Gel Printing on Upcycled Materials: A Junk Journal with Gelli® Artist Giovanna Zara

Hi, Giovanna here! If you, like me, keep papers and materials that might otherwise have ended up in the bin, today there’s a chance you can make a dent on all the stuff you hoarded and make something pretty out of it: gel printing on alternative materials such as maps, corrugated cardstock, thrifted paper pattern, book pages (a great classic, especially if you are starting with gel printing, these are cheap and easily to get), brown paper bag, crumpled tissue paper, bubble wrap and even tea bag sleeves!

As soon as you have a pile of these gel prints you can bind them in your first Junk Journal. What is it? From the web: “A Junk Journal is a handmade book of recycled and found materials and ephemera. The pages can be used to write, draw, paint or record memories, thoughts, ideas, and inspiration. The finished junk journal can become anything you want!” Are you ready?

Enjoy the video ☺

Steps:

-Spread on the Gelli® plate white acrylic paint with a brayer

-Press some bubble wrap (to keep and make it nice, you’re going to use it later)

-spread on the Gelli® plate several colours of acrylic paint with a brayer 

-Press again the bubble wrap to make it colourful

-Pull the ghost print on a map

-Keep up to fill the whole map

-For the brown paper bag: spread metallic acrylic paints on the plate

-Pull a print 

-Add a second layer using stencils

-For the tea bag sleeves: first open them up

-Spread acrylic paint on the plate 

-Pull a print on the tea bag, front and bag, if you like

-Sew close the sides and insert a little motivational tag inside

-For the cover: spread very well blue acrylic paint on the plate

-Lay face down a magazine page 

-Press well and lift the magazine page

-Let it dry

-Add details sponging acrylic paint through stencils

-When dry – spread a small amount of white acrylic paint

-Pull a print on corrugated cardstock

-Flip over the Gelli® plate

-Lift gently the Gelli® plate from the cardstock

Materials I used:

• Gelli Arts® 5’’x7” gel printing plate 
• Brayer
• Gelli Arts® ‘Flower-‘Peacock’-‘Leaf’-‘Bead’ stencils 
• Acrylic paint
• Magazine pages
• Maps, corrugated cardstock, paper pattern, brown paper bag, bubble wrap, tea bag sleeves