Stamping with Round Gelli� Plates on a Silk Scarf!

Looking for a perfect substrate for stamping with 4",6" and 8" Round Gelli� plates? I found one I'm really excited about!!

It's a blank 8mm habotai silk scarf measuring � 14"x72" � from Dharma Trading Company! They offer a fabulous variety of options, and this size is exactly what I was looking for.

The sheer and lightweight habotai silk (also known as 'China silk') is easiest to print on if you first stabilize it by ironing the scarf onto freezer paper. And because this scarf is 6 feet long � you can easily roll up the freezer paper and unroll as you work on sections.

I used plastic clips to keep the scarf neatly rolled up while I worked on one area at a time.

To stamp with a Gelli� plate, place the plate on an acrylic block or sheet. Clear mounts let you place your imprint where you want it. I use an 8-1/2 x 11 inch acrylic box frame to mount my 8" round Gelli� plate. It works great for stamping! The gel plates will stay in place on their acrylic mounts until you remove them.

Maintaining the soft hand of the silk fabric is important for the scarf to drape nicely. There are paints specifically made for painting on silk, but they are very thin and tend to bead up on the gel plate � so they don't work well for monoprinting or stamping.

I used DecoArt's SoSoft Fabric Paint and find it leaves the fabric nice and soft. However, it's important not to use a thick application of paint. This is not the ideal project for layered paint techniques. If paint builds up on the sheer fabric, it changes the hand.

Instead of rolling a layer of paint on the gel plate with a brayer as I usually do, I painted thin layers with a flat brush. I love the look of loose brushstrokes in the circle images! And it's so much fun blending colors and swirling brushstrokes � going in circles!

All marks and designs on the painted gel plate were made using the following tools:

• Catalyst Wedges and Contours
• Princeton Art and Co. paintbrush (6250 Series #6 Flat)
• Colour Shapers (Size 6 Firm: Taper Point and Flat)
• Palette knife
• DIY eraser cap comb

The result is a painterly look, which works nicely with the soft silk.

This is a fast and fun process. Here are the steps � Easy as 1-2-3!!

1. Brush fabric paint onto the gel plate with painterly brushstrokes.
2. Make subtractive marks in the wet paint with combs and soft-tipped tools.
3. Stamp the painted plate onto the fabric.

I worked from one end of the scarf to the mid-point � then started at the other end and worked back to the middle. But if you prefer, you can easily work from one end to the other. Using the three round plate sizes makes it especially easy to fit the circle images together into a harmonious design. And variation in the circle sizes adds visual interest to the overall pattern.

TIPS:

To keep your colors clean while brushing them onto the plate � use analogous colors. Those are the ones that are next to each other on the color wheel.

Another simple, but sometimes overlooked, tip for clean colors is to give your brush a good rinse before switching colors. It's amazing how quickly colors can turn to mud if you don't.

For this project � after each print � I wiped the plate with a spritz of water and a paper towel to remove any residual paint on the plate. It only takes a second and helps keep the colors clean and bright.

SoSoft Paints don't require heat-setting � and they dry quickly so you can keep moving on to the next area.

You'll notice for this project I chose not to overlap the circle imprints. Mostly, because I wanted the design to feature individual circles! But also, I wanted to avoid overlapping images where layered paint might build up and alter the hand of the fabric.

After the scarf is Gelli� printed � it's done and ready to wear!

Now isn't this the perfect Spring accessory! A beautiful and breezy handprinted scarf! Go ahead and make one...or a few...and remember, it's a wonderful Mother's Day gift!!

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

Have Fun and Happy Printing!


Products used in today's blog:

4" Round
Gelli� Plate

6" Round
Gelli� Plate

8" Round
Gelli� Plate

8mm Haboti
Silk Scarf

Reynold's Freezer Paper

Plastic Clips

6" x 6" Acrylic  Mount

8.5" x 11" Acrylic Picture Frame

DecoArt's SoSoft Fabric Paints

Catalyst Contours  and Wedges

Princeton Brush  6250 Series #6 Flat

Colour Shapers Size 6 Firm

Palette Knives

DIY Eraser Cap Combs

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Gelli� Printing on Fabric: Fun with Stencils & Pencils!

Monoprinting is a great way to create unique designs on fabric! Watch this Gelli video for fun ideas using stencils and pencils for fabric surface design! 

   

Using commercial stencils to monoprint on fabric is a great way to get started. And after you've created your print...you can keep going to add to your design with colored pencils! 

In the video, the demonstration is on 100% cotton. The paint is SoSoft by DecoArt, which is a fabric paint that barely changes the hand of the fabric. It's easy to work with and doesn't need to be heat-set! The pencils are Inktense by Derwent, and they are perfect for use on fabric. Inktense pencils are water-soluble, but permanent after they dry � and you can layer over the dry ink. 

When printing on fabric, I first iron each piece onto freezer paper to stabilize it. Doing this simple step makes handling fabric as easy as printing on paper. It also keeps the process clean, as any paint that may bleed through the fabric won't get on your hands. Another benefit is that it's easier to apply colored pencil to fabric that is stabilized. 

TIP: When ironing fabric onto freezer paper, place the freezer paper shiny side UP on your 
ironing surface. Place your fabric on the freezer paper and cover with parchment paper to 
protect your iron. 

Ironing will create a temporary bond and stabilizes the fabric for easy handling while printing and embellishing with pencils. When the print is finished, gently pull the fabric off the freezer paper. 

Here's how to create this print: 

1. Apply paint to the Gelli plate and roll into a smooth layer with a brayer. When printing on fabric, use a heavier layer of paint than when printing on paper. 
2. Place a stencil on the painted plate. Apply a second color of paint to the plate and roll out over the stencil. 
3. Remove the stencil. Lay your fabric on the plate, rub to transfer the paint and pull your print. This is the first printed layer.
4. Roll a layer of paint on the plate. Place a different stencil on the painted plate. (A stencil with larger openings works best for this layer)
5. With the stencil in place, print onto paper to remove the paint in the stencil hole areas. You may need to print this on paper more than once to remove all the paint from the stencil hole areas.
6. Remove the stencil, place your printed fabric on the plate to print the paint that was under the stencil. Rub to transfer the paint and pull the print. This is the second printed layer on your fabric.

Brush a thin layer of Transparent Medium or water on an area of the fabric before coloring with Inktense pencils. Doing this will make the application smoother and intensify the colors. You can also brush dry pencil marks with medium to blend pencil colors on the print. Or, you can dip the pencil tip in the transparent medium. You can use water to thin the medium, if desired. 

Another option instead of using transparent medium is to use just water. The color will be very intense, and more difficult to control. Using water will probably cause the pencil color to bleed on the fabric. You may want the watercolor wash effect! Using the medium keeps the color from bleeding. Some fiber artists use Aloe Vera gel, which, like transparent medium, helps to control the application of Inktense color and keep it from bleeding.

If you like to draw or doodle on your prints, try it on fabric! The process is so much fun and can add your individuality to stenciled images! 

For more information, techniques and ideas for printing on fabric, please take a look at the 
earlier blog post and video: Gelli Printing � Techniques on Fabric! from September 19, 2013. 

This Contest is officially CLOSED

And now for our FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!! 

Our amazing Prize Package includes: 

•  1 - 6?x6? Gelli Arts� Gel Printing Plate 
• 16 - DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Paints (1 fl. oz. bottles)
•  5 - Clarity Stencils by Claritystamps, UK 
•  1 - Derwent Inktense Pencil Set of 12 
•  1 - Faber-Castell Trio Sharpening Box GRIP (Pencil Sharpener) 

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 Monday, Nov. 24th at 12 pm EST. Our lucky winner will be contacted by email and announced here on the blog and on our Facebook page no later than Nov. 24th at 5 pm EST! 

Special thanks to our friends at DecoArt for generously providing the paints in this giveaway! 

This Contest is officially CLOSED

Good Luck and Happy Printing! 

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Watch Your Back!

In my last blog post I talked about using different media to add color to Gelli prints that aren't quite "there yet".

What I didn't mention is that there's �another side� to the story. Literally!

Back of overdyed Gelli Print

On a number of prints, where the print surface was saturated with dye, the color seeped right through the paper to the back. And the acrylic paint from the original Gelli print created a resist! Talk about a cool effect!!!

Just like when you're working with fabric � sometimes the wrong side feels more "right". You may discover the back of an overdyed print is quite wonderful. Don't be surprised if at times you prefer the subtle, blurry, watercolor look.

The incidental images on the back of my spray-dyed prints inspire me to keep exploring! I'm hooked on this process :)

Following the same basic steps from my previous blog post, I applied additional color to Gelli prints and blotted or wiped it off with a damp paper towel.

To keep things simple, this time I only used Adirondack Color Wash Spray to overdye the prints.



Here's what I learned in the process�

1. Gelli prints created with a heavier application of paint � using stencils, masks, and drawn or blocked out images � often create more dynamic reverse-side prints.

In other words, you want to be sure there�s enough paint and pattern on your Gelli print to create an interesting resist :)

Gelli print created with stencils as masks, then overdyed.

2. Thinner paper works better. I was especially pleased with many of the reverse-side prints created on plain computer paper.

3. Dampening the Gelli print with water BEFORE adding the spray dye helps the colors blend together and absorb all the way through the paper.

Back of damp print

TIP: When the front of the print is saturated with water, flip it over and look at the back (or hold the print up to a light source). You'll see where the added dye is going to seep through on the back.






 4. Wet, saturated prints will buckle as they dry.

So, you might want to iron the prints flat once they�re dry. It's important to cover the print with parchment paper or a press cloth to protect your iron! (I use a piece of muslin)










5. This is an intuitive process. On some prints, I add water to the front and back to encourage the colors to spread. You can�t always predict how the colors will react � so experiment!

6. And if you�re like me and can�t decide which side to use � scan both sides! Then use the images in art journals, collage, ATC's, and any paper, mixed media or digital art project! Perfect!

And the best lesson of all? Spraying dye onto Gelli prints is a crazy-fun process!!!

In fact, we at Gelli Arts are having such a good time with this easy technique, we want to give one of our readers the chance to win a set of six Adirondack Color Wash Sprays to play with!!!

Just leave a comment on this blog and you'll be entered to win the Adirondack Color Wash giveaway!

The winner will be selected by a random drawing on Friday May 11th. Nancy will announce the lucky winner here and on our Facebook page. Good luck!

I hope you'll find some inspiration in this slideshow! And thanks for watching my backs!!!

Accompanying music - Sonatina in C Minor by Kevin MacLeod

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