Happy New Year and a New Start for The Printed Fabric Bee

Happy New Year! Hope you all have lots of creative projects planned for 2016...I know I do...probably more than I have time for :)!

To get you started, I've posted the first of three posts on The Printed Fabric Bee blog. The Bee is heading off in a new direction this year and I think you'll love what we have in store! Each month, a Bee member will post mini-tutorials and surface design projects for you to try. In addition, each month we will have a fabulous giveaway!

January is my month and I'm planning three Kitchen Resist projects...starting with the one I just posted today on Rubbings with Liquid Dishwashing Soap. Hope you enjoy the project. Leave a comment on The Printed Fabric Bee blog on any one of my three posts this month to be eligible to win my giveaway.

Have fun!

Day #10: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

It's Day #10 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt...only two more days left! I really enjoyed seeing yesterday's Reveal of your Rubbings...lots of interesting and colorful prints...some surprises for me..cement? Who woulda thought?! A big thanks to those who participated.

It's not too late for some of you others to Join in the Hunt...and join in the fun. Even though we are on our last challenge (Mix It Up!), I'm keeping all the previous challenges open and will be updating them through Saturday, May 9. So...if you've been on the sidelines and you think you might like to try finding and printing with kitchen/household objects and materials, please give it a try! Here are links to the previous challenges: Circle Prints, Line Prints, Texture Prints, Rubbings. Just leave a comment with a link to your photos and I will link to you in that post. If you don't have a blog or Facebook page, I'm happy to post your photos, just email them to me (threadborn@gmail.com). Remember that taking part in any one of the challenges makes you eligible to win the Grand Prize of four really super books from Quarry (including Fabric Printing at Home!).

Today is the final Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge. Here are my Mix It Up! prints:

Can you guess what I used? HINT: If you've been following along, you probably recognize most of these items! I decided to add some color to this last series of prints. I also decided to challenge myself to use a color that is NOT normally in my vocabulary...pink!

Leave a comment (even if you don't feel like guessing) and you'll be eligible to win an X-acto knife with an extra packet of #11 blades.

This is one of my "must have" tools for cutting paper, cardboard, plastic film and creating stencils.

An X-acto knife comes in handy for cutting stencils.

I'll be choosing the winner for the X-acto knife tomorrow.

Don't forget that tomorrow is the LAST Reveal Day! Looking forward to seeing your Mix It Up! Prints.

Day #9: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt Update #4

It's Day #9 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt...we're in the home stretch for this event! Hope that you're enjoying seeing the wide variety of prints you can make with everyday items ...a real treasure trove!

Today is also the Reveal Day for your Rubbings! I'm really looking forward to seeing what you found to put under your fabric or paper.

It's now time for me to reveal what I used for my Rubbings in yesterday's post. First, I did want to say how happy I was to see more of you leaving comments...yippee!

Here are some of the items that I put under my fabric to make the Rubbings.

And here are the answers to what I used to make my prints:

1. Netted fruit bag.
2. Bamboo mat
3. Hot glue designs on cardboard
4. Textured plastic placemat
5. Rolled paper tubes glued to cardboard
6. Rubberbands
7. Thumbtacks in cardboard

How many did you guess correctly?

The winner of yesterday's giveaway is Deb B.! Congrats Deb, you won a set of Plastic Spreaders. These are a handy tool for spreading paste resists and for spreading paint for screen printing. Please email me with your mailing address (threadborn@gmail.com) and I'll send you your prize.

Now that you've had a look at my Rubbings (hmm.. that sounds like a "line" from a B-rated movie :) ), I hope that you'll Join the Hunt and create some Rubbings of your own!  Just print your Rubbings on fabric or paper, take a photo and post to your blog or Facebook page. Leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your post. I'll continue to update this post throughout the day so that we can enjoy sharing our prints. If you don't have a blog or Facebook page, send me an email with your printed Rubbings photo(s) and I'll post them here for you.

REMEMBER that taking part in any one of the Printing Challenges makes you eligible to win the Grand Prize of four great books from Quarry (including Fabric Printing at Home)! You can also continue to contribute to any of the previous Printing Challenges (Circle Prints, Line Prints, and Texture Prints). I'll continue to update those posts through Saturday, May 9. The Grand Prize drawing is Sunday, May 10 (Mother's Day).



If you'd like some tips on how to make Rubbings, see my tutorial in yesterday's post.

If you'd like a few additional printing pointers, you can visit the most recent issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News.

Rubbings Challenge
Thanks for participating in this fourth of five printing challenges! (I'll be updating the links as they come in.)

Sue and Elizabeth of PGFiber2Art jumped right in and did a whole bunch of kitchen Rubbings with Shiva Paintstiks and Color Catchers. My favorites Rubbings are those made with the two graters and the woven trivet...so much potential!!

Karla looks like she had a lot of fun with this Challenge! Lots of interesting items went under her fabrics and nice results! Thanks for playing, Karla.

Stephanie has Joined the Hunt (despite being without water for several hours!)...Welcome! Love what you found for texture prints...cement...who would have thought?

Deb B. has a very colorful selection of Rubbings..love those purple lemon prints!

Check out Linda Stokes' Rubbings on Facebook!

Now for the Final Challenge:
Challenge #5: Mix it Up! Create a Printed Design Using Two or More Kitchen Items.
Please post your Printed Designs on Saturday, May 9th. Leave a comment on my blog post on that day with a link to your prints.

HINT: Here's your opportunity to really have fun! Look at the Circle, Line, Texture and Rubbing prints you've created and consider how two or more could be combined to create a stunning multi-layered piece! Can't wait to see what you come up with!!!

Don't forget tomorrow is the last Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge...don't miss your chance to win a prize! All you have to do tomorrow is leave a comment!!

Day #8: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

We've made it to Day #8 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt. Did you get a chance to see yesterday's Texture Prints by Scavenger Hunt participants? I hope so! I encourage more of you to join in on any of the previous Printing Challenges (Circles, Lines and Textures). I will continue to update all of these through Saturday, May 9. Remember...to be eligible to win that lovely selection of books from Quarry (including my book, Fabric Printing at Home!), you need to participate in at least one of the Printing Challenges. So grab some paint and fabric or paper and join in the fun! The newest Printing Challenge is Rubbings...hope to see some of yours on Thursday!

Today is the fourth Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge. As promised, here is a short "how-to" on Rubbings.

I usually make what I call "Brayer Rubbings" on fabric. I use a dense foam brayer (Testrite), a glass palette (piece of glass with taped edges) and fabric paint (usually opaque). I also have a padded surface covered with plastic for printing.

Slip a flat texture, texture block or objects such as rubber bands under a piece of fabric.

Pour approximately 1/4 teaspoon of fabric paint onto the glass palette and roll the foam brayer over the paint until it is evenly coated.


Roll the paint-covered brayer over the fabric covering the texture.

 Shift the texture to another position under the fabric and continue. Add more paint to the glass palette as needed.

You can also use paint or dye sticks and rub over the area of the fabric or paper covering the texture.

Here are the Rubbings I made...can you guess what I used?

Leave a comment and have a chance to win a set of plastic spreaders. I love using these for spreading paste resists and for screen printing.

Don't forget tomorrow is Reveal Day for your Rubbings!!!

Day #6: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

We're at the half-way point in the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt! Thank you Lynn, Karla and Deb for participating in the Line Prints Challenge. Take a look here at the imaginative prints they created with kitchen materials!

I hope that more of you will join in for the next printing challenge...Textures! Look around your kitchen and home for textured materials and print with them on either fabric or paper. Take a photo of your print(s) and post them to your blog or Facebook page tomorrow. Leave me a comment on tomorrow's Reveal day post and I will link to your post. You can also send me photos of your prints and I'll post them tomorrow (threadborn@gmail.com). Remember that your participation in any one of the Printing Challenges makes you eligible for the Grand Prize of four books from Quarry.

And now for the answers to the Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge for the Line Prints (Day #4):
1. Rolled paper tubes glued to cardboard
2. Straws
3. Rubberbands wrapped around cardboard
4. Pasta glued to cardboard
5. Toothpicks glued to cardboard
6. String wrapped around cardboard
7. Strips of corrugated cardboard glued on edge to a piece of cardboard

The names were put into the hat and congratulations go to Gill! Thanks so much for playing the Guessing Game! Please contact me (threadborn@gmail.com) with your mailing information so I can send off your prize.

Just to get you thinking about Textures, today is the third Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge
Here are my Texture Prints...

Can you guess what I used to create these prints?

Leave a comment and let me know what you think I used. By leaving a comment you'll be eligible to win two Detailer Writers.

These are great for drawing designs with paint ....or with kitchen resists! In Chapter 6: Irresistible: Fabric Resists Using Kitchen Ingredients in my book, Fabric Printing at Home I use these small plastic squeeze bottles to apply resists such as confectioners' sugar syrup and liquid soap. I'll be choosing a winner tomorrow morning. Good luck!

Day #5: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt Update #4

It's Day #5 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt. Hope you've been working away on some Line Prints...today is reveal day! In case you're just stopping by, feel free to join in on this Printing Challenge #2...all you have to do is find objects/materials in your home (especially the kitchen!) that will print lines, print with the object(s) on fabric or paper, take a photo of your print and post it. Leave a comment on this post and I'll link to your post (be it on your blog or Facebook). For some ideas, you can see the Line Prints that I posted yesterday. I am also leaving the Printing Challenge #1 (Circle Prints) open for those of you who would like to participate in that challenge.

If you don't have a blog or Facebook page...please feel free to email me your photos (threadborn@gmail.com) and I'll post them here for you.

Remember that you have to participate in at least one of the Printing Challenges in order to be eligible for the Grand Prize Giveaway of four great books from Quarry (including Fabric Printing at Home!).

I'm also letting the Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge run through today. If you'd like the chance to win a Linoleum Carving Tool Set, please leave a comment here. Take a guess at what I used to create my Line Prints. You're eligible to win even if you don't guess (but do try!) as long as you leave a comment.

Line Prints Challenge
Thanks for participating in this second of five printing challenges! (I'll be updating the links as they come in.)

Lynn Krawczyk (the fabulous!) has printed her colorful lines using coffee stirrers (seems appropriate :) ). She has a super step-by-step too!

Karla Korber has some line prints on her Facebook page. I love the color combos...very light and airy!

Deb B. is having lots of fun with her Gelli Plate and printing lines. She jumped off from Lynn K.'s idea and used popsicle sticks. Love the results!

Elizabeth at PGFiber2Art found some innovative ways to use kitchen items to create lines on fabric. Take a look!

Now for the next Challenge:
Challenge #3: Find items in your kitchen that will print textures.
Please post your Texture Prints on Tuesday, May 5th. Leave a comment on my blog post on that day with a link to your prints.

If you want to know some fabric printing basics, click here to read the latest issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News.

HINT: Texture can be found in the veggie bin and the pantry! In Chapter 3: Beyond the Potato Print: Using Vegetables and Fruit to Create Fabric Designs in my book, Fabric Printing at Home, I talk able how to use some vegetables such as cabbage to create overall background textures. Don't forget that you can also glue small items to cardboard too! And, of course there are the obvious textures such as shelf liner (Chapter 2: Kitchen Textures and Found Object Printing).

Cabbage prints.

For a more thorough discussion about what reads as texture, take a look at my post from the Fabric Printing at Home Blog Tour in February.

Looking forward to seeing your Texture Prints on May 5th! Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the next Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge!!!

 

Day #4: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt

It's Day #4 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt. Thanks to those of you who participated in yesterday's Printing Challenge. What an amazing selection of Circle Prints (click here to check them out)! I've decided that I'm going to continue to update the reveal day posts throughout the Hunt in case more of you would like to participate in the Printing Challenges. Just leave a comment with a link on the reveal day post if you'd like to contribute to that challenge.

And now it's time for our second Guessing Game and Giveaway Challenge.

Can you guess what kitchen materials I used to create these lines?

Leave a comment with your guesses. By leaving a comment, you'll be eligible to win a Speedball Linoleum Carving Tool Set.

I find this tool comes in handy...not only for carving blocks...but for carving vegetables! (see Chapter 3: Beyond the Potato Print: Using Vegetables and Fruit to Create Fabric Designs in Fabric Printing at Home). You have until midnight (Eastern USA time) to leave your comment. I'll be choosing a winner tomorrow morning.

Hope that you're having fun finding your own kitchen materials to print lines. Don't forget that tomorrow is the day to post your Line Prints for Challenge #2. Be sure to leave a comment on tomorrow's blog post with a link to your post (see this post for more information on the Scavenger Hunt). And...if paper (vs. fabric) is your thing...go for it! Remember...taking part in the printing challenges makes you eligible for the grand prize! Also, remember that I'm happy to post some photos for you (threadborn@gmail.com).

Can't wait to see all those Lines!!!

Day #3: Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt- Circle Challenge Update #2

It's Day #3 of the Fabric Printing at Home Scavenger Hunt...the first reveal day. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that a number of you have been working away in your studios or on your kitchen or dining room tables to create some Circle Prints! If you haven't gotten to it yet...it's not too late...and oh so simple! If you aren't a fabric aficionado...you can always grab a stamp pad, a piece of scrap paper and an object...viola.. a print that you can photograph and post or send to me (threadborn@gmail.com). Don't forget to leave a comment with a link. Remember...you have to take part in at least one of the printing challenges to be eligible for the Big Prize.

And I'll warn you ahead of time...I'm at work all day today...so I'll be getting to your posts either early this morning or in the evening....giving some of you newcomers some extra time.
If you are just tuning in...go here for an explanation of this interactive blog event...the more, the merrier, I always say :).

And...now for the answers to yesterday's Guessing Game Challenge and Giveaway:
1. Battery
2. Almost empty packing tape roll
3. Top of a take-out coffee cup
4. Corks
5. Lime slice
6. Bundled pencils (with rubber band)
7. Stickers adhered to fabric and paint rolled over them

How many did you guess correctly?

The names of yesterday's commenters went into the hat this morning and the winner of the Testrite foam brayer is Valerie Wilson. Congrats!! Please send me an email (threadborn@gmail.com) with your mailing address so I can send you your prize!

Circle Prints Challenge
Thanks for participating in this first of five printing challenges! (I'll be updating the links as they come in.)

Linda Stokes has some multiple-layered circle prints in yummy colors. Love that red one! She also has a great photo showing what she used to print her fabrics.

Karla has a wonderful piece on her Facebook page. Loaded with all sizes and types of circles and printed with her gelatin plate ...so colorful and cheery!

Susan has a great step-by-step showing how she made her piece. I'm still amazed by how she got the spirals to fit in the circles!

Deb went with a "wine" theme...check out her circle fabric...very cool!

Here are some photos of Clare Gilliland's circles...she especially loved printing with the basket from the jewelry cleaner!

What a great selection of print blocks!

Now for the next Challenge:
 Challenge #2: Find items in your kitchen that will print line designs.
Please post your Line Prints on Sunday, May 3rd. Leave a comment on my blog post on that day with a link to your prints.

If you want to know some fabric printing basics, click here to read the latest issue of Julie B Booth Surface Design News.

HINT: Try wrapping, taping or gluing items to heavy cardboard. I had lots of fun playing with cardboard in Chapter 5: Recycled and Repurposed, in my book, Fabric Printing at Home. Here is a detail from one of my sampler fabrics.

Remember...lines don't have to be straight!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the next Guessing Game Challenge and Giveaway!