Morna McEver Golletz

First up today, I want to share an article from my friend and coach, Morna McEver Golletz. Morna is the founder of the International Association of Professional Quilters. I often tease her that she writes her articles specifically for me. It’s a wonderful reminder (that I need frequently) that Perfect is the enemy of Done — and that it’s more than OK to be imperfect — and happy about it!

Give Up Being Perfect

Morna McEver Golletz

Give up Perfectionism? No way, you say! Everything must be just so, the best, perfect. After all, it’s probably served you well in the past, and perfect has its place. Besides, what will happen if it’s not perfect?

This is something some of my clients wrestle with. And, I’m going to come clean and include myself there. Actually I never really thought I was squarely in that boat, or at least that it wasn’t that obvious to others. This past Sunday after church, I had a conversation with our priest, and she said to me, “You need to give up having to be perfect.” Whoa! Back to working on imperfect!

Truth be told, I had already realized this about myself and thought I’d been making progress to move from this. And, I have. I know where my perfectionism comes from and when it crops up. I know what needs to be perfect and what doesn’t, though I do struggle with it on occasion. Perfectionism has its good points. It can also become a dead end. Here are some things it can lead to:

1. Procrastination and/or indecision. If you need everything to be perfect, you wait for the best solution or the right time. You don’t want to miss it, so you wait and wait.
2. Missing the big picture because you are focusing on the details. It’s like missing the forest for all the trees.
3. Loss of creativity. I think this one is tied into procrastination, because you want perfect results so you put it off. You don’t have “failed creative efforts.” And, of course if you did, they could lead to growth. (Ironically, growth is one of the reasons people want to be perfect.)
4. Perfectionism in the extreme can lead to depression and alienation of relationships.

So how do you work on becoming a recovering perfectionist? Here are some tips to try:

1. Be aware of why you are a perfectionist and recognize when it rears its head. Know whether it’s good perfectionism or obsessive perfectionism. I think that’s often half the battle.
2. Ask yourself, “What will happen if it’s not perfect?” or even, “What will happen if I don’t have to do it perfectly?”
3. Aim for good enough. I have two signs in my office. One says “Good enough is good enough.” The other says, “Progress, not perfection.” It’s not license to slack off, it’s license to finish.
4. Look at the big picture, i.e., look at the forest not the trees. Prioritize to figure out if all the trees, aka tasks, are necessary to fill in the big picture. If not, get rid of that tree.
5. Learn how to delegate. Once you do this and begin to have faith in other people’s abilities, it becomes easier to delegate. You don’t have to do it all to be perfect. And, it may not be perfect to your way of thinking, but it will be done.
6. Just once, set a goal to do something poorly. What a concept! This is really freeing. Imagine being perfectly imperfect!
7. Celebrate. My clients know I like to have a weekly Success and Strategies Summit. If you’ve managed to let go of some of your perfectionist tendencies, celebrate it as a success.

I love quotes and searched for the perfect (!) quote on perfectionism. In the end, I decided to share the words from one of my favorite authors, Anne Lamott, from her book Bird by Bird:

Perfectionism is a mean, frozen form of idealism,
while messes are the artist’s true friend.

Morna McEver Golletz is the founder and CEO of the International Association of Professional Quilters, an association to help quilters, fiber artists and other creative arts entrepreneurs build business success. Her weekly e-zine offers tips, techniques and inspiration to help you craft business success from your creative arts passion. You can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at www.professionalquilter.com.

Thankfully “Imperfect”

Here’s my big, creative WIN for the week. I created a Thank You folder to hold all the lovely messages that come into my mailbox on a regular basis. I read them and enjoy them, but haven’t made it a point to save them in a special place. Until now!

Here’s the front of my folder. I chose a bright green batik because I adore lime green. I wanted to do this project quickly without getting bogged down, so I poked through a couple of drawers to see what I could rustle up that would fun to work with — and fast! I found a bunch of brightly colored felt and I knew I was on the right track.

I cut the letters (freehand) from the bright colored felt, arranged them on the dark felt background, and ran over them several times with my felting machine. With the letters firmly attached to the background, I was on to constructing the front and back panels.

I covered 2 pieces of that wonderful, stiff Peltex (Timtex) with fabric for the front and back panels and then spent some time pondering how to make them into an expandable folder.

When I can’t figure something out right away, I usually wander off and do something else for a while. On Sunday, I took a break to cook dinner for my husband. (I’m known to skip that when I get into a project…)

I finally decided that fabric gussets were the way to go. I didn’t want to fight with turning corners, so I cut 3 panels from fabric and stitched them onto the front and back panels. It’s far from perfect — but it’s done! (And DONE imperfectly is far better than perfectly NOT DONE!)

The inside actually looks pretty nice. There’s a gap at the corners, but I really don’t care. It will hold my treasured Thank You notes just fine and I’m more than a little pleased with myself for getting something DONE in less than 4 hours. Woohoo! Now, all I need are a bunch of wonderful letters to fill it up… (Hint, hint, wink, wink!)

Would you like to make your own Gratitude folder?

Here’s your chance to give me some feedback. If you would like to make your own folder, you need to add a comment below that says “Yes, I want to make my own Gratitude Folder.” (Or you can send me a note in the e-mail from our Contact Page.) If I hear from a bunch of you, I’ll put a quick tutorial together for next week’s newsletter. If not, I’ll move on to the next topic. It’s up to you!

If you like the idea of making “one of a kind” images, deconstructed screen printing might be exactly the right technique for you. It’s a very cool process that allows you to transfer a fairly large number of prints from a silk screen to fabric where each print will be slightly different than the last — and the image completely disappears as you “use it up.” Sound intriguing? I though so too!

I had been hearing about this screen printing process for several years before I sat down to write Rubbing Plate Roundup. But, to be honest, I had never bothered to learn how it worked. I was truly delighted when Linda McLaughlin submitted this technique when I asked for ideas for the book. This was my opportunity to learn something new — and to share it with readers who love to play with rubbing plates.

I’ll be the first to admit that deconstructed screen prints are a bit more involved than most of the other techniques in the book. But, what good is a technique book if it doesn’t include one or two things that make you stretch? If you’re a little bored with what you’ve been doing, this is a great process to play with.

Here is a small section a scarf that Linda sent for photography.

Linda used two Cedar Canyon Rubbing Plates to make her screens. One is from the Curves Rubbing Plates set and the other is from Fantasy Flowers.

But, how did she get the images on the screen? That has always been my question. I’m delighted to say that Linda’s process is quite easy to follow. I had no problems replicating it on my very first try. Woohoo!

It’s a matter of mixing up a batch of thick, gooey print paste, spreading it on the screen and then using one of our nifty rubbing plates to add the design. Here’s a photo from the book that shows the screen after it is partially dry.

Once the print paste is completely dry, your screen is ready for use. The thing I really love about this process is that the image on the screen slowly dissolves — it changes just a little bit each and every time you make a print. How cool is that? Take a look at the next photo.

Linda created a screen using the ginkgo design (Leaves Rubbing Plates) and did a series of prints. The print on the left is one of the first prints in the series. The print on the right is one of the last. There were 42 prints of the piece of fabric she sent, so you can see that the number of prints you can make is large, but not unlimited. This is a very cool way to make a bunch of fabric for post cards, a challenge project, you name it!

Now I know that I’ve only given you a tiny peek at the process. You can find all the details beginning on page 24 of Rubbing Plate Roundup. If you don’t have your copy already, pick one up at your favorite local retailer — or place your order through our Online Store.

Collaborator Corner: Meet Linda McLaughlin

Linda is a talented artist and teacher who I feel like I’ve known for years in spite of the fact that we’ve never met in person. Linda was one of the first teachers who embraced the Artist’s Paintstiks when I brought them into the quilting and fabric art market in 2005. Here’s more from her bio:

Linda McLaughlin has been a full time fiber artist for the past sixteen years. Until 2009 she traveled the country selling her hand dyed fabrics at quilt shows. Her work has continued to evolve and change over time, currently Linda is working in black and white with an abundance of hand stitching. Her work has been juried into shows around the country and has won numerous awards.

Linda and her husband live in a small town in western Idaho, in a big old house that requires constant attention and work. But, it has fabulous studio space.

Be sure to visit Linda’s website and blogs to get a better look at her work. Her website can be found at www.lindamdesigns.com From there, it’s easy to get to her studio/life blog and her daily picture blog. Enjoy!

As you know, I collected 12 of my favorite techniques for playing with Rubbing Plates and piled everything everything I could possibly fit into the pages of Rubbing Plate Roundup. Unfortunately, not everything fit! Drat and double-drat!

I want to make amends for my omission today by sharing one of the “missing techniques” that really should have been included in this wonderful book. It’s my way of thanking you for joining me on this creative journey and sharing your time with me each week. You are very special to me, and I’m honored to share your day and your creative space.

Let’s take a look at how you can add these beautiful effects to your fabric!

What you need:

The list is pretty simple — one paintstik, one brush, a piece of palette paper (or freezer paper) and a rubbing plate. I pulled out 3 colors when I was making up some samples.

To try this out, just grab any old rubbing plate and any light to medium fabric that you have laying around. We’re just trying this out — not making a masterpiece!

Step 1: Remove the film from the paintstik.

This is from Paintsitks 101 — whenever you want to work with your paintstiks, you have to remove the film from the outside of the stick. (See this entry in the Blog for my favorite way to remove the film.)

Step 2: Load the paint onto your stencil brush.

Rub a bunch of paintstik color onto your palette paper (or freezer paper). The rub the brush in a circular motion on the paper to pick up the paint.

Step 3: Apply the paint to your fabric

Using a circular, scrubbing motion, apply paint to your fabric. Continue adding paint until the image is as dark as you want it.

Note that I’m using a big, soft stencil brush rather than one of our short-bristle brushes. When I want a soft image, I use the biggest standard stencil brush I have. (And when I want quick, opaque coverage, I go straight for those short-bristle paintstik brushes!)

For a quick practice piece, just use any stencil brush you have handy. Actually, try using both if you can to understand the difference. You can decide which brush works best for you!

Some Quick Results

Here are the 3 samples I whipped up the other day. I started with a dotted turquoise fabric and used one of the Fantasy Flowers rubbing plates.

In the first sample, I just wanted to add am image. I used Turquoise (matte) paintstik color on turquoise fabric. The image is definitely there, but the fabric is still turquoise.

In the second sample, I chose Cobalt Blue (matte) paintstik color. This would be a useful choice if I my project contained a bright blue and I needed to push the color to blend with the other fabrics.

In the third sample, I added Fuchsia (matte) paintstik color to my fabric. This might be my choice if my project included a fuchsia accent fabric and I wanted to introduce that color into the fabrics to pull things together.

One more thing — can you see how the overall color of the fabric has shifted from turquoise to blue? When you do your experiments, use several different colors on one base fabric. Watch how the color shifts as you apply different paintstik colors. This will come in handy when you have a piece of fabric that’s “close, but not quite perfect” for your next project.

There you have it — yet another wonderful technique for adding color and texture to your fabric with Rubbing Plates! Don’t you just love getting a bonus to go with your book?

If you’re wondering how you’re going to remember this, read on…

Where Do I Store That Idea?

Now that I’ve given you a bonus technique to go with my Rubbing Plate Roundup book, you’re probably trying to figure out where to put this little gem so you don’t forget about it. At least that’s what goes through my mind.

Here’s my best suggestion for ANY bonus technique that you get in the e-mail or from an unexpected source.

• Take a minute to think about where you might look for this information, whether it’s next week or 3 months from now. For this technique, I would look for it under “paintstiks” or “rubbing plates.”
• Make enough copies of the information so you can file it in each of the categories that works for you. Yes, it’s a little more paper, but it saves a whole lot of time hunting it down later.
• Store one copy of the information in each of the appropriate spots in your filing system (or “idea piles” or whatever your system may be…)

Here’s an idea that works for me: When you have a book that is specifically related to the topic, add the pages to the book rather than storing it in a file (or pile). Since this technique is related to Paintstik Rubbings — which is explained in detail in Rubbing Plate Roundup — I’m going to attach a copy of this message inside the back cover the book. (I would attach the second copy to my reference copy of Paintstiks on Fabric — my best-selling “how-to” book on paintstiks — that I still reference today.)

Then, to make double-sure that I don’t forget what I’ve done, I’ll put a sticky note in the Paintstik Rubbings section of each book to remind me about the added technique

And, if you don’t already have your copy of Rubbing Plate Roundup or Paintstiks on Fabric, you can buy them from your favorite local shop or order from our Online Store. Place your order today and we’ll have your books on the way to you in no time.

Oh, just one more thing… don’t forget the Rubbing Plates!

I’m back from my conference and digging back into work here in the office. I had an amazing time rubbing shoulders with more than 200 really successful women. The one and only Barbara Corcoran was our keynote speaker, dishing out business advice along with juicy tidbits from her life story.

If you are a TV agnostic (like me), and don’t know of Barbara, I can tell you she is an incredibly successful business woman and one of the stars of Shark Tank — which I have never seen, but will now make it a point to watch! After her talk, I had a chance to meet Barbara and get a photo taken — I have to say, she’s the real deal.

When I registered for the conference, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I had never been to a “strictly business” conference before and I hoped it would be worth the money I paid — and the time away from the office. I have to say that I’m absolutely thrilled with my decision.

The conference was a great investment in myself. I soaked up a ton of really good information, had the chance to watch some very savvy marketers in action, and came away feeling incredibly optimistic about my own business and how I can expand it to do a better job serving you. After all, if I’m not serving you — and providing you with everything you want and need from us, then I may as well hang it up and go home.

I had to chuckle when I met Barbara last Friday. She was wearing an incredibly beautiful hot pink, not-quite-fuchsia dress and jacket. It was just electric. Our meeting room had been chilly the day before, so I chose a dark purple sweater. (I learn a lot more when I’m not shivering…) But standing next to Barbara, I was feeling pretty plain — and very thankful for my beautiful silk scarf. It was far from the bright colors I usually favor, but it’s a beauty.

Speaking of bright colors… It was clear to me that Barbara could have pulled off a dress in just about any color she chose — as long as it was eye-popping bright. I’ll bet she would look great in ANY of our bold & bright paintstik colors. Take a look at the color below and I’m sure you will agree.

12 Bold & Bright Colors

I’ve divided our brightest matte paintstik colors into two groups. The first 12 colors are absolutely yummy — and they all carry the AP Label, which means they are certified to be non-toxic. (In case you are wondering, ALL of the iridescent colors and all but 5 of the matte colors carry the AP Label.)

Tompte Red is what I call “lipstick red.” It’s a gorgeous middle of the road red. Napthol Red is a screaming bright warm red. We’ve tried to get a good red in an iridescent color, but they turn all kinds of goofy colors when we add the shiny stuff. Sometimes, you just have to go with the matte colors! Azo Orange is a fabulous warm orange, and Azo Yellow is eye-popping bright!

Yellow Citron is an almost-green, not-quite-yellow color and Marsh Green is exactly that — Marsh Green. It looks like the stuff floating on a pond in early summer. Chrome Oxide Green is a bright, middle of the road green, and Veridian definitely leans toward the blue.

Turquoise is a beautiful, opaque blue with a hint of green, while Ultramarine is a blue that leans toward purple. Purple Sage is a nice, medium-value purple, and Fuchsia is simply Fuchsia. What more can you say about that?

5 Bright “CL” Colors

The second group of colors are what I call the Bright CL Colors. This group of 5 colors includes the Cadmium-based colors and Cobalt Blue. Cadmium and Cobalt are heavy metals and these 5 colors carry the CL (Cautionary Label) warning symbol, which indicates that there are ingredients in the paints that are toxic.

To be perfectly honest, I suspect that you would have to ingest large quantities of these paints (or smear them all over your body) to absorb enough of the metals to truly cause any harm, but you should always be aware of of what you are using and take prudent precautions. I would not allow young children to play with the CL colors (in case they decide to taste them…), and I would avoid purposely smearing them around on fabric or paper with my bare hands. Other than that, I have no worries — but you should decide whether you want to add the CL colors to your toolbox or whether you prefer to stick with the non-toxic colors.

The only one of these colors that is truly unique is Cadmium Orange. The others have a similar counterpart in the AP colors. And if you are wondering why in the world a paint company would even bother to use the cadmium and cobalt pigments, here’s the scoop. Our lovely paintstiks were originally formulated for artists, and the cadmium pigments have been used in paints for centuries. The pigments are very bright and very light-fast, which makes them highly desirable for artists. Pretty simple. Now that you know what they are, you can decide whether you want to work with them.

And, by the way, if you want to see any of the other groupings of Matte Colors, head over to the Matte Color Sets in the Online Store. You can see the Deep Dark Colors that were featured in January and several other sets that we’ll be talking about in the months to come.

Shark Tank Special!

If you love bright colors like Barbara does, I just know your mind is bursting with ideas for using these amazing, eye-popping colors — and I have a very special offer just for you. I’ve gathered up my “daring dozen” Bold & Bright Colors — and a separate bundle for the CL Colors. Here’s the deal.

Purchased separately, the 12 Bold & Bright Colors sell for $101.00 even. For a few short days. you can add all 12 colors to your paintstik collection for just $70.00. That’s a huge savings of 30% off the retail price! This offer will disappear from our Online Store after one short week, so don’t be a guppy — bite now!

Do you really, REALLY love brights? I’ll give you the same great deal on the 5 Bright CL colors. The retail price of these fabulous five colors is $67.75. For the next week, you can scoop up these colors for just $47.00. Again, that’s 30% off the price of buying each color separately.

Barbara’s Bonus: When you order one of our beautiful bundles of Bright by midnight on Friday (February 17), I’ll add a Pearl White Iridescent Paintstik to your order — and you can paint up your own version of Barbara Corcoran’s fabulous fresh-water pearls. They were magnificent with her dress, and I just know that you’ll find the perfect way to add some pearly white accents to your bold bright projects. (And if I’ve totally lost you in the currents here, scroll back to the top of the newsletter to see the picture of me with Barbara — and check out those pearls!)

Don’t let this special offer swim away — Order your BOLD & BRIGHT COLORS today! And remember, the Pearl White bonus disappears once the clock strikes midnight here in Minnesota — that’s central time in the US — so order now for the greatest savings.

In last week’s blog post, I was talking about creating Foil Accents on fabric and paper with rubbing plates, adhesive and craft foil. It’s a really neat process — perfect for those of us with a weakness for shiny stuff. (If you missed the newsletter, the instructions can be found in Rubbing Plate Roundup.)

On Monday, I got the following note from community member Terrie Hansen:

Hi Shelly:

I have a question about the foils that you and Laura use. Can they be used on paper? I remember years ago there was a foil that you could use in your printer. For example, you could print out a picture, put the foil on top of the picture (foil side down) and run it through the printer again. When it came out, you pull the foil sheet off and wherever the toner and the foil met, the foil would be left behind. (Don’t know if I’m explaining this very well.) But anyway, do you and/or Laura think her foils could be used in this way? I have been looking for foil to do this process for months!

Thanks for your help. PS – I love, love, love your website and the paint sticks!

Terrie Hansen

What a good question! As I thought about Terrie’s question, I looked at the printers in my office. I have a color printer in my office, but it’s ink-jet. Foil is applied with heat, so that wasn’t going to help. But, we have a black & white laser printer in Leanne’s office. Laser printers use heat to bond the toner to paper, so this one had possibilities.

In case I’ve lost you already, here’s what I was thinking… A laser printer uses heat to bond toner to paper — it essentially “melts” the toner as the paper is fed through the printer. If you tape a piece of foil over the printed image and send it back through the printer, it would get heated up again — and perhaps the hot toner would act like hot glue, giving the foil something to stick to. At least that was my theory.

But… did I really want to take a chance on getting a sheet of foil stuck in my printer if something went wrong? Or worse, melting the foil sheet and having a totally sticky mess? Fortunately, the nagging feeling passed. I was simply too curious to know if this would work. (And I knew I could bring an old laser printer from home if I totally screwed things up.)

Here’s a quickie tutorial. I’m just thrilled that this works. I love learning to do one more thing with materials I already have!

Stuff you need:

1. Paper of your choice (as long as you can put it through a laser printer)
2. A laser printer — not an ink-jet printer — black & white is fine
3. Foil (I always order from Laura Murray Designs)
4. An image that you want to add to your paper.

Step 1: Print an image on the paper.

I used an image from one of my Doodles Rubbing Plates — they were handy on my computer desktop and I thought it would make a pretty cool image on paper. Any image (including text) should work just fine.

Step 2: Cover the printed image with foil

Cut a piece of foil larger than the printed area on the paper. Tape all the way across the top to make sure the foil does not come loose in the printer. I secured the lower corners and tried to make sure the foil would not wrinkle as it fed through the printer.

Step 3: Send the paper through the printer again.

I wanted to send the paper through the printer again, but I didn’t want to print the entire image again. I created a dummy document with a just a couple of characters. I made sure the characters would print on the foil, not on the paper.

When the paper came out, I was relieved to see that foil came with it, AND that the foil appeared to stick to the toner. So far, so good!

Step 4: Peel the foil off the paper

Here’s the fun part! I peeled the foil off the paper and found a wonderful shiny image! It works!

What I learned…

This was a really quick experiment. (I had to get this done before I hopped on my flight to San Antonio.) But I learned a few things that I want to share.

1. The foil has to be large enough that you’re not putting tape over part of the printed image when you secure the foil to the paper. My guess is that the tape blocks the heat enough to keep the foil from sticking to the toner.

2. The foil won’t adhere correctly where it wrinkles as it goes through the printer. (see the red arrows in the photo) I’m not sure if it would be best to just tape along the top and not on the sides or bottom — or to tape all the way around. And since we are working with heat-sensitive stuff, maybe we could use an iron to stick foil to the exposed toner? If you play with this and find the answer, let me know!

3. Before you ask, I have no idea if this would work on fabric, but it begs a similar experiment.

All said and done, I think this is a wonderful OUTRAGEOUS IDEA and I’m so glad Terrie asked her question. I know for a fact that I NEVER would have even thought about this idea had she not brought it up. The next time you have a question (or an outrageous idea), send it in! Your friends in the Cedar Canyon Community will love to hear about it.

Foil was one of the first fabric embellishment toys that I learned about back in the late 90s, even before I learned about my beloved paintstiks. (Oh my goodness! Has it really been that long?) I took a class in St. Paul from Laura Murray at a lovely quilt shop that is no longer with us. The class was fun, I fell in love with foil, and was delighted to add some “shiny stuff” to my growing arsenal of tools for adding glitz and glamour to my fabric art projects.

So, what exactly is this “foil” we’re talking about? Foil is a high-gloss metallic material that pulls away from a clear backing. It comes in a multitude of wonderful colors and it’s easy to work with. You can use foil adhesive, fusible web, even Bo-Nash Bonding Powder to “stick” foil to your fabric with a little help from an ordinary iron. Here are a couple of lovely samples. The first is a single piece of fabric, and the second is a collage by Laura Murray. All of the designs in the samples are from Cedar Canyon rubbing plates.

Adding Foil Accents is also Technique #4 in my Rubbing Plate Roundup book. (I bet you could have guessed that…) It’s really easy transfer rubbing plate designs to fabric or paper by using the rubbing plate as a stamp. You simply apply the adhesive to your rubbing plate, stamp the adhesive onto your paper or fabric, then apply the foil.

To be honest, there’s a bit more to it than that. Important little things like allowing the adhesive to dry COMPLETELY – and some important tips on exactly HOW to use an iron to transfer the foil. But have no worry, with a copy of Rubbing Plate Roundup in hand, you’ll have all the instructions you need to add eye-popping shine to your fabric or paper project. If you don’t have a copy of the book, simply order today and we’ll make sure it’s on the way to your mailbox in short order!

When you want foil, go directly to LauraMurrayDesigns.com. Laura’s site is, without question, the best place I know to order your foil supplies.

Collaborator Corner: Meet Laura Murray

As I mentioned earlier, I took a class on foiling fabric from Laura a dozen year ago. She is a talented fiber artist, award-winning quilter, successful entrepreneur, one of my best customers, and, I’m happy to report, a very good friend. I’m blessed to have her in my life. When I set out to write Rubbing Plate Roundup, I went straight to Laura and asked her to provide the section on foil.

Laura has been teaching people how to use foil for as long as I’ve known her, and I could not think of anyone better qualified to give us the low-down on using foil and rubbing plates to spruce up our fabric and paper projects. Here is more about Laura and some inspiration you can use as you spend some play time in your studio.

Artist, entrepreneur, teach and author, Laura Murray loves to experiment with textile color and texture. Her work, which appears in books, magazines, quilt calendars and DVDs, includes wearable art and award-winning quilts. Laura’s passion for surface design led her to design a stencil collection and a series of stamps from her favorite images. Her stamp line includes several sets of StarBuilders and she wrote a companion book called StarBuilder Inspirations.

“One of my favorite design approaches is layering shapes. I like seeing lots of possibilities without making the kind of commitment that sewing strips together requires. Years ago, I learned to weave narrow strips of fabric without using a loom. The effect is like a checkerboard, or lattice.

“I am very fond of paintstik rubbings, and often use my unmounted stamps as texture (rubbing plate). For the past several years, I’ve been working with a technique that I call Stackers, which consists of stacking three different size squares one on top of the other (each layer backed with fusible web), and creating seemingly complex blocks without sewing. (For complete information, visit www.lauramurraydesigns.com/projects/stackers.php)

“Recently, I was curious about what would happen if I cut a 3-layer stacker into strips, and wove the strips with a contrasting fabric. As you can see, the result is very exciting! In case you are wondering, the woven design is 5.75″ square, and the strips range from 1/4″ to 3/8″ wide, making the weaving easy to manage. I used foil to create the image in the center square, and then fused it to the top of the woven strips. I created the border by making a paintstik rubbing with one of the Doodles rubbing plates on a lime green cotton.”

[Shelly here] If you love color and texture as much as I do, you really should spend a few minutes peeking around Laura’s amazing website. Be sure to check out her stencils and unmounted stamps. They are gorgeous!

Learn More About 404

If you’ve read any of my books or watched the video clips in the Learning Center, you know that 404 spray adhesive is one of my favorite “secret weapons.” I just got word from Jennifer O’Brien that they have a new website that describes the difference between all of their adhesive products and has a good FAQ page for each type of spray. Here are the links for information and ordering.

www.SprayAndFix.com will automatically redirect you to www.odifusa.com (ODIF is the the European company that makes the Spray & Fix products.)

To purchase 404 or any of the Spray & Fix products, place your orders at Sew-Craft.com.

No, we’re not going to run and jump into puddles, but we are definitely going to play with water — and a few really cool water-based products. Technique #3 from Rubbing Plate Roundup is actually 3 techniques tucked into one section. I call the section Water Color Rubbings and it’s a ton of fun!

When I asked for ideas on using rubbing plates last summer, I got some surprising answers. Several of you wrote in about using water based coloring agents, like Neocolor II wax pastels and Inktense blocks. And somewhere in the (mountainous) piles of paper on my desk, I found a project sheet from a magazine that called for making rubbings with inkpads. I visited my local shop for stamps and sent off an order for the other supplies and got ready for a fun day in the studio.

Most of you know that I spend most of my time playing with my Shiva Paintstiks, which are an oil and wax-based product. So water-based colors were definitely a new experience for me, and I’m happy to say I really like them! Some of the products create a soft, watery look and others produce a nice crisp image. They dry quickly, don’t stiffen the fabric, and may be permanent.

Before you go on, let’s go back to the last sentence and read it again… some of the water-based products MAY be permanent. Got it?

The key with the water-based products is to test, test, test before you use them on a project that’s going to be washed. Visit the blogs of people who use them, scour the pages of Quilting Arts magazine, dig up whatever instructions you can to learn if there are ways to make the pigments permanent. (Most of these products are made for use on paper or canvas, so we are using them in a way that the manufacturer may not have tested…)

I don’t mean to throw a damp rag on your enthusiasm by giving you the warning about permanence. But I do want you to think about it and make sure you choose the right coloring agent for a project. It always comes down to using the right tool for the right job.

What has all this got to do with stamp, squish and spritz? You’ll find the answers — and all the instructions for inkpad rubbings, Inktense Rubbings, and Neocolor II rubbings start on page 16 of Rubbing Plate Roundup. If you don’t already have your copy, order it today and we’ll get it shipped off to you right away!

Collaborator Corner: Meet Nancy Bryant

In the past month, I’ve introduced several of my co-conspirators in Rubbing Plate Roundup, including potter Jeanine Center and fiber artist Angela Grasse. Today, I want to introduce Nancy Bryant, a talented fiber artist from Corvallis, Oregon. Nancy taught me about water soluble wax pastels and how they can be used with our Cedar Canyon Rubbing Plates.

Here is a quilt from the gallery section of Rubbing Plate Roundup. Nancy used a rubbing plate and water soluble pastels to create the background fabrics for the quilt, then appliquéd the tree over the top. It’s lovely!

Nancy has this to say about the inspiration for her magnificent work.

“Inspired to sew by my grandmother, a dressmaker, I made my first dress at age 9. Sewing has been a passion of mine ever since.I find great joy in beginning with a piece of fabric and creating something lovely and intricate that speaks to the viewer.Since 2004 I have been creating fiber art in my studio in Corvallis, Oregon. My studio time is spent pursuing three arenas: art quilts, accessories, and apparel.

“I have experimented with a wide variety of media and techniques. These include curved piecing, dyeing, stenciling, stamping, silk screening, felting, bleaching, and other processes to alter the fabric. Some quilts are embellished with yarns, ribbons, beads or buttons. I love to work with bright colors and strong value contrasts.”

I spent some time wandering around Nancy’s website at AltaVista Studio and I was blown away by the amazing garments, the yummy scarves and the beautiful quilts. I was really glad that my charge card was nowhere in sight. I think I could ring up quite a bill shopping with Nancy! (It would certainly be an upgrade to my closet!) Here are a few of my favorite images.

As you can see, Nancy’s taste runs from incredibly elegant to delightfully whimsical. It’s a real pleasure to meet such an adventurous soul. I’m so glad she shared her knowledge about the water soluble pastels with me — and with you!

If you haven’t already clicked through to Nancy’s website, take a moment right now to take a quick tour. You simply have to see her work. It really is amazing.

Congratulations (and a huge hug) to Rosalyn in Stow, MA! Rosalyn is the lucky winner of the Cedar Canyon / Sue Pelland Giveaway.

Rosalyn won a copy of Sue Pelland’s Eve’s Garden quilt pattern, one of Sue’s cool curvy rulers, a bunch of paintstik colors and a brush — almost everything she needs to make a lovely quilt!

Keep your eyes open for our next very cool giveaway. You may be our next winner!

When I asked for submissions for my Rubbing Plate Roundup book, Angela Grasse came through in a very big way. She taught me about using transfer crayons with rubbing plates to make beautiful images on fabric. Are you ready to be transported back to kindergarten? You should be — this is really fun!

I’ll be honest. I wasn’t always enthusiastic about using crayons on fabric. When I read about people using crayons on fabric for quilting projects a few years back, I thought “oh, that’s kid stuff” and went back to my “grown up” paints and dyes. Well, silly me. After getting some coaching from Angela on the transfer crayon process, I was hooked! I had great fun working with some lovely sheer fabric — and I discovered that the images can be transferred to paper and card stock as well.

The basic process is quite simple. You make a rubbing on paper with the crayons, then transfer the image to fabric or paper with a hot iron. There are definitely a few more details that will help you get good results, but as I said, this is one very simple, very cool way to play with crayons! Are you ready to give this a try?

There are two big things to remember. First, you need to find transfer crayons, which are also called Fabric Crayons. Angela recommended the Crayola brand, and I had better luck with those than another set that I purchased. I have yet to find a big box of transfer crayons (you know, the 64 color box…) but I’ve had good luck blending the colors.

The second key is to use synthetic fabric. I’m not sure what the chemical process is that allows the crayon to bond with synthetic fabric but not natural fabric, but I’m all for following instructions. (Before you ask… no, you don’t need to find synthetic paper. Any old paper will do as long as you’re not planning to toss it in the wash!)

I hope you’re nodding and telling yourself “oh yeah, this looks like tons of fun!” It’s the perfect way to transport yourself back to the sheer delight of playing with crayons. And while you’re at it, share the joy with your friends, your kids, or your grandkids. It’s a delightful way to spend a day! You can get all the details on using transfer crayons and rubbing plates starting on page 12 of Rubbing Plate Roundup. Have fun!

Collaborator Corner: Meet Angela Grasse

Angela Grasse, from Kitchener, Ontario (Canada) was a huge help as I worked on Rubbing Plate Roundup. She submitted her idea for the book (transfer crayons) and then graciously proceeded to teach me everything I needed to know about how to use them. And she went the extra mile by sending one of her art journals so I could take photos of several of her pieces for the Gallery section of the book. (See what happens when you ask for help?)

Angela is absolutely passionate about art and teaching. she has spent most of her life learning, teaching, exploring and creating. she delights in process. Her joy for learning is readily shared with her students. According to Angela, having fun and creating beauty is what art is all about.

You can learn more about Anglea and her art by clicking over to her blog at princessbubblescreates.blogspot.com. (By the way, don’t you just have to love a woman with the confidence to call herself Princess Bubbles? Can’t you just see the princess shine through in her photo?)

Before we go, I want to share a tip from Angela. During our conversations, she suggested saving the transfer paper you create and using it for another project. On the journal page in the photo, you can see how Angela re-used a piece transfer paper in a mixed-media collage. I think it’s great — I love the idea of turning the left-over transfer paper into art!

Shading with Shiva Paintstiks Makes Eve’s Garden Glow!

by Sue Pelland

I made Eve’s Garden as a challenge quilt for my quilt guild. The theme was “Gardens” and I had always wanted to do this “Garden of Eden” quilt. I had it in my head, and this was the perfect chance to get it out in fabric! I love to dye my own fabrics, so I went to my hand dyed stash, and came out with nine shades of green, plus these other bright beautiful colors. The artist who inspired this quilt made a similar illustration using stencils on black paper. Where the stencil was not completely filled with color, the black paper showed through. I wanted the same effect, but with the fabrics the black couldn’t show through. Instead, I used a black shiva paint stick and a ½” stencil brush to shade the edges of the fused patches so that they faded into the black background fabric. The result was a quilt that glowed!

Instructions: Using Shiva Paintstiks for Shading Appliqué

(©2011, Sue Pelland Designs)
Shiva black paint sticks are the perfect paint for shading the Eve’s Garden pattern. They are oil based sticks, so they never dry out. Just peel off the protective layer that forms on the end of the stick, and they are ready to use. Scribble with the paint stick on a scrap of freezer paper or other non-porous surface. Load your stencil brush by rubbing over the scribbled paint in a circular motion. This will load your brush with paint. Now brush off the excess paint onto a scrap of fabric. Use a circular motion, both clockwise and counterclockwise to work the paint into the bristles, and to wipe off excess paint. This gives you the right amount of paint for the dry brush technique explained in the pattern. Heat set the paint after shading. When finished, clean your brush with a little shampoo or dishwashing soap. Keep your paint stick and your brush in a zip top bag and they will be ready for your next quilt!

Spice Up YOUR Appliqué Today!

As you can see, the subtle shading Sue did with the black paintstik color is absolutely fabulous. Her Garden quilt would not be nearly as interesting without the shading. If it hasn’t already hit you over the head, you should be saying to yourself “Wow! I can do that too!” Yes, you really can! Sue’s dry-brush method is one of the easiest things you can do with paintstik colors to add dimension and beautiful shading to your quilts.

Now I can already hear you thinking “well, I don’t want to put my quilt on a black background…” No problem. I’ve got 13 beautiful deep, dark paintstik colors for you that are most definitely not black. Now that you know exactly how you will use them, you can order the entire set of DARK Paintstik Colors at a very special price, or you can pick out your favorites from our Online Store.

Here are the 13 dark colors:

Alazarin Crimson is a deep ruby red that leans a bit toward purple. This is the darkest red in the Matte Color line.

Grape is a red-violet. It is more on the transparent side of the spectrum.

Dioxazine Purple is a beautiful deep purple. It’s quite dark, but very rich.

Phthalo Blue is a deep blue with a slight purple undertone.

Prussian Blue is a deep blue with a slight green undertone.

Teal Blue is best described as a deep turquoise. Definitely blue, but has a lot of green in it.

Phthalo Green is a dark green with a definite blue undertone.

Old Sap Green is a great deep middle-of-the-road green. It leans just a bit more to the blue side than Sap Green.

Sap Green is a middle-of-the-road green. Some teachers like this green because they can mix with yellow or with blue to get the shade of green they want. It has just a touch more yellow than Old Sap Green.

Asphaltum is a fabulous golden caramel color. It’s quite transparent, but much more interesting than the name implies.

Burnt Sienna is a reddish brown and very opaque.

Burnt Umber has a definite green undertone. It semi-opaque.

Chocolate is a transparent, middle of the road brown. Think Hershey bars.

A Quick Note About Brushes…

When you use Sue’s dry-brush technique to add shading to a project (appliqué or something else), be sure to use our long-handled, standard stencil brushes rather than our paintstik brushes. Here’s a photo of the correct brushes.

The standard stencil brushes have longer, softer bristles and are much less likely to leave brush marks as you add shading to your project.

Is is that important? You bet. Always use the right tool for the right job!

Order Your Deep Dark Paintstik Colors Today!

After viewing these absolutely yummy dark colors, I know that your mind must be racing with all the possibilities for adding shading to your quilts and fabric art projects. (And if you’re NOT thinking about the possibilities… you should be!) At any rate, I have a very special offer just for you.

I’ve gathered up all 13 of the gorgeous deep dark paintstik colors and bundled them up at a fabulous price. Purchased separately, the colors sell for $97.75. For a few short days, you can add all 13 colors to your paintstik collection for just $65.00. That’s a whopping savings of 33% off the retail price. This offer will disappear from our Online Store after one short week, or when we run short of any of the 13 colors. (And no, we don’t stock tons of single, matte colors — so this could disappear before you know it!)

If you order by midnight on Friday, January 14, I’ll give you an extra bonus! I’ll have the crew in shipping add the Ivory Black paintstik that Sue used on her Eve’s Garden quilt absolutely free. Don’t delay — get your fabulous Deep Dark Paintstik Colors today by clicking on this link.

Enter Our Garden Quilt Giveaway!

Are you ready to try your hand at a Garden Quilt? Do you have a friend who would just love to do this project? Here’s your chance to win almost everything you need to make this stunning quilt.

Sue has generously offered a copy of her Eve’s Garden Pattern and one of her amazing Leaves Galore Rulers for this drawing. I’m adding 7 paintstik colors (4 dark colors and 3 metallic colors) and the stencil brush that you need to do the shading.

YOU have the opportunity to win this marvelous prize — and I hope you will pass the message along to your friends as well!

To enter the drawing, click on the link below. Enter your name and e-mail address in the form. On the form, you also have the opportunity to sign up for the Cedar Canyon Community and Sue Pelland’s newsletter. (If you already get my newsletter — no worries. You’re already subscribed and we won’t send you duplicates.)

Click on this link to enter:

https://cedarcanyon.infusionsoft.com/app/form/cct_and_suepelland_giveaway

You must enter by midnight on Friday, January 20. One entry per person, please. After the deadline, I’ll use a random number generator to pick the winner. Good luck!