Jacquard Fun!

Some of the best tie dye that I've made was done using Procion MX dye. I have decided to try using the Sodium Alginate SH and the Synthaprol.

                

Sodium Alginate is a thickener made somehow from kelp or sea weed. This is not what you would want to put in food but it seems to me as if there is some kind of thickener used in ice cream that it like this stuff. I dissolved it in warm water much like someone would with gravy mix or jello. I just kept stiring until it started to thicken up and I put it in the fridge to cool down. I left it in there for about an hour or so. Then, I dumped Procion dyes into the mixture. One I made Jet Black and the other was Fuschia.

I tie dyed a few shirts tonight. And folded them differently from eachother because I wanted to see what this "stained glass" effect was that I had read about somewhere. So, with the stained glass you dye it how you normally would but when you are done with the colors, you take this thickened mixture and paint it onto the outside of your shirt. 

I did that with a few of the shirts tonight. Actually, 5 of the four! haha. Hopefully it looks super cool and not just completely black. I added more thickener than needed but I think that next time I will have to add more. I want it to be thicker than it was.
The shirts are in the washer right now. I plan to wear one a day to work this week, starting with my favorite one! Once the laundry is out of the washer I can report on how I feel the Synthaprol preformed.

Super Easy DIY Magnets Using Recycled Magazines!

Making some cool art for your fridge can be really easy and fun! First, you will need to find some magazines that you can cut images from. These small pictures can be just about anything, for one of mine I used a of scan from a planet and it came out looking so cool! So use your imagination!

 I went to the dollar store for glass "beads" that are flat on one side... I dont know what these are called exactly, but some people use them for doing mosaic work. I think that clear work the best but feel free to go crazy and use colored!
Because I paint I already had gloss medium and that is what I use as the glue to adhere the picture to the bead and then the magnet to the back of it all. Simplicity is the best!
Also, you will need coin magnets. I have found them a few places, but just about any arts and crafts store will have them for sale.

I cut out the pictures that I think will look cool, bigger than I think I might need and then trim for their individual pieces of glass. I do this because the pieces of glass tend to be a bit irregular. One thing that you can do is have a piece of the glass handy and slide it over images you might think will look cool. You can get an idea of what your finished product will look like with little muss or fuss. So, I glue the images face down to the flat side of the "bead" and let them dry. The coolest part is flipping them over and seeing the really cool magnifying effect that is caused by the curved glass. Whatever I put underthere is made to look larger than life. That is why it can be fun to be creative and try different kinds of images. 
Once the gloss medium is dry I put another dollop on the wrong side of the image and gently place the magnet into the puddle. I like to have a bit squish out from around the sides just because I think it will hold better.


Once these are dry they are ready to be used as art on your fridge, locker or desk at work.

This is a highly gratifying project because it is fast, easy and most of all AFFORDABLE!

Inktense On Fabric!

I tried a few different ways of using Inktense on fabric. After reading on the internet that this was possible I had to see for myself. It has taken me awhile and there is no excuse for that but my laziness after I get home from work. 

I found a scrap of white cotton fabric and hemmed the edges. Lucky for me I sew and paint so I had scraps in my bin! I drew onto the fabric (dry) with the pencils and used a paint brush to wet the fabric. One of the samples I painted fabric medium over the color while it was still wet. I then let these set for a day and a half. That was the hardest part! WAITING! 

I used my clothes iron to heat set two of the three samples. Next step was the wash. Threw them in with some other dark clothes that needed to be washed. I wasnt entirely sure how this would come out! I can be such a dummy sometimes, and I forgot to take a "before" picture... BUT I do have the other!!!!

Easy Peasy Potholders!

I love sewing but it can be hard when I get into a large project because it can take awhile to see the results of my labor. That is why I love love love making small things and these Potholders are small and fast. I work mostly with scraps that I find at thrift stores and what I have gleaned from friends so being able to make something nice, is NICE, ya dig?

So, here are pictures of the first pair I made. Raiders of course! They are for my boyfriends father, I haven't been able to give them to him yet, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't read my blog so I will be safe.

There are two finger pocket things on the back which makes it a nice tool in the kitchen.

I used Insul-Bright for the stuffing backed up with some all natural cotton, only because I wanted them to be more puffy. I have read on the Internet that when using the heat resistant batting that you can use just one layer...