I’m not a big fan of printed color cards as it’s just about impossible to get accurate colors. The best thing I have found is actually painting the colors out on paper, then turning them into swatches I can carry with me or use for reference in the studio. Here’s my quick and dirty process.

I used some inexpensive water color paper. It’s heavier than regular copy paper and makes a better swatch. As you can see, I just used the paintstik to color a section of paper with each color. I kept the papers in a file for the longest time, but I disliked having to find them when I needed them.

The last time I pulled them out, I had one of those “V-8″ moments. (Thwack!) I remembered the Swatch Buddies that Missy and Dave Azen introduced at Quilt Market about a year ago. (Actually, I don’t remember which market I met them at. They all run together.)

At any rate, I contacted Dave and told him about my idea for using the swatches and he sent me a pack to give it a try. I think they are fantastic! They are beautiful as well as compact – and the colors are absolutely accurate. Yeah!

Missy designed the tags for keeping track of fabric, so the labels are geared that way. I simply wrote in my paint colors. The trick is to get the tags with the right paint colors. It’s pretty easy with the Iridescent colors, but takes a little more effort with the Matte line.

Do I Have That Color In My Collection?

Here’s an idea that will help you keep track of the colors you have – and which you need to add to your collection using the Swatch Buddies tool.

• Make a label for each color and add it to one side of the plastic swatch tag.
• Paint swatches on paper for each paintstik color in your collection.
• Allow the paint to dry – of course!
• Cut swatches from your paper and stick them on the back side of the appropriate swatch tags.

Now you have the complete list of colors on the tags. If the color side of the tag is empty, it’s a color to add to your collection. Simple!

If you want to get a hold of your own Swatch Buddies, click over to SwatchBuddies.com. Tell them Shelly sent you.

As you can imagine, I was more than a little bit interested in how she was making her own rubbing plates. Not so many of you venture down that path. Of all things, she was adding lines of thick paint to old CDs and CD covers. Now that’s a seriously different take on recycling! But hey, why not?

It turns out that Francesca is just learning to make Paintstik Rubbings. She recently posted an article over on her own blog and graciously agreed to share her story with us.

Francesca started with a green scarf and found the process a bit messy. But, as you know, our first attempts are rarely beautiful. I don’t think mine looked nearly this good.

She also realized that larger designs work better than the really fine details that she works with in other aspects of her art. She’s absolutely right. Paintstiks are much too blunt to get along well with little tiny lines. With that in mind, she moved on to the next experiment.

During our phone call, I mentioned that Francesca could find lots of good tips on making rubbings in various Blog posts. But she made the point that she purposely avoided reading anything but the technical stuff because she didn’t want to be influenced by someone else’s idea of how the results should look.

In her blog post, she said,

If I subconsciously translate other peoples’ work as ‘the right approach,’ I won’t recognize my own style. And, I don’t know how my rubbings compare with ones made on professionally-made plates. I imagine mine are messier and more primitive. But I need my own style.

As you can see, Francesca’s rubbings from her home-made plates give a totally different look than anything we make with the done-for-you rubbing plates. Her rubbings are much more like an impressionist garden, with plenty of room for the imagination to play.

I give Francesca a lot of credit for wanting to go her own way. So often, we get caught up in learning “the right way” to do something instead of just experimenting and seeing what happens. It’s refreshing to hear from someone with a totally different point of view.

To read Francesca’s complete blog article, click over to her blog at OutlawBunny.com.

Got a project or experiment you would like to share? You could be our next Guest Artist. Yes, you! Drop me a note using our Contact Page and I’ll get in touch with you with all the details. And don’t forget, you can always post a photo over on our Facebook page.

When meeting day rolls around, I have this nagging tug-of-war going on in my brain. One side says “You’ve can’t do that – you’ve got deadlines to meet” while the other side says “Screw the deadlines – I want to go play with my friends.” Sound familiar?

Usually, time with my friends trumps the deadlines. After all, I don’t think I’ll be lying on my deathbed wishing I had written one more newsletter or made one more sale. But I might very well wish I had been less tied to my work and spent more time enjoying the marvelous women in my life.

I’m a DIVA

That’s said with a very big grin, in case you missed it. My small group of fabric art friends is called the DIVAS. I wasn’t around when they chose the name, but they tell me it stands for Designing Innovative Visual Arts Sisterhood. That’s a pretty high-falutin’ name for a group that just loves to gather for coffee and yack about our latest quilting and fabric art successes and flops. Oops. Make that “challenges.”

And being a member of the DIVAS, I just couldn’t help claiming the title of Shiva Diva. With a studio full of Paintstiks, it was just too good to pass up. You won’t find that on my business card, but that’s my not-so-serious title among my friends.

I’ve met tons of women who belong to these small groups and I love the names. Some are pretty tame, like Sew & So and Stir Crazy Quilters. Others are more literal. One of my favorites is the Stitch and Bitch Club. There’s no guessing what goes on in that group!

Whatever the name, our groups have a lot in common. They are usually small, often 6-12 people. Large enough to have fun, but small enough to meet in our homes. Because they are small, they give us a chance to belong to an exclusive little club that stays remarkably constant over the years. And that’s hugely comforting in a world that changes so fast!

DIVAS Do Big Birthdays!

While all of us are old enough that we’d rather not be counting birthdays, we have a special tradition for Big Birthdays. You know, the ones that end in a big fat ZERO. It started when several of our members were turning 70. Someone came up with the big idea that each of us should gather up 70 “embellishments” to pass along to the birthday girls.

Now the word embellishments is pretty wide open to a group that does fabric art. It might be 70 buttons, 70 beads, 70 strands of embroidery floss or 70 fake flowers. You just never know with this group! I just wish I had photos from the meetings where our members went home with 700 new treasures.

Sometimes, we choose a theme that really fits the member. When Janet turned 60, we replenished her stash with any and everything related to Halloween. Trust me, she will NEVER run out of Halloween goodies. She’s got more fabric with black cats, witches and pumpkins than Heinz has got pickles!

This month, Jean turns 60 and I can’t wait to see what our group comes up with for her. Jean loves beading, hand stitching and embroidery. The details in her work are remarkable, and are often made from little, teeny bits of fabric.

I don’t have a big collection of threads, and Jean’s got more than enough beads to last 3 lifetimes, so I decided to go the fabric route. I pulled out my bin of hand-dyed fabric scraps and found 60 pieces for Jean. It didn’t make much of a dent, but I suspect these will actually get used now that they are in her possession.

I made sure I found a couple of pieces of orange fabric in the stack as it seems she can’t make a quilt without it. I was looking for some baby girl pink to add a prank, but didn’t find any in the bin. Oh darn!

Does Your Small Group Do Big Birthdays?

What’s your small group story? I’d love for you to share the name of your group and your birthday traditions. I’ll bet they are all over the map! You can leave a comment here on the blog or pop over to our Facebook page. See you there!

Last week, Gail M wrote in and asked about combining Paintstik colors and Setacolor textile paints. I’m not sure if Gail was #3 or #4 to ask a similar question, but I consider myself “whacked.” Here’s what you need to know about mixing oil-based paints and water-based paints.

The Golden Rule Is “Oils Over Acrylics”

If you plan to combine oil paints and water-based paints (acrylics), always follow the Golden Rule: Oils Over Acrylics. If you ever have trouble remembering this, just go to the kitchen, add both water and oil to a measuring cup. See? Oil Over Water. Here’s why:

Oil paints will adhere to acrylic paints as it dries. Just as painters use acrylic primers to prepare a canvas, you can add Paintstik colors over the top of fabric that has been painted with acrylic (or water-based) paints. Once the Paintstik color is completely dry, there is no worry that it will wash away from the acrylic paint underneath.

Now, let’s flip that around for just a moment. Adding acrylic paint over the top of oil paints can be a problem. When oil paints dry, they leave a film that acrylic paints can’t adhere to properly. It may appear that the water-based paint has dried over the top, but it’s most likely not a permanent bond.

Exception: Paintstik Colors As A Resist

Paintstiks are made from oil and wax. They make a wonderful resist on paper for all water-based products, especially inks. Better yet for us fabric lovers, Paintstik colors can be used as a resist on fabric as well.

If you want to use Paintstik colors as a resist on fabric, apply the color, allow it to dry completely; then heat to set the colors. At that point, you can drop the fabric into a dye bucket, just as you would a plain piece of white fabric. What fun!

If you are not into fabric dying, try painting over the top with a really thin textile paint like Jacquard’s Dye-na-flow. Remember, while it may appear that the liquid paint has covered the paintstik colors, it will most likely ball up on the surface or wash away later if the fabric is washed.

Have fun, and always remember, Oil Over Acrylic. Unless, of course, you flip the rule on purpose.

There are tons of good reasons to travel with art supplies and to make art whenever you get the chance. It’s just a little more tricky than playing in your work room at home.

I did a little “hotel art” in my room last week getting ready for a series of make-and-take session for a bunch of sales reps. As I was preparing to play with polymer clay, pigment powders, and stenciling with textile paint, I thought it would be fun to share my Hotel Art Commandments. That’s commandments – not “suggestions” – unless you want to get an extra large bill after the housekeeping staff becomes unglued trying to clean up after you.

Thou shalt carry a drop-cloth with thy supplies.

Hotels used to favor brightly printed bedspreads that were capable of hiding a multitude of sins, but not any more. In at least 80% of my recent trips, I have encountered beautiful white linens and duvet covers. They look great, but show every speck of dirt from a suitcase, let alone a little “oops” from a spontaneous art project.

Thou shalt seal any jars containing liquids before putting them in thy suitcase.

There is NOTHING worse than opening a suitcase to find that something has leaked or spilled. Especially if the suitcase contains your clothes as well as your art goodies. Get yourself a roll of electrical tape to seal any jars or bottles as you pack. It’s stretchy and the best way I know to seal containers for travel. Then put everything in plastic zippy bags. And, no, it’s not overkill to double bag stuff that might spill.

Thou shalt always pack an apron.

Always. I do my best to pack lightly when I travel. An apron is the most compact weapon for “oops” protection available, and far more important than the extra sweater that you “might” need. Don’t leave home without it!

Thou shalt bring thy own art towels.

No, it is not okay to use the fluffy white towels in the room to clean up after yourself. If you are carrying art supplies, make sure you pack a couple of the old grungy towels from your studio. With your own towels in hand, you’ll stay on good terms with the housekeepers. Besides, you can toss them in the trash before heading home without a twinge of guilt.

Thou shalt not leave a film of dark green paint in the sink or tub.

As you know, you should never allow paints (and other gooey stuff) to dry on any surface where you don’t want it to be permanent – and this includes the hotel bathroom. You brought your art towels, right? Use them!

Thou shalt not leave the hotel carpet full of shiny stuff.

If you’ve ever tipped over a container of glitter or pigment powder, you know what an incredible mess it can make. It’s so much better to be safe than sorry. Don’t even think about opening that jar of shiny stuff until the drop cloth is in place.

Thou shalt order room service BEFORE thee begins to play.

Face it. What they don’t know, won’t hurt them. It’s far better to avoid having any staff in the room once you’re in the middle of your art project. Trust me. And don’t forget to hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door until you know you’ve got everything tidied up, including the bathroom sink.

Thou shalt always carry an extra stash of zippy bags.

Actually, this is a good habit to get into for any trip, not just trips that may involve hotel art. You never know when you’ll need an extra plastic bag to pack a wet garment, a muddy pair of shoes – or those dirty art towels that you decide to take home with you.

Thou shalt not feel guilty about throwing away inexpensive supplies when necessary.

This is for teachers. There are occasions when time is short; or, there is simply no good way to clean up and reuse the supplies from a class. When this happens, it’s perfectly okay to push everything disposable into the middle of the drop cloth, roll it up, and deposit the whole works in the trash bin. (You did bring a disposable drop cloth, right?)

Thou shalt have a wonderful time making art!

I rarely leave home without at least a small stash of art supplies in my bag. Even if it’s just colored pencils and a drawing book. I love being able to sketch out a pattern that catches my eye, or capture the color of gardens in bloom. While “hotel art” can be challenging, it can also be incredibly fun and rewarding. At least as long as you have a few key supplies on hand, and a few simple commandments in mind.

Do you have any good “hotel art” stories? I’d love to hear about your adventures. I just know I’m not the only one who indulges in this game! Leave a comment here on the Blog, or hop over to our Facebook page. And have fun making art!

Let’s face it. We all get stuck at different times of our lives. Each one of us tends to be really good at certain things, and not so good at a whole bunch of other things. The easiest way I know to get “unstuck” is to hire a coach, someone that’s good at the thing we are struggling to get done.

Now, before you get started with the “I can’t do that” line of thinking, let’s look at a few examples. You may not think of it this way, but I’ll bet you’ve hired more than a few coaches in your life.

Let’s say you wanted to do something to improve your health, like quit smoking or lose 20 pounds. You know this can be next to impossible on your own, so you sign up for the Quit Smoking program or join a local Weight Watchers group. By doing this, you got yourself a coach (the group leader) and a support team (the other people trying to do the same thing).

Or, you’ve moved and you need some help because the furniture from the old house does work worth a darn in the new house. The quickest way to figure this out is to schedule a consultation with an interior designer. And yes, you can get great advice without spending a fortune having them replace everything in your living room! Your designer is your coach, whether or not you make any purchases with them.

My point is, that you’ve probably hired any number of “coaches” in your life without blinking an eye. Your taxes got too complicated, so you hired a CPA. You slipped on the ice and injured your knee, so you hired a physical therapist. You may not have been thinking about it as hiring a coach, but that’s what you did. You found someone who could help you get past whatever it was keeping you “stuck.”

The Case For Creative Success Coaches

Now you may be thinking, “You’re right, Shelly. I’ve been hiring coaches to help me solve problems without even realizing it. But a Creative Coach? Really?” Well, why not? Is the creative side of your life really any different (or less important) than the physical side of your life? Not in my house. Let’s look at  3 ways you can use a coach to get “unstuck” in your creative life.

Let’s say you have a fantastic idea and you want to turn your creative hobby into a business, but you don’t know where to start. Or, you already took the plunge and got started, but things are not going as well as you hoped for. I would suggest that hiring a business coach would be an incredibly good investment for you, preferably one with a good understanding of the creative markets. Is it worth the fees? Oh yes. Having done this myself, I can assure you that a good  can be incredibly helpful.

Or perhaps you have a burning desire to “get serious” about your art. You’ve been going to workshops, have this vision percolating on a series of things you want to explore, but you just can’t seem to get on track. For you, I would recommend an Art Success Coach. Yes, there really is such an animal! There are any number of truly successful artists who love nothing more than serving as a mentor and coach people like you who want to pursue their art in a more serious fashion. I’ll give you a great reference in just a minute.

And if you just want to learn more about one particular thing? Great news! There are all kinds of extended learning opportunities to help you dive into a particular topic. You can take a class at a show or travel to a destination retreat for a multi-day seminar. Or, you can join an online course and do your exploring from the comfort of your own home and studio, without the hassles of travel and dragging your supplies half way across the country. No matter which option you choose, you are hiring a coach to help you learn a particular thing – or, to get you “unstuck” with a skill or technique.

Investing In Yourself

When we get right down to it, hiring a coach is not an investment in a particular skill; it’s an investment in you. When you sign up for a coaching relationship, whether it is Weight Watchers or an Independent Study with your favorite artist, you are declaring to yourself, and the world, that this thing is important. You are making a commitment to get “unstuck.”

And here’s the deal, you will only take this seriously if you have skin in the game. If it’s free, I can almost guarantee that you won’t follow though. It’s too easy to be “too busy” or to get sidetracked when life throws you a curveball. Believe me, I’ve been there and done that. But when you put your money on the line, you show up, do the work, and really learn, grow, and get yourself “unstuck.”

Not surprisingly, the more you pay, the harder you work. After all, are you going to sign up for a Master Class with Jane Dunnewold and show up for class without doing your homework? No way! You’ll find the time, dye the fabric, create the images, make the silk screens, and drag it all with you to your quarterly training course in San Antonio.

Creative Success Resources

Where in the world are these Creative Coaches hiding? As I promised earlier, I’ve got a few really great resources to share with you.

For Creative Arts Business Coaching, visit Morna McEver at ProfessionalQuilter.com. Morna is a talented coach who works with professional quilters, pattern designers, fabric and mixed-media artists, and other creative women entrepreneurs. Morna was my first business coach and my work with her was incredibly helpful.

If you have a passion for your art, but you feel stuck, contact Lesley Riley at ArtistSuccess.com. I have not been in a coaching relationship with Lesley; but, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with her and talking business with her a number of times. She is a very talented and successful artist in her own right; the perfect kind of person to serve as a coach and mentor for you if you want to get yourself and your art on track.

To learn a particular skill, you’ll have to do some searching to find the help you need. Thankfully, almost every teacher, author and coach in the creative world today has a website where you can see what classes they are offering and find out how to contact them directly. If you don’t see something on the site that fits your needs, call and ask! You’ll be amazed at how responsive these people are to answering your calls, filling you in on all their learning opportunities, and pointing you in a direction that may be exactly what you need to get “unstuck” in your creative life.

Before I go, I want to leave you with one last piece of advice. The key to a great coaching relationship and learning experience is an ongoing relationship, not just a one shot meeting or lesson. When you make a long-term commitment to learn a new skill or achieve a goal, and you invest time, effort and money in that relationship, you will get better at whatever has you “stuck.” It may take 3 months, a year, or something in between, but you’re worth it – and you deserve every minute of it!

We wandered through all manner of galleries and shops, immersed in color and texture. In places like this you can get to sensory overload in a pretty big hurry, but we took our time and really enjoyed a leisurely walk up and down the plaza. And then I found the textile place…

We walked into this amazing store and I knew I was in dangerous territory. Quilts, runners, tapestries and table cloths lined the walls, and the tables and shelves were stacked high with all manner of textile treats.

The variety was amazing! Everything from fantastic 3D pillow covers to purses, wallets and totes.

The quilts were simply beautiful. The designs were simple, but the incredible variety of local woven stripes made them incredibly vibrant.

One quilt was made of a fascinating combination of woven panels and bold prints with ethnic designs. I didn’t have time to inquire about the origins of the designs, but I was incredibly thankful that they allowed me to take photos to share with you.

While it’s easy to find machine embroidered pillow covers and runners at any local market, this shop was filled with hand embroidered pillow covers, table cloths and textiles large enough to make sizable wall hangings, even bedspreads. When you look at these closely, the detail is amazing. I can’t even imagine how many hours go into some of these pieces!

Needless to say, I was not leaving this store without something to take home with me. When I found this display of woven runners, I was hooked. The problem was deciding which color variation to choose. With everything from fuchsia to lime green to blue and purple; I finally settled on one with a really rich teal green background. It’s so yummy I just may use it as the color scheme for my new living room!

After browsing through the shops, Claudia took us to one of her favorite restaurants and ordered up a traditional dish for us to share, then whisked us off to a spa for some end-of-day pampering. What more could we possibly ask for?

The next time you’re on a vacation, take some time to search out the local textiles. It’s a treat for your eyes and your creative soul – and completely calorie free. Not to mention its a great way to support the local artists.

Have you got any good textile-hunting stories? Leave a note here on the blog or over on our Facebook page. I’d love to hear from you!

I would love to tell you that we got a whole pile of entries for the our first Community Challenge, but it simply wouldn’t be true. We did get several lovely entries, the finalists have been notified, and I look forward to seeing the projects soon!

What did arrive in my inbox was something totally unexpected. There were messages from a whole bunch of you saying you were excited, started on a Shape Shifter piece, but then got stuck somewhere along the way.

As I read through your messages, I realized that the articles I posted on the blog simply did not provide enough information for many of you to make your way successfully down the Shape Shifter path. Let’s just say I jumped the gun in posting the Challenge. Thank you for taking the time to send me a note to let me know how you were doing, and what you found “challenging.”

Now here’s the silver lining under this little grey cloud. While you were creating, and being frustrated with, your challenge pieces, we’ve been planning a big party for the new Shape Shifter Ebook. And, we will launch our very first Online Learning course right after the book is released. Between the Ebook and the Shape Shifter Class, I guarantee that you’ll learn everything you need to make fabulous fabric, and your “challenges” will be a thing of the past!

We’ve hit a few technical snags with the book and it will be coming out a little later than I expected. With Spring Quilt Market in the middle of May, the big launch will occur right around the first of June. Keep an eye on your inbox – your invitation to the big party will be here before you know it!

I love the way everything came together. The cover fabric was a blast to make. It was so cool to take off on my very first Shape Shifter adventure. From the first layer of rubbings to the final layer of embroidered stitches, I learned something new with every step.

Now, I’ll be the first to admit that it can be hard to cut up a really cool piece of fabric after I’ve painted it. But I keep telling myself to just do it! I can always paint another one. Fortunately, I resisted that ever-present urge to save the fabric for something special; I made something special right now! Why wait?

Assembling this baby got a little challenging at times. With all the layers of stabilizer in the body of the bag, the lining, and even the pockets, I had to s.l.o.w…d.o.w.n a lot while I was stitching. No zooming along with this one.

My favorite thing? I absolute love the way this bag stands up. Even with my iPad inside, the sides don’t sag. Woohoo! The new Stiff Stuff interfacing from Lazy Girl Designs is just the ticket in my mind; I will never put fusible fleece in a bag again.

Coming Soon: The Shape Shifter Launch Party!

Are you ready for your own Shape Shifter adventure? Fantastic! The new Ebook will be ready by the end of May, and we are celebrating with a Shape Shifter Launch Party. Who doesn’t love a party?

I can’t give you all the details just yet, but I can tell you it will be a live event. We’ll be celebrating the new Shape Shifter Ebook and, drum roll please, three fantastic online learning opportunities. As a member of our community, you will, of course, be first in line for the details. More soon!

While I was vacationing in Chapala, Mexico I had the pleasure of meeting Lorraine Taylor, a lovely and talented lady from Chemainus, BC. Chemainus is located on Vancouver Island. It’s an old mill town that is best known today for the murals painted on many of the buildings.

Lorraine spends the winter months in Mexico and happened to be staying in a cottage just a few steps away from our lovely suite at the QQ Inn. After an introduction by another one of the guests, I joined two other women at the hotel for a peek at Lorraine’s silk painting.

To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. I’ve played with a lot of fabric and paint over the years, but I’ve never seen silk painting up close and personal. It was a real treat to see how she worked on her scarves.

When I saw the scarves that Lorraine had been painting, I assumed she had been doing silk painting for many years. In fact, I was totally wrong. We sat down for a chat in the gardens one afternoon and she told me that she had only been painting on scarves for three short years. I could hardly believe it!

Lorraine confided that she was like so many others – she loved art but felt like she couldn’t “DO” art. She surrounded herself with beautiful art, and even owned a gallery for a number of years. But here’s the kicker. She didn’t believe she could “DO” art until she saw a friend doing silk painting and said to herself, “I have to learn to do this!” That was at the tender age of 73!

As you can see, Lorraine has learned l lot in 3 short years. She does most of her painting on scarves, but I suspect that many are hung as ornamental pieces. They really are remarkable.

It was great fun talking about her painting and how it fills her time when she is away from home in the winter. She laughed when she told me that she “rations” her scarves, putting far too much work into each one so that she doesn’t run out of supplies before it’s time to head back to Vancouver Island in the spring.

Your Art Is Waiting. Are You Ready?

My conversation with Lorraine was a real eye-opener in several ways. First, it was an affirmation in my belief that each and every one of us is a talented, creative being. We are all capable of doing beautiful things if we are willing to embrace our creative nature.

Second, it was a clear lesson that age is no barrier. Whatever your age, you can take on a new adventure, including giving up the notion that you can’t “DO” art. Lorraine decided to Explore the Magic of Fabric Art at 73. What an adventure it has been so far!

Do you have a story to share? Leave a comment below. I’d love to know how you got hooked on fabric art.