"I Love You to the Moon and Back" handcast paper wall sign

"I Love You to the Moon and Back"

handcast paper wall sign

Make your own "I love you to the MOON and back" handcast wall sign using my tutorial below!

I have a "thing" for hand made signs ... especially when it comes to "vintage" or even "vintagey looking".  I love how time (or technique) ages the paint; the sun and wind and rain imparting upon them that classic weathered look.  In all honesty, it's the "textures" that draw me in like a moth to the flame, and I blame that on my "addiction to detail".

Most of the wall pieces I create at "Talk Knotty To Me" are on wood or canvas but the sign project in this tutorial will be created from handcast paper!

And what I do love about handmade paper is the "texture" it can magically reveal.

In this tutorial, learn how to create your own "I love you to the moon and back" handcast paper wall sign that will be a joy to make and even more so "gift" to that special someone.

You will need:

• "I love you to the moon and back" written/drawn in large letters on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of paper
• ballpoint pen
• 2 craft foam sheets (8 1/2" x 11")
• very sharp crafting knife
• scissors
• cutting surface (self healing mat or piece of cardboard)
• glue stick
• tweezers
• waterproof portable surface (that is at least a couple of inches larger than the foam craft sheet on all sides)
• rigid secondary surface (wooden cutting board)
• plastic ring/circle
• kitchen blender
• black paper for pulping
• white paper for pulping
• Arnold Grummer® large pour handmold
• small scoop
• Arnold Grummer® large screen
• cellulose sponge
• absorbent towels or handcloths
• Arnold Grummer® press bar
• Arnold Grummer® large couch sheets (absorbent material)
• weights or a Arnold Grummer® paper press
• white acrylic paint
• artists flat paintbrush
• crafting embellishments (sparkly gems, hearts, glitter, stars)

Instructions:

With a glue stick, lightly "tack" (in spots only for now) the backside of your paper quote to the surface of the first sheet of craft foam.

You don't need to cover the entire surface of the paper because we're going to want it to come off easily after we trace the letters.  It's always best to create your quote using large, simple fonts (*You can also utilize pre-cut craft foam letters from the hobby section of your favourite craft store).  Using a ballpoint pen, trace around each letter firmly enough to impress upon the foam underneath but not enough to tear through the paper.  Peel off the paper and discard.  It should come up easily.  

Use a sharp craft knife to carefully cut along all of the impressed outlines of the letters, including their "centres".  Remove the letters and their centres from the main sheet of craft foam.  Set the letter centres aside.

Using the glue stick, evenly cover the entire "face" of the legible side of the foam sheet.  

Invert the foam sheet (glued face down) onto the surface of the second sheet of craft foam and press gently but firmly all over to adhere them completely together.

Apply glue stick to the surface of the letter "centres" (also in their legible side up position) and apply them face down into their corresponding positions in the quote.  Gently but press to secure.  Your quote should now appear to you as "backwards" or "mirrored".

Allow the glue to dry well.  I usually set aside for about an hour.

In the meantime, you can prepare your paper pulps for the pour.

Tear your white paper for pulping into approximately 2" x 2" manageable squares and set aside.  Do the same with your black paper for pulping.

Using a kitchen blender, fill the pitcher with about 2 cups of water and then add in your torn sheets of white paper.  Blend well (30-45 seconds) on high and pour into a bowl.  Set aside.

Rinse the pitcher, cap and blades off well and repeat the process for the torn sheets of black paper.

Place your now 2-layered foam sheet "mold" onto the centre of a waterproof, portable surface.  I used a sheet of plexiglass but you may choose to use a cookie sheet if desired or perhaps a cutting board.  The important thing is to choose a surface that is large enough to easily accommodate the outer dimensions of the foam craft sheets mold AND the wooden large pour handmold.

Once the foam mold is in place, carefully position the large pour handmold on top.  Ensure the handmold is as centred as possible at all edges of the foam quote sheet.  Next you will perform what I call a "free pour" into the mold; "free pour" in that it doesn't require you to utilize the papermaking kit's straps, mesh screen, large cover screen and screen support grid at this point.

Place your plastic ring/circle into position.  This will act as a temporary barrier between the white pulp and the black pulp during the pour.  I like to ensure the placement of the circle at least includes the word "MOON" (or most thereof) for the pour.  You can choose a smaller or a larger ring if you like.  Mine is 6" for this project size.

While firmly holding the ring in place with one hand, carefully fill the inner area of the ring with white paper pulp.  Gently pat the pulp with your fingertips to thoroughly fill the ring.  Next, fill the area outside of the ring with your black paper pulp.  Again, using your fingertips, pat at the pulp to fill the area.  You can utilize the end of your small paintbrush handle tip to assist the pulp into any narrow areas between the ring barrier and the wooden handmold's sides.

Remove the ring from the centre of the casting.  This will allow the two pulps to meet and blend at this edge. 

Soak up the excess water running onto the plexiglass surface from under the edges of the handmold.  This is to be expected in a "free pour".  Tilt the plexiglass ever so slightly to assist in runoff of excess water and continue to sponge it away using your cellulose sponge or absorbent towels.

Carefully, remove the wooden handmold straight upward and away.

If there are any edges or areas that seem to have not been filled in during the process, you can use your fingers or tweezers to apply pulp.

Place the handmold kit's mesh screen on top of the wet pulp and using a cellulose sponge, begin to press and remove the excess water from your casting.  Do this until you feel confident the sponge can no longer absorb any more water from the casting.  Remove the mesh screen.  Place a couch sheet on the cast paper sheet.  Apply firm pressure with your press bar to exact out any remaining water.  Change couch sheets as often as necessary.

Set your "stack" (plexiglass, foam sheet mold and pulp casting) onto a safe, supportive surface out of the way.  Place a fresh couch sheet onto the casting and then your secondary rigid surface (I used a cutting board) on top.  Weight it down (*... this is the only time I ever use my hubby's home gym weights) to allow it to continue to dry.  The weight will help in preventing buckling.  You may also use paper press but in a pinch, the weight method also works well.  Change the couch sheets a couple of times over the next 24 hours.

When your casting is completely dry (no longer feels cool to the touch) you can remove it from the craft foam mold.

Since the craft foam is flexible, you can arc the foam ever so slightly to help "release" the casting out of the letter crevices.  Use your tweezers to remove (and set aside) any of the stubborn foam letter centres that remain in the casting.  Simply re-glue stick them back into place on the foam mold, allow the glue stick to dry and it's ready to go for another casting.

Embellishing:

Using a pair of scissors (or your craft knife), trim away any edges where the pulp spilled over the edges of the foam mold.  I intentionally trimmed mine so the scissored edge was wavy like the deckled edge of the rest of the casting.

Using white acrylic paint and an artist's "flat" paintbrush, "drybrush" over the surface of the raised (embossed) letters in the quote.

This will help them to "emerge" from the background.  I also painted the letters that were within the circular moon image to give them a little extra "oomph!" against the off-white colour cast of the paper.

It's during this step (the painting) that you'll see how the "textured" fibres of the handmade paper lend to giving the piece the appearance of a "lunar surface"!

If you make a mistake or accidentally get white paint on any areas you want to remain black, simply wait until it dries and touch up with matte black or chalk paint or a permanent marker.

Add your favourite crafting embellishments such as faux diamonds, iridescent sequins, buttons or glitter and ...

VOILA!  It's ready to frame and gift to your favourite person!

They'll be so pleased ....... they'll see stars!!!

If you're interested in seeing more of my creations, please follow me using the links below:

Wordpress (blog): Seas the Day

Facebook (artist page):  Valerie J McFadden Artist

Facebook (wood/canvas wall signs page):  TalkKnottyToMe

Instagram:  @valeriemcfadden

Twitter:  @ValleyBanshee

Thank you for popping by and I hope you have as much enjoyment creating this project as I did!

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