Art Journaling: Gel Press Background with Shari Carroll

Hi everyone! It’s Shari here, back with my Art Journal Feature for April… no foolin!!

I had so much fun playing with the Gel Press yesterday and had another idea. As I was playing I noticed that I could add and remove paint from the Gel Press using my brayer. So the wheels were turning thinking that I could add color in small areas and layer them up creating a distress painted background for my art journal.

Art Journal, Shari Carroll, Gel Press

I love how my background turned out. I also used the Mini Brocade stencil from The Crafter’s Workshop with Wendy Vecchi’s Violet Archival ink. I didn’t want to clutter up my page and hide the background too much, so I wend with a Typography look using the Tim Holtz Alphas Transparency Tiles, Lace die cut and title. To finish things up, I added Hydrangeas which were die cut from painted paper.

Art Journal, Shari Carroll

Using black for my title with Alpha tiles and lace border really pop against the background. My last finishing touch was to add Black Enamel Accents to the centers of the flowers. Viloa!

Art Journal, Shari Carroll

I have filmed the entire process which you can view in the video below, or watch on our YouTube channel HERE.


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Thanks for reading today, I hope you have a great weekend!

  1. Beautiful project, beautifully done! Love, love and love. I added a lot of supplies to my ‘Wish List’.
    Thanks so much for sharing with us and for the video!

  2. Such an incredible page! I just loved watching you create the background with the gel press and brayer! It made me think that even I could do that!! Thanks for the message too. It’s a good one of hope for me today.

  3. I’m loving these gel press videos. Love the techniques. The music was great, too. What was it?

  4. This is gorgeous. Love the colors and the black centers on the hydrangeas, genius! The video on the gel press was such fun to watch. Thanks so much.

  5. Shari your mixed media and art journaling videos have become my favorite. Thank you for this inspirational treat!

  6. HOW BEAUTIFUL, SHARI! I LOVED watching you work! I have only recently tired the Gelli Plate & I LOOOVE IT!!! Watching your work, just makes me INSPIRED!!! ;) THANK YOU for showing us!!!!!!!!!!!! ;) I LOVE the colors you’ve used too!!! ;)

  7. Everything you make is just so beautiful! I could look at your creations every moment of every day, I swear. lol Thanks for sharing your gift!

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