gesso, meet shimmer...

Hello my fabulous friends!

I love gesso. There, I admitted it... (isn't that the first step???). I have been having so much fun the last week or so with gesso. I guess I don't use it like it is technically "supposed" to be used, but really, what fun is it to stick to the rules? LOL!

I've been playing with several techniques, and I thought I would share one with you today... For those of you who know me well, I love to stock up on white things and alter them to the colors that I want them... Well, paper is no different for me. You can get a cheap pack of white cardstock at an office supply type store and alter away without breaking the bank!  (For those of you who know paper, I do realize that there are major differences in qualities of paper, and that the cheap stuff isn't high quality, but it works just fine for this.) 

That being said... remember yesterday's card? 

Here's how to do the background I used...

 Step 1: Scoop out some gesso onto a mixing tray (or what ever you want to mix it in). 

*gesso can be found in the fine arts section of craft stores... in with the canvases, oil paints, etc*

 Step 2: Here is where we break the rules of what is "supposed to be used". Technically acrylic gesso is supposed to be tinted with acrylic paint.  So, instead we're going to color it with Creative Inspirations paint. =)   Add some paint, and stir. Add more if needed to get the desired color. This works best if you start with a darkish CI color.  Because you are mixing the paint into an opaque white, the color will end up lighter. 

 Step 3: Paint your cardstock. If you don't want any streaks of white to show through, you will need to do more than one coat. I don't mind the distressed look of one coat... after all, we'll be distressing it more in a minute. 

 Step 4: Let cardstock dry completely. Yes, you can use a heat gun to speed this up. It is important that it is completely dry though.   You will notice that it dries a little darker than it looks when wet. It has a nice chalky finish, but very little, if any shimmer. (and since we used CI paints not only for the color, but the shimmer, we need to fix that!)

 Step 5: With a sanding block or disposable nail file, sand the surface. The more you sand, the more distressed the final paper will look, but the more shimmer you'll have. You are in control of how much you do!

 Step 6: Wipe off all the paint dust with a slightly damp rag. You can see at this point if you need more sanding or not. 

 And look, you can see the shimmer! It is a lot more subtle than if you just painted the CI paints directly on, so it is a great way to get a little bling without overdoing it. 

Here's how I used the background you just saw me make...

Enjoy!

~Kassi

Supplies Used:

Paper: white cardstock

Stamps: TPC Studio "Secret Garden Collage", Inspired by Stamping "Fancy Labels 18" & "Small Fancy Labels 3"

Ink: VersaMark, Distress Ink (Picket Fence, Aged Mahogany, Seedless Preserves), Archival (Jet Black), MarkIt (Plumtastic Purple)

Creative Inspirations Paint: Plum, Deliquesce Clear

Dies: Spellbinders "Labels 18"

Other: ribbon, gesso