Halloween Distress Pearl Crayons

Hello Friends,

I wanted to experiment with the Halloween Distress Pearl Crayons over black, not just cardstock...but black texture paste.  I wanted to see how the Pearl Crayons would react, would the black show through? Would the pearl stay 'pearly' even when water is added? Would the crayons mix and layer over each other? So many questions!  Let's get started and I'll try to answer these questions and more...

I'm using the larger of the two rectangle Etcetera Panels for the background.  I used Collage Medium to add one of the Halloween Backdrop papers to the panel.  I also added a layer of CM over the top to seal the paper. This will allow me to add the Pearl Crayons once the CM is completely dry.

The crayons are new so they are really soft and creamy. They go on quite easily and its easy to manipulate with your fingertip or a brush.

I kept the background light since the Facade is going to be darker.

Next up, the Facade.  This is the shield shape with the big circle that I used in yesterday's project.

I used black Texture Paste through the 'Shatter' Layering Stencil to create this background.  I let the paste dry for about 30 minutes before moving to the next step.

*remember to wash the stencil and palette knife right away or at least place it in a tub of water.

Once dry, I spread a thin layer of Collage Medium over the entire surface to seal. 

You might ask, why add Collage Medium? 

Well, I want to add Crayon + water and I know that water is an enemy to hardboard,  If you were to leave a wet wipe on a piece of hardboard, it would swell up/lift where the water meets the surface.  I didn't want that to happen so I sealed the board with Collage Medium to avoid this.

This photo was taken when the CM was still wet so it is shiny. As soon as it dries, it will have a matte finish.

So once the Collage Medium was dry, I started scribbling over the Facade with the Distress Pearl Crayons. I would scribble, then rub it into crevasses left by the stencil. I also sprayed it with water, dabbing off the excess, drying and adding more color where I wanted it.  The colors worked beautifully together, layering over one another. I love that because of the crayon size you can get right into tight spots again and again to add as much as you want.

It was a layering process that took me about 15 minutes. I just repeatedly scribbled, rubbed, spritzed, and dried. I even used a wet wipe to pull back some of the top color over the paste. I think drying with a heat tool between layers helped the process. I also love how the black of the paste still comes through the pearl of the crayon.

After drying for one last time, I turned it over to add the risers that come with the Facades pack.

I added the Facade + a circle from the Layers pack to the center of the Panel with Collage Medium.

I love our Marble Tape but it wide!  So I cut a strip the length of each side of the panel, then tore in right down the center.  I added the tape to the raw side of the panel, then folded the ripped edge over the top of the panel as shown. Repeating on each side then burnish with a bone folder.

Next I added a Paper Doll from the Halloween Layers + Paper Doll pack. 

Here is a list of the steps:

1. Color the dress with Specimen Pearl Crayon. Because I wanted to sew across the dress and these crayons are new and creamy, I decided to spray the Paper Doll with a Fixative Spray (buy at craft store) before I stitched.
2. Stitch across the dress leaving the strings long.
3. Add the witch hat and mask from the Sticker Book + bat wings from the Layers pack.
4. The Paper Doll is sitting quite aways from the back of the panel. I needed something to prop her up, so I used a bingo chip with an added foam square.  That gave me the right depth for her to appear to be sitting on a ledge.
5. Yet another bingo chip is behind the 13 circle (ephemera pack), that slips in under her elbow.
6. The owl was added using thin foam squares.
7. Spray Mummy Cloth with any color Spray Stain (I chose Speckled Egg and Antique Linen). Cut off small pieces and use tweezers to add them next to the girl for some texture.

Add chipboard to the back of the 'SHAKE WELL' ephemera. Then use Collage Medium to secure to the top of the Facade.

Words from the Halloween Sticker book appear at the bottom of the Facade.

You could display on an easel or you could drill holes at the top corners and string black ribbon for hanging. Either way would work!

I hope you will give this technique of using Distress Pearl Crayons over black Texture Paste a go! The Pearl Crayons are absolutely beautiful over the black! And even better in person than here on the screen.  Now I'm off to work on another tutorial for the end of the week.  See you soon!

now carry on,
paula