ATC inspiration

I have blogged recently sharing my gel prints and I just can't stop using my plate! Today I thought I'd share three quick ATCs that you could easily turn into a card, journal page or a host of other ideas! If you would like a reminder on how to use your gel plate, please see this post: Flowers are smiles

Using my gel plate I printed this A4 card in the following order:

1. Print a layer of Caribbean Sea
2. Print a layer of Snowflake
3. Print a layer of Granny Smith
4. Print a layer of Snowflake
5. Add Banana using the Tracks stencil
6. Add Bougainvillea using the Gothic stencil

Cut three ATC sized pieces from the page (reserving the rest for a future project!) An ATC is 2.5" x 3.5"

Decorate! 

This little chap is from the fourth Zinski Art set. I stamped the chap on a piece of white card and the ATC so that you don't have to cut out his antenna!

This ATC was finished in the same way as the first. The quotations on all three are from Chatter Design Tape - I cut the phrase from the tape and adhered it to the ATC.

To tie the three together I used a black pen to frame each ATC, white pen for the highlights and the circle stamp.

Thank you, as always, for joining me!

Gabrielle x

Faux Encaustic Mixed Media

Today I would like to show you a new way to use the DecoArt clear modeling paste and I am using some Andy Skinner stamps and an old PaperArtsy one too.

Scrape medium layer of modeling paste over the board.

Heat dry until a skin forms but the paste must not be dry right through. Take your stamps. spritz them lightly with water and press into the modeling paste to create texture. Add some inclusions to add height. (Leave space for your fish to be added on).

Either heat dry or let the board dry naturally so that the inside of the paste is totally firm then paint it with white gesso.

Use colour sprays or paint washes to add some colour to the texture and again dry the board.

 When the board is completely dry again take a palette knife and spread a layer of clear modeling paste. Let it dry - I left mine overnight.

This is what it looks like when you come back to it. The modeling paste has given it a milky almost encaustic look.

All I had to do was add some something on top. I found an old PaperArtsy stamp which I thought was quite apt as I hadn't put any fish in the water. As the surface is rather uneven the stamp didn't quite come out as crisply as I wanted it to I went round the letters in pen.

If you fancy having a try at this technique you can find the clear modeling paste on the shop website HERE.

I hope you like the faux encaustic idea and if you use it please let us know.

Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xxx

Artist Trading Coin and more!

Hello! I'm sharing some more adventures with my Gel Plate today! An Artist Trading Card has been around for ages - the definition might be: a small piece of art (2.5" x 3.5") that can we swopped (traded) with others. An Artist Trading Coin is the same idea but is 2.5" wide and is the very latest thing!

I started by covering my gel pate with Caribbean Sea and printing on two ATCs. Then I added Snowflake (the picture shows the blue and then the blue with a white overprint).

Then add a layer of Granny Smith and a layer of Snowflake.

Follow that with a little Banana and Bougainvillea through a Splotches stencil. Finally add Slate through the Flames stencil.

I then sanded one ATC to reveal the colour beneath; die cut the other one into a circle 

and edge both with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink. The coating on the ATC means you can achieve a really interesting finish when you sand it!

(Sorry about the odd colour of this photo!) Stamp the bottom of the circle with the line stamp (from Zinski 01) and line up the stamp so you can position.

Then I added a figure and a saying and my ATC/ATCoin combo is complete!

Of course I couldn't limit myself to just an ATC so I made a tag alongside the ATC using the same techniques.

Thank you, as always for popping by!

Gabrielle x

Great cards using Collage Paper

There are times when you need some simple, quick and easy cards that have maximum impact. The Tim Holtz collage paper can do just that. Here are four made in one sitting.

To start I cut four pieces of Tim's papers 12 x 12 cms to fit a 5 x 5 card.

I then cut four pieces of the floral idea-ology collage paper exactly the same size.

The collage paper was adhered to the patterned paper with matte medium and I brushed a light layer over the top to seal it. The collage paper is very strong when it is dry, not at all like ordinary tissue paper but it needs some gentle handling once on the glued background then it does resemble tissue paper.

I think I needed more glue on the back as it didn't become as translucent as I thought it would. Lesson learned for next time lol.

I also think the striped background showed up more than the neutral text and picture backgrounds.

Next step - mix some white gesso on your craft mat with spritzes of water to create a watery white wash and dip and dry the cards

Roughen the edges of the cards with a paper distressing tool and adhere the background to the card. I usually blend brown distress ink along he edges but decided I wanted it cleaner to create a more shabby look.

I then glued them to the cards and added some butterflies downloaded as free images from the internet and a stamped greeting.
Here are the four finished.

For me making four cards in one day is a miracle - I just loved using the collage paper but be careful when gluing it, it's just as vulnerable to tearing as good strong tissue paper.

There are three patterned designs and one blank one for you to stamp your own images on and they can be found in the shop here.


Thanks for stopping by.

hugs Brenda xxx

www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com