On-Line Class: Freeform Screenprinting

Registration is open for one of my favorite classes over at QuiltUniversity.com.

Freeform Screen Printing

four lessons, one opening each week beginning September 14th

      OUTLINE

• Lesson One
• Preparing your materials and workspace
• The mechanics of printing
• Paper stencil screens
• Lesson Two
• Found materials and other resists
• Finger blending
• Plastic stencil screens
• Bonus - discharge printing
• Lesson Three
• Flour paste screens
• Preparing images for Thermofax screens
• Printing with Thermofax screens
• Printing yardage
• Lesson Four
• Cheap and easy home-made frames
• Glue and paint screens
• Spray paint screens
• Bonus - drawing fluid and filler

The class will be open for almost seven weeks. 

An extra week is built in before one of the lessons to let you order or create your own Thermofax screen. 

Beginning experiments by Charlotte Robinson

I'll be checking into the class forum each day to answer any and all questions you might have.

Layered prints by Maggie Birchenough

I've got to say that Quilt University is one of the best deals out there. $37 for four lessons and that much of my time is an absolute steal!

Stencilled screen by Sue Price

We'll have a ton of fun - and best of all, you don't have to haul stuff anywhere!

Screened discharge with a tape resist by Elizabeth Gobson

I hope to see you there!

sign up at

QuiltUniversity.com

ABSTRACT-a-licious on Saturday

Join me for

ABSTRACT-A-LICIOUS

at

Thimble Pleasures

This Saturday from 10am-5pm

If you’ve looked with hidden longing over an imaginary wall to the world of art quilts but don’t know where to start, this is the class for you. Lyric will gently guide you through design exercises to help you create ideas for original abstract quilts. Doodles will be scribbled, eyes and minds will be opened, fun will be had. You will learn the basics of fused collage and the class will think about how to quilt their pieces. Students will end the day with at least one small art quilt top of their own original design. (1 session)  Includes catered lunch and snacks. 

Just Foiling Around

Next month I'll be teaching one of my favorite classes at the American Quilt Festival in Paducah, Kentucky. This is one of the BIG shows in the quilt world and it will be my first time there. I'm excited! I've heard so much about Paducah's Artist Relocation Program, it sounds like a dream come true to me. Caryl Bryer Fallert has her studio there now and I've always wanted to be Caryl Bryer Fallert when I grow up.

But I digress. The class I wanted to tell you about is called "Just Foiling Around: Foil, Glitter, and Painted Wonder-Under." Yup. You heard right - painted Wonder-Under. It's fusible paint - you can tear it, cut it, play with it, and I'm completely addicted to using it in my work. It gives a lovely and mysterious texture to the surface of your work and is a very versatile.

I'm also addicted to the shine and whimsy and wonder of foil. It can be very subtle or flashy, smooth or textured, and yes, it comes in many colors other than gold - I just have a thing for gold.

There is still space available in the class. #6504 on Wednesday Evening the 21st of April from 5:30 - 8:30pm. Late in the evening I know - but I'm hoping to have enough room in my suitcase for .... chocolate! If that isn't worth coming for I don't know what is!? Hope to see you there.

Artist Spotlight part 3: Melanie Testa - up and coming

Our last week with Melanie Testa has arrived and I thought I'd give her the chance to let you know of a wonderful event she has coming up. If you can get to Hampton, VA - run, do not walk, to join her at Art and Soul.... in her own words:

Melly:

For me, teaching is about interacting with students, the exchange and interplay of knowledge to such an extent that I too learn and grow from the experience. The supremely awesome thing is that students have 'beginners mind', an attitude of openness and eagerness and a lack of preconceptions. Who wouldn't feel invigorated by this? In May, I will be teaching at an event called Art and Soul.  This retreat is held in Hampton Virginia, just as the weather begins to warm up and all the flowers are in bloom.

I will be teaching two classes, Inspired Journaling, every-single-day! on Sunday, May 23  which will cover visual journaling and we will explore using resists, paints and glues to create luscious pages in our journals. No need to 'worry' over your drawing skillz! I will help push and cajole those fear where they belong.

And a Soy Wax Batik class on Monday, May 24 . Soy wax, beside being very easy to use, is an ecologically safe alternative to paraffin. It is a magical medium that yields almost instantaneous results. To make it even easier on you, we will be using paint instead of my beloved dye which has proven to yield just as lovely results!

So if you have the time and are near this fabulous retreat, please come and join in on the fun! I would love to have you.

I'd love to thank Melanie for taking the time to say hello to you all. As in our first introduction, she is an amazing artist and a wonderful person. Don't forget to leave a comment - especially if you've had a class with Melanie in the past. What was your favorite thing about the class?

You can leave one comment on each of the four Artist Spotlight posts about Melanie. Late Tuesday night I'll randomly choose one winner from among comments on the four posts to receive this original collaborative work. Melanie sent a lovely sheer organza printed with ginkgo leaves for me to work with. I've layered it with a peachy piece of hand-dyed cotton, printed with another set of ginkgo leaves. I also layered a few more leaves on the surface with a hint of gold foil. The 5"x7" piece is machine and hand stitched with a spray of gold beads scattered across the surface.

Wednesday morning I'll announce the winner so please be sure to check back so that you can send me your contact information. 

If you can't get enough of gingko leaves head on over to Melanie's blog - where she has created a little work of art with the ginkgo fabric that I sent to her. Same deal there - comment on each of her four posts about me. I'd especially love it if you've had a class with me - tell them what you loved or learned.

Chocolate and the American Quilter's Society Show

Working, working, working.
Well. 
Mostly.
I'm very distractible.

When I have a writing assignment I tend to find every little other thing that needs to be done. I do the dishes, I answer my Email. Today I just had to get up and take ten minutes to put together my favorite brownies. Then of course I had to take a picture and share with you.

Peppermint Brownies
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup flour
dash salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Melt butter and chocolate. Beat eggs with sugar and extract. Fold in chocolate, flour, salt, nuts. Bake in a greased 9x9 pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool. (yeah right!)


Icing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
drop of green food coloring
Mix, adding just enough milk so it spreads or drizzles. Spread on cooled brownies - or not if you simply can't wait.

So. Now that THAT is taken care of; there are still spots available in some of my classes at the American Quilter's Society show in Paducah, Kentucky in April. 

JUST FOILING AROUND is a favorite. Are you attracted to gittery, sparkly, shiny stuff? Do you have a sheet or two of foil hanging around that you haven't quite figured out what to do with yet? "YES!" I hear you say? Then you will love this class. I mean, really, really looooooove this class. Oh, and just to whet your appetite - we also play with painted Wonder-Under.

class number 6504 Just Foiling Around: Wednesday, April 21, 2010  5:30 pm to 8:30 pm

PHOTOS ON FABRIC teaches my favorite solvent photocopy transfer technique and more. I'll have samples and demonstrate the properties of different commercial ink-jet photo-fabrics. This one is all about easy.

class number 6509 Photos on Fabric: Saturday, April 24, 2010  8:30 am to 11:30 am

It would be lovely to see you there! Let me know if you have any questions. Tell your friends!

New Screens

I'm in the middle of teaching an on-line screen printing course for QuiltUniversity.com. Totally fun. It filled before it opened so we are offering an overflow course beginning on May 15th. $36 for a four week course is a pretty great deal. The discussion forum is open a week or two longer than that so that if "life" gets in the way you can catch up on your own time. I'm there to help with any questions several times a day.

Of course I got a little carried away and started working on a bunch of new thermofax screens. All music related. I should have them up on my website by tomorrow morning. I'm thinking of putting my screens up on Etsy for sale as well. More exposure couldn't hurt. If that part of my business picks up enough I'll turn it over to my very talented and capable daughters who are always in need of more cash. I'm one of those horrifically mean mothers who won't hand out an allowance. I do offer plenty of earning opportunities though.

First I need to make the Easter dress I promised to my youngest daughter. She picked out the fabric - I love it! I haven't sewn a thing other than her blessing gown for her. I still have most of the things I made for her sisters so I haven't needed to. Time to sew!

At The End of the Day

Tired but happy.

I spent the day teaching a group of absolutely lovely ladies from the Durham Orange Quilter's Guild. We did some design exercises, learned different ways to mount or frame small textile artworks, and decided that the class doesn't include time for making a peyote stitch beaded bezel.

I have the pleasure of working with this group again on Monday but am very glad that I have a day to rest. Monday's class is fast, furious, and fun! The students in the Surface Design Sampler Platter usually come home buzzed but I'm ready to crash by then. I need to be well rested since I'll be lecturing after the class. Hmmmm. Glad the lecture is "lights out" since my hands are usually well painted by the end of that class!

Play With Your Food

What happens when you play with your food? This!

A printed and painted sketchbook cover. 4" x 6"

I've just completed and sent off a new course for Quilt University titled "Play With Paint." Of course I looked at my course samples from the live class I've been teaching for several years and didn't think any of them were punchy enough for the web so I had to spend several days making and photographing new samples.

Can you guess what food I used to print these roses?

In the process I did what I always seem to do and got a bit carried away with food prints. Yes... actual food. It's amazing what you can print with if you slice it and let it sit face down on a paper towel long enough to absorb excess moisture. Food printing also gets in the way of feeding the family. I'll be in the middle of slicing up a salad and take a look at the mushroom in my hand and suddenly dinner is half an hour later than expected. Just gotta go make some prints!