Limbering up for Sunday …

Limbering up for Sunday …

Hiya!
How are you today?
Thanks for popping in.
Been very busy today, working with my dear friend Tina Cox.
She is joining me on Sunday’s TV show from 2-4pm.
In fact, she is running the show!
Yep, to celebrate the Pergamano launch on HOCHANDA,
we have put together a couple of excellent tool kits,
and Tina is going to teach us how to use the tools.
I am happy to hand over to her, take a back seat and learn along with many of you.
Believe you me, she will enlighten us!
I love Groovi, and i think i am slowly improving my game,
but I also recognise that there are far more talented and experienced experts out there, and Tina is one of them. 
That frees me up to focus on what I am good at too.
Which is making a mess with stencils and paint and the Gel press plates!
At 5pm on Sunday, I am going to wield ye old brayer 
and get the paint out…
After a week of air-conditioned halls, 
I thought I’d let my hair down 
and see if I can still remember the sequence of layers.
Here goes.
The 6″ x 6″ Gel press Plate goes on the 7″ x 7″ megamount.
That’s easy enough!
Then a thin layer of blue Fresco chalk paint.
Glass Blue is lovely.
Spread it on with a Speedball brayer.

Roll it on, roll it off…

Needs to dry.
Pat it with a scrumple tissue to check.

Greens next. Limelight and Hyde Park are EXCELLENT colours.

Spread them over the blue, quite quickly,
like so, using the brayer and a craft mat to blend the two.

Place the Treescape stencil on the wet paint quickly, 
while the paint is still wet.
Love this stencil.
In fact, when you watch the TV show on Sunday with Tina and myself, you will see that I liked it so much 
we’ve turned it into a Groovi Plate.
BEAUTIFUL.

Use a sheet of copy paper to blot the paint in between the stencil.
See?
Rub it well.

Nice print for a blot!

So now we still have the stencil on the plate, but the paint underneath the stencil will still be wet.
It will remain so for a while, because no air is getting to it.
So I went ahead and rolled some Limelight and Blue paint over the stencil, here and there…

You can see from the stencil which colours I have added.

Now for the moment we have to really really focus!
Whip the stencil off and get the copy paper or piece of card down immediately, so the paint underneath the stencil doesn’t have a chance to dry.
CHUFFED.
And again, this is the blot.

So here, my friends, is the Gelplate, with the dry paint on it,
ready for the final print.
The question is, how do we lift all this paint off the plate?

Easy.
With more paint.
I am using Honey Dew.
Opaque. Nice colour. Uplifting and bright, without being white.

Shake well,
squirt some directly onto the dry treescape paint on the plate.

use the Speedball brayer to lightly spread the paint.
Too much paint, and it won’t work.
Too little paint and it won’t work.
Yeah. I know! 
And you wonder why I get nervous on telly doing this live !!!
The trick is to put plenty on, but then start rolling it off again, until you can see the print through the opaque paint.
See it?
Quickly flip the plate on the megamount over and lower down 
onto the white card.
Which white card? Our stencil card is good for this.

Flip back over, rub the back of the card, to transfer the print from the plate to the card, then peel back.

Left a tiny bit on the plate, but who cares.
The moon is shining through!

There we are.
No one but two prints.
I actually think I like the blot even better!

Glad to know I haven’t lost my touch,
and that I still remember.

I do like this arty, distressed type of print.
Mind you, the treescape design is fabulous 
in Groovi AND as a stamp actually.
Our dear friend Mel drew this one. 
It’s brilliant, just like her.
Love & hugs,
Barb
xxx

67 thoughts on “Limbering up for Sunday …

    1. Hi Bloggy friends! We should have been on the ferry coming home today, but it was cancelled due to the horrendous weather coming in. So we have a few extra days here and we now are booked onto a ferry leaving here on Sunday. Not a problem, as we are seeing other parts of this beautiful country. Love and hugs to you all, Gilly xxx

  1. Looking forward to learning the cutting and also to getting the gelli plate out. I love the tree stencil and your blot paper is great. I would be so proud of it

  2. I will have to get more use out of my gel press. After seeing the new paper pads, I think I could do with making more backgrounds myself. Our I am booked into a I workshop in March, so am hoping to learn more x

  3. Fabulous artwork Barbara! The final one looks like birchtrees in a forest…. Love those trees with their white bark!
    Looking forward to seeing your shows on Sunday and Monday but also to seeing Tina get back on our screens!!!
    Love and hugs xxx

  4. Hi Barb This is a wonderful technique and I am afraid to say one I have yet to try I have everything just need the confidence to get it out of the box and give it a go same with your brayer technique I will. One Day xx

  5. Oh dear. I was going to be so good until you mentioned turning the Treescape into Groovi. It is one of my favourite stencils too and keeps coming out for different techniques. I am really looking forward to the weekend's shows, all of them. xxx Maggie

  6. Brilliant blog post today. So glad that stencil will be a groovi plate now.
    Looking forward to the show on Sunday,
    I was thinking the silver birches (of birds on the wire fame) would be really great as a groovi plate too?

  7. Cool Barbara, very nice. And no you'd never lose your touch, it's in your soul. I love the blot one too. Thank you for sharing. Must get my gelli plates out again, enjoyed my first go before Christmas, despite not having a clue what I was doing, translation from theory and pictures/videos in head to what came out my arm was somewhat different!!! But like you say, go with what you get, that's another big first step for me. Hope getting Groovi in the company of a friend has helped you sort out in your head.

    Looking forward to your shows on Sunday and Monday. Although I am concerned I'm going to get left behind at the station once Tina takes over, the traditional and fancy stuff are really not my thing, so I may lose my way in Groovi with it moving onto being all the traditional stuff now. But who knows, maybe I'll be able to pick up some of the skills to use in a different way, especially if you'll still be doing some for us.

    My body is totally done this evening, no feeling well (that's in relative terms as I never feel well!!!). Haircut, she comes here, and garden visit right after, not much sleep, up early, had to wash hair. And spent the garden visit rearranging the shed. At last! Been wanting to for years. You should have seen the look on my garden guy's face when I was finished!!! A small bag of bits for the bin, a wee cupboard removed, that was all, but the way I've done it, everything is now easily accessible, and there's plenty walking space right up the middle, total opposite to how it looked before I started. Got my step counter set up earlier too. 46 steps to shut the curtains, and get some food from the kitchen. I don't think I'm going to like finding out exactly how little I can walk in a day! I'm under orders not to focus on it, nor to do something stupid like try to do the 10,000 one day out of frustration and upsetness that I can"t! (I was wise, I bought it before telling my garden volunteer, I knew he'd advise against it!!!)

    Hope you're having a chill evening
    Love Brenda xx

    1. Hi Brenda,
      I'm sure you'll find the tips that Tina gives use useful even if it is just how to use some of the tools.Glad you got your shed sorted. As for your step counter, don't worry about it – at the moment, because I'm more or less in the house because of the brace on my knee, I'm only doing 3000 steps a day which I am quite pleased with. Love and hugs to you and Daisy, Alison xxx

    2. Hello Brenda sounds like a tiring but productive day. It's good to hear you were able to get out in the fresh air and get the shed sorted, that will be easier for you to manage. How short gas your hair been cut this time? Now why didn't I think about the step counter being a problem for you. Right because you are Brenda and such a special person you will have a special Brenda target of something like100 steps then each evening you can look and see if you have done that. How does that sound to you? If you don't look at it during the day and look at 6 pm I think you will be suprised. If it does stress you out then I think your garden man can take it with him for a while. I hope that helps Brenda. Sending hugs to you and Daisy xxx

    3. Hi Brenda, don't worry about how many steps you can do, you'll probably be surprised at how many you do do. It's all exercise isn't it. I can't do many but it all helps. Love and hugs to you and Daisy.xx

    4. Thank you everyone 😊 xx

      My hair is about collarbone length, was just below shoulder length when cut last time, so it's a wee bit longer.

      See with the 10,000 steps, am I allowed to count my bit of movement to music exercise? There's very little walking involved but a lot of wee short quicker steps on the spot or slower longer single kind of step to the side or front or whatever. Is that cheating to count this? Because the step counter was 166 when I started and 2414 when I finished 🤗. That's been since 6pm, so still got my daytime wee bits of walking about to add to it. It doesn't count them all, if it's less than 5 steps they don't count, so all those wee missing bits might balance out extra counted in my wee bit exercise. I know, why am I doing my exercise when more ill and done too much already today. Well, I started this about a year ago, have only missed one day since the summer and it's helping my body be a bit fitter and healthier. You never know, there might be breaking news on BBC tomorrow, that they've discovered what causes CFS and therefore know how to cure or treat it. I'll be ready! And if they never find the cause then I'm keeping my body as healthy as possible to help prevent the diseases of old age and keep me as mobile as possible. That's well worth the extra feeling ill and pains, in my opinion.

    5. Brenda that's fantastic and yes definately count your exercises too, I go for a walk and that's my exercise so yes it all counts. As Pam said I think you will be very suprised by how much you do but please don't stress about it. Your hair sounds lovely. Sending hugs xx

    6. Thanks Diane 😊.
      I couldn't believe it when I looked at the counter, jaw hit the floor!!! It is like proper exercise to my body, out of breath and hot. Helps me feel better, like I have a bit of control over my body, doing something positive. xx

    7. What a brilliantly positive posting today, Brenda. I really admire your attitude. I can see you gradually taking more and more control over different parts of your life. Don't worry about being in the slower coaches of the Groovi train. You have to do all these things at a pace to suit you, as do the rest of us. I think you will just be blown away by the lovely Tina but in watching her, you will gradually learn how to use the tools to get the most out of them. It does not have to be a fast express train. A slow stopping train will work just as well, and, as Barbara says, you can get off the train for a rest at any time. As a primary school teacher, you soon learn who flies through everything at the speed of light and those who need to take things more gently. Just take it as you are ready. I am impressed too with your commitment to being as healthy as possible. You rock, Brenda. Be proud of yourself. xxx Maggie

    8. Well done Brenda! Of course your dancing counts- it's still moving which is what it's all about. Just don't think about it too much and end up making yourself poorly. Love Alison xx

  8. This is a great project love doing the layers on the gelli plate my one weakness is sticking my finger in it to see if its dry! 😂😂 Looking forward to your shows at the weekend and welcoming Tina to the Groovi party. Xx

    1. Hi Donna,
      I'm very good at putting my finger in to see if the paint's dry too! Pleased it's not just me! Enjoy playing with your new goodies, love and hugs Alison xxx

    2. Oh I do the too! If you then put your painty finger on a sheet of paper you can draw a face on it! 😀😀. My sale goodies came yesterday too, brilliant service from Clarity as usual. Sending hugs xxx

    3. Hi Donna, my goodies have been dispatched so should have them soon. What are we like, can't wait to play with the new things when we've got lots not used yet (speaking for myself of course). It's just like a drug addiction. Enjoy playing at the weekend.xx

  9. Fabulous artwork once again – making the stencil into a groovi plate you say? **faints** – sorry just the shock of spending more money!! Lol. I think you should take a break from introducing any more new plates, stamps or stencils – if only to give me time to stock up on baked beans for the old man!! Can't wait for Sunday. Xxx

  10. Hi Barb,
    Oh I am so looking forward to the shows at the weekend and to seeing the new plates. I bet this looks fabulous on parchment. Looks like the bank manager is going to be upset again! This artwork is lovely but I think I like the blot one best too. You sound more cheerful today thankfully and it will be good for Tina to take some of the pressure off you on tv. Love and hugs Alison xx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Been out of house today, my friends took me out for coffee so that was good. Came back and traced out a symaphy card and did a bit of white work so feel as though I've had a productive day. Love and hugs to you all, Alison xxx

    2. Hi Alison, that was nice for you having an outing with your friends, takes you out of yourself. I'm always stuck as what to put on a Sympathy card. I do have one to make as my cousin's husband passed away yesterday.xx

  11. Wow those prints were beautiful for scrap paper very good love a messy play think that's what I need to still not able to do much eye still gets tired easy any sounds like your play day today was just what you needed looking forward to Sunday and Tina joining you watching her talents again hugs to you all xxx

  12. Well done Barbara, it is good to see the gel press technique again. I am not good at it but will keep on trying. I hope to catch some of the shows on Sunday especially with Tina Cox. It is good to see you delegating a little. xx

  13. I'm really looking forward to the tv shows, lovely Tina (just been looking at her fantastic blog), doing some Grooving, and equally lovely Barbara with the gelli plates, hooray! I'm still not totally confident with the gelli plates so it will be great to have a refresher. Do you remember what a scream we had at last year's Crowborough retreat when we were working in pairs with the gelli plates and counting each other 'on' and 'off'? we had such fun, and some lovely prints to use later too. Roll on Sunday!

  14. This is fabulous gelli printing Barbara and I love that you never truly know what it is going to look like until it is done. Will try to watch you and Tina on Sunday. Although I don't do Groovi I still love the look of it. x

  15. Oh Barb – I'm so pleased you reminded us how to mwork with the GelPlate today and I shall record/watch on Sunday too as I've had mine for ages and never use it because I'm so unsure of myself with it. It's a piece of kit I really want to master…..roll on Sunday!!!!!😁

  16. Hi Barbara
    You've certainly hit the ground running again haven't you. I'm looking forward to Sunday and seeing Tina do her magic and then you and the gelli plate. What a treat. Must get my plate out and have a play again. Love the artwork today, I like the blot but the final print is good too, almost like the peeling bark of the silver birch in places, lovely. It's so exciting seeing each print as you pull it, every one is different. Hope you are having an early night tonight.
    Love Diane xxx

    1. Hello lovely blog friends, had a lovely catch up with a group of friends today so no crafting, but I really must finish some cards tomorrow so they can get in the post! Sending hugs xxx

  17. Great to see you using the gel plate again, gives us a prompt to use ours. Haven't yet used the large one or the petites. Looking forward to Sunday's show and seeing the correct way to use the tools and seeing the new treescape groovi plate in use. Hope you are feeling more yourself today. Love,and hugs, Pam xxx

    1. Morning Pam,
      Sorry to hear about your cousins husband. I've had 4 to make in the last four weeks! I use the Art Deco lily plate – I use whitework for the actual Cala lily heads and then used very muted colours ( green obviously for the stems and purples for the rest) . They have been very well received. Love Alison xx

  18. Morning all. Postie got me up at 7am with my happy parcel just in time for a weekend of being banished to my craft room courtesy of the Six Nations. How tough is that?!
    Barbara the alphabet stamps are fantastic & I would give up chocolate for a week if I could produce such gorgeous papers as yours! Thank you.
    So glad I have a telly in my room, all set for a perfect weekend, can't wait to watch you & Tina. Have a great time xx

  19. Hi Barbara and all, just catching up after moving house on thursday. Fantastic artwork, I never tire of seeing you demo this technique and I shall bookmark this and come back to it asap. Looking forward to the shows today xx

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