kraft glassine ideas...

hello again bloggers!  well more ideas are coming your way today and they're all about kraft glassine.  this product is one of those cool and amazing surfaces that are unlike anything else you've ever seen before.  at first glance some think it's wax paper, but it definitely is not.  this is a coated semi-translucent kraft paper that can do some pretty incredible things.  available in pads of 5"x8" sheets, as well as 2 different sized pocket packs (1 for #8 tags, and 1 for ATC's).  let's check out a few ideas using kraft glassine...

but before we start - how about a surprise giveaway to some lucky winners for posting a comment on yesterday's post.  you know how much i appreciate you posting comments especially when i share a technique or idea with you - it's the only way i know if you're interested in what i'm sharing on the blog.  so congrats to the following winners of a set of grungeblocks, a black paint dabber, glossy accents, a sanding grip, and brushed corduroy distress ink (everything you need to create grungeblocks of your very own!).  please email me your shipping info and we'll get them sent out to you...
A simple technique with great results! Can't wait to try it. Thanks Tim.
Posted by: Mary Jane | June 06, 2011 at 09:15 AM

I'm running to my room to try this technique now. Thanks again!
Posted by: Shelann | June 06, 2011 at 06:29 PM

The grunge blocks look great! Thanks for more fabulous ideas!
Posted by: Pat Healey | June 07, 2011 at 08:27 AM

so here is a sheet of kraft glassine.  you see that it's semi-translucent and kind of resembles a wet looking brown paper bag.  the coating is not wax, but it's definitely coated and because of that, we can do some pretty cool stuff with it.

first simply try crumpling a piece in your hand by scrunching it into a ball.

you'll see that when you wrinkle kraft glassine, you break through the coating and create a lighter effect in the wrinkles.  this looks like vintage and cracked leather to me.  if you continued to crumple it, you would get smaller and smaller wrinkles.  the best part is the more you wrinkle this glassine, the stronger and more pliable it becomes.

you can also use your embossing folders like texture fades on kraft glassine which also breaks through the coating creating a lighter shade on the embossed design.

now let's not forget the inking since quite honestly in my world "if it's not inkable, it's not worth doing".  so try inking the kraft glassine with distress ink using an ink blending tool.  the ink will stain the areas where it broke through the coating of the glassine - so cool.

i also like to stamp on kraft glassine.  i use archival ink since it's permanent because you have to remember glassine is a coated paper.  however...there is still something you need to do in order for this ink to dry on the glassine!!!

you just need to heat set it with a heat tool for ONLY a few seconds.  when you do this you'll notice the kraft glassine get very shiny (almost like it is melting or getting wet) but the paper is doing neither...instead the coating is rising to the surface which therefor embeds the image inside the paper.  once you turn off the heat tool, the kraft glassine immediately returns to it's normal finish - like magic!

that cool trick also means you can print on kraft glassine using an ink jet printer...yes ink jet!  keep in mind when you take the paper out of the printer, the image is still wet and can smear until you heat it.  once heated for a few seconds and you see the glassine get wet-looking, turn off the heat tool and instantly this image is now permanent in the glassine.  i love this vintage look and because kraft glassine is semi-translucent you can layer this over some printed or stamped text on your project or better yet, wrinkle it for a more distressed looking photo.

this next idea is another great way to colorize kraft glassine.  first i've die cut several flowers using my tattered floral die.  you can die cut many sheets of kraft glassine at once which is great. 

next crumple the flower.  you can also use paper punches on kraft glassine as long as you punch it first before you wrinkle it - otherwise the paper punch won't go through the wrinkled glassine.

in fact make several and crumple them all.

dip a dry brush into perfect pearls powders.

brush the dry powder over the crumpled kraft glassine flowers.

heat the kraft glassine until you see that shiny wet look.

check that out!  the perfect pearls are now embedded in the kraft glassine creating luminous pearlescent kraft glassine.  this stuff won't rub off - it's so amazing looking.  stack 3 flowers together alternating the shape.

staple them together using a tiny attacher.

now all you have to to is add these flowers to your next project.  i secure them to my project using the tiny attacher or a brad since gluing glassine is quite a challenge because of it's coating.  add a button or type charm to the center and scrunch them up for dimensional, distressed, kraft glassine goodness - they will hold their shape.

so what do you think of those ideas?  hopefully there's at least one to spark your curiosities to try this kraft glassine stuff out.  it's so different to work with, collage with, layer, print or stamp on, colorize, and more - endless possibilities.  hope you take some time to play...t!m

 

Comments

[Jen]

great stuff...that vacation did wonders for your creativity...

[joy]

Love these ideas and congrats to the winners!

[nicks]

cool... I need some!

[Alison]

Ooh! Lovely stuff Tim!

[Gina]

These are right up my crafty alley. I love the look of the crumpled paper, without too much color but the crackle of distress. A winner for me!

[Minxy]

AMAZING stuff, I wanna play with my glassine now :D

[Dawn Gold]

Well blow me down with a feather another play thing to add fto my stash...loving this, totally cool

[Sherri Caramico]

OK - yet another item that I NEED to get my hands on! I LOVE the flowers with the perfect pearls!! Now if I could just find the time to play...... THANKS Tim!

[Amy Bender]

Love the flowers!!

[Heather MacDonnell]

I love the embossing! Thanks for coming up all these new products and techniques.