Some More Digital Print Playtime

This little frame was made from paper and a napkin that attracted me -

from a meeting I attended last week. It was perfect for this!

My enthusiasm continues unabated for adventures with Golden Digital Grounds. I have made about dozen new prints on silk organza and chiffon; here are just a few from the weekends play. Not all are ready yet as cards or anything - but they will be soon!

This is a print on silk chiffon -

you can see how thin it is - and easy to write on as well .

AS always you can double click on the photos for my clarity.

The image below is printed on bleached Harem Cloth printed

on a thin acrylic base of Golden clear tar gel.

I altered my all time favorite poster (probably because I was there at too young an age, admittedly, and wish I still had the ticket stub!) This was printed on Cotton Voile from Dharmatrading - where I got all of my fabrics

More Magic With Golden Digital Grounds

I've been continuing my playtime with Golden Digital Grounds and am finding them utterly addicting. I keep thinking about new things I want to try making with them. I am also having a fine 'ole time experimenting with using 'skins' & 'no skins'. This is a playground I may not ever want to leave I fear!

"Be Peace" was made by using two coats of Golden Digital Ground For Non-Porous Surfaces on a layer of silk organza. I printed an image of a photo that I had taken some years ago. I hand- lettered the words, layered the organza onto a piece of vintage kimono silk, added a post card back & then sewed around the card. I used a 30 wt thread on this card . My favorite thread for this purpose is Sulky Blendables 12 wt thread. That being said I am going to go on a hunt for something similar weight from my fav companies, Superior Threads & Wonderfil threads. Maybe I just love this specific Sulky thread and that's a good thing too!

One of the interesting things about this method - not using an acrylic skin underneath - is the organza has an almost holographic effect and changes colors depening on the way the light hits it!

These are my next experiments - ready for printing. Top is cotton voile coated with Digital Ground For Non-Porus Surfaces on a skin of matte medium, the piece in the middle is bleached harem cloth with Digital Gound Matte White on a skin of self leveling gel medium & the bottom piece is silk chiffon coathed in Digital Ground For Non-Porus Surfaces on a very thin skin of clear tar gel.

Go here for Golden digital ground information.
Go here for Golden acrylic mediums information.

In the photo above you can see how sheer the chiffon will be (front)- and the voile not far behind (on the top) in sheerness. The harem cloth (middle) with white digital ground will be opaque rather than having a transparent quality.

Up close on the cotton voile - double click for up close look

Here (above) you can see chiffon over voile

How thin this skin is with the chiffon!

I have to go and print now! I am also trying some other light fabrics with the Digital Ground For Non-Porous Surface - which has become my favorite of all! Hopefully tomorrow I will have some more experiments to share with you!

Playing With Golden Acrylic Skins & Didigal Grounds

Making three differnt skins on sheet protectors

My play time this week has centered around something I know, without a doubt, I will be doing a lot more of. Using Golden gel mediums as skins for their Digital Grounds. The Digital Grounds are really somewhat of a misnomer - they are enhancers - like pre-treating fabric for printing. I experimented this week with making a very thing skin with gel mediums; I used Golden Clear Tar Gel, Daniel Smith matte medium, Golden Soft Gel and Golden Self-Leveling Gel. After the skin (two coats) were dry I used some silk organza and then coated it with two thin layers of Golden Digital Ground. I used Matte white and, my favorite because it is clear, Golden Digital Ground for non- porous surfaces. I also tried treating the organza with two coats of the Clear Digital ground with no acrylic skin. I like them both for different reasons.

I should mention that I was encouraged in this play by a great on line clas from Creative Workshops - this class is a bargain, taught by Gail Schmidt. Best thing is that it is one of those classes that is ongoing - so you can watch when you want and then pick up where you leave off. later this month I am taking at least one, and hopefully two other classes from them - great offerings in a good format!

Above on the left is organza treated with Digital Ground and no acrylic skin underneath;
on the right is treated organza on a 'skin' of two coats of clear tar gel.

The 'no skin' organza' in the top photo is light as a feather while the 'skin' piece has a plastic feel on the bottom - but it is well disguised on the top and appers to be plain organza - albeit with more of a shine that the piece with no skin underneath.

Below: The print with the skin underneath on top
of a lovely piece of kimono silk from Ah! Kimono
Below: Probably my favorite, a very soft look.
The organza with no skin underneath it on top of another lovely piece of kimono silk.
I think that both effects are desirable and I will be experimenting with a lot more things - different fabrics, differnt printing techniques. I LOVE using these new Golden products!