Gelli Printing: Introduction

Oh my friends...

I could have titled this blog...The best messy kind of fun EVER!

I LOVE creating these one of a kind mono prints. You never know what you are going to get...and that is the beauty of it! I took a mono printing class YEARS ago...like, back when I lived in Dallas kind of years ago. Back then, the way you made mono prints was either with a press (think big and expensive) or by creating a gel printing plate (think jello and disintegration). I had fun...but it seemed like it took such a major commitment to even THINK about making prints. So I was delighted to discover a new tool...the Gelli Arts Gel Printing Plate. It is created of silicone and mineral oil...and doesn't disintegrate! Lovely!

Gelli Arts Gel Plates come in 6x6, 8x10, and 12x14 sizes

I could hardly wait to get my hands on one! And now that I have it - I find that I want to get it out at least once or twice a week...just to see what I can create. Here is a little introduction tutorial...

So far I have printed on card stock, patterned paper, tissue paper, muslin and deli papers. Every one has it's own benefits... The makers of the Gelli Arts Plate recommend that you use acrylic paint. I have tried several brands and find that you can get great prints even with the very cheapest acrylic paint that you can get at the craft store. For some of the more layered techniques, you may want to upgrade to student grade or artist grade paints...and mix in an extender. To get the best prints (usually two versions each time), you need the paint to stay wet...or fluid.

If you have watched the tutorial, you know that I created these with stencils. It is such a GREAT way to use your supplies in a different way! I have so many more combinations I can't wait to try.

There are also so many things that you can do with your prints. They are great to use for your art journaling, as backgrounds for scrapbook pages, or for cards. Here is a card that I created with a couple of pages of prints.

If you would like to see the tutorial of how I made this card you can check it out here.

I hope I have piqued your interest. I talked with Scott Shaw over at Bluemoon Scrapbooking, and they are now carrying all three sizes of the Gelli Plate. I use the 8x10 Gelli Plate. I like its versatility. If you are a card maker, you may be more interested in the 6x6 size. You all know me...I only want to invest in tools that I will use a LOT! This is one of those tools. I do love the end results...but it is the best thing I have found to overcome "creativity block or lost mojo!" Because it is so freeing, a few minutes spent slopping around with paint, stencils and an assortment of scrapers/texture makers gets my creative juices flowing...and later when I need to be inspired for a project a quick look through my stack of prints often sparks an idea....BONUS!

Soft Rubber Brayer

If you are interested in trying this for yourself, you will need a Gelli Plate, a soft rubber brayer and some acrylic paint (whatever kind you already have in your stash)...and most importantly...your playful creative heart!  Have Fun!

Products used:

Visual Weight: Collage Stamping

I'm introducing a new series. I thought we might go a bit deeper on some projects and look at why certain things work together to make a good design. You know I'm not big on "rules" when it comes to art...so these tutorials will be more focused on why certain elements appeal to us.

This first tutorial is about visual weight. Several of you have asked for a tutorial on creating stamping collages - like I have posted the last few days. I created all of these cards "Thanks" card, "Vintage Camera" card and "Sunflower Collage" card utilizing the concept of Visual Weight.

You can see in this picture that I recreated the the background collage first in just black (no attention paid to visual weight) and then with black a grey (using only intensity to create visual weight).

Here is the tutorial...



Let me know what you think! Have a great week!

Collage Stamping Has Officially Become an Obsession

I seriously love creating these collage stamped backgrounds! Wish I had discovered it sooner! I am so glad that the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge got me thinking about this technique.  You can check out the beautiful card that Dawn made here.

I am preparing for a class I am going to teach - French Country Inspired Projects. I have had fun researching...finding lots of things that will be my inspiration for creating these projects. I have started a Board on Pinterest called French Country. If you would like to check it out - there is a link over in the side bar that will take you to my Pinterest Account.

So, as I am preparing for this class the first thing that I did was to look into color combinations and iconic images that would help give my projects the FEEL of French Country. I found that Golden Yellow, True Red and Deep Blues are often used - so I pulled out some of my supplies that might work within these color ranges.

                                     

I found this really helpful...and need to incorporate this step into my regular creative process.

I knew that I wanted to work with Sunflowers - as they are one of those "iconic" images found in French Country home decor.  I pulled out the Sunflower Bouquet stamp and die set - and decided to make it my focal image. 

And then of course, I couldn't help but create a stamped collage background. Several of you have asked me to do a tutorial on my process of creating a stamping collage - so I turned the camera on while I was in the midst of putting this card together. 

I even created a bit of a collage inside the card as well. I felt like the card front would have been too busy and overloaded if I had added a sentiment to it - so I opted for moving it inside.

 Have you tried using your stamps to create a collage? Do...it is lots of fun! Here the tutorial to show you how I put this card together...Enjoy!




Hope you have a great rest of your weekend! See you soon!

Products I used:

More Collage Stamping: MIM #110

I am having the best time working out these stamping collages! You know I particularly love finding new ways to use supplies I already have...and this technique of using stamps from different collections and pairing them with inks of different intensity to create a cohesive collage is just SO MUCH FUN...and a terrific way to stretch your supplies.

Here is a close up...I just love the way the frame draws attention to the silhouetted couple...but because the inks are lighter, the provide balance for the focal image (vintage camera). I also added some embossing to the top because it seemed empty - but I didn't want to add more stamping. Embossing can help you fill space with a bit of texture, but still allows you to maintain the balance of your other elements.

The vintage camera is from a stamp set called Shutterbug Special. So very cool - and you can get a matching die...that also cuts that little pull out! Such a great way to add a special sentiment, note or tiny photograph!

To create my focal image, I stamped the camera image on heavy white card stock with VersaMark and then added Super Fine Black embossing powder. You could just stamp it...but I wanted to add some Brushed Pewter Distress Stain to the camera to keep that vintage look going. I used a brush to add the Brushed Pewter Stain into the openings...you can use a baby wipe or a damp cloth to remove the stain from the embossed areas.

Thanks for stopping by...I am always so blessed by you guys! You are a constant source of encouragement for me. Let me know if you would be interested in me doing a tutorial on creating stamped collages...I think it would be fun!

Have a great rest of the week!

Here are the supplies I used: (I can't find a link to the embossing folder - it is an older one that came in a collection of embossing folders for cards).

Collage Stamping: Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge #110

 So...I shared these Easter cards with you...and the tutorial on how to create these dimensional speckled eggs by creating a template with a Papertrey Ink Egg Die. 

If you missed it, you can check out the tutorial here.  I had so much fun making these eggs, that I ended up with several card fronts that I didn't turn into Easter cards. I just love those speckled eggs. 

When I went to check out this week's Papertrey Ink Make It Monday challenge, I knew I wanted to use some of those extra card bases. The challenge was to do 'collage stamping' - layering different stamps with various inks to create a collage. Since my spotted eggs were created with ink...I felt like they would be a great foundation for my collage.

Here is how it turned out...Love it! I used the following Papertrey Ink stamps:  Background Basics-Farm and Barn; Fancy Flourishes; and Thanks All Ways. I also used a Stampers Anonymous Script stamp.

Here is a closer view...love how all the elements work together. To help the flourishes blend a bit better, I first stamped them on some scrap paper and then stamped them onto my collage piece. (Inks were  Antique Linen [Distress Ink], Aqua Mist, Berry Sorbet and Smokey Shadow).

This collage was created with some eggs that were done all in hues of brown. The previous one had some of my colorful eggs (blues, greens and pale lavender). I decided to use more earthy or neutral tones for the stamping on this card...(script in Ocean Tides, and Flourishes in Canyon Clay).

And here is a closer view of this one!

This is a very fun technique...really made me pull out lots of different stamp sets and challenged me to figure out how to build them into a cohesive image that supports the focal point which is my sentiment.

I have also done another stamping collage card...yeah...you know me....once my creative juices started flowing, I had more ideas than I could put on one card...so I just made MORE! *smile*

Hope you are having a wonderful week...thanks for stopping by.

Easter Cards - Watercolored Eggs Technique

Yes...I do realize that it is three days AFTER Easter...but I never got these posted for you guys...and I wanted you to have the tutorial for how I created these eggs...because I have another card or two to share with you that I used some of these eggs to make as well! (I know! Bonus!)

I have been seeing a lot of speckled eggs on Pinterest. I just LOVE them...and I wanted to figure out how to make them for myself. After I thought about it awhile, I realized that I could probably get a good dupe if I used my distress stains and created an egg shaped template with a die.

Here is a video tutorial...it is REALLY simple to make these dimensional eggs...and even if it is past Easter - I will be back to share a card I made with some of my "extra eggs!"

Are you as surprised as I was by how quickly they come together and have a real dimensional effect?!?! I couldn't help myself...I made all my cards and then made a few extra....which you will see in my next post.

This card was inspired by a Facebook post...it just cracked me up and I had to turn it into a card!

These cute little bunnies first showed up on a card by Betsy Veldman! I love her cards...and just had to make some of these for myself. I worked out a way to create them in an assembly line fashion...so I was able to make lots of them for some of my girlfriends and the kiddos in my life!

Here is a tutorial on how to make these "disappearing" chocolate bunnies!

And just one more little bunny that was in the mix after my Easter card making frenzy!

Hope you all are having a great week! I will be back with another card or two to share soon!


Here are the products I used to create these cards:

Tim Holtz - Tattered Floral Challenge: My "Deluded Flowers"

Hey Friends! For the past month, Tim Holtz has been hosting a challenge  - and providing LOTS of inspiration as well. The challenge was to take his Sizzix Tattered Floral Die and to come up with a project that uses the flowers you create with it! Sounded like FUN to me!

 I cut several sets of the flowers out of watercolor paper and stamped them with some Archival Ink. I knew I was going to be using wet medium to stain and distress them...and the best combo for that is watercolor paper and permanent ink.




One of the things I discovered, is that stamping with Distress Paint will allowed me to use that image as a resist - so when I sprayed my flowers with Dylusions Spray... my white stamped pattern showed up! Super Cool Right?!?!? I have taped a tutorial and will edit this post to include it as quickly as I can! The flowers were so bright and "springy" - that I decided I just HAD to do a project that would   let me bring a little Spring into my house...since it was SNOWING this morning!

I had this little birdhouse and it seemed like the perfect base for my happy "deluded flowers" as I am calling them!

I began by adding some Tim Holtz Tissue Paper (Symphony) to the wooden birdhouse. I used Matte Gel Medium to collage the tissue paper onto the house. Then I used Distress Paint in a couple of colors to cover the the paper...and here is the COOLEST thing...when you spray water on Distress Paint...it reacts like all the other products in the Ranger Distress Collection! While Distress Paint is still wet - it will react with the water, blend and even becomes somewhat marbled. Love it! You will have a blast working with it on some of your projects.

I also added some Clear Rock Candy Crackle paint over it - to age the background while still keeping it bright for the springy flowers that I was getting ready to add. And you know me...it didn't stop there! LOL While the Crackle Paint was still damp - I sprinkled a dusting of Dry Rock Candy Glitter over it. Hey, you know I like a little sparkle!

I  sprayed some moss with both Dylusions spray and Adirondack Color Wash (lettuce). That gave me a base to build the little flower garden around the base of the bird house. You can also see the Elegant Flourishes that I die cut from Grunge Paper and painted with Distress Paint.  I am seriously in LOVE with these new paints...they are very fluid and dry with a chalky finish. They remind me of the look of paint that you will find in older houses...super cool and so much you can do with them.

Here are some close-ups...I stacked the flowers and used some bright brads to hold them together. I also painted a few scraps of watercolor paper with distress stains and paints...and then punched out some small flowers to mix into the garden. Liquid Pearls acted as my flower centers.

 I added this sweet little bird...she seems to be especially happy to be building her nest with all these beautiful festive flowers all around. She is going to have the "best dressed nest" of all her girlfriends this spring!

I had been wanting to play with my new Dylusions Sprays and Distress Paints.  My oh my! I had inky fingers and a BLAST!

Here is a tutorial of how I created these fun flowers. I know you will enjoy using this resist technique on some of your projects too! You can watch it here or on YouTube.

Thanks for the challenge, Tim! It was a blast!

Happy Spring - my dear friends!

Products Used On This Project

White on White

Recently I discovered a new trend (ok - it's not exactly NEW...but it is new to me!) of white on white or tone on tone inspired cards! So I had to try my hand at it...and - I had the best time playing in my studio! 

I love how the greenery pops off the embossed background...I am definitely going to be creating MORE of these cards. I have done a quick tutorial in case you want to try your hand at it!

Supplies:

White card stock: Papertrey Ink
Frame: Spellbinders Label Die
Greenery and Flowers: Memory Box Lavish Branch and Delightful Florals
Birds: Impression Obsession, Chickadees
Color: Copic Markers, Y21, W5, W3, W1

Let's Put The Sass in One of Our Valentines!

I only had a little time to play today...I really was supposed to be cleaning up my studio, getting ready for some fun creativity during the spring...but I found this embossing folder...and I couldn't resist. I had to do something fun!

Maybe a little wild...

I felt like the animal print needed a touch of something bright and feminine...so nothing like a big bright  pink organza bow! Sassy!

Here is a quick video of how I put this card together!

I have several fun cards to share with you - so be sure and check back here soon!

Make It Monday #101 Layered Embossing: Valentines Card

I can't believe that January is coming to an end! Really?!?!? One month of 2013 already gone? Whew...I need to step up my game! *smile* Well - this week I had a blast participating in the Papertrey Ink Make It Monday Challenge. This week the challenge was to Layer Embossing...so that is exactly what I did...I used the Mhendi Medallion stamp set and a stamp positioner to first stamp the large medallion and embossed it with detail black embossing powder.

Then I punched four squares out of Aqua Mist, Hibiscus Burst, Limeade, and Hawaiin Shores.  I laid them on top of the medallion and using the stamp positioner and stamped the large medallion again onto the four squares with versa mark ink - and embossed with detail clear embossing powder.

Once the squares had cooled, I stamped each square with L, heart, V & E with versa mark ink and sprinkled them with detailed white embossing powder. Before you heat the this layer of the embossing powder - be sure and let your heat tool get hot so you don't have to over heat the powder...and you won't get as much blurring between the two layers. Once they had cooled the second time, I popped them back in place over the original medallion on a layer of dimensionals. I added a bit of a flurry of confetti hearts - just because it seemed like a happy thing to do!

This is a fun technique...I hope you will try it for yourself!

I am working on our next series...which will be a few Valentines Day Projects. I hope you will join me over on YouTube - I had a messy and fun session of creative play - and want to invite you to visit my studio - and we even end up actually creating a Valentines Day Card!  Bonus!

Chalk Art: Tutorial

I know...I am waaaay late on getting this tutorial posted! Sorry guys. I have been traveling and have just not been as on top of things (yes, I know that sounds like I am ON TOP OF IT ALL if I am not traveling...ha ha...right!).

But here it is... hope you enjoy and that you will try it for yourself!


Have a great week!

Make It Monday #99 Challenge: Repeats and Rainbows

This week's Make It Monday Challenge over on the Papertrey Ink blog was super fun to work on! Nicole Heady created six rainbow color combo's that I found really fresh and inspiring.  I actually chose the SIXTH rainbow combination:

I decided to create several cards based on the color combination - but with dramatically different styles. Here is the first one: For this, I chose to make the background images "tone on tone" - and use the rainbow color combo as the pop of color on the hearts in the centers of the flowers. The sentiment was stamped in Smokey Shadow and I used a glue pen to add Prisma glitter to make the hearts pop just a bit more. A bit of simple stitching created the frame for this card.

 

This next card I used the "stamping off" technique to create a bit of a shabby chic rainbow background.   I stamped the first generation impression of the doily stamp in bit of a wave across the center of the card front. I then went back and used a bit of scratch paper to stamp the fresh ink off and then did second and third generation stamping vertically up and down the card front. I used the Button Up Die and Stamp set from Papertrey Ink to create the small paper buttons. I used card stock in the colors from the rainbow challenge and then stamped the pattern in the same color of ink as the card stock. The buttons in the design really led to my chose of sentiment - which I stamped in Smokey Shadow Ink...the "You Are" was stamped off once so that it wouldn't overpower the much smaller sentiment "cute as a button."

This one may be my favorite. I die cut this vintage bicycle from the cardstock in the rainbow challenge. The card base is 9.25" x 4.25" - sometimes a design just requires you to create an irregular sized card - and this was one of those. The die cuts are about 2.75" tall - so to get all the rainbow colors onto the card front, I had to both alternate them and cut part of the die cut off where it hung over the edge.  I think that actually makes the card have a bit of a graphical design feel to it.

So there you are...my take on the challenge. What has inspired YOU this week?