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.
I hope you enjoyed this mixed media ephemera tutorial! See ya next time!
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:
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| Add several random drops of the lavender & aqua paint to your Gelli plate. |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Printmaking using acrylic paint & leaves. |
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| 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. |
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| Printmaking using Heidi Swapp Color Shine & a homemade hot glue stencil. |
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| 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. |
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| Adhere random bits of your collage pieces to your background with Uhu glue or matte medium. |
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| Use archival ink and a script stamp set to randomly add another layer of color to your background. |
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| Paint gesso around the edges of the collage pieces to give your background a more cohesive look. |
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| Randomly add bits of coordinating washi tape to the background. |
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| Use orange acrylic paint and bubble wrap to add another layer of color & texture to your background. |
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| Randomly add more bits of washi tape to the background. |
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| Randomly stamp PARTIAL flowers all over the background using black archival ink. I used this floral background stamp by Dylusions. |
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| Add details to the bubble wrap print by outlining the circles with a black Inktense pencil & white Uni-ball Signo pen. |
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| Randomly add groups of outlined black dots to your background using a Black Pitt Pen marker & black Uni-ball Signo pen. |
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| Brush the entire background surface with gold Heidi Swapp Color Shine Spray Ink. |
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| Randomly 'flick" aqua acrylic paint all over the background with a toothbrush. |
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| Use a punch or die cutting machine to create shapes in your completed mixed media background. I used a 2" inch circle punch. |
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| Distress the edges of all the circles with black archival ink. |
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| Adhere Unique Laser Design's wood daisies to the punched circles with hot glue. |
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| Adhere a rhinestone 'blingie' to the ULD wood daisies with hot glue and outline the flowers with a black Uni-ball Signo pen. |
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| Each piece of mixed media ephemera is UNIQUE!!! |
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| Add these yummy bits to your art journal layout, planner, and/or mail art. |
XOXO,
Shelley
