Walking the brayer step by step….

Walking the brayer step by step….

Hi there!
Sorry its a bit late in the day, we stayed on in Port Sunlight to teach a workshop full of lovely ladies!
As promised yesterday here are the step by step instructions on how to complete this neat piece of artwork

Here is a list of ingredients:
Blending Mat
Brayer
7×7 Gelli Card
Fresco Acrylic Paints – South Pacific, Blueberry, Zesty Zing & London Bus
Remountable Tree Row & Mask Set
Word Chain Set 8
Black Archival Ink Pad
Worn Lipstick Distress Ink Pad
Butterscotch Adirondack Ink Pad (Mustard Seed Distress Ink Pad works just as well)
Spectrum Noir Pencils or Aqua Pens
Black Sharpie pen
Ruler
Post-it Notes
Makeup Sponge

Right, here we go………..
Squeeze a pea sized amount of the South Pacific Acrylic Paint onto the blending mat. Then use the brayer to gently spread out the paint. Don’t apply any pressure – 

this will now be known as “walking the brayer”!
When the paint has been spread out, gently “walk” the brayer across different parts of the Gelli Card from the bottom upwards
Repeat the above process using the Blueberry.
 As you can see from the picture below, I am trying to leave some white spaces, 
especially in the middle.
Repeat again, with the Zesty Zing – this helps to lighten it up.
I know, it looks a bit of a mess…..
Keep going!
Finally repeat with London Bus. 
Excellent colour.
It’s amazing how the red, helps to bring it all together. 
If you find that it is too dark, then use Cheesecake to lighten it up!
Turn the card 180 degrees so that the bottom is now the top .  
Take the Remountable Tree Row and stamp into the middle using a Black Archival Ink Pad
Next, take the mask that comes with the stamp set and chop off the stalks and platform  
(we  can use that part another time!) 
Position the top part of the tree mask over the stamped image.
Choose a word from any of the Word Chain Sets –
 I chose Friendship from Set 8 because I was amongst friends whilst making this card. 
Stamp underneath using the Black Archival Ink Pad
Next, take a ruler and a Black Sharpie pen and draw a box around the word.
Using Post-It Notes, mask off the boxed area and then,
 using a make-up sponge and the Worn Lipstick Distress Ink Pad,
 apply some shading around the top part of box – remember when using the make-up sponge to apply shading, always start on the Post-It Notes and gently drag the colour in 
– you can add it, but you can’t take it away!
Repeat this process with the Butterscotch Adirondack Ink Pad or Mustard Seed Distress Ink Pad, this time concentrating on the bottom half of the box.
Finally to add some colour to the trees, use your Spectrum Noir Pencils or even the Spectrum Noir Aqua Markers , as they both work really well on top of the Acrylic Paint .
Well I hope you have enjoyed todays post.
 Unfortunately Dave and I are crawling in traffic, M56 looking a lot like the M25 folks!
Ah well. We should make it home in time for breakfast!
Much love,

37 thoughts on “Walking the brayer step by step….

  1. Cool!! and such lucky ladies to get a class with you – bet they enjoyed every minute!!!
    Safe trip home – hopefully it will start to ease the nearer you get and then treat yourself to a cuppa when you get home!!!
    Much Love
    Kim xx

  2. This is lovely, hope you are beginning to make progress now on motorway.I still need to use my new fresco paints so this might be a good start. We have spent an enjoyable afternoon with friends, just chatting drinking tea and finishing cake from Nottingham workshop.xx

  3. Oh dear what a horrible end to a great weekend for you both! Hoping the traffic fairies work their magic and get you home before dark. Great technique and its good to see that the 'walking' can be done with the speedball brayer as I was contemplating getting one of the metal ones that they use on the paper artsy videos. I have put the paints down on my birthday wish list so fingers crossed. XX

    1. Hi Donna :-). Well second day of not managing to get up until early afternoon, and about to head back to bed just now, I think that says it all!!! Friday's garden visit was way too strenuous for me, so it's hitting my already extra not well body very hard! I think God must be teaching me a very big lesson in patience!!!! Wouldn't be so bad if I could have all these hours, days, years, extended onto my life to make up for it, that's what makes me impatient and frustrated and sad, because all I'm doing is watching my time alive pour down the drain totally wasted 🙁 But there's nothing I can do about it, except keep trying to do what I can and try to work at getting me back into proper crafting so I'm at least doing something positive and worthwhile :-). Daisy has had a happy mad afternoon playing with me, so that's today's good :-). How are you? Sad it's Sunday evening and back to work tomorrow? It doesn't feel quite so cold up here now, hopefully winter is over at last 🙂 although I don't think you've had it a cold where you are. I'm not forgetting about our teapots, as soon as my eyes improve enough I'll let you know. Right I better get going, I've got Barbara's about to dislocate my jaw yawning problem!!!! Hope you have a good start to the working week, and everyone else on here too xx

    2. Keep going Brenda and I'm sure you will get back to crafting again very soon 🙂 Yes warmer here too but winter down south is nowhere near as cold as where you are. I think the weather next week is sunny with rainy spells so plenty of time to sit and enjoy your garden. I am going to do that too, I have promised myself (weather permitting) to sit in the garden when I get home from work and read my book. Here's hoping for sunshine! Xx

  4. Hi Barbara, cool, very arty :-). Thank you. Maybe a good way for me to get into abstract arty type stuff, me having a very logical brain and all that, wasn't sure how to approach it, but this is logical abstract!!! Elbow is starting to improve, but now waiting on body to do the same so it will have to wait! Sorry to hear you are stuck in traffic, it sounds like, a very long way from home. Hope you are managing to keep smiling and amusing yourselves 🙂 Don't want you all stressed out and then not getting a good night's sleep tonight. love Brenda xx

  5. Thanks so much for the step by step – love how all the colours blend together but don't go muddy. Sorry to hear you're caught in traffic, hope it clears soon for you and that the rest of your journey is uneventful. x

  6. Hi Barbara
    Lucky people bet you all had a great time.Even though you've just gone through walking the brayer are there any plans on doing a you tube video in the near future?I really like this technique.

  7. Love these colours, they go so well together. Expect your class was a roaring success and that everyone had a great time. Hope the traffic flows soon and it's not too late when you get home. Safe journey xx

  8. Hi Barbara what luck ladies to be at a class with you. I bet they learnt lots and you told them lots of your stories. Thank you for the step by step. I hope you get home safely. Take care. Hugs Jackie

  9. how happy do those ladies in Port Sunny look must have been amazing getting a wee lesson from the master herself. That art is lovely Barbara love those tree stamps take care and hope your nearly there….xx

  10. I really enjoyed watching you create this little masterpiece, thank goodness for Sharon asking you to demo 'walking the brayer'. I loved the way it brought out the texture of the gelli card. I will be giving this a try this week. Hope you're home by now, feet up, cuppa in hand x

  11. Hello Barbara

    I hope, by now, you have both reached home.

    Would you, please, make a video using this technique. I know I am a bit thick when it comes to techniques but I really can't understand how you do it.

    Love
    Roz.x

  12. Hi Barbara
    Sorry to hear you got stuck in traffic, hope you are home now. Fish and chips and a large glass of wine I should think after your busy weekend! The brayer walking looks intersting, I think I need to have a play, or at least look at the paints, they do have such wonderful names – who else imagined a London bus driving over the card!
    Thank you for sharing this beautiful artwork with us. Sleep well.
    Love Diane xxx
    Ps showed hubby pictures of Port Sunlight and he's said that looks like a lovely place to visit, now I just need to co incident a visit with a craft weekend! Lol xxx

    1. Liking your style! Investigate the dates and then act all surprised when there just happens to be a craft show………………..do you need tickets for the show I wonder, because that might be tricky! Xx

  13. Hi Barb,
    Pleased that you had good time at Port Sunlight but sorry that you got caught up in the traffic. Hope it doesn't take too long for you to get home. Thanks for doing the step by step. The colours you've used are gorgeous together. – I really do love these paints. The finished piece is lovely too. Thanks for the inspiration, love Alison xxx

  14. Really beautiful piece of artwork Barbara, and your step by step makes it look so easy. My brayer and those paints are calling out to be played with again (I have more colours now); and soon! Maybe you are home now, if not, hopefully very soon. Love xxx

  15. I didn't know you could use the blending mat with paint, but the result is lovely. The class looks happy, naturally. I hope you've made it home by now. Carol x

  16. Loved your artwork today, it reminded me of a line of poplar trees on the edge of my old school playing field, must be over fifty years ago, it's funny how certain things stick in your mind.
    I don't know about walking the brayer, you probably could have walked home quicker, shame your not allowed to walk on the motorway. Hope your home safe and sound and tucked up in bed, sweet dreams
    linda

  17. I feel a crafty day with my brayer i have just moved from my house to a static caravan for the summer so no craft room but did manage to bring stamps inks and brayer with me not
    much else so results could be fun.
    Hope your home now and able to rest after a busy few days.

  18. Hello Barb, glad you got home safely, pity about the traffic after a good weekend. Love the artwork, great colours, and one to try. Bet the ladies that took the class learnt so much and left with tons of inspiration. Take care. Bx

  19. Hi Barbara. Love this one. The background colours are great together, so pretty : ) Glad that you enjoyed the weekend, sorry that the traffic made your journey home so long. I'm sure you both slept well once you finally got to bed though. Take care xx

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