Shaving Cream Technique Help Needed

[Betsey]

I've been trying to do the shave cream technique and I'm not totally satified with my results...Please help me out on several questions.
1. Do I need to use 'glossy' paper? 2. How long do I leave the paper in the foam before removing? Should I just swirl the ink around, just a little bit?
Mine didn't seem to have enough swirl-colour on it. Any help would be so appreciated...I love the look, did it in a stamp-camp one time, but mine aren't looking as nice as I'd like.
Thanks so much,
Betsey

[copwife131]

Hello, I just did this with my group. I use a 9x13 inch cake pan and put the shaving cream in it. It dosen't have to be full, but enough to cover the project that you are doing. Then I take the reinkers and you can use one color or as many as you would like and put drops in the shaving cream. Then I take a toothpick and swirl the color around until it is the desired tint. The more you swirl it around, the lighter the color. If you want some bold color, don't mix it as much. I find that using a toothpick helps keep the swirls small and not so blended. Mine have come out nice that way. Also, just put your cardstock directly on the colored cream area and immiediately lift. I use a spatula to get rid of the excess cream and then wipe it with a paper towel. The ink will stain the paper and remain for your project. It will still be damp for a bit. I used regular ultrasmooth cardstock when I did it. I hope that this will help. It has worked for me. It is such a great technique!

[Bananajane]

Okay, matte paper usually works better than glossy. Stick to three ink colors at most, any more than that and the inks start to get muddy looking. If you plan on doing a lot of marbling, invest in one of those plastic "scrapers" -- don't know the real name, but you can get them at hardware stores and they're cheap. For mixing, I tend to use bamboo skewers (the short ones), easier to swirl with than those tiny toothpicks. A flat plastic lunch tray works fine to hold the shaving cream, put about an inch thick and as big as your cardstock is. I usually cut my cardstock to 1/4 sheet size (4.25 x 5.5). Keep some paper towels handy to clean off any excess shaving cream that you don't completely scrape off. I can usually get a ton of cardstock done in one sitting. It's pretty fast and fun of course. Not to mention it smells really good. Hope this helps you.

BananaJane

[Joelyn]

Thank you so much for sharing!