Gelli "PLAY?"

By now, I'm sure many of you who follow my blog know how much I dislike my Gelli Plate, a gift I asked for three years in a row, and finally bought for my Christmas present two Christmas' ago.  The first time I used it, I took it to my friend Kathy's to play with it.  It wasn't fun then, and we were both disappointed with it.


The second time I played with it, there was a circle that went through to both sides, so no matter which side I used, the circle was imprinted on the plate and still there.  You can see it, because it's dark in the photo, and it left marks on anything I made.  When I ran my hand over the Gelli, I could feel how it was raised, too.

This is how I originally set up my Gelli back in June, and it still looks
 
pretty much the same today.

Although I added a few things I wanted to work on, 

and changed where the paint was, I was simply tired of walking around this mess every time I wanted to make an assemblage or something else in my basement studio.  You would think I would have spent the summer down here, but this table spread out like it was, kept me from enjoying the cool of the basement.

The bad news was that I had completely forgotten how to use the Gelli plate.  The good news was, after sitting all summer, the Gelli healed itself and the circle that went completely through the Gelli is no longer there.  I can't explain it any more than I can explain how the raised circle got there in the first place.

Moving on, I decided to combine some pearl glaze with turquoise paint.  But the paint was so incredibly old and nearly hard, I had trouble with it. 

After about two hours of fighting with the paint and glaze, this is what I got.  I have NO idea why the color is so horribly wrong here, but no amount of adjusting in PS helped.  Not much to show for all that work I did.

On Day 2, the paint was finally dry on the bags, and I was ready to try again.  This time I remembered I needed water to clean my brayer, a spritzer of water to clean the Gelli, and the last of my baby wipes.  I have other WIPES, but they are not the same as baby wipes, which are much thicker and have a cloth feel to them.

A favorite color combination is red and purple.  I've loved this color combination since I was in high school and found fabric that my grandmother turned into a blouse I wore forever.  I didn't realize the red was going to separate, though.  I actually started out with a mess on my hands.

These were the only two colors I used and it took me about three hours

to create these.  Somehow, I don't think I have the concept of the Gelli down very well, even though I watched a couple of videos after the disastrous effects of Day 1.

Day 3 gave me these.  Thankfully, I won't be printing on any more of the paper bags, which were actually something I drew on from two of my internet friends.  Quite some time ago, Corrine used paper bags with her Gelli.  Although I couldn't find the link on her blog (she has a LOT of Gelli and Stencil Girl posts), I remembered the concept and even commented that I might have to try that some day.  Also, some of you might remember the lovely bag I got from Patty when she sent me a gift in the bag earlier this summer.  Since I thought it was such a great idea, I tried to create some of these bags using stencils Corrine sent me, and a plastic doily from the thrift store.

I hope to make a few things using the Gelli and some of my bed sheets before I put this plate and the other goodies attached to it, away.  After all, it took nearly a day to get everything originally set up, so tearing it down will be like pulling teeth.  However, I want to make some Christmas gifts, so I need the space for assemblages, and the Gelli takes up a lot of dedicated space.

Thanks for looking.  No, I don't like the Gelli much better than before, but at least I'm glad it healed itself.  Again, I appreciate all your wonderful comments, too.

Can you call this a homemade stencil?

I got this hair-brained idea that I could make a stencil I could use when monoprinting.  I've seen so many people and their awesome stencils, many of them costing more than I spend on meals for a month.  So I decided to put my idea to the test and see if it would actually work.  I guess you can't really call this a recycled project unless you count the plastic legs left over from shelving in my basement.  

I admit I purchased these foam shapes at Dollar Tree (their motto: Everything's a dollar) over two years ago and have never opened them.  I originally got them to go in, or for, my Hands Altered Book.  But they have languished for over two years, taking up space, collecting dust, and alluding the altered book page or pages I might someday create.

I decided they could serve more importance as a stencil for my monoprints, so I starting placing them on the plastic bookshelf leg.  If you choose to recreate this project, you could substitute a piece of PVC pipe that's around 2 inches in diameter.

I never realized how many of these hands I would need for this project, but I think I used all but two from the package.

This plastic bookcase leg is a bit long, so I stopped when I thought it was wide enough for my plexiglass plate I use when monoprinting.

Supplies from back to front:
Pyrrole Red Golden brand Fluid Acrylic
Gold Glaze I got at my Household Hazardous Waste Swap and Shop
Stencil
Brayer
Bed sheet (used) torn to a manageable size
Plexiglass

I first laid down a layer of gold glaze, then laid the bed sheet on top and pressed it in place.  I was hoping the glaze would stay "open" longer (thus extending the drying time) because I've noticed craft paint tends to dry quickly on the plexiglass.

 While the glaze was still on the plexiglass, I added the fluid acrylic.

Next, I rolled the new stencil through the paint.  The glass and paint were quite slippery and the stencil had a tendency to slip and slide.  But I managed to get a few good images.

Although the gold doesn't show through in my lousy photo, it is definitely visible on the fabric.

Next I created a ghost print, where I rolled the stencil over a piece of unpainted fabric.  This is definitely my favorite.

And finally, I combined the last of the gold glaze and red fluid acrylic, then rolled the stencil through it before creating my final monoprint.

I am thinking these would make great backgrounds for the cover of my Hands AB, but at this point, I'm just happy they turned out as well as they did.

Today I recycled an unused plastic shelving leg and part of an old bed sheet, along with repurposed sticky backed foam shapes and turned them into what I am calling a stencil for fabric monoprinting.  Thank you for joining me. 

By the way, don't forget to leave a comment on my Artful Readers Club post if you want to be entered for a chance to win Ruth Rae's "Layered, Tattered, and Stitched."  No hoops, just a comment, I promise.

Happy Valentine Wishes

Before Blogger imposed its wrath on my life, I was reading several of my friends' blogs talking about their Gelli plates.   As many who read my blog know, I don't own one of those plates, and my craft budget isn't that rich.  However, I have a plexiglass plate that won't replace the Gelli plate, but will hopefully work in a pinch.

Note the broken mug I've kept around just for this very occasion.  I knew I wanted to use it for a Valentine or maybe a broken heart collage.

 

I know realized from before that I was supposed to roll the paint out on a plate, then place it on the plexiglass, but remembered only after I had already spread the paint on the plexiglass.   Oh look, I even have the plate ready for the paint.  Why I forgot is beyond me.

You are going to get tired of seeing this blue bed sheet, but it is quite useful for painting cotton.  I dipped the broken mug into the paint on the plexiglass and went to town, but, after monoprinting the fabric, I didn't get the results I was hoping for.  The design actually worked better on the used file folder than the fabric, which seems to have soaked up too much paint.

Not to be deterred, I made this art flag I intended for a friend who just had heart surgery.  I've already popped it in the mail in hopes it will bring a smile to his face.  This doesn't look anything like the art flags I have made in the past, mostly due to my dear friend Patty at Magpie's Nest, who explained how she made hers.  Apparently, I was making mine wrong, since I was adding strings to mine, and they obviously don't take strings.  Instead, art flags are strung on a rope or line which is then hung between two fixed points. 

Because my camera is so puny, I decided to scan this before I mailed it.  My friend is very masculine, so I didn't want to add any lace or frills.  I do, however, hope he gets the message!

For this flag, I used a piece of torn bed sheet, paint, hand dyed fabric, my broken heart mug, a black Zig pen, a white Zig pen, and lavender thread.

And while we are on the subject of hearts and Valentines, don't forget to join the Billion Rising To End Violence Against Women and Girls today.  It's the best way to show the world and your community your feelings about this injustice that affects one in three women worldwide, much of it from "loved ones."  In case you aren't familiar with this worldwide movement, or to read more about it, go here or type the words "Billion Women Rising" into your favorite search engine.  Since there isn't an event within 200 miles of where I live, I plan to dance in the street like I will suggest my friends and I do who are coming to tea today.

And please have a fun and safe Valentine's day!!

A very disappointing monoprinting session

I started this session last Sunday, after I was sure my altered book class had posted properly. I began with some ink, my new brayer, and an old wooden brayer that I simply can't get paint on. I placed a sheet of card stock under the acrylic plate that will hold the paint. The card stock is there to show where the paper and paint need to go.


I began with two colors of paint.


Even before I had pulled my first print, these colors looked "muddy." The brayer didn't help. I had to go over the ink several times, because the brayer wanted to remove all the paint from the acrylic plate. I positioned the felt crown I bought on Friday, then pulled my first monoprint.


What a mess. I had NO idea the crown wouldn't be a good mask, but as I looked at this flop, I realized, the felt crown was too thick for monoprinting. I pulled the crown away and tried to rework the monoprint, but that didn't work, either. Just another mess, this time even muddier.


Next I laid down some green onto the clean acrylic plate and prepared to use the now clean brayer again.


The brayer just skipped over the paint and caused it to puddle on the side. I was sick. That new brayer was not even as good as my old one. I had planned to add red to the green after the green had dried. Instead, I just left these on the floor, closed the door, and quit in disgust. What a disappointing day. What is it with me and brayers? I really need help with a good lesson on brayers.

So, before you suggest it, I won't be buying a Gelli plate anytime soon for my monoprints. I've seen how much they cost! And I won't be buying another brayer anytime soon, either. I now have FOUR and none of them work for me. Personally, I somehow suspect it's the operator and not the brayer. Have you made or purchased anything lately that disappointed you? Feel free to share. I need the encouragement!

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Anything you can do . . .

That song "Anything you can do, I can do better," kept running through my head right after I looked at these miserable fabric swatches. I still have more flour resist to wash out of even more fabric . . . torn bed sheets, but I was so disappointed in the results, I got discouraged.

Then I realized this was NOT a disappointment, but an opportunity. That's when the song started playing in my head. Of course, I had to change the words, because this is not BETTER, just DIFFERENT (actually I should say the SAME).

That's what led to this idea for these pieces I finally have a finished (or partly finished) today. Unfortunately, the fabric was too long for the scanner bed, but


the paper fit well on the scanner.

So what does that song have to do with this post, you ask? Today I'm here to show you that anything you can do with paper, you can also do with fabric and vise versa.

I began with a sheet of cardstock (110 lb) and a piece of previously flour-resist dyed fabric that seriously needed to either be overdyed or added to.


I decided to begin with a technique I have never performed before. I often use punchinella (sequin waste) in my art, but have never used bubble wrap. I chose three different sizes, small, medium, and large bubbles, although I only used the small and medium in my art.

I dug out my Fluid Acrylics and went to town. Now I admit, I don't buy many art supplies, especially anything this expensive. But what you see is an accumulation of over three years of collecting these bottles that I get whenever I have a coupon for Michael's, a big box craft store, the only one in town that sells them. Saving anywhere from 40-60% off the regular price is something I can actually afford!

Also shown is a foam brush and the small bubble wrap.

I applied the fluid acrylic with the brush, then took a photo. I got in a hurry so the photo is even more blurry than usual (you don't have to remind me I need a better camera). I knew this would dry in minutes if I didn't get it on both the paper and the fabric.

So much for the small bubbles.

Next came the medium bubbles and yellow fluid acrylic. I failed to show the bubble wrap, because I had already soaked it in water. Just goes to show how I clean up and put away supplies after I have finished using them.

Placing these pieces side by side to dry, I realized I needed to turn that white cardstock into something resembling the fabric background color.

I used a metallic blue and green acrylic paint I scraped on using an old gift card. I got so much green on the piece, I covered the yellow completely. I quickly grabbed a paper towel and set out to remove some of the green paint.

Next, I grabbed a cardboard roll and painted the red on using a paint brush and red acrylic paint. Then I dry brushed over a small part of each piece using the material (in the back right) as a stencil. I have NO idea where this came from, but I found it in my stash.

I did a little stamping using an acrylic stamp and my clear acrylic block.

I used a rubber stamp next, but it is so faint, especially with my camera, you can only see it in the scanned pieces. I also spritzed a bit of color mist on each piece.

Using an old gift card, I drew a few lines of gesso on each piece while the mist dried.

Finally, I used another acrylic paint, this time "Pineapple," along with a paint brush, to cover the piece of plastic canvas.

I hope this shows anything you can do with fabric,


you can also do with paper. I plan to use the paper in my Houses altered book and the fabric as part of a fabric book cover. I hope this appealed to those of you who play with paper, as well as those of you who play with fabric. Maybe this will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try this, too.