TAG ALONG BLOG CHALLENGE #75: RETHINK GESSO

I am delighted to have been asked to host the Tag Along Blog Challenge this week.  This will be an interesting challenge for most, so take a moment to read this post and watch the video before beginning your tag for this challenge.  

Before joining the Stampotique Originals' Creative Team (2014), I was an avid follower of the Stampotique Designers' Challenge Blog.  I followed most of the Design Team Members' blogs, but one in particular that I never missed was that of Design Team Member Sarinda Jones.  One blog post of Sarinda's stands out in particular for me.  On November 5, 2013, Sarinda was the host of the Stampotique Designers' Challenge and asked us to "rethink" gesso.  We all know how to use gesso as a prep for our substrates, and how to use it to lighten up or even cover up, when necessary. But, few of us use gesso as a creative tool.  Before reading the rest of the blog, I would like to suggest that you take a moment to view a YouTube video created by Sarinda to show us new ways of using gesso. 

For my tag today, I have used Technique #3 from the video. Once dry, I used Dylusions spray inks to add citrus colors to the gesso, with sprays of water to blend my colors.  The detail on the bottom left was created by using the Tim Holtz "Honeycomb" die and orange card stock from my stash.  I placed the framework of the die cut against my tag to use as a template and adhered the small pieces from the die cut to my tag.  I had to move the template a couple of times to get the pattern that I wanted.  

Next, I adhered a piece of orange ribbon to a piece of green ribbon, then adhered both of them to the bottom of my tag to serve as a "ground" for my image.  "Portland" from Stampotique Originals was colored with LePlume II markers, then whitewashed with gesso deluted with water to tone down the colors a bit.  Once dry, Portland was adhered to my tag using pop dots, then I added a layer of Wink of Stella to give her some shimmer'n'shine against the mat background.  

My birthday sentiment was added using a Hero Arts stamp.  The ribbon at the top and the button were added from my stash.  

I am also entering this tag in the Stampotique Designers' Citrus Color Challenge #181.

I hope you will find time this week to use gesso in a new way on a tag for the Tag Along Blog challenge. I appreciate both your visit and your comment today.  If you have not already done so, I hope you will sign up as a follower of this blog. Additionally, if you would like to receive an e-mail when I update my blog, you can sign up to "follow by e-mail," as well.