A Close Shave

So, what do you think this is?

Looks like icing - maybe I was getting ready to ice a cake?

Well, no... it's not icing...

Whipped cream? Maybe I was going to put some whipped cream (with food coloring mixed in) on a cake or a triffle or a sundae?

Well, no... it's not whipped cream...

OK, you give up?

It's SHAVING CREAM!

I'm creating backgrounds for my cards, using shaving cream!

So, here's what happens...

You squirt some shaving cream on to a large flat surface. I used a disposable cookie sheet that I picked up at the $1 store.

That way, if I chose to just pitch the container, it wouldn't be too expensive. Of course, shaving cream is manufactured to be washed down the drain, so in this instance, I did just that when I was finished - washed it down the sink.

But back to the technique itself.

After I squirted shaving cream on my cookie sheet, I took a large craft knife and spread it around, smoothing the top of it.

After I was satisfied it was fairly smooth, I took re-inkers of three different colors and dropped them on various places all over the top. Like maybe 3-5 drops of each color through out, so I ended up with 9-15 droplets of re-inker in all. You can use many more drops of the lighter colors than the darker ones without them overpowering the piece.

I started with my lightest color - think it was Daffodil Delight. After that, Peach Parfait (I've been on a Peach Parfait kick lately, haven't I? LOVE that color!). And finally, I added Pear Pizazz.

Then I took my craft knife and marbled all those colors together.

So much for the prep part!

Now for the fun part...

Now - you should know this up front. You will NEVER get the same thing twice with this technique...

And remember, IT'S A BACKGROUND for your card, not a main image...

So you take your card stock (whisper white, Ivory or any pastel colored CS) and put it face down on to the shaving cream. Press down, so that most of your paper makes contact, otherwise you end up with lots of white space and no marbled color. Then pick it up.

It's gonna be messy! Take that craft knife and scrape off as much shaving cream as you possibly can. Then after that, take a paper towel and wipe the balance off. Lay it aside to dry, and take another piece of CS and repeat the process.

You can re-arrange the shaving cream, re-marble it, if you will, and you'll get entirely different patterns each time.

Once you've made as many pieces in this color combo as you want, you can swirl the shaving cream around and add some other colors of re-inkers. And you'll get entirely different looking pieces!

The only down side to this technique is that your CS will FOREVER smell like shaving cream.

Now, I don't mind the smell of it for about 5-10 minutes. But to continue to smell it days after I've played with this technique does begin to get to me... I've searched high and low for a shaving cream with no scent and have yet to find one.

If you know of one, will you PLEASE leave me a Comment and let me know it's name and/or brand? I'll forever be in your debt!

So - would you like to see some results?

Here they are...


On the left, are the pieces I made using Daffodil Delight, Peach Parfait and Pear Pizazz.

Then I rearranged the shaving cream, added some new re-inkers, and came up with the rest of the pieces in the photo.

I'm sure I've added color a couple of times by the time I made those on the far right.

This is one of those techniques that you want to make a LOT of them while you've got everything out.

Then you put the pieces somewhere, and pull them out occasionally to make cards or other things.

When you're ready to use them, try running them thru the embossing folders - they look AWESOME!

Wanna see?


I used the Polka Dot embossing folder for the one above.

Or how about this one?



It shows off the new Tulip Embossing folder quite nicely, don't you think? I'm still cogitatin' as to how I'm going to finish this one, but notice that I did mount it on Peach Parfait CS.

And here is a finished card made using the Shaving Cream technique...


And, finally...

On this one, I took a piece of CS I'd put through the Shaving Cream technique, then ran it through Mr. Big and the Fun Flowers die, and made the flowers.

I sponged Cherry Cobbler ink on to the edges of the petals.

I also embossed the image from Bliss (SAB set) with VersaMark and clear embossing powder. I love how doing that makes a very dark image - and I didn't apply any color!

So, what do you think about this Shaving Cream technique? Have you ever tried it? Do you know of an UNSCENTED shaving cream that I could use for this in the future? Please let me know if you do!

Thanks for stopping by - come back soon!