Catching a glimpse of a rainbow in the sky isn’t a daily event here, so when I want to enjoy the rainbow, I create my own on a gel plate! You can use any number of colors, in any order you want, and as a bonus, it’s quick! There’s a trick to this rainbow technique, and that’s to use a small amount of paint. That’s extremely tough for me, but I’ve found a way to do it consistently!

Create thin lines with as many colors as you want in your rainbow. It’s tough for me to use small amounts of paint, so that’s where the nozzles on the caps are so handy. Wondering if they’ll clog? I was skeptical when I started using them, but 6 months later they haven’t clogged.

An unexpected benefit of the nozzles is that they are great for travel. Usually when I pack paint, I wrap the flip cap in packing tape to be sure it won’t come loose during travel. But these nozzles twist closed, so they don’t spill paint as easily as the flip caps. Last time I flew with my paints, I got to skip all the time and hassle of the packing tape thanks to these nozzles!

You can see the details about the nozzles here – it is an affiliate link and it means I may get a small percentage and it costs you nothing to support the blog and keep the free tutorials coming!

Once you’ve got your thin lines of color on the plate, use your brayer to roll over them. Notice how my lines aren’t perfect. They don’t have to be for this technique.

The 4″ brayer I am using is by Essdee (link at the bottom of the post), and I have to say, this thing is solid, sturdy and a joy to use!

Normally, I roll off the excess paint on a clean up sheet of paper. But not with this technique. I leave that paint on the brayer so I can use it to make more rainbow prints!

After you take a print or two, take the brayer and roll more paint on your gel plate. Then take another pull. Repeat this process until the paint is all off the brayer!

Rainbows hold a special place in my heart for 2 reasons. First, all those colors together just make me happy. Second, the symbolism of the rainbow. All those bright wonderful colors can mean a lot of different things from hope to promise to peace to luck to new beginnings to eternal life. 

But the one that holds the most importance to me is the one for equality. Both of my kids are gay and every time I create a rainbow it’s like throwing the intention of equality into the world for my kids and for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. 

This is just one of the many kinds of prints you can do with a gel plate, you see more ideas and everything you need to know to get started on my page of gel printing resources.

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links may be affiliate links which means I get a small percentage and it doesn’t cost you anything extra! It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!

This idea, to combine stencils and image transfer was a total O.O.P.S., an Outstanding Opportunity Presenting Suddenly. I thought perfect little butterflies would transfer. Nope. Not a one. In fact, it looked terrible. But, that led me to the next layer, which turned that something ugly into something so much better than I had planned!

It all began with a colorful image printed on InkAid Transfer Film. This is a collage made up of 9 Sparks of Art-spiration that I’ve sent out in my free newsletters. If you’d like to play with the same image, I’m happy to email you a free download of it- just go here. This is will also get you signed up for my weekly newsletter that includes a brand new Spark of Art-spiration printable for you.

The image transfer is done using the InkAid process. If you’re new to InkAid image transfers you might have some questions like how do you mix the Transferiez solution, or will your inkjet printer work well with the process. I’ve got a video that goes step-by-step through the process so you are comfortable making your first transfer.

Start with a generous, and I mean generous layer of Transferiez solution. I use enough that it soaks through my cardstock. That’s why I have the tin foil under my paper, to keep it from getting all over the counter. I could have used a piece of plastic, but the tin foil was closer.

Working quickly, get the stencil and then the image transfer film on there. Brayer or push down the transfer film. The stencil is Butterfly Journeys that I designed for StencilGirl Products. Along with the stencil, it also includes 4 butterfly masks.

Be prepared, that when you lift up the InkAid image transfer film, it will look like a hot mess, but that will change with the next layer!

Place the masks over the butterflies and add a layer of black paint. Or any other color you want!

Now these butterflies have serendipitous wings, far more interesting to me than a “perfect” transfer! But that white space is calling to me, tugging at me to add something more there.

Journaling! That’s what the white space needed! As I’m writing, I am thinking of real words, and writing them in a very loose way. By doing scribble journaling, there’s zero pressure to get words spelled correctly or sweat the grammar.

Adding that layer of paint turned a messy caterpillar (the imperfect image transfer) into a beautiful butterfly!

The best part is that every butterfly will be unique! What will I do with these? Could become cards, the start of an art journal page, or could simply put them in a mat and frame them as they are!

If you’d like to play around with the same image I used, let me know what email you’d like me to send it to, and that will also get you signed up for my weekly newsletter, that has a brand new Spark in it for you to download!

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links may be affiliate links which means I get a small percentage and it doesn’t cost you anything extra! It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!

Heads up, the cardstock can really fluctuate in price on Amazon. If it seems strangely expensive one day, wait a day or two, and often it goes back to “normal”.