THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM

It rained all day today so I spent most of the WHOLE day working in one of my journals.  I should be working instead on the lessons for the on-line classes that I am taking: 21 Secrets, Mermaid Circus and Letter Love 201.  If I don't, they will expire (except for Letter Love which is open forever) before I get to complete them but you know how it is when you have an idea for a journal page in your head and you just have to get it down on paper....well here is the result of my play day!

A collage embellished using acrylic paints and paint pens.

Thanks for stopping by!
Hugs!
Ginny

WHAT LURKS BENEATH THE BIG BLUE SEA?

Why do I always forget to take pictures of the process?  Anyway, here are several collages that I made using techniques that I learned from Teesha Moore in the on-line class, Mermaid Circus.

Until next time,
Hugs,
Ginny

21 SECRETS CLASS WITH ROBEN-MARIE SMITH

I just completed Roben-Marie Smith's "Baby Got Back To Back" class which is part of the on-line class 21 Secrets.  In the class Roben-Marie taught us how to make this darling double-sided journal from a gift bag with a raffia handle.  My journal was made from a recycled Starbuck's gift bag but you could use any gift bag really as the bag is completely covered with torn paper or ephemera.

This project is aptly named "Baby Got Back To Back" because the journal actually has pages on one side and then flips open to the other side where there is a second journal.

You can see from the pictures that I stitched elastic to the front inside cover to hold a pen, pencil and water brush and I stitched a lace pocket to the inside back cover to hold erasers. paper stumps. etc.  Perfect for a friend who loves to draw Zentangles on the go.  It has everything that she needs to take her journaling with her including a handle for carrying....or to hang on a doorknob at home where it awaits the next excursion.

Closed Journal

Inside front cover

inside back cover

Thanks for  visiting and until next time!

Hugs!!!
Ginny

MORE PLAY WITH GELLI PRINTING PLATE

While printing over magazine pages with my Gelli Printing Plate, I discovered that I can print using two colors at the same time, one dark and one light and achieve a layered look in one pull.   This is how I did it.

First, I brayered the dark color on the printing plate...nice and even and not too thick.  Next, I brayered the lightest paint (something with a lot white in it) on top of the dark color but this time, I didn't mix it up too much because I wanted the light color to sit on top of the dark color...not to mix too much with it.

Next, I used stencils to lift some of the lightest color off of the dark color.  I did this by rolling the stencil over the printing plate to make an impression.

Then I positioned the paper on the printing plate and pulled a print.  Drum roll...please!  Ta-Dah!  Two colors in one pull!

Because I printed on a magazine page....look at all the yummy color and texture!

Look what happens if the darker color is a transparent or semi-transparent color.

Is this giving you ideas???

Happy Printing!!!
Hugs!
Ginny

GELLI PRINTING ON MAGAZINE PAGES

I love to make my own printed paper to use in my mixed media art.  It is a way to control the color and pattern to make it uniquely my own.  Also, I feel that the pieces integrate into my art better than the commercially printed papers.  There is nothing wrong with using commercially printed paper and I have occasionally done so but for my art, I prefer the look of the painted papers.

Having said that, I set out to make some painted pages...with my Gelli Printing Plate and magazine pages.  The first thing that I did was to select the magazine pages that I would use for this process.  I selected pages that had interesting colors or patterns.  The subject matter didn't make a difference as it wouldn't be recognized once the paint layers were applied.

For this project, I used magazine pages from Oprah and National Geographic magazines, Liquitex soft bodied acrylic paint, Amsterdam and Master's Choice acrylic paints and various stencils.  I prefer the artists acrylic paints to the craft paints because they stay wet a little longer and some of the artist paints are transparent or semi-transparent giving you additional color and dimension when layering.

The process that I used was to apply one or two colors of acrylic paint, using a brayer, and then making an impression in the paint by rolling and lifting the stencil over the Gelli plate.  I then randomly applied the paint to the magazine page paying particular attention to the parts of the magazine print that I wanted to cover or leave exposed.

Here are just a few of the Gelli prints that I made from magazine pages.

Now, don't you feel like grabbing your Gelli Printing Plate, a few magazine pages, paint, brayer, a collection of stencils......and having some fun????

Until next time!
Hugs!!!
Ginny

FISH, MERMAIDS, OH MY!!!

This page is a page from my altered "Potpourri" journal.  For some reason it just looked like a fish to me so it naturally became an underwater scene to include mermaids.

First, I have to say that I am not usually drawn to mermaids, faeries or the fantasy world but lately...they have been included in my life...a LOT!  If you believe that all things happen for a reason, that your universe is planned and that there are signs all around you that hint at what is yet to come...then I suppose it was only natural that while standing in the check out line at a HomeGoods Store that I spied paper napkins with mermaids printed on them.  I immediately purchased them... planning to use them on the Random Acts of kindness cards but as you can see...they made their way into my altered book journal.

I make the statement that mermaids and the fantasy world have been included in my life a lot because I recently signed up for the on-line class, Mermaid Circus, given by Jane Davenport and Teesha Moore.  It is all about mermaids, the circus and fantasy!!!  Were the paper napkins a premonition of things yet to come? Do..do...do..do!!! (MY Rod Sterling imitation.)  Anyway, I will post more about my class and mermaids later.

Until the next time,
Hugs,
Ginny

ANOTHER PAGE...

I finished another page in my Altered "Potpourri" journal.  

I could really relate to this quote as I used to love mowing the lawn and really found it relaxing...but I had to give something up if I wanted to spend more time being creative.

Until the next time,

Hugs,

Ginny