COLLAGRAPH PRINTING WITH DINA WAKELY

Hello March!  When the month comes in over the weekend, it always seems to sneak up on me!  Welcome to the Designer Crafts Connection MARCH BLOG HOP!  This month we are share new techniques that have blown us away!

Last month I had the opportunity to take a Collagraph Printing Class with Dina Wakely at Whim So Doodle, my local scrapbook (and more) store in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Dina is always full of energy and extremely inspiring, so I always jump at the chance to take her classes.  Creating in a group of other creative people always recharges my creative batteries!

Collagraph Printing is literally making a collage and turning it into a printing plate!  We used shipping tags, manilla file folders, stencils and molding paste, drywall tape, punches, craft foam - anything that will leave a slightly raised image will work.

The next step is to glue everything together and create the "plate".  We used shipping tags, scrap cardboard and manilla file folders.  I created several plates that day, but the one below using molding paste with a feather stencil gave me the best results.  Dina then suggested to "seal" the plate with several coats of gel medium, so the paint would not break down the fibers in the cardstock.  Another tip would be to use a heavier bodied paint like Golden or Liqutex rather than the regular craft paint that I had brought to use.  The paint is applied with a scraper or old credit card, then some of the paint is removed and a second color is applied.  Then you place your image on the paper and burnish with a rubber roller, or your fingers - it is up to you - whatever you think works best.  Dina prints in her art journal, but also uses regular white copy paper from the office supply store to print on.

I am excited to print some additional images from my first Collagraph Plate and to also create some more plates to use as images in my Art Journal, on Greeting Cards, or even as framed Art Work - the possibilities are endless!  See more of Dina Wakely's Collagraph Printing HERE on her blog!

Lastly, I am sharing a recent page from my Art Journal, something new an inspirational that I am doing this year - just for ME!

Now it is time to HOP around to the other Designers Blogs and see what NEW mind blowing techniques they are going to share with us - I know I can't wait!  Use the HOP FORWARD and HOP BACK links in the DCC icon on the right sidebar to navigate!

Thanks for stopping by! -Beth