Atelier Sand Dollar Tutorial

Hello my fabulous friends! 

It's Kassi here today!

I grew up hiking the mountains and and playing in the sands of Utah. It's a beautiful place, with lots natural diversity from the snow covered ski slopes in the north to Zion and Arches National Parks in the south.  And while I spent my summers boating on Lake Powell,  I was 17 years old before I saw an ocean for the first time. 

When I was in my mid 20's, I was able to spend some time touring the beaches, forests, and waterfalls of Oregon and Washington State with my parents and my camera... and I fell in LOVE.  I ended up moving to a rural town with beautiful ocean beaches less than an hour drive away. The beach is one of my happy places! 

The first year after moving near the ocean, I collected a bunch of sand dollars and made Christmas ornaments to send to my family.... and I've been altering sand dollars ever since!

Want to learn how? I promise, it's easy!

Paper: tissue paper

Stamps: Inkon3 Big Bold Magnolias

Ink: Inkon3 Blackout

Coloring: Inkon3 Atelier Watercolor Inks

Blue- Peacock Blue, Marigold Orange

Green- Goddess Green, Marilyn Red

Yellow- Bee Sting Yellow, Marigold Orange, Twiggy Brown

Other: glitter, ribbon, twine, sand dollar

Let's get started!

Step 1: Stamp your image onto some white tissue paper (you know, that really thin, cheap paper you stuff in gift bags to make them look fancy) using Blackout ink. I suggest putting a scrap piece of paper under the tissue paper... The ink will bleed through, and you want something to absorb it so it doesn't smear anywhere. I also suggest using the MISTI since trying to stamp on thin tissue paper can be tricky. I'm using one of the flowers from Big Bold Magnolias set.

(yes, I know, I usually go with Fadeout and no line coloring... but because of the nature of this paper, lines are just better)

Step 2: Create a watercolor palette by smooshing various Atelier ink pads onto a non-porous surface (I'm using a piece of glass).  

Usually I use alcohol based markers to color on tissue paper, but I wanted to see if the new Atelier inks would work for this.

 What can I say... I like experimenting and seeing just how far I can stretch a product!

Step 3: CAREFULLY color your image by picking up some color using a damp paint and applying it to your image. Tissue paper is VERY thin, and NOT designed to be used with watercolors, so you don't want to over work things, or you might end up tearing it. This is why we want dark lines... It's really hard get any kind of detail or definition on paper that isn't meant to get wet. 

Note: You may have noticed that the blue on my palette is not the same blue as my flower. The Peacock Blue straight from the pad is a bright blue, and not what I wanted for this flower... However, just like other watercolor mediums, you can MIX colors to create new colors!

The swatch labeled "B" is what the blue ink looks like. The "B+o" is the blue with a LITTLE orange.  To get the "B+O", I added a bit more orange to the B+o.   The muted "G+r" is the green ink with a LITTLE red.  Currently there are only 8 colors in the Atelier line.. but you can get countless other colors by mixing! 

Step 4: Fussy cut. You can use the coordinating die if you want, but the more excess paper you have, the harder it is to hide. The idea is to make it look like the tissue paper isn't even there when we are done.. so I prefer fussy cutting. 

Step 5: Prep your sand dollar. If you are using a sand dollar you have picked up off the beach, you are going to want to wash it really well, and get all the sand out. Then let it dry COMPLETELY. If it hasn't sat on the beach long enough to bleach white, you can soak it in a mix of water and bleach for an hour or so, then rinse it in clean water and let it dry in the sun.

If you don't live near a beach, you can often find sand dollars in craft store, or online. 

Some types of sand dollars naturally have holes in them... Mine don't, so I use a hand drill to carefully drill a hole... Sand dollars are soft, and do best if you are gentle with them.

Step 6: Paint a layer of Mod Podge (or other decoupage glue) on the surface of the sand dollar, and quickly lay your image on it. The sand dollar will absorb the glue quickly, so work fast... if areas dry before they adhere to the paper, carefully lift the paper up a bit and get some glue under it and smooth the paper back down.. you want a good seal under the image and around all the edges. 

Once you have it glued on, gently cover the entire surface with a layer of Mod Podge.  Don't over work this... If you do, your colors might start to smear, and your paper will tear. I like to use a make-up edge to do this as bristles of a paint brush might snag or tear the fragile tissue paper. Let it dry completely.

If you are opposed to glitter, feel free to skip this step.... 

Step 7 (optional): Paint on another layer of Mod Podge, and cover in clear/iridescent glitter.  Allow to dry completely, then tap off any loose glitter.

Step 8: Finish by tying a loop of twine through the hole, and adding a bow (or any other embellishments you want)

These look beautiful on a tree, or hanging in a room! They make fabulous gifts, and are a fun way to preserve your travel souvenirs!

If you give this technique a try using Inkon3 products, please share your creation with us our Facebook group, or by using the hashtag #inkon3. We love seeing what you create!

Hugs!
~Kassi