Too many projects!

 Julie Fei Fen Balzer has been posting different techniques on making Christmas cards on her blog. One idea was to cut strips from gel plate prints and glue them to a base piece of card stock. To make 6 cards, I spent 2 hours printing with the gel plate (I know!!!), then the next day I cut up some of those prints and started to play. The first 2 examples took me forever. Then I got into a rhythm, and it was easier. My own tip is to apply adhesive to each strip before you place it down. The strips are easy to trim once you flip the base over. I then stamped and embossed the Christmas greetings on watercolor paper, but them down, and edged with Dina Wakley's Gilt paint. Something different and certainly unique. 

Next up is a journal page that turned out horrible, so I painted it black and doodled with a white Gel Pen. Not tearing out journal pages. Not. 

4 of the left over gel plate print strips made it into the next journal spread. I have been in the mood for collage, and have another spread going right now.

Birgit Koopsen has a video on the Gelli Arts blog on using a 3x5 inch plate to stamp the background for a handmade journal. I cut a piece of Strathmore Mixed Media paper down from 18x24 to 9x24, then scored it for folding every 4.5 inches. Used artist tape to tape the two pieces together to make an accordion journal now 9x48. This shows the base coats of paint from both sides. I have done more work on this, but over stamped on the red/yellow side, so it now sits on a shelf. I will eventually go back and do something with this. Enjoyed doing the background with a small gel plate, did not care for stamping with the gel plate, although using the 2nd ghost images was cool. Right now it's a hot mess.

And last, Christy Sobolewski, Gulfsprite, offered some ephemera packs on sale in her Etsy shop. I purchased one, and a friend paid for a second pack for me as a Christmas present. Included were magazine images for collage, original art work, and 2 original stencils that Gulfsprite designed. I am already using some of this in my current journal spread. 

Have a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving. I will be home with the dogs doing art. And scratching bellies and backs. Life is good. Linda