Try It Out Thursday

In a few weeks, CTMH will be opening the curtain on their plans for this next year! I can't wait! I'll have all sorts of new "Try-it-outs" then!

But for this one, I want to use an older product that I have never tried! I'm so ashamed! I've had a jar of the Sculpting Foam ever since it came out, but just never used it. I think I was just daunted because I had never used it nor seen it used. Well, after doing this particular "Try-it," I'm beginning to come up with some other ideas for it. I'll keep you posted on it!

This is so versatile! It is terribly easy to mold, and remarkably lightweight. (This is no Playdoh!) I did find that I needed to have plastic down on my work surface. (I used plastic wrap.) When I didn't have the plastic down, my project stuck badly to the paper and had to be recreated completely. I wanted to work with stamping, so I just rolled it in a ball and then smashed it with the lid of the sculpting foam to flatten it evenly. I also learned the hard way that I need to let the foam dry out for a little while, but not until it is set. I waited about an hour after I flattened it before I stamped into it. Well, that was actually the 2nd time! The first time, I stamped it right away and got my stamp thoroughly stuck into the foam. It rubs off easily enough, but again it was a start over. For that project, I let the footprints dry completely and then highlighted the imprints with some ink on a sponge dauber. I really liked this formula! I'm thinking I'll make another like it. Maybe for next week? You'll just have to come back and see if I was successful!

To one of the balls, I added 2 drops of reinker. That made the sculpting foam have the consistency of melted cheese. Make sure you don't add too much reinker as this will alter the chemical makeup of the Sculpting Foam. (USE GLOVES!!!!!) Again, it just needed a little air (about 30 minutes worth) until it could be rolled without sticking to my glove. For this little ball, I flattened it and aired it out for about an hour, then stamped it with a hand print. The imprint was really cute, but wouldn't show up in my camera. I stamped it again after it was thoroughly dry, this time using ink to set off the imprint.

My final project is still drying on the sculpting foam lid. (Which should be closed at all times to keep it all moist and usable.) For this one, I decided to ink up the stamps when I made the impression. Sort of like the opposite of the one above it. Oh, that gives me another idea! I can't wait to use these!