Learning to Use Gelatos

I'm determined to learn to use Gelatos, because the colors are just so delicious. Barb kindly let me play with hers at a crop, and I realized that they take a little practice. So instead of rushing out and buying the complete set, I bought two sets of 4 colors each not included in the main set, and got to work.

First here's a practice piece Barb showed me how to do. The cardstock was coated with gesso. When dry, colors were scribbled along the top, then misted heavily until they began to drip. After that dried, she inked up the bird stamp with purple gelato, misted it and stamped the bird twice.

The next one was gelatos scribbled over a white heat embossed background of triangles, which was then smoothed around with my fingers. The gelatos found all of the holes in the embossing and I don't care for the way it turned out. I would try again, probably with a different stamp and probably with a gessoed background.

Then I decided to try scribbling a gelato over a dry embossed background. After spreading it around with my finger, I decided this had possibilities.The actual piece has lots more orange in the holes which didn't show up so well when I scanned it.

I tried Barb's advice next: gessoed the background, worked different colors into the leaf stamp and then misted before stamping. The amount of mist makes a difference; in fact the second leaf is less sharp and no doubt had more water on it. I'm liking this.

Finally, my favorite project and the one that made me decide I "need" the whole set of gelatos. I stamped in black, then stamped the flowers again on scraps of white cardstock. I then colored and blended the flowers without any regard to staying in the lines, because I fussy cut each of them, adhered to the card and added some dots of Liquid Pearls. I LOVE the way the colors blended with my fingertips!

Other things I've learned from YouTube videos:  blend the colors with a baby wipe; use a water brush directly on the color tube to pick up color; shave off tiny chunks to blend with water in a mister; scribble on a mat and blend with water for watercolors. 

I'm having fun playing with these, and like that they are so portable. I will be ordering my full set soon.