No Cardstock? Use a Gel Press to make your own!

Hi there I am up on the Birch Press Design blog today with a card using the new Arista Layer dies set.

I created my own paper to use on my project using the Gel Press.

After making my card I realized that a lot of people are unfamiliar with what a gel press is? It is literally a piece of gel that you can put ink on, then lay your paper down on it and when you lift it up it transfers the ink to the paper in unique ways! I made a quick little video to show you the process I used for my background.

I used using Kitsch Flamingo and Salvaged Patina Distress Oxide inks to create the background panel. The fun with using the gel press is that every single print you make will be 100% unique. I set the panel aside to work on the focal die cut.

I had already made a panel using pink and yellow Distress Oxide inks--Kitsch Flamingo and Scattered Straw . I cut the Arista medallion, using only Layer B to showcase the amazing embossed detail on the die. I die cut it once from the pink/yellow panel and then two more times in white. I glued the three layers together to give it a bit of dimension.

The background was trimmed down to 5 1/4" x 4" and adhered to a white top folding card base for foam tape for even more dimension. Trimming the panel down leaves a nice 1/8" border around it. A simple detail that really steps up your overall clean and simple card design.

A sentiment from the new Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set was stamped on the front of the card, leaving room above for the Arista medallion.

The medallion was attached using foam tape which gives it even more fabulous dimension. I added a few of the pink Open Studio Fairy Jewels to the medallion for just a bit of sparkle! These self adhesive jewels are a great addition to your craft supplies.

Thank you for stopping by today!

Follow It and using the Gel Plate

Good morning friends!

You may have heard by now that Feedburner is closing in July 2021. For many of you that is the way you have been following my blog over the years. 

I have switched my feed over to Follow.it!

You do not have to do anything if you were already a subscriber through Feedburner, you should still get email notifications when I post on my blog. 

If you would like to follow my blog, and don't already just sign up with the link in the right sidebar. Any questions? just send me a note.

Now that I have you here I was to share what I have been up to. After watching a few videos by Jennifer McGuire recently I decided to get a Gel Press and a brayer to make awesome backgrounds!

The first run with the gel press created some beautiful backgrounds. I'm learning as I go and I'll be sharing cards with you using these backgrounds as I make them. Today I have a gold foiled birthday card using a background I made using Salvaged Patina and Kitsch Flamingo Distress Oxide inks. After I inked up my Gel Press I kissed a large rubber stamp off the Gel Press leaving the image from the stamp on the press. Then I laid a piece of white cardstock over the Gel Press and when I removed it I had a pretty background with the impression of the stamp in a mixture of the DOx inks I used.

I used my Gemini Foil Press and the  MFT Stamps Impressive Happy Birthday die to foil the sentiment to the front middle. This die does not cut it is only for foiling so you need to get it in the right place on your background panel--ONE chance! lol

The finished card is beautiful and nice and flat for mailing.

Have a wonderful day!