Crafty Adventurista

Hello,

 

Today is my second DTM project for Country View Crafts and the challenge for November - Repurpose/Upcycle something. 

 

I decided to try something I’d watched on YouTube (tutorial by Treasure Books) and put my own slant on it - it’s making faux rice paper.

I assembled the bits I would need for my project:

Plunger coffee, Stamps, Napkin, Glue and Collage Paper, as well as a brush and backing sheet.

 

First I separated the napkin layers (peel apart a 2 or 3 ply napkin into separate layers),and keep a plain white one aside.

 

Using a napkin backing piece, I stamped over Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Sketched Leaves CMS467, and Urban Elements CMS398 on another one, in Archival Black Ink. 

 

 

I secured a piece of freezer bag to my work surface (plastic bag and craft mat will also be OK to use but DO NOT use Baking Paper - it will stick!). Then using a PVA glue and coffee mix (2/3 glue to 1/3 coffee or water ratio), I brushed this beneath and then on top of the napkin to coat it.  (You could also use beetroot juice after cooking, if you wanted a reddish tinge too.)

 

 

It was a nice dry day so I hung them outside to dry.

 

Once dry, I carefully peeled them away from the backing - the side that was on the plastic has a shiny look, whereas the upper side is matt. It has a crisp like texture and is also fairly see through.

 

 Here is a stamped one and the second ply part of a patterned napkin (so it's not full strength colour).

 

 

 

I decided to try some with an ombre dye ink pad - one was coated with just the PVA/coffee mix, and I coated another one with coffee grounds added too. All looked good until I hung them to dry, it ran - but I still used it and stamped on top of the accidental mishap afterwards with black Archival. Note to self - MUST use Archival/waterproof ink for this. 

 

I thought it would be nice to put it in a card with a cut out, so you can see the light through it and how 'transparent' it is. I assembled a die cut and a sentiment to add to it too.

 

 

Here are the finished cards - two have been made with a stamped on napkin piece and the other is Botanical Collage Paper by Tim Holtz Idea-ology. They're 4x4 inch cards and I glued the 'faux rice paper' to the inside of the card but you could also make a 3 fold card to cover the edges where it's glued inside, or you could use washi tape around them if you didn't want to see the edges.

 

This photo was taken with the light showing through.

With the range of stamps available to you, you can create a whole host of different design 'faux rice paper', suited to your needs. You can of course use the patterned napkin for this also. I also tried it with the Tim Holtz Collage paper which worked a treat too. 

I also used Tim Holtz Stampers Anonymous Tiny Text Christmas CMS424 and Noteworthy CMS446 to add a word(mounted on black card and raised with 3D foam), on top of a die cut from Tim Holtz Sizzix 661597 Holiday Greens Mini.

You don't have to just make cards with your 'paper', you can use it as collage for mixed media projects too.

 

It may seem like it's quite complex and time consuming to do, but it really isn't. The longest part is waiting for them to dry.

I really hope that you will be inspired by my make to have a go at the repurpose/upcycle challenge. Take a look at it now being hosted on Facebook here.  There is an amazing prize that one randomly selected winner will win! It's a Stamperia mould and retails at £19.99

 

Products used can be found on Country View Crafts 

https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk