Screen printing crows

This past summer, in Hilary's online class, we worked with adding  pencil/crayon/etc. to a photo we transferred onto our dyed/painted papers.

I've shown these before on my blog..

They were each fun to do and a perfect practice for my next project.

 Playing this weekend with my thermofax crow screen.  I had a reverse thermofax screen made of the original picture from my friend in Florida.  I just love this picture..not sure why...but I do!    

I printed this piece earlier this week and decided to extend some of the areas with paint.  See why our summer lesson gave me the inspiration to work on this print!  

Even with this printed on fabric,  I didn't think threadwork would be enough on its own to enhance the tree/limbs, hence the use of paint. 

  I just wanted to play with the screen to see if it's going to work out for another project. 

And my finished square.  It's only 12"x12" so I won't put on canvas...but I will finish with machine quilting.  And maybe add some more limbs!  Love playing!!!!  

On the arm front...I had my eval on the shoulder...think it's rotator cuff tendonitis.  I have exercises to do twice a day and 2 PT's next week and 1 the following week.  I am sleeping better at night, thank goodness...only waking up every few hours like normal but not waking up to so much pain you want to cry!  Makes me feel like a wimp!  Still knitting...but that's for another post!!

Back to screen printing

 My PT appointment was rescheduled (ugh!) so decided to do some screen printing.  Our lesson this week is to work on our design either in fabric or paper(s)...then the addition of silhouettes.  Since I'm not sure of which design I want to use.....figured I would just play with my thermofax screens of the crows.  I had a reverse image made from the original by Jane Dunnewold.    So this is my playtime this week.  

Yes, I am hung up on the 'crow' stencil.  These were printed on poster board

This was a small patchwork piece I made up for a design I was doing for the 12"x12" challenge.  I wanted to see how well the thermofax screen would print up.  I'm quite happy with it.  Next I'll use paint to draw in more of the tree(s) and large trunk.  Well, at least that's what I'm thinking I can do!!!

This was a wax screen I had made in Hilary's online class several months ago.  These remain on the screen and I love being able to just print with them and not having to come up with a design!  Actually this is on fabric, which I had printed the crows on but I didn't do a good job so the print wasn't that great.  It's a good background piece now!

These are on paper...bottom one is overdyed and reprinted with the thermofax screen.

The reverse crow print.  Just love this.  I'll over dye this paper along with some above.  

So a fun day and didn't take all that long.  Now to decide what I really want to do for our year project.  Might take me two years to decide!

Thermofax and silhouettes

 A few weeks ago in Hilary's online class, we were playing around with creating and possibly using silhouettes.  I posted about some pics I was using as well as a silhouette I printed on transparency film.  I used it to overlay on top of a paper collage which you can see here:  crow transparency overlay.  

One of the ladies in our online group suggested I get a thermofax screen made and that's what I did!  Actually, I had two screens made by June Dunnewold's online service.  I have to say they were great at making sure the jpg I sent was going to work properly and then quick service!!  I was dealing with K Wayne and this person was fantastic!!!  I definitely would recommend their service if you want some thermofax screens.  

Here is the  willow thermofax screen (I had both images made in two sizes -  5"x7" and 8"x10" - finished sizes) 

This is the crow screen better known as Bill's Crows, HA.

  Hilary did suggest (after seeing some of these prints) that I should have had a reverse image as well.  DUH!  I may have to dig into the old grocery $$'s and get each image in reverse!

I decided to play with the screens and almost forgot what to do or, really, what to use!  I started off with some paint but decided to use my thicken procion dyes instead.  Of course, I/we always have some thicken dyes left don't we!

Sure...I figured I'd just go for it and print on top of one of my paper collages...wrong! 

 Not a good result but I can use paint and brush in areas to make the image better.  At least I think I can!

This was another painted/dyed paper I had.  I only printed on this piece twice.  Not bad....just playing.

This was a screen print/overdyed paper I wanted to try printing on

OOPS!  Well, I did get one area covered!!!  I'll try to over print on this one.  The paper is coated with a wax type material to keep the dyes on the paper from running.  I think that's the reason I didn't get a good print.  But really...who washes their paper collages!  HA

This was the larger screen used to print on paper.

I mixed some blue along with the black and I really like the image.  These were the smaller screens printed on 9"x12" layout paper.

These were printed on some old soda soaked fabric I had in my dye room.  I'm hoping the image will keep as sharp as it looks now but to be honest, because I wasn't thinking!  Or remembering...I didn't batch these...I just laid the fabric out to dry.  Guess we'll see when I rinse it!

This was the willow screen I used.  It printed out very well too.

Next up I decided to print on another paper collage...

I had better results with these print.  Now to extend out the trees and branches using paint or a paint stick??  Who knows...but I'm on a roll!

More Play Time!

After playing with the transfer prints....you can see some of my strips here...I  made some of them into bookmarks for the kids and I...

Anyway, I watched another video on the Gelli Arts web site on mono printing using molding paste.  Well, again, I didn't have any molding paste so I used the next best thing I had...which was Wood Icing!   I bought this product two years ago in Florida...can't remember what I used it for but I did...guess I need to research on my own blog!

Here are two of the printing canvas pieces I made.

I used  stencils I purchased from Mary Beth Shaw's website, Stencil Girl Products.  I love these stencils and use them a lot.

Of course this is my most favorite one!!  Aren't the wheels/circles great!!!

The background fabric is from my Dr. Seuss quilt (which I'll be posting the finished piece tomorrow with Zachary finally at home!).

I used some metallic gold and black fabric paint for this print.

This one was printed with just a blue fabric paint.  Love the circles!

This was printed using the first stencil...didn't get much definition but I loved the colors in this one.  Again, I used some gold, black and blue!  Had to use up the paint that was left.

I loved the blue on the black cotton sateen so I cut some fat quarters and got out my DeColorant/blue.   Using my wonderful themrofax screens made by Sally, from Sally's Stuff (we did a trade - I made her a cuff bracelet and she made me the screens!).
Anyway, here's my fabric!  I love this fabric too...I think I'm in a black and blue mood!!!

Love these colors together!  Now to figure out what I'll use them for!!  I'm sure something is calling!

Awhile back I talked about the trade I was doing with one of my Internet blog friends, Sally, from Sally's Stuff! I made Sally a purple cuff I beaded on the loom and look what I got in the mail last week!! Three thermofax screens Sally made me!! I'm so excited to try these screens out! I sent Sally a jpg of a palm leaf and she ended up making me three different sizes of the leaf! How cool is that!!
THANK you so much, Sally!!!! Sally was in Houston for the big IQA festival but she's not updated her blog recently. I sure hope she made it back home to Australia! Be sure to check out her blog and her wonderful work!
I'm finishing up some laundry, baking cookies and set up for our fiber Christmas party here at the house tomorrow (Saturday). I always look forward to this time with the women...we just have some show and tell and LOTS of food! Everyone brings a dish to pass and each lady is a great cook. I made Russian tea cakes and my chocolate chip plantation creme cookies today. Tomorrow I'll make my corn salsa which is so good with chips! Another Foodnetwork magazine recipe! I just hope I don't gain back some of the weight I've lost!! Oh well...too bad if I do, right!