Mixed Media Art Journal Page with Gel Press, Stencils & Embossing

 

Hello crafty friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and today I’m sharing a mixed media art journal page that came together through layers, texture, and a little creative problem-solving.

This page started with a gel press print where I used packing material to create an organic, imperfect pattern. I love using unexpected textures on the gel plate because they instantly add depth and visual interest. Once the print was dry, I layered in printed tissue postcards to begin building the background.

 

To soften and unify the layers, I worked through a butterfly stencil using white gesso. After that dried, I went back through the same stencil with embossing ink and added embossing powder in soft vintage tones. That touch of heat-set shine brought subtle sparkle and helped the stencil design pop without overpowering the background.

Next came the details. I added hand-drawn accents with acrylic pens and tucked in a few tiny punched hearts made from embossed paper. These small elements may seem simple, but they make the page feel finished and intentional. 

After stepping back, I realized the page needed one more layer to balance everything out. I added pieces of printed paper to selected areas and tinted them with a soft pink matte finish. Then I stamped a bold floral image, heat-embossed it, and added color using a rosy spray from my stash. That final pop of color pulled the whole page together.

 

To finish the page, I added a few motivational ephemera sentiments. They grounded the design and gave the page a clear focal point without cluttering the layout.

 

This is one of those art journal pages that reminds me why I love mixed media so much. You can layer, experiment, step back, and adjust until it feels right. No rules. Just creativity.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderfully crafty weekend!

Topflight Stamp Supplies 

 

PaperArtsy - Francis Papillon 378 Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Jo Firth Young Petalicious Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Tracy Scott Gold Vintage Lace Shop at: TP	AALL & Create - Motivation Station Shop at: TP
Tsukineko - Versafine Clair - Twilight Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy - Printed Tissue Postcards Shop at: TP	Lindy's Gang - Magical Shakers - Boho Dreams Shop at: TP	Gel Press - Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: TP

Pink Hearts Valentine

Hello!  This week at Topflight Stamps we are using red and pink as our theme.  I created a Valentine, focusing heavily on pink.  On a pink cardstock base, I stamped the script from Studio Light Victorian Dreams stamp set to cover the background, using Lavinia Spun Candy dye ink.  A manila tag is full of hearts, thanks to the same Spun Candy ink and a PaperArtsy Sara Naumann Hearts Stencil (PS121).  I used a strip of the Studio Light Victorian Dreams packaging to decorate the bottom of that tag, along with some rosette ribbon from my stash.  The butterflies are from that same stamp set, stamped in Morning Mist by Versafine Clair, trimmed and glued down in the centers of their bodies only so that the wings can stand up.  The sentiment was selectively stamped / trimmed from a PaperArtsy Alison Bomber Love Edition quote.  Wishing you a wonderful day! ~ Colleen

Supplies From Topflight Stamps:

PaperArtsy Sara Naumann PS121 Stencil

Lavinia Spun Candy Dye Ink

Studio Light Victorian Dreams Stamp Set

PaperArtsy Alison Bomber The Love Edition EAB09

VersaFine Clair Morning Mist Ink Pad

Love is in the Air at Topflight Stamps

Hello, Lisa Hoel here. This week at Topflight Stamps our theme is "Pink & Red" which of course is perfect for making valentines!

The base is a background made with various pink inks and Maple Crimson Starburst Spray from the Autumn Leaves Lindy's Stamp Gang set. I used a mask (stencil) from Studio Light to make a monoprint of hearts over the inky background. I couldn't resist pulling out a Katzelkraft dragon stamp (love that derpy little guy) to use for my focal image.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out the Topflight Stamps store for a wide selection of different and hard to find stamps, stencils and other paper crafting supplies from all around the world! Also keep an eye here on the Topflight Stamps blog. There is new inspiration posted often!

Topflight Stamps Supplies Used:

Katzelkraft mini stamp - Dragon

Katzelkraft stamp set - Holiday Quotes
Studio Light Mask - Grungy Hearts

AALL & Create washi tape - #52 Blush

Lindy's Stamp Gang Starburst Sprays - Autumn Leaves

Versafine pigment ink pad - Onyx Black

Love Is In the Air

It's Tuesday which means you've got Kathi here to share a project with you today! But before I get to this week's project, I'd like to remind you that Topflight Stamps has a great sale going on! You can get 25% off all stencils and there are loads of them!

This week the team's focus is on Red and Pink, which naturally makes me think of Valentine's Day! Here's my card created with the Jungle Animals Red Rubber Unmounted Stamp Set by Katzelkraft, Wild Hearts Clear Photopolymer Stamp Set by Katkin Krafts, Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Double Stitched Rectangle Die Set by CREAlies, Sun and Clouds 6x6 Stencil by Carla Creates/Vaessen Creative, and Baby Pink, Charming Pink, and StrawberryVersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko.

Here's the card!

Using a stamping platform, position the zebra and the rhinosaurus stamps from the Jungle Animals Red Rubber Unmounted Stamp Set by Katzelkraft facedown on a piece of white cardstock.

Use Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko to ink the stamps. Stamp them twice — once onto the white cardstock and once onto repositionable sticker paper.

Use Copic markers to color both animals. Fussy-cut the sticker paper version of the animals and place them over their counterparts on the image panel as masks.

Place a piece of acetate horizontally across the image panel right above the zebra's posterior and the front paw. Brush Charming Pink VersaFine Clair Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko over the acetate onto the image panel to ground the zebra. Heat set the ink and place low-tack tape over the Charming Pink ground.

Use low-tack tape to secure the second largest die from the Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Double Stitched Rectangle Die Set by CREAlies facedown onto the image panel so that the animals are framed by the die. Run the die through a die-cut machine.

Keeping the image panel in the die, place the Sun and Clouds 6x6 Stencil by Carla Creates/Vaessen Creative towards the top of the image panel. Lightly brush Baby Pink VersaFine Clair Ink over the top edge of the stencil onto the image panel. Rotate the Sun and Clouds 6x6 Stencil, move it downwards, and brush Baby Pink VersaFine Clair Ink over the stencil and the masked images onto the image panel. Continue this process until the pink cloudy sky is complete. 

Clean the stencil, remove the image panel die-cut from the die, and heat set the ink.

Position the image panel die-cut back onto the base of the stamping platform. Place the elongated heart stamp from the Wild Hearts Clear Photopolymer Stamp Set by Katkin Krafts facedown on the image panel between the masked animals. Ink the heart stamp with Strawberry VersaFine Clair Ink and stamp. Re-ink and stamp again if needed to attain a good impression.

Remove the image panel die-cut from the stamping platform and heat set the heart. Remove the masks from the animals so they can see each other again.

Create an A6 card from white cardstock. Heavily sponge Strawberry VersaFine Clair Ink around the outer .75" of the card. Heat set the ink then adhere the image panel die-cut to the card. Add white stickers to create the sentiments and finish the card.

Please pop over to my blog, Kat's Tales of Stamping, for step-by-step instructions and complete supply lists.

Topflight Stamps Products Used:

Jungle Animals Red Rubber Unmounted Stamp Set by Katzelkraft*

Whereas Katzelkraft is gone, there's still a great supply of them at Topflight Stamps

Wild Hearts Clear Photopolymer Stamp Set by Katkin Krafts

Crea-Nest-Lies XXL Double Stitched Rectangle Die Set by CREAlies

Sun and Clouds 6x6 Stencil by Carla Creates/Vaessen Creative

Baby Pink, Charming Pink, and Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inks by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Tuxedo Black Memento Ink by Imagine Crafts/Tsukineko

Thanks for visiting today!

Textured Hearts: A Gel Press Valentine Card

 

Hello crafty friends! Ericka from Strangely Creative here, and I’m back with another mixed media card that’s full of texture, layers, and a whole lot of heart. Today’s project features the AALL & Create Heart Collage stamp, and honestly, this one never gets old.

Over the weekend, I pulled out my gel press and decided to play. No pressure, no plan. Just paint, curiosity, and some leftover packaging materials that were too interesting to toss. Those bits of texture turned out to be the perfect background starter. Slightly grungy, slightly imperfect, and exactly what I love for a handmade Valentine. If you want to see how that background came together, I shared the full process over on Instagram. Definitely worth a peek if you like seeing layers build from nothing.

 

Once the background was fully dry, I white heat embossed the Heart Collage stamp right over the top. That crisp white against the busy gel print instantly pulled everything together. To add a little extra detail, I grabbed my white paint pen and filled in some of the tiny hearts. Small step, big payoff. It adds just enough contrast and makes those hearts pop without overwhelming the background.

To finish the card, I hand-drew a simple frame around the edge to ground the design and keep the eye focused inward. For the sentiment, I reached for one of my favorites from Creative Expressions Sentiment Sheets. Clean, bold, and easy. Sometimes simple really is the best choice.

This Heart Collage stamp is one of those designs that works with just about everything. Heat embossing, mixed media, clean cards, messy cards. It plays well with all of it. If you’re looking for a stamp that earns its keep, this one definitely does. Here are all the Valentine's I've made so far with this awesome stamp.

 Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope this card inspires you to experiment with texture, use what you already have on your desk, and maybe even look twice at that packaging before it hits the trash. Until next time, stay creative and keep getting inky.

 

 Topflight Stamp Supplies

AALL & Create - Heart Collage Shop at: TP	Embossing - Bright White Ultra Fine Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Clear Embossing Pad Shop at: TP	WOW! Embossing - Metallic Gold Rich Pale Shop at: TP	Creative Expressions - Sentiment Sheets - Birthday Shop at: TP
Lindy's Gang - Magical Shakers - Under the Sea #1 Shop at: TP	Lindy's Gang - Magical Shakers - Under the Sea #2 Shop at: TP	Gel Press - Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: TP	Speedball - 2" Brayer Shop at: TP
Lavinia 5/8 Stencil Brush Shop at: TP

AALL & Create Morning Glory

Hello everyone!  After a hiatus, I am so happy to be back on the Topflight Stamps Design Team!  I've got a fun card today to share with you.  I had fun playing with PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Paints on some packaging I was about to discard.  The paints covered up the cardboard package nicely!  I used Taupe and Koala with a medium size dry paint brush directly onto the cardboard, and it dries fairly quickly.  The AALL & Create "Flower Press" by Tracy Evans was stamped right onto the painted surface with Versafine Onyx Black Ink.  Then I used Lavinia Snow White Chalk Paint to spatter on some spots.  It was lovely as-is, but I decided to go a step further and do some paper piecing using the Craft Consortium Ink Drops "Ocean" paper pad to highlight the blossoms and a couple of leaves.  LOVE how it turned out!  Final touches were several Hunkydory Diamond Sparkle Silver Gemstones in random spots. Thanks for joining me, have a great day! ~ Colleen

Supplies From Topflight Stamps:

Flower Press by Tracy Evans for AALL & Create

Craft Consortium Ink Drops - Ocean

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Paint - Taupe

PaperArtsy Fresco Finish Chalk Paint - Koala

Hunkydory Diamond Sparkle Silver Gemstones

Lavinia Chalk Acrylic Paint - Snow White

Versafine Onyx Black Ink