Hello Creatives!!
Keri Sallee here and it’s time for another dose of Faithful Sunday with Faith Impressions for Gel Press.
Today, I am going to share with a simple technique for getting a layered look!
Don’t be scared!
If you are like me, I know it can be so easy to look at these absolutely BEAUTIFUL prints from other people and wonder how they achieved it. More specifically, how they knew what order to put that layers down to achieve the final product.
Here’s a little secret…most likely it was an accident. LOL! Most likely they were playing around and just added layers and layers until they reached a design they liked.
Well…I can’t help you recreate an accident, but I can show you an easy way to make beautifully layered prints…without the stress and fear!
Make it beautiful…one layer at a time.
If we were face to face, I would tell you to look me in the eyes, don’t blink and listen very carefully to what I am about to say…um…type…You ready for the secret?
Here it is… DON’T MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE!
Seriously! Rather than trying to add a ton of layers to your plate at one time, instead focus on doing one layer at a time and stacking them on top of each other, one at a time in your Bible.
You will still get a beautiful print, but your individual elements will stay crisp and will create the “stacked” image you are looking for.
Using your Faith Impressions Straight Border makes this concept easier because the straight edge allows you to line your print back up precisely each time.
Ready to see it in action? Let’s Go!
What you need to start with is deciding what you want your base color to be.
Since I knew I was using brighter colors for my elements, I decided to use a Moss Green as my background.
For our first texture element, I started by adding a layer of pink paint and then laying a cobblestone stencil on top of it. I knew I wanted to leave a lot of open space, so I used a baby wipe to remove the exposed areas of paint before removing the stencil. Doing this leave the imprint of the negative space of the stencil, rather than the “rocks.”
remove exposed paint with a baby wipe
removing the stencil leaves the negative image
Your Faith Impressions border plate allows you to perfectly line up your image each time.
When making layers, don’t think you ALWAYS have to cover your entire plate. Try only using parts of your stencil by braying paint in small areas and leaving a lot of the space open.
Once you’ve tried adding small patches of images, take it a step farther and add texture through you stencil.
Lastly, to add just little hints of color, try using a smaller texture-like bubble wrap! Brayer a single color at a time onto your bubble wrap, before “stamping” your bubble wrap on to your plate.
Here is the finished product again:
ssoo…why?
You might be asking yourself “WHY use a Gel Press plate for this, rather than just layering directly in your Bible?”
There are numerous reasons to use your Faith Impressions plate. (1) The monoprinting technique allows you to get a clean crisp line, keeping your art in the margins and decreasing the chance you might accidentally cover the words. (2) monoprinting allows you to use smaller amounts of paints, which dries faster, decreases page warping and allows you to continue to create faster due to a quicker drying time. (3) If you are new to monoprinting, using the “layering” technique allows you to keep crisp images and keeps colors from getting “muddy” (aka mixing together unintentionally.)
Final Thoughts
When I first sat down to make this project, I totally had a different plan in mind.
I had recently done a Facebook post about running my most recent race (my first 25K trail race!)
I talked about how I started running even though I was scared, but it was either run scared or be help captive by my fears. I challenged people to “Start Small. Start Scared. Start Soon.”
Great word, right?!
However, when I sat down to create, I couldn’t get myself to think about being fearless…because I was just so tired. My brain was overwhelmed. My soul was tired. My body’s fuel cells were on zero.
I. was. weary.
So…that’s what I created. I needed to take a moment and acknowledge that I was not ok. That I was overwhelmed. That I was pushing myself too far, with too many things and allowing my brain to be shattered with anxiety over not getting it all done.
Maybe one day I will do that “fearless” post, but today was not that day.
I want you to know that it’s OK to admit that you are weary. It’s OK to admit that you feel shattered. It’s OK to admit that you do not have it all together.
All studies show that you can never heal from a problem that you don’t first admit exists.
Admit the issue. Find a path to healing. Focus on recovery.
It will all be ok. We might be weary, but that doesn’t change the fact that we are warriors.
Until next time….
XOXO,
Keri Sallee
