Currently: June 27, 2003
A special thanks to Kaetchen letting me know that DEKA is not being sold anywhere anymore. She also mentioned that she has had success with the acrylic extender for fabric. My mother has as well, and I will share her info will all of you:
"I was wondering why you didn't ask your mother about this. We have painted on fabric in class (my mother teaches tole painting)--placemats to be exact and they came out great. I am working on quilt blocks that I am painting. I have scanned line patterns, transferred them to T-shirt transfer sheets and ironed onto fabric. This gives me a great black lined pattern that I can then paint. However, I have also free form painted pansies and tulips on placemats without the transfer sheet patterns. You can use a regular pencil or graphite paper to put a specific pattern on the fabric if you don't want to freeform. Mix the textile medium as directed--mine says one part medium to 2 parts acrylic paint. Put either a sheet of cardboard covered with plastic wrap on the back of the fabric, or better yet, iron a piece of freezer paper to the back of the fabric. This keeps the fabric from slipping and smearing any paint that may seep through on unwanted parts of the fabric. If you use the plastic wrap, make sure the fabric doesn't slide around and allow the paint to smudge on the back. I like to paint, wet on wet in order to blend the paints from light to dark values, but if you are looking for a different image, you can let each layer dry first. After the paint is dry and you can speed this with a hairdryer, place a vinegar soaked piece of cotton on the right side of the painted fabric, cover with a sheet of waxed paper and iron for a few seconds. This will set the paint. Then on the wrong side of the fabric just iron without the paper or fabric. One important thing--you must prewash the fabric without fabric softener before you apply the paint. I have washed these placemats and they are just as bright as ever. If you do not use the fabric medium, the painted surface will be stiffer and the paint will crack. We are going camping tomorrow morn and will return on Sun eve. Have a great weekend. Good luck! Love, Mom "
There you have it.Also..great response to the Grocery Tote..you guys have gotten me really excited about it.
Have a great weekend!
I have been trying to find some fabric paints as it seems that Dick Blick does not sell the DEKA brand anymore. Has anyone tried that stuff that turns regular acrylic paint into fabric paint? I am thinking that I may try this as I have a butt load of acrylics, but no actual fabric paint.
I think that J and I are going to go to IKEA this weekend....and I just know I am going to spend too much money.
I have FINALLY come up with a new project...hooray! Now all I need to do is buy the supplies. I am pretty excited about it, actually. Look for it next month.
I am also starting to get a Cafe Press shop going...I have only graphic for the tote designed thus far. I have a million different ideas and things whizzing around in my head and I cannot concentrate on any one long enough to finish it...so frustrating!I broke down and had to buy Harry Potter at the bookstore as I could not wait any longer. I did not proceed to stay up the entire night to read the whole thing...no,..no...not me...I wouldn't do anything like that... *yawn*
I owe emails to people. If I owe one to you, I am sorry...be patient...it's coming.
What else...I guess that I could mention the winery J works for, McCrea Cellars, won best winery for Reds at the Aspen Food and Wine festival recently. (or something like that, my info is a wee bit vague) We are pretty excited about that. Hopefully next year WE will get to go to Aspen. How much fun would that be?
June 20, 2003I can't believe June is almost over. I was a little shocked when I looked at the calendar and realized that I needed to start thinking of a banner for July.
I did it. I ordered Harry Potter. I waited too long to get in on the first shipment, but I should have it by NEXT weekend. I cannot watch or read anything about it on the TV or internet for I found out something already that I didn't want to know. Must. Not. Watch. Access Hollywood. I have pretty much whipped myself up into a frenzy in anticipation...like a lot of people I suppose.
Interesting spin on stenciling: Stencil Revolution. They have got some great tutorials.
Karan sent me a fabulous link to a knitted/felted purse.
Debating on whether or not to pre-order the Harry Potter book. Yes, no..yes? no....maybe.
Yesterday J and I went to eat breakfast downtown and we saw that there was a "flea market" being held on a blocked off street. It was sort of like a city wide garage sale for people who have no garages. Ex Libris Anonymous was there selling their wares, and I also saw A LOT of the "stuffed creatures" type of craft like Shawnimals (but not quite the quality) . It was funny to me to see influence and of the internet crafting community in the items displayed. There was also a ton of record albums and I scored BIG TIME:
I am soooooooo happy that I found another Jim Flora cover and it was only A DOLLAR!!! HUZZZAH! Unfortunately, in my excited state of retail conquest I ripped the price sticker off and part of the cover came with it. Insert scream of frustration. Oh well.. We also purchased a funky metal table:
I realize this picture is a little crappy, but it's about as good as I feel like getting. As you can also probably tell from the photo, I have nothing really in terms of seating that would go with it. The rocking chair is an heirloom of J's, and while I love it and it's precious to us, it's going to eventually have to find a new room to call home.
P.S. Heartfelt thanks to all who gave hashbrown advice. I will update on the progress when I get around to making them.
I bought tickets the other day to see Eddie Izzard in Seattle in September and I am SO excited I can barely stand it.
What else is happening...busy with my real job=lack of updating.
Thai food experiment is going very well. I have three Donna Hay cookbooks, Off The Self, Entertaining, and Flavours. They each have Asian style, not specifically Thai recipes (although I suspect some of them are) and each one I have made has been a success. We usually make a menu for the week, or at least five days and buy most of our groceries in one go. This is a mainly a money saving effort. Otherwise I go to the store every single day and buy crap I do not need. J and I tend to spend a embarrassingly large amount of money on food. I tallied up our grocery bills for one month and it was not pretty.
Let's see..I know there is more...oh! I am reading a book that is NOT science fiction/fantasy. It's Madam Valentino: The Many Lives of Natacha Ramobva. I love biographies, and this one is very interesting. She was an artist and dancer and created incredible sets and costumes for many early movies. One of them was Salome. The sets and costumes were based on the drawings of Aubrey Beardsley, one of my favorites. I would like to see this version of the movie now.
Have a good weekend?
It was hotter than hell up here in the Pacific Northwest. The weather got me thinking about sewing cotton sundresses, but this morning it's back to the grey, cold, overcast, long sleeves and sweats.
I know that Loobylu JUST posted about this today, but I am in a fabric phase right now and love to see people print their own fabric å la the fabulous Hable Construction and Lotta Jansdotter. Claire's link to Cloth Fabric is so inspiring. I love the lamps!
As you probably know, I am a total magazine junkie and subscribe to just about all of the good ones. The benefit of mass magazine subscription, aside from considerable newsstand savings, is that other magazines send you their magazines in hope of luring you in. I have gotten a few that way...out of the blue, lo and behold, and brand new magazine arrives in my mailbox. One of my new favorites came to me this way. Saveur. I would have never subscribed to this, and had never even looked at it before it was mailed to me, but man...I LOVE this magazine. If you like to cook, and you like to read about food, I highly recommend it. An article in this latest issue has spurred my newest culinary adventure: Thai food. I will keep you posted.
One more thing. Does anyone have a fool proof way to make hashbrowns? Does one really NEED a nonstick skillet? Mine always end up burned and STUCK with a capital "S" to the bottom of my pan. I feel quite confident in the kitchen, but this weekend hashbrowns reduced me to a crying pissed-off mess.
I have a peach rose bush outside next to the door to the kitchen and this morning I saw that it was putting out a yellow rose.
Crazy. This is my first experience with a rose bush so it should be interesting. They smell soooo good, I am lucky that they are really fragrant. I have been drying the petals to use in sachets sometime down the road..
I had all sorts of grand plans for a new banner this month, but you know what? I didn't do any of them. I feel like I am recharging my creative batteries or something.
That said, I am EXTREMELY proud to show you all my latest project. I designed some bath product labels for Liquidiva. It was SO MUCH FUN, and Gail is a totally dream client and a fabulous person. PLEASE support her dream and buy a bath scrub, or a milk bath or some soap! They are great. My favorite is the Citrus Mimosa Scrub, it smells heavenly.
I bought a used book at the bookstore this weekend called "The Hand Decoration of Fabrics" by Francis J. Kafka which (as I was JUST now linking to it from Amazon and read the one star review) I am pretty excited about. I think. It's from 1959, so I am sure that some of the info is totally dated, but some of the pictures are great. It's filled with the funky 50's fabric I love, like this. We'll see how far I get. Projects like this seem so daunting to me, mainly forking over the cash to buy supplies. That seems to stop me a lot. Perhaps that is why I have stuck so far to embroidery. Can't beat $1.50 embroidery floss.
