GELLI PRINT PACKING TAPE ART MAGNETS - HOW TO

Art Magnets Made With Gelli Tape Transfer Technique

Hi friends;

Here's a long overdue post for you on how I make those art magnets, using my gelli prints on packing tape.

If you haven't see the Gelli Arts video on how to make cool, arty packing tape with gelli prints, then go here first to see what I am talking about:

Gelli Arts Packing Tape Video

So, here are some photos of two of my Gelli plates with acrylic and dimensional paints.
 

12 X 14 Gelli Plate With Acrylic & Dimensional Paints

6 X 6 Gelli Plate With Acrylic Paints

And here is the tape I made from those two plates:

Gelli Tape - No Glitter Or Pearl Ex Powder Used Yet

Gelli Tape With Teal And Purple Glitter Added To Fill In The Sticky Areas

The tape was just about the perfect width for me to make backgrounds for my art magnets I create so often.  I use those sticky-backed business card-sized magnets you can buy at the office supply store.  They are 2" X 3.5" and are great for making small-scale art magnets.

Sticky-backed business card magnet blanks

All I had to do was peel off the white paper from the magnet, put the gelli tape on the magnet (remember, it's VERY sticky) and then trim the edges.

So now I have the backgrounds of the art magnets ready, what am I going to put on top of the Gelli tape?

I started by adding some of my doodly flower collage elements.  And then I added even more doodling on them with my Sakura Moonlight Gelly Roll pens (this step not shown).

Next, from my ever-increasing stash of stuff, I pulled some cute vintage-style graphics that measure about 1" X 2" and which I had already put under those sticky-backed resin pieces you can buy for such purposes.  They are great to use for making pendants and domino art.  I believe these images came from Lisa's Altered Art.

Resin Blanks (left) and Vintage Images Under Resin (right)

I used some E-6000 (similar to GOOP) to adhere the vintage images that were now under resin to the magnet backgrounds.  Clothes pins held them in place until they dried.

And here are the finished pieces.  The scans really don't do them justice as they are very bright and shiny because of the packing tape and the resin.

If you go back to the top of this post, you'll see a couple of examples of another style of magnet I made using some sweet vintage images of ladies and their dogs, and with this same technique.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tutorial and I'd love to see what you create with your gelli packing tape.

Until next time ...

Joanna

PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES to be won by YOU ... at GELLI JAM this summer!

Hi all;

Well, we're winding down the last two weeks before our ONLINE workshop "Gelli Jam" premieres with Artful Gathering.

Just in case you missed the details, check this out.   In addition to all the fun we are going to have in the workshop, you can win one of over 20 different prizes that will only be available to those who are registered in the class.  All kinds of original art by me and other cool stuff will be available.

Sure hope you'll join us.  More details at:

Artful Gathering 2014

We'll create all this cool handmade art journals in the workshop

PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES TO BE WON!

Just a few of the many, many prizes you could win!

Win one of these limited edition art notebook/journals

Lots of my original art will be available to win!

Lots of my original art will be available to win!

Lots of my original art will be available to win!

Head on over to Artful Gathering to get registered and we'll see you there for all the fun this summer!

Cheers!
Joanna

MIXED MEDIA ART MAGNETS - back to where it all began

Hello everyone;

Many, many moons ago (about 15 years), as some of you will know, I started on my artful adventure in mixed media by making little collages on magnets with recycled and salvaged materials.  I had been given a whole bunch of business card blanks (sturdy cardstock that measured 2" X 3.5") and decided to experiment in collage with them.  Their small size meant the process wasn't too intimidating and it was really easy to get work finished quickly.

At about the same time, I found out that you could get sticky backed magnets the exact same size and that lots of people used these magnets to turn their business cards into a marketing tool for themselves.  The light bulb went on and I still use these sticky-backed magnets to make miniature works of art to this day.

I am now, all these years later, a self-confession Gelli plate printing addict.  I use my gelli monoprints in all kinds of mixed media and collage pieces and always have interesting little bits left over, which lend themselves very well to becoming magnets.

The following are images of my most recent creations using scraps of Gelli prints along with collage elements.  I have deliberately chosen to keep the compositions simple so that the beautiful, one-of-a-kind backgrounds can shine.  You can't see it in the scans, but many of the magnets have also been treated to a little dash of glitter for a bit of sparkle.

I hope you like them.  A few are already sold but some of these are still available if you are interested.

Cheers, my friends!
Joanna

Any Flat Surface Will Do - Collage On Anything!

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

There's a running joke in our household that if something is flat and not nailed down it will probably end up in one of my collages.  

As the "Queen of Recycling" (a title given me by friends and customers), I always look at recyclable materials with a view to whether or not they'd make a good substrate for my art. 

Case in point, about 12 years ago I was in the home improvement store looking at those little laminate sample chips you can pick up when you are thinking of replacing your kitchen countertop.  They come in a myriad of colors and textures and are strong and durable.  They have rounded corners typically and a hole punched in them, and are about 1.5" X 2" or so.  Initially, I used them to make art jewelry pendants which I sold on Ebay and Etsy for several years.  

Eventually, I found some larger pieces that were about 3.5" X 5" and started making larger art magnets with them.  I hadn't made any in quite some time, when I recently came across a stash of them in my studio and decided to play around with them again.  I had been wanting to use up some of my Gelli plate prints that I have amassed, so I thought I'd make some fun and funky art magnets.  Here's what I did:

Here's a couple photos of the fronts and backs of the laminate pieces.  I have chosen to do the art on the back (unfinished) side because it has a more grippy surface than the slick "good" side of the laminate.  Plus, that way the finished piece will have a really nice look to the back side as well as the front.  

Laminate Samples - Front

Laminate Samples - Back

I cut my Gelli plate prints a bit bigger than the size of the laminate sample, which is about 3.5" X 5."  I chose some of the brighter, more colorful prints I have because I was planning on making these collages into some of my smart-ass magnets and I wanted them to be fun and playful.  

To ensure good adhesion, I used heavy body gel medium (Golden) to glue the prints to the backside of the laminate and let them dry.  Then I trimmed around the edges of the laminate to remove the excess paper.

Collaged elements, doodling, lettering, and other paint treatments came next.  I ran a stamp pad around the edges of the piece to finish the magnets off and then sprayed each with three coats of high gloss sealant.  Two flat, sheet magnets (the kind used for business card magnets) were put on the back of each piece.

Back Of Lamnate With Two Magnets Attached

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

Art Magnet Made With Recycled Laminate Sample

This was a fun and quick project with great results.  It has reminded me that I should re-visit my previous types of work from time to time, bringing with me the latest techniques and tools I am using.  It brings new life and a new spin to the tried and true.

Thanks for visiting and have an artful day!

Much love always!
Joanna

FREE Grungy Backgrounds To Download

Here are some interesting grungy, rusty images I've had in my collection for a long time.  I thought I would share them with you in case you'd like to use them for  your own artsy projects.

Just right click on each image and save them to your own computer.  If you feel like sharing what you create with these backgrounds, I'd love to see them.

Have fun!!

Joanna

"Tropical Garden" Art Magnets

More Abandoned Art Magnets

Hello!  I can't believe it's April already!  Woo hoo, summer is on its way!

I'm really getting carried away with this Art Abandonment thing.  Although I have been abandoning art for several years now, I have really gotten into it lately since I have been involved with my online group.  This month, I will continue to abandon more of my art magnets in my own and other communities as I travel.

These are miniature prints of my original art and each one measures 2" X 3.5" (see quarter in the photo for scale).

As I mentioned in my January post to our Art Abandonment Group (Facebook), magnets are great for abandoned art because they are easy to adhere to different surfaces that you might not otherwise consider as a suitable location for your art.  I have abandoned magnets on door frames, utility boxes (those big ones in public places that house city electrical connections or water shutoffs, etc.), playground equipment, the doors in public restroom stalls (inside, of course).  I try to make it a challenge for myself to find really out-of-the-way places to abandon magnet art.  It is SO fun to think how long it might be before someone discovers it and if only to be a "fly on the wall" to see the wonder on their faces when they find it.

I STILL love art by stealth!!

Cheers!
Joanna

March Magnet Madness - Abandoned Art

For the month of March, I will continue to abandon more of my art magnets in my own and other communities.

These are miniature prints from my original art and each one measures 2" X 3.5" (see quarter in the photo for scale).

As I mentioned in my January post to our Art Abandonment Group (Facebook), magnets are great for abandoned art because they are easy to adhere to different surfaces that you might not otherwise consider as a suitable location for your art.  I have abandoned magnets on door frames, utility boxes (those big ones in public places that house city electrical connections or water shutoffs, etc.), playground equipment, the doors in public restroom stalls (inside, of course).  I try to make it a challenge for myself to find really out-of-the-way places to abandon magnet art.  It is SO fun to think how long it might be before someone discovers it and if only to be a "fly on the wall" to see the wonder on their faces when they find it.

I love art by stealth!!

Cheers!
Joanna

Using Humor In Art

A close second to my love of using inspirational quotes in my art work is the use of humor.  I have created a huge amount of mixed media, collage and altered art that has sarcastic and irreverent humor as its base.  It just is SO me, what can I say.

When I first started using humor in my art (in my two lines of funny magnet art), I was a little worried.  I wasn't sure anyone else had the same sense of humor that I did.  As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about at all.  Everyone loved the magnets (and greeting cards which came next) and I still sell them to this day at my art shows.  I'll do a post about some of them another time.  In the meantime, a number of other people have had great success with this type of humor, often paired with vintage images as I did.  If you've seen Anne Taintor's stuff, you'll know what mine is like.

Following are some examples of some other art pieces I created using recycled drink coasters as the substrate, along with salvaged papers, vintage images, discarded embellishments and scrap ribbon for hangers.

Hope you have a laugh!

Joanna

Zentangle-Inspired Original Magnet Art

I haven't shown much in recent months that features my doodling and zentangle-inspired art, even though I still doodle regularly.  I discovered zentangling almost three years ago and immediately became hooked on it.  I was, and still am, so grateful for discovering this new art form and being able to integrate it into my mixed media work.  Having worked in collage and mixed media for so many years, it was wonderful to be able to infuse my work with something new and interesting.  Any artist fears their work becoming stale and getting bored with doing the same old thing.  Adding doodling to my art, has given me (and the art) a boost and moved me in new directions.  That is always a good thing for an artist.

Here are two little original magnets I made recently.  I doodled them on my own handpainted papers and I really like how they turned out.  They are encased in acrylic magnetic holders which protect the art well.  They measure about 3.5" X 3.5" and will be available in my Etsy store here very soon.  $9.95US each.  If purchased here through my blog, I will pay the shipping anywhere in North America as my thanks for the support.

If you want to find out more about the art of zentangle, check out these websites:

Zentangle

Tangle Patterns