CLEVER CRAFTS: Gel Printing With Die Cuts

Welcome back to Clever Crafts! This series is all about thinking outside the box and making the most of what you have—pairing your Hero Arts products with creative (and maybe unexpected!) materials from around the house. Whether you're stretching your stash or looking for fresh ideas, we’re here to turn limitations into inspiration—one clever idea at a time.

Hello and welcome!  Seeka here and today I'm sharing a way to stretch your die cutting supplies, especially cover dies.

I started by using the Leaves & Vines Cover Plate Die to cut a panel of heavy cardstock. Next, I squeezed a few drops of aqua and green paint onto a gel press plate and used a brayer to spread the paint into a thin layer over the plate.  While the paint was still wet, I quickly placed the die cut over the plate and used a craft pick to gently press the die cut into the paint.

The gel plate that I used is one that I cut down from a larger plate to create a roughly 3.75" x 5" plate.  This size is perfect for a print that fits an A2 sized cardstock panel while leaving a 1/4" margin on all sides.

Once I'd made sure that the die cut had made good contact with the paint, I carefully removed it (which lifted the paint in the leafy pattern) and let the remaining paint dry.  When it was dry to the touch, I dabbed a bit of gold acrylic paint onto the plate and brayered it over the plate. While the paint was still wet, I quickly placed a half sheet of white cardstock over the gel plate and smoothed the paper over the plate to ensure solid contact. I gently pulled the paper away which pulled both layers of paint away with it to reveal a gold and aqua green leafy pattern.

When the panel was dry, I used the largest die from the Nesting Rectangles Infinity Dies set to trim it into a 4.25" x 5.5" panel with the gel print centered.

Next, I stamped a sentiment from the Everyday Sentiment Strips Stamp Set in Onyx Pigment Ink onto white cardstock. I trimmed the sentiment into a strip and then used foam tape to adhere the sentiment to the background.  To finish, I glued the card front to a top-folding card base.

Thank you so much for stopping by!