Ooo…great texture!!
I don’t know what I am doing wrong but no matter how much collage pauge or mat medium I use if I try to put down tissue paper or napkins, etc when it dries it just comes right off the page.
I always use regular liquid fluid matte medium for tissue and napkins but maybe try a thicker matte gel?
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I’ve used both without much success.
I like Collage Pauge over Mod Podge and Elmer’s school glue in a pinch. I painted over it before the tissue was completely dry.
Also you could try white or clear gesso.
You could also just use gesso, squish the tissue paper on and remove and just get the texture.
I wonder if the tissue isn’t getting fully saturated. I’ve done a ton of tissue and napkins with the fluid matte medium and never had anything come off. How are you applying it? I use a catalyst wedge and do the following that I learned from Andrea - layer of matte medium on substrate, layer of matte medium on back of what I’m adhering, lay on substrate, apply another layer of matte medium on top of everything.
I really like my gloo stick for tissue paper-- it’s far less gloopy, but works really well for adhering super thin stuff.
I use thinned down white glue on the paper and then apply a mix of liquitex and white glue over the whole thing…you can color the mix ahead of time as well, but the glue doesn’t take paint very well once it is dried…
love the fun stars @megwell and stained pages are always great.
Oh I love gelli printing. I may have to check this out.
thanks! I was pretty happy with it. its pretty small too.
I bought this cool notebook from @Reinikka during the LC 2020 fundraiser (the first one with the math equations). the inserts are 3.5x5. I had filled one of the inserts and took it out, collaged random papers over all the writing and then did my page on top of the collage.
@Smmarrt I’ve watched the first 3 days of Catherine Rains free 5 day class and excited to go make some painted papers. so far I like her techniques.
I have done the 3 layers, on the substrate, the back of the tissue, then on top. I usually use a silicon flat brush. I have also used paintbrushes and my fingers. Maybe I need more medium. it all gets so wet I tear the tissue.
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I like her style also. Just need time and space to create
Y’all are too kind 
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I’m not sure I know, honestly. For this one I didn’t really have any ideas beyond the stained papers. I just started pulling a bunch of “maybe this?” stuff out of the little JJJ packet I have set aside.
I lucked out in that one of the stained book pages I’d grabbed had a phrase I liked, and the face I liked had that writing. The orange-green-citrus combo happened because I was getting hangry and set everything aside to get dinner. When I looked over at the pile, they were stacked perfectly 
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I heard someone say something the other day to the effect of “I only make one decision, where to start, the rest is just reacting to what is there”. Sounds a lot like your process.
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I can do that when I start sewing or painting…making a prayer flag or some scrappy item…I just haven’t learned yet with paper things…maybe because I take out too much stuff.
I am going to try the January prompt to see if limiting my stuff helps me be more “spontaneous” and creative…
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Day 4, decorated tag. The cardboard is just there for the photo to highlight the tag shape.
The back of that page was an illustration, so I pretty much left it as-is.
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That’s the process I aspire to, anyway. Working intuitively doesn’t come naturally to me, but I’m getting better at it.
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I think intuition is just knowledge and experience. So the more you make stuff and evaluate what you do and don’t like about it, the more it will come naturally 
I certainly don’t have much art “intuition” yet but I am starting to be able to notice what things I’m making “need”.
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There’s a lot of truth in that. For me it’s also trying to let go of having a fixed idea of what the final product will be/should look like.
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I’ve been working on a journal page the past two evenings and yesterday I only used supplies in that particular space. Some design decisions came quickly when I only had a few things at hand!
I’ve hear somewhere that people generally have an easier time making choices when there are fewer options. Example is ice cream - if you only have chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry you can probably decide quickly and will be happy with your choice. …but go to a place with 21 flavors and it’s suddenly much harder to pick one! 
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Wow. I love this perspective and the idea that you can exercise and improve your intuition. Mind shift!
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