Leaf Prints with paint!

I posted a couple of pages in my Art Journal recently in which I used leaves from my garden to create an "Autumn" theme. Here in this first pic, you can see how I work - messy but everything to hand. Because the leaves get very sticky with the acrylic paints, I used a paper towel folded in half to 'stamp' them onto the page. I now have a speckly, veiny paper towel to use for ATC backgrounds.

To mop up the extra paint, I tore a couple of pages from an old paperback and printed onto them too - more backgrounds!! I do try never to waste anything you see!



Instructions (or guides):
1. Gather a few leaves from your garden/ park, wherever. Try and use ones that have well-defined veins and interesting shapes. The thicker leaves are probably better to work with as the more delicate ones may tear when you apply paint to them.

2. Get the paints - I used acrylics - in the colours you'll be using, ready. I used orange, red, brown and gold. But any colours will do!

3. Get yourself a piece of strong kitchen roll and fold in half.

4. Apply paint to the underside of the leaf where the veins stick out more with a sponge, sponge brush, or a flat brush. You will soon know how much paint to apply by the print you get! Each leaf should be good for 2 prints before reapplying paint.

5. Take your leaf and lay it carefully onto the surface you want to print on, then cover with the paper towel/kitchen roll and press lightly as though you are stamping. I used the palm of my hand for larger leaves and my fingers for the small ones.

Here's my page as it turned out:



I also used gel medium to thin the paint a little as the thicker acrylics were hard work on the thinner leaves. It was a lot of fun and I feel an altered or leaf-printed T-shirt coming on!! I hope you try it yourself and enjoy doing this

A note from Julie

A great tutorial and a brilliant Technique Rosie Thank you

You can see more of Rosie's Fab creations on her BLOG

Bind it all Photo Stand

I'm excited to be part of this wonderful blog, as my first tutorial you can see a video tutorial of a
Bind-it-all stand that you can use to put picture or in this particular case I've used for a calendar.
I did another version for picture , you can check in this post here in my blog.
Be sure to expect more videos tutorials, as I love to share my love for scrapbooking and mini albums.
Enjoy
Jana

Faux Ribbon banner

Hi all, Ive finally caught up on some house cleaning, washing and getting things back to some sort of normality after being away. I promised I'd post some cards so here's what we made at Mondays classes. The oval embossing was done by running your card through the cuttle bug using a plastic stencil, instructions shown here. I mounted this up with foam tape to the card front. The swans were stamps and they were 3D onto the front. I seen this Faux ribbon banner some time ago ....can't remember where but what a great little trick......To make the banner cut a strip of patterned paper to the length you need Mine measured 10cm long by about an inch wide.

Make a valley fold 2 cm in from each end.

Then a mountain fold another 1/2 to1cm along depending how high you want it to sit up.

Cut a V shape from each end.

Ink the edges and put 3-4 layers of foam tape on the back middle section. This will stop it from collapsing in the center and give you that 3d effect. I also curled up the ends.

Here's a close up pic of the finished card. I added a large oval message backed with foam tape......Valita