Fun with Gesso! ~step by step tutorial~

Have you ever wanted to play with Gesso but never quite knew how? 

Well, grab your supplies and let's go!

Materials (for this layout): 

* Canvas or adhesive canvas stuck on THICK card. You can use anything, but I recommend using something quite thick, as it will bow and mess up standard cardstock.

* Gesso - for this layout I used Mont Marte, but I have since bought the Heavy Gesso by Prima as I believe it will not need as many coats.
* Broad and thick paintbrush
* Spatula, credit card, or something similar to spread with.

* Charms, resins, chippies, doilies. Just lots and lots of embellies... I know you have just as many laying around stored neatly as I do lol! I love the Flourish  chippy by A2Z Scraplets, it's large enough to run up the entire side of the layout and super fun to decorate on and around!
* Mask/stencil/template - I used the Honeycomb template by Kaisercraft.

* Texture Paste - I used Jo Sonja's, it's fine for what we're doing.

* Glue - you're going to want a good strong wet glue. I use Kaisercraft Tacky Glue, it's my personal favourite.

* Mist of some kind - I used Tattered Angels Cotton Candy Chalkboard Mist. Love it.

* Black or grey gel pen

* Tattered Angels Pewter Glimmer Glaze

* I added a Green Tara glass bead thingy at the end too :)

How to:
Step 1. Adhere canvas to thick card and spread 2 smooth layers of Gesso over the blank canvas with your broad paintbrush (you'll need at least an hour drying time between each coat). 

Step 2. Place your template/mask on top of your canvas (I put a little d/s tape in each corner to hold it still) and use your spatula or credit card to scrape the Texture Paste over the mask. This will dry quite quickly, I think mine only took an hour or so.

Step 3. Placement. I laid the chipboard Flourish down first and then placed all of the embellies around it. I messed with them until it suited what I wanted and then glued each one down individually. You can, of course, glue as you go if your brain won't scream at you while doing so hahahaha

*** I left all of this to dry overnight as I wanted it super stuck before I started coating it all in Gesso.

*** Cut to next morning :)

Step 4. Using your broad paintbrush, coat the entire surface in Gesso. You will need to smoosh your brush sometimes to get into the edges and around all of your embellies. Once this is FULLY dry, go over it again. I say fully dry because if you're using metal or plastic embellisments, the Gesso won't stick until it's completely dry and you'll just smear it. Depending on your preferences, you may want 3 or 4 coats - I used 3.
** for the extra embellies added over the top of the photo, cover them in Gesso individually and keep aside.

Step 5. Once your top coat of Gesso is dry, take your layout and extra embellies outside with your Chalkboard mist and give them a spritz (or 5 depending how much colour you want!). You can also leave it all white - it looks gorgeous!
Step 6. Once your spritzing is all dry you can add your photo and extra embellies. My photo was mounted with foam tape.
Step 7. Using the small brush that comes with your Glimmer Glaze, gently brush the edges of some of your embellies. 
Step 8. Outline photo, title and edge of canvas with your black or grey gel pen.

There you have it, Gesso is FUN and oh so easy to work with! 

I hope I've been able to inspire you to have a go, I bet you'll love the outcome! 

Until next time, keep calm and craft on :) 

Karyn