Printing on Fabric

I am revisiting "printing on fabric". See the samples I have made in the past for The Workshop and then for Kozo Arts by clicking on the high-lighted links. This time I want to get bolder, use more colors and go for overall patterns. It's an the ideal theme to research pattern making, something that I have had an obsession with a long time. Pattern design is one of the disciplines that has always spoken to me. I have a pattern collection: ripped out images that I glue into a notebook. I also own a bunch of books on patterns. I love using traditional patterns as well as creating my own. Using my hand-carved stamps has been my foremost technique to print on fabric. I love the look stamp printing creates: reminiscent of old woodblock printing, you can often still see the carving lines, that lend it this unique hand-made look. So here is the first batch of images from my test-printing studio. More to come soon....

Printing on fabric

Class samples
My student Cleo's work place
First stamps were carved out of buttery soft rubber
The stamps were used to print on fabric:

and on card stock:

I am still catching up and try to post all the groovy things that happend in the last several months while I wasn't blogging (due to elbow issues). I taught a wonderful and fun class for The Workshop a while back. It was part of my stamp making series, but this time we stamped also on fabric. More stamp classes are actually coming up in October, November and December. Check out The Workshop website and see all the classes I and other teachers teach for them.

Some of my stamps

Here are some of the stamps I carved for different occasions: Valentine's Day, Day of the Dead, Winter Solstice, Birthdays or Thank you notes. The person who got me started some years ago is the wonderful Alice Armstrong, who teaches at Castle in the air . At a time when I was mostly doing art with kids and for kids, she encouraged me to follow my own creativity and taught me many skills, including calligraphy.

A lovely stamp-making afternoon

Not only for cards, but use the hand made stamps on gift bags, wrapping paper or boxes!


I took Ellen's Marbleizing Paper class and made beautiful paper, that I later used as a background under my Valentine's stamp. I love it, when you can combine different classes.


Here are some of my carved rubber stamps.


Everybody was busy, working away.

I spent a perfect afternoon at the Workshop's sun-filled studio teaching how to carve rubber stamps and use them to make Valentine cards. It was a delightful group and each student brought her own individual creativity to the process. I love the different designs that were created. It is always inspirational when the students don't follow the teacher's examples, but create their own version. Thanks to everybody, who came and took my class. I hope we can play again! Thanks to the workshop for inviting me to share my passion and specially to Ellie, who was a wonderful co-teacher.

And here is some of the student's work: