Tag Archives: printmaking

Autumn Leaf Inspiration

I love creating monotype prints with leaves on my gel plate! The leaves in all shapes and sizes are calling me during these Autumn months. These are vine maple leaves that are turning at this time of year. I was able to capture some lovely color on a recent trip and immediately printed with some of the leaves..

I used some Distress Oxide inks and acrylic paints to make some leaf prints right after I collected these maple leaves. We traveled to central Oregon recently, which is a fall tradition for us, and it is fun to print botanical immediately after I gather them! It was a little cool, so I didn’t set up my gel plate outside like I do sometimes, but it was still very pleasant. I decided to quickly make a card with one of the prints.

Often when I make cards from gel prints, it is hard for me to cover up the print with a lot of stuff. With this, the leaves (the right-hand leaf) are really the focal point and a simple die-cut sentiment really keeps the card simple and elegant. I added a little ribbon across the top to visually balance out the sentiment, repeated the black with a mat around the print and adhered it all to a navy card base. I added a smattering of epoxy dots I had in my stash and called it done!

Thanks for visiting.

Challenge: Daisy Chain Challenges – Challenge #57 – Autumn and/or Halloween


Birthday Wishes Gel Print Card

Supplies

  • Stencil – The Crafter’s Workshop TCW2300 Slimline Gentle Leaves
  • Stamp – Miss Ink Stamps – Everyday Sentiments
  • Posca pen – white
  • Acrylic paints, gel plate, archival ink
  • Sequins – Buttons Galore

I make lots and lots of gel prints! I like to participate in printing challenges, I teach gel printing classes and make many samples for classes, and I just love to grab a gel plate or two and experiment with inks, paint and textures. So each time I set out to make a few prints, it can end up to be many that I don’t have time to use at that very moment. So needless to say, I have a lot of potential card backgrounds available in my stash.

For this mixed media card, I grabbed a print that was already card base sized. It had interesting texture, but needed a focal point. I had this new stencil by The Crafter’s Workshop that I hadn’t used yet, so I didn’t hesitate to use it with some archival ink to add a design that worked very well with my gel print. I am always a fan of botanical designs. I wanted to make sure the stenciled design was clear on the print, so I added a bunch of dots with a white Posca paint pen. This added even more texture but added enough contrast that the leaves were better defined. Adding a stamped sentiment and some sequins made it an easy to complete the card.

Thanks for visiting.

Challenge: Happy Little Stampers – April Stencil Challenge (Anything Goes)


Gel Print Birthday Cards

  • Gel prints from my stash (using acrylic paint, stencils, found objects)
  • Stamp – Altenew “Fresh Freesia”
  • Cardstock – Bazzill
  • Ink – VersaFine Clair “Medieval Blue”
  • Sheer Shimmer Spritz – Gold – Imagine Crafts

I created these cards using scraps of gel prints that I printed long ago. I used stencils when I made the prints used in the first card, one is from The Crafter’s Workshop called “Aboriginal” (the smaller panel) and the other is a stencil I borrowed and I can’t determine the company who produced it. I also spritzed the final card with some sheer gold spray for a little shimmer. The second card featured green gold acrylic paint, so it already had a pretty gold metallic look. I have many, many prints in my stash because I’ve taught classes in printing and done it on my own so I have lots to play with as a result. Some I use in my art journals, but I have been enjoying using them in cards lately. For both cards, after I cut them into panels I edged them in a darker ink to “finish” them nicely. I also matted the pieces with cardstock and added the birthday sentiment. Thanks for visiting today.

Challenge: Hiding in my Craft Room – HIMCR #352 – Super Scraps Saturday