When I watched the Tim Holtz Halloween Sizzix release live, I knew that the Skeleton Leaves 663094 dies were going to look awesome used on a gel plate. So I finally pulled my gel plate out and had some fun.

I shared a few of the prints on Instagram (@wendy_baysa) and had a very kind creative (Tina) request a tutorial so here we go. Thank you my dear for all your support and kind comments 🙂

First, I ran the dies through my Vagabond cutting them out of Dura-Lar. Mine are pretty caked up already do to all the play time I had prior to this step by step.

Next, drip some Pitch Black Alcohol Ink (AI) and brayer a thin coating on your gel plate (mine discolored for some reason when I first got it almost a year ago, now, but it does not affect any prints). Work quickly, AI dries very fast.

Lay down and arrange the die cut leaves how you want them and add more AI. Brayer a thin layer until the AI starts to dry, then stop. Now add more AI around edges of some of the leaves so the AI will move along the plastic. Don’t over do the Pitch Black.

Add additional colors if you like, here I have added Valencia adding into areas where the brayer had picked up some of the Pitch Black. The AI will start to react with one another. The wetter the better with this technique. The ink will seep along and under the plastic die cuts, which is what you want.

This step can be done if inks are still wet or have dried. I am using Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous Ornate & Lace CMS348. If you work fast enough you can stamp off the ink you are lifting onto a piece of paper. This step is optional, it is just adding a little interest between the leaves.

With dies are still in place, pick an opaque acrylic paint and brayer it on.  Here I have chosen Yellow Ochre. AI are translucent, so what ever color acrylic paint you choose, remember you will see through the ink first with the acrylic behind it.

The layer of acrylic paint needs to be thin in order to pick up the layers of ink. It is kind of hard to explain but if your brayer is sliding, you have too much paint (correct this by brayering onto a scrap piece of paper). If you start to see through, then you have gone to thin and add a little more paint. Working quickly, lift off leaves and set aside. With such a thin layer of paint it will dry quickly and you want it to still be wet when you lay down the paper onto the gel plate.

Burnish (rubbing hands around the back side of paper) for a few minutes allowing the paint and ink layer to ‘stick’ to the paper. Here I have used Distress 8 1/2″ x 11″ Mixed Media cardstock. Slowly lift to reveal print.

Isn’t it gorgeous! There is something so satisfying and thrilling lifting off the prints. You never know what you are going to get 🙂

For my last step with the background, I used Distress Inks (Candied Apple, Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, Rusty Hinge) over the leaves. DI are translucent, so I did not worry if some got onto the AI which are permanent.

To finish off the card I added a frame cut from deep brown Kraft-Core, placed the panel on a orange Kraft-Core piece, die cut some of the leaves out of Metallic Cardstock that had AI on it, added some dyed ribbon and sentiment. Kept it pretty simple to showcase the background.

I do hope you give this a try, the AI working with the plastic die cut shapes add a really cool, unique texture 🙂 Thank you for viewing and as always, have a blessed day! xo xo

What a coincidence … Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge is ‘Make your own Background” I will be entering this card here 🙂

Below are some of the products I used, the links are a courtesy I am not affiliated 🙂