detail and texture...

Hello all my wonderful friends!  

Yesterday was my birthday, and today I'm heading out to go whale watching.... Super excited! You know what else I'm excited about?  Sharing todays tutorial! This is a super fun mixed media technique where the end result looks a lot more complex than it really is. Ready to wow your friends?

What you need

Sticky-back canvas (Ranger)

Heavy weight card stock

Embossing folder (any brand)

Embossing machine

Clear embossing ink

Creative Inspirations Deliquesce (white)

Small paint brush

Creative Inspirations paint (any color)

Paper towel or rag

Beeswax (I use Ranger melt art pellets)

Perfect Pearls (any color/s)

Heat gun

Non-stick craft sheet

All right, here we go!

 Step 1: Cut your Sticky back canvas to the size/shape you want. Peel off the backing paper, and adhere it to a heavy weight cardstock. (I'm using a mixed media paper)  This will give the canvas stability and help it hold the embossing.

 Step 2: Put your canvas and paper into an embossing folder and run it through your embossing machine following the manufacturer's suggested stack for embossing folders.

 Step 3: Lightly rub a clear embossing ink over the raised areas of the canvas.

 Step 4: Cover the canvas with CI White Deliquesce powder. Don't be stingy, you can shake off all excess onto a scrap paper and pour it right back in the jar for future use!

 Step 5: Because you are working with a fabric, you will probably find that once you have shaken off the excess powder, there is still powder in areas you don't want it. Simply take a small paint brush and gently brush away any unwanted powder.

 Step 6: Heat the embossing powder until it melts.  (The great thing about the Sticky Back canvas from Ranger is that the adhesive is not effected by heat or moisture!)

Step 7: Once the melted powder is cool, you can add your Creative Inspirations paint using your favorite method. I used a brush and my fingers.... 

 Step 8: Allow the paint to dry (doesn't take long), then rub over the embossed areas with a slightly damp paper towel or rag. The Deliquesce powder you used earlier will act as a resist. 

*due to the highly textured surface of the canvas, the resist will not be crisp and perfect. It will have a more distressed and textured look.

 Step 9: Randomly sprinkle on some beeswax pellets. 

 Step 10: Use your heat gun to melt the wax. You don't want complete coverage, just random splotches of wax.  Make sure to work on a non-stick craft sheet for easy clean up!

 Step 11: Once the wax is cool, use a paint brush to brush Perfect Pearls onto the waxed areas. After you have brushed them on, use the brush to pounce them, then whisk away any extra. Set the Perfect Pearls by lightly misting with water. The Perfect Pearls should basically  only stick to the waxed area. 

 Isn't that beautiful???  I love the different kinds of shimmer you get by using both CI paints and the Perfect Pearls!

And just look at all that detail and texture!

 It looks like you spend a ton of time, but in reality, it really doesn't take long at all!

Enjoy!

~Kassi