Things to do with Gelli Plate Prints - 1 Sketchbook Covers

Since I started using a gelli plate a little over a year ago, I have created an awful lot of prints.  It is a rather addictive method of printing as each time I think of some small variation I can make which might make another interesting print.

So I have a lot of prints on paper and fabric.  What to do with them all?  I have turned some into pictures, mounted ready to be framed, some of which are at the Green Gallery at the moment in its Christmas Show.  But that still leaves a lot of prints.  Over a number of blog posts, I’m going to share with you some of the other things I’ve made from the prints, starting with turning them into sketchbook covers.

I love books of all descriptions and sketchbooks are fabulous due to their potential before they are drawn in and due to containing so many possibilities after they have been filled.    Having a pretty cover on the outside is nice, but often when you buy one with a printed cover, the quality of the paper inside is less good.  So I’ve bought some blank books, ones with good paper and covered them with a print on fabric to make the front cover more interesting.  I took them along to the Primary School Christmas Fayre at the weekend and they generated a lot of interest.

Sketchbook in the photos below

How to:

1.   Measure the size of the cover (I used mainly A5 landscape books),  and cut a piece of medium weight iron-on Vilene and wadding about a 1/4in bigger than you want, if you are going to stitch heavily as it will pull the fabric in.

2.   Iron the Vilene onto the back of the wadding and place your fabric gelli plate print on top, making sure it is at least an inch bigger all around.  Pin in place.

From the back after stitching

3.   Stitch as you want.  I filled in parts of the pattern and created raised areas by stitching heavily around them to flatten the surrounding parts.

4.   Press flat, then wrap the left hand edge round to the back.  Press in place for a nice, sharp crease.

The left hand flap folded over to the back

5.   Glue the flap in place.  I use decent PVA glue.

6.   Spread PVA around the edge of the Vilene and the flap, centre on the sketchbook cover and press firmly in place. 

7.   Open the cover and glue the corners of the fabric over to the inside first, then all the way round, pulling tight as you go.

Fabric glued down over to the back of the cover

8.   Cover with wax paper (it won’t stick to the glue) and then weight down with books whilst it dries.

9.   Either glue the first page of the sketchbook over to the inside of the cover or use a paper gelli plate print to hide the edges of the fabric and to give a neater finish.  Cover with the wax paper and weight it down again whilst the glue dries.

Simple really, but rather effective.  Have you come up with other ways to use gelli plate prints?