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I recently used my gel plate for the first time, and in experimenting with what I had, I think I found that I like my silicone mold sheets much better. They are thicker than the silicone mats, they are super easy to clean, and don't take up much space. Plus, I don't have to worry about a cat hair or anything leaving marks in them like with the gel plate. I got mine on clearance at Hobby Lobby a year or so ago. I don't even see them on their website. They are called Silicone Molds and they are made by Sunny Side Up Bakery. I'll have to check the next time I am in their store to see if they have them. I just use the back of it like I would the gelly plate, and it cleans so easy.
I had a hard time getting my gel plate clean after using it last time, but it may be because I used dye ink on it. I guess I could just flip it over and use the other side.
What do you prefer to use? Do you like your gel plate?
After looking at silicone impression mats, I think my Texture plates and embossing folder might work well also on the gel plate or silicone mold. Has anyone tried these?
Last edited by hoptownracer1; 08-05-2023 at 09:12 PM..
Reason: forgot something
I've never worried about getting my gel plates totally clean, especially my original homemade gelatin and glycerine one which is now pale green even after melting down to refresh it.
Embossing folders work well, but it's hard not to touch the area around them with your fingers unless you lift carefully. I guess the same is true of stencils, but they're usually larger so it's less of an issue.
I use embossing folders on my gel plate - I had some 8" ones that didn't fit my machine at the time, so I cut them in half for texture plates. They work great for me! Texture plates too.
Thank you Dina! I watched the video tutorial, and it was so helpful! It was nice to see also that she used a large acrylic block to do the first images. The ink I got on the geli plate is a dark ( I think dye Ink), and it doesn't bother me that it shows on the plate, but I don't want that color to come off on all of the prints I do, and it just kept doing it. I guess I'll just flip it over and work on the other side. I noticed that they used pigment ink in the video, and I never knew you could dry/set it that way with a paper towel and an iron. She made gorgeous prints in the video!!!
Thanks also for your advice about the Impression Obsession ink; I have been using it, and am very happy with it!
I don't know if this will work, but I once saw a mixed media artist clean his gel plate by applying a thin coat of white acrylic paint. The bottom layers and leftover paints and inks have to be dry. He pulled a print with plain white paper, and the white paint pulled everything up. It actually looked really nice. I haven't tried it yet, but it's worth a try.
Thank you so much for the suggestion! I tried using white paint several times, but it wouldn't remove it all. I think I'll just flip it over the next time I use it. Although, the silicone mold back works really well, so I could do either. Thanks for sharing your suggestion.
Alternative to gel plate...
