Saucy Seahorses served on a Gelli Plate…

Saucy Seahorses served on a Gelli Plate…

Hi there,
I have come down with a nasty flu, and am feeling pretty rough, so I shall pull a TV Demo out of the bag today, and go straight back to bed.
The Gelli Plate is really a super invention. 
I love using it with acrylic paint, because of the texture, and in keeping with yesterday’s blog about Perfectionism, the Gelli Plate has been a fantastic tool for me to let go and just enjoy what happens. It is pretty hard to duplicate a Gelli print; you really cannot guarantee that it will work out the way you planned, so I am very comfortable nowadays with working with what happens, and going with the flow. 
There are some basic tricks, and I have covered these on my 
New DVD Artful Crafting.
But let’s take a look at this little piece under the sea…
Here’s what I used:

and their Masks
Make-up sponges
Ready? Here goes:
Stamp the Seahorse in black Archival ink.

Cover the images with their respective masks.
Spread some Buff Titanium and Pistachio on the Gelli Plate with the brayer, dab all over with screwed up paper and bubble wrap, to lift a lot of the paint again, and pull a print.
Add some blue to the Gelli, and spread it, take a lot of it off with the brayer, and don’t worry about stripes.
Lay the card with the masked Sea horses back down on the blue Gelli and
pull a second print.
You want a mottled, distressed effect.

Using a make-up sponge and Pine Needles Distress ink, start adding shade to the background.
Build up the ocean in the background using different dye-based inks and make-up sponges.
Try and leave a little light area in the middle between the two seahorses.

Remove the masks.

Use the outer mask to colour in the Sea horses. 
I used Mustard Seed as a base.

Add shade with Denim. It will yield green.

Do them both.
Add highlights with a white pen.

You can highlight their crowns.

I love the gritty edging.

Here you can see the screwed up paper on the Buff Titanium
and the Bubble wrap…

I LOVE these Filigraphy Sea Horses. 
I hope you do, too. 
But now I have to go lie down. Don’t get ill often. Don’t like it.
with love

67 thoughts on “Saucy Seahorses served on a Gelli Plate…

  1. Really lovely, saw you do this on TV but appreciate seeing it again with all the tips. I have a Gelli Plate but have not given it a try yet, hope to do that this week, so thanks for the tips. Hope you feel better soon, get some well earned rest, take care, Jx

  2. These Seahorse stamps are fabulous, they're on THE list, must try these techniques on my gelli plate and start watching my dvd. Hope you feel much better soon xx

  3. Good Morning Barb!
    Really like the Sea Horses but the Balloon is still my favourite on my wish list!
    I hope this nasty bug goes quickly Barb!
    There are so many doing the rounds….. I am avoiding people, as I have COPD and it would be a disaster for me …. so I won't breathe in when I read your blog lol
    Take care
    Love Marg

  4. Love those seahorses but I had to choose and got the balloons and the sentiment stamp from the hearts ….ohh and the masks too…..am looking forward to those arriving to play. But now,the dilema, do I get these, they look fab when you see the detail on this blog. Is there going to be a step by step using the london mask, the one that looks layered using just the mask? Ohh i am rambing now lol. Please pamper yourself, the cold going round is horrid, give yourself lots of what you enjoy….best cure for the symptoms. Hope you feel better very soon

  5. Thank you for the step by step, this was a lovely demo on telly but close up is great. The sea horses are beautiful. Hope you feel better soon, have lots of drinks and get waited on. Joan x

  6. I watched you do this on Sunday and thought it was lovely. Great to have step by step instructions though. Hope you feel better really soon. Di xx

  7. Brilliant to see the close up of your artwork Barbara. Lovely stamps and techniques as always. Hope you get better soon as it is not fun with flu. Sending get well hugs. xxxxx

  8. Hi Barb,
    Really sorry to hear you're not feeling well & hope that you feel better soon. Thanks for doing your blog today even though you feel awful, really appreciate it. As for today's offering, I saw you do this on tv but seeing the step by step, really brings it alive for me. I love the Gelli plate but still feel a little daunted by it ( or them as I have 2 sizes). Going to keep practising though! Got all my goodies from the shows on Sunday today and from yourselves (from the sale & some stencils) yesterday, so I'm really looking forward to playing! Made a card yesterday with the fuschia stamps which turned out nicely. I also want to say thank you for bringing the stencil brushes to us – they are fabulous! I have some others which I've never been happy with – they keep shedding hairs – & was a bit worried about ordering more. However, I needn't have worried, used yours yesterday & they worked a treat. Would recommend them to everyone. Hope you feel better soon. Love Alison xxx

  9. Love the seahorses and can't wait to have a go with my gelli plate again! Sorry you're not feeling well – we are still recovering from our nasty cold/flu bugs that we had over Christmas. Hot lemon, honey and brandy to wash down paracetamol did it for us!!!

  10. Poor Barbara. You have had a rotten time, having flue after the NEC and now going down with it again. I reckon it was that Dean with his bad throat who gave it to you. I can't wait to get my seahorses to have a go at this one. I haven't got quite the same colours but I am sure there will be something that will work. Beautiful, clear photos and instructions. Thank you, and get plenty of rest now. Leave us to finish digesting yesterday's post and look after yourself. xx Hugs Maggie

  11. Love these little fellas, can see plenty of uses for them. Saw you doing this demo but it is lovely to have it here for reference because I am waiting for the postie to deliver mine. Sorry to hear you've got this awful bug but pleased to hear you are going back to bed, sleep is the answer, don't worry about anything it CAN all wait!! love Annie

  12. Love those seahorses Barbara ,sorry u got the flu i had my cough since before Xmas it dont want to leave me ,Hope it dont stay to long with you ,feel better soon xx

  13. Looks great. Sorry to hear you're suffering again. I went down with flu 2 weeks ago & am still feeling really rough. Dr said I could feel like this for another week 🙁

  14. Lovely to get the step-by-step instructions for this technique and we blog watchers lucky to have you make such an effort when not feeling well. Hopefully your 'bug' doesn't last too long.

  15. Barbara its not that long since you were last ill, why don't you try a tonic. I'm taking Metatone on the advice of my consultant, until I can start taking iron tablets. It doesn't taste nice but I do think it's helping. Available in most chemists. Xx

  16. Rest up, eat soup & stay warm! Feel better soon, Barb & Happy & Healthy 2014 to you & yours.
    See you soon, lots of love,
    Liz (Maitland)

    p.s. Vida & I now have a gelli plate each – would you believe it???

  17. I now NEED the seahorses stamps!! and I need time to play!- We have got a new foster lad with us and not in education yet! So at the moment I have to keep an eye on him. Hope you soon feel better Barbara and thank you for still blogging even thou you are poorly- Take Care xx

  18. Thanks for taking the time to post when you're feeling poorly. Hope you make a speedy recovery – stay warm, drink lots, and let everyone else do the running around for a change 🙂 xx

  19. Lots of get well wishes Barbara – I hope Dave is looking after you! Lovely seahorses and the gelli background is so beautiful. Take care, hugs Pat x

  20. Thankyou for thinking about us when you not well but put yourself first for a change. Hope you soon feel better, like you I hate being ill, had cold over Xmas which has turned into chest infection. So keep warm. Lovely artwork watched you do this on TV and liked it then. Good to have instructions to refer to. Take care and get plenty of rest Lynne xx

  21. Thank you for posting when you are feeling bad. The seahorses are a fab stamp and the way you have put this card together is beautiful. I love the effect the gelli plate gives and I have been playing with mine for a few weeks now, one background even made it onto a card that I made recently. Would never have know what to do with one without seeing your demos on c&c and watching your new DVD. Hope you feel better soon. XX

  22. Take time and think of you. Barb you are such a busy lady, perhaps now it's time for a couple of days of 'you' time. Loved this demo, I must get my gelli plate out and try again. Must last few efforts ended up in the bin! Take care x

  23. Hi Barbara. So sorry to hear you are ill, bless you for even thinking about blogging! Thanks for the video though. I love the seahorses, and the background is beautiful. Keep warm and cosy, pamper yourself and keep taking the paracetamol or strong hot toddies, which ever is your preference 🙂 I hope you feel better very soon. Take care.

  24. Hi Barbara. I hope you're feeling better after a day in bed. I'm glad you decided to listen to your body! And I know you probably have loads to do but make sure you're better before you venture out!
    I love these stamps and what you have done here with them! Thank you for sharing this card. Love and hugs xxx

  25. Sorry to hear that you're poorly Barbara, I hope you're feeling better soon. Thank you for posting your blog despite your illness, love the seahorse stamps and masks. Take care and don't worry about blogging until you feel better, we understand. x

  26. Sorry to hear you are not well but thank you for posting this card! My sea horses arrived today! Quite apt with all the flooding around by us! Hope you are starting to feel better x x x

  27. I adore the Sea Horses as soon as I saw them on tv I knew I was in Love!!! Great gelli demo and I will be trying this out as soon as I get my Sea Horses.

    MaggieH

  28. Bit late leaving a comment, but been in bed all day yesterday with an awful gastro-enteritist…..Not better than flue, can tell you…….. Thanks for doing a step by step card, even you were not up too much.
    Laurence xx

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