Magazine Rubbings
Give your magazine images a distressed look for mixed media or junk journals without the mess of sanding by using this simple technique. With just a few materials and some creativity, you can transform discarded magazines into artistic treasures.
Materials You'll Need:
- Embossing/die cutting machine (or any textured object, even cling stamps)
- Embossing folders
- Magazine images
- Heavy paper for the base (such as glued book pages, scrapbook paper, folders, index cards, watercolor paper, or packaging)
- Glue
- Scissors
- Spray bottle with a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol
- Soft cloth
Instructions:
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Choose Your Magazine Images: Darker images work best for this technique, but any image will show texture. Arrange your images—whether full pieces or torn strips—on your chosen base and glue them down. Allow everything to dry completely, ensuring the images aren't sticky before embossing.
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Emboss: Select an embossing folder and run your glued image through the embossing machine (or press it onto a textured object if you're improvising).
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Spray and Rub: Lightly mist your embossed image with the water-alcohol mixture. Using a soft cloth, gently rub over the embossing. The alcohol will dissolve some of the ink, revealing the embossed texture. If the image dries out, you can respray it, but avoid soaking it to prevent tearing or lifting.
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Customize the Look: Continue rubbing until you're happy with the result. Every magazine will react differently, so experiment with different images. You can also add ink to lighter areas to make the embossed texture stand out more.
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Creative Variations: Watch the video tutorial for more ideas on using stamps or textured objects for similar effects. You can also learn tips on covering unwanted parts of the image, like using torn strips to frame a focal point and hide text or lighter areas.
Experiment with combining different colors and images, or even create a color mosaic. Bust your magazine stash and enjoy discovering creative ways to turn trash into treasures with this fun and easy technique.
Happy crafting!