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Rubber Road
Scenic Byway:

Feathered Impressions 

By Nancy Leimer
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Team Designer   

Feathers of various kinds can be used to create this technique.  They come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They can be found at just about all the local craft stores in assorted packages. Or collect your own.  Guinea feathers are my favorite because of the lovely design, shape and white spots.

Supplies:

• Feather Stamp (PSX)
• Glossy cardstock- 8½” x 11” cut to size  5½” x 8”
• Scrap of Cardboard from a tablet-1½” x 2¼”
• Cosmic Copper Archival Stamp Pad (Brillance)
• Archival Stamp Pad-True Black (CTMH)
• Ultimate Metallic Stamp Pad (Encore)
• Brown Premium Dye Inkpad (Vivid)
• White Craft Ink Stamp Pad (Fabrico)
• Embossing Pad (Rubber Stampede)
• Enamel Embossing Powder (PSX)
• 1/8” Paint Brush (American Traditional)
• 5 Pieces of 7” Pale Blue Fiber (On the Surface)
• 2 Pieces of 7” Red Hemp (Stampin Up)
• Make Up Sponge from the Dollar Store
• Package of Misc Feathers
• Miscellaneous Beads
• Long Tweezers
• Brayer (Speedball)
• Glue (The ART Designer Adhesive)
• Personal Paper Trimmer (Fiskars)
• Embossing Tool (Marvy)
• Paper Dots (CTMH) 

Instructions:

1.  Fold the Glossy Cardstock in half to equal size 4¼” x 5½”. 

2.  Take 5 different feathers that will be the substance of the background.  Lay a feather on the brown stamp pad and use a sponge to press feather into the ink.  Now lay wet feather onto the cardstock and gently press making an impression of the feather.  Continue with the other 4 feathers as before.

3.  Leave the feathers on the cardstock.  Ink up brayer in different amounts of the brown ink and roll over the feathers on the cardstock in different directions. As the brayer rolls over a feather, it will pick it up. Remove feather before continuing. Now, take 2 or 3 of the same feathers and lay on the black stamp pad and repeat the process as before.  Set aside to dry. 

4.  Use the brayer on the Metallic stamp pad and coat the scrap piece of cardboard until the cardboard is completely covered. It may take two coats to cover it.  Use embosser to be sure ink is dry. 

5.  When the cardboard is completely dry, cover with embossing ink and dip into the Enamel embossing powder. Use the embossing tool to melt the powder.  While the powder is still liquid dip into the powder again and emboss to melt.  To achieve a thick cover of enamel it may take about 5 times of dipping and heating.  Take the feather stamp and ink with the Cosmic Copper.  While the embossed cardboard is still hot, place the stamp into the liquid and press down.  Leave the stamp in the hot liquid until it cools.  When cool, the stamp can be removed. 

6.  Use the paintbrush to put white dots on the glossy cardstock to match the Guinea Feathers.  Add white dots to the stamped image as well. 

7.  Take 5 feathers, 2 long ones and 3 short ones, and arrange into a group with the long ones in the back and the three short ones in the front. Add enough glue to hold the feathers together. Set aside to dry.   

8.  Fold 4 of the 5 pieces of the pale blue fiber in half.  Secure with the remaining piece of fiber. Tie the fibers about ½” from the fold.  Continue tying the last piece of fiber around the group until it resembles a hangman’s noose. Fold the red hemp in half to match the pale blue fibers and tie with a small piece of left over hemp.  Glue the two bunches of fiber together. 

9.  Glue the group of feathers in position on the glossy cardstock.  Refer to photo for placement. Add two pop dots to the stamped cardboard and place over the ends of the feather quills. Glue fiber and hemp grouping to the feathers on the cardstock.  Refer to photo for placement.  

10.         Add a Guinea feather to the top of the stamped cardboard so that the dots of the feather show pointing down.  Refer to photo for placement of feather and beads.

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