Backgrounds with Gesso and ink

Hi guys! This weeks tutorial is how to make background paper using gesso and ink.
I learned this technique from the fabulous Celine Navarre and i love it so much i wanted to share it with you.

Supplies you will need:

1 Bazzill Splat Mat or anything with a slick surface that paint or ink will not stick to as seen here

Distressed Ink
Spray Bottle with water
Gesso
a plastic or paper cup
a paper or foam plate
embossing gun
sponge
and a piece of cardstock (perferably shiny slick cardstock)pre ct it to the desired size that you wish to work with

If you don't have a piece of shiny cardstock no worries...I didn't use that for this tutorial and it came out ok with some minor modifications.

Ok..ready girls..Here is what ya do

Step 1:
Pour you a fair amount of gesso in your plate.. enough that you will get a good thick coating of the gesso on your cup

Step 2:
Take your cup and put it in the gesso making sure you coat the whole cup

After you get a good coat on your cup you will get your CS and you will randomly place your circles all over (either a little or alot) Make sure after everytime you stamp a circle you re-apply the gesso.


Now that your stamping is done you will need to get out your embossing gun and put that thing to work.

You will want to heat up your gesso until dry. Here is a tip
I heat it up until it is almost dry and then i put it to the side for a bit, let it cool a minute or two and then re heat it again. The more you heat it the more texture you will get. After you heat it to make sure it is dry you can take a piece of newspaper and lightly run across your images
If it is dry put it off to the side and if it is not heat it again for a little bit longer.
Now get out that distressing ink and tap it all over your splat mat. Try and make a big enough are that your whole cardstock will get cover at once. (that is a tip i learned along the way :)

tap...tap....tap.....tap..... keep on tapping girls. Don't be stingy with the ink
Now you are going to get your spray bottle and spray in the ink.

Once you complete the spray you will then take your cardstock and turn it face down in the ink and water and press all around so that it is picked up through the cardstock.

Once you have made sure to press down all over your cardstock turn it over and look at your results. If there is patches of ink missing have no fear. Pull out your sponge and tap into the ink and dab or smear it in the areas that are needed or you can tap more ink down and spray with water and put the area of the cardstock in it.
When you are statisfied your result should look something like this

Just make sure you heat it after everytime you ink it...drys faster that way

Yay! you have just completed your first background paper using gesso. This is a really simple and easy peasy technique.

Here is my finished layout


Happy Monday!

XO!
Greta