Still Exploring!

My last post was about the fun I was having with the new art of gel printing. So ever since, I've been having ideas swirl around in my head "What if I try this..." "What about that idea...." "It be it would be interesting if......" and so this morning I had my first opportunity to try something. With the ones I printed on card stock, I made some greeting cards! And the paint texture is wonderful - you will love to rub your fingers across them!

Because the gel plate is 8 x 10, and the envelopes I had would hold a 5.5 by 4.24 card, I could either just get one card from the print, or I figured if I painted the white area, I could get two out of the print!

And they way I positioned the cardboard template I made, I had a white space at the bottom so that I could stamp the name of my shop and the website, and the website of my blog as well!

The front and back of each card are different, and no two cards will be alike.

My daughter thought this card reminded her of a sari, so I gave it to her to use.

My husband really liked this blue one ......

.... so I gave him this one to use!

My idea is to make up several of these and sell them in my store.

Probably I will put them in sets by color.

These are just experiments, but I will use the ones I have left for personal correspondence. I also realized that I am going to need a heavier weight card stock to have them look professional - the regular weight is a bit flimsy.

So look for them soon in my Etsy Store - BelleSouth Studio. I think they would make great gifts! 

And I made a Facebook page - Bellesouth Studio, dedicated to me as an artist and featuring the works for sale in my store. Please come visit that page and click on the Like button up in the right corner - the more likes I get the better! :) And send your friends there too if you think they would enjoy seeing the art work - thanks!

I wanted to do more, but I was very disappointed to feel the fatigue creeping in, telling me I had used up a lot of spoons doing this (the Spoon Theory), but I will be back to them as soon as I can. Now I just have to find a source for good card stock paper!

Click on the photo to see anything closer.

Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!

Something New!

After the emotional drain of the past day, and setting aside the large piece I've been working on - I decided what I needed was a "fun day", just playing and exploring. I had recently ordered something new, and this would be the perfect time to experiment with it.
It's called a Gelliarts Printing Plate.  I found it on sale at Dick Blick Art Supplies and it came in last week. The package looks like this:

At Dick Blick, they carry two sizes; at the Gelliarts link they carry larger sizes and they cost more as they go up. I purchased the 8 X 10 size. There is a video at the Gelliarts site which explains how it works. Basically, you are printing without a press. All you need is paper, paint and a brayer. Stencils are a lot of fun to use. The print you make can be used in your art journal, or as a part of a larger collage, or as a card if printed on cardstock.

You pour the paint on the gel plate, spread it with a brayer, and then lay a piece of paper over it and smooth with your hands, then pull your print off. No two prints will ever be the same.

Here are my first gel prints!

This was the very 1st one I did, the shape is the cap to something. I almost threw it away, but in the kind of art I produce, you never know when you need something. 

Tada - I feel vindicated for being a packrat! The paper is from a Mixed Media pad.

These were actually one sheet of postcard stock with perforations to become four postcards. I can see lots of possibilities with postcards!

This was done on deliwrap paper, which is sort of flimsy but has possibilities for using in collage work.

This is done on card stock, would actually make a nice folded greeting card once it's trimmed to fit the envelope.

You can see the stencils, and the lovely way the color melds together. Again on cardstock.

cardstock again

cardstock

cardstock

writing paper

writing paper

It's great fun, and pretty inexpensive to do. You could even use craft paint to do your printing. The last one is a monoprint, and I love the colors! If you go to Youtube and do a search, there are videos there of ways to make prints. Now I will have to think of all kinds of ways to use them!

Click on the photo to see anything closer.

Come see my latest postcards I've received on Postcards Buffet!