Now I have to figure out coloring........

[pigtailpat]

my matboard cuts. I am not sure if I want to airbrush with copic colors, if I want to pearl ex it, or do traditional alcohol inking via holtz. That's my objective for the weekend to figure out what I want/need to do. Now I can cut, but then what? I saved all my prior bad cuts when I was trying with the gazzy, because I knew I wanted to experiment with coloring, so the bad cuts come in handy for experimentation. I save everything - good and bad. You never know when you need it.

Hey Penny, want to visit me up north? I'm close to NYC sights and sounds.......I'd love to be around your talents even if only for 24 hours. Anything is better than nothing.....bring your studio with you.....

Pat

[Gigi]

LOL Pat on trying to entice Penny - hope you succeed!!

I am curious - do you just want to color or have you thought of doing something textural? I clearly know nothing about what you are planning , but have all sort of things running through my head - (besides gremlins) like some of the new modeling compounds that are out there, the goosebumps spray,stenciling with or without a medium, stamping with Versamark for a resist look - and on and on. What fun you are going to have!

How great that you have all of the scraps to play with so you can get the look you want in mini form first. Cannot wait to see what you come up with!

[Retta]

Aw - I'm so excited for you! If Penny comes I will be happy for you - but jealous!

[LisaH]

Looking forward to seeing what you create!!!

[PennyDuncan]

my matboard cuts. I am not sure if I want to airbrush with copic colors, if I want to pearl ex it, or do traditional alcohol inking via holtz. That's my objective for the weekend to figure out what I want/need to do. Now I can cut, but then what? I saved all my prior bad cuts when I was trying with the gazzy, because I knew I wanted to experiment with coloring, so the bad cuts come in handy for experimentation. I save everything - good and bad. You never know when you need it.

Hey Penny, want to visit me up north? I'm close to NYC sights and sounds.......I'd love to be around your talents even if only for 24 hours. Anything is better than nothing.....bring your studio with you.....

Pat

Oh WOW...what a TEMPTING invitation!!!!! That would be SUCH a blast!!! LOL Hummmmmmmmmmm would have to work on bringing my ARTHaven!!!

[Gigi]

OK - that does it!!! Penny just has to go on tour - her traveling ARTHaven!!

You have to some to Southern CA too!!

[CaseysAngel]

Will tim holtz inks work on that? I know it doesn't work well on regular paper, needs to be glossy.

[PennyDuncan]

ROFL Gigi!!! You're a NUT!!!! You know I use Tim Holtz Inks on regular paper all the time and it works great!!! I really think that's just a way to sell more of their specialty paper as they say it has a special coating....but I just use regular ole' cardstock from Wallyworld and get great results......but then again....I'm the weirdo!!!

[Retta]

Okay - I'm wierd too - I do too! LOL

[PennyDuncan]

Okay - I'm wierd too - I do too! LOL

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I couldn't be paired with a better weirdo!!!!

[Retta]

Me either! thanks1

[pigtailpat]

Christy -

I did some mini tests last night after I posted, and I left things to dry. You can in fact use holtz's inks on this stuff (remember it is wood pulp and more of a paper - it is not cotton). But, if you use too much alcohol, the matboard will warp. That part I am not sure I like. The pearl ex leaves a little rough surface feel to it - I am not sure if I like that - but realistically it will be under glass so what my problem is with it I haven't the slightest. Plus I did not use enough of the powder so color coverage was pretty scant (I gotta enter into a 12-step program for hoarding). It was raining here yesterday, and it was late, so I could not airbrush (I tend to airbrush outside when I can or in the garage - there is very little light in the garage so if I go there to airbrush I like it to be in daytime so I can see what I am doing). Today I will experiment with airbrushing my scraps to see what I like. The problem I am anticipating with airbrushing is whether I can get into the little side depths for the inside cut of the frame where the photo will lay. You don't want a different color there than the outside color. I will see how far I get today. The big advantage of the matboard is that it is already in a neutral color easy to color. I know you can get chipboard in white from some vendors, but finding chipboard that is acid free and safe for photos is another sticky wicky. Once I get more experienced, I might try the 2-ply cotton and see what differences there are, if I can cut that as well, and if coloring goes differently with cotton as apposed to the wood pulp materials. I wanted to start with the easier to handle material, and work my way up.

Pat

[Gigi]

Pat -

After you airbrush, what if you take the marker and go around the edges of the matboard with the edge of the marker to fill in whatever spots might be missed - does that make sense? I do that whenever I cut out a black shadow piece - the white shows through on the edges. So I take the marker and go around the edge so it is all black.

I hope that helps.

[HappyCrafter]

Pat - When you mixed your pearl ex, did you use gum arabic with it?

[pigtailpat]

Gigi- OMG what a SPLENDID idea!!!!!!!! WTG!!!!!! .......wow........

Happy crafter - yes, I mixed with the "real" gum arabic - the expensive kind from winsor & newton that the water color artists use and the varnish from the manufacturers' of pearl ex (2 separate mixes). The varnish left a wee bit of a smoother finish, but got air bubbles. The gum arabic left no air bubbles, much more of a matte finish, but a little rougher "feel" than the varnish one.

Pat

[Gigi]

Pat -

Glad that was a helpful hint - hope it works well for the matboard.

It's fun to see you so excited!

[CaseysAngel]

humm I wouldn't have thought the tim holtz ink would have worked on it. That's good to know.

[Retta]

Oh I love his alcohol inks. He came out with a pen that you can fill with his ink and use like the copics. They work on all kinds of paper - just depends what effect you want!

[CaseysAngel]

Oh I love his alcohol inks. He came out with a pen that you can fill with his ink and use like the copics. They work on all kinds of paper - just depends what effect you want!

I've seen that pen!!!!! I haven't bought it.

What types of paper do you use? I originally tried regular Cardstock with his inks and that was a DISASTER. I thought you could only use the inks on like metal, plastic, or gloss card.

[Retta]

They do bleed through on some things depending on much you put on. It can be used on all the things you mentioned and more. I use my craft mat under it so if there is something that soaks through it won't damage anything. Material is something that some of the fiber artists are using it on. I love them, but I've been using things like copics - not the name - for years in art. I think there are all kinds of things to learn yet or we haven't used. gamisol (sp.) can be used with colored pencils. Chalks are another way to add dimension to our cutter files and give them a life. I'm so excited for anyone that opens up their world.