WHAT I LEARNED THIS WEEK- Chalk Ink and Scrap FX stencil fun

Happy wednesday folks!
I was flying high on scrappy mojo last weekend and experimented with both my Scrap FX stencils and my Pima chalk inks.

Last week readers and fellow scrappers Scraps and Scarlett BOTH wrote in to repeat advice they had given me before:

When working with wet media it's best to use heavy weight paper and spray the paper down a bit before you start.

Ok advice taken.

Not really.

I decided to use chalk ink with my FABULOUS Scrap FX Engineering stencil because I didn't want to mess with mist spray.
Mists get everywhere and I wanted to work on a tv tray table while watching Sons of Anarchy.
(I'm totally addicted!)

I recently bought 2 pieces of luscious 8x11 double weight water color paper to play with.
I just love all the nooks and crannies!

I got to work and this is the resulting page:

I love everything. Tim Holtz grunge stamps, Prima's chalk inks AND  Basic Grey's crisp clean
Hello collection paper patterns. Who knew cleartitle were a blast from the scrappy past?
To me they are so fresh and interesting. Can you tell I only started scrapping in 2009
and have no friends to bug me with the latest "fashion. Scrapping should not be about fashion!
It should be about FUN.

Here how it went down step by step:

• Prima Attic Dust chalk ink over Scrap FX stencil layer.
• Gel pen outline since the ink got under the stencil and pooled all over the place.
• 4 inch Tim Holtz subway poster stamp and black Prima ink.
• PROBLEM!!! Chalk ink stamped image is not good on the uneven water color paper
• White gesso layer to cover the ugly stamp

PROBLEM!!! Chalk ink is water based (water soluble)
so it streaked the gesso. DARN! MESS!But wait... this is... pretty!!!

• Spray the front and back of the page with Tattered Angels "Iridescent Gold" which I almost threw out because it's pretty much invisible. The thing is... that's a GOOD thing if you are layering multi media work. The gold added a nice sheen to the paper.
• PROBLEM gray stencil ink started running down the page RED ALERT RED ALERT
• Decided to use that as an effect and added some Studio Calico Opaque White spray mist to make the ink run even more.
• Let dry for 30 minutes and try to distract myself. 
• Try to speed things up with heating tool but that cracks the gesso- a look I hate and refuse to include in my pages.
•  Emboss the Tim Holtz stamp in black.

PROBLEM- the bottom of the paper wasn't fully dry
so the embossing powder stuck at the bottom. But wait..
New York City subway- that texture IS PERFECT!!!

• Decided this was a grungy page and went with it. FORCED myself to relax. It's. just. paper.
• Chose gear and cog chipboard designs to go with the "Steampunk" look.
• Added red circles from Basic Grey's "Hello!" line to give some contrast and focus to the page  

Plunked Clear Scraps title right on TOP of the photo and outlined
the edges in permanent ink so they stood out more.
The printed film strip chipboard is also from Basic Grey's Hello line.
shhh don't tell anyone- it's freaking FAB!

• Called it a friggin day

Where did my "What I learned this week" logo go?
It got me nowhere so I decided to design something a little less chessy looking.

Hope you have a great day folks- off to work I go!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle