Coffee Filter Fun - Post Card Swap - Postmark by June 22nd

Dylusions Spray Inks - "Eye Candy" or what!!! 

                                                                    -by hhc

Butterfly & (beaded)
Lily Applique - by hhc

We probably have not used coffee filters in a swap since the Four-Format Art Therapy #1 Swap dated March 22, 2020.  

The post card example to the left was made after inks had been dripped over a stack of flattened coffee filters on a plastic or styrofoam plate.  

Packs of coffee filters are usually available at grocery stores or dollar stores, but if you need some, you can borrow from your swap host :) I flatten out the large fluted circles.  Let me know soon if you need a few. 

Tea, Herbal teas, and coffee stained - by hhc

 

Recent experiments with Dylusions spray inks (see top of page) gave good coverage and gorgeous results, especially with the metallic highlights.  I hated to cut them up!!!

The coffee- and tea-dyeing (above) gave more subtle results and may suggest a Vintage-themed design.

Rubber stamp and collage
 over coffee filter - by hhc

(Fabric dye should work but that could be REALLY messy unless you use a glass jar and a poking stick and wear plastic gloves.) 

Whatever you use, the liquid may soak through the layers,  coloring many at one time. 

A coated paper plate is a good protection...  Plus it may take up color and offer pieces you can use for other art projects!  Allow ample drying time before handling the filters...  I pressed mine smooth with a flat iron while they were slightly damp. 

Ink pushed through stencil over
coffee filter - hhc

(LR suggested wetting the filters with water, dripping liquid acrylic paints down them and then squeezing them out before drying, for a veined effect.  Or was it the other way around?  I tried that, the results were very pastel...)

Coffee (after straining out the grounds) gave a brownish color (far left).  ROOIBOS Madagascar Vanilla tea  yielded a light brown color.  Traditional Medicinals organic Green Tea gave a medium orange color.  Green Tea Hibiscus resulted in a gorgeous rose colore! and some Tazo Wild Sweet Orange tea created a light orange color.  Next time I would try a more concentrated brew:  less water, more tea bags...

Inked rubber texture plate stamping over inked backgrounds

Above: Collage over Inked Printing Plate  Design

These two filters above were decorated by pushing rubber stamp ink through stencils.

Ink on Rubber Texture Plate, rubber stamp ink pressed
through stencil, black ink ink on corrugated cardboard

Rubber stamp and collage over Inked
Texture Plate background - hhc

Collage over stenciled coffee filter

 - hhc

Next I tried folding and stitching down pleats:

(Don't look at this side-ways... - HEY,
another use for coffee filters!!!) - by hhc

I decided to try stitching pleats and cutting out flowers to layer.

and making  a multi-layered flower from a stack of circles, slicing the petals:

WHERE DID THAT BIRD COME FROM???

by hhc

So, ink/dye/paint/stain your decorated Coffee Filters, glue onto your card stock post card base, trim edges if needed.

Add collage, rubber stamped images, stitching, etc.

OR

Cut up your Coffee Filters to use as collage elements over any background.

Participants, make 1 - 5 post cards using Coffee Filters in any way as part of your work, either as backgrounds or as the main elements of your designs.  

Rubber-stamped coffee filter tucked into
tea packet over rubber-stamped inked filter
background with collage - by hhc

by hhc

Here are some idea-starters: 

*Use as a background over paper or fabric base 

*Decorative hand or machine stitching 

*Make pleating 

*Cut out flowers with petals, layer several and tack at the center with glue, a stitch or a button

*Add appliques, trims, lace, small charms, delicate chains or beads (or beading)

*Rubberstamping, stenciling or sketching designs on the dried coffee filters

*Paint, inks, liquid food coloring

Collage over Dylusions Spray Inks - by hhc

See if you can make just four!!!  I had SOOOO much fun making examples for this exchange.  NOW, what will you create?  

An online Internet search for COFFEE FILTER ART or CRAFTS may give you more ideas.

 Have fun experimenting :)

*************

If your results are bulky, allow for extra postage requirements and/or possibly "package" rates to the extreme.