Group of Cardmakers - Faux Cyanotypes

Hi all.  This is the start of another month over at the Group of Cardmakers, and this month we are doing a faux cyanotype technique.  The original technique uses chemicals to coat paper or fabric kept in dim light to dry, and then part of it being masked with something and then moved into sunlight, and it develops the typical deep blue leaving the masked part white.  I have made this one larger so you can perhaps see it better.

This first card uses a stamp from Stampscapes, Blueprint Sketch Distress Ink and Hero Arts Unicorn White Ink, and also a Clarity Crafts set of Embedders, the first time I have used these.  This look here is the closest to the actual Cyanotype technique being a blue background with the white image featuring a 5" x 7" card as a landscape and I used one of the embedders with rounded corners to add the line around to give the image a frame.  For anyone interested in seeing how you do this Barbara Gray is seen doing the technique here.  Go to 26.13 mts and it finishes about 29.13mts.  I ink blended the background with the blue and then when dry I added the image using the white ink.  Perhaps this image was not the best to use as I felt it wasn't very easy to see the cabin amongst the trees even after stamping it quite a few times, and making sure I cleaned the stamp in between each application.  I decided to try heat setting it with Clear Gloss Embossing Powder which I think made it look brighter and perhaps a touch clearer.  

The next two cards come away from the blue and white, and the first uses Peacock Feathers DI and the magnolia flowers which is a fairly old Penny Black stamp called Summer Dream, and a Creative Craft Products set of Torn Edge Hearts.  I cut a piece of white card to fit behind the aperture and blended the ink over it and then stamped the flowers onto it to best fit inside the aperture.  I placed the aperture a little above the centre to leave room for the sentiment which was stamped with the same ink and then heat embossed with WOW Clear Gloss Embossing Powder. 

The last card was made using a circle die to cut a mask and again a piece of white card to fit a 6" square card.  I used a fox image from a Texture set of stamps by Lou Collins called Wildlife, and this time I used Ripe Persimmon DI to ink blend the masked circle and then added the fox to it, and I added a few leafy foliage branches using a set by Inkylicious called Mini Branches and Twigs to give it a bit more interest.  I finished with a sentiment also using the same orange ink and the Clear Gloss EP.

This is a lovely technique and looks quite effective I think and I hope that you will join in with it and if you do there is a Linky at the bottom of the GOC's post and we would love to see your cards.  There are also some beautiful cards to see from the other ladies.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and I'll see you again soon.