technique monoprinting
produced in jacksonville, florida
creation date november 2018
artist jo lawson
INSPIRATION
greetings monoprinting friends! i am excited to share these holiday cards with you. this tutorial provides three easy and fun techniques that are sure to help you handcraft your holidays. these techniques would be great on cards, tags, stationery and even wrapping paper. one could really create the perfectly printed holiday gift!
for this project, i was inspired by the upcoming holiday season! these holiday cards are unique and special. this tutorial will provide instructions for three different style cards using the Gelli Arts® 5” x 7” plate, the Gelli Arts® 3” mini plate, Gelli Arts® premium acrylic paints, die cuts and stencils! i hope you enjoy these techniques and try a few. I cannot wait to see what everyone creates this year! for a list of all products used for this project, please see the materials section at the end of the post.
TECHNIQUE:
step one
create a solid background
continue to create backgrounds in your favorite holiday colors!
step two
add depth and dimension using stencils
mix it up with a few variations of the same technique…
step three
develop a focal point
try it again using the mini plate and get an easy + festive stationery set
step four
find the perfectly printed image
or use a die cut, like this one from Memory Box, Inc., and create ornaments to mount on your cards.
step five
embellish!
ORNAMENTS
add snowflake die cuts, jewels/pearls, decorative sticker, and wire
POLAROIDS
mount 4” x 4” squares on black card stock, then on greeting cards. hand write or stamp sentiments.
FESTIVE STATIONERY SET
add handwritten or stamped sentiments
keep them simple or go all out! these cards and techniques are versatile and always turn out elegant and unique. head on over to my instagram, youtube, and facebook pages – @smallbatchcards – to see more of my tutorials and art. order cards, prints, stationery, and other paper art gifts through my custom order form.
materials
Gelli Arts® premium acrylic paint set – (Cosmic Blue, Freshwater, Snowbound, Deep Jungle, Kiwi, Mixed Berry, Chili Pepper)
Gelli Arts® 4” roller
Gelli Arts® 3” mini plate (round)
5”x 7” Gelli Arts® printing plate
8 – A2 (4.25” x 5.5”) greeting cards
mandala or snowflake stencil
pine tree stencil
christmas words stencil
double sided tape
white + black card Sstock
ornament + snowflake die cut
scissors
acrylic block
decorative stickers
jewels/pearls
wire (lightweight)
small • batch • cards 
I love these cards!
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thank you! they were so much fun to design and create. i am so glad you enjoyed!
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I love these. I am sad that I can’t ever get a decent print with my Gelli Plate. I must be missing something.
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Hmmm… what sort of issue are you having? what don’t you like about the print?
i have found that when i use too much paint, the results are not always what i intended. it has taken me a while to find the right balance in paint application. too little, and it dries quickly or won’t cover the plate. too much paint, and you get a blurry mess. keep at it and keep asking questions.
i totally understand your frustrations, but sometimes art is not always about the end product. it is about the emotions you experience when participating in the process. i have so many more rejects than completed pieces. i like to think of them as “works in progress”. i put them in a drawer and pull them out every once in a while. cut them into strips or circles to use in a journal or card. reprint with a new technique. layer again and again.
thank you for sharing, i look forward to seeing your creations and talking art with you!
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