Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Oh no gesso - sticky pages

So there I was, gesso'ing away in my new Art Journal, letting the pages air dry before putting some greaseproof paper between them to move to the next spread. I managed a few pages like this a day, so I had my first section in my book ready to go, feeling all proud of myself.

Until......

I opened the book the next day and found most of my pre-gesso'd pages sticking together. WT..?? They had been dry before I took the greaseproof paper out, why were they sticking? And, more importantly: how to fix this?

And then Tye said 'But you like that distressed look, don't you?' He's right! I do!
So instead of 'fixing it', I figured out a way to keep it but make it workable.

I inked up the pages, and used a water/white glue mix (thanks to Rhomany's link on her Whimsical Workspace workshop for 'DIY Mod Podge'! But I used more glue than water so it would not be as liquid as it says on that blog.) to seal it.

Now the pages don't stick together, I don't have bits coming off anymore and I love the look! I might not be able to write or paint on it because the surface is so smooth now (and I don't want to add more gesso and end up right where I started) but I'll probably end up sticking stuff on there anyway so it's not a problem.





4 comments:

  1. Ik vind het geweldig! Ik doe het wel eens expres: gesso, beetje laten drogen, pagina's dicht en dan weer open... of: er een (foam) stempel in drukken: ook zó gaaf!

    xx Tessa

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  2. It may not be what you intended, but those pages do look like a fabulously grungy foundation. :)

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  3. This is what I'm thinking, Natasha. Tessa just said she sometimes does this on purpose, but I'm just going with what I've got and see where it will take me. Treat it as a happy mistake and go with it instead of trying to 'fix it'.

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