Creative Crossover - Using Gelli Prints

So excited for another Creative Crossover post - this time using the ever popular Gelli Printing Plates from Gelli Arts.

I LOVE printing on my Gelli Plates.  If you've been watching my Thursday night USTREAM.tv broadcasts (on ustream or youtube), you'll know that I've been pulling a lot of prints lately!

Monoprints can be pulled with any absorbent paper or fabric - it's fun to see how the prints change with each pull and with lots of different materials.  You can't go wrong with these.   Every print is a gem ..  even if you only use a portion of it!  They're one of a kind!   I do have LOTS of prints in my Gelli Print Bin (the place where I keep all my unused bits of prints) and I'm always looking for fun ways to use them...  and then in walks Gerri!

Our friend Gerri came into the studio this month with some show and tell.   She created a SUPER FUN Happy Villages quilt - based on the techniques she learned in a fabric quilting workshop book by artist Karen Eckmeier.   I fell in LOVE.   Such a wonderful project and...  YES! it's covered in houses!!  How could I not love it?

As I was admiring Gerri's quilt my mind was racing.  I love the look of these fabric villages but I kept seeing them in paper -- specifically monoprinted papers.  So I set to work creating papers (and finding some that would fit my colour scheme) with my Gelli Plate.  I create patterns in the plate with stencils, my own hand doodling, some stamps and whatever else I had lying around my workspace.

I cut up various shapes and collaged them to a 10x14 canvas panel with my favourite soft gel - PPA, Perfect Paper Adhesive by USArtQuest.  I did add some book text and some ric rac to the mix and it started to come together.

With all that paper though, the houses weren't popping yet. I used my new FUDE Ball pens to create doodle lines around all the houses and a black Stabilo ALL Pencil (and my trusty water brush) to shade them in.    Loving the FUDE Ball pens.   Perfect on the collaged elements and it did't run when I shaded with the ALL Pencil and water. Perfect!!

Don't forget to pop over to Christy Riopel's Blog to see what she created with her gelli plate.    HAPPY CREATING!!!!   Pull, Pull, Pull!!

Supplies Used
Gelli Plate 8x10 (Gelli Arts)
4" Soft Brayer (Speedball)
Acrylic Paints (Assorted)
10x14 Canvas Panel (Art Alternatives)
Assorted White Printing Papers
Waterbrush - Medium (Koi)
PPA Perfect Paper Adhesive - USArtQuest
Book Paper  (misc)
Ric Rac - Black (misc)
Stencils for printing (misc)
Wash Brush (for using with the PPA)
FUDE Ball Pen - Black (Distributed by Ranger)
ALL Pencil - Black (Stabilo)

And if you are interested in Karen Eckmeier's book Happy Villages be sure to check it out at your local book store or you can find it here on her website.

Have a creative day!!