Using the Leaf Gesso Background

I have just made a set of ATCs with the leaf Gesso Background I posted here and laced them together with some yarn and beads to make a little opening booklet.



I printed some words onto transparencies and overlaid them using eyelets. I didn't want to cover up too much of the background by putting the words onto paper. The transparencies are left unattached at the bottom so you can lift them and see the background.

String picture framed

I have finally found a frame, altered it and so can display my string picture that I made ages ago. I used a very cheap wooden frame, stamped a texture on using versamark, embossed then used rub'n'buff to colour it. Not sure if it's dark enough for me yet, have hung it on the wall to think about it.

Bead Divas

Silly I know but they made me smile. Meet the bead diva group plus dog of course. All they need are some faces and some bling are we are away lol. Was looking through a bead book for something else and saw these.

Christmas surprises

My Christmas swaps are done. Here are the picture of the presents but I'm not telling you what's inside.

Beads, dominoes and wool

I have been busy with my beads recently. I altered a domino and attached it to a keyring with some beaded dangles. I made a bead necklace and a bracelet. Also a picture of the scarf I knitted.

Black gesso

I finally got to play with the black gesso. I cut some pieces of mountboard into small rectangles and glooped a thick layer of gesso onto them. I spread it with a brush and let it set f0r a few minutes. Then used an unmounted stamp to stamp into it. When dry I used rub n buff to highlight the texture. It's got a lovely 3d look to it. Thanks Adrienne for the technique which I copied from her pendants. Lessons learnt - when using gesso wash everything up quickly - brushes, stamps and use a toothbrush on your stamp. Not sure I'd want to risk my favourite stamps with gesso yet just in case. Also put it on a non stick mat or wax paper to dry because mine stuck to the piece of paper I left them on

Gesso leaves

I continued experimenting with gesso and used an acrylic stamp of a leaf with the gesso to create a resist pattern for the inks. I then sprayed it with two colours of inks then sponged on two colours of dye inks. I finally sprayed with a copper spray to give it a coppery sheen which of course doesn't show up on the scan.


I also modified the previous background by sponging on some dark brown ink because it was too bright.

Gesso and Autumn

I have made a start on the challenges from the new group Next Generation Stampers two of which were to use gesso and to use Autumn colours. So I have combined them here. I sponged some gesso onto creamy coloured card and when it was dry I sprayed with a combination of colour sprays. The scan doesn't show the coppery shine that the paper has and makes it look redder than it is in real life. This is a sheet of A4 so I'll cut it up and use it for something.

The way through the woods

I decided to make some ATCs on the theme of nature to try out some ideas for a swap. This is today's idea. I started with the image of the trees from Lost Coast Designs and was playing around with words to go with it and thought of the Rudyard Kipling poem. So I printed out the poem, sponged over the top with dye inks then stamped the trees on top. I added a printed out title that had been sprayed with Moonshadow ink.