In preparation for my first gallery show, I had to solve the problem of how to sign a stitched painting. The pieces were finished. They were stretched on internal frames. They were absolutely ready for the packing crate. Except that… oops!… Nothing had a signature! Now I knew I could sign the back of the […]
A Bit of Play with Kaleido-Designs
There’s nothing like teaching to set a person’s mind to learning something properly. With my classes at the All Things Silhouette conference coming up, I’ve been doing a lot of playing with a concept I call Kaleido-Designs. I’m having tons of fun with this. When I designed the Kaleidoscope Rubbing Plates, I did the doodles […]
Chipboard Rubbing Plates: Part 1
In the last newsletter, I mentioned that my new Silhouette Curio machine had arrived. (Yay! I love new toys!) The Curio is designed to cut thicker materials, and I was chomping at the bit to see how it would do cutting custom Chipboard Rubbing Plates. In case you’re new here at Cedar Canyon, I love […]
Studio Essentials: Finding the Sweet Spot
After three months in Chapala with (very) limited supplies, I found my home studio more than a bit overwhelming. With several decades worth of art supplies on hand, it’s a miracle I get anything done! It’s time to remove the distractions and get down to a smaller set of Studio Essentials. Rather than just “thinking” […]
Talavera Flourish Experiment
Over the past few weeks, I started digging into the treasure trove of Talavera designs on the dishes in my kitchen. The sheer volume of possibilities was a bit daunting, so I picked a single design motif for a Talavera Flourish experiment. A single motif is a great place to begin a design experiment. Click […]
BYO Batik: A Renegade Stencil Experiment
With time set aside for experiments with Renegade Stencils during my retreat, I decided it was time for some BYOB. In case you’re feeling like you’ve encountered yet another strange word in the “Shelly Dictionary,” BYOB stands for Build Your Own Batik. We’ll save the bottled spirits for another time! Build your own Batik fabric […]
Renegade Stenciling with Liquid Paints
If you’ve been hanging around Cedar Canyon for more than a day or two, you know that I’m a huge fan of Shiva Artist’s Paintstiks. I love them for stenciling on fabric because they don’t run, drip, or seep under the edges of my stencils. So, imagine my surprise when an experiment with Renegade Stencils […]
A Behind the Scenes Peek at All Things Silhouette
Drum roll, please… It’s almost time for All Things Silhouette! Terri Johnson’s ATS Conference is coming up faster than fast, and I’ll be teaching two sessions about stenciling on fabric. My sessions will be a teensy bit of lecture and a “make and take” activity, where we will be stenciling on canvas zipper pouches. Need […]
Water Lily Quilt: A Touch of Hawaii Without All The Work
As I was looking through the original samples from the Paintstiks on Fabric book, I was reminded how far we have come on this Paintstik adventure. I say “we” because it really has been a shared journey. I have had the opportunity to teach thousands of students and readers to use Paintstiks on fabric, and [...]
Add a Layer with a Sheer Paintstik Overlay
With the next Whole Cloth Collage course starting in a few weeks, Art Brain is having lots of fun with the idea of Sheer Paintstik Overlays. I feel like my brain is in a popcorn popper once she gets rolling, but I’m not complaining. When Art Brain is having fun, I’m having fun! So… what […]
A Bit of Play with Carved Stamp Graphics
Do you have a favorite stamp, stencil or texture in your collection of art supplies? Have you ever wished that it was bigger, smaller – or a stencil instead of a stamp? My all-time favorite tool is a composite stamp that I created more than a decade ago in a Complex Cloth course with Jane […]
In Search of a Custom Rubbing Plate
Custom rubbing plates have been on my Most Wanted List for a long, long time. And thanks to my Silhouette Cameo cutter, I’m getting close – verrrrry close – to the finish line on this elusive quest. I definitely need to do more testing on materials and cut settings, but I just have to show […]
