Friday, April 4, 2014

Mixed-Media Bag Of Tutorials!



Last week, I posted about modifying my Stacked Journaling technique on a piece of painted printmakers' paper. I didn't do a step-by-step tutorial or take any photos. Week before, I blogged about mounting a painted piece of paper onto a wooden cradled panel. I didn't do a step-by-step tutorial or take (hardly) any photos. Big mistake, both weeks! I never know exactly what will strike a chord in folks, so I often just go and work in the studio without a thought about how I'll blog the experience later. Well, silly me. Turns out I got a LOT of questions about both things, so today, I'm showing it all.

This will be a HUGE post, with lots of step-by-step instructions and photographs.

Mounting Paper On Cradleboard

You may be wondering why you might want to mount (permanently adhere) paper onto an already paintable surface like a wooden cradleboard (a thin piece of wood, often birch, mounted to a wooden frame to give it stability). After all, why bother going to the extra trouble and time? I can think of several reasons right off the top of my head. While it is absolutely true that you can gesso and then paint on a cradleboard and get great results, you may have already painted and/or collaged a wonderful piece of art onto paper, unstretched artist canvas, or even fabric, and now you need a way to display it. Or, if you're like me, you like the way paint absorbs into paper, want to make art with it regularly, and don't want to be forced to mat and frame the piece for display. Finally, you may simply want the smoother surface with no signs of wood grain that you can only achieve with paper.

Whatever your reason may be, mounting paper onto a cradleboard is easy and quick, and nothing to be intimidated by!

~What you'll need:
  • Cradleboard (also called a wooden painting panel), any size.
  • Paper, canvas, or fabric of your choice. Watercolor paper is a good choice for starting out, and makes a wonderful surface to paint on. It is what I am using for this demonstration.
  • Heavy gel medium
  • Paint brush or squeegee to apply glue
  • Parchment paper or other non-stick surface
  • Heavy weights like hardbound books, dumbbells, plywood scraps, etc.
  • Gesso (optional)
~What you'll do: 
  •  Cut your paper to fit your cradleboard. You can either cut it to the exact measurements, or leave a little hanging off each edge to trim away later. (In my demo, I've cut my paper to the exact size of my cradleboard and used my fingers on each corner to make sure it was well aligned.)
  • If you want to gesso the cradleboard, this is the time to do it. For this demo, I didn't bother.
  • Using a paintbrush, apply an even coating of gel medium to the panel. Make sure your brush strokes are random, so that they won't show under the paper after the gel medium has cured. Work quickly before the glue dries. If you're working on a large surface and worry about drying, a light spritzing of water across areas you've just covered with glue will help keep the whole thing moist until you've covered the entire cradleboard.
  • Align your paper to fit the cradleboard, being sure that all edges of the board are covered with paper. 
  • Using your fingers or a brayer, burnish the paper, starting from the inside and working your way outward to smooth the glue beneath and remove any air pockets. 
  • Cover with parchment paper or other non-stick surface.
  • Cover with a heavy weight, like books or plywood. For my example, I've used a piece of plywood with two, 8-pound dumbbells.
  • Have Patience! Allow your cradleboard to dry at least overnight, if not 48 hours before removing the weights. Presto, you now have a paper painting surface on a sturdy frame that will be ready to hang!

Painting In Layers

~What You'll Need:
  • Acrylic paint and ink in various colors
  • Paint brushes, texture tools, gel plate, stamps, stencils- anything around the house that will make an impression in paint or help you get paint from a tube to your cradleboard
  • Baby wipes or damp paper towels
  • Patience
  • Imagination
  • Fearlessness
My mixed-media paintings always have many layers of paint, some obliterating the layers underneath. I use a lot of different techniques to create the look I like, such as stamping, gel plate printing, scraping, splashing, spraying, and stenciling. I cover up layers and then wipe the fresh paint away to reveal them again. I scratch into fresh paint, reintroduce areas of white with thick, opaque paint, stain with inks, and never fall in love with any one look until something in me says, "It's finished, don't touch it again." Sometimes, I ignore that voice.

~What You'll Do:
  • You must be brave. 
  • You cannot make any mistakes, here. That's really the key. Stop looking at your work and thinking, "It sucks, look at all the mistakes!" 
  • Try everything. 
  • Try everything again. 
  • Try everything again in another color palette. 
  • Stamp.
  • Smear with your fingers.
  • Monoprint with a gel plate or a piece of plastic.
  • Scrape.
  • Walk away and drink some coffee.
  • Scribble your most personal thoughts into the wet paint.
  • Wipe it all away with a damp cloth.
  • Layer, layer, layer. 
  • The biggest sin is to give up too soon. 
  • Be unafraid to push through the ugly phases- and there will be ugly phases, count on it. 
  • Listen to your instincts, and... 
  • Paint, paint, paint.

I'll show you some steps in the progression of this particular piece. There were many more steps I didn't stop to photograph!

I usually start with my lightest and brightest colors, first. This will be your only opportunity to lay down a layer of pure yellow, or pure magenta. Later on, these colors- laying on top of other layers- will be influenced by the colors beneath.


I'm not concerned with composition, yet. I'm only creating an underpainting that will inform all the other layers. I've stamped using some of my own hand-carved stamps, and wiped paint away with a damp baby wipe. I've also scraped through fresh paint, immediately laid the waxy side of a piece of deli paper on top of it, burnished it lightly with my hand, peeled it away, and laid the deli paper- paint side down- onto another area of the painting, burnishing again. This easily transfers not only the paint but an interesting texture.

I'm just getting warmed up.

Next, I introduce complimentary colors... blues and blue-greens. I stamp, rub, scrape, monoprint, drink coffee, cover up ugly bits, make more ugly bits, cover those up, get up and walk away for an hour, come back and paint again. And then I reintroduce some white. Why? Because I like the contrast and it helps pop my bright color palette. 



Then I obliterate those layers and create new ones.


I turn the cradleboard as I work, always gaining a new perspective. And I layer. And obliterate, allowing only a little of what's underneath peek though to create mystery and depth.

I start to consider composition and define it.


I bring back some of the magenta, add more stamping and brush work. And finally I decide that I'm ready to move onto a layer of monoprinted Stacked Journaling in black.


And don't neglect the sides of your cradleboard, either, they deserve paint as well! Here, I squeezed a small amount of one color I was working with onto a soft sponge and then just buffed the color into the raw wood of the cradleboard.


Monoprinting Stacked Journaling (and then modifying it)

Yep, that's a long name and I should probably come up with some catchy phrase for it that rolls off the tongue easily, but I struggle just to name my completed artworks, you can't expect me to invent pithy titles for techniques, too! Dangit, Jim, I'm an artist, not a writer!

So let's briefly tackle each element of this technique individually. Stacked Journaling is a method I devised for getting my own personal and unique mark making into my work using my handwriting. It involves free-association journaling without any punctuation while smooshing all the words and each individual sentence together, turning the paper 45 degrees, and doing it again. A block of Stacked Journaling looks like this...


... and a full tutorial for it can be found here. The beauty of the technique is that it looks completely different when someone else does it using their own unique handwriting. And if you're a calligrapher, you can use all kinds of beautiful script to create it. It allows you to express yourself openly and honestly in your work, while still maintaining a measure of your privacy because it can't actually be read, and for that reason it's an excellent therapy tool. It makes a great background image or can be used in small doses for emphasis.

A really fun way of using the technique is to monoprint it. Monoprinting is a technique in which you use inks and/or paints on a non-stick surface to create an image and then transfer that image to a sheet of paper, a piece of fabric, a sketchbook page, etc.

When I'm monoprinting Stacked Journaling, I use a squeeze bottle filled with paint as if it was a writing instrument, like this:


Next, I place another piece of paper (fabric, canvas, book page, whatever) on top...


...and burnish lightly with my hand.


Then I peel the sheets of paper apart to reveal the monoprint.


As you can see, the monoprinted Stacked Journaling creates a whole other dimension to your mark-making, further obliterating the actual message in favor of creating a mysterious and intriguing texture.


How do we apply this technique to our painted cradleboard? Glad you asked!

~What You Need:
  • Squeeze bottle with narrow tip. To achieve a thicker line of paint, remove the metal tip, which restricts to paint flow. To achieve a thin line of paint, use one of the metal tips. The tips come in .5mm, .7mm, and .9mm.
  • Plastic sheeting. I use stuff that comes off a roll from my big box hardware store (see link) but a plastic bag or sheet protector will do, as well.
  • Medium or thick paint color of your choice (I'm using black because I like the contrast.) Fluid acrylics won't work for this step as they are too liquid!
  • Water, transparent fluid medium, or some other acrylic paint thinner. Water works just fine as long as you don't add so much that your paint no longer adheres to your surface.
  • Sharpie marker.
  • Your finished painting.
~What You'll Do:
  • Cut a piece of plastic to size, making sure you have about three inches excess on all sides of your cradleboard.
  •  Using a sharpie, create a template by tracing around your cradleboard, giving yourself about a 1 inch allowance. This will be the space within which you'll create your stacked journaling.

  • Fill your squeeze bottle to about one inch with your paint. Thin as needed to get a consistency that will flow easily without running. You want your paint to maintain a solid line.
  • Hold your squeeze bottle as if it were a pencil and begin writing, keeping the pressure steady and making sure to start outside the lines you've drawn on your template. Leave out punctuation and spaces between words and sentences. Use some flourish with your handwriting to create a curvy, over-the-top look. Allow your letters and your rows of journaling to overlap slightly.
  • Fill the template with journaling and then turn the plastic sheeting 45 degrees and journal on top of the previous layer.
  •  Once you have two layers filling the inside of your template, with a little bit of the writing falling outside the lines you drew with your sharpie marker, it's time to transfer the journaling to your painted cradleboard. You can do this in two ways: 1) carefully lift the plastic sheeting and place it onto the cradleboard, paint side down, being sure to center it properly. Gently pat your hands across the surface, pressing the painted journaling onto your cradleboard. OR 2) Invert your cradleboard over onto the Stacked Journaling like this:

(I like using this method because the plastic can get wiggly and fold in on itself, and also because it can be difficult to center the plastic onto the piece of art. It also allows you to gently fold and burnish the plastic up along the edges of the cradleboard, giving your Journaling a seamless look that starts on the surface of your painting and cascades over the edges.)

  • Holding the plastic sheeting, carefully flip the piece right side up and peel away the plastic. 
  • Remove the plastic slowly and if you don't feel that you've gotten enough of the journaling to transfer to the painting, lay the plastic back down and gently pat with your hands. Try not to rub the plastic, which can smear the paint. When you're satisfied, remove the plastic completely.
  • Allow this layer to dry completely. 
  • To keep from wasting paint and the neat SJ you've just created, you can lay paper down on top of the sheeting and, using the same gentle patting you preformed on your artwork, take "ghost prints".



  • You'll wind up with the start of some neat collage sheets, backgrounds, journal pages, or your next art piece!

  • To reuse the plastic again for another project, immediately rinse in water until the paint is gone and then hang dry.

Modifying Stacked Journaling

You can leave the piece as is, or if you like, you can really make your Stacked Journaling pop even more by modifying it with a white paint marker. Zentanglers and doodlers will probably love this step!

~What You'll Need:
~What You'll Do:
  • Find all the negative spaces- the blank areas in between the Stacked Journaling marks- and trace them.
~Tips and Tricks
  • Try to make sure that each area you trace is clearly defined by a black outline, like this:
  • Fill in as many or as few negative spaces are you like. 
  • Just for fun, you can drop your white tracing down the sides of the piece, just like you allowed the SJ to fall over the sides!


This is the final piece. It measures 12"x12".


(detail)


Thanks for reading! I hope you have fun with these techniques and if you have any questions, PLEASE feel free to contact me! Until next time, create with Sharpies!

138 comments:

Ronni said...

Thanks for the great tutorial Judi! Your blog is always a treat to read. I love the piece of art you demo'd in this tut!

Kay Koeper Sorensen said...

This has got to be the best tutorial ever.
I can't wait to try it!

Carole RB said...

Hi Judi

Thanks a bunch for this great tutorial. I have to try my hand on this technique.

Also thanks for the opportunity to win this super giveaway.

Have a nice weekend

Von said...

Judi Judi Judi... How wonderful love the journaling on the plastic monoprint.. now why didn't I think of that :)

Victoria said...

Judi,
I hope I don't make you blush, but this is the most inspring post!
I can't wait to try all these techniques.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us!

Lyndas Crafty Hall said...

Fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing this. Great tutorial and generous giveaway x

Lori said...

Wow, that looks like so much fun! Love the colors and the squiggles... what an excellent tutorial!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!!

Lori said...

Wow, that looks like so much fun! Love the colors and the squiggles... what an excellent tutorial!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!!

karen said...

I just stubbeled upon your blog, what a great treat. Thanks for the wonderful tutorial, I can't wait to give it a try.

unknown said...

I'm so excited to find this post. I finally get a day to play with my toys (art) and there's so much inspiration in just this one post. Thanks so much for sharing your techniques and providing me with much needed inspiration to let go and play.

unknown said...

P.S. so glad to have discovered your blog.

Wtrstone said...

Wow! I am so glad you've gotten back to the stacked journaling... I've experimented with your technique a little bit and love the results! Thanks for a chance at a great giveaway of product to go with your gift of knowledge!

Joanna Grant Art said...

Thanks so much, Judi, for this wonderful blog post. I have been a fan of your stacked journaling technique for some time now and love the way you have integrated it with monoprinting. In the last year I have become a gelli plate printing FREAK so this will be very cool to try. Cheers! Joanna Grant

Tammy said...

I love this tutorial - techniques I haven't tried - would love to win - thanks for the opportunity to win.

Sylvia said...

Thanks for the wonderful tutorial! And thanks for the chance to win such a wonderful prize package!

Unknown said...

Count me in! Thanks so much for the tutorial--I really like this technique.

Melva said...

WOW what a great tutorial. Thank you.

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

OM! I want to do this. I see much potential in the technique. And I see my fiber group eyeing my work wit total and pure jealousy! LOL

To win would be the icing on the Approachable Art Cake!

Vicki said...

There is so many great ideas in this one tutorial my head is spining. Thank you a million for sharing. Can't wait to try this. Later today, I have a date in the studio to work on this.

Penny Schine Gold said...

Thanks so much for the extended tutorial. I love the stacked journaling technique, and have experimented with different kinds of overlapping of the lines. It's interesting, actually, how little overlap one needs to make the text unreadable. About the using the cradle board, I'm wondering if it's possible to create the entire work on paper first and then glue it to the cradleboard; seems like it would be possible, but maybe the paper wouldn't be entirely flat after painting on it. Anyway, would love to win the giveaway!

Hilary Florence said...

Jo Judi - this makes for a very interesting and informative read. Thanks for taking so much time and trouble to explain this so clearly - and a really generous giveaway!

Gill said...

Wow Judi - so many fabulous ideas!
I can't wait to try them!

Anonymous said...

What a great tutorial! So inspiring! It looks wonderful! What a generous give away - would love to win it!!!!

Wendy said...

What a generous tutorial, I am inspired to play :)

Sonia said...

Brilliant tutorial -love the way you add so many layers. One question - would you get a different effect if you just painted over a gesso-primed board, i.e. without the need to glue the paper on?

Please keep up your inspiring and informative blog.

Ain't No Ninny said...

What a wonderful tutorial! I'd love to try it out myself. I never would have thought of either gluing paper down to the artist board OR journaling/marking on plastic to transfer paint to the painting. Love!

Emie58 said...

Wonderful tutorial... can't wait to give it a try!

Unknown said...

Wow! Very beautiful finished piece. Great tutorial.

Sonya Hollier said...

Loved your tutorial! I have such of a hard time letting loose that this has truly inspired me to give it a go!! Thanks!!

Jeannie said...

Wow!!! I love how you got the stacked journaling on to the side of the cradle. Thanks for the tutorials! I am really hoping today is a rain day so I can play. Thanks for all the inspiration over the years, too. You are the best!

Liz said...

Thanks for this tutorial! I identify with your comment about being fearless, so often I get too precious about bits of painting and don't dare to cover them up...

Anonymous said...

What a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing it! And it has some surprising effects ;)!
And the result speaks for itself, it's just fabulous!

Linda Guerra said...

Love this technique, Judi. I am a journaler/writer, as well as an artist, so the stacked journaling will let me integrate the two sides of my creative output. The black really makes your colors pop. Thank you so much for sharing!

elle said...

When you tute and post ya really tute and post! LOL This is just great Judi! Just the original art piece is a 'wanna have' not to mention all the other goodies. Bless you!

Terri said...

OMGOSH!!! Your creation is AH-Mazing!! Oh, I'd love to win your art, what an inspiration that would be hanging up in my craft room!! Thank you for the tutorial and thank you for the totally awesome giveaway. You Rock!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you! This post made my day. What a great tutorial - gave me a load of new ideas!

Vicki W said...

First, what a great tutorial! Thank you for all of the detail information. The giveaway is an awesome bonus.

Anonymous said...

Love this unusual tutorial! Lissag123@verizon.net

Nancy said...

Gorgeous piece of art ~ LOVE it! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome tutorial!!!

Patti Sandham said...

Oooo I really want to try this. Thanks for the tips

Unknown said...

Really love this tutorial. Makes me want to dig right in and try some of your techniques.

Deborah Levy said...

Fabulous tute Judi! Thanks for sharing.

Bliss said...

Thanks for the detailed how-to. Love the piece! ♥

rgb said...

Wow! Great tutorial and the finished art is fabulous....great colors! I absolutely LOVE the idea of stacked journaling...can't wait to try it!

Mackin-Art said...

What a fabulous tutorial!!!

Thanks so much for all your time and effort and a great giveaway.

Kathy said...

OMG! This is a great tutorial--love it! Thank you so much! And I would be thrilled with any one element of your giveaway. It's a super-duper prize for doing nothing more than commenting. You are a very generous person!!!

Lucinda said...

So gorgeous. I love the detailed tutorial ... wonderful job! :)

Genevieve said...

I love love this process and the resulting painting. Thank you for taking the time to make a tutorial!

Linda B. said...

I'm in the UK so although I'd love to win this giveaway I know that I might not be eligible. But I wanted to say how much I enjoyed this tutorial anyway!

Penny said...

Wonderful tutorial your finished art work looks fabulous.

Myzenart said...

Great to see how you dare to add all the layers. I'm always afraid to mess up my piece... I'll sure try this techniques. They're awesome and you're tutorial is very clear! Thanks!!!

Unknown said...

Great tutorial and wonderful inspiration. Thanks Judy!

Ruth Lane said...

Thanks for the tutorial and for the give away.I enjoy reading your blog although I don't comment much.

Dixie Belle said...

WOW!Fabulous! I love your teaching style! Thank you for sharing and for the opportunity to enter a great giveaway.

Win Dinn, Artist said...

What a brilliant and comprehensive post, Judy. Many thanks, and thanks too for the opportunity to enter for the giveaway. Fingers crossed!

diamondgrl66 said...

Wow! Thanks for the inspiring tutorial. I love the vibrant colors and layers of texture. Thanks, too, for the chance to win the giveaway.

G~G said...

This is amazingly stunning!!! Thank you for the step by step tutorial, it was exciting just to read it!

Unknown said...

What a fabulous tutorial...can't wait to try this!!!!

Shells said...

Wow, such an awesome tutorial and generous giveaway.

Anonymous said...

Your tutorials are great. I'd love to win your giveaway.

Zee said...

Great tutorial! I also like your cat.

Artist In Bloom said...

Great tutorial Judi, thanks for sharing and for the giveaway opportunity!

SFreer said...

Wow! Thanks for such a great tutorial! I will be giving that a try for sure! Very generous giveaway too! :)

Zee said...

Great tutorial! I also like your cat.

Rita said...

Your art is vibrant and I appreciate your tutorials...just got into gel printing...one little jiggly tool has opened up a whole new avenue of art! Thank you for sharing...

Unknown said...

Thanks for the wonderful tutorials. You are an inspiring artist and I love your work. I want to try out these techniques now that you have made them sound easy enough for me.

Maggie Carmody said...

What a great tutorial and fabulous giveaway. I've been wanting to try the Gelli plate. Thanks for the inspiration.

amymdorr said...

So much inspiration! Thanks for the tutorial...I'm excited to give it a try!

susanbuchanan said...

More than worth the wait! You did good, girl! I 'm a big fan of SJ and love how you've expended it's usages. best, sukey aka susanbuchanan

Colleayn said...

I'm glad I found your blog. I LOVE this tutorial and the art you created. This would be so fun to win. Thank you for taking the time to do this, and the great giveaway.

Sylvia G. Hargreaves said...

Loved, Loved, Loved your tutorial. It was jam-packed with good information in a logical step-by-step manner for anyone-- even those of us who have not had an opportunity to work with Gelli Plate. I really liked your "squiggles." I can see many possibilities for making great pieces of art. Thanks for sharing your talent and providing an opportunity to participate in your giveaway.

Unknown said...

Wow... im gonna have to try this... sooo beautiful!!

muriel said...

Oh, thanks for this great catchy tutorial. I love your work of art. Thanks too for the chance to win.

Deb Jennings said...

You are so incredibly kind to share your methods and your art. It is an exceptional tutorial with many techniques explained. Thank you

Psychodiva said...

Fantastic tutorial- I must give it a go!! and what a wonderful giveaway- so generous :)

Michele Bilyeu said...

Fabulous tutorial and love, love the prizes. Thing that I not only truly want and need, but promise that I shall use! Please do include me in this drawing! Thanks so much!

marijke said...

enjoyed the handwriting idea, thank you

Anonymous said...

I love how you break everything down to workable steps, it really is " approachable" and i would love the chance to give it a try.
Marsha M vamoody(1)(at)verizon(dot)net

dinny said...

When I follow a step-by-step tutorial like this, I find myself saying "I wish she's stop here" or "I like it like this - don't do any more". But then at the end I think "WOW! I really like how it turned out!" Thanks for so much inspiration along the way. I've been looking at those wood panels for a while, need to try them.

pam f said...

Loved the tutorial. I wonder if yupo would be a good plastic to use for the last part. Thanks!

Doris, Wayne, and Maggie Prichard said...

So glad you detailed the stack journal technique. I have done some of the stack journal on sheet protectors, as you showed in a post some time ago, and have loved using them in collage. Making monoprints and ghost prints really appeals to me, though, and I will definitely try this. Thank you!

Lynda said...

What a great tutorial! Love your art. And thanks for the opportunity to win!

Beachstudio said...

Wow! One of the best tutorials I've seen. I am definitely going to try this, and I've got ideas streaming inside my head! Thanks for the inspiration, I really needed it today! I love it! How kind to offer a great giveaway too! I'm going to read your blog for more fun! Thank you so much!

Linda said...

Thank you for your tutorials. This one really has me excited and ready to head in to my play room and make a wonderful creative mess.
What I appreciate about your instructions is that they always encourage to push through the "ugly" stages.
Oh, and thank you for the excitement of planning on ways to use the products from the giveaway...a girl can dream, right?

Jilda said...

WOW! I am so grateful....showing ALL the steps in such a clear way...very inspirational! And most of all the advice...I gave my middle school Art students a very similar 'talk' during our mixed media project (except for the coffee part) because they are so utterly hard on themselves & I don't allow them to use that negative self talk (I suck)....your post will help them see all creative people have insecurities & we just need to work thru them!! Tanx Judy!

Proxxon Tools said...

great page.

Unknown said...

Hi Judi, I found your tut to be the most freeing, exciting tutorial ever!!! Most people won't give the hints and secrets to their piece as you have! I love the sj technique! I am about to try it now!!! I've had so many bad ones and have gotten quite stressed about it, and when the MOJO isn't there, this would help to remember these steps! Thank you soooo much for fops haring this! Your piece is absolutely beautiful and you def have a new "forever" follower here!!! It's beautiful !!!!! Kudos!!! Wow!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for sharing your new technique of Sj. This piece is absolutely beautiful !!! I hate when other people won't show exactly how they got to where they are in their finished piece! You were honest in telling that you too don't always get it right the first time and I appreciate it. This piece is absolutely stunning. And a fun tut as well. Thanks again. You have a forever follower in me! Have a great wknd!

Cathie Carroll said...

Wonderful tutorial Judy, thank you!
I would love to win this giveaway, please add my name to the list.

Warm regards,

Cathie

KAM said...

wonderful tutorial...I look forward to exploring the techniques you have covered in the tutorial. Hoping to be the winner of the drawing.

halohill.blogspot.com said...

Thank you, Judi for the awesome tutorials! While reading them & looking at the pics I kept thinking over & over how clever you are!! Awesome!

Sheila in Oregon

Jody said...

Thanks for the detailed tutorial! This really looks like a fun technique and I am definitely going to give this a try.
What an awesome giveaway as well, I would love to win it :-)

judi said...

Judi!! You are full of awesomeness!!! I love everything you did to create this piece of art. I would be proud to hang it in my home. I really want to try all of the techniques. Thank you for sharing this clearly written tutorial with all of us.

Your fan,
Judi Vreeland

Warm n Wonderful said...

This is a wonderful tutorial. You are so brave to just let it happen! I read your posts wishing I had the courage to let it go, but i'm still having difficulty with doodling!!!
Your final product is fantastic. When I saw at the end you were doing a giveaway, I was hoping it was the piece of art you just created.
Thanks so much for your posts.
Mary

Barbara said...

Love your process and can't wait to try it out!
I really like the plastic technique!

Queen Esther said...

what a wonderful idea to get you thoughts out but keep them private never mind that it looks fab! thanks for sharing a great technique and a generous giveaway!

Debbi said...

Fantastic tutorial ! Thanks so much for putting it all together. I can see a few techniques I want to try in the near future.
- Debbi

Pamela said...

BEST tutorial EVER! Thank you. I eager to give it a go.

daisymarmalade said...

Really interesting combination of techniques. Many thanks for sharing. <3

Gramma Sue ~ Grampa Max said...

It's a great tutorial. Would love to try it out.

Unknown said...

I love how you break down the process of painting, I have always been so intimidated by painting and drawing. I never could draw four legs of a chair on the floor , frustration set in and I gave up. I am truly inspired, thank you so much!

animalstalk said...

How fantastic. A wonderful tutorial. Thanks for it.

Ali said...

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I now want to dash off and give it a go! Thanks too for the opportunity to win this fabulous giveaway!

Debbie said...

Thank you, Judi, for this wonderful and detailed tutorial! I really like the idea of printing using the marker on plastic. Thanks for counting me in.

Cynthia Myers said...

You provide so many great ideas in this tutorial but I am especially blown away by the stacked journaling and the different ways you can use it. Genius! Great tutorial. Thanks for taking the time to explain it step-by-step and describe the materials used.

Unknown said...

Thank you for providing such a remarkable tutorial.
I feeel so lucky to have seen the post and the opportunity to learn something new and the chance to win a Gelli plate. Pretty darn special! Wishing all the readers a lot of luck. I am glad my name is in the hat.

Anonymous said...

I love your Painting in layers and Modifying Stacked Journaling tutorials!

Laura

Mrs. Sullivan said...

Thanks for the great tutorials! I have been wondering about cradleboards- now I know what they are! Thanks also for the opportunity to enter the giveaway- great prize package! :)

Shoshi said...

You are so generous, sharing all your wonderful techniques, Judi. Many thanks for a really excellent one - and I do love your lists of requirements! As for texture makers around the home, I recently rescued some plastic meat trays that would have found their way into the bin, had I not noticed what an interesting texture was embossed into them!

Thank you also for the opportunity to win a simply marvellous give-away - I don't hold out much hope that it will be me, but like with your art techniques - nothing ventured, nothing gained! Lol!

Hope you are having a great weekend.

Shoshi

savyjade said...

Thank you so much for sharing your process. I have to say that I am in love the this technique. You are the first artist I have seen add the white. The contrast is fabulous. I will def be trying this. Once again thank you for taking the time out of your busy life to inspire us all. I am a new subbie so I am off to read more of your blog.

Amanda Clemons
savyjade@cox.net

Wendy @ the Late Start Studio said...

Thanks for the tutorial Judi . . . every step was so clear. I've become a fan of stacked journaling in my journal so no-one gets to read what I have to say. Sometimes turning it 90 degrees or 180 degrees and sometimes using two different weight pens. And what an awesome give-away! If you will allow international participants please include me in although I'm okay if you dont . . . I appreciate your blog either way!

Alston Capps said...

Judi - every time I see your work, I'm absolutely gobsmacked! And that you patiently share technique is a testament to your generous soul. But what really sticks in my head is when you say "you can't make any mistakes" - which means, for a piker like me, I'm far less afraid to try to express myself creatively. Thank you for that.

Gillian Perrett said...

Hello Judi,

That is a great tutorial, so many new ideas in one long post. I'll be watching your blog in future. Thanks for drawing my attention to it. ~Gillian

Saranne Valentine said...

This is awesome! I love the piece you created! What a great give away! Hope I'm not too late to enter!

Sue Pompetti suepompetti@verizon.net said...

Wow!!! Such great ideas... creative juices are flowing!

Anonymous said...

Awesome tutorial and wonderful prize package giveaway! Thanks for sharing...

Robbie said...

WOW! You are such an inspiration to us and sharing all this info!!! I'm bookmarking so when I get back to michigan I can play with Judi!!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

denthe said...

Wow, this is a fascinating post. Can't wait to try this out! Thanks so much for sharing what you know, and your giveaway is unbelievable! Lucky lucky someone who is going to win this!

Blue Cat said...

I always look forward to your posts and learn so much.
I love your practical approach. You make us feel as if we could actually do this. Thanks for sharing your ideas and spirit with us!

Anne said...

Great Tutorial...can't wait to try it and love how you used the plastic monoprint

Lisa Chin said...

I had to read the tutorial again. I just love seeing how others create their work. I can't recall if I commented the first time and so I must make sure I am in on the giveaway. Sorry if I posted twice!

paradykes said...

Amazing tutorial, thank you so much for posting.

lsquared said...

Oh wow. So many techniques, so little time. I can't wait to try this! Thank you!!!

Wild Interior said...

WOW, this is great. You inspire. Love what your doing with these jelly plates. would love to give it a try. Your right the white really makes it POP. Keep up the good work. would love to win this.

Janet said...

Thanks for taking the time to put together a pair of great tutorials.
Reading your blog is always inspirational and instructive!

Louise said...

Thank you Thank you Thank you, what a detailed and inspiring tutorial. I am definitely going to give stacked journaling another go and try it like this. Your finished piece is just awesome and this give away is wonderful.

Anonymous said...

This is just great! Finished reading and ready to try this out. Thanks for the details. Liz Anderson

Sam Ware said...

Wow - what a great tutorial. I'm trying that top layer soon

Cathy Spivey Mendola said...

THANKS so much for the tutorial!! I love the finishing touch of the white paint pen. PERFECT!!!
Would love to win your giveaway.

Liz 1 Work in Progress said...

Wow on top of awesome! I've only recently begun letting my artsy girl self have fun playing with colors and patterns and textures, and this post has so much fun going on I can hardly contain myself. I've been lurking on your blog, picking up techniques that I haven't tried yet, and now I'm itching to get my fingers into it all. Thank you!

Marcia said...

What an interesting process. Reminds me of the block printing and silk screening I did in high school, with all the layers to create a composite work of beauty and balance. Just found your blog thru Lisa Chin....it's one I will check out often. Thank you for sharing!

Unknown said...

love everything about this tutorial ! The layering,the journaling on plastic, accents with white sharpie ,love the whole look and finished piece ! Can't wait to play !

Carol Soderlund said...

What a top notch tutorial, and a stunning piece of art! I can't wait to try several of the ideas here.

Jackie said...

I love all of the texture and layering! Thank you for the Awesome tutorial!

Jona said...

I love the stacked journaling. I can't wait to try it in my journal! Thanks for the step by step tutorial.

tlccreates said...

Thank you for so generously sharing your time, talent, art and heart.

tlccreates said...

Thank you for generously sharing your time, talent, art and heart

M Obaid said...

Fabulous and lovely tutorial.