Faux Batik Using Text Paper by Karen Slusher

1. Cover your work surface with lots of newspaper.  Lay a piece of copy (text weight) paper on your table and choose a bold image stamp(s) to use.  In the sample, I chose an assortment of stamps and planned to use the entire sheet of paper.  All stamps by Close To My Heart.
   
   

2. Using VersaMark ink, stamp your images onto the paper then emboss using clear embossing powder.  (See Picture 1)
    Don’t overheat or the powder can end up melting into the paper.  
   
   

3. After the images have cooled, crumple paper into a ball (See Picture 2)
   , then flatten back out. (See Picture 3)
     Crumple really well, because this is what causes cracks in the embossing that will give the batik look.  When you flatten it out, just do it by hand; don’t iron it.  You want the creases in the paper to remain.
   
   

4. If making more than one image – and if you want to color them differently – cut the images apart at this point. (See Picture 4)
   
   
   

5. Mist water onto the paper.  It needs to be good and damp, but not soaked – there still needs to be creases in the paper and too much water will remove them.  Let the water absorb into the paper some before the next step.
   
   

6. Using any dye ink, rub the inkpad over the entire surface of the dampened paper.  (For these examples, I used Ranger Distress inks.)  For the flag, I used Broken China on the stars and Worn Lipstick on the stripes (See Picture 5)
   .  For the flower blocks, I used Peeled Paint and Spiced Marmalade (See Picture 6)
   , and on the butterflies, I used Worn Lipstick and Spiced Marmalade. (See Picture 7)
   
   
   

7. Now you’ll need to allow these to dry.  Once they are completely dry, you can lightly apply some more ink to the piece for added impact.  This step adds the ink in a more concentrated way and mostly on the folds, which gives a nice contrast and adds dimension. (See Picture 8)
   , (See Picture 9)
   , (See Picture 10)
   
   
   

8. IF DESIRED, when you’re done with the inking, you can put your batik pieces between newspaper and, using a warm iron, go over the stamped areas to remove the embossing.  This gives it a more accurate batik look, but is not necessary.
   
   

9. Now you can cut or tear around your finished batik and finish as desired.
   
   

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