Serendipity Technique
I think that everyone who tries this technique will come up with their own version. Here is mine;
1.
I took an ugly piece of cardstock in a drab brown - it looked the color
of the inside of cereal boxes. I had been pondering what to do with it for some
time, so I decided to cover it up <grin>. I tore up some scraps of
mulberry paper in dark green and I think burgundy. I also had some beige
wallpaper that I tore into pieces. Using Perfect Paper Adhesive (PPA), I painted
the backs of the pieces and placed them randomly all over the cardstock. You can
use decoupage for this part or thinned down white glue. As long as it dries
clear and is not too runny to warp your cardstock, you are fine. I brushed a
little on the tops to hold them down.
2.
During the growing season, I like to dry little
leaves and flowers in my flower press from my flower garden. I have also used
old phone books for drying as the pages are very absorbent. For the next step, I
painted the backs of some dried leaves and flowers and placed them randomly on
top of the paper pieces. After placing each one, I put a coat on top of each to
help hold them down and seal them to the surface.
3.
For a little
glitz, I mixed some Interference Gold Pearl-Ex in a little PPA and brushed it
here and there. Pearl Ex is a dried pigment powder and the Interference colors
catch the light beautifully. Also for a little glitz, I randomly painted some
Apple Barrel glitter paint. The one I used had gold and copper glitter in it.
The glitter paint is a clear base with glitter added by the manufacturer. I
found mine at Ben Franklin.
4.
After all of
the above is dry, cut your creation into even squares to a size to your liking.
I think I used 1 1/2" squares. The beauty of the serendipity technique is
that you do not have to worry about where or how you place the squares. It is
totally random. As a matter of fact, many stampers turn their paper upside down
when cutting and mix the squares up before viewing the fronts.
5.
I
love Crystal Lacquer which is a crystal clear finish that dries flexible. Lots
of companies make this stuff and you can find it in craft stores and Wal-Mart.
The beauty of it is that it stays where you put it and gives a wonderful
"deep" look when dry. Also, it dries relatively fast. I coated each
square with Crystal Lacquer and let them dry.
6.
I matted
each square on two coordinating pieces of cardstock to "set them off".
7.
I stamped a background in brown of dragonflies, randomly and then mounted
the squares.