Using a Gelli Pad to Print of Bisque-fired Pottery!

I recently embarked on a creative journey to print an elephant face onto my own mug, and here's how I did it!

Items Needed:

• Ceramic piece (mug or otherwise) This can be bisque ware OR green ware. I've heard you can even print enamels onto glaze fired pieces, but I haven't tried that yet :)
• Underglaze
• Silkscreen medium for the underglaze (I love using Mayco's)
• Gelli pad
• Squeegee (or rib)
• Cornstarch
• EZScreen Stencil (you can use one of our Ready-to-Use Stencils or make a stencil of your own with a starter kit!)

Steps:

1. Prepare the Gelli Pad: Lightly dust the jelly pad with cornstarch.
2. Place the Stencil: Position the EZScreen stencil onto the gelli pad. Make sure none of your design is hanging off the edge of the gelli pad. Also! If you add too much cornstarch it can make your stencil slide around a lot, so keep the cornstarch to just a light dusting.
3. Mix Up Underglaze and Silkscreen Medium: I like to mix my underglaze with silkscreen medium, as it helps thicken everything up so it doesn't run and smear as much. If your underglaze isn't too runny then you can definitely get away without using the medium, but it's nice to have in case you have a color you want to use that's just a little to liquidy.
4. Apply Underglaze: Scrape some black underglaze through the stencil using a squeegee or rib. Make sure you're using enough pressure to get the underglaze through the stencil, but not so much that your crinkling or moving the stencil.
5. Transfer the Design: Peel the stencil back, and carefully press the gelli pad onto your fired mug, ensuring it doesn't slide or smear the design.
6. Touch Up (if needed): If any part of the design is missing, line up the jelly pad and press again to complete the print, or use a sponge to wipe away any mishaps.
7. Finish Up: Glaze and fire your mug to set the design!

The print came out so clean, and now I have a million ideas for Halloween-themed mugs that I can't wait to print. What do you think of my creation?