Soot anyone?

This was so much fun to make! We had my son's birthday party at the Fire department and the Fire Brigade set by Stampin' Up! was perfect to make the invitation. The scanned picture does not do this project justice. There is a fire engine that is supposed to appear as if it is coming out of a large billowing cloud of smoke. This project can be messy so please wear old clothes when trying this technique. For this project you will need glossy cardstock, a light colored stamp pad (apricot appeal works really well), a brayer, clear gloss acrylic spray paint, an old shoebox or plastic container that will fit the size of the cardstock to be done, and a candle or heavy duty lighter (the kind used to start grills).

Step 1

Coat the brayer with the ink.

Step 2

Roll the brayer over the desired amount of glossy cardstock. It is okay if the ink is uneven.

Step 3

This is the part that will take the longest. Hold the candle or lighter underneath the glossy paper. It will begin to turn the top side a very dark black soot color. It is okay for the edges to be burnt some as this adds more of an effect to it. Note: do not hold the flame to closely or it will burn a hole in the paper.

Step 5

Using your chosen stamp, press the image into the soot. Make sure to press all edges of the stamp and in the middle for the best picture possible.

Step 6

Place the cardstock into the shoebox or container and spray the entire front with the clear acrylic glossy spray paint. This will take about 30 minutes to dry and is very smelly. This step is best sprayed outside.

Step 7

Adhere to your project! I used brads to adhere to the front of the card and we had another layer inside of the card as part of the invitation to cover it up.