Wax Paper Resist with a Twist!

Hi Everyone!

It's Thursday and you know what that means!! Tu-Tu Tutorial Time!!

This week, I have the honor of bringing you something to hopefully inspire you. I thought I would share a fun technique with all of you. Actually, a twist on an oldie, but goodie!

Wax Paper Resist with a Twist!
Designer: Robin Willis, TPE dt

Materials:

White glossy cardstock

Wax paper
Craft Iron

Cuttlebug & Embossing Folders

Brayer
Ranger Ink Applicator or Cosmetic Sponges

Dye Inks

Many of you have probably heard of the wax paper resist technique. It is done by simply by crumpling up wax paper, ironing it over glossy cardstock and then brayering ink over that. What you get is a colorful piece of cardstock with a wrinkled pattern on it.

Here is an example of the traditional wax paper resist:

Okay, here's where the twist comes in...

I am not going to say that I invented this idea because the minute I say that, a dozen people will point me to places where others have done it. So, I will just say that I personally haven't ever seen this done by anyone else, but it may have been. I just thought it might be a fun twist to the classic technique, so I gave it a try and it worked!

What I did was use my Cuttlebug and embossing folders to add the designs to my wax paper. I found that it worked best when I cut a piece of wax paper twice the size of the folder and folded it in half. It seemed to have a more crisp embossing pattern that way. The single layer seemed to distort a bit more.

Here is the first background I did:

I used the Floral Fantasy folder and brayered rainbow ink across it diagonally. Fun!

One thing that is important to know is that if you are a person who wants a perfect image and fine details, this technique may not be for you. When you do this, you get the image, but it isn't crisp and perfect. Sometimes the areas around the embossing also transfer and you just get an outline of the embossing that doesn't. I personally think that looks cool, but some may not. It is just a fun way to add visible interest to your background. It is okay to have some imperfections. It is what makes it handmade!

Here are some finished cards I made:

This one used the D'Vine Swirls folder. I rubbed Distress Ink over it to bring out the design. I wanted to keep this simple to let the background be prominent. I just used a Just Rite Stamper for the sentiment (love how it has swirls that match the background!) and some Nestabilities to create a fun card.

Here is a quick ATC I made. I used the Birds and Swirls folder and just cut it down to slightly smaller than an ATC. Cut a piece of black card 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" and layered them together. Stamped the sentiment, added some Dew Drops and it was done. Very simple, but interesting. I love how this one had alot of the background also transfer and resist. So, you just get outlines around the birds and branches.

Finally, I got a little crazy. The card below looks out of focus, but in real life it is very cool looking! I first embossed the Perfectly Paisley on wax paper and ironed it onto glossy card. Then, I rubbed Stream ink on the entire piece and let it dry. I placed the cardstock into the embossing folder and carefully lined up the embossing and embossed it. It looked okay....but then I rubbed purple ink lightly over the raised areas and it looked amazing!! I wish I could get it to photograph so you can see how it neat it really is. But, because the embossing and the resist are slightly off from each other, it makes it appear distorted in the picture. In real life, it really is clear and very pretty.

Here is a picture taken from the side to maybe make it easier to see the embossing.

I really hope that you like this quick and easy technique. I had alot of fun playing around with it. Thanks for stopping by The Pink Elephant!

-Robin Willis