Collage:

 Introduced by the Cubists, the technique of creating a work of art by adhering flat articles such as paper, fabrics, string or other materials to a flat surface such as a canvas whereby a three-dimensional result is achieved.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the gelli plate print that I thought I was working on, it's funny how it turned out to be only one of the ones I was actually working on at the time. I just didn't know it. I do plan on coming back to this one....but I got side tracked.....SQUIRREL!!

So, as I was working on the above print, I used my journal to press my handmade stamp onto after each pull to clean it off. I had already messed this page up with some inks sprays ( playing with the new TH Spritz Marker, LOVE it btw ) so this page became a "play page"...you know what I mean! lol

My hand made stamp was created by using puffy paint on a piece of cardboard to create the raised areas. The size of the stamp is 8 x 12", so it's HUGE! It was inspired by Carolyn Dube a while back and it has become a favorite of mine to play with. 

So I thought I was finished and began the cleaning up process of taking packing tape to remove the dried up paint off of my gelli plate.

I'm about ½ way done here, as you can see it does a pretty good job of removing the paint. Just press the tape down and rub it firmly with your fingers to burnish it onto the plate and then peel up. I learned that little tidbit from the Gelli Arts blog.

before tape

I wasn't very happy with the initial result I was getting on my art journal page, but always knew I could gesso over it or "whatever" later on...

So as I was peeling off the tape, which had a good amount of paint on it, the thought occurred to me to lay it back down over the journal page piece. Just to see how I liked it. I have to admit I fell in love with and it was not something I had set out to do. Funny how that happens, but now I was off on a totally new project.

after tape

The painted packing tape gave it some color but it's still not very defined and it's very slick and shiny which represents a whole new set of challenges...what to do next?

Sooooo....the day before I was discussing Sharpie Oil Based markers vrs their water based markers with Tamiko and she popped up a video which made me go...duh, me! It says that they aren't very good on chalky surfaces but work great on non porous materials....like packing tape perhaps? Let's give it a try!

Loving the Oil Based Sharpie on the packing tape and used my regular Sharpie to draw in some black areas. I wanted to keep defining her so I took out my PITT pens to see what the results would be. I didn't worry about them beading up, because that effect made it look just like the gelli print...actually loved and created some shading...but I wanted to make sure it stuck to the tape so I sprayed the page with Helmars Crystal KOTE Varnish and crossed my fingers....and yay it worked! Here is the close up of the lips and under the chin where I did some shading.

Finished it off with a quote and had a heck of time finding a black marker ( Sharpie is dry, need another!! lol ) but in the end I used a Montana Marker and the Sharpie Oil Based marker in white. Stick a fork in me, I'm DONE!

Entering my art journal page in:

Simon Says Monday Challenge - Transparent