Well, I have a bit of an update: I have decided to fast-track my move to the Frisco Bay and make the drive next month. This is a bit sooner than I had originally thought, but I just don’t rest well on my laurels and I am ready to embark on the next leg of my life adventure. I know I will make quicker progress out in Napa, “glamping,” than trying to build the business remotely from my house in Houston…so California here I come!
What’s slowing me down as I pack is a dilemma I know other surface design aficionados face: I am surrounded by bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, styrofoam peanuts for goodness sake…all great stuff with which to low-tech print!
I recently received Julie Booth’s book for review, Fabric Printing at Home, a great starter book for those new to fabric printing, and a wonderful refresher for those of us who need a little coaxing and coaching to re-evaluate everyday items as potentially exciting objects for printing.
All of the ideas in this encyclopedic book are creative and low-tech (meaning they are on the cheap), and for those with restless kiddies at home over the holidays, this is a comprehensive resource to inspire an afternoon (…or two or three) of indoor printing activities.
I do have a copy to give away, and I’ll randomly select a winner early next week from those who respond to the following question:
What is the object you have used to print with that has yielded the most surprising results? (I will say I am particularly eager to hear this answer!)
Now back to packing…
I’m not sure what it is called, but it is used to cut open squares in the top pie crust. It prints as an amazing grid of squares. I love looking in hardware stores and kitchen supply stores for unique items to print with!
My fave surprise for printing has been a half of a fresh artichoke (cut lengthwise from stem to top) which looks like a peacock feather!
I used a grid-like plastic ‘berry basket’ to print on some luscious hand-dyed fabric. The grid lines were amazing! Unfortunately the berry basket has gone somewhere – not in my studio ANYWHERE and just try to find one of those in the stores now. Berries are now packaged in a plastic ‘clamshell’ box and they don’t make good prints.
Wiffle Balls,, the golf balls that have holes in them, the you get a sports stores.. Not sure what the clerk called them, but it was not the name I know them by.. They are in the “ball” sections of Big 5.. make great designs when tied in the fabric for dyeing… Enjoy! vivian
Nothing exciting, but my go to print tool is the edge of an expired credit card.
The treads of my hiking boots, running shoes, and PF Flyers!
I BUY ROTERSERIE( SP) CHICKENS FOR A QUICK MEAL. THE PLASTIC CARTONHAS A WONDERFUL BOTTOM. AND ALSO BAKERY CAKES IN THE GROCERY STORE HAS A WONDERFUL BOTTOM. BIG CIRCLES. I JUT MUST LIKE BOTTOMS
A potato. Talk about your “low tech”!!
A wadded up plastic bag.
A star fruit, piece and whole.
Moldable foam stamps. I never thought I could get a clean, clear print with them until I tried them. They opened the door to using all kinds of items for stamping with paint, ink or even dye. Lots of fun.
Happy moving Pokey!
Stamps and stencils I make with a hot glue gun. I’m never too sure how well they might work, so it’s always a surprise. I’m loving the imperfect Art at the moment so this works well for me.
I printed using a squiggle made from a hot glue gun, it was curved like a scroll. Just make a hot squiggle of glue on parchment and let it cool, peel it up and use it directly to print or to remove paint from a gelli plate before printing from the plate.
Most fun? Experimenting with decolorant, the ones that have dye in them so you get color where you remove the original color on the fabric….We have used stamps, stencils, assorted shaped cups/circles, brushes, bubble wrap (assorted patterns),drip patterns and whatever. Love techniques where the results are somewhat unpredictable.
Happy packing/moving!
Ann Pugh in Las Vegas
cronelv@pughlitzer.com
Carrots and celery
An old fashioned metal grater with different sized grates on each side. They create interesting markings and can be dragged into various sized lines. The bottom makes nice rectangles too.
I like using a roller wrapped with thin cord. I can make big passes just rolling it long.
😀 eirdre
Potato mashers. It was in a class with Gunner Hagg. She has a collection and I want one
a pineapple. I expected it would stamp a lovely texture that was as highly patterned as the actual surface. First of all, someone in the house kept eating the pineapples before they could be printed. Then when I did try to do it, they created just a smudgy mess. Both when I rolled them on the fabric, and when I wrapped the fabric around them and pressed.
I haven’t done any fabric printing at all, so anything would give me surprise results!
I tried a cantaloupe and got interesting results.
The end of a rolled up ace bandage
My little buddha statue! It left the sweetest little faceprint on things 🙂
I don’t envy your packing, but I am so excited for you! One of my stove burners shorted out. I went to pitch the coil, and thought, “I wonder”…….. It makes the most beautiful spirals and holds heated soy wax like nothing I’ve used.
Poison ivy leaves. oOOOooops! 🙂
I really like using TP and PT rolls; they make wonderful circles.
The edge of a putty knife, held perpendicular to the surface.
oops! I mean Predd.
I have not too much printing yet but the net bag that tomatoes and other veggies/fruits come in makes awesome patterns!
The bottom of my workout shoes gave me the biggest surprise.
I have used overripe okra, too tough to eat, cut crosswise. Lovely star shape design that can be used for repeats.
I wrapped an old lace doily around a tin can.
When I use something porous like fiber, that will soak up the paint, I paint a coat of some kind of acrylic sealer on the fiber. It keeps the fiber from soaking up the paint and distorting the shape of the stamp.
I have had great fun using two different potato mashers. One is made with wire that moves back and forth like a snake…and the other one is a flat surface with square holes in it…they both give me some great textured backgrounds. Kristin
My loofah!!! Just rolled and rolled it:-)
my favorite things to print with are fruits and veggies. I love seeing the “flowers” in the center of most fruits.
I have never printed before, but the inspiration from this question is overwhelming.
I like texture printing into gesso, and love a scrunched up deli wrap. The bottoms of wine and beer bottles work really well. Also, finely corrugated cardboard packaging, both vertically, horiz., and any which way.
A fresh Gerbode daisy!
For deconstructive screen printing, my favorites are popped bubble wrap, plastic lace doily and bottom of plastic tray for frozen fish.
A dead fish. Made a beautiful print on a T-shirt!
Bell peppers and chili peppers cut in half make the most interesting designs.
Good luck with the packing and the move!!
meant to add cut vertically or horizontally…!!!
A dog’s tail-but that was very accidentally and it didn’t work very well. I wouldn’t recommend it.
I like using the metal “chore girl”. It gives a really interesting texture and can also be pulled apart to be incorporated in surface designs with yarn sect
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I loved using the bottom of cardboard egg cartons and the bottom of some plastic food containers and their lids. interesting designs.
I’m wondering about that packing paper that comes from Crate and Barrel. Would need to figure out how to stiffen it first as it is newsprint, but would make a lovely texture. This is just supposition as I haven’t done any printing at this time.
The one lovely little thing in my print box that I keep coming back to again and again is a worn out 2″ piece of cork that fits a wide mouth glass jar. It is a circle with holes and tattered edges that wear a bit more with each use. I just can’t get enough of it. It’s like a little bit of magic.
Rosette irons, shot glasses, and vintage potato mashers. I love going to Goodwill to see what I can repurpose for printing whether paint or wax resist.
I like the look of a big kiwi print and I like to print with half an apple.
What a great idea for the grandkids, would loves coy! Have a safe and uneventful move.
An icecream cup–one of those single serving sizes you can get at the grocery store. The shape wasn’t surprising but it turned out so cool looking. I’m excited to read everyone else’s ideas. Good luck with packing! It’s never as much fun as I think it’s going to be.
A carved wine cork (safety warning: don’t drink all the wine prior to carving the cork ;-o)
The lowly spud! 🙂
mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com
A sprig from my Christmas tree! A dash of paint at the top of the sprig makes wonderful snowflake-like designs!
This inrofmation is off the hizool!
are multiple definitii :* cea generala “intruchipat in fiinta umana”* una ingusta ( narrower ) “cel care face minuni”oare s-a referit la cea larga sau la cea ingusta ?eu cred ca panteismul face parte din esenta religiilor pentru ca va doresc sa constientizati ce, de ce si cum intelegeti ceea ce cititi
My favorite thing to print with is the insert from new shoes, my spouse wears special inserts so I get the new ones he removes so he can put his in.
A toothbrush, it was so fun. Enjoy the move and good luck in California.
Pokey
Glad you are going to be out here on the west coast with the rest of us.
But, calling San Francisco Frisco Bay is grating to some people who have lived here for a long time.
The Bay Area is a good term, and covers for more than merely the City.
I want you to fit in and not be taken for a newcomer!
Anne and Terri, with all due respect, I am from San Francisco and grew up in the Bay Area. Although I have lived away for about 20 years, the time away from San Francisco has been enlightening for me when others–who have never had the pleasure or privilege of living in or visiting the Bay Area– have referred to it as “Frisco Bay.” I used to cringe when I heard it…but over the years it has become an endearing term to me when I realized “Frisco Bay” was simply their reference to our lovely home, coined by soul singer Otis Redding in his song “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”…a man from Georgia who saw San Francisco as the Golden Dream. How can we fault that? Personally, I am coming home…back to the Golden State, and what I hope, too, is for people who are from here to be more accepting of folks outside of town and how/what they term this city. My best friend (from San Francisco) had this song as her wedding dance, and so it has a special meaning to me. More importantly, I am interested in what you like to print with, which was my question in this post. Best, Pokey
I love everyone’s comments as I’m new to this and can’t wait to try it myself. Good luck w/the move, I’ve done the long distance move more than once and I think it’s easier than my most recent move which was only about 40 miles.
Hi Pokey, I agree with Anne, folks that live here don’t call it Frisco. I’ve always heard that the reasoning behind it is, that it’s so beautiful here we don’t need to shorten our name. No idea if that’s how it started or not, but it is considered a bit tacky to call it Frisco. We also refer to it as The City (always caps cause we are so proud of it LOL) or The Bay Area which includes the beautiful Napa.
Packing is no fun, but it will be so worth it! Have a great trip West!
Anne and Terri, with all due respect, I am from San Francisco and grew up in the Bay Area. Although I have lived away for about 20 years, the time away from San Francisco has been enlightening for me when others–who have never had the pleasure or privilege of living in or visiting the Bay Area– have referred to it as “Frisco Bay.” I used to cringe when I heard it…but over the years it has become an endearing term to me when I realized “Frisco Bay” was simply their reference to our lovely home, coined by soul singer Otis Redding in his song “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay”…a man from Georgia who saw San Francisco as the Golden Dream. How can we fault that? Personally, I am coming home…back to the Golden State, and what I hope, too, is for people who are from here to be more accepting of folks outside of town and how/what they term this city. My best friend (from San Francisco) had this song as her wedding dance, and so it has a special meaning to me. More importantly, I am interested in what you like to print with, which was my question in this post. Best, Pokey
I like to print with plain or mixed acrylics, using cuts through various vegetables and fruits. Favorite is okra!
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I am reading all these replies and I see I need to branch out. I just use nature’s stuff leaves, mushrooms, flowers, orchid petals are nice, shrimp plant flowers, christmas cactus flowers, lillies, any flower I see is up for grabs. Sponges and doilies are among my favorites. I like to cut snowflakes.
The ends of corrugated cardboard packing material. I have a collection of them in various shapes and sizes
I admit that I have never printed on anything, but I would love to try.
Sorry Pokey! Didn’t mean to offend anyone, you especially!
(And I also love Otis Redding 🙂
I’m pretty new to printing but love to use old rubber stamps and the always reliable bubble wrap.
Again, apologies.
Hi Pokey,
Plastic needle point canvas is wonderful for printing. Brayer some paint on it and print directly on fabric or use it with a gelli plate to develop texture for a mono print. By the way, rose wine complements packing very nicely.
I love using the little plastic tabs that close bread or fruit sacks. I dribble them on Setacolor-painted PFD fabric for sun-printing. They can also be more carefully arranged into patterns, cut in half or smaller pieces, etc. Best wishes on your move, Pokey!
Two things that surprised me with their delicateimages while sunprinting with fabric paints were feathers and cheese cloth.
The most unusual thing I’ve gelatin printed with is a fish backbone.
What is the object you have used to print with that has yielded the most surprising results? I am a novice but I did use a laser printer with freezer paper to create a pattern to embroider on top of – I learned a lot from this experience -laser printing creates a block on the fibers so it is hard for the needle to penetrate. The smaller the design the harder to embroider around. BUT If I had done it correctly I would have had a SMART print.
I have found large paper clips to be most useful—like from offices. Don’t bother with the little ones, but most of the big ones can twist into all kinds of things & shapes for printing & crafts. If they’re breaking when trying to bend & shape you’ve got bad clips—-switch to another brand!!!
Egg cartons was my most unusual.
The inside of a cardboard coffee cup sleeve! Extra surprising, since I usually take my own cup, hence avoiding these.
I love to use fruits and vegetables. They can turnoutsome ofthe most beautiful shapes.
I like to print on one of a kind objects, like a jacket. There are so many gorgeous fabrics out, some of which I am using up, that Production printing would be down the road of experience of more dyeing and surface design first. However, there nothing like a potatoe.
Gee, I am surprised it took you this long to decide to move to Cali !!! Doggies are going to LOVE it!
Evergreen boughs, they make a delicate design. Thanks for the giveaway!
I haven’t done a lot of printing at home, but I did use bubble wrap with my toddler and I was amazed at how long the paint stayed wet on the bubblewrap for!
Hi Pokey,
I carved a cross shape into good ole linoleum and printed many colors on many backgrounds. Sewed them all together and the Christian Theological Seminary in Indy owns it. That was the surprise that I carved for the first time and someone else liked it.
I am visiting San Fran and Napa area on Jan 5-10. Will you be there? My friend lives in Santa Rosa. She loves it of course!!
Bubble wrap is my favourite but I also like lego bricks and vegetables! (celery is fun!)
I have used old lacy gloves to make prints
I love grids and I like to use a piece off a plastic fruit basket. I think about what I could do with just about any container that passes through my hands to the recycling.
Browsing the hardware store is also fun.
celery and romaine lettuce, I cut off near the base and they made the most beautiful flower like shapes. I did a lot of experimenting with grocery store stuff and used the resulting fabric for canvas grocery bags for Christmas.