Shave Cream Marbled Paper

Hello Friends!  Today's post is a step-by-step tutorial on how to make marbled paper with shave cream, dye reinkers, and Ranger Glossy Card Stock. It's a messy but fun technique, that can produce some really beautiful papers to use in your paper arts.  I use mine in my card making, and mixed-media art.

The first step is to gather your supplies. You will need;
1 can of really cheap shave cream,
1-3 bottles of dye based reinkers,
sheets of glossy card stock,

a roll of paper towels,

and a rimmed baking sheet or pan with short sides.
The tools to combine your colors on the foam shave cream; paint brush, popcicle stick, old comb, plastic fork.

1.  First of all, spray shave cream in a low rimmed pan, and smooth out a bit.

2. Next drop dropplets of the dye reinkers on the surface of the shave cream.  Start with two colors, and refresh with the third color later if needed.

3.  Using the tool of choice, (I used a small fan brush) swirl the colors together, first one way and then turn the pan and swirl the other way. Even though the ink looks like it is mixed in, as you gently press the paper down into the foam, wherever the ink touches the paper, you will have color.

NOTE: Between each sheet of paper, re-swirl the ink, and pick up the ink from the sides and bring to the top of the pile. As you reposition the ink, more of it will adhere to the new surface.

4.  Place your square of glossy paper on top of the foam, and tap down lightly on the paper pressing the paper into the top layer of shave cream. Lift the corner gently to see if the paper is covered with the ink. It doesn't need to be covered completely, the artist is always looking for "white space" in their work. "White space" gives depth and dimension to your work.

5.  Place your square on a clean protected surface and using a paper towel to wipe away the foam and excess ink.  Using a clean paper towel, buff the card stock until the surface is shiny. Many people ask about the glossy paper I use. You may use card stock or watercolor paper, but when you buff it, you may get little fuzzies from the tooth of the paper or paper towel.

6. As I mentioned above, the first applications will be the lightest. You can add more color, as I did with the purple, to get more color.  After your squares are dry (it won't take long), you can cut them into smaller pieces with your paper trimmer and attach them to a card stock base to make interesting and beautiful card bases.

7.  To clean up:  Rinse the foam down the drain with the faucet running, to dissolve the foam and keep the ink from sticking to the surface of the sink.  OR, you can just wipe away the foam and throw the paper towels into a trash bag.

Thank you so much for visiting with me today! I always have so much fun with this technique, it is hard for me to stop. I end up making pages and pages of paper to use on cards and art projects. Even if one doesn't turn out like I think it should, I cut it into small pieces for inchies and Artist Trading Cards, and cover it with stamping. Have lots of fun, and join me again soon for more fun and easy techniques.