Mixed Media Ephemera Tutorial Using Unique Laser Design's Daisies Wood Embellishments!

Mixed media ephemera is a wonderful way to leverage your own artwork in your planner, art journal, and/or mail art. These "POPS" of color are not only fun to make, they also add interest & texture to any project. 

For this ephemera, I wanted to use a fall/autumn color pallette. However, I didn't want to use strictly traditional fall colors. So, I headed over to Pinterest for some inspiration. This fall/autumn color pallette below struck me immediately! I just love the untraditional aqua, purple, & gray/taupe coupled with the more traditional maroon, orange, & brown.

Grab your Gelli plate (Note: The back of a clear cutting board works GREAT if you don't have a Gelli plate) and acrylic paint from your stash to match our selected fall/autumn color pallete! Let's get this party started:

Add several random drops of the 
lavender & aqua paint to your Gelli plate.

Use a brayer or an old credit card/gift 
card to GENTLY blend the acrylic paint 
across the surface of your Gelli plate. 
Place several leaves on top of the 
acrylic paint to create natural 
printmaking stencils.

Place a piece of mixed media paper on 
top of the acrylic paint & leaves. Use your
 brayer or fingers to press the mixed media 
paper on top of the leaves
& acrylic paint. Be sure to press FIRMLY 
and cover the ENTIRE piece of paper.

Printmaking using acrylic paint & leaves.

Use Heidi Swapp Tinsel Color Shine
 and your favorite leaf 
stencil to create spray ink prints. 
This super cute hot glue stencil was a gift from a friend.

Printmaking using Heidi Swapp Color
 Shine & a homemade hot glue stencil.

Select several collage pieces from your 
stash that match the fall color pallete.
I have selected a printed napkin, 
paint swatches, vintage music sheet, 
& textured cardstock.

Adhere random bits of your collage
 pieces to your background
with Uhu glue or matte medium.

Use archival ink and a script stamp set 
to randomly add another
layer of color to your background.

Paint gesso around the edges of the
 collage pieces to give your
background a more cohesive look.

Randomly add bits of coordinating 
washi tape to the background.

Use orange acrylic paint and bubble wrap 
to add another layer of
color & texture to your background.

Randomly add more bits of washi tape to the background.

Randomly stamp PARTIAL flowers all over the background using black archival ink.
 I used this floral background stamp
 by Dylusions.

Add details to the bubble wrap print by outlining the circles with a black Inktense pencil & 
white Uni-ball Signo pen.

Randomly add groups of outlined black dots to your background using a Black Pitt Pen 
marker & black Uni-ball Signo pen.

Brush the entire background surface with
 gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spray Ink.

Randomly 'flick" aqua acrylic paint all over the background with a toothbrush.

Use a punch or die cutting machine
 to create shapes in your completed
 mixed media background.
 I used a 2" inch circle punch.

Distress the edges of all the circles with
 black archival ink.

Adhere Unique Laser Design's wood daisies 
to the punched circles with hot glue.

Adhere a rhinestone 'blingie' to the 
ULD wood daisies with hot glue and outline 
the flowers with a black Uni-ball Signo pen.

Each piece of mixed media ephemera is UNIQUE!!!

Add these yummy bits to your art journal layout,
 planner, and/or mail art.

I hope you enjoyed this mixed media ephemera tutorial! See ya next time!

XOXO,

Shelley