Fun with Handmade Stencils

Day of the Dead sugar skulls by Denise R.

Last weekend, I taught Fun with Handmade Stencils at Artistic Artifacts.

We created stencils from freezer paper, packing tape and shelf liner. We played with layering textures. Students learned about designing multi-colored stencils and working with bridges. Here are the results:

Denise working with a freezer paper stencil.

More sugar skulls!

Denise R.: Packing tape stencil printed with a texture.

Buffy K.: Packing tape stencil.

Buffy also played with some freezer paper masks.

Combining the masks with the stencil.

Peggy G.: Packing tape stencil. Using more than one color through the stencil.

Peggy G.: Freezer paper stencil with multiple colors.

I even jumped in to play with stencils!

Detail of one of my freezer paper stencils. I used two different stencils to create this print.

Thanks students for an enjoyable class!

A "Kitchen Samper" at Artistic Artifacts

Vegetable prints by Gloria W.

It was a rainy weekend outside, but a colorful and productive weekend at Artistic Artifacts!

Painted fabrics drying.

Playing with color.

Day #1 of Fabric Printing at Home: A Kitchen Sampler, focused on painting, printing and stenciling techniques straight out of my book. We played with plastic wrap, aluminum pans, foam plates, freezer paper, cardboard, found objects and textures, and of course, veggies!

Gloria W. designing a stencil.

Gloria W.: Monoprints with plastic wrap.

Marjie C. stenciling flowers on her fabric.

Marjie C.: Plastic wrap monoprints.

Marjie C.: String block and prints.

Michelle S.: Liquid soap resist.

Michelle S.: Plastic wrap monoprints.

There was some enthusiastic playing with paint!

Susan H. really got "into" veggie printing!

Susan H: String prints.

Susan H.: Veggie prints.

Susan H. cutting a freezer paper stencil.

I even had fun... with this demo piece!

Day #2 focused on taking fabrics painted and printed from Day #1 and turning them into a wall piece.

Susan H. put together this mixed-media piece using fabrics from Day #1.

Gloria W. is working on this piece with beautiful, calming colors.

Detail of Gloria's piece.

Michelle stitching on her piece.

Michelle's piece with subtle stitching.

Marjie had fun fusing fabrics together.

Can't wait to see these finished!

Thanks for a great class!

Meet Me at The Muse...Book Signing, Demos and Print-A-Bag Fun!

Here are some samples of the "make and take" book/goodie bag project I'll be offering this Saturday at The Muse.

I spent yesterday in the studio prepping for this Saturday's event at The Muse in Frederick, Maryland. I had fun carving and printing with veggies, designing some Day of the Dead freezer paper stencils and creating a series of festive goodie bags!

Day of the Dead bag design #1: Skull is created with freezer paper stencils. Flowers are carved from turnip slices.

Day of the Dead bag design #2: Pink skull created with a freezer paper stencil. Details on skull printed with carved carrots.

Mola Cat bag design: Masking tape mask to create the blue background then textured with a carved carrot. Cat carved out of Speedball Speedy Carve.

I used masking tape to divide up the printing areas, then painted the exposed areas and printed with hot glue on cardboard blocks.

A quick and easy design using a carved cross-section of a carrot.

I'll be at The Muse signing copies of my book, Fabric Printing at Home, demoing a number of printing techniques and offering the opportunity for the first twenty guests to create their own make and take Halloween goodie/book bag (which coincidentally is the perfect size in which to carry a copy of my book!)

A perfect fit!

If you happen to live nearby...I hope you'll stop by and say "Hi" and maybe have a go at printing up your own bag!

Saturday, October 24  1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
The Muse
19 North Market Street
Frederick, MD 21701
(301) 663-3632

Into the Woods (with The Printed Fabric Bee)

Yesterday afternoon I locked myself in the studio...I was determined to get Carol Eaton's woodlands fabric done!

I decided to go in a different direction than my original plan. I'd been working on Carol's fabric over the weekend and it was just not jelling (or is it gelling? blue glue gel joke :)) I was working with layers of blue glue gel and paint but it was just too much and not reminding me of woodlands of ANY kind.

I stepped back and went simple. I painted a light brown background and then pulled out one of my favorite texture blocks made out of broken spaghetti.

I printed with white paint to represent this unending winter.

Next, I used two stencils cut from freezer paper. I originally used these stencils for printing a theme fabric about my grandmother's garden. I chose what I considered to be early spring colors.

I added a few painted details.

Above is the final fabric. I rather like it!

Six-inch giveaway fabric

If you'd like a six-inch square of this fabric along with eight other lovely woodland-themed fabrics, don't forget to go to either Carol R. Eaton's or The Printed Fabric Bee's blog and leave a comment. The drawing is April 12th.

A Story in the Making

Butterflies by Kate G.

I am back home and ready to report on my test drive class of A Story in the Making: Creating Story Cloth in Print and Stitch.

First, let me say, that I had a wonderful group of four adventurous women. As usual, I crammed in way too many techniques, but this group forged ahead...

We may not have made it to the stitching...but what a great beginning to some stories! I only wish that we could have had a couple of more days...well maybe next time...

The gelatin printing seemed to be a hit, as I knew it would. I am a big fan of that technique as a way to open up students to experimentation. I was not disappointed!

Gelatin prints by Judy G.

Gelatin print by Judy G.

Gelatin print by Parvin S.

Gelatin prints by Margaret M.

Gelatin print by Margaret M.

We then added block printing and stenciling to our backgrounds.

Block prints on knotted resist by Kate G.

Block prints on salted fabric by Kate G.

Freezer paper stencil and printing on wipe up cloth by Kate G.

Freezer paper stencils by Judy G.

Adhesive-backed craft foam print on gelatin print by Parvin S.

Block printing by Margaret M.

Adhesive-backed craft foam block prints and gelatin prints by Margaret M.

My students have promised to send photos of what they do with their fabrics. I'm looking forward to seeing more.