Back To Basics Blog Hop With Gel Press®

With all of the kids heading back to school, Gel Press® thought we should take you back to the basics! Everything is coming up circles for my Back To Basics blog post!  I love this shape for whatever reason and it seems I'm not alone.  Did you know that Gel Press® makes four round plate sizes: 8", 6", 4" and 3"(one of 3 shapes in the Petites A Set)?  I had such fun making prints with these round plates that I made enough circles for three or four projects!  I am sharing two of these projects with you today. 

Gel Press® Circle Cards

Gel Press® Circle Layout: Lucy

Supplies

Round Gel Press® Plates: 8", 6" and 4" 

Gel Press® Petite Set: 3" Round

DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylic Paints

Stencils and Rubbing Plates

Strathmore Mixed Media Paper

Circle Cutters and Punches

Brayer

Tutorial

Place dots of paint in similar colors onto the round plate and press the rubbing plate into the Gel Press® to make a design. Look at that luscious color!

Pull prints onto mixed media paper and clean the Press in between colors.

The print below is the one I used for the cards.

I pulled several prints using black paper, adding Golden Iridescent white with the fluid acrylics to make the designs really pop.....

.....and stamping the rubbing plates off onto the paper to make even more designs.

Here is how I did the smaller plates with the stencils to get a great print: Mount the two smaller Gel Press® Plates onto acrylic stamping blocks.  Place paper down first, then the stencil over the paper.  Apply paint to the plate with a brayer then stamp it into the stencil to create the design on the plate.  Then stamp the plate onto another piece of paper.  This seems to make a really clear impression on the plate, thus making a good print. 

Plus you have the initial print from creating the impression.  This design is created from the openings in the stencil. (image in the middle) The gel print is the image on the right. I love these stencils designed by Michelle Ward I just ordered from The Ink Pad, a stamping and mixed media art store in NYC.  They are designs of city grates, manholes, etc.  Are they not the coolest!!!

Talking about "back to basics", do you remember the tool below?  If you scrapbooked back in the 90's, you probably owned one.  It still comes in handy for creating circles in many different sizes. Do/did you have one?

I told you I had enough for more projects!

Gel Printed Circles

 I cut the large circle into quarters then stamped and colored the cards.

Gel Press® Sun Cards

For the scrapbook layout, punch 16-2 1/2" circles and glue them onto 11" x 11" white card stock in a grid-style. 

I sewed the circles to add texture, but that made for a really busy background. To quiet it down a bit, I layered book text and drywall tape before adding my photos.  I also changed my photos to black and white so that there is contrast between the colorful background and the subject.

There are lots of creative things to do with circles....layer them and making flowers, or sew them and make garland......to name a few.  What would you do with them?

Here are more photos of the cards.

Please visit each blog for a Back To Basic idea or technique!

Happy Hopping!

Ann  

Cindi  

Cyndi 

Elena 

                          Kathy <--you are here

Keri 

Kitti 

Lea 

Sandee 

Teresa 
Gel Press

Want even more inspiration?  Check out Gel Press® on Pinterest and Gel Press Junkies on Facebook. Shop for Gel Press® online.

Thanks for visiting today!

Art from 2015

Hi everyone! I'm sharing some projects that I made for Scrap n' Art Online Magazine last year.

Lots of sewing on this one!

This card is a Scrapbook Adhesive project to show how the adhesive works on lots of different surfaces. 

We got a quilling kit that we had to use and I was very bad at it so I made this canvas.  

This is a little journal that I made using cardboard, stencils, and fabric. 

I love this collage I made of my dog, Lucy.  I had to use the bling sheet so I die-cut the wings with it and made a little collar.  I'd like to make more of these.

So what do you think?  How about leaving me a question or comment below, or let me know which you like the best.  Thanks for visiting!

Kathy

Twinkling H2Os

The other day something prompted me to get out my much neglected LuminArte Twinkling H2Os, which are watercolors with shimmer.

I made the following two Easter cards using those little pots of shimmery goodness!

I used nice sturdy watercolor paper. 

I sprayed the paper with water then added the H2Os and let them kind of bleed together. My paint brush barely touches the paper.

Mostly I let them air dry but sometimes I can direct the colors by using my heat tool.  I also use similar colors together, then dry them before I add complementary colors (orange and blue, red and green, yellow and violet) so as not to make a muddy mess.

I wish you could see the shimmer that they create!  

I wanted to contrast the bright colors with simple white die-cuts made using my Silhouette Cameo and stamped sentiments.  Here are a few more...........

Now go get your watercolors out and see what you can create!  I love comments so don't be shy!  Happy Easter!