Gel Press with Altenew Crisp Dye Inks

This post shows cards I made inspired by the Irresistible Inking Techniques online class at Altenew Academy. The course gets you to think on how to stretch the usage of your ink pads when you give them new life by thinking outside the box. This is part of the Level 1 AECP course that I am undertaking.

I use a gel press for the first time and love it. I know I am going to be experimenting with a gel press and different mediums in future projects. The AECP courses encourages me to try new techniques and enhances my crafting joy and hopefully my crafting skills as well as confidence.

Do watch the video below to see how I creat these cards.

Basic Gel Press Technique

You need a gel press and a brayer for this technique - both are reasonably priced products. The stamping platform is optional - you can still do the prints without one. I use a stamping platform because I find it easier.

For these cards I mainly used Altenew Paint-A-Flower stamps. The outline of the images suited the technique and vision I had for these cards. [You can also use solid stamps or stamps with solud and outline parts.] The focus is on the technique of inking the background using a gel press and brayer with Altenew Crisp Dye Inks. I loved the smooth print look of the inked backgrounds with a gel press. You can sse any dye ink you have in your stash, same rules apply:)

I found that swiping the ink pad on the gel press applied too much ink (at least for my ink pads as they are quite new and thus quite ‘juicy’) and thus it pooled too much on the gel press with dots on ink. If this is applied to the card, then a smooth printed ink look cannot be achieved. Use brayer and roll and blend ink until there is no pooling of ink on the gel press surface. Get rid of excess ink on brayer by rolling off on a scrap piece of paper on the side.

Tapping the ink pad on the gel press transfers less ink onto the gel press which will make brayering the ink to a smooth consistency to press onto paper easier/faster. Always brayer from lighter ink to darker ink for smooth blending and it also reduces the darker colours overpowering the lighter colours.

Card Design

As this post is about the gel press and dye ink technique, the card design is similar for the six cards. A die cut sentiment, layered for dimension and a sub-sentiment. Main sentiment is brushed with Spectrum Noir Clear for a sparkle and topped with Ranger Glossy Accents for a shine.

Card #1, Calla Lily - Thanks

Used 80lbs Neenah Solar White Cardstock for the inking. Dabbed card with antistatic powder bag, before stamping with Altenew Paint-A-Flower Calla Lily stamp using Versamark ink. Sprinkled with Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder and heat embossed with WOW Dual Speed Heat Tool.

Removed foam pad in MISTI Stamping tool and placed card with stamped image in MISTI. Adhere 5” by 7” Gel Press to door of MISTI. Tap Tide Blue, Volcano Lake, Lagoon, Turquoise, and Fresh Lemon Altenew Crisp Dye Inks in various combinations on the gel press. Brayer ink tapped on gel press until no ink pooling is visible on surface and ‘stamp’ ink onto stamped card. Mix up ink colour variations until happy with colour mix/blend achieved on card.

Use Wafffle Flower A2 Layers Die to cut ink brayered card to 3.5” by 4.75”. Back card panel with fun foam for dimension. Also die cut another black card as a matt measuring 3.75” by 5”. Adhere black card panel to A2 card (measuring 4.25” by 5.5”) made from 110lbs Neenah Solar White Cardstock. Then adhere ink brayered card panel which was backed with fun foam to black card matt.

For sentiment, use Altenew Bold Thanks die set. Die cut shadow die in black card and ‘Thanks’ die four time in white card. Layer the white die cuts (with Art Glitter Liquid Glue with fine metal tip) for dimension and adhere to black shadow die cut. For sparkle, brush ‘Thanks’ with Spectrum Noir Clear and add Ranger Glossy Accents over sparkle for a shine. Sub-sentiment ‘for everything’ is from Altenew Sentiment Strip stamp set, there full sentiment is ‘thanks for everything’. Taped over the ‘thanks’ on the stamp strip with a transparent tape, inked sentiment stamp with Versamark ink, removed tape and sprinkled with Ranger Super Fine White Embossing Powder and heat embossed with WOW Dual Speed Heat Tool. Die cut stamped and heat embossed sentiment with PhotoPlay Sentiment Strips Die Set. Back sentiment strip card with foam strip adhesive and adhere to card front, below die cut ‘Thanks’.

Finally adhere Lucy’s Pearls Chunky Soft Snowball Mix gems using a Marvy Uchida Jewel Picker and Art Glitter Liquid Glue with fine metal tip.

Card #2, Sunflower - Hooray

Same as card #1, except use Altenew Paint-A-Flower Sunflower and Altenew Crisp Dye Inks, Sea Glass, Butternut, Pumpkin Pie, Yellow Ochre, and Volano Lake. Sentiment die, ‘hooray’ is from Altenew Script Words 3 and sub-sentiment is from Paint-A-Flower Carnations. Sentiment is die cut from Scrapbook.com Floral Smooth Cardstock. Finish card with gems from Lucy’s Crystal Collection, Meadow.

Card #3, Rose - Hello You

Same as card #1, except use Altenew Paint-A-Flower Rose and Altenew Crisp Dye Inks, Volcano Lake, Emerald, Tide Blue, Turquoise, Butternut, Pale Mauve, Amethyst. The purplish colours are not even visible as the emerald ink overpowered it. I tried quite a few colours and was not quite sure of the final product…..but soldiered on.

Die cut stamped card using the Waffle Flower A7 Layer die as this is an A7 card. Sentiment die, ‘Hello’ and ‘you’ is from Altenew Bold Greetings. Sentiment is die cut from Scrapbook.com Sherbet Smooth Cardstock. Finish card with gems from Lucy’s Pearls Chunky Soft Snowball Mix and brush roses with Spectrum Noir Clear for that beautiful sparkle. It shows up especially well against a darker background.