Gel Plate 101

This is a long post.  Hope you stay with me.
What is a gel plate I hear you ask - unless you have used these previously you may wonder what they are.  Straight from the web is this description "gel printing plates look and feel like gelatin, but are durable, reusuable and store at room temperature. They are easy to clean and always ready for printing."

I recently went to a gel plate workshop, held at Time to Create in Modanville (near Lismore NSW). The tutor was Birgit Koopsen from The Netherlands.  Whilst I had a great time playing with my gel plate, inks, stamps, Pan Pastels and more, I realized that I needed to get a better grip on the basics.  

So that is what I did today.  How come today? Last week, this week and for the next two weeks I am leading ladies to make cards in Mt Colah, NSW.  Dianne, my friend, said are you going to show the ladies how you used your gel plate? So that is how I decided to play today and you never know I may end up getting the ladies (sorry, no men in the class) to play.   Here is what I came up with:

But first, let me show you some of the simple requirements for gel plate mono-printing. Gel plate, I used a 9" x 11" Ranger gel plate, white photocopy paper behind the gel plate ensures that you have a good idea of where your paint is going, a brayer for spreading paint, baby oil to clean up your plate (some people do clean up after each use - it is a person choice and finally paper towel or baby wipe.
For my cards, I used Dylusions paint Dirty Martini and the stamps are from Resort Collection.  All products (except baby oil and paper towel) are available from Kaszazz.  Yes, I am a consultant for them.  This would be the simplest of techniques, using one colour, and getting images from each pressing - from dark to light.  You never know what you are going to get with each pressing - that is the wonder.
Here are the cards close up:

    
  
I also played around with 2 colours, stencils, sprays and I will share these again shortly. But here they are after printing.


Thank you for staying with me.  Margaret.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Budgerigar Card

Image
 This week I created the following card for the ladies at my two community groups that I lead: I used AALL&Create Budgie stamp.  The budgerigar stamp was on special and I think I have an idea why.  Look at the budgie on the right - looks in need of a feed - so I when I gave it a feed using my black marker he looked well fed!   I also used masking of the bird then applied paint 'dabbed on' and when dry a stencil with Black Soot Distress Ozide ink completes the card.  Such a happy card.  Thank you for looking. Margaret
Read more

Junk Journal

Image
It has been awhile since I last posted - where does time go?  I recently developed and run an introduction to junk journals and embellishments.  I donated part of the small cost to the Community group where I lead classes for their mission efforts. Here are some photos of what I prepared for the participants.  The journal cover was constructed from one 12" x 12" (30cm x 30cm) folded into a smaller size.  My sample shows cotton fabric I coloured with distress and alcohol inks.  Students received tea dyed ribbon. Cover plate features cheesecloth and lace behind the main image - bird from a magazine. The journal on the right was completed by one of the participants in the workshop. We started with a simple tag seen on the bottom.  Next was a simple to construct belly band.  Clusters can also be made along the band and then cut off later for clusters to be used in the journal.  I love the simplicity of these bands that are great for decorating book pages. Next onto collaged belly
Read more

Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration - 20 day challenge

Image
I recently completed the April 20 Day challenge over at Junk Journal Ideas and Inspiration (JJII) on Facebook.  Challenge 12 was "It takes two to tango". In my case black gesso and texture paste are doing the Tango on tea bags. Here is what I created. Left is a greeting card (or page for my junk journal) and right is a small pocket and tag for my junk journal. I loved the idea of the pocket so went ahead and created 8 more as a table gift for a table I was hosting at a local fund-raising Afternoon High Tea.  I filled them with a tea bag (I found some that had a black top) and a roll of Mentos as a sweet treat. A small flower die cut (shortened to fit size of pocket) and a small adhesive word complete the pocket. Here is the process I followed.   I opened up used tea bags that I had dried and removed the tea leaves. Tea residue I put in the compost. Using a paint brush I coloured the tea bag with black gesso and allowed to dry, of course, I was impatient and got out my heat gu
Read more