Gelli Plate Master Board & Ephemera for Junk Journals
Lately, I’ve been diving deeper into the world of mixed media and junk journaling, and this project has been one of my favorites so far: creating a Gelli Plate master board and turning it into beautiful pieces of ephemera.
What’s a Master Board?
If you’re new to the term, a master board is essentially a large background you create with layers of paint, stencils, stamps, and collage elements. Once it’s finished, you cut it down into smaller pieces to use for tags, journal cards, or other bits of ephemera. It’s a fun way to create a whole batch of coordinating pieces from one starting point.
For this project, I pulled out my Gelli plate and let myself play with layers of paper, stickers, and stamped images. There’s something so exciting about not quite knowing what you’ll get until you peel it back. Every pull feels like a surprise.
My Inspiration
I was inspired by Froyle, who has a wonderful YouTube channel, and this video [ https://youtu.be/gQdzlGq6AtY?si=fFgVUkzN3r3TAo8K ] in particular sparked the idea for my project. In her process, she started by building what would eventually become the front of the collage directly on the Gelli plate, layering elements until the entire plate was covered. I watched her technique and jumped right to it using matte gel medium to adhere all of my layers securely. I explained in my YouTube video that I usually watch a process and then try it without following all the process step by step the first time. You’ll have to watch the video for more explanation but you won’t regret it. I think I did a pretty good job on this one for a new youtuber if I may say so myself.
Building Layers
I started with neutral tones and added pops of black and white for contrast. Then came the layering — scraps of book paper, stamping, and doodles to give it more depth. Once the master board was complete, I knew it was ready to become something more.
From Master Board to Ephemera
Here’s where the magic happens. Cutting into the board felt a little scary at first (I always hesitate because the whole sheet looks so good on its own!) but once I trimmed it into smaller sections, the pieces really came alive.
I turned them into:
Tags with stitched edges and collage layers
Pocket inserts for junk journals
Journal cards with stamped details and little word snippets
Pockets to tuck the ephemera in
Each piece feels like a mini work of art — and because they all came from the same master board, they coordinate beautifully. Well, all except for one. It’s at the end of my video. The BIG reveal….if you will. The BUZZ….you’ll know when you see it.
Why I Love This Project
This kind of project reminds me why I fell in love with art journaling in the first place. It’s not about perfection; it’s about playing, experimenting, and letting the process guide you. A single Gelli print can evolve into so many things, and I love how the ephemera pieces can now find a home in my journals or even be swapped with friends.
Want to Try It?
If you’ve got a Gelli plate sitting on your shelf (or if you’ve been curious about trying one), this is the perfect project. You don’t need fancy supplies — just some paper scraps, Matte (or gloss or satin. It’s a personal preference.) and your imagination.
I’ve linked some of my favorite tools and supplies below if you’d like to see exactly what I used (Amazon affiliate links – if you purchase through these, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you):
Gelli Plate: https://amzn.to/42dCHZA
Metal Cutting Dies: https://amzn.to/4mAPDQy
Golden Soft Matte Gel Medium: https://amzn.to/4nVSq89
Newsprint Tissue Paper: https://amzn.to/48AqVwd
Watch the whole video here: https://youtu.be/BufFMRUiKdI?si=rH2qS-DBXTjNtdOz
