Thursday, October 24, 2013

Christmas Cards Already?

     Well, my shoulder is healed enough now that I can do some sewing. The thing that is painful is rotary cutting, so I have to do only a little of that a time. I have three large art quilts sketched out and am excited about them and ready to start on the first of those, but I thought I'd start (and finish) small sewing items first. At one of my art meetings this summer, we did gelatin monoprinting and I took a small gelatin plate (about 6 x 7). I decided make prints that I could use for Christmas cards this year.
     I originally wanted to print a nativity scene, but that was too complicated for the time I had and the number of prints I wanted to make. So then I thought I could use small fern fronds to look like evergreen trees and I would use string to look like trails of falling snow. I used regular acrylic paints mixed with Gac 900 fabric medium about 50/50.  I tore up an old sheet into small rectangles about 6 x7 inches. Here are the steps I did:
1.) I mixed up the paints on a plastic plate to get a light blue. I mixed the GAC900 into the paint.
2.) I brayered the blue paint mixture onto the gelatin plate.
3.) I put the fern fronds on top of the paint on the gelatin in an arrangement I liked.
4.) I put string on top of the paint and ferns in a curvy line on the gelatin plate.
5.) I laid the sheet rectangle on top and pressed in down with my hand and lifted it off after I was sure the paint had made good contact.
6.) I cleaned off the gelatin plate with a cotton wipe rag and a squirt bottle of water.

I repeated steps 2-6 until I had printed 30 rectangles.

After the paint was dry, I stamped some circles onto each rectangle with gold Lumiere paint from Jacquard and I stamped some snowflakes on each with some Sargent Art Acrylic Glitter Glaze mixed with white acrylic paint.  Here's a photo of several of the rectangles after they were printed and stamped.

in-process


Then I cut some cardstock and printed a phrase on it. I trimmed each rectangle to fit on the cardstock the way I wanted it to fit above the phrase. I applied a little glue stick the long edges of the fabric and stuck it on the cardstock and then I machine stitched it using a shimmery thread (I don't know the brand or type because its label fell off long ago.)
The finished card
So the card doesn't look like evergreen trees as intended. But since I live in Florida, I guess it's OK for me to use ferns (with snow?) It did snow here once for about 2 minutes on our driveway. Each card is different and maybe by next year, I can think up a nativity design I can monoprint.  I'll send 30 of my artistically inclined friends and relatives these cards and the rest will get the standard cards. Only because I didn't have the energy to make more of the prints that day. 
I'm linking this to   Off The Wall Friday   where you can see other art quilt blogs. Please make comments on their posts to let them know you visited.



16 comments:

  1. I did my cards last Christmas while I was feeling "Chrismassy" Not sure I am going to like them this year though! Might have to do some new Gelli printed ones too :)

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    1. Good idea to do them during the season. Maybe, now that I have a gelatin plate made, I'll do that this year, too.

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  2. Some day I hope to play with gelatin printing, you make it look so simple! Your friends will appreciate your cards so much. It is never too early to start on Christmas. Check out my SAQA Visioning entry today for proof. :)

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    1. I saw your Elmo quilt. She'll love it. It's adorable!

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  3. Regina I love the card. You are one of several quilt friends I know who are making their cards. You are so giving to create and give away your art.

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    1. Thanks, Marilyn. I enjoy sharing my art with my friends. Each Christmas season, I set up a display of their art cards on my china cabinet and on my piano and in other places. Handmade cards from friends are extra special. :)

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  4. I keep planning to get mine made, I always do fabric postcards. After seeing yours I may have to get out the gelli plate!

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    1. Gelatin printing is so addictive that the time passes quickly and it doesn't seem like work at all. Just fun.

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  5. Beautiful!! Snow in Florida! I love the fern prints, I have been printing botanical Gelli prints this week too, but I have used a mask. I have printed with ferns before, but I still think my favorite leaf to print with is Gingko's. You sure are ambitious to make 30 Xmas cards! --Amy

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    1. It was about 20 years ago and the snow only lasted long enough to know it existed. It melted upon contact.
      I was at a meeting with my art group and we were all doing monoprinting at the same time we were talking so I got 30 prints done without too much trouble. (But I was pretty tired when I was done.) I've spaced out the time for assembling them so that it hasn't been a burden at all.

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  6. Wonderful simple images... you inspire me!

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  7. I think ferns look a lot like pine trees !
    once I pressed some ferns that became a forest when they were decoupaged upon card stock for Christmas cards .
    gelatin plate printing sounds fun and thank for sharing your process!
    .

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    1. I love gelatin printing. I'll post the recipe for the gelatin in my next post.

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  8. oh, it's all about paint right now in our world isn't it?? Me too
    These are so interesting. One of a kind but in series. Love it
    LeeAnna Paylor
    leeannaquilts@gmail.com

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  9. Thanks, LeaAnna. I'm hoping to do a lot of painting this week. Some with stamps and some with monoprinting.

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