Vintage Grungy Techniques

Today I’m going to look at 3 different ways to create vintage or grunge effects using your Lindy’s Stamp Gang products.  Now there are WAY more than 3 ways to do this, but I thought I’d share my ‘go to’ techniques, the ones that always work, are practically fool-proof and are all quick to do – the result, instant vintage grungy goodness for any project.

1. Vintage / Grunge Background

Begin by glueing scraps of paper onto a tag (or paper surface) using Golden Matt Medium, while still wet spritz front and back of tag with water and crumple using your hands.  This creates texture and will result in a more interesting background.

Spray Golden Doubloons Moonshadow mist on the bottom third of the tag, spray Sandra Dee Sepia Flat Fabio in the middle and add Long John’s Silver Moonshadow Mist to the top third.  While still wet, lightly splatter Bombshell Black over all 3 sections.  You can leave to air-dry or speed up the process with a heat gun.

The Moonshadow Mist adds colour and a gorgeous vintage shimmer, the Golden Dubloons is just stunning!

Long John’s Silver is more subtle but equally lovely.

The ink stains the paper, with the staining more intense along the creases and the edges of the torn paper.  Once dry you have a stunning vintage/grunge background layer.

2. Vintage / Grunge Texture

If there is not already enough texture on the background for you, then you can really turn up the volume with this next tip.  While I am adding this to my background, you could use this on its’ own or on any porous surface.

Mix a tiny amount of Magical powder with a little Modeling Paste, mix well before using.  I’ve used Steampunk Sepia and Blazing Black as I’m creating vintage or grunge themed texture (but it could be done with any colour).

Spread the lightest colour paste through a stencil and then without moving the stencil, randomly dab and scrape some of the darker colour over the top.

The result will be a multicoloured effect where the pastes blend and overlap.  With the colours I’ve chosen, this creates a somewhat random and very vintage/grunge colour effect.

To take this from interesting to way cool, while still wet sprinkle the texture paste with Obviously Black and Midnight Bronze embossing powders.  Only add a tiny amount as you don’t want to cover the paste, just add to it.  Then while still wet heat the paste and the embossing powder with a heat gun.

As the heat gun dries the paste, it will puff up a little (some brands puff more than others) and the embossing powder will melt leaving super shiny speckles on the matt paste when dry.  The effect looks like corroded metal it even feels like it, between the smooth embossing powder and the slightly rough paste.

3. Vintage / Grunge Metal

This last one is kind of fun – just be careful not to burn your fingers!  Use some heat resistant tweezers to hold your metal object while you heat it with a heat gun.  While still hot, dip your item into Obviously Black embossing powder – if working on a larger object you can sprinkle the powder directly onto the hot metal.  Tap off any excess powder and heat until melted (it may take a few tries until your entire object is covered).

Then carefully sprinkle Midnight Bronze and Byzantine Bronze over the warm embossing powder – just a little, you are attempting to break up the black, not cover it up!  Heat with a heat tool until super shiny.  If you have added too much, add a little more black over the top and heat again.  The finished result should look a little like my metal clip below, aged metal – but prettier.

TIPS

1. When creating on top of a busy background, keep it simple.  EG: My background is sparkly and busy, so for my main image I’ve used black matte paint for the image, matte black to colour the word etc.
   
2. So the whole piece doesn’t become overwhelming – stick to the same colours as the background – in this piece copper, brown, black, silver/platinum – but vary the tone/shade/texture.
   
3.  If you are using an image with open spaces, position the image where the background is interesting and will enhance the image, eg the text panel almost looks like her cheek.
4. Use colour blocking in your foreground image to break up the busy background, in this piece I’ve used matt black and even the solid gold of the little seed pod embellishments – blocks of solid colour.  Not only do these stand out better on the busy background, but just picture how this would look if I’d used a pattern or non-solid colour here – it would be busy on top of busy!
   
   
   

When you put all of your vintage / grunge layers together and add all of your embellishments, you get something like this.

SUPPLIES

Lindy’s Stamp Gang

• Moonshadow Mist: Golden Doubloons & Long Johns’ Silver
• Starburst Sprays: Bombshell Black
• Flat Fabio Spray: Sandra Dee Sepia
• Embossing Powder: Obviously Black, Midnight Bronze & Byzantine Bronze
• Magicals: Steampunk Sepia & Blazing Black

Other

• Prima leaves
• Black Tassel trim
• Wood Word from Red Lead
• Tim Holtz Binder Clip
• Stencil – Stencil Girl – Talaya, Goddess of Rain