String paper and faux copper distress.
(I used my homemade string paper as the background of the front of my arches and the faux copper distress on the backs.)
String Paper!
What you need:
string
Acrylic paints (I used Golden's fluid acrylics)
Instant Coffee
Matt medium
plastic disposable cups (for mixing)
heavier weight or artists tissue paper (Dick Blick)
Plastic garbage bags
flat medium sized paint brush
1. First find a surface that can be taken up with clutter for at least one full day (drying time). (The papers become very delicate when they are wet.)
2. Lay down the plastic bags over your surface. This will help the paint to pool in some areas.
3. Make some instant coffee. ( About 1 Cup per paper) You can try the old coffee route if you want but I like instant the best because it is easy to make as dark or light as I want very easily and quickly.
4. While your coffee is cooling, lay one piece of tissue paper down on top of the garbage bags. If you wish you can wrinkle it and then smooth it out again. Cut your string into enough pieces to make a grid on your paper. I do about 9- 10 pieces in each direction with an inch or so overhang on all edges. After you get these laid out, generously apply your Matt medium over and under the strings and over the entire surface of the paper working quickly but being careful not to tear the paper. If this does happen don't worry about it just keep going. Before that dries, place another piece of tissue paper on top of that piece making a "sandwich" of the now glued strings.
5. Using a combination of fluid acrylics and watered down fluid acrylics (mixed in cups) paint the paper however you wish. While this is still wet I will brush, drip and pour on the coffee. Be aware that the wetter the paper is the more prone to tearing it is. Leave this to dry completely and slowly peel off the garbage bag.
You can make all kinds of interesting papers using tissue paper and this method. Colored tissue paper will bleed so unless that is what you are looking for (it may be) I'd use white. Just be aware that the color is dye based and will fade overtime UNlike the acrylics.
Faux copper distress!
As most of you are aware of, you can add rock salt to the top of wet watercolors, let dry, and get the most amazing "stars" and patterns develop as a result of the salt sucking up some of the water. But what you may not have known is that salt added to the top of wet acrylics can yield equally amazing (yet different) results!
What you need:
Lumiere acrylic paint ( I used Met Olive green, and Super Copper)
Rock salt ( I like to buy the huge box of Ice cream salt you can get at the super market)
paint brush
1. Paint a base coat of Met Olive green onto your project.
2. Water down Copper paint slightly and (working quickly) paint it over the green. (Allow for some of the green to show through. ) Apply rock salt over the entire surface and allow to dry completely! No peeking!
3.Gently rub the salt off and dispose of. You should have very nice pitted areas from where the color was pooled with the salt. If you want more pitts, add more paint and reapply the salt in those areas! It's that simple for (in my opinion) a really awesome effect!
Have fun and let me know how it goes! :)
Sarah