Mixed Media Bliss: Playing with Gel Press and Paints

Happy Friday, friends! Ericka here from Strangely Creative, and today I’ve been having fun with paints in two different ways: using my gel press and playing with the magical leftovers from my brayer. If you’ve ever worked with a gel press and acrylics, you know the brayer is your best friend for getting those smooth prints. But don’t toss those extra papers you use to clean your brayer—those sheets often have hidden gems of color and pattern waiting to be turned into something beautiful!

Step 1: Creating the Background

To start, I used my trusty PaperArtsy Fresco Paint in Lemon Meringue for the background. After letting it dry, I pulled out the Twilight paint to create a print. But before I pressed it down, I added some texture with bubble wrap. This technique left such a cool, bubbly pattern on the background, giving it some great texture and interest.

Step 2: Adding a Textured Frame

Once the background was done, I grabbed the PaperArtsy France Papillon PS377 stencil and some texture paste to create a frame for a focal point. I love how the paste adds dimension to the project! I set the card aside to dry, but I wasn’t done playing with those leftover gel press papers yet.

Step 3: Stamping Flowers from Leftovers

While waiting, I took one of my brayer cleaning sheets (which had some gorgeous colors on it) and stamped the PaperArtsy Tracy Scott 58 flowers. Using colored pencils, I added a few highlights to bring the flowers to life, then carefully cut them out.

Step 4: Bringing it All Together

With everything ready, I used foam tape to add the flowers to my textured background, creating some fun dimension. For the sentiment, I stamped and white heat-embossed the word “bliss” from the PaperArtsy Sara Naumann 41 set. As a final touch, I hand-drew a simple frame around the edges to bring the whole card together.

This card was a joy to make—there’s something so satisfying about seeing leftover bits of paint and paper turn into a colorful, textured masterpiece. I hope this inspires you to break out your gel press and get creative this weekend. Don’t forget: those brayer cleaning papers can be just as valuable as your main prints!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderfully creative day!

Until next time, happy crafting!

Want to find the supplies I used? I have listed them below. (Compensated affiliate links used at no cost to you.) Thank you for your support!

PaperArtsy – Sara Naumann 41 Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy – Tracy Scott 58 Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy – France Papillon PS377 Shop at: TP	Tsukineko – VersaFine Clair – Nocturn Shop at: CS | AZ | TP	PaperArtsy – Fresco Chalk Paint – Bubble Gum Shop at: TP
PaperArtsy – Fresco Chalk Paint – Lemon Meringue Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy – Fresco Chalk Paint – Pixie Dust Shop at: TP	PaperArtsy – Fresco Chalk Paint – Twilight Shop at: TP	Hammermill Paper, Color Copy Digital, 32lb Shop at: AZ
Ranger Ink – Texture Paste Shop at: SC | AZ | Misc	Gel Press – Reusable Gel Printing Plate Shop at: AZ | TP | Misc	Speedball – 2″ Brayer Shop at: TP