Hi Everyone
Happy Sunday!
My apologies for being absent for a few days .. .. it was all super manic on the build up to the wedding fayre .. .. and then even more manic after it was all over!
My feet don't seem to have touched the ground and this little crafty journey I took myself on really has turned into a full-time job! Every day, week, month and even year has to be planned .. .. just like it did when I was wasting my time working hard for other people .. .. when I should probably have been working on making this dream come true earlier!!
I enjoy being my own boss much much more . .. though I am a bit of a hard taskmaster!
My fingers have been super itchy to play with the gelli plate I made and showed you in my last post though .. .. .. and yesterday I was determined to at least have a little play. I have had so many you tube videos playing in the background whilst I have been beavering away on other projects that I felt really ready to try my luck and have a go.
These are my first two prints from my first experiment .. .. .. and I am well chuffed with them. I used a brayer, acrylic paints, a stencil and a piece of corrugated cardboard .. .. :
I didn't actually have any acrylic paints apart from a huge tube of white .. .. so I invested in a little box of mixed colours .. .. a whole £5
I enjoyed mixing and creating colours as much as I did the actual printing process.
So my gelli plate has worked brilliantly with acrylics .. .. .. but sadly the same was not true when I tried working with ink pads .. .. and I tried a few different types.
My ink just seemed to soak into the plate .. .. and hardly any would lift off .. .. even if I wet it.
Never mind.
I am content to be working with the acrylics ... .. .. but am happy to say that an "official" gelli plate will be making its way onto my Christmas list this year! I will be interested to see how different they are to my own homemade version.
So, am I pleased I made one? Yes.
It proved that this is a different type of crafting that I would like to experiment further with. But I do I need to get over my fixation of everything needing to be clean and pristine. It was freaking me out that I had paint on the lids of my tubes and I found myself cleaning every speck off them before I could put them away. Life really is too short for that surely?!?!?
So that is me for today.
Once I actually use my gelli prints I will show you what I did with them .. .. but that isn't going to be for a little white yet looking at my work list for the next few days!!
Enjoy what is left of your weekend.
Ooh, this is interesting! I've really enjoyed hearing about your gelli plate experiment and the results are gorgeous. Will look forward to seeing what you make with the lovely print. Hugs xx
ReplyDeleteNice results! Jo x
ReplyDeleteIt must be so much better to be kept busy on your own account rather than working for someone else, even if yo do drive yourself hard!!! Your home made gel plate seems to have worked well and while I've not done a huge amount with mine (purchased) and certainly not lately, I seem to remember that acrylic paints work best of all and on the whole I don't think you really need the top quality ones. Well done for 'lashing out' on a box of colours - they do go quite a long way. I'm afraid you will probably have to get used to it all being a bit of a messy process but that's fine - honest!!
ReplyDeleteYou have made me smile Jules ...about the OCD...everything clean...that's me again...you are right life is too short but it's hard to change the habits of a lifetime..yes? You seem to be making progress anyhow with your geli-plate...not really something I have ever been tempted to try. Glad your Fayre was productive....looks like you will be recruiting hubby as staff soon! hugs xx
ReplyDeleteSounds a bit like mine, the last 10 days!! I had to smile at you cleaning your paint lid! Mmmmm So do I!! The lids would be very difficult to get off if the paint dries on them. That's my excuse! Good luck with your business. There is nothing like working for yourself and will only work properly, if you are tough on yourself. I have wedding invites and thank you cards for a wedding to do at the moment. Fortunately there is no rush as they are not needed until the end of the year. I wish you every success for the future. Hugs, Carol S.xx
ReplyDeleteGreat results with your Gelli plate - most impressed that you made it yourself. I need to experiment with mine more - I'm not sure why I'm so afraid of it! LOL! xx
ReplyDeleteBetter being a busy bee than twiddling your thumbs.
ReplyDeleteWell done on the success with acrylic paint, like the colour choices.
Also so pleased that the Fayre's went well but don't forget all work and no play is not good for you.
Have a great, even if busy week.
Kath x
Hello my dear I've been looking out for you! I was very interested to hear how the gelli plate went...I've looked at them myself. I'm really interested in backgrounds at the moment. I went on a brilliant workshop with Julia watts last week. She taught us loads and loads of techniques. We looked at oxides and the colour clouds and how they each worked on both black and white card...it really was fab. I must admit the gelli plates are very clever really. Glad to see you're keeping busy. Great to see you x
ReplyDeleteGreat to see how your homemade gelli plate printed out and it was interesting to read that the ink soaked into the pad rather than stayed on top.
ReplyDeleteSue xx
Your post made me smile Jules with your OCD....I am really impress with your result from your jelly plate.. there's nothing like being your own boss and it lovely to be busy...can never understand how people say they are bored even when retired...crafting certainly fills many happy hours..
ReplyDeletelooking forward to seeing more results with your jelly plate
Anne