Unique Washi Tape Created with Stencils and Masks

Lisa Dobry at StencilGirl StencilClub has created a popular, long-standing and fun tradition called Party Call.  Each month she announces a new theme, whereupon StencilClub members have the option of taking part in a project that usually calls for a members' exchange of stencil- and/or mask-printed art.  

The July 2020 Party Call theme was inspired by Wendy Baysa, who's developed a technique for developing homemade "washi tape."  These decorative paper strips ordinarily come in rolls, ready for use in embellishing art journals, etc.  

The advantages of making your own "tape" are:  (1)  It's fun!  (2)  Your finished tape will not look like any of the commercially available tapes -- instead, the project is opportunity to express your own unique creative approach to art-making.

Lisa's suggestion for this Party Call was to create one or more strips of paper roughly 24" long and 3" wide.  One source for this paper can be the brown wrapping paper that comes as cushioning in packages of fragile supplies delivered to your door.  Another potential source is the "Kraft" brown rolls of paper in the giftwrap section of a dollar store.      

There's no wrong way to do it!  If you don't like your first results, just keep going!  The original stencil- and/or mask-prints are quickly covered by the next layer -- partially covered, just enough to make someone ask,  "How did you do that?"  You'll see what I mean as your eye travels down thru the sequence of prints coming up.

I started with the idea of creating two washi tapes, so I cut a 24"-length of paper 6" wide; at the end of my printing session, I would cut it in half to get two 3"-wide tapes, for doing trades with two other StencilClub members.

My first series of prints , not shown here, were done with 9" x 12" Looking Up Through Trees using red and yellow heavy-body acrylic paints applied thru a sponge brayer.  After those paints dried, I created a new color by adding opaque white paint to the red used earlier.  Using my 6" x 6" stencil Marbles, I made a series of prints all along the 24-inch length of paper --

Next, with a switch to pale blue heavy-body acrylic paint, I repeated this step using my 6" x 6" mask Ski Lift Works:


 

Above:  You can click on this or any other of these photos to enlarge them and better see details.

Choosing my 6" x 6" mask Tiger Lily for the following step, I decided to start making the prints in an every-other 6-inch space, instead of continuing to make continuous prints all along the paper strip .  For example, below, Tiger Lily  has been used with purple paint to the left of the central image and to the right of it.  This was to establish an every-other-one pattern.

Below:  I continued the every-other-one pattern as I made prints with my 6" x 6" Swatton Links Stencil.

Above:  A close-up highlighting the gradual build-up of an intricate layered look.

My 6" x 6" mask Trivet A went to work helping create the next layer:

Sidestepping back to a cool color -- green this time -- I used two more 6" x 6" stencils of mine.  In the upper left of the photo below:  Bamboo Wall.  To the right of it, in the upper middle of the photo:  Swatton Grid Stencil.

Once the final, green paint layer had dried, I cut the 24-inch-long paper strip into halves, creating two strips of 3-inch widths each.  I added embellishments, then coated everything with a layer of gel gloss medium.  This gel intensifies colors as well as securing all the embellishments permanently in place, especially in the event that my two StencilClub trading partners may want to roll up the tape after receiving it.

Above:  Full-length view of 2 strips of washi tape.

Below:  close-ups of the first third, middle third and last third of the 2 washi tapes.

Left third.

Middle third.

Right third.

Below:  A macro-close-up of an embellishment made with a butterfly paper punch and a partial print (orange and blue, spattered with yellow)made with my 6" x 6" mask Sprigs.

Note:  These white flower-like embellishments are stickers that I bought here.

Because the close-up above features a sample of collage, I want to explain my adhesive process.  Adhesion was especially important in this project because the "tape" was going to be folded and sent thru the mail -- where things can so easily get run thru a mangle! -- and at reaching its final destination, it might be wrapped into circular shape, which again could stress the adhesion.

I'll start by bringing up a tip received from MaryBeth Shaw -- if you're going to adhere a largish paper to a background, it works best to first gently spray that paper with a water mister, before using the adhesive. This stretches the paper fibers in advance so that when they're adhered, they're less likely to wrinkle.

Now this will sound like a contradiction, but my rule of thumb is that the drier your adhesive, the fewer wrinkles you'll get.

I use different adhesives, depending on the project at hand.

For hard-to-hold, thick and/or textured papers -- as well as for projects like today's featured "tape," which will undergo some stress to the adhesion, I use heavy body matte medium -- not the regular strength matte medium because that's too wet for me. Heavy body dries faster, so it may be hard getting used to, but it has great hold. Heavy body gloss medium has the same strong hold, but the reason I use matte instead of gloss is that I usually don't want my final project to potentially have shiny (glossy) edges around the paper that's been added. I want my entire finished surface to have the same finish -- and for me that's usually a matte finish.


On greeting cards and similar projects, I use Pioneer Embellishment Gluestick; there are other brands that work too; however, for myself, I've found that "school-supply" gluesticks don't hold up very long -- and for some projects, that's perfectly okay. Again, it just depends on the needs of the moment.

No matter what adhesive I use, I have a go-to finishing step: I place a sheet of deli paper over the just-adhered paper, then roll over it with a rubber brayer, applying a lot of pressure. This is to improve adhesion and it's additional insurance against wrinkles forming. If you don't have a rubber brayer, you can use a rolling pin (if you still have one of those lying around!)

The reason I use a deli sheet between the artwork and the brayer is that the sheet will pick up any excess glue that may squeeze out around the edges -- and this can happen often, as the brayer pressure is applied.

Any kind paper with a two-sided non-stick surface will work; deli paper is my choice because it's always at hand.
  
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