Gelli Kids Art Magnets "How To"

I've had some magnet blanks sitting around for several months now, taking up space on my work table.  I see them every time I sit down and each time I think, "geez, I really should think of something to do with them and free up this space for something new."  Then, as usual, I procrastinate and another day, then a week or more goes by before I get tired of them again.

FINALLY this past week I got around to doing something with them and now they are all done and can find a home in my Etsy store and hopefully, ultimately, a new home with someone who'll treasure them.

I've been doing a series I call my "Gelli Kids" which are a bunch of cute little characters that I make with my Gelli plate printed papers and who are featured on Gelli plate pages in my art journal or on small canvases.  It's been a bit of a challenge I gave myself to see how many different Gelli plate printed pages I could use in a single application.  In some cases, four or five different types of prints have been used, which has been so much fun to do and which has resulted in some pretty cool effects.  This project is no different.

I started off with a couple of cardstock circles that I had made in my very first Gelli prints a few months ago. For the purposes of these magnets, it is the bottom circle I am talking about from the photo below.  I actually made two prints quite similar.


This circle of cardstock was about 5" in diameter and I was able to get two pieces from each circle for a magnet blank.  Each magnet is 2.5" X 3.5" the size of a standard business card.  Here are the four I got from using the two circles of cardstock.  They have been mounted to the magnets (which are sticky with a peel away cover).  I also coated them with a shimmery, glittery clear glue which doesn't show up well in the photos.



And there they sat for a couple of months until inspiration hit.

I was putting together a bunch of smaller-scale Gelli Kids and the lightbulb went on that I could use these magnet blanks and create some miniature art that would be almost entirely made with my Gelli prints.  I just cut out simple shapes for the top and bottoms of the characters and doodled on some and stamped words in places. The faces used are copies from some of my other collage art.  They had all originally been polymer clay face cabochons in much larger art .  I added teeny flowers (punched) with  zetti-style black and white stems and tiny faux gemstones at the center.    A couple of coats of sealant and they are ready to go!





I am very pleased with how they turn out.  The colors are bold and brilliant and the glittery background makes them so fun!  I could sit around all day making these, I think.  Hope you like them too!

Cheers!
Joanna

3 comments:

Erin Fish said...

These are adorable! I love the Gelli Kids idea. So much fun with so much personality!

Joanna Grant Art said...

Thank you, Erin. I am having entirely too much fun with them. I can't stop!! Ha, ha!

ann @ Whimsyville said...

VERY, fun... i also like the whole 'kids' idea... has lots of potential !