August 29, 2009

Rub-On/Paint/Mist Tutorial.

hey everyone...Nicole here!

i have a confession.
i LOVE rub-ons.
and...i LOVE paint.
and one day, i was working with the Over the Rainbow kit...and while i loved the rub-on that was included, the color didn't quite fit with what i had planned.
and i hated to let it go to waste, so i figured...hey! wouldn't it be cool if i could still use that rub-on, but not in that color??

and there you have it...an idea was born, lol.

so to get started, here's what you need: now, i have to tell you...that adhesive eraser is one of my FAVORITE secrets. you get plenty of bang for your buck...and it lasts FOREVER. you can get one HERE, to ship with your next kit!!
so, grab your rub-on tool of choice and apply the rub-on. smooth it over gently with your finger after applying, just to make sure that all of the edges of the rub-on stick down...that way no paint gets underneath.
next, apply your paint. this is totally a preference thing...i tend to use a light touch, you can always go back if you think you need more.


the paint will dry pretty quickly...so before it does, i run my finger over the top of the rub-on to remove paint that stuck to the top of the rub-on. remember...for this technique, we're aiming for the 'negative' image. if you don't rub the paint off of the rub-on, no biggie...you will have some extra paint on your adhesive eraser. but you also run the risk of paint schmearing where you don't want it when you rub with that eraser.


now here's the cool part...start erasing! it takes a firm grip on the eraser and some elbow grease. after all, technically, rub-ons are created to STICK, lol...not rub right off of what you just applied them to!

as you rub, you will notice some build-up of paint, rub-on and just general gunk on the edge of your eraser. fear not...just pick it off with your finger. if it's really stubborn? cut the edge of the eraser off with some scissors...there will still be plenty of eraser left for many rub-on adventures to come.



brush away the leftovers...and voila!!

i like to outline the negative image that's left to make it stand out a bit.



now, being that April is the Queen of the Mist (not the boat at Niagara Falls...that's the MAID of the Mist and an entirely different topic)...and knowing how many of our SC members have an affinity for mist...i thought, if paint works, mist should too right?

after misting...




hey...what do you know?! i was right!!!

it's a beautiful thing.




and you know how sometimes while trying one thing, another cool thing happens? check it out: the mist filled in my formerly 'negative' space from my experiment with the paint. cool stuff, i'm telling ya!!

now...a few pointers:
  • i find that 'solid' rub-ons look better. makes sense, right? it looks bolder and stands out a bit better when you're left with the negative. definitely use a more solid rub-on with the mist...and by solid i mean something not 'airy' and delicate. these 2 rub-ons i showed here are examples of what i would call a 'solid' rub-on.
  • let the paint/mist dry COMPLETELY before attempting to rub!! failure to do so may result in the aforementioned schmearing.
  • i didn't think to try it until i was typing this out, but how about using INK?? apply rub-on, use an ink pad on top of it and then erase...why not?!

if you have any questions...please don't hesitate to ask or just shoot me an email via Studio Calico. i've also started a thread HERE in case you just want to post your questions there. there really aren't many limitations to this technique...and you'll find yourself reaching for supplies that may have been in your stash for awhile, simply because they were the wrong color.

and any time we can revisit an older supply is a cause to celebrate, right?!

right.
:)










26 comments:

  1. thanks for posting this, Nik... that is a fabulous technique! I didn't realize how easy it would be to use some old blue rub-ons i have that are totally different color than i would ever scrap with (unless i have a little boy in my future) :-)

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  2. YOU, my dear, are an incredibly clever girl. I'm just sayin'.

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  3. You know I have had one of those erasers in my stash for 10 years now and I don't think I have used it but twice, maybe this will give me something to try out and use up all those rub-ons I have too!!!

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  4. That is awesome! Just ANOTHER reason why I NEED to get some mists!

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  5. Oh my heart! This is a fabulous technique. I am so giving this a go!

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  6. BRILLIANT! That is just flipping brilliant. Thank you so much!

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  7. Thanks for the great tutorial. I can't wait to try this!

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  8. what a fantastic idea!!!!

    thanks for the tips :)

    gigi

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  9. genius! love this idea. I have used the adhesive eraser to fix rub on boo-boos before but never would have thought of masking with them.

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  10. Wow, fabulous ideas and I love the way you showed the steps.

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  11. That looks great! Thanks for schowing!
    Greetings from Germany - Melanie

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  12. OMGosh Nik! Thank you for posting this! I LOVE rub-ons too & have a ton I could use! Of course you know I love my mists so this is perfect!

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  13. Very cool technique! Thank you for the tutorial!

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  14. I am so excited to try this Nik!!!! Thanks for sharing your brilliant idea with all of us!!!!

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  15. i just love the tutorial!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  16. must try this. i have a lot of rub ons. i have a lot of paint. i have a lot of mist. i don't use them as much as i should. thanks girl!

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  17. awesome technique....thanks for sharing.

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  18. girl - you totally just rocked my world. great Technique and PERFECT tutorial!

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  19. Thank you so much for this info!! It really is awesome! : )

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  20. Wow! Thanks for this. And that Maid of the Mist comment was hilarious! You are so delightfully random. :D

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  21. Tks for sharing. Sure I´ll try :)

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