WOYWW 66: Rusting Paper

Last week I made it to everyone's desk (except the three stragglers, CARMEN) on Wednesday. It's the 4th week I've made it to everyone, and I'm thrilled to see all the new products and projects going on. If you would like to join in, simple go to Julia's Stamping Ground for the details and links to the other participants.

Sorry this post has so many photos. Click on any to enlarge.

This is what the fabric I rusted last week looked like on Thursday.

Here is some of the fabric after it was washed in baking soda water to stop the rusting process and dried.

Detail of the rusted fabric from last week.


As promised, here is how to rust paper. You will need:
Paper (I prefer plain, but also included some book pages)
Rusty flat pieces (nails, screws, cut metal, anything with a nice pattern)
Pizza pan or cookie sheet (well rusted with a lip)
Vinegar

And of course, latex or other protective gloves and a large plastic bag. Since I keep all these supplies in my basement studio, that's where my work desk is this week.

Begin with a rusty flat pan that has a lip. Protect your work surface from the rust. Put on your gloves.



Lay down a few pages and a rusty piece you want to make an impression.

Keep adding more paper and rusty pieces. Keep as flat as possible.

Your final layers can utilize 3-D pieces.

Saturate your papers with vinegar. Make sure they are well saturated, but don't allow the vinegar to go over the lip of the cookie sheet.

Press on the papers so they will absorb any extra vinegar.

Cover and wrap the "bundle" using a large plastic bag. Seal the bag, if possible. Allow to sit in a cool, dark place for at least a day. Check your results and return to the plastic bag if the pieces haven't rusted to your liking, or if you want to move some of the rusted embellishments around. Again, wear gloves to check your paper. When pieces have rusted enough, remove the protective bag and allow to air dry. I'll show results next week.

Today's blog is another WOYWWer. Most of you know her as Andrea who lives in Wales in the UK. Yep, I had to look up Wales, and learned it was not just part of the UK, but also part of Great Britain and located to the west of England. After the geography lesson, I noticed that Andrea always visits and leaves a comment. I am always touched when someone visits week after week, and Andrea is no exception. Andrea is a professed frustrated crafter, who asks "Where Can I Buy Time?" It is also the name of her blog. Andrea makes beautiful art. She recently made an assemblage of houses that blew me away. Andrea also stamps, makes tags, and cards. Her art is lovely, so please stop by and say hi to her today.