TLC824 ~ Layered Gesso Background ~ {12/07/2020}

[Cook22]

Happy first Monday in December to you all. This has been such a strange year - some of it seems to have flown by, some has certainly dragged. When it comes to monthly recurring dates (like my TLC on the first Monday), or sending in my overtime at the end of each month or changing the water filter every three weeks, I feel as if I have only blinked and the next time has come around already. I suppose a lot of our regular routines that are the framework or skeleton of our lives went into limbo. Anyway, here we are on the countdown to Christmas. I can see from the gallery that many of you are already on Valentine's cards - today's challenge will work for anything you like. It does require a little drying time, but it's one of my favourite background techniques and I really enjoyed slowing down enough to revisit it. We are going to use the Layererd Gesso Background tutorial.But - shhh, I don't actually add the second bit of gesso as described in it, because I didn't like the distressed look it gave. 

My tips learned over time - dry your stamping on the gesso with a low heat or give it time so it doesn't smudge when you start painting over it. On top of the gesso, even the archival inks take a few minutes to dry.

Use lighter colours of acrylic so your first stamping still shows through. If you apply too much, you can use a baby wipe to rub some of it off. 

If you stamp your sentiment on the acrylic layer - allow loads of time or better still, heat emboss it to avoid smudging and spoiling all your previous work. Been there, done that. 

Some pastes dry much faster than others, when you reach the stencilling stage! My Winsor & Newton modelling paste takes a couple of hours, the Cosmic Shimmer I used on my Christmas version didn't take more than fifteen minutes before I could go on working on the card.

Bonus tip. It took FIVE attempts, sigh, to pull off a card I made for later in the week. I didn't want to waste the good card it was stamped on (and a couple of the pieces were stamped on both sides). Two layers of gesso at the start instead of just one, and I had covered the stamping enough that what remained showing didn't affect the finished card at all. 

Since 13 of the 32 cards in the Technique Spotlight gallery are mine , I would love it even more than usual if, when you've finished your creation and get to uploading, you would add it to the technique gallery.Choose Technique Spotlight from the first dropdown menu. Layered Gesso Resist is in the second box. If you're uploading from a PC, you can even type in Lay in the second box and it will take you to the tutorials starting with "layered". 

Here is the tutorial: Layered Gesso Background

Here's a link to our TLC824 Layered Gesso Background gallery

I have a Christmas card and a winter birthday card:TLC824 Winter Birthday 

TLC824 Hope Is Born  

Remember to use the keyword TLC824 when you are uploading. It's helpful if you come back and leave a link on this thread, especially in case you made a typo and people may not find your card. 

If you're not sure how to link your card on the thread here, here's how:

1. Open 2 windows or tabs: one window for your card and one for this thread.

2. In this thread, click on reply and type anything you want to show before the link

3. Go to your card window. Highlight the address for your card. (It says www. splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/showphoto..... and so on)

4. Click EDIT. Click COPY

5. Go back to this thread. Click PASTE.

[snietje]

Thank you to put this technique in the spotlights!! I loved to play with it and I hope that gallery will be filled with lots of new cards

Here's MY CARD

[jdmommy]

Done. I also linked the card to the technique. Thanks Sabrina!!

https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/g...&ppuser=136194

[JBgreendawn]

I need to try this so bad, your samples are gorgeous. ( its supposed to start raining and snowing here on wed so, hopefully if I get home early enough today maybe something could be dried by tomorrow) will look for the instructions at work

[peeps321]

What a fun technique....am working on two and they are in the drying phase after applying the modeling paste...Now I need to go out and run a few errands...will be back later...

[ruby-heartedmom]

Looks so messy and fun. Sadly, my schedule doesn't allow time for messy today, so I'll have to play later.

[peeps321]

Back from my errands...when I got home I decided I wasn't too excited about one of my backgrounds so I just made one card...will save the reject for some future project...

Hey Chick

[bubblestx4]

I struggle with this type of bg but gave it a try anyhow.  Probably not something I will do on a regular basis  . . . actually it wasn't too bad til my stencil paste fiasco so maybe I'll try it again some time and skip that part . . .

Monday's Mixed Mediums by bubblestx4

[jkanack]

Thanks for a lovely technique, Sabrina:

Layers of Joy and Beauty by jkanack - at Splitcoaststampers

[catluvr2]

This was a stretch for me:  https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/3018257?cat=500&ppuser=334464

[andipowell]

I've never used Gesso, so I don't have any...is there anything that could be used as substitute or should I just sit this one out? 

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by andipowell

I've never used Gesso, so I don't have any...is there anything that could be used as substitute or should I just sit this one out? 

Well, Jen didn't have any so she just skipped that stage altogether. If you have white acrylic, you could just thin it down with water and use that as an initial layer. Either way, certainly still play along. I had to improvise many a time when I had fewer supplies.

 

[andipowell]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cook22

Well, Jen didn't have any so she just skipped that stage altogether. If you have white acrylic, you could just thin it down with water and use that as an initial layer. Either way, certainly still play along. I had to improvise many a time when I had fewer supplies.

 

Thank you!  I'll see what I can come up with...I thought maybe Modpodge, but I DO have all sorts of acrylic paints...we're going for a texture thing here, right?

[Cook22]

ModPodge would be very slick and hard to stamp on. If it were me, I'd use watered down acrylic. It will reduce the absorbency of the card so you'll be more able to move the paint around a bit on the second layer.

[JBgreendawn]

Okay for the something to smoosh through the stencil can Embossing paste work instead of Modeling paste? ( is that the same thing texture wise?)

[Dr Sonja]

Apparently I don't have any Ranger Archival ink. Would any of these inks work similarly?

My Favorite Things Extreme Black hybrid ink

Versafine Pigment dye ink Onyx black

Staz-On Jet Black

Brilliance Archival pigment ink Graphite black

Colorbox pigment inks

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBgreendawn

Okay for the something to smoosh through the stencil can Embossing paste work instead of Modeling paste? ( is that the same thing texture wise?)

Any sort of paste that you normally use for stencilling. You could even use more paint at a pinch, I'm sure. It would still give some more texture. The one I first bought was actually called modelling paste!.

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Sonja

Apparently I don't have any Ranger Archival ink. Would any of these inks work similarly?

My Favorite Things Extreme Black hybrid ink

Versafine Pigment dye ink Onyx black

Staz-On Jet Black

Brilliance Archival pigment ink Graphite black

Colorbox pigment inks

I'm not familiar with the MFT. StazOn yes, for sure. From my experience with Brilliance inks on acetate, I would say also yes, given drying time.

Because the gesso isn't as slick a surface as glossy card or acetate, I have had success with Versafine inks so long as I give sufficient drying time for them not to smudge. That's the key, you need the ink to be dry before you add the layer of paint.

__________________
SabrinaMonday is Technique Time: TLC challenge forumThere's a TEA party every TuesdayThursday is Ways To Use It: WT challenge forum SU Gallery Index project ~~~Photo Challenge: Picture This

[JBgreendawn]

So, I had spent some time opening jars up hahahaha most were rocks but, I found a jar of glitter glue paste stuff and used that. ( backgrounds are still under construction here)

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBgreendawn

So, I had spent some time opening jars up hahahaha most were rocks but, I found a jar of glitter glue paste stuff and used that. ( backgrounds are still under construction here)

Don't you hate that! I got out my original jar of modelling paste and it was hard. But I reckon I've been using it since 2014 so I reckon I got good mileage from it. Now I try to keep my smaller jars of pastes and staff like the Inka rubs in ziplock bags.

[JBgreendawn]

I did find that my inkagold was also a rock but, I misted it with water and used my finger to rub it on like a rub on and just kept misting it every time it dried out

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBgreendawn

I did find that my inkagold was also a rock but, I misted it with water and used my finger to rub it on like a rub on and just kept misting it every time it dried out

I bought some distilled water at the motor shop to try to use - last time I used tap water on a Nuvo mousse it went moldy. But the first time we tried for distilled water, the smallest size was a couple of gallons, and even with DH wanting some too, we didn't need that much! I topped up my Inkas last weekend and I'll see how they go...

[hotwheels]

Here is my card for the challenge. Thanks, Linda

https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/3018406?cat=500&ppuser=20490

[JBgreendawn]

Here are my first attempts ( this was one sheet off the pad that I cut in half for two cards) I have a pink/blue snowflake one going on and it may be next weekend before it evolves some more. Thanks Sabrina.

[JBgreendawn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cook22

I bought some distilled water at the motor shop to try to use - last time I used tap water on a Nuvo mousse it went moldy. But the first time we tried for distilled water, the smallest size was a couple of gallons, and even with DH wanting some too, we didn't need that much! I topped up my Inkas last weekend and I'll see how they go...

I have a steam mop for my hardwood/tile floors so, I buy distilled water by the gallon for that. ( the mop gets filled with the chemicals from the tap water and plugs up short life if you don't) so, that is an awesome thing to read. ( that I actually do not have to go shopping for) THANKS.

[mcschmidty]

I enjoyed this technique- will attempt it again when I have time : ) 

Joy and Wonder

Shelly

[smadson]

Had a lot of fun!  Here is mine: Layered Gesso Island

thank you Sabrina!

[annsforte3]

Here's mine:

Christmas Greetings

and

Star Bright

[kyann22]

What is a good substitution for the Inka Gold? This looks super fun!

[Cook22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kyann22

What is a good substitution for the Inka Gold? This looks super fun!

If you don't have anything similar, I wouldn't worry about it, just skip that bit. My favourite and most-used rub-ons are from Craft-T, and they NEVER dry out. But any type of gilding wax would have a similar effect, or metallic gelatos or distress crayons. You could use regular gelatos or distress crayons too, you just wouldn't get the metallic lustre. 

[Dockside]

Here's my attempt Sabrina! https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/g...&ppuser=245562

[gutsport56]

Here is my card: 

https://www.splitcoaststampers.com/gallery/photo/3019216?nocache=1