Hello!
For this project, I wanted to really experiment using a combination of products: An 8″ x 10″ Gel Press Gel Plate, several different stencils, ColorSparx watercolor powders, and a myriad of mediums.

I ended up with 12 yummy layers of texture and dimension by the end of my experimental project. Listed below, I have an overview of each layer, the technique used, and the links to the supplies. Please enjoy this article; I hope that it gets your own experimental creative juices flowing to try your own layered experiments. We’d sure love to see what YOU explore and create! Show us your work when you’re done.

The Crafter’s Workshop provided me with some product to create this project. The opinions I share are solely my own.

In this project, I’m using a 9″ x 12″ piece of mixed media paper that is 140 lbs or 300 grams.

Layer 1 – Gel Plate Print with brayer, Stencil TCW359 Mini Microbial 6”, and Payne’s Grey acrylic paint. Dry completely.

Layer 2 – Gel Plate Print with brayer, Stencil TCW887 Circle Grate 12” and Raw Umber acrylic paint. Dry completely.

Layer 3 – Gel Plate Print with brayer, Stencil TCW926 Bubble Rebound 12” and Turquoise Green acrylic paint. Dry completely.

Layer 4 – Gel Plate Print with brayer, Stencil TCW910 Vintage Scrolls 12”
and Yellow Ochre acrylic paint. Dry completely.

Layer 5 – Gel Plate Print with brayer, Stencil TCW926 Bubble Rebound 12” and Raw Umber acrylic paint. Dry completely.

For the next two layers, I used the brayer to apply the acrylic paint through the stencil, directly onto the gel plate printed base layers.
TIP: Use painter’s tape to hold stencils in place while applying paint.

Layer 6 – Using the brayer, apply Unbleached Titanium White acrylic paint directly through stencil TCW454 Specimens 12”. Do NOT remove the stencil!

To get a 3D like effect from the stencil, slightly move the stencil a couple of milimeters (a tiny amount) to the right. Use a darker colour paint for the second layer.

Layer 7 – Using the brayer, apply Warm Gray acrylic paint directly through stencil TCW454 Specimens 12”. Dry completely.

To create the remaining dimensional layers, I apply the mediums through a stencil, using a palette knife held at a 45 degree angle, and using SLOW, even, linear movements over the stencil area being used.

Layer 8 – Using a palette knife, apply TCW9036 Champagne Gold Modeling Paste 2oz directly through stencil TCW454 Specimens 6”. I used the 6” sized Specimens stencil over the 12” sized Specimen stencil to give a gold accent across the page. Clean the stencil and palette knife when done. Dry completely.

Did you know? You can create your own custom colored mediums using the ColorSparx watercolor pigment powders mixed into your medium of choice! Remember, these powders are super concentrated, a little bit goes a long way as they are deeply pigmented!

Layer 9 – Using a palette knife or brush, mix some TCW9011 Matte Gel Medium 8 oz together with a little TCW9059 ColorSparx ‘Grasslands’ Olive Green.

Layer 10 – Using a palette knife or brush, mix some TCW9041 Platinum Modeling Paste 2oz together with a little TCW9058 ColorSparx ‘Alpine’ Turquoise, then apply with a palette knife through stencil TCW744 Wanderlust 6”.

Layer 11 – Using a palette knife, apply TCW9039 Copper Penny Modeling Paste 2oz directly through stencil TCW566 Mini Winged Exploration 6” with
Clean the stencil and palette knife when done. Dry completely.

Layer 12 – Using a palette knife, apply TCW9005 White Modeling Paste 8oz through stencil TCW585 Mini Inspired Words 6”.

And that, my friends, was the last layer. I added a few additional finishing waxes here and there to make the olive green stand out just a little more.

Want to see a step-by-step video tutorial for this project? Hop on over to my YouTube Channel and check it out!

Until next time, happy experimenting and happy day!

Michaela Butterworth
The Crafter’s Workshop Design Team Member

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