2021 Topic 6 Mandala Mix with TS {by Jennie Atkinson}

 2021 Topic 6: Mandala Mix

This blur-ple inspired mandala layered panel is rich with texture and shades of the same tones. Jennie explains so clearly how she pulls her layers together so that the elements don't get lost on each other. I find that really helpful to understand that process. I hope you do too.
~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Jennie (Live the Dream) with you today sharing a mixed media hanging.

I have been itching to use Tracy's gorgeous mandalas and flowers in a mixed media project and knew that they would layer beautifully. I seem to be eating a lot of blueberries at the moment (a new diet!) and so instinctively reached for the Blueberry Fresco and decided to give Violet Storm Infusions an outing ...... not one for the faint-hearted! I'll share how I tamed it down a bit later!

I have used three of Tracy's stamp sets along with a matching stencil:

 

TS051

TS047

TS057 (available from stockists list here)

PS210

  

These were my Fresco colours: Blueberry, Concrete, Cloud 9 and Grape. I used Grape for the outside border as it was a better match than the Blueberry. And of course the little pot of gorgeousness: Violet Storm Infusions.

 

To start I experimented a little with my Gelli Plate using Blueberry, Concrete and Cloud 9 to see if I could match papers to a tag I stamped with Archival Ink. 

I find this is a good starting point and even if I don't use what I have pulled from the plate (like the tissue) I have some nice pieces to get started.

I have use an A5 piece of greyboard for the background of the panel. I live to give it a coat of white gesso before layering some text paper which I thought would show through the gorgeous mandala stencil. In hindsight I wished I hadn't torn such straight lines! But overall it does tend to blend into the background once the layering is finished.

The next part of the process was to see if the Violet Storm Infusions would match.  For a while this was one of my favourite Infusions but it can be very dark. This is is how it started but I keep spritzing with water and mopping up and then leave it to dry which always seems to make it a little lighter. As long as you have added a good coat of gesso to your dry board you can spritz it really heavily with water without any damage.

I loved how the violet and pinkish hues came through once it had dried, but once the layering was added it did feel a little blue so I dry brushed some Cloud 9 Fresco here and there where the colour was the darkest. 

I also rubbed a little silver wax around the edges of the stencilling to highlight the texture.

And so to the layering - I always spend some time stamping different elements on the Gelli Plate papers. Looking for lighter areas but which all match as I used the same combination of Frescos. 

I like to ink a stamp and then keep stamping it without re-inking to get different tones. This is quite important when layering as if everything is the same tone the elements will get lost.

Which is what happened to the main flower. I had stamped it on the coloured papers but something was just not working despite the addition of some white lace and a white sentiment. However when I stamped it on cardstock painted with Cloud 9 Fresco it just jumped off the background!

When layering I start with one or two flat layers. These I adhere to the background on an edge which is going to be covered. That leaves the outside edge "floating" without giving the impression that it has been adhered. 

I used the clock stamp to create a smoother edged style to the rest of the elements and also it sat quite beautifully in the lace !

I use leftover pieces of greyboard to adhere subsequent layers. This is more robust than foam pads and still allows the outside edges to appear to be "floating".

I really love the way these colours came together despite my initial misgivings.  The gorgeous stamps gave depth that was possible with just four layers. What I would really like to try is a similar layering but just using the stamps and a masking technique in order to create a single layer of stamping but with a layered effect. I am sure it would work beautifully. 

Also don't be put off by large stamps. They are great for cutting into smaller tags and elements and if you have a die cut machine and a tag die you can work out the area of the pattern you want to use.

Such beautiful stamps and stencils by Tracy which I am sure will become favourites.

 As always thank you for joining me!

Jennie

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