Gelli� Printing with Folded Paper!!

Such cool effects can be achieved in Gelli� printing using a simple piece of folded paper. Watch this video to see the interesting mark-making possibilities with accordion folded paper!

Simple accordion folds in a piece of paper transforms it into a texture tool capable of making a variety of marks for creating exciting prints!

After folding and experimenting with different papers, I find index cards make the best accordion folded texture tools. An ordinary 5� x 8" index card works perfectly.

The folds shown here are 1/2" inch intervals � creating a nice sturdy tool that holds up to the paint for many usages. While you're at it � make a few! Score and fold cards in both the horizontal and vertical (or portrait and landscape) orientations.

Making accordion folds is so easy using a Fiskars quilting ruler and a bone folder. Score lines at every 1/2 inch �then fold the card into an accordion on the scored lines. Gather up the folds on one end to form a fan shape and wind a bit of tape around the end to hold the fan shape in place.

There are other ways to make accordion folds � where a ruler and bone folder aren't essential � so use the method you�re familiar with. This paper texture tool needs the mountains and valleys of an accordion, but exact folding precision is not required.

If you have a paper scoring tool, such as the Martha Stewart Mini Scoring Board � making accordion folded papers for Gelli� printing is another great opportunity to use it!

Experiment with folding papers and see what you come up with for creating textures and marks in your Gelli� prints!

In the video you�ll see how to make a small rosette. I hold it together with Aleene�s Fast Grab Tacky Glue. But many people prefer using hot glue for making paper rosettes, so use the adhesive you prefer.

The printing paper used in the video is Staples Card Stock 110 lb. that has been cut in half (to 8.5" x 5.5") for printing bleed prints on an 8"x10" Gelli� plate. My Fiskars SureCut Paper Trimmer makes that job super easy.

For printing, apply two or more colors of paint on your Gelli� plate and roll it out with a brayer.

Press your accordion folded texture tool into the wet paint and use it like a stamp. Pick it up and press over and over in different areas. Make various marks by pressing the accordion in wet paint and gently twisting or dragging it to move the paint. And rolling the accordion edge into the paint creates a thin zigzag line!

When you're happy with the image, cover the plate with a piece of paper, rub to transfer the paint � and pull your print.

Like many prints, a lot of these are good beginnings. So keep working on them in layers to build your images.

TIP:  When creating bleed prints (no borders) � where the paper is smaller than the painted plate � place a cover sheet over the printing paper to keep your hands clean. You can use your cover sheets over and over. Deli paper is an excellent cover sheet, as shown in the video.

Quickly pull a ghost print if there's enough wet paint on the plate.

If the paint on the plate is too dry, but you like what's there � allow it to dry completely. Then roll out another layer of a contrasting paint color on the plate. To print this image � give the paper some extra time on the plate. When you pull the print, it should pull up all of the paint on the plate.

It's amazing how addictive a simple paper texture tool is to work with! You'll have a stack of prints in no time! And they're great for collage � or working back into with your favorite pens and pencils. So much fun!!

TIP:  The paint used in the video is Blick Matte Acrylic, which dries to a velvety matte surface that�s friendly to colored pencils, pens, and other embellishments.

A great way to keep the pages together is to punch them with an Arc Punch and bind them together with Arc discs. Voila! A fabulous art journal! What I love most is that I can pull pages out to work on them further, add more papers to the book, and rearrange the pages at any time. Hard not to love the flexibility of disc bindings!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

our winner is Lorelea!!

We have a special GIVEAWAY for making 

Gelli� printing pages you can embellish and bind!!

One lucky winner's prize kit will include:

• 1 - 8"x10" Gelli Arts� Gel Printing Plate
• 1 - Staples� Arc System Desktop Punch
• 2 - Sets of Staples� Arc System Notebook Expansion Discs
• 2 - Sharpie Extra-Fine Point Waterbased Paint Marker Sets (Pastels, Metallics)

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 per person. One winner will be selected from all the entries via a random number generator to receive this very special giveaway!) Entries will be accepted until Tuesday March 1st at noon EST. Our lucky winner will be contacted by email and announced here on the blog and on our Facebook page no later than Tuesday March 1st at 5pm EST! 

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!!!!

Please�share your prints with us on our Facebook page, or on Instagram using the hashtag #gelliprint #gelliarts or #gelliplate. Tag us with @gelliarts on Instagram and Twitter too! We love to see what you're creating!!

Remember, we now have Gelli partners all over the world, so it's easier than ever to find a Gelli retailer near you!

Good Luck and Happy Printing! 

Products used in this tutorial!

M by Staples Arc System Project Planner

Blick Matte Acrylic Paints

8x10 Gelli� Plate

Fiskars Rotary Cutter

Staples Card Stock110 lb.

Martha Stewart Mini  Scoring Board

Aleenes Fast Grab Tacky Glue

Fishers Paper Trimmer

4" Pop-In Soft Rubber Brayer

Sharpie Water Based Fine  Point Paint Markers

Prismacolor Colored Pencils

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DIY Home Decorating with Gelli� Prints

Can you answer YES to the following questions? If you do � I have a FUN project for you!!

1. Do you have a large and growing stash of Gelli^� prints?
2. Do you like DIY home decorating projects?
3. Do you want to create an artful environment?
4. Do you have stairs (or a 'bare' area) in your living space?

Yes? Great!! I answered "yes" to these questions, too!

The 'bare' spot in my home is a back staircase. It's straight up, slightly narrow � and screaming for some ART!

At first, I didn't have a clear idea for how I wanted to decorate the space. Hang prints on the empty walls? Then � my vision snapped into focus! A collage of Gelli^� prints covering each of the risers!!! Here's the transformation!

Once the idea takes form, and the spark of enthusiasm gets you fired up � it's all about figuring out the logistics. There are endless ways to approach this project. I'll explain how I went about making my stair collages. You may come up with a different plan � and that's great! There's no right or wrong way � just what works best for you!

Fun, isn't it?!!

The first decision is what to use as the substrate for the collages. To be honest, I was looking for a process that would allow for a removable installation � just in case! I considered a variety of materials including primed canvas, stiff non-woven interfacing, wallpaper, heavyweight kraft paper and a few others. Each seemed like it would work. I decided to use primed canvas for its sturdiness and flexibility. Turns out, it's perfect for the job!

The risers on my staircase measure 34.75 inches wide � by 6.25 inches high (accounting for a small strip of moulding across each). It helps to make a paper template, and it's a good idea to check it against each riser. If your risers aren't even, you can make a template for each one, if needed. Then cut your substrate to size � one piece for each riser.

All of the prints selected for this project are from my stash � and printed on either card stock or bristol. The plan is to cut the prints into strips, making them easy to arrange and line up next to each other.

I cut up a TON of prints � way more than I needed!

Cutting the prints into strips goes pretty fast using this Fiskars^� 12" paper trimmer. The little blade zips right through the prints. But cutting all that heavyweight painted paper dulls the blade after a while. So if you're slicing up piles of prints, it's good to have an extra blade on hand. The replacement blade drops right into place � easy to swap out.

The next step is deciding on an appropriate adhesive for gluing the prints to the canvas. Again, there are so many different adhesives to choose from. I considered gel medium, matte medium, PVA, decoupage glue and tacky glue � and each would work for this project. But I went in a different direction and used Aleene's^� Tack-It Over& Over � applied to the primed side of the canvas.

Here's why:  It's a pressure-sensitive liquid adhesive that's very sticky when dry � which means it turns the canvas substrate into a self-adhesive surface. So you simply lay the printed strips in place on the sticky surface and press � then burnish the whole collage with a bone folder. No buckling wet papers! No drying time! Easy peasy :) The adhesive is designed to create a temporary bond for attaching embellishments to fabric (making them removable) � but I find its bond between paper and canvas is strong.

NOTE:  I discovered when a using a thin coat of Aleene's^� Tack-It Over & Over, the papers can be carefully removed after they're in place. When I used a heavy coat of the adhesive, the paper grabbed onto the sticky adhesive and didn't let go � and tore when I tried to remove it. It's worthwhile to do some testing first � especially if you've never worked with this pressure sensitive adhesive before.

Aleene's^� Tack-it Over & Over is a very sticky adhesive to work with while wet. I wear disposable gloves to keep it off my hands � and definitely recommend it. I use a 3 inch wide Colour Shaper to squeegee the glue onto the substrate. An old credit card, hotel key card, or piece of mat board would work too. I find scraping the adhesive onto the canvas (instead of brushing it on) is a fast and easy way to apply an even coat with good coverage. Also, be sure to work on a disposable table covering. I place a large piece of heavy kraft paper under each canvas substrate. Remember, this stuff is super-sticky when dry, so you don't want it on your work surface!

After the collages are constructed � while they're still on the kraft paper � apply a coat of DecoArts^� Americana Decou-page Matte for a protective finish and let them dry. These are now nice sturdy, sealed pieces � ready to install!

Here's the step-by-step directions for how I created the collages:

1. Cut prints into strips.
2. Create a template for the risers.
3. Cut a piece of primed canvas for each riser.
4. Apply a layer of Aleene's^� Tack-it Over & Over to the primed side of each substrate with a scraper tool.
5. Allow the glue to dry completely. It goes on white � dries clear � and is very sticky when dry.
6. Place cut print pieces on the substrate and press in place. Burnish with a bone folder to create a strong bond. 
7. Squeegee on a thin coat of DecoArt Americana Decou-Page Matte to seal the collages. Let dry.
8. Remove collage from disposable kraft paper. Trim the pieces that extend beyond your substrate. 

The last step is installing the collages on the stair risers. My risers are painted, and I used Glue Dots^� Removable Dots. I applied the dots liberally to the back of each canvas � then firmly pressed each canvas in place against the riser. The collages are holding up nicely in their vertical space! When I tested the removal � the glue dots stuck to the paint, not the canvas � but peeled easily off the paint without any problems. There are various adhesives designed for hanging posters on painted walls (that are supposed to offer easy removal) that may be another way to go. You can explore different options � but test them in an inconspicuous area first.

What a difference! The whole staircase comes to life with colorful FUN! What a great way to display Gelli^� prints!!

And one of the best parts is that I've used so much of my Gelli^� print stash � it's time to start printing again!!! More fun!!!

If you don't have a staircase, look around for an area that could use a big blast of color. Henry, at Gelli Arts^�, creatively mounted some of his prints over the doorways in the Gelli Arts^� office!!! Fabulous!!!

You can always interpret the basic idea here to a large stretched canvas or panel � and hang it where it'll make you happy :) So go ahead and "Gelli^� up" your home!

Remember, we now have Gelli^� partners all over the world, so it's easier than ever to find a Gelli^� retailer near you!

One last thing... if you haven't joined us on Instagram - please do! And if you're sharing your Gelli^� artwork on Instagram - please be sure to tag us  � @gelliarts! Don't forget to use the hashtags #gelliplate, #gelliprint or #gelli (or all three!!)  � so that way we can find you too!

Have Fun and Happy Printing!

Materials Used In Today's Blog:

Gelli Arts� Printing Plate

Heavyweight Kraft Paper

Fredrix Canvas Roll

Fiskars 12" Portable Trimmer

Aleene's Tack-it Over & Over

Ergo Teflon Floder/Folding Rib

Disposable Gloves

Silicone Wide Firm Flat Brush: Size 3

DecoArt Americana Decou-Page Matte

Glue Dots Removable Dots

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