How to make a Gelli Plate or Jelly pad? + WOYWW4

Hullo there everyone... 

and happy WOYWW4 everyone!
.. join us over at Julia's "Stamping Ground" blog  for "What is On Your Workdesk Wednesday".
Today is our big 4th celebration ~ Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!
A big congrats, Julia! and have my ATC ready too, for the big swap!
{And aren't Nikki's WOYWW4 cool?}

 And look whose ATC just arrived from the UK - dear, kind Annie!!

Posted 22.5.13 and arrived 29.5.13, how amazing is that? God is good, so is kind Annie, thank you dear friend! how bright and cheery it is! with a lovely card and poem too. As still dont have proper glasses (end of week, God willing) have not made my other ATC's yet but in process on my desk. Did finish my catalogue of all stamps {YAY!} but will show next week as have something else to show you (plus I hope to make a cover).

Well, here on my desk is another surprise... perhaps.. 
WARNING: there is long detail here! You may want to scroll down below if it's not your thing.
Had been thinking for ages to share this with you all, as I have a recipe to make a gelli plate and know they are not available everywhere.
I was reading Lindsay's (Frugal Crafter) post the other day and then saw it on Annette in Oz's blog too so thought had better do it at last - so here 'tis. 

The recipe is from some decades ago now, when I started infant school teaching. Although there were photocopiers around for over a decade then, they were not cheap here. We did not have such fancy copying methods for teaching. This was used with a special printing carbon for copying from jelly pad (as we called it) into books. The carbon would just sink into the pad then you would re-use it for another worksheet the next day. I used the same method for teaching Sunday school, I kept it in the cupboard for many, many years, in warm and cold weather. 
It never goes off ( both sugar and glycerine are preservatives). 
Then stencil carbon not around, they stopped making the metho spirit duplicator stencils. I can still smell the methylated spirits we used with them...that does take me back!

Recipe for Gelli Plate
or Jelly pad ( as we called them, used them in slice tray.
It sets without refrigeration, and kept without refrigeration too):
 
(Imperial measures used in original, blue is metric, *red is what I used, made *3/5 size)

                                             *Glycerine ~ 12 ounces   - 354.9 ml   *200ml

                                             Gelatine     ~ 2 ounces    - 56.7 gm    *35gm

                                             White Sugar~ 3 ounces    - 85 gm       *51gm

                                             Water       ~ 7 1/2 ounces -213 ml     *120ml

Method: Dissolve half water with gelatine, dissolve half water with sugar. Combine and add glycerine. Stir over heat until dissolved. Set in a 12" x 7" tray.

(or square size 16cm x 16cm) 
{EDIT: *in answer to comments, **glycerine** helps preserve it, as said lasted for years  and NOT in fridge. Also Sugar and salt were used for years before fridges, as preservatives - see Google search link here } 

 If using this recipe and/ or jelly pad on you blog please kindly link over to this post..thank you.

I am not very expert at using Gelli Plates. In fact really I hadn't much idea, so looked up better guides. I really dont have right paint as need craft or poster paint I think. To see better pieces than my efforts ~ here is a video here or here. 
This gelli plate on the video really is very like this one, except mine is yellowish from the colour of brand of my gelatine and not so big, (I made it 3/5 of original recipe) and not so neat edged. That is only because of my mould.
Ideally a plastic container would be better for removal, as well as finish on edges.

I found out from videos that first lot of work was all wrong, as had not used the paint correctly. I had it way too thick, and did not put in patterns properly..

Don't use sharp objects as put a tiny hole in mine. 
I could easily re-melt if need be though. I would just trim off the coloured stains as they are few, and then reheat in microwave and reset. It however did not seem to affect it at all.

** Query below on bubbles (in comments):
No, if you are careful and not vigorous you end up with very few if any bubbles. It is not really like jam, and small bubbles (if any) are easy enough to pop them before allowing to set. 
 

If you would like to try another recipe, Lindsay also has another one here on this post.
I made this one as knew it worked in our climate here in Oz, and I had ingredients except for glycerine. 
I bought only 2 x100ml bottles as they were $5.95 each; and did not want a large plate anyway. I am a card maker, not into journals or scrapping.
Here is the Oz shot for the week....

It is of "Marnie's" yellow Hibiscus, flowering beautifully large blooms. Yes, it is sunny here - we are blessed the odd shower, enough to water is lovely as winter approaches. The ground cover is called Golden Sedum, has magnificent yellow flowers in spring, complements the hibiscus.

Thanks so very much everyone for popping over to say hi, for commenting even when I still dont get around to many as I would like, next week!! surely glasses by then.

May God bless your day where you may be... and big happy WOYWW4 everyone!

Shaz in Oz.x 

{EDIT: Saw another way of using same technique without making gel plate at all ~ look over at this Our Daily Bread technique link here really brilliant}

Another great video on using the plate is here on Splitcoasters .