BURNING YUPO

Yupo is a synthetic substrate that artists have been using alcohol ink on for several years now, and as it is plastic, some bright spark worked out that you could burn it with a soldering iron or wood burning tool.  These are my samples.  All of the layers are created using 2-3mm foam squares to create the dimension.  To call this a fiddly process, would be the understatement of the year!  

A word of caution.... heating/melting/burning plastic is toxic and should always be done outdoors in moderation.  This is not something I plan on doing every single day so a respirator is unnecessary.  If you were considering doing this technique more frequently, look after your health and use a respirator.  I have burnt the holes/shapes beforehand and then inked on some, but have also done the burning when the Yupo was already inked and dry.  The final one, Traverse, is slightly different but the top of the hills are still burnt/melted with the soldering iron to create the shape.  You don't want to cover these up too much, hence the need for minimal decorating.  

"Firecracker"...

"Elemental"..

"Nocturnal"...

"Mushroom"...

"Traverse"...

BAKED TEXTURE EMBOSSING & BRUSHO'S

I've always loved embossing powders and ever since Seth Apter's Baked Texture Embossing Powders hit the market I've really enjoyed the beautiful colours and texture these embossing powders give.  For this technique, I've combined tissue paper crinkled background with Brusho's (& Cosmic Pixie Powders and Tonic Shimmer Powders as you can never have enough shimmer in your life), plus the addition of a swipe of a clear embossing ink pad to hit the high spots of the tissue paper, then the addition of the Baked Texture Embossing Powders.  These products combined create an amazing background that you just know,  just by looking at it, it's going to feel lumpy, bumpy but also kind of smooth (that's the embossing powder part).

"Carrion"...

Here's a side shot so you can see the depth in this one.

"Sparkle"...

"Fragility"...

(More of a mixed media feel to this one, chipboard heart painted to look rusty,

metal dragonfly that's coated in a couple of colours of embossing powders, then

clear coated with UTEE - Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel, book paper lightly painted

with Ken Oliver's Copper Liquid Metals which was also dripped down a couple

of the sides.  The dragonfly is attached using copper coloured thread.  Lastly a couple

of gunmetal coloured stud embellishments on the book paper.  The colour of the

Embossing Powder on the aqua background is the Emerald Creek Fractured Ice.  

Beautiful embossing powder that one!  Check it out.

 "Hashtags"...

(The little weird guy is an Octopode stamp on shrink plastic, coloured and

shrunk.  The heart has a real shimmer to it as it's chipboard, painted black,

then Angelina Film glued on, trimmed around the edges and heated which

gives it the multi-toned coppery effect.)