DIY Washi Tape and Handmade Cards

I recently bought a small gelli plate for mono-printing. Printers used to make their own plates with gelatin, and you still can, but now there are a few companies that manufacture them. The bonus is that they are quite durable and they should last for years if you take care of them.

I recently saw a YouTube video on making your own mono-printed washi-tape. I had all the ingredients to make it happen! 

The first step is to tape strips of masking tape onto wax paper. Don't overlap. 

Second, roll out some acrylic paint onto your gelli plate. I wanted random, bright colors.

I impressed some designs onto the plate and pulled a few prints using the taped wax paper. If you don't have a gel plate you could always sponge paint the tape with acrylic paint.

Once my layers of printed paint dried, I stamped and stenciled random designs.

Why make washi-tape when you can buy it reasonably priced? I wanted to use it to bind multi-fold cards. I wanted to the tape binding to blend in with the card.

This is my first attempt at a three fold card with a washi-tape binding.

I had so much fun creating it!

It took me a few days to complete because I kept adding new layers and embellishments. I am quite happy with the results and plan to make more. The washi-tape "hinge" blends in nicely.

 But now lets get back to the handmade washi-tape...

In theory, you should easily be able to pull the tape off of the wax paper. The first day I made it, it appeared that it would lift off easily. Three days later, when I was ready to assemble my card, much of the tape would not come off the wax paper. It could possibly be that my masking tape is too heavy duty. It's the same tape we buy in bulk to tape bubble wrap when packing pottery. Maybe inexpensive tape works better. Another thought is, the artist in the YouTube video is in Italy. European waxed paper may be different from what we get here in the US. I am going to give it another try with an idea that Jeff gave me. Lay masking tape down on a board or piece of cardboard. Tape another layer of tape over that tape. Print, stamp, and embellish the second layer. In theory, it should peel off easily, since that is how tape works on a roll. Hopefully, your first layer of tape can be re-used to make more. I don't like being wasteful!

I will post again when I finish my second attempt. In the meantime, feel free to ask questions, or share your method if you have made your own washi-tape.

Be well, and keep creating!

Smile

...even though it's hard sometimes.

I am still here. I am still healthy. Jeff is too. We have left the house less and less over the last few weeks. We are used to being  mostly home and living quietly, so not much to adjust to in that department. Making the most of grocery trips, and the timing of when to go, has been a little adjustment. The things going on in my head are a whole other thing.

I am a little worried about income, but have faith that we will be okay. We are resourceful.

I worry about my 93 year old Dad, in a nursing home, confined to his room. No visitors aside from my sister visiting through his window. Thankfully he is on ground level! His biggest past time is jigsaw puzzles, and now they are getting hard to find. He still sounds cheery on the phone, but I know he is lonely.

My aunt (my Mother's sister-in-law) is a resident at the same home.

Last week I made my Dad and Aunt a card and mailed them off. Dad LOVES to get mail. I am sure my Aunt is the same. Over the weekend I decided that I would spend some time making cards for everyone I know that is living alone and feeling isolated.

I am creating this round of cards by recycling watercolors that were not up to my expectations (I have a LOT of failures to recycle!). I had a lot of fun making these. They made me smile. I hope they make others smile too.

We are fortunate that Dad is in a great place, as far as nursing homes go. Last week they e-mailed this photo to my sister so that she could share it with us. I hope the puzzle supply doesn't run out before this over!

P.S. We are still making pottery, glazing pots and loading the kiln this week

Be Merry!

I spent a few nights last week painting Christmas cards and I had so much fun doing them! I bought some affordable watercolor paper from Arteza and used gouache instead of watercolor. Gouache uses less water, therefore I didn't have the problem of the paper buckling. Yesterday, while the kiln was firing, I took advantage of some down time and assembled them on card stock and gave them their final touches. To save time I stamped the lettering using clear silicone stamps on an acrylic block. The clear stamps are so much easier to use than the traditional rubbers stamp  mounted on wood. The stamp set came with some cute borders, so the bonus was decorating the envelope flaps.

If you recall, I bought the gouache paints in the spring or summer, but really struggled with them. I watched a few youtube videos and decided they would be a good option for card making. Working on multiple small paintings gave me the opportunity to experiment and learn more about the medium.

Now all I have to do get out my card list and get these cuties in the mail!

Put A Price On It

Alcohol Ink with Doodles

The paintings are starting to pile up around here. I decided that some of them would become greeting cards. Not only for my own use, but perhaps to start selling them. I ordered card stock and envelopes, along with some plastic sleeves. Last night I decided to research what handmade cards were selling for on Etsy and was totally blown away! There were shops selling cards for as little as $1.79! Granted, some were done with cut outs from a cricut machine, with jewel embellishments... but they were well done. You can't buy a decent card from a well known company for less than $4. The last time I looked at cards in a store, every one that I liked was $6.99 and up! I found a watercolor artist selling beautiful cards with miniature watercolor paintings for $5 and free shipping. I am tempted to order some.
I felt a little better after searching specifically for cards created with alcohol inks. Most sellers prices were $8+. The art on my cards could easily be framed by removing the painting from the card. That all being said, if I don't sell any cards I have plenty for my own use!