Stamping with Gesso

So, I got the hint with all the comments that I was  receiving that many of you have never used Gesso before.  *oops*  Well, I used it for the first time when I stamped on the Muslin Bags that I posted earlier this week.  I have to admit I was a bit vague on how I used the Gesso.  Today, I am here to show you what I did to make the fall leaves muslin bag from start to finish as some of you inquired about the water coloring too.  *smile*

Supplies needed:  Gesso, Paint brush, some cardboard scraps and your muslin bag or fabric piece.

 

Why use Gesso?  When you stamp directly on fabric, the ink is absorbed into the fabric and produces a very light image.  You lose most of the brightness from the colors. By using Gesso, you are creating a “canvas” or surface on which your stamps will adhere and allow for the brightness or true color of your inks to show. 

Question to ask yourself before you get started…can you be patient with drying time?  If you answered “no”…get out your heat gun now!

Step 1: Paint the Gesso on your fabric.  Insert a piece of cardboard under your fabric or inside the bag.  Squirt some Gesso onto another piece of cardboard.  The first time I did this, I painted once in one direction, dried with a heat gun and once in the other direction and then dried with a heat gun.  (I paint vertically each time and turn the fabric.) It worked.  This time, I painted twice in each direction.  So I allowed the Gesso to dry naturally 4 times switching directions each time. The second time it worked better and the surface I created was much smoother.  Play around with the Gesso until you get your desired results.  We learn by trying new things!

Step 2: Dye your fabric. So, I forgot to dye the fabric before I stamped.  I highly suggest that you dye your fabric before stamping.  Warning: My dyeing methods require spritzing or dye wash which could run your water colored image if you dye after you stamp! If you don’t have coffee or tea to stain your fabric. You can create your own dye wash with a bit of water and any of the Stampin’ Up! reinkers. Take a ziploc bag and put just enough water to saturate your fabric.  Add drops of reinker until you get the desired color. Add your bag or fabric into the ziploc and squish around until bag is colored. I hope you know what squishing is!

Step 3: Stamp with Water Color Crayons. Select your Water Color Crayons and color directly onto the stamp. Don’t worry about coloring over the colors, just make sure the entire image is colored.  Now spritz with a water bottle.  I spritzed twice about 3 inches away to get the results pictured.  Stamp on the Gessoed section. When the images were dry, okay almost dry, I stamped the other images in Stazon.

If you noticed, the images blurred together nicely and the lined images are no longer available to see. Try stamping the image with ink again over the water colored images for a more detailed look.

 

This is the completed muslin bag with the Gesso rectangle, coffee dyed and water colored with Stampin’ Up!’s Watercolor Crayons.  Because I dyed after the stamping, some of my colors ran a bit, but I still like the overall look of it.

Thanks to all of you that keep me on the straight and narrow!  *smile* 

Thanks for visiting and I always appreciate comments!

Enjoy!

Pay it Forward with a Gratitude Box

So glad you could make it over to see my newest box creation today.  This gratitude box holds a bunch of tiny cards that you can give out to anyone that makes your day special. I created 12 mini cards, but the box can easily hold twice that! 

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of focusing on “bad” service I receive when I am out.  I have been really trying to pick out the good that I see.  I have given out a couple of these cards to the wonderfully sweet polite Checker at my local grocery store, and to the happy lady at my dry cleaner who always smiles at me even though it is way too early for normal people to be up! *smile*

The 2” x2” cards were specifically designed only for a quick note, not a novel and are a great way to make a connection with the people around you!  With the Anniversary of 9/11 just a few short days behind us, these connections are what holds our country together.  This gratitude box is a great way to thank someone, a friend, neighbor, colleague, or new friend for making your day.

This project was designed for the Paper and Pixels online magazine.  Step-by-Step directions for this box can be found in the September 2011 Edition of Paper and Pixels . I’m thrilled to be a part of their anniversary issue!

All Products are Stampin’ UP! and can be purchased through me directly or via my online demonstrator website.

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Stamps: Elements of Style
Paper: Mocha Morning Specialty Designer Series Paper, Crumb Cake Cardstock, Window Sheet
Ink: Versamark, Jet Black Stazon
Accessories: 1/8" Early Espresso Taffeta Ribbon, Crumb Cake Seam Binding, Antique Brads, Clear Embossing Powder
Tools: Tabletop Paper Cutter, Paper Cutter with Score Blade, Hobby Blade, Ruler and Pencil (household items), Sticky Strip, Paper Snips, Heat Gun

Thank you for stopping by and for your comments!

Enjoy!

 

 

Can you see me doing a happy dance? ;0)

Stampin’ Up! and Muslin Bags

Hello!

It has been a crazy past month and a half with school starting and all the events and excitement that comes when the children are off to school again.  I’ve also been busy designing some of my unique projects for the Seaside Crafts Bulk Buy group, for the upcoming issue of Paper and Pixels, my newest Stampin’ Up! classes as well as some other ventures.  It has been an exciting time and I’m glad that I can start sharing with you what I’ve been busy working on!

Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite new items that is being offered through the Seaside Crafts Bulk Buy group.  I love these muslin bags and they are perfect as card sacks or shower favors, candy bags or whatever you need to contain in a little sack!  A unique way to present a small gift for sure!

Because these little bags are made of cloth they lend themselves to being stained, dyed, or stamped upon. In fact, Regina Andari at Workin’ Out the Inks, even ironed on a My Digital Studio(MDS) creation on one of these for Halloween!  I love that Stampin’ UP! products are a perfect fit for these little cloth treasures!

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How I did that:

The first bag was spritzed with coffee until it was stained to my desired color.  The dress form and dress were glued onto the muslin bag using tombow multi-purpose adhesive. I thought this would be perfect for a wedding shower favor filled with candies.

The second bag was dyed with Stampin’ Up!’s Pool Party reinker and some water.  I used gesso to create a section that I could stamp on.  I used Stampin’ Up!’s Craft style ink to get a truer image over the gesso.  Stamping directly on the muslin with the Stampin’ UP! dye inks works just fine but you’ll get a muted image rather than a sharp image.

I used gesso on the third bag and again used coffee to stain that bag as well.  I used watercolor crayons and the French Foliage stamp to create the watercolored leaves on the gesso. A set of 4 Stampin’ Up!’s 5” x 3.5” note cards and envelopes (107311) fit perfectly in this 5” x 7” bag.

Update:  Check out this post for a tutorial using Gesso.

Thank you for stopping by and for your comments! 

Enjoy!

 

 

Tomorrow the Anniversary issue of Paper and Pixels is out!  Please stop by to see pictures of my Gratitude Box created specially for Paper and Pixels here!