Tuesday 17 September 2013

Trust the Mess.


I'm not really sure why, but I am most happy when making a mess! I just love having my hands in the paint ... 

This page started when I was messing around with my Gelli plate and some Deli paper. I played about with a few layers on the Gelli plate using my fingers (not a brayer) and then used gel medium to stick it to a layer of vintage sheet music. And because Deli paper is translucent you can see the sheet music peeking through:

(oops upside down - sorry LOL!)

I wrote 'Trust the Mess' with the 'wrong' end of a paintbrush dipped in calligraphy ink ...


And added a few paper houses and a bit of doodling:




I added it to my junk journal, which is a great place to house my messy experiments:


This is how I create my messy Gelli-Deli backgrounds. I choose my paint colours, and for this page I used Talens Amsterdam Acrylics. *LOVE* these paints and they are brilliant on the Gelli plate:


I spread the first colour with my hands leaving plenty of space:


The first print:


I then left the remains of the first colour, and added a second colour:


And then a third:


So by now it looks like this. Messy isn't it?!


I added another colour and then placed a Dylusions stencil on top. I first pressed the deli paper down to pick up a dot pattern, and then pressed the painty side of the stencil down on the deli paper to get the reverse design:




Then I did the same thing with another colour and one of the new Tim Holtz layering stencils:


And through all of this I managed to get two prints each time, so now I have two messy, grungy Gelli-Deli prints to play with:


It's messy, painty, grungy and fun! Go ahead and try it. Embrace the mess.

By the way, if you're coming along to my painting workshop at Art from the Heart tomorrow, don't bother having a manicure first. Just saying ;-)

Now, before I go, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for your amazing and fantastic support for my new ETSY shop. I was totally overwhelmed by the response ... and I'm pretty much sold out. Need to get busy again ... watch this space .....

And if you haven't signed up for my fabulous 21 Secrets Live give-away, look here for all the deets ... you have until Friday 20th to sign up .......

Byeeeeeee!


27 comments:

  1. Awe this is glorious Kate, lol you can't beat painty fingers tee hee. Fab colour choices and I adore all your little touches, beautifully done. Ha ha ha I love the buy one, get one free element, brilliant stuff.
    Hugs x

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  2. Wonderful pages and I always appreciate seeing the process! What size and paper are you using for a journal?

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    1. Thanks for your comments Susan. I added this page to my ever-growing junk journal where the pages are 25 x 17cm. The pages are made out of recycled cardboard. I glued the Deli paper to sheet music, and glued that to a cereal box to make the page. I then punched it with my bind-it-all and added it to my journal.

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  3. Gorgeous as ever! What do you use as deli paper - I've always been really confused about what the uk equivalent is.

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    1. Hi there. I have used both waxed (shiny on one side) and dry wax deli paper.
      I get mine here...
      Waxed:
      http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waxed-paper-100-sheet-pack-10-square-Kraft-Food-Wrap-/350618610510?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item51a27f6b4e
      Dry-waxed:
      http://www.factoryfirst.co.uk/shop/food-storage--labelling/clingfilm-foil-greaseproof--parchment/baking-parchment/deli-wax-paper-27-x-20cm-pack-500-sheets-26537.htm
      The dry-waxed feels and looks like greaseproof paper but I believe it has a layer of wax embedded in the paper.
      Hope that helps.

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    2. It does - off to order some! Many thanks

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  4. Love it. Where do you get the deli paper from it please?

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  5. Waxed:
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waxed-paper-100-sheet-pack-10-square-Kraft-Food-Wrap-/350618610510?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item51a27f6b4e
    Dry-waxed:
    http://www.factoryfirst.co.uk/shop/food-storage--labelling/clingfilm-foil-greaseproof--parchment/baking-parchment/deli-wax-paper-27-x-20cm-pack-500-sheets-26537.htm
    Hope that helps Bernice!

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  6. Have avoided Deli plates and sloshing around with acrylics and Dylusions sprays. I seem to be forever removing ink from me and computer keys. It is great fun. Missed your Etsy shop offerings.

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  7. Your mess is beauty! Painty fingers is not my thing, but if I had a chance to buy your paper prints for ready made backgrounds, I certainly would! I keep watching the scrapbook paper departments in the retail stores. hint hint

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  8. Oooo your painty mess looks very fabulous! love it!

    Kaz x

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  9. Wow! It's fabulous! Love this ♥

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  10. Really lovely pages and the effects achieved are fab, thanks for showing how you achieved it Kate !

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  11. Trust The Mess-what a great motto Kate! Love what you have done here-pure delight!

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  12. absolutely gorgeous mess you've made, wonderful details everywhere
    great colours too
    luv everything about it
    hugs

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  13. Thank you for the pics, I still don't like the gelli plate!

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  14. As ever, a fabulous print. You have such an eye for colour and pattern.

    Mary Anne

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  15. Ooh, that's gorgeous!! Love all the layers.

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  16. love Trust the Mess! and these pages are just fab. I have been resisting a gelli plate but I love the way you have layered the paint using it.

    Now then I bought some deli paper from ebay but Im not sure its the right stuff, its kinda translucent but one side is quite waxy and the other isnt - is that the right stuff?

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    1. Hi Suzy, I have two different sorts of Deli paper - one is matte on both sides (dry-waxed) and the other is shiny on one side (waxed). I use either! I tend to work on the matte side and stick the shiny side to my page. x

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  17. I'm so inspired / must push myself to think big! I was going to ask about Deli paper too! It's great to find someone who's gelli-plate-tastic in the UK to find out about our alternatives to products used in America. Love your blog (and my postcard is aces!) :)

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  18. I have a mug with 'trust the mess' written on it. It was a must have when I spotted it!!!
    Love your colourful 'mess', which isn't really a mess, but a gorgeous collection of colour and texture :)

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  19. You are so right to trust the mess- there is beauty in artful messes. Love how your colors flow! Thanks for sharing with A Colorful Gelli Print Party!

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  20. Thanks for the inspiration...off to play in my art journal!

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  21. A great blog, Kate ! and a bunch of thanks for the explainations and photographs... (excuse my english : it's a bit... frenchy !).

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    1. Thank you Coko, and you're welcome ;-) But believe me, your frenchy english is a LOT better then my englishy french! LOL!

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