Gel Plate Skaters

Another couple of cards for our "Winter Sports" challenge at the Christmas Card Throwdown.

Tired and want to get to bed, so I'll fill in the details tomorrow!

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I'm back!

I saw Leonie Pujol using with her gel press plate on telly the other day, and she inspired me to get my plate and paints out for a play! I love using paints, and they're not really that messy (they come off fingers much more easily than dye ink!) but I do have a mental block about using them if I'm in a rush.

I also used my Sam's shapes stamps from Clarity - the ovals. I cut masks out first, and added them to my card (which was cut to size for a 6x6 card blank).

On the gel plate, I started with red and green paint, brayered to spread it. I then used Clarity snowflake stamps to lift paint off (and stamped onto spare paper with them). I used a corner stamp with smaller snowflakes to do them same, then pressed punchinella into the paint.

Then I pressed the plate over the card to transfer the paint and pull a print.

I have to say, I was very pleased with this for a first attempt!

I cleaned my masks and attached to another piece of card.

There was still a lot of red and green paint on the gel plate, I added magenta and a lime green to it. I then lifted some off again in the same way. My spare paper built up into a great pattern.

I pulled my second print.

I adore this! The blending of the colours just really appeals to me!

I carried on with the gel plate, making more backgrounds for other cards, and in my art journal. Even cleaning the plate gave me some gorgeous backgrounds. My attempts to reduce my stash are not going well!

Back to my Christmas cards. Time to fill in the ovals.

The theme for the Christmas Card Throwdown is Winter Sports.

I have an ice skater in my Clarity Christmas wee folk set, so I used her, and two children throwing snowballs. I'm not sure that snowball fights count as a Winter sport, but I think they should!

I used my stamp platform and black stazon ink, for a really crisp outline.

I used the outline oval stamp to define the ovals.

I didn't line up very well, so I used pencils to fill in the gaps outside the line. I don't mind the paint inside the line, it all adds to the interest. This technique is not about being perfect!

I also used the pencils to add a simple suggestion of a landscape behind the figures.

For the ice skaters, I used a straight edge, to suggest a frozen pond.

For the snow ball throwers, I used torn paper for hills and snow drifts.

I didn't want to do much more to these, so the gorgeous backgrounds could carry the day. I edged with a black ink pad. But they did need something more, so I added a sentiment. I chose a simple "Happy Christmas" in a scroll script that I think goes with the detail in the background.

The words disappear a bit, especially on the red background, so out with the white gel pen to highlight them.

It makes such a difference, and works so well over acrylic paint.

Then it was just a case of mounting onto my 6x6 card blanks.

The ovals and figures stand out beautifully, but for me it's the gel plate backgrounds that  make these cards, I love this technique and can't wait to play some more.

To join in with the Winter Sports challenge, head over to the Christmas Card Throwdown. You have until Friday 20th October to play.