Caught in Crystal

This can be downloaded in pdf format (requires Acrobat Reader) HERE

There are many ways of doing this technique, but for me, this one works well every time.   It's always helpful though experiment, try a few and see which one is right for you…. .

You will need:

• Clear Acetate (overhead transparencies work well)
• Stazon Inkpad in black
• Plain white gift wrap tissue
• 2-3 Lumiere Paints
• One stamp
• Brads or eyelets
• Double sided tape
• Johnsons Liquid  Floor Polish (also called Pascoe’s)
• Paper Towels

Optional: Glitter

1. Cut out a piece of your overhead transparency to the size you need.  If you are making an ATC it needs to be 2 ¾” x 3¾” - this will give you a ¼” edge to trim off when you are done. (it works better to cut it slightly larger and trim than cut exactly to size.
2. Stamp your image onto the smooth side of the overhead transparency using your Stazon ink.  Put aside and allow to dry. Before you clean your stamp off—just stamp it again without reloading onto a scrap piece of acetate. This will be the test piece to save you smudging it when you check if it's dry.
3. While that’s drying cut two pieces of the white gift wrap tissue 3” x 4” and crumple each one tightly into a little ball.  Gently smooth out the tissue again—but don't smooth out all the  wrinkles we need them!
4. By now your Stazon should be dry—check on that cast off bit first to make sure.
5. Turn the stamped image over so it's stamped side down and unstamped side uppermost, and place it on a paper towel. This is important, if you put the floor polish on the stamped side it will remove the Stazon!  (who said Stazon is permanent!? LOL)
6. Pour a puddle of floor polish onto the acetate.  You need it to be generous enough to cover the whole back without running everywhere.  Try not to get it running off the edge as it will run onto the face of the acetate.  As long as you are careful any small overspill will be caught by the  paper towel. IF you are using glitter now is the time to sprinkle it across the back.
7. Now take your first piece of tissue and pat it down on top of the floor polish.  Don't smooth it out or roll it—keep the wrinkles.  At this stage—I normally put my piece onto a clean paper towel just to ensure that the front stays clear of wax.
8. Take your Lumieres—with a soft brush dab the first colour Lumiere across the top of the wet tissue, leaving gaps between.  Then take the second colour and fill in the gaps.  There should be no area left unpainted when you are finished.  Any gaps will show through so make sure it's all covered.
9. Place your second layer of crumpled tissue over the top of the paint and pat down so and make good contact with the underneath layer (you’re making a big polish/paint sandwich)
10. If your paper towel is wet or dirty—place it onto a clean piece of tissue and put aside to dry.  At all times you need to keep the ‘face’ of the acetate free of polish or paint.
11. When the whole sandwich is dry, trim the edges off - if it's a card you can make it whatever size you like, if it's an ATC trim it to 2 ¼” x 3¼”, run around the edges with a gold Krylon pen and mount it onto an ATC back using double sided tape. 
12. You can now use the brads or eyelets to doubly secure it - tape will over time lift, but it holds it square and centered while you place your brads or eyelets.
13. Print out your image onto white cardstock, cut out and apply to acetate with mounting tape to give it a bit of height and a 3D effect.
14. Optional: add a german scrap halo or border to your ATC

Option Two:

Stamp script or words across the acetate continue through the steps till you are done and mount an image on top of the acetate using mounting tape

(c) SoulArts 2008