I pull it out it has gone bad, like my acrylic paints I got several years ago. When I pulled them out recently to use on my Geli plate, they were too old and thick! Stickers loose ther stickiness, I found out when they are old. I think I have some crackle stuff somewhere even! Or maybe it is a crackle stamp! LOL
Blessings, Elizabeth!

aussie aNNie said...

You cracked me up with this crackling, so love this....have not crackled for ages and this is so inspiring.xx

Sami said...

I like how you achieved the crackle effect Elizabeth. When I painted I used to have a special crackle varnish that I would paint over the paint and it would crackle.

Cindy McMath said...

Oh I wish I’d seen this before I tried my crackle card! Great results. When you say wait until the glue is tacky, do you mean before you spread it?

Gibby Frogett said...

This has got to be one of my favourites this month Elizabeth.. and being grungy its right up my street too.
The crackle effect is brilliant and I love the grungy heart.
And the words made me smile as I don't know how many times I have saved things and they have dried up before I have used them or even tried them and I am trying to be more mindful of that lately.
Gill x

Jeanie said...

I really like the crackle technique you used. That's a beautiful piece. (I'm a sucker for turquoise, or haven't you noticed?!) I might have to try that technique somewhere!