Bright Pinks and Sunny Yellows and Gold

This is what experimenting looks like. Yellow and bright pink fabric paint are pulled across an acetate stencil (attached to a screen) with a textile squeegee.

The inspiration: I use yellow screen printing tape to protect my frames from water and paint. Printing with only yellow seemed a little boring so pink was added to the mix.

The pulling of the two colours makes an exciting combination. I love how it starts with the clear separation of yellow and pink and then moves to sunny yellows and oranges on the other side of the fabric, when the colours have been pulled more.

The lining consists of bright pink crosses screen printed on cotton twill. It keeps the geometric and bright coloured theme from the exterior of the pouch, yet varies enough to act as a little surprise every time the pouch is opened.

Geoff says this is his favorite print to date. He's requested I make him a travel bag with blues and greys streaked across the screen as per the above. I'll be sure to post it once it's complete.

::: Nathalie

Upcycling Craft Project - Pennants

I thought I'd make pennants to decorate the shop for our upcoming craft show - SpeakEasy. Here I'm creating a template for the little flags. I wanted a reason to use left over scraps of fabric. So much better than throwing them out.

The flags look pretty cute against the little army of pencil cases, makeup cases and coin purses!

Finally, I thought I'd share my inspiration board. As you probably know, this spring I'm feeling loud, saturated colour. It's how I'll make my patterns pop against the neutral canvas of unbleached cottons.

What's your inspiration for spring?

Sample Sale - Tea Towel

Sample Sale - Handprinted, handmade tea towel, $10

I've been pretty lazy since the holidays but I finally got around to experimenting with drawing fluid and screen filler. It's a bit tedious but fun. The result is an organic hand drawn print, which is what I was looking for.

Geoff built the frame from scraps and I stretched the screen. (I found it's much easier to do when you wet the screen first. I'll have to post a tutorial on this another time.)

From there I printed my pattern on cotton to make a tea towel. The repeat registration came out a bit off so I'm selling it as a sample sale on our shop.

That's my Friday news. Have a good weekend!

Drunk, Sad, Hungry & Sleepy

From 2004-2006 Diana and I ran an online boutique called Lime. We were well known for our original handmade iPod cases, though we also made wallets, totes and other small accessories.

While organizing a box of product from our old Lime days and came across this super cute mini-series that my brother Rene had created for us. Their names (clockwise) - Drunk, Sad, Hungry and Sleepy.

The idea came about when I asked Rene to draw me a drunk sheep for a special project. The illustration was put on cotton and sewn into a mini stuffed toy. A couple of weeks later, Rene had drawn additional characters for us. Even now, I'm still smitten with these little guys.

I always enjoy collaborating with my brothers but Rene and I haven't had the chance to work together for years now. He's been busy creating original video games for his studio, Revolver Games.



You can check out his fun Arcade Shoot-'em-up game on Galaxy Parade.com. In addition to the original concept, having created the characters and the game, Rene also created the original score. But seriously, it's pretty fun. Give it a try!

::: Nathalie

Project: Stenciling

Since an early age, I've loved "how to" tutorials and making my own things. As an adult, I'm still into diy, and really enjoy incorporating it into my day to day life.

I had the idea to stenciling something simple like a grocery tote to transform it into something pretty, unique and personalized. After reading Printing By Hand by Lena Corwin, I felt ready to try my first stencil. (This is an excellent book if you are interested in hand printing. She goes through all sorts of techniques and teaches you what print works best with what project- wood, fabric, etc.)

Here are my steps to making your own stencil.

You'll need:
* Preshrunk cotton tote bag
* Fabric Paint
* Terraskin (or thick grade mylar)
* Exacto knife

* Self Healing Cutting Board

* Paper towels

* Binder clips
* Spray Adhesive (for the use of fabric)
* Stippling Brush or Sponge brush
* Illustration board or other smooth, sturdy surface.

1. I started with an unbleached cotton tote, prewashed and preshrunk it. (Don't skip this step on any project that will be washed at some point. Always preshrink.) If needed, iron your fabric afterwards.
2. While you're waiting for your tote to wash and dry, create your pattern. I did mine on Adobe Illustrator, printed it off and taped it on top of the Terraskin and started cutting away the crosses.
3. With your preshrunk tote and stencil ready - you can prepare your workstation. I laid down an old towel to protect my table from spills.
4. Take your illustration board and put it inside your tote. Make sure the board is centered and the fabric is smoothly laid down. Clip the sides with binder clips to keep the fabric in place.
5. Lightly spray the back of your stencil with adhesive. (Do this outside if possible to prevent spaying your furniture, walls or floor.)
6. Position the tacky side of stencil onto your fabric. Make sure it's adhered well so your paint doesn't bleed.
7. Now the fun part! Take your brush, dip it into the paint, blot any excess off on the paper towel. Start filling your stencil.
8. When you're done, carefully pull your stencil off and wash the paint and adhesive immediately with a bit of dishwashing soap. (Clean your brush too.) The back of your stencil may still be a little tacky but don't worry. Proper cleaning and storage will give your stencil a longer life.
9. You're done! Let your tote bag dry and start using it or, gift it as a really cool unique present.

::: Nathalie

NOTE: When I first started this project, I was looking for mylar, but my local art supply store only carried a thin grade. My brother suggested I try Terraskin, which feels like plastic, but is made out of stone and is degradable. It cost $3.50 (for a large sheet) and it's nice to the environment. If it's available, I suggest going with Terraskin. It's also easy to cut with a sharp blade.

You can also pick up your stippling brush and fabric paint at the art supply store. I visited Michael's before hand, but found their prices were ridiculously expensive for only a few ounces of fabric paint. I got a much better deal at the art shop.