easy printing on fabric

I have been working on a number of sewing projects, one being an art quilt to hang on the wall. And since I typically never buy printed fabric and instead make my own, I set out to create some unique quilt squares with lots of texture.

I am always trying to find new and different ways to create pattern and texture on the surface of fabric and paper and using simple materials is my favorite way! If you haven't heard of scratch foam then you are missing out! It is basically a thin piece of soft styrofoam that can be scratched and "carved" into with simple tools. Made for kids but perfect to use in simple surface design projects when you are looking to transfer pattern and create texture. (a piece of regular recycled styrofoam could also work)

I started by cutting out squares of scratch foam in the size of the squares that I want to quilt with.

Next I started drawing into the surface of with a chop stick- but you could use tooth picks, pens pencils or anything with a point.

I covered the entire surface of the scratch foam with my drawing (or doodle).

I created a few different surfaces with different designs.

Next, I grabbed a variety of Tulip Soft Fabric Paint- one of my favorite products to use when painting or printing on fabric- lots of fabulous colors to choose from and the best part is no heat setting required!

I covered the scratch foam with an even layer of fabric paint,

flipped the foam over and pressed down firmly onto the surface of plain white fabric.

and then pulled the scratch foam plate from fabric to reveal my design.

Note- this technique of printing pattern with the scratch foam is not going to get you perfect clean design every time (your should use block prints, stamps or event silkscreen if you want clean designs)- in fact each printing gives you something a little different and each and every print reveals some interesting and wonderful texture!

I printed all my different squares

and got lots of unique texture and pattern.

I covered the surface of about 1-2 yards of fabric.

Last, I cut out each square in preparation for designing my art quilt which will be coming soon :)

scrappy little easter eggs

If you are like me (which I have a feeling some of you out there are!) you probably have lots of fabric scraps. I can't quite bring myself to throw out all my scraps- even the tiny ones because the creative ideas are really endless. In my quest to create some more unique Easter eggs I decided to put all those teeny tiny scraps to use...

I started by selecting fabric scraps.

Next I bought some cheap plastic Easter eggs and pulled out my Aleene's Original Tacky Glue-one of THE best crafting supplies to ever exist :)

Using a brush I began to cover the surface of the egg with glue.

I added scraps to the glue and using my brush I pressed down the fabric.

I covered the entire surface with scraps of fabric and then added a thin layer of glue all over the surface to get all the edges and loose ends pressed down.

I smoothed everything down with my fingers- messy but effective.

I let the surface dry and then added a little rolled fabric flower to the top. Tutorial for flowers here

I created eggs in a variety of colors.

i love puff paint

It is no secret that I love dimensional paint (AKA puff paint or 3-D paint) and I use it in many of my craft projects. Gone are the days when puff paint can only be used to create tacky sweatshirts!! There are SO many ways to put this supply to use and lately I have been getting lots of questions about how to use it. So I thought I would put together a simple post dedicated to how diverse and fabulous this supply can be in art and craft projects.

My favorite dimensional paints are all made by iLoveToCreate and there are a variety to choose from but my favorites are Scribbles Dimensional Fabric Paint and Tulip Fashion 3D Paint. They are easy to use, really affordable and can be incorporated into all kinds of projects.

The best part about dimensional paint is that the applicator tips are tiny and the paint is nice and thick- which makes it really easy to create small dots, details and embellishments on different surfaces.

You can use all those tiny dots and details to create a pattern- time consuming but SO worth it!

You can draw and doodle with it- the tip is so small that it makes fine lines and details easy.

You can combine colors to create a surface filled with visual interest.

If you don't like the dimension (or puffy quality)

you can lay another material (paper, fabric, paper towel) over the top of the wet dimensional paint

and lightly press down.

Pull apart and not only have you flattened "the puff" but you also have two surfaces to use in your projects. This is a great technique to use in fabric projects.

You can use dimensional paint to add embellishments or dimensional elements to a drawing.

You can even write with it!

Since dimensional paint is typically made for fabric (even though I use it for EVERYTHING) you can easily add permanent embellishments to fiber surfaces.

and even layer on top of painted or dyed patterns on fabric.

One of my favorite techniques that I often teach in classes, is using it to create a splatter or scribbled look. (much cleaner that actually splattering paint!)

Often I will press another surface on top of this technique- its like a 2 for 1 deal!

Here are a handful of some of my favorite projects that I have created with dimensional paint- just to give you an idea of how versatile it can be!

my recent valentine card tutorial combined paper drawings and puff paint embellishments

I used it to embellish some canvas sneakers for my Graffiti Chic part 2 online class.

This embellished tank top project is one of my all time faves!

Back in the fall I used dimensional paint on pumpkins- while this was not a "permanent" project with a long shelf life, they still were so BEAUTIFUL for a few weeks!

Last spring I embellished pinwheels.

and for Easter I decorated little eggs.

Recently I created an ENTIRE OUTFIT with puff paint for the iLovetoCreate booth at CHA- probably one of the most challenging things I have even created :)

Hopefully I've peaked your interest in using puff paint!