Some Things Fishy Rubber Stamps

Sea Life Shrink Art Collage

                                 Materials:

                                 Some Things Fishy Rubber
                                 Stamps:
                                 - S-4 sun stamp 
                                 - L-1 seaweed
                                 - L-2 ginko leaf
                                 - F-18 large fish print stamp
                                 - F-19 medium fish print stamp
                                 - B-5 wave background
                                 - B-13 border
                                 - B-3 funky border
                                 Rubber Nature ArtStamp AW1-2H bubble background
                                 sheet translucent shrink plastic
                                 sheet white shrink plastic
                                 green, blue, pink, copper, gold Pearl Ex pigment powders
                                 fluffy bamboo brush
                                 ColorBox crafter's ink "Paradise" pad
                                 ColorBox black crafter's ink
                                 wood tray
                                 heat tool
                                 scissors
                                 quick-drying glue 

                                 Steps:

                                 1. Cut shrink plastic into
                                 quarters.

                                 2. Ink bubble background stamp
                                 with a combination of apple
                                 green and cyan ink. Stamp
                                 design on white shrink plastic (figure A). 

figure A

                                 3. Trim edges of stamped
                                 images, place in wood tray,
                                 shrink with heat tool, and set
                                 aside (figure B). 

figure B

                                 5. Using black ink, stamp
                                 medium fish one time on the
                                 green powdered plastic. Stamp
                                 seaweed three or four times on
                                 remaining sheet of plastic and
                                 carefully cut all pieces out. 

                                 6. Place pieces in wood tray and
                                 shrink one at a time (figure C).

figure C

figureD

                                 7. Sprinkle a small amount of
                                 gold and pink powder on a
                                 second piece of translucent
                                 shrink plastic. Again, brush it
                                 lightly across the entire surface.
                                 Using black ink, stamp the
                                 ginkgo, seaweed and sun stamps
                                 each two or three times. Cut
                                 pieces out, shrink like above,
                                 and set aside.

                                 8. Sprinkle and lightly brush blue
                                 powder on a third piece of
                                 translucent shrink plastic. Using
                                 black ink, stamp out two large
                                 and one medium fish. Cut pieces
                                 out, shrink, and set aside.

                                 9. On the fourth piece of translucent shrink plastic, sprinkle
                                 a little copper powder. Lightly brush across the surface.
                                 Stamp the B-13 border with black ink four times and the
                                 B-2 border twice, also using black ink. Cut pieces out,
                                 shrink and set aside.

                                 10. Lay all the pieces you have created out in front of you
                                 (figure E). Note: You will have more than enough pieces to
                                 create one collage.

figure E

                                 11. Begin building a scene using the large bubble
                                 background as the base. Arrange the pieces as you like and
                                 glue with clear, quick-bonding glue (figure F). 

figure F

                                 12. To form an easel, glue two of the B-13 borders on the
                                 back towards the center, leaving a 1/8-inch opening in
                                 between. Glue the B-3 border into the opening to prop up
                                 the piece (figure G). 

figure G

                                 1. Sanding is optional for this project. If you are having any
                                 trouble with your background piece sticking together, you
                                 may wish to sand the surface before you stamp.

                                 2. When stamping out the seaweed, ginko, sun, borders,
                                 and fish, it is fun to have a variety to work with. If you have
                                 extra space, stamp more pieces.

                                 3. Be careful when cutting your pieces. The ink is not dry.
                                 Handle the pieces by the edges. Once you have shrunk the
                                 pieces, the ink will become permanent.

                                 4. You can shrink your pieces one at a time in a wood tray
                                 or shrink all of them at once on a designated baking tray in
                                 your toaster oven or conventional oven. Refer to package
                                 for specific details.

                                 5. When building your scene, lay the pieces out on the
                                 background before you start gluing. Move the pieces around
                                 until you have found the composition you are after.