I've been experimenting this morning and I have to admit that I'm really happy with the results!
I bought a package of craft foam at Dollar Tree - ten 8" x 12" pieces for, you guessed it, a dollar! I cut each piece in half (4" x 6") before starting.
I played with pen and paper at first, trying different designs, and once I had a few that I liked, I began drawing the designs directly onto the craft foam using a ball point pen, thickening the lines as necessary. This particular foam is fairly thin and I had to be careful not to imprint to the point of cutting completely through to the back. I didn't worry about having everything perfect. I think that any imperfections just add charm to the end results! These are the ones that I ended up with:
These are the results on paper. I used foam paint brushes and acrylic paints to coat the foam sheets, then flipped the sheet over, applied it to the paper and gently smoothed the back of each sheet to make the imprint. I recommend rinsing the sheets and gently cleaning after use to avoid paint build up and allowing multiple usage.
The one shown here (to the right) was my first attempt, and I used the spiral design in decorating the cover and back for the journal I've created to use in The Truth Project which is an eight week long workshop that I'm taking with Stephanie Gagos. I used permanent marker to highlight the spirals. You could use markers of different colors, a glaze, wash of watercolor, apply multiple colors in layers or highlight with glitter...and have a variety of results.
I have to admit to having favorites! The spirals, the swirls that remind me of bandanas, and the leaves. The geometrics are nice too and I think they, especially, would work well highlighted with markers. And just the idea of having up to twenty different imprints for only a dollar - well, the frugal me is loving that too!
