I am interested in using rusty embellishments and backgrounds in my art, but I worried that if I wander the local junkyard searching for these things, I'll end up needing a tetanus shot! Can you tell me if you have found any good rust techniques?
Bernice Wagnits has a wonderful suggestion:
when I first started to do my primitive dolls RUST was the big thing. Anything rusted sold good so I deceded to experiment with different rust combinations. I tried the hydrogen peroxide and salt which worked fine on rusting safety pins. I did the bleach vinigar salt and dirt mixture which took a long time but it did manage to rust the bottom out of a coffee can.
Then I found Sophisticated finishes at the craft store, they have finishes for Iron, copper, and many others. It's a two part process, first you paint the surface, I've used it on tags, paper, cloth, metal, wood, anything I wanted to look rusted, with a metallic surfacer let that dry completely than depending on what affect you want you choose the rust antiquing solution or the copper solution and paint that on and let it dry. Sometimes you may have to go over spots you missed but it all blends in good. It's a bit expensive but it goes a long long way.
I did a copper roof for one of my witch clock cabinets then used the rust on it and it came out great. The only thing is that if you use this on metal it will continue to rust so you have to spray a sealer on the metal otherwise your metal piece will continue to rust away through the years. On other surfaces you don't have to worry about it. I used it many times on wood frames, it gave them a real old look. You could do an entire cover of a book with it. I don't know about using it on thin book pages because on the tags I used it on they became stiff but looked good.
Thanks Bernice!
