I spent yesterday afternoon moving little paisley motifs from the Hoffman Challenge fabric around trying to get a look I liked. That was not fun, as my son used to say. I think I finally solved the problem though, (solution not shown) and now will have to buckle down to the applique.
To have some fun, I stamped a little bit of fabric with a stamp cut from foam core. It's intended to be a lilac leaf, and I'll use it as background for a small piece or a couple of postcards with a stylized lilac blossom and leaf appliqued on top. Foam core makes a fairly mediocre stamp. It's so thin that it's hard not to get smears around the edge, and it only holds enough paint for one dark stamp so that's why I have a mixture of dark and light shapes. That effect seems pleasing to me, but I'm not sure about the smudges and the brush strokes that show. I'm sure I've read about other materials that make good, quick, easy, and cheap stamps, but I can't remember what they are now. If anyone knows, I'd appreciate a comment.
10 comments:
For added texture, bubble wrap is one of my favorite stamping materials. I also like onion bags to paint & stamp or lay over & paint over.
Foam from meat & egg cartons is another easy to carve & shape material. I also love stamping with real leaves. Wine corks make fun easy small stamps. I carve both ends. You could even cave the sides for a roller stamp image.
Possibilities are pretty endless when you get going.
Thanks, Deb. I've actually used these things. I guess what I want is something that gives a smooth, easy to carve, defined shape and holds paint. The styrofoam things are about like foam core in that they only make one clear image, and the others are either hard to carve, or don't make a clear shape, just patterns. Love the way bubble wrap looks though. Erasers are supposed to be good, but they don't carve easily either, I've found. I guess I'll keep looking. Thanks for reading.
YOu can carve erasers. I have done one but stopped until i got the proper tool. Now I have the tool but haven't had time to try it out. The tool is a Speedball lino cutter which costs about $5 and can be seen here:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/speedball-linoleum-cutters/
I did see a very good video of someone cutting a stamp but I forget where I found it now.
Now that is "fussy" cutting!
(I am about to use some fussy cut cats...I finally figured out a "pattern" that has had me stumped for YEARS!)
i use a product called ezi-cut. its relatively cheap and easy to carve with a lino tool and gives a nice clean line. i bought it at an art supply shop. it is similar in texture to a plastic eraser but with a much bigger surface area. erasers are ok, but small. i havent used my stamps with paint, just ink pads, but there is no reason why it wouldnt work.
I use my rubber stamps and ink-not the embossing kind. I heat set it with the iron just in case. I know there is fabric ink but I haven't seen that the difference between the two is appreciable. Dickblick.com has some products specifically for carving a stamp. I hve tried it and the image for me anyway is just not as clear as a die cut rubber stamp-I am not a
carving pro.
Stencils come to mind as another option.
This looks like a lot of fun, Kay! I've only stamped with potatoes, however, and not on fabric - LOL!
Cheers!
I have used those sponges that are paper thin util wet to stamp letters on tee shirts. They hold lots of paint. Good luck with your project.
I'm eager to see the arrangement you decided on for the paisley pieces.
Almost all stamp images become more ghostly without re-inking, but I love that effect.
Couple things. The Paisley motifs are sooooo wonderful. I am looking forward to watching them come to life in your work of Art! (because that's what it is you know, ART!). I'm such a paisley girl. This is going to be fun. I quite enjoy the stamp work you've done. I like the effect of the different tones and I love the color, too.
You continue to intrigue me and your talent is just mmmm, mmmm, good!
Post a Comment