ALBOTAT: Birthday cards for boys....

... are tricky aren't they! (well for me anyway) I tend to reach for the Stampotique stamps when the Nephews' birthdays come around... 

This time  I went for a funky-dancing-dude-party card...

The Stampotique character is 'dancing' with one leg in the air which, I thought, made it look like he could be standing on something... so I doodled a present - he's bringing a gift to the party!

The background is a Gelli® print (little bit obsessed with these at the moment!), the text is the Fortress alphabet from MaVinci - (really nice, slightly distressed font), the streamers are one of my new christmas images (from JOFY40, seems to work everywhere!). The dancing chap is Jasper Fruhling by Stampotique (available at www.itscraftingtime.co.uk )



(Gelli® used with permission. Owned by Gelli Arts® LLC)

ALBOTAT: Big brother's birthday card...

.... made with die cuts and a Gelli® plate printed background...  
I used Fresco Finish paints on the Gelli® plate, and the bicycle die (with its front basket cut off - my brother's bike certainly does NOT have a basket lol) was attached using a piece of 'stick it' sheet .. brilliant stuff - made sticking down a detailed die cut quick and clean - no wet glue! 

(Gelli® used with permission. Owned by Gelli Arts® LLC)

Mono printing with a gelli plate ....

... again...
I think making gelli prints might be a little bit addictive - no idea yet what I'm going to do with all the prints but am enjoying the learning/experimenting (re-learning/re-visiting) process.. also I'm sharing/showing you these because I can't show you other secret bits and pieces I'm currently working on ....

I'm printing onto 120 weight paper - the sort you'd use in your printer - I find its strong enough to take the paint but still light enough to find all the nooks, crannies and detail of a stencil.
Even though I'm using the larger gelli plate I'm still pulling A5 prints too..

Like this one, the very first (a5) print off the plate (that's why there are tiny bubbles in the print- a coating of some sort)  - the plate was coloured with Tinned Peas and Chartreuse blending with a roller, then I removed some paint with bubble wrap):

 ... then pulled this print - I like the way the a5 print has created a clean space and a 'frame' print on the a4 sheet:

 and this is the two prints laid up together:

Here's a Mermaid version (everything looks nicer when its painted Mermaid! lol).. I think this started as a 2nd generation print as the background isn't a solid colou, and I'd also laid onto the plate 3 die cut scribble circles to act as a resist.... this is the a5 print that I pulled and when dry added a print of bubble wrapped rollered in Bougainvillea (Mermaid + Bougainvillea = FAB colour combo! lol)

The remaining colour print pulled to reveal a frame (as before)

and the two laid up together:

These are mixed prints - clean up prints or the 'lets see what this looks like' prints - and also prints where I've 'stamped' bubble wrap onto to a ghost/clean up print - I like these - the print is less blocky and you have all these subtle images, layers and colours.

This 'print' is actually a page where I cleaned the roller several times - I like it! lol  nothing's wasted... & afterall - its just paper - whats the worst that can happen..

I can see these prints all being made into a journal, or stamped onto to create a masterboard.... so many options.. and one print leads to an idea for another print - its quite addictive...
and what I also like about it is that its surprisingly 'un-messy'! - all the 'mess' is on the plate which is cleaned up by making another print!  bazinga!

Mono printing with a gelli is fun and relaxing - I think everyone should give it a try :o)

(I have been using the Gelli Arts® 8x10in and 6x6in plates)

I hope you've all had a lovely Easter weekend.

x

ALBOTAT: Messing about with a gelli plate again....

... and this time with the large plate - roughly A4 size....

'inked' up the plate with Tinned Peas and Chartreuse Fresco Finish paints, lifted some paint with doily masks and pulled a print.  I then covered the plate with Bougainvillea and another stencil and using the doily print pulled this:

.. its not perfect but I'm really enjoying playing with the plate - building layers, creating contrasts between delicate prints (the doilies) and a block print (the flowers) -  for me its about embracing the imperfections of the prints...

I removed the stencil from the gelli plate and there was still enough wet paint to pull a final print.. which I doodled onto (when dry) - spots had been left on the gelli plate after removing the stencil and so I highlighted/used these and made them part of the image...

This was fun to do - reminding myself that 'its just a piece of paper', gelli prints at this stage are almost 'disposable' aren't they - playing around with the process...

ALBOTAT: Just messing about....

... with a gelli plate a few days ago- this is the result - single layer prints using Fresco Finish and a Daler Rowney paint..  I'd been looking for a bright pink paint - a pink so bright it would make your eyes water lol - Flourescent Pink from Daler Rowney fits the bill! love it!

This post is more about this colour combo (it makes me happy) than the prints.....

The turquoise tones are Mermaid and Beach Hut Fresco Finish - LOVE!!  The stencils are Crafters Workshop.

Next 'play time' with the plate will be several layer and different substrates....