Getting messy

I spent some time yesterday messing with the Gelli Plate, partly because I'd watched Barbara Gray on CnC.  I think it is important to just play with the plate, get to know how much paint to put on,  what makes a good pattern and what doesn't work.  I was putting too much paint on and wasn't able to get an impression of the stamp or stencil I was using.   I armed myself with all sorts yesterday, a fork, potato masher, some stamps...    and just went for it. I also tried mixing the colours, it was a lot of fun!  If  you have a Gelli plate but haven't used it, then get it out and play.  Just get some paint, and copy paper and have a lovely time!

With this I used one colour and a mask, plus the potato masher.  I also applied the paint using a sponge brush, just to see what effect it would give me, so you don't have to use a brayer.  I'd also say you don't need to use the expensive speedball brayer either.  I'd bought a cheap brayer but found it useless for the soft brayering work that Barbara Gray does,  however it is fine for the Gelli plate.  But you could use a soft brush, cloth, anything to get the paint on, and at the same time produce some lovely effects.   I had a sneak preview of the masks BG is going to bring out,  so I have no doubt I'll buy them. I also treated myself to a Clarity stamp set yesterday.

I also finally put the pieces together of the Owl picture.  I went a bit mad with the background, using a timepiece stamp,  then a flourish, and for good measure used the metallic holely stuff...  a technical name for it!  NOT.  I had a piece of organza ribbon that had been lying around for ages, so made use of that, used a brad to attach the owl tag,  stamped the sentiment, a bit of inking and two brads.  I found the wheatsheaf and took a fancy to it,  then 3 metal leaves caugth my eye so they got stuck on.

This was after a morning of furniture shifting, had this daft idea to have a change in my bedroom.  So putting the desk in a new place meant using a new ASDL cable,  which I thought wasn't working as I had no internet connection after hooking everything up.  So kept trying, then realised I had the cable in the wrong slot!   DOH...

To finish off the afternoon I made a yellow version of the All of a Twitter pic, using the new frame die I got the other week. 

I'm also hoping my new handbag arrives tomorrow.  I have wanted an 'owl' bag for some time,  seen quite a few but they were either not my taste or too expensive, then on Friday I searched again and found what I hope will be 'the' bag on ebay.   Yes I am an Owl fan,  they are such fascinating birds, I've been watching two on a webcam , two Barn Owls, they have mated and I'm hoping the female will soon start laying her eggs.   Far better than normal TV,  they are so amusing, the male was asleep the other day but he was gradually tipping over till finally his head was resting on the side of the nesting box!  And even better news - they now have an egg.

A beautiful day today,  think we got to 23C,  so time to get the T shirts out, well a couple.  I popped up to M&S and picked up a few tops and for once I was spoilt for choice.  Of course the weather is set to change - well it would!  Hopefully the sun won't be away for too long.