{Mixed Media Tutorial} Fun Artsy Mixed Media Tags By Helen

Hello crafty friends... Helen is here today with a tutorial how to create these fun, artsy looking mixed media tags using stencils, stamps, dies, Gelli printing plate, acrylic paints, markers, and pigment ink pad.

I use the basic Gelli printing technique to crate these mixed media tags. Super easy and fun. Let's get started!

First, we are going to create the first layer on the tags. You can use any heavyweight cardstock or watercolor paper that can hold several mediums on it. For my tags, I cut 6 tags out of a piece of 8.5" x 11" (letter) size of 110 lbs white cardstock using the Manila Tags Nesting Dies.

Apply some acrylic paints on the Gelli printing plate and then using the brayer to blend and mix the colors. This is very important to remember: do not over brayer the paints, you will end up taking them off the plate. Use bounce - tap motion to blend paints.

After that, add the tags on the Gelli printing plate and then gently press them to the plate with your fingers or you can also use the brayer. Pick up the tags off the plate.

I repeated this step to create the first layer backgrounds on these tags with different color of acrylic paints.

Next step is to create the marks on the tags as the next layer of backgrounds.

Apply the base color of paint on the Gelli printing plate and spread it with the brayer.

Add the stencil on it and you can pull a positive print and negative print of this plate.

For this next step, I use all the new released 6 Make Marks Stencils.

On my tags, after I added the stencil, I added the tag on top of the stencil, press gently but firm to the plate, and that way I got the positive prints on the tags.

I repeated this steps several time to build up the layers of backgrounds on each tag.

After I removes the stencils, I applied a thin layer of different color of paint on it, spread it with the brayer, and then I pulled off the negative prints of the Gelli plate using copy papers. I ended up with these fun printed papers that I will use on the future projects for sure!

You can leave the tags as they are, or you can also decorate them with stamps, doodling or any embellishments you want to.

On each of my tag, I stamped them with Life in Full Color Stamp Set and VersaFine Clair Nocturne ink pad. After I stamped the images and sentiments, I dried them with craft heater.

I also doodled on each of the tag for extra shapes. I used Posca acrylic maker to draw on the tags.

Once all the stamped images and doodles dried, I painted some of them with acrylic paints and watercolor crayons as final step. All done...

Extra tip for you... I clean my Gelli printing plate using hand sanitizer gel and baby wipe. Simply apply some of the gel on the plate, rub off all the dried paints on the plate with finger, and wipe it off clean with baby wipe. As simple as that. And you can put it back in the plastic box again.

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I hope you all enjoy the tutorial and give it a try. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today and wish you all a fabulous day!!!