Love mixed media? Want to play with paint, stamps, papers and other cool mediums to create unique cards? Then join me for Mixed Media Monday—we’re keeping things simple with fun and easy techniques that add fabulous mixed-media style to your handmade cards!
Gel medium can be used to create simple textured backgrounds for cards! The white portion of my card background is dried gel medium—the vivid pink is Distress Stain, perfect for its bright color and easy-to-use applicator. The results? Backgrounds that you can make quickly and easily, inexpensively and en masse (in this case, perfect if you have a lot of Christmas cards to make!).
PS. Like that PaperArtsy vintage bells stamp? You’ll see it used on a totally different design in the next couple of weeks! I love this stamp!
Tip: An inexpensive kitchen sponge is the best applicator for the gel medium—use the spongy side, not the scrubby side. Simply tapping it onto the paper makes a random pattern that resists the bright pink stain. This technique also gives a touch of texture to the paper, as the gel medium will dry with little peaky areas. I cut my sponge into 1″ x 2″ pieces, which are easier to handle and give me more control.
Gel Medium Resist: Christmas Bells
What you need:
- Gel Medium
- HPXM03 stamp set (Paper Artsy)
- Embossing inkpad
- Ebony Superfine embossing powder; heat tool (WOW! Embossing Powder)
- Distress Stain: Picked Raspberry
- Card: teal, gold metallic, glossy white
- Foam adhesive squares
- Gold cord, sheer teal ribbon
- Clear tape
- Kitchen sponge
- Craft sheet or palette
How to do it:
1) Squeeze a bit of gel medium onto a craft sheet or palette. Tap the sponge into the gel medium and apply to a piece of glossy cardstock. Let dry thoroughly, then color with raspberry stain. Blot with a tissue to remove excess stain from the resist areas.
2) Make a folded teal card. Glue the resist stain cardstock piece in the center.
3) Stamp and emboss the bells on white glossy cardstock, then trim and mount on teal card and gold metallic, leaving a wider border on the left side.
4) Hold a piece of gold cord and teal sheer ribbon together; tie a knot. Wrap around the stamped piece and secure to the back with tape. Adhere to the card front with foam tape.
Note: This card was originally part of a larger article published in Crafts Beautiful magazine, the UK’s largest crafting magazine. If you like this card, you might check out the latest issue of Crafts Beautiful, as I have a monthly column!
Love mixed media? Want to keep things easy? Then check out Mixed Media Made Easy! This DVD has over 8 hours of video instruction on all kinds of mixed-media techniques, from paint to transfers, inking, coloring and more. Just $14.99, available at Paper Wishes.
