Tuesday 1 March 2016

Claritystamp Challenge - It's all about the Girls


Thanks for dropping by.  My card for this month's challenge wasn't planned, it just evolved. It all started with a trip to my local frame shop which also stocks artists materials.  I was looking to see if they stocked Artisan oil colours which I needed for my art course.  They didn't, but the very helpful assistant asked me if I also used acrylics.  She directed me to a box of very cheap end of line acrylics they had just got in.  The colours were all very vivid and I can understand why they hadn't sold.  Thinking they would be great for Gelli printing I came away with 8 tubes including a fluorescent red, blue and yellow. 

My next craft session was playing with the Gelli plate and my new colours. I have got lots of printed papers from that session stashed away for another day but one got used for three cards for this month's challenge, as you will see.  As I wasn't planning any cards at the time I didn't take any photos of the Gelli plate session but I have tried to replicate it again to show you how I did it.  Of course there is no way I could get it exactly the same but I think it's near enough. 

Stamps: Claritystamp Rosie
Inks:      Archival black
Other:    Claritystamp Stencil card, Acrylic paints, Black and white pens, sticky labels, Spectrum Noir colouring pencils

  • First the Gelli print.  I used the fluorescent blue and yellow but substituted a permanent rose colour instead of the fluorescent red which had come out a bit orangy in previous prints. 
  • Blob dots of colour over the gelli plate.  


  • I don't have a mega mount for this size Gelli plate, so I have improvised with an old glass table mat, which works just as well. Just ignore the chequerboard pattern of the mat.
  • Spread out the paint using a palette knife.


  • Take a print


  • Very bright and needs toning down a bit.
  • Brayer some Mixing white onto the Gelli.  I have found the mixing white is more translucent than Titanium white and takes longer too dry.
  • Place a circle stencil on the plate.  Mine is an old mathematical stencil from my teaching days but Clarity has lots of stencils to choose from. Thinking about it now, I have got one with circles on I could have used. Never mind.

  • Rather than laying the whole print on top, press the print onto various circles where there is a very bright section.  I also pressed onto the left side to get some random marks.

  • Doesn't show up much here but the white is there and because it is translucent the colours below show through.
  • Doodle flowers and leaves where you see them. 
  • This version is a bit lighter than the original used for my cards and I didn't spend so much time on the doodling but I hope it gives you an idea of how I made the print.

  • Now the easy bit.  Cut the card into three bits.
  • Stamp Rosie onto the card and also onto a sticky label using Archival black ink.
  • Colour in the dress on the label and then cut out and stick onto the card over the stamped image.
  • Use Spectrum Noir pencils to add some colour to her hair, face and arms.
  • Trim and then mount onto white and then purple card. 
Version 2
Version 3

Looking forward to seeing all the Girly entries this month.  Easy to enter, check out details here, and you might be the lucky winner of the £50 Claritystamp voucher.

If you pop back here again in mid March I will show you another card I have made using  a background paper from the same Gelli session. Not a Gelli print but paper used to clean the brayer on

Lesley x

14 comments:

  1. Love all versions. Those colours popand the rest of the backgrounds are great too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. All these cards are stunning I just love the backgrounds. Xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Lesley! What a brilliant card design and a brilliant blog to go with it. I think all the versions are perfect. So vibrant and funky. I was having a look at our other art work and I have to say you are very talented indeed. Hugs xxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Lesley all your cards are just brilliant. The colours are gorgeous and you've inspired me to be a little braver with colour. x

    ReplyDelete
  6. Love how you have done this the colours are beautiful together they make it x

    ReplyDelete
  7. These colours are so zingy and certainly make your art work stand out - fantastic. Time to frame them now, methinks! I also love your doodly doodles - don't know if I could do it for fear of making a mistake. Stamping on labels is just so cool - I discovered this about Christmas card time and how it improved the production line. ;~}

    ReplyDelete
  8. Amazing colours Lesley; those gelli prints are just fabulous. Your doodling is great - something I wish I was more confident about doing. And I love all your cards, but the first is my favourite with her sunny yellow dress. Xxx

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love those vivid colours Lesley and that's a great way of dressing Rosie. I get into all sorts of mess when I stamp an image, then mask it before pulling a gelli-print. Great step-by-step. Thank you for sharing :-) x

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lewsey. This is great love the vibrancy and a great idea to do the dress on a sticky label x

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Lewsey. This is great love the vibrancy and a great idea to do the dress on a sticky label x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love the bright colours on these cards Lesley and brilliant instructions. I don't have a gelli plate but think it is a lovely way to make backgrounds. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love my Gelli and use it a lot to make backgrounds. Well worth the investment. Thanks for visiting and your kind comments. x

      Delete
  13. Love the bright colours on these cards Lesley and brilliant instructions. I don't have a gelli plate but think it is a lovely way to make backgrounds. xx

    ReplyDelete