Trash To Treasure with Gelli Arts® by Johanna Lawson

Hi there! It’s Johanna here. 

Living in Florida, I am
surrounded by beautiful landscapes, seascapes, and all the amazing wildlife
they contain. Nature’s constant presence inspires me and my family to try to
always put the environment first. This includes, among other ideas and actions,
recycling.

Watch my video below to see my process:

INSPIRATION:

For this project, I was
inspired to create something using mostly recycled materials. Therefore, the
tools and paper were all found in the “trash”. Well, actually, I saved them all
from the trash. After monoprinting, I searched through my stacks and stacks of
printed papers, ephemera, washi tapes, scraps (you get the idea), and found all
the things needed to create a one-of-a-kind “junk” journal. The plan is to give
these journals to the people I love for use as commonplace journals.

“A commonplace [journal or] book is a
central resource or depository for ideas, quotes, anecdotes, observations and
information you come across during your life and didactic pursuits. The purpose
of the book is to record and organize these gems for later use
in your life, in your business, in your writing, speaking or whatever it is
that you do. Some of the greatest men and women in history have kept these
books.” (“How And Why To Keep A ‘Commonplace Book’” by Ryan
Holiday)

You have the power to make a
difference in the world, one bit of trash at a time. Begin to see your garbage
as an opportunity to create art AND aid mother earth by utilizing the resources
at our disposal, not driving our cars to buy more pre-packaged stuff from
big-box stores. Use this tutorial as a guide and then make it your own! Get
creative! For a list of all products used in this project, please see the materials
section at the end of the post.

journey
to the junk journal….

TECHNIQUE:

For the best
instructions, please view the video tutorial above. Below are a few extra tips:

1. Dig through your recycling bin or
trash to find possible stencils and tools to use during monoprinting. Here
are a few examples:

·        
bubble wrap of all sizes

·        
bits of cardboard

·        
eyelash trim

·        
punchinella

·        
plastic from containers

·        
citrus bags

·        
toilet paper rolls

·        
scraps of paper

·        
egg carton

2. Using scrap paper, create a
rosette and fan to use as monoprinting tools.

3. Using your gel plate and brayer, spread
your favorite color paints and use the tools above as stencils, marking
tools, lifting tools, etc.

4. Layer your paper again and again.
that is the beauty of gel printing! if you don’t like a print, add another
layer.

5. Use a file folder (of any kind) to
create your journal cover. choose complementary colors (consult a color
wheel) like the blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow cover seen here.

6. Continue printing using various
tools and turn the file folder to get the “quilted” look. you can overlap
layers or set prints side by side.

7. Use some ink sprays, shimmer
spray, and splatter paint to bring the cover together and give it a
cohesive look.

 

8. once you have a good stack of
prints and a beautiful cover, rummage through your other scraps, prints,
roll out paper, and bits of favorite paper you could never part with to
create an inspiration pile for your junk journal. for this single
signature journal, I used about 7-8 sheets of copy or magazine papers.

9. Cut, rip, tear, glue, and tape to
create a one-of-a-kind commonplace journal.

10. Finish with a simple pamphlet
stitch and fill with all your favorite quotes, poems, and stories. or send
it off to someone you love 

CREATION

Head on over to my Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook pages – @smallbatchcards
– to see more of my tutorials and art. Order cards,
prints, stationery, and other paper art gifts at http://www.smallbatch-cards.com.

We would love to see what you create with recycled material! Tag your work with #GelliArts and #GelliArtsInpsiration !

MATERIALS

• DecoArt® Americana Premium
  Acrylic Paint
• Gelli Arts® 4” Roller
• 8”x 10” Gelli Arts®
  Printing Plate
• 8.5” x 11” cardstock
  and copy paper
• magazine for roll out
  paper
• ScorePal
• Scissors/Cutting Tool
• Jane Davenport Washi
  Tape
• Trash!

And now… get 20% anything on www.gelliarts.com with the code: RAINBOWART