Hello! I am back today with the second installment of my Medicine Cabinet Mixed Media series. Yesterday I shared how to create a Weathered Wood look using a toothbrush and Distress Paint. Today I am sharing a second idea for you to use while you have your toothbrush out and painty.
Today’s technique isn’t really a new idea, you may have even used it before, but sometimes I think it is great to be reminded of really simple techniques that we might have forgotten. In this case, I wanted to make use of the paint that was left over on my toothbrush.
Begin with a lighter background on your surface. I used a Ranger Ink manila tag. I added a whitewash of Picket Fence Distress Paint and water with a cosmetic sponge that had paint from a previous tag.
A cosmetic sponge? Yes, more on that on Friday. (I am sharing these out of the order they were created.) Dry the paint with a heat tool.
Dab out a small amount of paint onto your craft sheet and mist it with a small amount of water. Pick up the paint with the bristles of a toothbrush.
After creating the Weathered Wood background with my toothbrush, I wanted to use the paint remaining in the brush. I would need to clean the toothbrush anyway so I decided to use it and not waste it. I misted the toothbrush with water to make the leftover paint a little more fluid. I just grabbed a new tag and added the background color shown above and continued to create.
Hold the toothbrush with the bristles pointing down toward your surface. Run your finger through the bristles. Paint will splatter onto the surface.
Just like when you are misting with sprays, the closer you are to the surface the heavier your spatters will be.
If you hold the brush further away from the surface the splatters will be finer.
To clean the toothbrush, run under water and blot dry. I don’t have a sink near my craft room so I just misted the toothbrush with water until it wiped clean.
As I shared yesterday, any time I create a background with paint, I like to sand the edges of the tag before inking. Paint creates a resist for ink (thin paint and washes do not resist as much as a thick layer of paint). Sanding helps remove the paint from the edge so that you can add a bolder inked edge.
Finish the edge of the tag by inking the edges with Distress Ink using an ink blending tool.
If you love the splattered look but don’t want the messy painty fingers, give the Distress Spritzer with Distress Markers a try. The Distress Mister creates a great speckled effect with very little, if any mess.
Don’t forget to stop back by on Friday when I will be sharing about cosmetic sponges!
joiscrafty says
June 17, 2015 at 9:45 amLove your tuts, thank you for this one
Carol K says
June 17, 2015 at 10:46 amthank you for these technique tips – and reminders to use them again
Shelley C says
June 17, 2015 at 10:56 amLove the way you break it all down – Thanks! Wondering if the cheap craft paint will work with your techniques – Don’t have all the distress paint colors :(.
tammy tutterow says
June 17, 2015 at 12:36 pmI think you could, but it might depend on the technique. I haven’t used the craft paints in a really long time. I think there is a difference in the quality of paint but it certainly would be worth trying if you have them already. If it doesn’t work, it is just paper- throw it in your scrap bin for die cutting. 😉
Kay Wallace says
June 17, 2015 at 11:00 amWow! How long it has been since I created “flicks” with a toothbrush?! A great reminder and a great background, Tammy!
Deb Lorence says
June 18, 2015 at 9:05 amYou are so clever Tammy! TFS!