Mixed Media Monday-Stencils, Gesso, & Ink, Oh My!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.  The family lived outside most of the weekend because we were treated to two beautiful, sunny, and cool days in a row.  The Giant and me took the hounds to the dog park on Saturday and I swear I have never seen so many small dogs in one place. There had to be at least 25 dogs if not more. We were very proud of how the hounds behaved with only one quick mount/hump incident (everyone is fixed but Handsome seems to want to demonstrate his alpha status outside of the home).  Long story short, he got "told off" by a curly, white Bichon and promptly stopped.  Baxter was happy to keep jumping on all the human's laps, (lots of "off" commands sternly given; some people wear their best pants to the dog park and don't appreciate paw prints on their tan khakis), and Bailey was content staying close to us and observing the flurry of activity around her. All in all, it was a beautiful spring weekend and I am feeling recharged (even got some vacuuming and dusting done!)

Today, I am introducing a new "segment" to the blog called Mixed Media Monday.  This is an attempt to finally get me to experiment and play with mixed media techniques which is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  I have always admired scrapbookers who have incorporated mixed media elements to their layouts. As a beginner in this area, I will share my triumphs and lessons learned along the way.  Hopefully, I will inspire you to experiment with the many colors, textures, and materials that are widely available.

Recently I purchased the Tim Holtz Rays layering stencil from my local scrapbook store in hopes of adding some color and texture to a 12 x 12 layout. First, I used washi tape to hold down the stencil to a piece of white Core'dinations cardstock. Masking tape will work too but this is what I had on-hand.

Next I added a liberal coat of gesso over the stencil. There are many brands on the market.  This one is by Ranger-Studio Gesso by Claudine Hellmuth.

I used a heat tool to quicken the drying of the gesso.

Next, I added a second coat of gesso, ( I wanted a nice, thick texture).

Then, I gave it a another quick shot from the heat tool. Now, time to add some color! First, I applied Holtz's Distressed ink in Vintage Photo with my Ranger Ink blender tool.

I wanted to darken the color so I decided to add a few spritz's of Mr. Huey's in Classic Tan.

I had a Studio Calico box handy that worked great as a spray box. I used my blender tool to apply the ink over the entire stencil.

Another blast of the heat tool...

Lastly, I carefully lifted the stencil off of the paper.  Due to using the heat tool, the stencil stuck in a few places so I had to shimmy it off to avoid tearing the paper. This was the result.  Look at that beautiful texture!

Somehow, a bit of color found its way in a couple of spots under the stencil so make sure the stencil is flush with the paper before adding the second layer of color. I believe the heat made the stencil pucker up a bit. I really liked the aged look that this technique gave.

Now for my second attempt, (after cleaning the stencil with warm water and a bit of Dawn), I began as I did with my first attempt by taping the stencil down to the paper.

This time I lifted the stencil up and zapped the gesso with the heat tool.

Look at that gorgeous texture! The way the stencil is cut adds elements of texture as well.

Next I taped the stencil back down over the dry gesso, making sure to match it up exactly with the image in the paper. I applied the Distressed Ink only with the blender tool.

I gave it one last quick hit of the heat tool.

And volia! Look at the beautiful texture and color!

Here is a side-by-side comparison of both attempts.

I cut the paper and wrote down the techniques I used to be included in my technique book.  Creating a technique book will help save time as you can quickly look up the effect you want and then simply follow the instructions. It's also a great place to keep techniques you find and want to try... like a recipe book. I hope to incorporate these into a layout or card in the near future...stay tuned! :)

Thanks for stopping by and as always, stay scrappy!

-Gina & the Hounds