Second on the 2nd: Paste Paper

 

As most of you know, I like my second look each month to reflect our host at Art Journal Journey's (AJJ) theme. That means I needed to find something related to creating our own backgrounds, which is Mia from Craftartista's theme this month.

This post was written in 2010.  Not a lot has changed since then, except Yahoo no longer has clubs or groups.

I found the photos of the tutorial stored on the ABC Yahoo site at low resolution back in 2010.  So you can bet they are not going to be the sharpest photos in the drawer, but at least I don't have to recreate the tutorial. Enough said. Let's make some paste papers.

There are a TON of recipes for making paste papers and most of them involve using wheat paste, glycerine, and water which you cook forever while constantly stirring until you arm falls off.  Then there are the recipes that call for cornstarch (often called cornflower in England) and water.  In the states, you can get a product called Elmer's Art Paste to which you add water.  It was actually created to make paper mache.

I'm a low tech person who looks for the simple and easy way to create things.  Therefore, IF you live in the states, you will have everything you need to make these paste papers.


  From upper left clockwise:
Cups for mixing
Cheap acrylic craft paint (alternately, you can use Liquitex Basics)
Sta Flo liquid starch (found at discount stores, drug stores, and supermarkets in the laundry section)
Various papers and substrates
Credit cards cut using decorative scissors
Foam brush
Knitting needle
Bamboo skewer
Rotary cutter for pie crusts
Comb/pick
Pastry cutter

  I'm not sure that Sta-Flo is available in all countries, but it's concentrated liquid starch, so any concentrated liquid starch should work.

    Using your first cheap acrylic craft paint color, mix about 1 part paint to about 4 parts Sta Flo in a mixing cup. Stir well, then apply the first color with a brush. This is not an exact science, so if the mixture is too thin or too color saturated, add a bit more liquid starch. If too thick, or not enough color, add more craft paint. You don't need expensive acrylic paint for this technique, since the colors will become diluted anyway.

  Use a different mixing cup for each paint/Sta-flo concoction. I prefer to wait until the first color is dry before applying the second color, but you can brush the second color on at any time. Just be aware that when you apply the second color over the first wet color, you take the chance of losing the two distinct colors.  Perhaps you want or prefer that mottled look.

  Pick a tool, any tool, and, before the second color dries, begin running lines through it. The above lines were made with the pastry cutter. Allow your pieces to dry. However, if you don't like your design, simply add a bit more paint/Sta-flo concoction, smooth the top color out with your foam brush and begin again. When pleased with your design, set aside to dry.

  I realize now that this was probably a very boring photo, because I didn't change my paint colors even though I used substrates with very different weights. On the left I chose 110 lb card stock in which I used a hair pick to make the design. In the middle, and underneath everything is a large sheet of butcher paper on which I used the pastry cutter. In the back are (left) card stock and (right) photo mat decorated with a plastic hotel card I cut using decorative scissors. On the front right

  is a better view of a photo mat decorated using a rotary pie crust edger.  

Probably the easiest and simplest entry is where you either fold a sheet of painted paper or cardstock in half, or place a full sheet of paper over the bottom sheet of painted paper, making sure they adhere completely, then pull apart or away from each other.  The results are stunning, especially if you have used metallic paint and the Sta-flo concoction.

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I've shown you mine, now it's your turn to share your own Second on the 2nd.  Be aware, this link is for your second look only.  If you are also sharing a T Tuesday post as your second look, please add your link both places.

 

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