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Hello. I'm really getting into to card making, scrapbooking, mixed media, and making a smash book. I'm not really good at everything yet. I've made my own paint sprays and stuff like that and really satisfied with them.
I'm have trouble with priming things in gesso. I don't know if it's too thick or my pieces are too small, but they lose their shape. I'm going to attach some pictures so you guys can see what I mean. Also I'm having an issue with buckling on my cards. I think its the modge podge because it curls the paper, but I don't know what else to use that would give me the adhesion I want.
Any suggestions? I'm going to make a steampunk grungy canvas for my bestfriend for Christmas.
I'm afraid I can't tell from your pictures what kind of surface you're priming. It looks kind of like cardstock and if it is, I'm not quite sure why you're feeling the need to prime it at all - can you tell us a bit more about what you're looking to achieve?
If a piece of cardstock buckles because of moisture in a medium you put on there, you can usually flatten it back out by putting it under a heavy object for a while or even ironing it as long as you didn't heat emboss on there (embossing will just melt off if you iron it). If you go down the ironing route, put a piece of copy paper over the top of your piece to protect both it and the iron and make sure to choose a setting with no steam.
Are you using the Mod Podge to adhere layers on your cards? A dry adhesive will do that job for you and won't cause buckling. Lots of people (me included) have an ATG (adhesive transfer gun) that you load up with a special double-sided tape. Other variations on that include the Glue Glider Pro and tape runners and you can get rolls of double sided tape such as Wonder Tape (made by Ranger) and Be Creative Tape as well as generic, unbranded stuff (some of which is fine, others are a bit feeble and go "brittle" quite quickly so projects won't last long).
If you're adhering embellishments then you might want to consider glue dots or a tacky adhesive (not sure which one to recommend in the US, perhaps somebody else can help with that).
Using a canvas as your base will give you a whole different feel than working on cardstock. Assuming you mean a canvas that's streteched over a wooden frame, you're not going to get misshape issues if you add gesso or Mod Podge. Most canvases are "pre primed" but an extra coat or two of gesso will give you a really good surface to work on. If you're using a canvas board rather than one with a frame, you may still get a bit of warping if you add a lot of very wet media but again, it should flatten under something heavy (do that before adding anything very dimensional to the project).
Hope some of that helps, do let us know more about how you're using the gesso if you can.
Sometimes applying the medium on both sides (the front and back of your base piece) will reduce or eliminate the buckling. This is true when you use water as well (probably any liquid/wet medium). If you want to try this, I'd suggest just a light coat on the back side.
__________________ "May your mind whirl joyful cartwheels of creativity." - Jonathan Lockwood Huie.
Instead of Gesso you can use white acrylic paint. Are you sanding down your pieces after the Gesso dries? That can help with buckling. Two or three light coats of gesso over one heavy coat will help with the paper curling.
I know a lot of mixed media artist tout Gesso as the best thing in the world. They will Gesso everything including their cats, lol. A lot of cardstock does not need primed. A lot of Gesso brands are not created equal. This can cause a lot of frustration and tears for new art journalers.
Mod Podge will almost always curl paper. I make a lot of Art Journals. I never use Mod Podge. I have used Mod Podge many years ago for art journaling but it's not my favorite.
My favorite adhesives are ATG. I use the tape without the gun. I love my glue sticks. I use higher end brands like UHU & Scotch. Cardmaking adhesives ATG tape, ZigWay glue pens, Glue Sticks & Aleene's Tacky Glue.
Thanks for the suggestions. I'm not sure how I accidentally attached the colored stamps. Sorry. I used the gesso on chipboard. I saw it done on a mixmedia tutorial on youtube. I did a horrible job at it.
The actual regular card is cardstock with no gesso. I did use modge podge to adhere the layers of cardstock. I have those little hand held adhesive dispensers that you can use to put down the this clear sticky stuff, but it doesn't hold well.
I used the gesso on chipboard. I saw it done on a mixmedia tutorial on youtube. I did a horrible job at it.
Chipboard is often quite porous and absorbs quite a lot of moisture so it might be that it's taking up too much from the gesso and that's causing it to warp. Try applying a really light coat first and let that dry thoroughly and then apply another coat or two on top.
Some of the little hand held tape runners are not great quality adhesive, it's one of those things where sometimes spending a little extra on a good brand is worth the saving in heartache and frustration! Mod Podge is great if you're adding paper to a rigid surface (a tin, a wooden box etc) but for a couple of layers of paper it is likely to make things wrinkle and curl.
When i want a good liquid glue for paper, I like to use Zip Dry glue. It really holds well, and I have not had any issues with buckling. it also dries very fast.
What is the difference between gesso and mod Podge
Gesso is a primer (usually white although you can also get grey and black and, very unusually, clear) used to prep surfaces before using other media. When people talk about gesso they're usually talking about the white variety. It's kind of like white acrylic paint, I guess.
Mod Podge is an adhesive used to apply decoupage-style elements and dries clear. It comes in various varieties (for indoor use, outdoor use, sparkly etc) but it's essentially a fairly thin-textured adhesive and sealer.
What is the difference between gesso and mod Podge
Grasp can be used on canvas to prime the surface. Some manufacturers do not ensure their canvasses are ready to go...if you were to paint directly on the canvas without priming your paint may not stick. Grasp is like magic in those situations. Mod poster can be used to glue and seal. Mod lodge comes in a variety of finishes too.
__________________ Meg from MN*madameplushbottom is a childhood nickname from my godmother*
New Here - Questions About Gesso and Buckling
