OOPS…I Got the Boot

OOPS...I broke an ankle and got the boot, but decided to give it a little color by Carolyn Dube

While doing a death defying tight rope walk between two trees 50 feet in the air, I fell and broke my ankle. I wish that was the exciting story that went with the broken ankle but alas, it was just a simple missed step at home.

So this gray boring boot is going to be with me for a while and is teaching me all sorts of things, including patience and a whole new respect for anyone who has to deal with a physical disability. Life is certainly different when mobility is limited.

But I have a wonderful helper, the hubby, who has been my life saver when it comes to getting things out of the studio so I can play. Another thing I learned is that what is crystal clear to me is so not clear to him.

I asked him to grab me a couple of larger paint brushes to prime the boot. He brought me handfuls since I forgot to say a flat brush. Turns out I have more brushes than I realized.

I added some primer to the boot, and used newspaper and a paint cloth to protect the sofa. For the parts I couldn’t reach pain free, he helped me out, even pointing out that some of the areas I did were a bit sloppy. Turns out pain meds do not induce careful brush strokes.

Then happiness, smearing paint all around. Seeing the rainbow on the boot actually makes it more tolerable!

Who knows what I will do next to it, but whatever it is, it will be gentle. Broken bones and torn ligaments can really smart! To my artful newsletter people, there isn’t going to be one this week and I hope you’ll understand.

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Using Gel Prints for Ransom Alphabet Cards

Cardmaking using gel prints and an alphabet stencil tutorial by Carolyn Dube

The Streets of San Francisco were a big part of the inspiration for this alphabet stencil and these cards. Many moons ago, when watching reruns of the tv show starring Michael Douglas and Karl Malden, there was a kidnapping and the ransom note was individually cut up letters from the newspaper.

The stereotypical ransom note from the the 70’s and 80’s that apparently had a big influence on me because ever since then I have loved wonky and uneven letters.

Watch Gel printing a ransom note inspired card on YouTube.

The pages started out by gel printing a rainbow of background papers with a Gel Press plate and several pattern stencils from StencilGirl. If you’re new to gel printing, there’s a getting started guide here.

Those colorful papers were the base that I stenciled the Ransom Alphabet with black paint. As long as the supplies were out, making multiples was easy so ample words were ready to be made. Any letters not used this time will go into the stash and be ready next time I need letters.

There is ample space between each letter so cutting them out is a breeze. The pile of mixed up colors and patterns was the goal so I had a variety of letters to build words.

The nerdy mom in me couldn’t resist making the ROFL (rolling on floor laughing) card just to make my children cringe. They don’t always appreciate it when I act “hip” and “cool”.

I’m off to grab some of the gel prints I’ve made on other days to make more ransom letters and more words!

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The Gel Printed Matisse Grid with my Geometry Fail

Using a gel plate to make a grid inspired by Matisse's cut outs tutorial by Carolyn Dube

OOPS! The plan was to build the grid with 3 colors by having each color in each row and no color touching itself. I thought it was a solid plan.

It wasn’t, since after row #2, I was backed into a corner. Okay, that sounds a bit dramatic but for a fleeting second that is how it felt until I said O.O.P.S. (Outstanding Opportunity Presenting Suddenly). When I finsihed the grid with the Cutouts Inspired by Matisse stencil, I realized that this grid was far better than the one I planned.

Using a square Gel Press Plate to build the grid had a side benefit. Often, when gel printing, the clean up pages become wonderful all on their own. In the video, you’ll see a brownish blah page become layered with color just from cleaning off the brayer along with tips for how to stencil crisp images.

Watch Making an art journal page with a gel plate and a Matisse inspired stencil on YouTube.

New to gel printing? I’ve got a step by step guide for making your first print.

Apparently, geometry was not my strength in school. The proof (yes, pun intended for those who also dreaded writing those in geometry) is that I turned the gel plate square in the video so that it would fit better…um…squares are the same length on each side.

Getting a crisp stencil image is easy as 1-2-3.

Use small amounts of paint or a thick paint, like a heavy bodied paint. If using a thinner paint, just blot the sponge off on scrap paper before stenciling.
Pounce the cosmetic sponge in an up and down motion and not side to side because that is more likely to force the paint underneath it.
Use light pressure when stenciling. Pushing down with lots of pressure does make it go faster, but it is more likely to make paint squish under the stencil.

Here’s the clean up page created by just cleaning the brayer over and over on a page that had some yucky brown on it. Now I have an interesting background ready to go for another play session.

Here are the supplies I used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and it helps keep the free tutorials coming!