Good Morning,
With International/National Scrapbooking Day this past weekend, I found myself breaking out my mixed media supplies. I have to say I have fallen love with the 3D Gloss Gel! It looks like glass or depending on your appetite spun sugar, on your project.
If you have not played with it or taken a class, you should try this out. But first here is something to keep in mind the first time you play with it. Gel is not as “wet” as modeling paste, perhaps Gesso would be a better comparison. The Gel is white like Gesso in the jar. But the look after mixing in color reminded me of modeling paste as it takes on a creamy, opaque look. This look threw me off as I expected it to be clear, like a gel.
In fact, I was disappointed thinking the color would be what I saw wet. I kept adding more Colorburst trying to achieve a brighter orange, but nothing worked. I was ready to call it quits but by then I had mixed up so much I didn’t want it to go to waste. I happened to have just finished off a paper towel roll so with a dot stencil,and some washi tape I set out to decorate the roll. I slathered it on and left it to dry. My thinking, if anything my little one will use to make “music” in one form or another. After that I cleaned up and called it a night trying to think how I was going to re-work my layout. Of course,little did I know magic was happening on that paper towel tube.
The next morning my little one was instantly drawn to it, as all the dots looked like shining glass buttons. ( Keep in mind I did this when I was frustrated) The colors were clear and bright. I kicked myself for using so much of the dry ink and giving up on the orange color. It would have been perfect.
Back to the craft room where I grabbed the Ken Oliver Lime Green Colorburst, mixed it with the gel and went to work. The effect is better than the epoxy stickers currently popular. I find the thicker I put it on, the more 3D effect it creates. Depending on how “raised” you want it is how much excess you remove off your stencil.
Tip: make sure edges are smooth as the nature of the gel can create sharp edges.
For clean up, I let it dry on my craft mat then just pull it up and threw it away. While it is water-base non-toxic I still would not risk putting this stuff down the drain.
As for buckling the paper, I have not seen any evidence on the two types used such as the Kraft paper towel roll or the Bazzil paper at approx. 75 lb weight. I think generally when using mixed media mediums you want a heavy weighted paper or watercolor paper given the moisture content.
After using this gel medium I am not sure I want to go back to modeling paste as I love the clear color look the gloss gel creates. The layout all these was used will be posted this week as I am just waiting for it dry before I can finish assembling it.
Until then…..
