What I’ve learned…when I don’t try so hard, I love love LOVE the process. As usual, I was overthinking the steps, so what I did last night turned out fabulous over the ones I labored over and worried about.
Whew! Now to repeat that this evening…
P.S. Start with gesso or a base color, that helps conquer the blank page! That’s a note for me! Feel free to read…
Yes! When I’m just playing I tend to love the results 
over-thinking and over-doing can sometimes result in less desirable finished pieces… I still have a hard time with this when I’m doing swaps, like I want to do as much as possible instead of stopping. 
I am definitely in the gesso camp! It adds a nice layer of texture and covers a bunch of bare spots 
And a base of paper scraps before applying the gesso is also fun!
And I sent today 
I have a super crafting day planned for tomorrow. No kids and no husband around - I’ll make big mess 
I love looking for all kinds of things around the house that I could reuse for stencilling.
Hi friends Jumping in here (I hope that’s ok since I’m sadly not in this swap)
A couple of questions: What do you often use as a base for your masterboard? If it’s paper, what GSM roughly? And for those of you who glue stuff down like stamped tissue paper, etc. What do you use to attach it? I saw YES paste in a tutorial (I think it was for a similar purpose), is this where I should buy and use that?
For paint only boards I use any paper. For gluing stuff, cereal box cardboard. Glue = anything on hand, usually plain white school glue, and I am MESSY, lol.
Stencils & stamps, food packaging is great, those plastic net onion bags, styrofoam cut into shapes, empty thread spool, cardboard tube, etc. This is a craft that doesn’t require anything special to make something special 
I’m not a masterboard expert but I use paper bags (the ones that you get for fruits and vegetables in the grocery store here in Germany). It has a triangle shape and I rip it open to have a rectangle.
I have returned to the land of internet & my computer, so time for crafting (after I sort all this smelly camping laundry, anyhow) & deciding if these masterboards are actually done or not.
This time I worked on a pack of scrapbook pages I got on steep discount but wasn’t super impressed with the design of. I recently got a gloo stick from jetpens that I like for tissue paper b/c it’s super low moisture so the tissue doesn’t get a crumply unless you want it to, but I also have yes paste on backorder from Dick Blick, and am impatiently waiting for them to have it to ship.
I’ve used plain old copy/printer paper, cardstock, cereal box cardboard, grocery bags, book pages. This round I used a nicer coloring book page for one. It depends a little on what you’re planning to do – printer paper can warp if you’re using a lot of wet stuff – but really it’s whatever you can think of.
I’ve been using matte medium as my adhesive, but again, whatever you have on hand will probably work.
I’ve used everything from junk mail, to ugly scrapbook paper, to light weight card board to mixed media and water color paper (110-140 lb). It’s a good way to use up papers you “messed up” or stuff that might other wise be thrown away.
I usually use Aleens Collage Pauge. I find Yes! Paste really sticky and I make a mess of it. If I’m attaching something heavier I use scotch glue pens.
Like everyone else, I use a variety of papers. I love to gesso my paper first for texture and general priming. And I use tacky or craft glue, or Collage Pauge to stick stuff down, or gel medium. Whatever is closest to my hands while working.
Re: YES Paste. It is sticky but it is water-soluble so easy to clean up. It is an excellent paper to paper glue. I use when making book covers and sometimes for collage work.
I have a stack of unwanted (junk mail, paper bags, etc) and unloved (scrapbook paper that I don’t love) papers that I use for my base and I use matte mod podge and/or tacky glue as my adhesive. On my first few masterboards I used a glossy mod podge and did not like it 
(but that could be my personal preference)
Really anything you have on hand will get you started
well, the results are now in the hands of the US postal service!
fingers crossed they reach you in a few days~
I was happy that I managed to finish up & get to the PO before I headed out of
town this afternoon, so now it’s not hanging over me as a “to do” when I get back home~
I kept the receipt, but it’s at home, so I’ll have to send you the photo of it over the weekend
Cross posting the picture of my latest spread in my Fodder School notebook on masterboards since I thought it might be interesting here. Any other tips I should add to my page?
such a great reference page!
I may have to copy it in my sketch book (and I think you hit all of the ideas I have seen posted)
I’m also bookmarking this post – THANKS!
I am putting the final splatters on and will be ready to send tomorrow. Also finishing the extra bits to include. So excited to be finished…
I have my masterboards selected, stacked, and the small crafted item on top I’ll pack them up and send on Monday!
Tomorrow is the send by date!
Please let me and your partner(s) know when you’ve sent and received If you think you’ll be late let me and your partner(s) know that too 
And let me know if this info is incorrect:
= sending to
= Sent
= Received
= Late with communication
= Contact me ASAP
= Done with swap
@Reinikka roler & kayrun
@thanate loves2experiment & Ewulotta
@Smmarrt photojenn & Renstar
@loves2experiment thanate
@geekgirl Renstar & Lynx2Lancer
@photojenn megwell & Smmarrt
@megwell photojenn
@Renstar geekgirl & Smmarrt
@kayrun Reinikka
@Ewulotta thanate
@Lynx geekgirl
@roler Reinikka
I also want to add how great you’ve all been for this swap There are only three of us that haven’t sent yet. Everyone has been kind, encouraging, and awesome! This has been a stress free organizing experience for me 
and I will definitely volunteer to host a round two in the future 
Do any of you have any thoughts/suggestions for a round two?
My thought - I think next time I would keep it just a masterboard swap and not have the extra crafted small (but what do you guys think?)
