Mixed Media: Basic Supplies

My most used products: the mixed media paper pad I work in, matt medium, gesso, acrylic paints, and my heat tool.  Matt medium is good for adhering items to the page.  Gesso is used to give you a good surface to work on, so that paints set on top of the page instead of soaking in.  Also to give a more opaque look to the page or item.  Acrylic paints are my favorite because they are cheap and cover well.  I use my heat tool for drying because I'm impatient.  Seriously, it dries like magic.

Stamps.  My favorite stamp ever, and the most expensive stamp I've purchased is the unreadable writing stamp.  I took it off the wood block so that it doesn't leave corner edges. It was still only $5 because I use coupons. I made the small circle stamp with kids crafting foam and another piece if foam. The green stamp came with my gelatos.  I get alpha stamps from Walmart for $1. I also use alpha stencils.  I really like pattern stamps and stencils because they don't have a theme and can be used anytime.

Stencils.  I made the butterfly stamp with my moms cricut and a hot chocolate box. I use chipboard negatives for stamps as well, which is what the circles are. Heidi Swapp makes stencil sets, which is where the chevron stencil came from.

I have ruined many of pens trying to write on acrylic and modge podge.  The painters pens are my favorite.  They are priced differently.  At one Walmart they were 3$ and at another they were $1.  There are also other brands at craft stores.

Ink.  My favorite ink ever is StazOn because it dries quick and does not come off....ever!!! Ha.  Other inks may smear or reactivate with other products. But for the price I like to pick up other inks as well.  I use makeup sponges, other sponges, and an old card for applying ink and gesso.

I hope you have enjoyed this post, comment if you have any questions or tips! :)