Distressed? Get over it!

Distressed? Get over it!

Hi there!
Hahaha! 
What a ploy, using a cryptic title like that to spark your curiosity! 
You thought I was going in for a rant, right?
No way, José !
I have got far more important things to do 
than sweat about stuff I can’t do diddly about.
In fact, today is a day off for me.
We are going to a K T Tunstall concert this evening.
I love her and her energy – not to mention her music!
I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.
Thought it was time for an arty step-by-step.
Yesterday’s Shaving Foam technique with the Statue of Liberty Stencil got the old creative juices flowing again.
And I am pretty sure there will be plenty of you good people who aren’t sure how to use shaving foam and stencils together.
So let’s do this thing!
Distress reinkers.
Pick a few cool colours…
Spread a little shaving foam out in a plastic container.
You don’t need much.

Drip a few drops of the ink into the foam.
There is enough here for at least a dozen pieces,
plus a few muddier ones, when the ink starts to really blend.
By the way, yesterday’s counts as one of the muddy ones. 

Swish the ink around.
I used my Groovi tool, because it was on the table.
Coffee stirrer is cool too.

Treescape stencil today, methinks.
Always looks great.
Attach the stencil top and bottom with low-tack masking tape
Load some of the mix onto a ruler.

Smear it across the stencil.

Using the ruler, move the shaving foam around,

covering the whole piece.

Dab the whole thing with a paper towel/kitchen roll.
You get what you get.
Mmmm…interesting…
one side really dark, one side way too light.

However, what do I always say?
WORK WITH WHAT YOU’VE GOT.
So let’s smear a bit more up the other side and see what happens…

Better….

But what happens if I dab the distressed shaving foam through the stencil with the paper towel?
Only one way to find out….

Yikes!
Looks like I cut myself shaving!

Actually, it’s really cool, except it bled underneath the stencil.
Note to self Gray: don’t use so much mush on the paper towel…

Now what…
I’m supposed to be having a day off!
So am I going to spend it faffing about with shaving foam,
in a lame attempt to get a perfect print?
NOT A CHANCE.
The magic about this shaving foam technique 
is you NEVER know what you’re going to get!

bit leaky though, even for this liberated bird!
Time to get radical….
If you don’t like it – change it!
Without flinching, she sliced her masterpiece in half;
well, down the offending edge.
Then cut away the white borders.

Now she was feeling quite bold, so dipped the top and bottom edges into the shaving foam mixture.

Used a heat gun to speed-dry.

Mounted the pieces on white stencil card, the same gear again.
Here, she faltered.
Should she stick with one half and add a meaningful message?

Nah. Sod it. 
Sun’s shining. Places to go, people to see!

Perfectly imperfect – just like we like it.

But what about this lot ???

OKAY.
Just one more, said the addict.
But this time mix up the ink more….

Oooh, I say!

Haven’t got time to wait for this to dry.
If I speed dry it, it will go dimply.
So I shall just let it sit and do its own thing.
And tomorrow I shall show you what it looks like 
when you are patient…

Love this technique.
Could really spend the day playing.

But I must dash, said the Mexican.
How about a bloggy offer on ALL Distress Reinkers…
If you go to our website, I have dropped the bottle price 
from £4 to £3.
That’s substantial, especially if you add your 10 / 15% Members Discount!
Maybe today is a good day to restock on your Distress reinkers. Even if you still have some. They don’t go off!
offer ends midnight Sunday.
First come first serve.
Should we run out of a particular colour, 
we will contact you and offer you an alternative.
Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx

60 thoughts on “Distressed? Get over it!

  1. Love this technique and will revisit. Sometimes I end up with such sludgy backgrounds though! I have all the reinkers so can't take advantage of the offer this time. It's a good one to get people started though who haven't tried it. Better wait till I return from hols as I don't really want to make a mess today. Deciding whether to pop some groovi stuff into my ready stuffed suitcase ! I might get chance to do the odd Christmas card….

    Have a lovely day off and enjoy the concert! If I don't get here for a while it's because I'm cruising and can't get a signal. Xx

  2. Amazing effects with the shaving foam. I love using it and the effects you get from it.
    I am just about to go to the dentist again. A half hour appointment so it will be fillings today and discuss what the dental hospital will do with my compounded wisdom tooth. Really not looking forward to it!
    Anyway, hopefully afterwards I will be ok as I have work followed by Scouts this evening. Roll on nine o'clock when I can get home and pop on my pjs.
    Hope everyone has a good day and enjoys the sunshine.

  3. Ha, didn't catch me out Barbara!!! 😉 But I didn't get it quite right, thought you were going to do distressed art. Love your shaving foam prints, brilliant. Thanks for sharing, and for the ideas. I didn't know I could leave the shaving foam on to dry, instead of scraping it off, that will help to stop it going under the stencil. Never thought to just mount it on more card as is. I was going to try outlining some of my stencil ones. Some are only on copy paper so I was going to see if I could glue it to thick card, like you do with canvases, so they could be used for cards. But I've still got all my Christmas cards and presents to make, and most of the xmas ATCs for my garden guy, so better not get side tracked just now eh!

    Another brilliant offer, thank you for being so generous. Was only going to order the stencil offer, then I thought of a couple of Groovi things I need, and now it would be rude to not add to my distress ink stash too eh!!! 😉

    Hope you have a lovely day off, a bit of creativity play should have started it off on the right track. And I hope you enjoy your concert tonight. Look forward to hearing about it.

    Love Brenda xx

  4. I must try using the shaving foam through a stencil as the results are great Barbara. Have a wonderful day and enjoy your concert. I look forward to hearing all about it. x

  5. Ooo Barbara .. That's brill! I had the shaving foam out last week! I needed to play so made a load of background pieces!
    Love the treescape done like that!
    Have a fabbie time tonight at the concert.
    Love and hugs xxxx

  6. I love the second one, for me, not so vibrant is better. I have to admit to having only done this once, at a craft group meeting. I'm not normally into messy. But I definitely want to try this. Note to self, buy some cheapo shaving foam when next in supermarket. Have a lovely day, and evening. The weather is horrendous here in Liverpool at the mo, hailstones chucking it down, and it's dark as night. Hope yours is better xx

  7. Hi Barb, will definitely give this one a go. Lovely effects! Crimbo looming so budget stressed but thanks for offers. Have a brill time tonight! Hugs xx

  8. Gosh you are tempting us this week with leafy stencils and now the re inkers. Yes have to go for them. I've used the shaving foam trick before but never with a stencil. Looks great.

  9. I love playing with this technique Barbara, but never thought of using stencils. The effects are gorgeous. So thank you for another great idea. Hugs xxx

  10. Hello my lovely blog friends. Thank you all for thinking of me. I've had a particularly awful couple of weeks, so haven't been able to get myself in a good place head wise. I've been thinking of you all, but not able to comment. Thank you particularly Alison xx At least Bonnie is fit and well!!! Love and hugs to you all. xxx

    1. Hi Morag, glad to see you back hope you feel a little better and getting there. We all have missed you leaving lots of hugs and love.
      Lynn xx ps glad to hear Bonnie is keeping ok.

    2. Hi Morag, lovely to see you back, missed you. Hope you are in a better place now and that you feel a little better every day, been worrying that you weren't on here, sent you a message on Facebook yesterday. Take care Morag, love and hugs,Pam xx

  11. Hello Barbara

    I love the shaving foam technique but always used it to stamp on, never thought to use a stencil! Without you some of us wouldn't get very far along our crafty journey! Thank you for taking the time.

    Enjoy the concert tonight.

    Love
    Roz.x

  12. I have used a stencil and laid it on the shaving foam but had forgotten about the ruler technique! I am going to have a go over the next few days to make some stencil ones and some random backgrounds for the Groovi line art pieces I have drawn out. Wonder if you could spread it on glass and load up a brayer – hmmm..
    Enjoy the concert xx

  13. I confess to never having been brave enough to try the shaving foam technique! Thanks for the step by step, p'raps it will spur me on once my MOJO returns as it's MIA at the moment and I've not even begun making my Christmas cards…nope not yet done a single one – have the idea of what I want to do in my head but just can't muster the enthusiasm!

  14. Hi Barb,
    Hope you've had a good day off and that you really enjoy the concert. I love KT Tunstall too. Keep forgetting about the shaving foam technique – I wouldn't care, I have loads of the stuff. Really like the second one you've done and look forward to seeing it when dried. Great offer, although I've got a full set of them. Love and hugs Alison xxx

  15. Hi bloggy friends,
    Hope today has been as good as possible for you. Morag lovely to have you back. Sheila, hope the hospital has gone well, been thinking of you. Love and hugs to everyone Alison xxx

  16. Hi Barbara
    What a great way to get arty today. Love what happens when you put it through the stencil. The first one is interesting, putting it as two panels adds depth to the middle – what a happy accident! The second one is fab, looking forward to seeing it finished tomorrow. Have a great time at the concert tonight, just what you need after your hectic time at the NEC.
    Love Diane xxx

  17. Brilliant i knew about this technique for back grounds but never ever thought of doing this fantastic idea. Can i ask weather you leave the saving foam on or wipe away? With the backgrounds you always wiped away to leave the in. Hugs Ali xxx

  18. I really love the shaving foam technique, haven't played with this for ages , excuse me now lol p's. Lovely artwork, gorgeous as it is but very interested to see what you do next. Have a fab evening xx

  19. Both are brilliant Barbara. Love the technique and colours you've used. A great offer again today, you are so generous. Have to keep practising then maybe mine won't be so muddy. Do hope you ve had some chill time today and that you have a super evening at the concert. Love and hugs Pam xx

  20. Love playing with shaving foam creating patterns with it never know what will happen love it with the tree stencil think need a play with shaving foam and so stress relieving to calm play. Enjoy the concert love her to xx

  21. Hi to all you lovely blig friends, hope you have all had a good day. Been suffering the last few days again with my back, been for a private session of acupuncture this morning so hoping it will kick in with some relief soon. Don't want to cancel our London trip next week as have had some lovely outings planned for us for our birthday presents. Love and hugs to you all, Pam xx

  22. Great technique and great offer. Couldn't resist the re-inkers among other things.
    I love using that stencil too. It's been my favourite all this year. Carol

  23. Beautiful artwork Barb, one of my all time favourite techniques, and looks great with this stencil. Hope you had a great time at the concert. Off to look at the re-inkers offer. Take care. Bx

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