Faux Fabulous: Stone

This installment of our Faux Fabulous series looks at creative ways to create imitation stone accents for your scrapbook layouts and altered crafts.

Real stones are usually far too heavy for use in your average scrapbook layout. However there are a few simple ways to create faux stones that you might want to try.

Sculpey Clay Stones:

Sculpey Clay is a soft, readily available polymer product created by Polyform Products Co. They have made a package of imitation-stone clay, called Granitex, that comes with multiple colors. Simply knead the dough to soften it, and roll a small amount in your hand to create the stone size you want. For use on scrapbook layouts you'll want to slightly flatten your faux stones. You can also create stone beads by poking a hole through the center of your "rock" with a thick needle before drying. This product needs to be baked in the oven, then cooled before handling, so be prepared to let your layout sit overnight before you place it into your album. See manufacturer packaging for complete directions on baking Sculpey Clay.

In the example shown I've taken the grey Sculpey clay and made a small stone. After allowing the stone to cool completely I used StazOn ink to stamp the title word, "ROCK." This is the cover for a mini album I'm creating for my husband.

Paper Clay Stones:

If you want to create faux stones in a custom color I suggest using paper clay. This is soft, white clay made from ash and wood pulp. You can knead in a few drops of acrylic paint while the clay is wet to create custom colors, or you can wait until the clay is dry and apply a top coat of paint. The more you knead and shape the clay the more uniform the coloring. The two samples below are the same piece of clay. The first wasn't mixed very thoroughly and it resulted in a marbled-looking stone.

The second was mixed and rolled until the paint was more evenly distributed.

Fun Foam Stones:

An easy way to create very flat-looking stones is to use either grey or brown Fun Foam and cut irregular shapes. These can be altered using ink pads and a simple make-up sponge for a more realistic look. Try heating the foam with your embossing gun and stamping small words on the foam to create faux poem stones.

The "Over the Hill" card, pictured below, uses this Fun Foam technique to create the headstone. Always use permanent ink, such as StazOn, to stamp the letters into the warm foam.

Ideas for Using Faux Stones on Layouts:

• stepping stones on a garden-themed layout
• poetry stones
• faux stone beads
• rock walls
• playground/hopscotch stones
• beach pebbles
• river or creek rockery
• rock candy
• rock accents for pond/fish tank-themed layouts
• hiking/camping-themed layouts

With a little experimentation you can easily come up with a number of ways to create realistic stone-looking accents. So clear off your scrap table, step outside the box, and start playing with some of these fun techniques. I think you'll be rockin' in no time!

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