Blank Page Muse Blog: Sugar Skull Window Catcher

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Sugar Skull Window Catcher

Hi Everyone! I posted this tutorial a couple of years ago (when Blank Page Muse used to be called Sin City Stamps) and I thought some you might be interested in seeing it again! Especially with Day of the Dead and Sugar Skulls being much more popular than ever before!

Enjoy!

Supplies:

Black ink- acid free and non bleeding.
Acrylic block
12x12 black cardstock
White gift wrap tissue paper.
Clear contact paper
A unique bowl to trace.
Scissors
Pencil
Assorted colored pens that wont bleed.
Black permanent pens in fine and regular tips.
Zig two way glue
Silver craft foil
Double stick and regular tape.
Something to protect your work space.

Begin by tracing your bowl onto the cardstock. Carefully cut the traced shape out and discard.
Trim your tissue paper to 12x12. Tape the tissue paper securely to your work space and lightly trace your design.

If desired, you can use a ruler and pencil to mark off your traced design into four even sections. This will ensure even alignment when stamping.
Stamp your images with the black ink directly onto the tissue paper, careful not to smudge any wet ink.

When you have finished stamping and the ink is dry, peel off the tape and flip the tissue paper over. Smooth this out and tape the corners and anywhere else so it will not move while coloring.

Always start with your lightest color first. I started with yellow. Then I went onto pink, orange, red, green then purple.

When coloring, always let the ink dry before re-applying or the moisture will tear the tissue paper. I used a blue highlighter to fill in the rest of my design.

After I had finished coloring, I outlined and colored in what was needed with the black pens. Different ink pads vary, so you may not need to do this step. Either way, I think it adds sharpness and makes the happy colors more vivid.

When the coloring is all done, cut (2) 12x12 squares from the clear contact paper. Peel off the backing from one and carefully adhere it to one side of the painted tissue paper. Repeat on the other side of the tissue paper. - This is basically a cheap version of laminating.

Use the double sticking tape to adhere the black cardstock to the most vivid side of your design.
Then draw a folk art like design with your zig glue pen as shown.

The glue goes on 'blue' and turns 'clear' when ready for the foil.

Place the foil 'shiny-side' up onto the glue and press down, burnishing the foil into the raised glue design with your fingers. Peel away the foil to reveal the fun!