Something About Nothing

Have I mentioned that I have a Webinar on Craft University coming up next week? I'll be sharing what I know about making prints using a Gelli® Plate. I'll give advice on the tools and paints I enjoy most. I will show you how I created the fabrics in my Moonlight quilt: As well as how I created fabrics like this one: I hope you will join me next Wednesday, June 29th at 1 p.m. EST.  IF you can't join us then you can download the class and listen later!  You can sign up for class here .

 Every year we have a dye party with a quilt guild.  I was in charge of putting together the party this year and sharing my knowledge. We had 23 dye colors, sodium alginate, shaving cream, ice, ziplock bags, and lots of stamps to play with! Everyone brings their own table, table cloth and containers to create with. Andrea (on the left) has done this a few years and brought take out containers to dye in so that she could cover them up and take them home to continue processing.  Smart woman!  No wonder she is president of our guild.  Not everyone comes to the party to dye.  Many come to stitch and visit and. . .  . . .eat snacks.  This year I decided to create a color chart. I wrote the color names on a piece of soda ashed pfd and then painted on some dye.  It was interesting to see how some of the colors have a tendency to break down as they spread. There was a lot of beautiful shaving cream marbling going on. ...

Last night I received a phone call from a friend who wanted to purchase my 10x10" piece:  Blow, blow, thou winter wind . She is going to pick it up from the gallery today!!! This is another piece I created in anticipation of my Printing on Fabric with a Gelli® Plate webinar coming up at the end of the month. I have sold pieces of work through Etsy, mostly journal covers and bags,  but this is the first piece I have ever sold at a gallery.   I am doing the happy dance! Sending you all lots of love for your support through the years.

 I am working on a webinar class for Craft University  called Printing Fabric with a Gelli Plate .  The class will be broadcast live on July 29th, but if you aren't able to attend that day you can listen to it later! I used some of my class sample pieces to create this art quilt, which I have called: Moonlight . And yes the bottom is not squared up. I did that on purpose, just enough to drive me crazy. ;) I love the depth you can get from multiple layers on a Gelli® Print.  I'll show how to create prints like these on fabric, as well as teach about the kinds of paints, materials and mark making objects it takes to create a piece you will love. I hope to see you on the 29th!

My daughter is Nannying two girls, ages 10 and 7, a couple days a week.  Today I talked the three of them into playing with paint.  It didn't take much talking. I got everything out, gave them a little instruction and they were ready to GO!  I taught them not to be afraid of the paint - haha- just kidding - that skill came naturally.  I taught the 7 year old to always put the brayer up and she remembered EVERY time.  I forgot to teach my daughter and the 10 year old. . . Oops! After they made a lot of prints I showed them how they could draw over the top of their prints. . . . . .so they decided to paint on top.  I made everyone stop for a hand-selfie before they ran out the door for gymnastics. I hope they washed their hands before going on the equipment! Here is the aftermath. It's really not as messy as I thought it would be, and I was able to clean it up quick. Here are some of their prints:  And of co...