Tuesday 17 July 2007

Textile Challenges - July

I belong to a Yahoo Group called Textile Challenges, and this month we were challenged to 'decorate' some thin card tags/labels, that Carol, our Moderator, supplied. This is what I did with mine. First I cut them down to 2" wide! Then I crumpled brown wrapping paper several times, laid it out and ironed fusible web onto one side of it. I then laid out the tags and ironed them to the other side of the fusible web. I cut them out, recut a shape into the top and rounded the bottom edges, then painted the crumpled side with a light coating of gesso. When dry, I painted each tag with acrylic paints, straight from the tube, quite quickly before they dried. I also painted the back of the tags in a similiar manner. When dry I rubbed them over with a Markal/Shiva stick, then with a cloth rubbed my finger over the surface quite hard to rub the wax in as much as I could. I also did this with the backs. Finally, using a sponge brush I painted over the surface with a purple 'ink' made from Procion dye.

This just shows one of the tags, and a back. This was an experiment, and the magic bit for me was when I added the 'ink' last of all. It coloured all the cracks I had made (on purpose of course!) and I was well chuffed with the result.

7 comments:

Doreen G said...

And well chuffed you should be Val they are fantastic-you are creating some wonderful art at present.

Carol said...

Your tags are stunning Val. You should be well chuffed with the result they are fab.

Purple Missus said...

Gorgeous colours Val and I love the 'crinklyness' - makes you want to touch them :)

Unknown said...

Beautiful colorful tags Val !!! Similar to some parchment paper I have recently painted using the Encaustic Art technique!!! They are definitely "sister" tags!!! Will get mine posted to my blog soon.

Alis Clair said...

Oh very beautiful Val. Love the texture.

Carol said...

These are soooo lovely, I love the texture and the richnes of the colour. Clever you, you transformed them!

dot said...

Val, lovely as ever.The procion dye used as ink is a grat idea, have lots of the stuff! I,m really fond of the texture of brown paper and often use it for all sorts of things, but never like this! Oh dear more things to explore!