Learning to focus

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Linda Matthews

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”
Buddha

Every month I make a vision card as a way to set my direction and general focus for the month. I’ve found that having a monthly “vision” helps me to stay on track with what I hope to achieve during the month. My vision card for this month is “Focus”, something I badly need to invite back into my life.

Vision Card

I have to admit it’s been a bumpy ride these last few months and when life is in transition it’s easy to get lost or caught up in the emotions and all the changes that are happening. It often feels like you’re being swept along with no control over what’s happening or the outcome. At some point though comes the realization that this is also a choice we make; we can allow life to overwhelm us or we can start to take back a little control.

I’m not that much into controlling things, however I do like to have some direction. Sort of like steering a sailboat – you may not know where the wind is coming from, but you can skillfully manoeuvre the sails to get where you’re going. I’ve found that the best way to do this is to learn how to focus.

Learning to focus is a skill much like any other and is the one and only thing that will ever get you to where you want to be. Without focus, you are just wandering aimlessly.

My first step toward gaining focus is … Continue reading →

How do you see yourself?

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Linda Matthews

I finally managed to get a little sewing in recently and finally finished a self-portrait challenge for my local fiber art group.

I wanted to do this piece all in fabric but I don’t work much with commercial fabrics any more and after I moved recently I gave away practically all of my stash of commercial fabrics (that’s right – it’s all gone!). So I don’t have a large selection of fabrics anymore and for this piece I really needed something that was a little more traditional than what’s left in my stash. So what’s a girl to do? … Continue reading →

Making moments count

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Linda Matthews

So how many different ways are there to print on fabric – or paper – or fabric paper? I haven’t run out of ideas just yet.

This is another page from my Image Transfer Art Journal. This print is made on crumpled tissue paper coated with digital grounds. It was a little tricky painting the tissue because it’s so fragile, but it was worth the effort because the color is just spectacular.

Printing on Tissue Paper

The crumples add a rich and interesting surface texture. … Continue reading →

Serenity: printing on organza

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Linda Matthews

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This art journal page is made using an image printed on organza with an inkjet printer.

Printing on Organza

Printing on sheer fabric offers very creative alternatives to printing on solid fabric. The transparency of sheer fabric allows you to add layers of visual texture that combine to form a unique image. This piece of organza is … Continue reading →

New in the store: Photo art fabric prints

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Linda Matthews

For the last several years I’ve been diligently working hard to perfect my Photoshop skills (lots of eye rolling here) which I put to good use when printing photo art designs onto fabric to make my art bags which you can see here, and my more recent venture printing on paper for my 2012 calendars and bookmarks which you can see here.

So now, since some of you have been asking, it’s time to make some of my designs available to you on fabric, so here you go!

These Photo Art fabric prints are available in sizes 10″x8″ and 7″x5″ and are fully washable. They come printed on either soft high quality 200 count cotton which is ideal for using as focus panels in quilts or other types of textile projects, or cotton canvas which makes them suitable for framing as artwork or for using in textile projects that require a sturdier fabric.

I haven’t done much in the way of quilting recently, but I’m currently quilting each of the panels and plan to combine them all into one wallhanging. I think it will look loverly, but we’ll soon see. My quilting is a little rusty.

I currently have four brand new flower designs available from my “Graffiti Garden Series”. Each piece is digitally signed on the front and also personally signed on the canvas prints.

You can find ordering details here in my store. Or if you prefer, you can also find them here on Etsy.
Questions? Email me.

Graffiti Garden Series: Sunflower
Photo Art Prints

Graffiti Garden Series: Coneflower
Photo Art Prints

Graffiti Garden Series: Tulip
Photo Art Prints

Graffiti Garden Series: Rose
Photo Art Prints

… Continue reading →

Cuteness alert

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Linda Matthews

I haven’t been able to get much sewing done lately (you know I suffer withdrawals if I can’t get to sew on a regular basis). But I did find a little time to make a couple of small zippered pouches which turned out quite well I think. And the best thing is they only took about an hour. I love small projects!

I used a photo of my new grandson Jake, added some photoshop touch ups, then printed it on fabric to make these two different styles.

Printing on Fabric

I kinda like this one.

Printing on Fabric

But I think I like this one the best.

Printing on Fabric

I’m going to use these for organizing stuff in my handbag; they’re just the right size at about 4.1/2″ x 7″. I always worry about using white fabric in or around my handbag (unspeakable things lurk in there) but these are fully washable so I think they’ll be fine. Plus I think I’ll make another couple for family gifts – the perfect weekend project!

Printing on Fabric

I hope you find a little time this weekend for some quick projects. And if you’re looking for some quick sewing projects to use for gifts, I’ve just added a couple of new listings to the Free Purse, Bag & Tote Tutorials website – There’s a wristlet which you can find here, and a couple of small triangular coin purses that are so cute, I think I’m going to have to make some myself! You can find them here.

… Continue reading →

Making custom fabric

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Linda Matthews

After experimenting with some textural mixed media designs the other day – you can see my results here – I began to think that the designs would look particularly good printed onto fabric.

And they did!

When testing whether new designs will look good on fabric I always start small, so I whipped up a few small coin purses to test things out and I *love* the way the fabric turned out. I used the same design in different colorways and with different size perspectives and decided I like the close up textures best. I think I’ll be trying some more of these.

You can find the coin purses in various colorways for a short while here in my Design Store . Or if you prefer, you can also find them here in my Etsy store.

Coin Purse

… Continue reading →

I said I wasn’t going to … but …

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Linda Matthews

I love technology, I really do!

But I love my books even more.

The feel of them, the smell of them, the weight of them in my hands.

So I’ve resisted getting a Kindle. And I resisted really well until recently when I was cleaning out all my old books and I realized just how many I have. Books that I’ve read only once and know I will never read again. And I thought of all those trees and, well, now I own a Kindle.

And I kind of like it.

For some books though, not for every book.

Because there are special books – books with special words and books with lovely pictures – that absolutely deserve to be printed on paper, and I love to be curled up on the couch with those books in my hands flipping through the pages.

But there are books that don’t really serve much purpose after they’re read once except to take up too much room on my bookshelf. So those types of books are good for the Kindle.

But of course now that I have a Kindle, I just had to have a Kindle cover!

So I went through my pile of injured prints looking for a print that might work for a Kindle cover only to discover that the pile is disastrously low. Which means I haven’t been doing enough printing on fabric lately! So I will have to remedy that fairly soon.

But in the meantime, the Kindle cover nagged at me so I did a quick calculation and sure enough it was just about the same size as my Moleskine notebook cover design so I did a quick print using one of my “One Word” designs and in no time at all I had a Kindle cover made.

Printing on Fabric: Kindle

I even managed to make the corners pooch out so the Kindle lies flat.

Printing on Fabric: Kindle

And of course I used one of my favorite “One Word” designs on the front.

Printing on Fabric: Kindle

And an elastic wrap around to keep it closed.

Printing on Fabric: Kindle

I *love* it! What do you think? What do you use to keep your kindle safe?

… Continue reading →

The Story of an Art Doll: The Face and Body

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Linda Matthews

From time to time I like to challenge myself by creating new ways to use my favorite fabric embellishing techniques. For this project I chose to make an art doll which is something a little out of the ordinary for me.

I chose not to draw or paint a face mainly because I’m not all that good at drawing faces. Instead I found a black and white clipart image of a woman’s face. I really liked her facial expression – very serene with just a touch of sassiness. So I photoshopped out everything except the main features of her face …

Art Doll Face

… and then printed the face onto a piece of muslin.

Art Doll Face

I then cut out the body shape of the doll which is very basic because she’s really just going to be used to show off her beautiful embellished clothes.

Art Doll Face

Then I sewed her, stuffed her, and added arms and legs. Yikes, she looks like ET in a Halloween mask.

Art Doll Face

Ahh there, she just needed some hair which is made from some beautiful decorative yarn. She’s looking much better now. I like her wild reddish hair but I’m not sure what sort of a “do” I’ll give her yet, so check back in a few days after she’s visited the hairdresser. She should have the beginnings of some clothes by then also.

Art Doll Face

Next: The Story of an Art Doll: The Fabric
… Continue reading →

The Faceoff: Bubble Jetset 2000 v Digital Grounds

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Linda Matthews

Bubble Jetset 2000 versus Digital Grounds If you love to print on fabric as much as I do, it’s easy to get confused by the various products that are available for this purpose, and the two products I get asked about most frequently are Bubble Jetset 2000 and Digital Grounds.

The most common question .. Is one product better than the other?

The short answer .. No, because Bubble Jetset 2000 and Digital Grounds are two totally different products used for two totally different reasons.

Bubble Jetset 2000 is used to make your inkjet prints permanent and washable. The images are water resistant and waterproof.
Digital Grounds is used to prepare the surface of your fabric (or any other flat surface) so that you can print on it using an inkjet printer. It enhances the color and detail of the printed image. The image needs to be sealed in some way in order to become water resistant and/or waterproof.

The only things they have in common are that both products can be used with fabric for the purpose of printing images onto fabric using your inkjet printer; this is where the similarity ends.

To expand a little …

Bubble Jetset 2000

Bubble Jetset: Embellished Dragon What it is
Bubble Jetset is a liquid solution that looks like water.

What it does
Bubble Jetset 2000 allows you to prepare fabric (100% cotton or 100% silk only) so that you can print images on fabric using your inkjet printer.

Are the images waterproof?
Yes, the printed images are permanent and washable.

How to use it
You use Bubble Jetset by soaking your fabric in the solution for 5 minutes, allow the fabric to dry, then iron it. Your fabric is now ready to print on although you will need to first secure it to a carrier sheet. Allow the print to dry for 30 minutes and then rinse the fabric in a mild detergent such as Bubble Jetset Rinse.

Where to get it
Bubble Jetset can sometimes be found in your local quilt or sewing store. You can also purchase online from various sources including the manufacturer C Jenkins Co.

More information
Additional information can be found on the manufacturer’s website – C Jenkins Co.

Digital Grounds

Digital Grounds: Crackle Paste What it is
Digital grounds is a liquid solution that you paint onto the surface of fabric (or other types of flat surfaces) using a paint brush. It comes in three liquid types categorized for use on porous surfaces, non-porous surfaces, and a quick-dry solution for a multitude of surfaces. It is similar to Inkaid.

What it does
Digital Grounds prepares just about any relatively flat surface (including fabric) into an ink-jet printable surface. It enhances the color and detail of your inkjet print.

How to use it
You paint digital grounds on to the surface of your fabric (or other type of substrate) using a paint brush, allow it to dry, then attach the substrate to a printer carrier before printing your image.

Are the images waterproof?
No. The printed image then needs to be sealed in some way to prevent dirt and water damage.

Where to get it
Digital grounds is not available in stores (to the best of my knowledge) but you can get it online and I recommend DickBlick.com.

More information
A lot of information about using digital grounds to print on fabric can be found on my website here. Additional information can be found on the manufacturer’s website – Golden Products.

Still got questions? Use the comment box below.

… Continue reading →