What happened when I put a round Gelli Plate® on a rotating cake stand? Hypnotic colors spinning round and round that resulted in a stack of playful prints for this week’s Let’s Play video!
How does this help me play? There is no wrong way to do this so the pressure is off! After all there is no “right” way to use a cake decorating tool with a Gelli Plate®. Plus seeing the colors spin made me smile all afternoon.
What is Let’s Play? It’s all about rediscovering the ability to play. Each month I share a specific strategy that helped me ditch the stress and rediscover how to play. You can see all the previous ones here. Each month has a theme, and this month’s theme is turning non art supplies into art supplies.
Giveaway! This month’s giveaway is a $50 gift certificate to Dick Blick! Leave a comment to be entered -details at the end of this post.
Watch How to Make Spinning Gelli Prints® on YouTube.
Of course, once you use the cake stand with paint, it isn’t safe to use with food any more. But I make more prints than cakes, so that’s just fine with me!
It’s very simple and low tech. Give the cake spinner a spin and then put your brush on the plate. The possibilities are endless! How much paint you use and how much pressure you use changes the look of the prints.
I was mesmerized by the spinning colors and spent the afternoon joyously making print after print. Each and every print was different in some way from every other print. Did I mention how much I loved watching the optical illusion of those colors spinning? It was mighty addictive!
What am I going to do with all these prints that brought me so much joy? I’m going to be playing with them in my art journal next week- so keep your eyes open for that video and blog post! If you want to be sure that you see it, get signed up for my newsletter and it will be in the next one that goes out!
Want to see more Let’s Play videos? You can find all the weekly posts here.
Sharing your play: Why Facebook? I’ve listened to your feedback about how and where you’d like to share your play. Instead of the link party as in previous months, we’re sharing it in the Facebook group called A Colorful Place to Play.
Monthly giveaways: Just leave comment on any (and all if you’d like more chances) of the weekly Let’s Play blog posts to be entered and one winner each month will be chosen by random.org. Want more chances to win a $50 gift certificate to DickBlick.com? Pin any of the images from the page or share about it on Facebook- then come back and leave a comment telling me what you did and you can have more chances to win! Giveaway closes the Sunday, July 3rd at 11 pm EST and the winner will announced on the blog the following Monday.
Here are the supplies I used. Some of these links are affiliate links which means I get a small percentage. It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you are helping me keep this blog and my videos ad free! Thank you- I don’t like ads any more than you do!
This is such a fabulous idea! Can’t wait to try when I get home! Love all your posts and videos. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next<3
Hope you’ll share your prints Karly! Would love to see them!
Also I’ve pinned this week’s play to my Pinterest board “genius!”
🙂
I love this! Next year I will be using this in my classes!
That was really cool. I would have never thought to do that! But having seen it, it makes so much sense to do. I wonder what I have around the house I can re-purpose for art? What have you done!?
Have fun repurposing- it is so freeing for me Laura!
Wow this looks so fun! I can hardly wait to try it. I signed up for newsletter and youtube. Looking forward to see what you do with the journaling pages.
What a wonderful idea. Thanks!
This is great idea!
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!
What will you think of next?! I don’t own a cake spinner, but Michael’s has cake decorating supplies and with my next 40%-50% coupon…
Or maybe a used potter’s wheel…or an old LP turntable…you’ve got my wheels turning!
These are wonderful, love it!
You are having wàaaaaaaaaay too much fun today. Inspirational as always.
this is so cool. I won a round Gelli Plate and haven’t used it yet and I think I have a turntable somewhere…this looks to be quite fun, I will definitely try it out.
This is so cool, so first I need my craft room back, get it organized okay just stack the boxes to the side, get a round gelli plate and find that lazy susan. and watch out. 🙂
Oh WOW! My cake plate won’t be so lonely anymore!! 🙂 Your videos always motivate me Carolyn! Thank you!
you sold me, time to pull out my gelli plate. yes yes……. I’m getting mine out today. I do not have a round one, or a cake spinner but it is time to start playing again with gelli and fun.
THANK YOU.
The video was great! I love how the prints turned out. Who would have thought of using a cake stand? Nobody but you. LOL. I’m on my way to the store to see if they have that stand or if I’m going to have to order it. Thanks for all of your great inspiration!
Wow….this is really playing! I like it a lot, it is like being in a big playground for grown ups:)
what a fantastic idea you must have seen a light bulb go off as you began to play
This is really cool. I wish I had a round gelli plate now! 🙂
Thanks for doing the giveaway!!!
I could see how this can be addicting! Such fun!!
The cake spinner is an amazing idea. I kick myself for not thinking of it my self. Thank you for your everyday wisdom and inspiration. Lets Play has become a inner voice that I hear regularly and I thank you for that.
Thank you for sharing such a fun looking idea. Excited to do this too!!! I am feeling totally thrilled about it 🙂 I just need to buy a cake plate or lazy susan, thank goodness Dollar Tree is across the street on the corner!
More fun! I bet it would be a blast to do this with liquid paints, too! I remember eons ago when I was a child and the Ex had a booth with spinning wheel painting. That was fun to do. Hmmm, I wonder about inks, and sprays, and metallic paints on the spinning gelli plate…?!!
Great Idea.. Garage sale season.. going look for a spinning cake plate! Thanks Carolyn! HUGS
Love the idea and I can’t wait to try it! Thanx Carolyn!
I was mesmerized just watching the video, I can only imagine the fun you had. As always you inspire us to create!I can’t wait for summer (too busy with end of year at school) get back to playing with my art stuff !!! 🙂
Your ideas make my head spin, Carolyn. I love them all.
CAROLYN!! NOW I want a cake spinner! I don’t have a Lazy Susan or anything that I can spin. Dern it. Your videos are funny & make me laugh. Thanks for ALL the funny ideas.
This is more fun!!! I am learning (finally) to relax and just throw color around. The blank page intimidates me so. You are a real inspiration. Additionally, I would like to have a closer look at your paint (and other supplies) storage techniques!! Thanks so much for sharing!! (also love your stencils!)
You fed MY muse, thank you!
I love the colors abs will be doing this.
Thanks so much.
Hello Carolyn, I have a similar tool and a round Gelli plate, and this idea is going to go to work with me today at the adult day center. How much fun do you think we will have making these spin art mono prints? I just hope we have enough paint and paper. WOOO HOO! Cannot wait to see the results and will post photos of the art. What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much for sharing.
I have a similar “tool” and a round Gelli plate, and this idea is going to go to work with me today at the adult day center. How much fun do you think we will have making these spin art mono prints? I just hope we have enough paint and paper. WOOO HOO! Cannot wait to see the results and will post photos of the art. What a wonderful idea! Thank you so much for sharing.
Sounds like it is going to be a great day! And I hope you’ll share the photos- would love to see them Mary!
That looks like fun. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the idea.
I pinned this to my my pinterest board. I would love to win.
That’s so fun! After my first two less than stellar attempts with Gelli printing, I need to get back and give it another try. It’s on my list, but it will be a while before I can get to it. Thanks for the fun inspiration!
Loved watching your video! Wish I had a circle geli plate and a cake decorating plate so I could start playing today. Loved the prints you made. Saving my pennies so I can get them and play along!
Loved your video ! I have one geli plate, and now I will have to save my pennies to get the circle, and a cake decorating plate too! I watch you videos all the time but this has been my all time favorite so far. Thanks!
Now this rocks! Not buying a cake stand cause, well, ummmm, Publix Supermarket does it best…lol! But I do have a lazy Susan…..I wonder how that will do as it’s the same concept…will have a go this evening! Hubs is going to a baseball game (Tampa Bay Rays) and that means I can play in my space! Thank you for this cool idea, Carolyn! I pinned on Pinterest under MM Inspiration….love to share as much as you do:)
I should find a cake spinner immediately! This is such a fun idea. I could put the paper directly on the spinner and use with watercolors, inks, etc. Thank you for sharing this Carolyn 🙂 You are a creative genius.
This is such a great idea! Thanks for listing the cake stand too!
Decades ago when I was young, there was a craze for pictures made by dropping paint onto spinning disks (I think people used potters wheels). I have one hidden away somewhere, and love it still!!
This is a very creative idea.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this technique!
What a great idea.
Addicting!!! I need to get a lazy susan or cake stand!!
I always enjoy watching you play. I think I “need” the round gelli plate and the cake decorator stand. Lol
LOVELOVELOVE this idea!! I don’t have a cake spinner but a pretty sure I can rig up a lazy susan to a drill or something and make it spin!
Hubby always looks at me like I am crazy when I use “normal” things and turn them into art tools! Just goes to show how little he knows! Thanks for the inspiration!
What a wonderful fun idea! I know you will have great fun with these creations in your art journal! Thanks for sharing this.
I just found A Colorful Place to Play on Facebook and it looks like it will be a perfect place for me. I absolutely LOVE art journalling and everything artsy that is like it, but ever since finding it I have struggled with just letting go and letting myself be “imperfect”. I am such a perfectionist that I get easily defeated with my attempts at being creative which I consider to be juvenile and not good enough. I always find that I compare myself to all the other artists that I watch on YouTube and in the groups on Facebook that I belong to. I really want to give myself that permission to just “be artful” and not worry about that fact that I am not good at it. I want to stop being disappointed with my results and just have fun, but I need to learn to do that I guess. I want to stop giving up! I have a little corner in the basement set up but always find that I freeze up when I sit down and I can never just pull something out of my imagination. Thanks for allowing me to be part of that group and giving me a chance to play again.
Love this technique; I have a rubbermaid turntable that should work nearly as well. Thanks, Carolyn!
Love those circles. Makes me think I have a rotating cheese tray hidden somewhere. It’s never been used for anything, but this could be just what it has been waiting for! Hope I haven’t thrown it away…
I saw this video a few days ago, then yesterday I was at a thrift store and scored one of those spinning cake stands for $3. It was meant to be!
Happy Colors! Must try it! Reminds me of the paint spinners we had as kids:-)
Would love to win the gift certificate!!!
I have rotating stands to keep some of my art supplies (e.g., acrylic media) to hand. Dump them off, circle print, put them back…..
Love your ideas and your enthusiasm.
Love all your creative ideas…this one is so fun!
What fun, this would have never occurred to me! I don’t have a cake stand, but I have an old lazy Susan that I’m sure would work!
What fun! Now I need to go get a round Gelli and a spinning cake plate!
Neat! What might make an interesting image is, while spinning the plate, start the brush in the center and pull it outwards. You should get spirals.
Carolyn, you never fail to amaze me with your endless “play” and inspiration.
Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and joy with all of us. I played all Sunday afternoon with my Gellli Plate and had so much fun.
I used to love the spinning art at Carnivals. This looks like fun!
On my way to get a spinner ! So inspired by your video. I am going to
write/print quotes in the white spaces with my sharpie paint pens !
Love your videos and your energy, you are so inspiring!
Oh my what fun! Cannot wait to try this!!
oh my gosh it looks sooooooo FUN eeeee