Today I had a dilemma. I've had these pictures of Halloween sitting around waiting to be scrapped for almost two years now. The colors in the photo are very prominent, so I wanted to use paper in the same colors. Naturally, I couldn't find any that matched! So finally, in desperation, I decided to make my own! Now usually I avoid lengthy techniques, but this really only took me about 15 minutes, and it saved these pictures from sitting indefinitely in a pile. (I dreaded the thought of soon having three years of Halloween pictures to scrap!) Anyway, here's how to create your own perfectly coordinated patterned patter.
Note: The masking screens I used are about 5 years old and very chunky. Today much more detailed, delicate screens are available. Use those for a more sophisticated look.
1. Take a sheet of plain white cardstock and adhere a masking sheet with temporary adhesive.
2. Choose an ink color and sponge it on the paper (through the screen) with a make-up sponge. Try for even coverage by blending it well.
3. Remove the screen and any adhesive that remains.
4. Paint the white spaces with watercolors in the color of your choice. I used watercolors right from my kid's craft box! This isn't too high tech.
5. Let your beautiful new paper dry thoroughly before cutting or adhering.
6. (Optional) Use glitter glue or glaze pens to add detail.
Two more hints: Use the darker color for the inking and the lighter color for the painting. That way you don't have to be too exact about painting within the lines. Don't get obsessive about perfectly even coverage. This look is artsy and imperfect by nature!
Here's the Halloween layout I created using my homemade patterned paper. (It's still waiting for a title in that blank spot, don't shoot me!)
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