Tuesday Tutorial - Adding Texture

Happy Tuesday, crafty babes!  Jordan back again today to show you my favorite, easy way to add texture and dimension to your layouts: modeling gel! Modeling gel/paste is a great medium to work with because it leaves you with great texture, but it's also a neutral base, so you can add a little acrylic paint to it for a custom color!  

I'll start here, by showing you the finished layout created with the uber gorgeous Malibu Scrapbook Kit and the May Embellishment Kit.

Here's what you'll need to achieve this look:
Modeling Paste/Gel
Acrylic Paint
Stencil
Putty knife (old credit cards or room keys work just as well!)
Washi Tape
Paper Plate/Bowl (I didn't have any in the house so I just used a sheet of cardstock)

This is the medium I used.  You can find it here or in your local craft store.  I prefer a matte finish, but there are other finishes available.

With your putty knife, spoon a bit of paste onto your plate.  Add a dollop of acrylic paint, and mix.  You can continue adding paste or paint until you reach the desired color.  I originally began with a softer pastel green, but decided I wanted more of a punch of color, so I added a brighter lime green to the mix.

Next you want to secure your stencil to your paper so it doesn't slide around when you apply the paste.  A piece at the top and bottom should be enough to secure it.

Then grab a little bit of the mix with your putty knife and slowly drag it across the stencil.  Be careful not to add too much at once.  You can always go back and add more to fill in, but if you add too much at once it can spill over outside the lines of your stencil and run together underneath the stencil.

You can see a bit of the mix that spilled over on mine at the top and left side.  ;)  It didn't bother me much, but I like little imperfections and some will be covered up by the elements of the page.  

Carefully remove the washi and stencil while the mix is still a bit tacky and wait for it to dry.  This usually takes a few hours until it's completely dry.  

 Once dry, it becomes a beautifully textured layer!  Add your photos, titles, stamps and embellishments on top.

And there you have it!  A relatively quick and easy mixed media layer with minimal mess!  You can see the texture better here in the close ups.

I hope this inspires you to get a little messy in your scrapping this week or to try a technique you've not tried before.  I think you'll love the results if you do!

Don't forget to share your projects with us on Instagram and hashtag #citrustwistkits and on our Facebook page so we can leave you a little love!

Hope you have a memorable week!

xo, Jo