Not an Adorable Two Moment

A very unhappy Mommy found her two year old with silk paint all over. Adorable no, mad yes...  After a long huff and puff around the block like a crazy lady. I got back to clean up the damage and get a better look at her first painting on silk. It has nice lines, and a really nice pink. This is the beginnings of her first bolero vest. I will finish it and just see how it turns out. If nothing else her big sister will love it and I can save it for my little bit to wear when she gets into that sort of thing.

From the hands of a toddler to mother, a piece of history

First scarf of 2016 honey yellow shawl

Last year I painted a pretty honey yellow silk scarf and there is sat in its box just waiting to be dribbled on. The final result is a delicate silver filigree motif on a 40" x 40" square scarf. Made from 100% silk gauze.
 
 

I found some inspiration while flipping though pinterest. I thought, to myself, that theses three outfits that would look perfect with this scarf or as a shawl or draped around the shoulders.  
 
If you would like to see more vist my Etsy Shop SilkDribble
or fallow me on twitter @silkdribble
 

Favorite Tool for Sharing

A few years ago I tried and failed at trying twitter and a few other social media sites. I just didn't find them useful and way to time consuming. Lately I have jumped back on the band wagon and am finding tools and gadgets to make sharing on multiple sites less time consuming and dare I say "fun" to interact with and figure out.

I am just plugging away trying to find what works for me and by other people shareing what they use I have found Hootsuite very useful. I would not enjoy my time connecting or sharing my content as much if it were not for this simple tool. So a big thanks to all that share there tools and hootsuite for creating something that is fun and useful.

Hootsuite you can connect to 3 social media sites for free and schedule times for content to be shared. Does it get any better then that? Sure it does check it out Hootsuite Here for There Free Account

Or click the cute little owl button on the right----->

Lets play: I was born to create ______.

Felted scarf is by RudmanArt on Etsy. I have adored her scarves for several years!

She has a funky but elegant twist to her scarfs made with felted wool and silk. This is what art is for me, lovely colors and shapes telling a story. A lot of time and love was invested to make something this beautiful.

Check out more of her artistry RudmanART

Measures about 170 cm (67") long.
Well fit any neck size.

Price 189.00












This is a beautiful dramatic 3D felted scarf. Unique technology.
Made of Australian merino wool and silk, bamboo fiber, Super Fine Australian Merino wool and silk fiber using Nuno Felt technique with natural chiffon silk (100%).

Three red felted bamboo tulips adorn the scarf

Silk Flag SALE Over 40% Off Hand Painted Flags for Bands and Colorguards

Looking for a great deal on a hand painted silk flag set?

Silk Flag SALE Over 40% OFF Double Swing or Single Set of Flags

I have a beautiful set of hand painted pure silk flags that have never been used. They are 37" x 70" set of 18 flags. Make a huge impact with double swings or can be resized to 36" x 58" for a single set of flags.

Originally 52.00 get them now for only 29.00 per flag

18 Flag set in Purple, Yellow and Silver 6mm Hobotai Silk

Set: 18 Silk Flags
Size:  37" x 70" or  36" x 58"
Ready to Ship

Design: "Squidy" in Purple, Yellow, White and Silver

Send me a message on Facebook for more information

 

Silk Flag SALE Over 40% Off Hand Painted Flags for Bands and Colorguards

How Much Dye to Mix Silk Painting Flags

Before I can start a large project I have to mix all my colors first. This is how I do it with Jacquard Silk Dyes when painting with silk hobotai 8mm.

For every 60" x 36" of fabric I use about 1/2 cup (4oz) of silk dyes.

For Example: This design that will use Purple, Yellow and Gray
 (Water will create the lighter or white areas, no need to mix this)

Squidy Flag 35" x 56" Painted with Jacquard Silk Dyes & Steam Set

Looking at the design
estimate how much space
each color uses:

Purple 1/2 space = 2 oz
Yellow 1/2 Space = 2 oz
Gray 1/4 of space = 1 oz





When I have a large project of flags, having all the dyes mixed before painting is necessary to keep each flag uniform with the set. It is difficult to match colors when mixing them, so make sure to over estimate just in case.

Once I have figured out how much dye I need I will multiply this number by how many silks I will be painting.

Just for fun lets say I need 10 flags this means I will need to mix:
For Purple and Yellow 2 oz x 10 = 20 oz

Purple:  20 oz
Yellow: 20 oz
Gray:    10 oz

Leave a comment below if you found this useful or if you have any questions, I am happy to share the few things I have learned over the years painting flags for guards.

FAQ for Silk Painting from artist@silkartist.co.uk

1. Paint or Dye?

from Soraya Bollig

Florida U.S.A.

Is iron-fixed silk paint better then the regular (Jacquard) silk dye, or does it just to save you all the fixing and washing?
I have found that iron-fixed silk paints are best for paintings that are to be mounted and framed behind glass and silk dyes are best for garments. The technique that I use to hide the gutta lines is quite difficult with dyes because if you paint over them before they have been fixed the original dye moves in the silk. Even the water soluble gutta moves the dye when it is applied over a dyed area.
You can use this effect in your designs but if you don't want the first layer of colour to move when you add the second colour then use silk paint. If you dry silk paint with a hairdryer the heat will fix the paints as you work in much the same way as the final ironing.

Back to Top

---

2. Gutta Lines

from Soraya Bollig

Florida U.S.A.

Does the water soluble resist leave a white line after the silk has been fixed and washed?
If you don't want the water soluble gutta resist to leave a white line in the silk once it has been fixed and washed, always draw the gutta lines on areas of the silk that have already been painted and build up a sequence of colors and gutta lines.
You must plan your sequence of colors and resist lines before you start painting. If you plan this sequence so that you only paint to one side of the gutta lines they will not be seen in the finished painting.
See my "Workshop" page for further details.

Back to Top

---

3. Flat Colours!

from Anne Gerrish

Cambridgeshire U.K.

I'd love to know how you got the really bright green on the seed cases of the "Fuchsia pas de deux" picture. I always find my colours look a bit disappointingly flat.

The type of silk paints you use may be the reason why some of your colours look flat. I use Pébéo Setasilk iron-fixed silk paints which I find very good. When mixing a green I usually start with either a basic yellow-green or blue-green and add other colours to obtain the particular tone I want. This helps because sometimes good greens are difficult to obtain by just mixing the primaries blue and yellow. The adjacent colours also effect the colour's brightness as do its highlights and shading.

Back to Top

---

4. Veining Petals

from Mavis Hyman

London U.K.

I am intrigued by your success in veining.  How do you achieve this? On leaves or petals when a stronger hue than the background is called for  I use a very fine brush which is as dry as possible and then paint in the fine lines.

I use several ways of veining petals. The veins on the Iris Foetidissima [Gallery 4] were outlined with water soluble gutta - I dried one side before applying the second side because wet gutta seems to be attracted to itself if applied too close.
Some veining is achieved using clear water to move the paint into position before quickly drying with a hairdryer. The veins on the Delphiniums [Gallery 7] are achieved using wet cotton laid on the wet silk before the paint is applied and then dried with a hairdryer.

Back to Top

---

5. Dark Colours

from Ritu Kohli

The United Arab Emirates

Last time I ironed and washed a silk painting the black background colour became pale grey. Is there any way to prevent this?
Your pale grey background instead of black may have been because of the paint that you used. Firstly make sure you used an iron-fixed silk paint and not a steam fixed dye. Secondly silk paints vary in quality. I use good quality silk paints and have never had black wash out to a pale grey.
When you fix iron-fixed paints set your iron on the silk setting and keep the iron moving across the silk for at least two minutes as you iron. All the colours should then be fixed and should not be effected by washing out the clear gutta. If no clear gutta has been used then there is no need to wash the silk.
I have found that dark colours sometimes lighten as they dry and are not so dense. If I want a really dark background I often give it a second coat of paint. I dampen the area to be re-painted so that the colour covers evenly and doesn't appear patchy.

Back to Top

---

6. Using Salt

from Ritu Kohli

The United Arab Emirates

What will happen if I frame a silk painting without washing after using the salt technique?
If you have used salt on your silk you should always wash it out before framing the silk. Silk is an organic fabric and any salt that remains in the silk will attract moisture and could cause the silk to rot.

Back to Top

---

7. Which Colours?

from Sandy Bassett

California U.S.A.

Would you be willing to suggest what colors I would need to start silk painting? I've looked at the Pébéo Setcolor and wondered if I need to buy all the colors to start with.
If you are buying Pébéo iron-fixed silk paints you want Setasilk not Setacolor and the colours I recommend are:
a violet/red (Magenta)
a pure yellow (Buttercup)
and a blue (Cyan).
From these three primary colours you could mix all the colours you need but to make colour mixing easier add an orange/red (Coral), a green (Meadow Green) and a violet (Iris Violet) to your palette. A yellow ochre (Old Gold), a brown (Cinnamon) and black (Ebony) are also useful earth colours to mix with the others to get an even wider range of tones.
The names in brackets refer to Pebeo Setasilk colours.

Back to Top

---

8. Applying Gutta

from Thelma Yeomans

Norfolk U.K.

I find it hard to apply gutta. I have progressed from a tube to a small bottle with a nib but I cannot get the flow, curve and sweep because I am concentrating so much on getting the blessed stuff out of the bottle. Any help or tips please.
I use water soluble gutta in a plastic bottle with a 0.5mm nib for most of my work and a 0.3 mm nib for very fine lines. I only fill the bottle a quarter full then the gutta flows at a controllable rate. If you use a full bottle the gutta streams out and produces blobs. I don't try to draw all the gutta lines in one go. I dry them with a hairdryer as I work - then I don't smudge them and they don't run together and spoil my design.
I trace my design from a working drawing fastened to the back of the silk frame. This lets me concentrate on producing good gutta lines. I use a light box to see the drawing which is drawn with a medium-tipped marker pen.

Back to Top

---

9. Batik Crackle Effect!

from Diana Kahn

Texas U.S.A.

When doing batik, after I crackle the wax and proceed to paint over the wax crackled areas, what type of dye can I use.  Do I need to mix a powdered dye or can I use Pebeo Setasilk paint?
If you have used Pebeo SetaSilk paint for your painting you can use the same silk paint over the crackled areas of wax.
Wax and crackle the whole of the painting even if you are only going to apply paint to a small area. To some extent you can pre-determine the style of the crackle by the way you screw up and fold the waxed silk.
Sparingly apply the paint with a brush into the cracks as it will quickly seep through to the silk. Only paint the areas where you want the crackled texture to appear. Be careful near gutta lines as the crackled wax will allow the paint to cross them.
You can apply different colours and different dilutions of colour to get various shading effects in your crackle.
Dry the silk and wipe off any surplus paint from the wax with a piece of damp paper towel as any dried paint left on the surface of the wax will mark your painting when you remove the wax.

Back to Top

---

10. Mistakes!

from Chris

Warrington England

Having just finished painting a large area of orange coloured flowers, I realized that I had painted in part of the background, that was supposed to be blue, by accident. I tried to fade it out with water but it didn't work. Is there any way of removing this colour as I fear it will look muddy if I paint over it?
If you have used silk paint for your painting then once it is dry there is no way of removing the paint from the silk. Silk dye can be removed before it is fixed, using water and a cotton bud but there will usually be a remnant of the dye left in the silk
I would suggest that you make your background darker than planned. Blue painted over orange will indeed appear muddy so go for an even darker shade of brown.  

To view the original content please visit http://www.silkartist.co.uk/questions.htm#nine 

A big thank you to Leonard Thompson for this great FAQ about silk painting

Clotheslined on Friday When shtf

I can't help but think about all the little things that led up to this day. I was not just a one time event but a combination of events that all came entangled together and the light of the day just eclipsed them at the same time for one heart wrenching moment.

I have a teenage daughter, she made some bad choices not once or twice but many times over. We have talked many times about knowing when your are doing something you should not be doing and have made it so simple that it's undeniable. If you are doing something you have to hid or lie about you should not be doing it. I have also told her in more coded messages as “You will keep making the same mistake until you learn your lesson.” I know that one is a little harder to understand but just as important.

Here I am with my daughter, looking at myself, when I was her age. I wish I could tell my Mom sorry for the many eye rolls I gave her and the blank unresponsive faces. My own agenda written under my skin and countless hours I made her worry. I wish I could tell myself to listen to what she was saying because I was loved. Why didn't I just grab her and hug her tight and tell her how much I love her instead of placing blame. I didn't know she was going to be gone in my life before I was ready to let her go.  Once my Mom wished for me to have a daughter just like me, she said it was because I was such a good daughter but deep down I knew it was more then that. I get it Mom, I am sorry, I love you.

Yesterday, a day of change and a bit of crazy mixed in before the shtf. I went the roof top and cut down the lines to dry my clothes. It's true, I hang everything up in the sun to dry. I hand wash all my dishes too! Gasp, as much as I would love a dryer and dishwasher I kind of like hanging my cloths up in the morning and taking them down in the evening. Sometimes its the only time I can find myself alone in the quiet of the evening. The call of the prayer, sun on my back, sun setting and I get caught in the beauty of taking my clothes down. Grateful for the moment that I shared with the empty space between all of us.

The same can not be said about hand washing dishes, I would love a dishwasher!

What is my next project?  Get my husband to put up the umbrella shaped expandable clothes line. That sound easier then it really is, I am hatching a plan to annoy him for several weeks until he gets the job done. My Mom, bless her, taught me at a young age this valuable lesson. If you want something done, do it yourself, or in the event you can’t - start the job then ask every day, several times a day for the help needed to finish the job. Has not failed me yet, your welcome!



Ironic #clothesline is the one word that sums up my Friday when #shtf

Im getting all hung up on a short viedo

I want to make something useful and not to complicated.

My ideas so far are:

1. how I set up my frames for painting (I am still perfecting).
2. Print and paint project with my kids with a PDF download to paint your own
3. Steaming my silks how I do it for large or small projects
4. A quick run of my current projects in action

Any requests or ideas?

I'm leaning towards my frame project just so I can perfect it a little more. I have an idea in mind on how to make the process a little bit better. Share my learning process or #2 would be just fun.

#3 I have a large project to steam and a small project just about ready to go in so this is a good way to show my home made steamer that works great.

Or current time-laps of projects (more difficult due to 2 year old attention span)

Leave me a comment and help me decide!