Gelli Plate and lino printing....

Last week I went into the craft den without planning what I was going to do but just to play!  I wanted to see where my mood took me and it took me to my Gelli Plate....

I used my stencils and acrylic paint with my Gelli plate.  I wrote a post introducing the Gelli plate last year and you can see the technique I use here.

My recent heat embossing post inspired me to incorporate this technique using a butterfly stamp and clear embossing powder.  I stamped the butterflies and heat embossed them on to the card before using the Gelli plate, this meant the embossed images act as a resist and show through.

I was now getting giddy with excitement and couldn't stop myself from adding pearlescent texture paste over the top through a spotty stencil.  At first I realised I had got carried away but this image does show off the colour of the copper, metallic acrylic paint I used.

Although I think I like it now.

My next attempt worked better.

I embossed the flowers with clear embossing powder again and used different stencils.  This time I also spritzed the paint on the Gelli plate with water which gave it a watercolour effect.

Once I had done a few prints I started to look around the craft den for inspiration and the Lino starter kit from the Handmade Fair was looking at me, perfect!

As I was so keen to get cutting, I cheated a little and stamped the image of the butterfly instead of drawing it. The butterfly was part of a set I also bought from the Handmade Fair so it was a good excuse to also use my new stamps.  

I mainly used the stamp to help me with the outline and used the different nibs to cut my own design on the wings.

The background is a print from the Gelli Plate.

What do you think? 

The gelli plate is fun and simple to use and you see results immediately. There are lots of different techniques and materials I could try with my gelli plate and I can't wait to give them a go.

Crafty Technique ~ The Gelli Plate....

I love creating my own backgrounds using paints, inks and stamps.  So when I heard about the Gelli plate I couldn't wait to get my mitts on it and o boy have I had fun!!....

The Gelli Plate is a way to monoprint without a press. The first time I took it out of the packet I just played and experimented and had fun with it!

It feels like jelly! but it doesn't contain any gelatine, as veggie I had to check!

I used stencils, a brayer and acrylic paints with my Gelli plate, all of which I had in my crafty stash (I'm still trying to be savvy!)

The acrylic paint is applied with a brayer to give a smooth, even coverage....

I applied paint over a spotty stencil, card is then placed over the top and using your hand you smooth across the back of the card applying a small amount of pressure to transfer the print to the card

I used Buff Titanium as the base colour and applied then applied Coeruleum Blue and white

White Swirl and Blue spotty stencil

After you take the print off there is still some paint left on the plate, don't waste it! With another piece of card go through the same process and you get a second print and it cleans your Gelli plate!

 

By this point I was mixing all sorts of paint colours and the 1st print off the plate looks dirty but the second print looks cleaner yet patchy but you can still be used for a background.

My first finished product using this technique, can you see where I've used it?

 

It seems a shame to cover most of it up but it suited the design of this card perfectly don't you think?

You can also get some cool effects with bubble wrap

I started playing with other colours and a butterfly stencil....

 

I've highlighted some of the butterflies by drawing around them with a silver glittery pen. I've die cut a matching butterfly and I have an MDF frame which I want to use with this, but it is still work in progress. To be continued....

It is so much fun and no matter how hard you try you will never have the same image twice, so every design is unique.

I have so many ideas, what would happen if I used leaves or lace or what else can I use as a stencil??  I have so much experimenting and playing to do, watch this space....

fizzi~jayne x