We at Gelli Arts� often hear about the great time people are having when they break out the Gelli plates for a printing session with their kids and grandchildren. What a thrill for us knowing that a Gelli plate, some acrylic paint, a brayer, a few texture materials, and some paper can generate hours of enthusiastic family fun! We thank you for sharing your pictures and prints with us!
Printing your own unique wrapping paper is one of those projects that everyone (all ages!) can enjoy. It's that time of the year! If you're looking for a creative activity to share with your family�this is a good one! And the results add a personal and charming touch to your wrapped gifts.
You can find rolls of unprinted gift wrap paper and assorted plain shopping bags, as well as blank tags and cards, at craft stores�ready for printing. Or maybe you prefer to cut open some brown paper bags and print on the back side. This is a wonderful opportunity for repurposing paper bags!
Stamping with Gelli plates is especially well-suited for making decorated gift wrap. The new Mini plates are an endless source for creating all sorts of designs. On some of my papers, I started by stamping areas of color with a 6"x6" square, or 6" round and 4" round plates�then stamped over that layer with Mini shapes. Totally no-stress printing!
I used Blick Matte Acrylic paints�which work perfectly for this project. The colors are highly opaque and layer beautifully. The range of colors is wonderful, drying to a matte finish�and the printed matte paint surface accepts all sorts of pens and pencils for further embellishing. I used Sharpie Metallics and Uni-ball Signo pens on some of my papers and love how it looks!
Use any of your favorite monoprinting techniques�stencils, masks, combs, texture tools, etc.�to create images on your wrapping paper.
And how about adding words! If you've ever written or rubber-stamped a word directly on a Gelli plate�you know it prints in reverse. With printmaking in mind, Lesley Riley created a set of 'Reverse Alphabet Stamps�'�and you can use them to stamp words directly on your Gelli plate. The stamp set features backwards letters for stamping directly into wet paint or stamp pad ink on a Gelli plate to pull a right-reading print. Gotta love that!
The click-together Pegz stamps make forming words so easy.
To start, snap the letters together to create your word stamp. Here's the process I used to print with my word stamp:
Tap StazOn solvent ink directly onto the Mini plate. Next, ink the word stamp with a different, contrasting StazOn color�and stamp an impression on the inked Mini plate. The Mini gel plate is ready now to stamp on a desired substrate�in this case, blank tags.
Try these convenient reverse stamps for personalizing gift wrap, tags, cards, journal pages�or any print!
Dress up your packages with Gelli-printed fabric strips instead of ribbon! Simply tear fabric strips to the width you want�and print on them with the same acrylic paints you use on your wrapping paper. Muslin and other tight weave cottons are good fabric choices for this. Such an easy way to make any package look extra special!
When it comes time to wrap your gifts with the fabulous papers you've created�why not add some Gelli-printed stickers, as shown in the previous blog post. It's a fast and easy way to put your hand-printed touch on any package, tag or card!
Artfully Gelli-printed gift wrap and tags show the love you put into wrapping your gifts!!
We love to see what you create, so please share your prints with us on our Facebook page and Instagram! Be sure to use the hashtag(s) #gelliprint, #gelliplate or #gelliarts � we will be sure to find you! Tag us on Instagram and Twitter too with @gelliarts. We love to see what you are creating!
Remember, we now have Gelli partners all over the world, so it's easier than ever to find a Gelli retailer near you!
Get a head start making your own custom-designed texture plates for Round Gelli� plates by beginning with pre-cut cardboard cake circles! Watch this video and see how easy it is to create texture plates for monoprinting using these corrugated cardboard circles.
The baking aisles in craft stores are stocked with a number of products that have potential use in printmaking � and it's a fun place to get ideas. What captured my attention were the cardboard cake circles! The sizes are just right for making texture plates for the round Gelli� Plates!
Corrugated cardboard is like a springboard for the imagination! There are countless ways to create textures on a cardboard substrate for printing. Plus, corrugated cardboard's unique layered and laminated structure means you can carve interesting designs in it, then pull back the top layer to reveal striped areas! Let's explore that process!
The cardboard cake circles I bought are regular corrugated cardboard with brown kraft paper on one side � and shiny white paper on the other. After experimenting with cutting and printing both sides, I found the regular brown cardboard side printed the best and resulted in the crispest images. So that's what I recommend.
You can work freehand, or draw your design on the cardboard first and cut along the drawn lines. Don't cut all the way through the bottom layer � just the top. I tend to cut through the corrugated layer too � it's hard to avoid � and that's okay. It also helps to mark the sections you want to remove.
Cut your design through the top layer of the cardboard with a craft knife. Then remove sections of the top layer of paper � revealing the stripes below.
To remove a cut section of the top layer of the cardboard � carefully pull it up. It helps to slip a pointed tool, like a knitting needle or an awl, into a 'valley' under the area you wish to remove. That helps lift the paper � revealing the striped corrugated paper underneath.
TIP:The top paper does not usually come off cleanly. So, while pulling the paper up, I run an awl or knitting needle along the edge of the 'mountains' to help release the paper. A tweezer comes in very handy to pull up any small or stubborn remaining pieces.
As you're tearing and removing the top paper, you may want to leave some of the peeled paper remnants that stick to the corrugated 'mountain' part of the cardboard. The torn paper remnants can create a more organic look in your prints.
You can also trace a stencil onto the cardboard and use that as your guide for carving the cardboard! Cut along the lines and remove the top layer of paper � leaving the areas that are the 'holes' in the stencil � to create your pattern.
Add layers! Cardstock, chipboard, or manila folders are all great paper materials to use for adding shapes to your cardboard substrate. You want to be sure to glue any papers securely to the cardboard so they don't come off while printing. Tacky glue works well.
You can create interesting printed images by gluing torn paper, hand-cut shapes, die-cuts and punched pieces to your cardboard plate.
Punching holes into the cardboard plate with an awl will create dots in your printed image.
Printing with cardboard plates:
Apply acrylic paint to your Gelli� plate and roll into thin layer with a brayer.
Press your cardboard plate firmly into the wet paint � and remove.
Place your printing paper on the Gelli� plate, rub to transfer the paint � and pull your print!
The paints used for all of these prints are Amsterdam Standard Series acrylics. They have a fabulous line of colors � one of my favorites is Pewter. It's a beautiful metallic � and great when layering with other colors!
If you're into neon brights � check out their Reflex colors! The final pull on this print is toned with a solid sheer layer of Reflex Rose. Seriously vibrant!
When working in layers with the same texture plate, as you press the cardboard plate into wet paint on the Gelli� plate, each layer is usually a bit out of registration. That can create a 'drop shadow' effect, which gives the print a dimensional look. Very cool!
It's so satisfying to make your own unique cardboard texture plates! And cardboard is everywhere! Keep your eye out for round cardboard packaging! It's a great find when you come across it :)
Cardboard texture plates are sturdy and can be used over and over! And the prints are so wonderful!! Try it!
Eventually, the cardboard texture plates can become so layered with paint they develop a beautiful patina � and you may want to use them as collage material. They can even be a finished piece of art � as is!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!
Winner is Camille G-H!
Our FABULOUS giveaway is a complete kit for making exciting ROUND prints with DIY cardboard texture plates!
The Prize Kit includes:
1 - 8" Round Gelli Arts� Gel Printing Plate
1 - 6" Round Gelli Arts�Gel Printing Plate
1 - 4" Round Gelli Arts� Gel Printing Plate
10 - Amsterdam Standard Series Acrylic Paint - 120 ml Tubes
1 - Speedball� 4" Soft Rubber Pop-in Brayer
1 - 6 in. Wilton� Cake Circles - pkg. 10 count
1 - 8 in. Wilton� Cake Circles - pkg. 12 count
1 - 10 in. Wilton� Cake Circles - pkg. 12 count
1 - X-Acto Gripster� Knife
1 - Gelli Plate Printing: Mixed Media Monoprinting Without a Press - 144 page book signed by author, Joan Bess
To enter the giveaway, click on the red "ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE" button below! (This will ensure that we can contact the winner and that entries are limited to one perperson. One winner will be selected from all the entries via a random number generatorto receive this very special giveaway!) Entries will be accepted until noon EST Monday, June 22nd, 2015. Ourlucky winner will be contacted by email and announced here on the blog and on ourFacebook page no later than 5pm EST on June 22nd, 2015!
