CRUSADE No. 38 ~ Grab a Tissue

You may have already tried using tissue paper in your work.  One terrific collage element is that thin stuff clothing patterns are printed on.  If you haven't used it yet you should try it!  (Love the color and all the lines)  This month I'd like to introduce you to tissue paper painting.  It is a little hard to use at first because it is so thin and can easily tear and make you crabby.  But if you practice and have patience I think you will enjoy using it as an added element to your work.  Using painted tissue paper in your journal is a good exercise to get comfortable with it before using it on canvas or dimensional work. 

The cool thing about tissue paper is it layers onto your work so easily, unlike cardstock or other specialty papers.  Plus - it's yours.  It's a MakeItYourOwn element, and THAT is always good.

Give it a try.  Tissue paper is inexpensive...we love cheap tricks!  You can use what you have at home, colored or white, or splurge and get a new pack.  You can use plain white tissue as found in the gift wrap section or you can opt for archival safe tissue found in some craft stores.  It really doesn't matter for this challenge.  The point is to try it out, try it on, and see if it's a good fit for you.

You really need to let the gesso get super dry.  Gesso your journal pages and several swatches of tissue paper and let them dry overnight.  A good tip is to lay your tissue over wax paper of some kind, paint it (starting lightly, not too wet) and set aside.  The next day you can add your colors....spray and wipe, but be gentle.  If color is added to both your pages and the tissue at the same time you will have a matching palette to work with.

 

When the paint is totally dry (this is becoming a three day event!) you can cut or tear the tissue to create collage elements for your page.  Make a plan for how to incorporate the layers.  Stamped letters is my favorite thing to cut from tissue.

The acrylic varnish I use can be found at any craft store.  It is super thin.  You could also use a watered down PVA or white glue.  Try to stay away from ModPodge because your pages will eventually stick together and that makes us crabby.  Brush the varnish on the page and then place your layer down and brush over it.  Under and over.  

The tissue will probably ripple a little but that is ok.  Texture!  Don't try too hard to smooth them out because it will rip.  I hope you'll love how flat the layers are on the page when dry.  The other cool thing is that some portion of your element may look like it drops away depending on the contrast that occurs.  There is no right or wrong way to address that and you can leave as is because that can be interesting.  For this example I wanted a greater definition so I went back in with stencils and masks of the heart shape to get some of the edges to pop.

Here is a really old piece of art I did for Somerset.  I think it was the first time I pulled out tissue as a tool.  I knew that the stamps would never work directly on the canvas so I tried stamping onto the tissue, and layered it with varnish. 

{Break Down}  Day One:  gesso pages and tissue, 10 minutes.  Day Two:  add color to pages and tissue, 20 minutes.  Day Three:  the fun part...tear or cut tissue, add stamping to tissue (if that is part of your plan), compose, adhere, finish, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

That's it.  Grab a Tissue.  Grab a package of tissue paper.  Paint it.  Layer it.  Use it your journal or on another piece of work.  Blog about it.  Comment here with a link to your blog and I'll add you to the link list.  We all learn from each other as we take on a new challenge....share your tips, your frustrations, your a-ha moments.  It's only paper....and yes, it is also time, but any time you set aside to try one new thing you will no doubt learn much more than that...and you'll make friends too.  So join us!

Thanks to all the crusaders who came to play last month.  It was SO MUCH FUN to see all your Love Letters!!  Bravo for diving in and doing it.  And, as always, thanks for visiting each other and leaving your words of encouragement.  If you haven't been to all the posted links you can do so at any time.  No. 37 is still posted in order of arrival with newest at top.  In a few days I will archive to alphabetical order.

Archived link list has been moved from sidebar to here.  Some links may no longer be active.

Carmen Nessman
Dawn
Gil Jussara (more)
Gil Jussara (more)
Gilvania Jussara
Hanna Andersson
Hanna Andersson (more)
Helen
Imelda
Jackie Wood & Liz Ness
Jane Royal
Jean
Julie Prichard
Kate Robertson
Katherine McCullen
Kim Hutchinson
Kim Mailhot
Kimberly
Lay Hoon
Lisa WrightStuff
Marcia Cirillo
Marilyn Gallas
Mary
Melanie Philpott
Michelle Brown
Michelle Ward
Michelle Ward (more)
Mona
Nicola Toms
Regina Rooks
Renata Pacheco
Robin Mayberry
Rosemary Griffin
Sheila Jones
Susan Sager Brown
Zura

Comments

[Angie Platten]

I LOVE tissue paper and, at the moment, and using it on an entire WALL for texture!!! This is a wall I was hired to do. My next step after painting will be creating a large tree out of tissue paper! :)

[Chris]

As always, you have really clarified a lot of things for me with this post. I've never used that varnish! I look forward to working this out. yum.

[dawn]

yes! i just bought some tissue paper. PERFECT. i will try to do it 20 minutes before the deadline this time :)

[Julie]

I have to pencil this into my calendar....I am so sorry I missed last month..it was crazy.
xo

[Maria]

i've been stalking your art since way back in the day! i remember one of the first times i read that you had stamped on tissue and layered it on! i've loved that technique ever since!! i might not have a chance to get to this challenge until later in the month after we move!! glad you are feeling better!

[regina]

So behind on seeing last months crusdaders and SO grateful for all who stopped by and left lovely comments.

I am really excited about this challenge. I have a bulk pack of white tissue paper at my work station. I like to use it to blot pages that are too wet with paint. You get fab monoprints this way. I even have one from last month that has x & o! I was prepping a journal spread for another project, not the crusade. I don't think the final spread has any evidence of the xo, but my tissue paper is ready. Yee Hah!

So glad you're feeling better, Michelle! xo you Lucky Girl!

[Michelle Brown]

Yet another brilliant challenge! I have inherited a huge box of dressmaking patterns from my grandmother, who was a dress maker. I'll go and pull them out and get painting!

[Zura]

This was a great challenge! It took me three tries, but you can see my final result at http://wp.me/pb25A-DX. Thank you so much, Michelle, for all the time you spend providing these wonderful challenges.

[inge]

Hello Michelle,

AHA.... this explains already a lot on how you created the shamrock page ! ( but my desire to see your busy 'alive" stays... :)
The coming weeks are busy with school and giving a 5 evenings workshop for people who work with handicapped people, some projects with a time limit ( a Marie-Antoinette RR, an "in love" RR, a "secrets in the garden " RR)...

But I think I'll try this technique on one of the pages I need to make : just making other people curious about " how you do it"...

I used tissue paper before on making my small bookcovers and a canvas, but it's been a while. So, time to revisit this technique !
thanks for sharing

greetings from Belgium
Inge

[Carmen Nessman]

oh you can not imagine how much i love this technique! te-hee!
here it is my link:

http://heartandsoulgardening.blogspot.com/2010/03/grab-tissue.html

Thank you very much for your time and generosity!
you rock Michelle!!!!!

[Katherine McCullen]

What a coincidence! I attended a 2 day mixed media workshop this past weekend and the hosting artist taught us to start with a layer of tissue paper and spray adhesive, which is exactly what I did here. Then, I layered on newspaper, dictionary pages, and a map. Next came the paint, and finally, my favorite part of all: the doodling.

[Julie Prichard]

I was lost without my inner Street Team last crusade...but I am back this month!

http://julieprichard.squarespace.com/lostluggage/2010/3/10/i-know-all-about-it.html

xoxo

[busybeepaperie]

I would like to joint the street team! How do I become a crusader? Claudia@busybeepaperie

[michelle ward]

Claudia - and all *lurking friends*,
to join us in the crusade just interpret the challenge in your journal, or on loose paper, or on canvas.... Photograph or scan your work...blog about it or upload to a photohosting site then come back to the street team site and leave a comment with a link to your post. I will put all the links into the sidebar, newest will be at the top. Please come back often to click on the links and leave your valuable words of encouragement for those who go out on a limb to share. We all learn from one another when we try similar things during the month and it so much fun to see all the work, especially if we have tried it ourselves.

You can visit other crusaders in the sidebar links to see how they create blog posts for the challenge. Hope that helps.
Cheers, Michelle

[iHanna]

Michelle, I'm in love with painting on tissue paper! Here is my first journal page with stamped letters á lá mrs Ward:

http://www.ihanna.nu/blog/?p=1082

XO

[Jackie Wood]

Once again, we had a blast in the studio working on this crusade. Thanks so much for the great jump start Michelle!
http://www.illustratingstories.com/home/2010/03/crusade-38.html

[Marcia Cirillo]

Thanks for the inspiration, Michelle! I had no idea what would happen with this process, so I was pleasantly shocked by the results.
http://mcirillo.com/2010/03/13/tissue-paper-challenge/

[Michelle Brown]

Although we have has been besieged by plague and pestilence this month, I have still managed to meet the challenge once more!

http://wp.me/p9ZAs-5f

And had some fun! Thanks again Michelle.

[Imelda]

This is my entry this month you rock Michelle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62792412@N00/4429564886/

[Marilyn Gallas]

Decided not to wait until the last minute this month. You can see at http://hrt2hrt4mike.blogspot.com/2010/03/street-team-challenge-38.html

[Kate Robertson]

This was fun, I have lots of tissue paper to play with. Here are my results, http://thequeenofcreativity.blogspot.com/2010/03/gpp-street-team-38-grab-tissue.html

[dawn]

ooh lots of fun this was!!! :)
i cant wait to check out everybody else's stuff

http://catharticcreativity.blogspot.com/2010/03/michelle-ward-grab-tissue.html

[Lisa WrightStuff]

This is my first entry on your challenge though I have been meaning to have a go for ages. This one started life as an angel but became a mermaid. She has tissue hair, dress and there's patterned tissue in the background. Some of the tissue is soft and subtle whereas others - notably hair and collar provides some heavy texture and is now quite hard after all the gel medium, gesso and paint was added!
http://all-the-wright-stuff.blogspot.com/2010/03/tissue.html

[Nicola Toms]

Hi there, I heard about your challenge through 'the wright stuff's' blog, and I just happened to finish a piece yesterday where I used tissue paper so I thought I would post it here. I've just really discovered mixed media and I'm playing with so many new techniques I'm getting quite addicted. For this piece I used texture paste for her hair and texture paste then a few layers of tissue paper on top for the tail.

http://nicola-visualdiary.blogspot.com/2010/03/illustration-friday-subterranean.html

[Helen]

This is my result for the challenge 'grab a tissue' I loved to work on it and I am very curious what the other crusaders made of this.
XO Helen

[Kim Mailhot]

Hi Michelle and the Crusades Gang !
I am so loving the texture and versatility of the gorgeous painted tissue paper ! You are so brilliant, Michelle ! Thanks for the inspiration, as always. Gotta get me some nice big alphabet stamps !
Cheers !
Kim
http://queen-of-arts.blogspot.com/2010/03/gpp-street-team-crusade-38-grab-tissue.html

[Mary]

My first time to enter a challenge. It was so much fun!!! Here's my entry!

[Gil Jussara]

Hi, Michelle.
I love painting on tissue paper!!! a great challenge!!
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&sl=pt&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fgiljussara.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F03%2Fcrusade-38-grab-tissue.html

[jean]

i can't even begin to tell you how much i love tissue paper!! my samples are here

http://bluebirdslivinginthemeadow.blogspot.com/2010/03/tissue-paper-love.html

thank you for all you share, michelle! now i am off to visit the rest of the tissue paper girls....

*jean*

[Lay Hoon]

I love this challenge.

http://mescrap.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusade-no-38-grab-tissue.html

Thank you.

[Susan Sager Brown]

Hi Michelle!
When are you going to have a workshop here in New Jersey???
Here is my journal page link for this months Crusade. Love it, tissue is one of my favorite toys. xoSusan

http://broknheartart.blogspot.com/2010/03/grab-tissue-gpp-street-team-crusade-38.html

[Mona]

It took for ever - but finally here it is: http://alcorart.blogspot.com/2010/03/crusade-nr-38-grab-tissue.html. Thank you! Mona

[Kimberly]

Phew! Just in time. I didn't think I'd have time to participate this month, but I'm just now on vacation and got it done. I LOVED this technique!

http://pumpkindelight.blogspot.com/2010/03/need-tissue.html

[Jane]

Hi Michelle,
Here I am, 'sliding in' at the last hour! Lots of client work lately (smile). As always, I had a blast. Thank you for the inspiration.
http://paintedheartstudio.blogspot.com/

[sheila]

Hi Michelle,

I, too, am snucking in at the last minute again, despite starting much earlier! It was fun and a first time for me using tissue paper. Thanks again for organising this, it is such an inspiration
http://sheilasteaandtoast.blogspot.com/2010/03/gpp-street-team-creative-challenge.html

[Robin]

Just realized it's March 31! I played with this one last weekend and me and my paints had us a ball. Come see!

http://alchemy-studio.blogspot.com/2010/03/grab-tissue-michelle-ward-is-at-it.html

[Renata Pacheco]

I did a whole mini album using multiple layers of tissue paper glued over the chipboard. I stamped some layers, used hot emboss, gesso, spray paint, crackle paste and acrylic paint on tissue paper. I loved the result! I think I'll do other work with this technique.

http://www.scraparty.com/galeria/?p=2515

Hope you like it!

[K Hutchinson]

Here is mine- just got in the nick of time: http://runningonink.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/gpp-street-team-no-38-grab-a-tissue/

I will be checking out everyone's tonight :)

[Gil Jussara]

Hi Girls,
I would like to show another piece I did for this challenge. I'm happy to introduce you to my new blog!

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=pt-BR&sl=pt&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fscrapmedia.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F31%2Fcrusade-38-grab-tissue%2F

my last post:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fscrapmedia.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F20%2Fcrusade-38-grab-a-tissue%2F&sl=pt&tl=en

hugs
Gil Jussara

[Gil Jussara]

I would like to show another piece I did for this challenge. I'm happy to introduce you to my new blog!
http://scrapmedia.wordpress.com/2010/03/31/crusade-38-grab-tissue/

my last post:
http://scrapmedia.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/crusade-38-grab-a-tissue/

hugs
Gil Jussara

[Gil Jussara]

The last for this Crusade:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=pt-BR&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fscrapmedia.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2F31%2Fcrusade-38-grab-tissue-2%2F&sl=pt&tl=en

hugs,
Gil Jussara
scrapmedia.wordpress.com

p.s: Michelle, how can i change my blog address?thank you!

[Rosemary Griffin]

Hi Michelle, I am playing along again. This was a lot of fun.

[Kitty Douglas]

Where do you get the supplies for your art journals? I tried my hand at a journal that I found in Borders, didn't work AT ALL for what I wanted to do!

I would LOVE to start one, so any tips you can give would be GREATLY appreciated! EPICALLY if I can do it on the cheap! ;D

I hope to play along with you soon, but I ALWAYS seem to be a Day LATE and a dollar SHORT when these come up! >:X

I LOVE viewing your blog, it is SO inspiring!

Happy Kreating!

XOXO

Kitty

[Regina]

I posted to this challenge late. Thanks for all the great tips & inspiration.
http://rgrdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/04/gpp-crusade-no-38-grab-tissue.html

[Melanie Philpott]

Hi Michelle! I couldn't wait until next month so I picked a past crusade to try. Here's my link for C38!:

http://messbymelanie.blogspot.com/2010/08/gpp-street-team-crusade-no38-grab.html

I had a great time, thanks for the inspiration!

M x