Someone said: “Curiosity is the key to creativity.†However, whiskers and flour aren’t required to be creative using this method of paper marbling, but shaving cream and food coloring are the main ingredients.
    To start this method, you will need a shallow pan or cookie tray or even a baking dish, a plastic ruler or some other straight edge, a pencil or brush, and paper. Begin with spraying shaving cream from the top of pan to the bottom.
Scrape across the shaving cream to make a fairly flat even surface.
Starting with only 2 or 3 liquid food colors, squirt them over the shaving cream sporadically. (Too many colors will produce mud).
With the handle of a brush or pencil, drag and swirl through the shaving cream to creative interesting patterns.
Carefully drop a piece of paper on the surface, and gently press the paper all over. Lift the paper at one edge (lots of shaving cream will stick to the paper) and lay flat on a hard surface. With the ruler or a straight edge, starting at either edge, drag it across the paper.
The design will appear after the shaving cream is scraped off.
It is fun to try different color combinations using various papers. The brightest colors can be achieved on very smooth paper, such as rubber stamp or finger paint.
The dried papers can be used for all sorts of collage work, bookmarks, backgrounds for ink drawings, and greeting cards.
There is no limit to what can be created using this technique, and you will find this will wet your creative appetite for more, but remember to have an extra can of shaving cream on hand for those who need it for its intended purpose.
By Pat Rayman, Paint Box Section/How-Do-It dept
