Hey folks! This is the week for the big Minnesota Designer’s Blog Hop! (You can read all about it by clicking on the logo over on the right hand side of your screen.) I’m on my way out of town for the big Bernina University event in San Francisco, so my turn on isn’t until July 1. In the mean time, you can click on over to the other blogs to see what’s happening around the great state of Minnesota.
I’m going to show you a great project on July 1. I call them “Easy Paintstik Placemats.” To get ready for the event, I pulled all my tips and tricks for making great rubbings into a single document. Finally! This little gem of a handout covers a bunch of topics that I’ve covered over the course of 3 or 4 blog articles. You can download the article by visiting the Learning Center on our site. If you prefer the “chatty” version, you can follow these links to past blog articles. Here’s what’s covered…
The Big 3
The Top 3 Tips are first on the list. You need the right tools for the right job. Get a grip with a Grip-n-Grip mat from Bear Thread Designs, 404 sticky spray from the folks at Spray and Fix, and learn to use the side of your paintstiks. The articles that covered these topics are Better Tools, Better Rubbings (part 1), and Better Rubbings (part 2).
Making rubbings from a single plate
Next up are tips for making the actual rubbings. In the fist section, I’ve provided my recipe for filling your fabric with images from a single rubbing plate. The process here is pretty simple. Make the first rubbing from a portion of a rubbing plate, move the fabric, do it again, and so on until you fill up your fabric to look something like this.
Once you have a lovely piece of fabric, you can make a wonderful project from it. Bosa Nova Bags, anyone? We’ll be using this technique for the placemats, so I really recommend that you download the Top Tips document and keep it on hand for next week.
Rubbing Plate Portraits
The second rubbing plate technique is working with a single image and adding multiple colors. I like to call these rubbing plate “portraits.” This is where the side of your paintstik comes in handy — big time! We all know that you can’t “see” the rubbing plate under your fabric, but you can find all the design elements by making a very light rubbing with the side of a paintstik. This will help you keep from “running off the edges” as you go back to make the image darker or add multiple colors. This was discussed in the post called Fixing Mistakes, Working with Multiple Colors. (Go to the 2nd half of the article.)
Here are a couple of block portraits that use multiple colors. We’ll be talking more about the “portrait” technique in July as we debut the new Paintstiks Patches pattern.
Correcting Mistakes
Finally, the Top Tips handout covers a simple fix for minimizing mistakes that happen to me on a regular basis. If I’m in a hurry, or just not paying attention, I often “run off the edge” of my rubbing plate and leave a mark where I did not want one. Well, I found a way to minimize (if not eliminate) these irritating little mistakes. I put masking tape over the unwanted paint, rub it real hard with my finger nail, and then lift off the paint! I may not get every little bit of paint off, but it looks a whole lot less obvious than when I started. You can read the blog entry on Fixing Mistakes for more details.
For your own personal copy of the Top Tips for Great Rubbings handout, visit the Learning Center. Click on the document title and it will be downloaded directly to your computer.
Leave a comment, win a prize?
Have a wonderful time with the Minnesota Designer’s Blog Hop. I’ll see you here on July 1! If you leave a comment on this blog on July 1, you’ll have a chance to win a Paintstik Starter Pack — that’s a copy of Paintstiks on Fabric, a set of paintstiks, and a set of rubbing plates.
Tags: embellishment, fabric paint, Paintstik Rubbings, Shiva Paintstiks
This blog is great – I love all the helpful tips you’ve provided. I’m teaching a Paintstiks class in a few weeks and can’t wait to share this terrific information!
The information I have found on this site have inspired me to create-thank you. I am involved in many media and the Paintstiks are a wonderfull addition to all of them
Thanks so much for the great tutorial–can’t wait to try the paintsticks and alter fabric. Maybe I can cover those odd spots that show up on my t-shirts!
Great tutorial. I am just beginning to play around with paints and foiling on fabric and really enjoy it.
This sounds like a new project for me!! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks—-
You are indeed an artist!
Thanks for the lovely idea.
glenda
I also would like to try this project thank you
this is the first I’ve heard of your technique…thanks for sharing!
I’ve not tried this medium.
Thanks for the introduction to your technique. It looks interesting.
HI THIS IS DAY 9 and we are almost done with our blog hop–by the way I wonder what you are working on next–more holiday stencils, maybe???? take care see you tomorrow–hugs, just, Di
I tried leaving a comment 3 hours ago but it isn’t posted yet so I must have done something wrong. I enjoyed your tutorial and would like to enter the draw. Thank you.
Oh boy thank you for the tutorial. I bought all the goodies for a class a couple months ago and then it was canceled. Thanks again.
just a day late…..got busy yesterday with all the shop stuff and almost forgot today also……the bloghopping is a great idea….loved visiting all the sites……have a good one…..Patti
I have a small set of the Paintsticks &rubbing plates. Can’t wait to try them out. Your tutorial has given me a starting point. Thanks
I have been posting a comment and when I look it doesn’t show up. Hopefully this time it will stay. I liked your tutorial and appreciate you showing us something new and interesting and your participation in the giveaways. Thank you.
Thanks for the great technique and information
Love the end results!
carmen in alaska
This looks fun! A little more sophisticated than when we did leaves with crayon in grade school.
Thanks Joan
Thanks for the lesson. I am going to give it a try!
I have always wondered about painting fabric. I know that Australia has been doing it and wondered where to buy the items here. Now I know! Thank you for the tutorial. Hope you caught up with your sleep!
It seems I have found this blog hop at the last hour. I probably would have stumbled on it sooner had I not been in the hospital having surgery last week. But going to give it a try to get a comment on each site
I just love the ideas and fabrics I have already found!!
P.S. Its still Friday July 3, in Washington right now
Love this idea! I use to create greeting cards and now to think about doing it on fabric is a great idea.
Thanks!
Cindy in MN
What a great tutorial you have made. Makes me want to try this too.