July Card Chain Challenge Reveal - Listen to Your Heart

 It's time for the reveal of cards exchanged over at The Card Chain Challenge in July!  This month I sent a card to Kati in Germany and I received a card from Joanne R in CT.

 I used the colors (sort of), the sketch, (sort of) and the theme of Circles!

Here's my card:

I used a 4" Gel Press circle with Alcohol Inks to create my irregular circle background. 

(if you'd like to see how I did this please see my tutorial on this post here.)

 I traced the circles using Lavinia's Acetate Circle Masks using an 01 Black Micron Pen.  I made the dots on the circles with the same pen.

I stamped the images (Rory and Darcy, Oona, Hearts Mini) from Lavinia inside the circles and the Mini Dots stamp beside the big circle.

I outlined the irregular edges of the Alcohol Ink Circle with the 01 Black Micron Pen.

I added white dots with a POSCA Pen and used a Small Talk Sticker cut in half for the sentiment.

I rubbed a Gold Pigment Ink pad along the edges of the panel to define the edge and layered the panel to a white card base.

My card is 5" x 5" square.

If you'd like to join in on this fun monthly world-wide card exchange you'll find all the details on signing up and participating at the Card Chain Challenge blog.

Stamps:  Oona, Rory and Darcy, Mini Dots, Hearts Mini - Lavinia.

Ink:  Alcohol Inks Sunshine Yellow and Pink Sherbert, Nocturne Versafine Clair, Gold Pigment Ink - Color Box.

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink

Accessories:  4" round Gel Press, 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Acetate Circle Masks - Lavinia, Small Talk Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, White POSCA Pen.

Group of Seven - April Technique - AI's on Round Gel Plate

 It's time for the April Group of Seven Cardmakers Technique Post.   Christine suggested we try Alcohol Inks on a Gel Plate.  A supply list and instructions are all listed over at the blog.

Here are some cards I created using this technique for the backgrounds!

Below are a few photos of how I made a gel print.

Drop some 91% rubbing alcohol onto the 4" Round Gel Press Plate.  Then drop your chosen ink colors onto the Gel Plate.  I used Pink Sherbet, Citrus and Lemonade AI's on this one.

Blow the inks around the Gel Plate.

Place a panel of white card over the plate and press over the panel.  Here you can see some ink seeping through the card - which is normal.

Pull the panel off the Gel Plate and you have your print!  

Every time you do it, it will look different!

Two prints using Citrus, Glacier and Raisin AI's.

Two prints - Top one using Sunshine Yellow and Pink Sherbert , bottom adding Citrus, to Sunshine Yellow and Pink Sherbert.AI's.

Two prints using Citrus, Aqua and Dijon AI's

Once you start making prints - it's hard to stop!

I'm linking this card to:

We Love Stamping 

Option: real birds

Linking this card to:

Double D Challenges

Things that Fly

And

NBUS

First time using the numbers and dragonfly stamps

Linking this card to:

Seize the Birthday

Anything Goes

You'll find more lovely samples from the rest of the Seven over at the blog as well as a Mr. Linky for you to link up your cards using this technique.  We look forward to see what you create as well!

It's the Little Things

Stamps:  Rory and Dory, Small Trees, Ducks in Flight, Mini Flowers, Mini Slender Mushrooms, Gate and Fence - Lavinia.

Paper - White - Papertrey Ink

Ink:  Alcohol Inks - Aqua, Citrus, Lemonade and a little bit of Fiesta (that was on the plate from a prior pull), Nocturne Versafine Clair.

Accessories:  4" round Gel Press Plate, air bulb - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Small Talk Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology

Make a Wish Upon Your Birthday Star

Stamps:  Star Gazer Additions - Papertrey Ink (retired).

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink

Ink:  Alcohol Inks - Citrus, Glacier, Raisin, Nocturne Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Broken China.

Accessories:   4" round Gel Press Plate, air bulb - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Milky Way Stencil - Colorful Life Design, Silver Star Confetti - Honey Bee, blender brush.

It's Time to Celebrate

Stamps:  Dragonfly and Hare - Carabelle Studio,  Sentiment Suite: Birthday - The Greetery.

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:Alcohol Inks - Citrus, Sunshine Yellow, Pink Sherbet, Wendy Vecchi/Ranger Die Ink Fern Green, Nocturne Versarine Clair.

Accessories: 4" round Gel Press Plate, air bulb - Ranger, 91% Rubbing Alcohol, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, Tuxedo Hearts - Honey Bee. 

2nd Project - January Collaboration with Eileen Hull/Sizzix and Gel Press

Today I'm sharing my 2nd project for Eileen Hull's Inspiration Team's January collaboration with Gel Press.  We are using Gel Press products with Eileen's Sizzix Dies.  Check out Eileen's blog all this month for a gathering of the teams projects!

 

 This time I made a journal using Eileen's Full Size Journal Sizzix Bigz Die. I created  Gel Plate prints for the covers and pages of my journal. 

(See my first project here if you missed it!)

 

First, I'll show you my finished journal.

Then, I'll share photos of how I created the Gel Plate prints.

WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD!

The stamp used on the cover of my journal is from Eileen's Button Cards and More Set.

 

I covered the binding of the journal with a piece of  Cork Roll from Sizzix.

I  tied black elastic cord around the binding to add the pages.  I made 2 signatures - 6 pages each.

 To create the Gel Plate print for my covers, I laid a piece of 8 1/2" x 11" card stock on my worktable and laid the 12"x12" Gel Plate over it.  I made prints on 8 1/2"x11" white card so having a piece under the 12" plate showed me the area to ink over.

I used different combination of 3 Distress Oxide Inks for all my Gel Press prints for this journal -  DOX Spiced Marmalade, DOX Speckled Egg and Dox Seedless Preserves.

For the covers I made 2 similar prints.  I dragged the ink pads across the Gel Plate using DOX Speckled Egg and DOX Spiced Marmalade, trying not to overlap the colors and contaminate the ink pads. You can hardly see the Speckled Egg but it's there!  I used a 6" brayer over the Gel Plate to blend the lines a bit.  I flicked some water over the Gel Plate to create some water marks.

 I laid my 8 1/2" x 11 piece of white card over the Gel Plate and pressed evenly over the paper and pulled this print off.

I repeated the process to get a 2nd similar print.

I wanted to add some patterns to my prints so I got out Tim Holtz/Sizzix Bubbling Cover Plate die and die cut it out of white card.  I laid the die cut over the clean Gel Plate and brayered DOX Speckled Egg ink over the die cut.  I repeated this in the other 3 corners and removed the die cut.  

I laid my inked print (above) over the Gel Plate and pressed over the paper.  I repeated the process with my second cover print.

Here are the final 2 cover prints.

I then die cut these panels with Eileen's Sizzix Full Size Journal Die, just cutting the cover piece and the two pieces for the closure.  I adhered these to the mat board journal die cut pieces.

Then I set out to create the pages for the journal - playing with  different Gel Plate techniques I'd seen on YouTube videos.  I wanted to make pages that were interesting but not too bright so I could journal on them or add photos etc. I did Gel Prints on both sides of the 8 1/2"x11"white card stock I used for the pages.   After printing, I folded each piece in half to create two pages from each print.

The first two were made simply swiping the pads across the Gel Plate.  On this one, I brayered over the inks on the Gel Plate to blend the edges. Then I flicked a little water over the inked plate,  laid the white card over the Gel Plate, pressed all over the surface of the paper and pulled the print.

This page below was made the same as above but I forgot to brayer over the Gel Plate to blend the ink so the lines between colors are more distinct and there is some white between the colors.  I also flicked this one with water before pulling the print.

I inked the plate again and then pulled a Gel Press Texture Comb over it randomly

The comb marks give added texture to this print.   I did not brayer the inks over the Gel Plate so the lines between colors are less blended.  See how dark the ink is on the print below?  but it looks so light above on the Gel Plate?  If I didn't have the white card under the Gel Plate I don't think I would have been able to see the ink at all.

 

 A print using the same inks, different Gel Press Texture Comb edge used, which I just pulled straight down the Gel Plate.

Same inks, using another edge of a Texture Comb in opposite directions over the inked Gel Plate.

 

 Then I made a print using the Gel Press Rose Mandala Impressables.  (You can ink over this design gel plate and 'stamp' the design or press it onto an inked Gel Plate for a negative print, or ink the raised design and pull a print off it). I rubbed DOX Speckled Egg Ink over the 12"x12" Gel Plate, then I pressed the Rose Mandala Gel Plate into the ink on the plate and then pulled the print

I love how this print came out! It's not centered  but perfect for a page background!

 For this print, I rubbed DOX Spiced Marmalade ink over the Gel Plate, blended the ink with the brayer and then pressed  the butterfly, leaf and diamond shaped Sweet Nature Petites onto the Gel Plate.  I flicked water over the Gel Plate, pressed the paper onto the plate and pulled the print.

 

 Rather abstract shapes achieved (obviously didn't use equal pressure!?!) - but it makes a lovely background for a page!  

I had to get used to the fact that with Gel prints it doesn't have to be perfect!?!

 For my next print, I rubbed the DOX Seedless Preserves over the Gel Plate and blended it with the brayer.  Then I put Eileen's Heart Mandala die onto the Gel Plate - cut edges down - and pressed over the die with my fingers.  I repeated that in the opposite corner and then dragged a Gel Press Texture Comb edge across the open space where I hadn't pressed the die.

I love the light print the die makes (I saw this technique on YouTube as well)

 

I used the die again on my next print.  This time I dragged the Dox Speckled Egg Ink over the Gel Plate and brayered over the ink.  Then I pressed Eileen's Heart Mandala die onto the plate cut edge down in 3 places.  I hadn't thought to clean off the die and apparently there was still Dox Seedless Preserves ink on the die from the prior print I made. There was enough ink on the die to show up like this on the print!  

Happy accidents!

For my final two pages I wanted to try using stamps on the inked Gel Plate. I dragged the Dox Speckled Egg and Dox Seedless Preserves over the Gel Plate.  After blending with the brayer it looked mostly like Seedless preserves on the plate. 

(I blended it a bit too much?! or I should have cleaned my brayer?)  

I took Eileen's Vintage Damask Maker Forte Stamp and just pressed it, un-inked, onto the Gel Plate moving and pressing down on the stamp until it covered the whole area.  This is the resulting print!  

For my next print, I cleaned off my Gel Plate and rubbed DOX Speckled Egg over it. I brayered the ink to blend the edges and then stamped with the un-inked stamp over the whole area. 

(it doesn't look like there's any ink on the Gel Plate but there is!)

This print came out much lighter than the one using Seedless Preserves but I love the beautiful subtle look, perfect as background for a page! Next time I might ink the Gel Plate a little more.

I realized I needed to make another print to cover the brad tabs on the inside of the covers of my journal.  I inked the Gel Plate with DOX Speckled Egg.

I laid the Pebbles Stencil from Lavina over the top half and sponged DOX Spiced Marmalade over the openings of the stencil.

I moved the stencil to the bottom half and sponged again.

Here's the gorgeous print that this made!

and a close up  - so cool right? It looks like corpuscles swimming in an artery or vein?!

I cut the print in half and it wasn't quite large enough to cover the inside of the covers, so I inked around the edges of the covers and then adhered the pieces.

 

So here are all the pages as you see them in the journal.

  

Thank you for sticking with me to the very end!

 

I enjoyed learning a few tricks for creating Gel Plate prints and I know there is so much more that can be done!  I have tried using acrylic paints but haven't gotten the hang of 'a little goes a long way' yet, so for this journal I just used the Distress Oxide Inks!  Maybe next time??!