Wearable Mixed Media with Nathalie Kalbach by Stampendous

How much fun have you had this week following the Stampendous team with this awesome hop featuring images designed by Nathalie Kalbach for Stampendous? If you've missed any of the days (how could you?), you can go back to day one on the Stampendous blog. And you'll really really want to as there are AMAZING prizes to be had! Here's the details...

We are mixing it up for three commenters during the hop. Each prize package includes all three of Nathalie Kalbach’s Foam, Cling Rubber and Stencil Stamp sets. But WAIT! This is open to everyone!
Comment on each blog post at Stampendous, and that of each designer’s post on the hop this week. We’ll announce winners on Monday May 2nd.

I love these images sooo much that I'll be wearing this one, created using the Elephant Sponge and Cling Stamps and Stencils set...

 

In case you're not sure what you're seeing, this is another one of my t-shirts that I've done, and I'm thinking this one is my favorite. Nathalie's new foam stamps are perfect for using fabric, and the possibilities are endless! I started with a plain black t-shirt, which I washed and dried first to remove any sizing in the fabric. Now the paint will adhere to the fabric much better. The paint that I used is a set of fabric paints in fluorescent colors by Tulip® called "Soft Fabric Paint" in the matte finish. Now this is a bit of a misnomer as there is extremely fine sparkle in this paint...not gaudy, just a hint of shimmer which works well with my use of overlapping colors. I simply used a round sponge cut into wedges. I squirted a "palette" of the paints onto a piece of foil. The t-shirt was pulled over a piece of cardboard to stretch the fabric a bit. Each section of the border hem was done sponging off until there was just a bit of paint in the sponge to prevent seepage under the wonderful stencil pattern that comes in Nathalie's set.

The stencil is easy to line up for repeat patterns as shown above, and when a portion of the stencil is masked off with packing tape, a smaller border is easily achieved around the sleeve hem as seen below.

Aren't the colors beautiful as they blend one into the other?

 
On the back of the shirt, I sponged the blue paint onto the flat surface of the back of the foam elephant. We're not talking "squishy" foam either. This is nice firm foam for nice crisp images. I stamped the blue solid elephant, and set it aside to dry briefly. (This paint is fast drying! No worry about smearing.) I inked the Cling Rubber Elephant with its wonderful patterning with Black VersaCraft ink by Tsukineko®, and stamped it directly over the top of the blue elephant. The result is shown above. And how did I create my elephants on parade on the front?

Using the raised pattern side of the foam elephant, I sponged the paint across as I had done with the borders, gave it a light mist of water, and stamped each one (sponging paint again for each new impression. If I'd really wanted to go all out, I could have added some Hot Fix crystals here and there, and I still might If I feel the need for some bling. Oh, I almost forgot. That little band with the border across the neckline? I had cut the sleeves for a more cap sleeve look, and the pieces that I'd removed I just stenciled and sewed a strip for a bit of added interest. Once finished and dry, I turned it inside-out and ironed it to set the ink and paint. When I wash it, it will be in a cold cycle and hung dry. I think it would be fine in the dryer, but I always hang my shirts to dry. They fade and shrink less.

The team has so many fun things to show off today, so be sure and visit their links below along with a few of Nathalie's team of designers. How exciting!

Stampendous Blog

Louise Healy

Janelle Stollfus

Michelle Rydell

Marsha Valk

Gwen Lafleur

Cheiron Brandon

Lea Fritts

Pam Hornschu

Wendy Price

Nathalie Kalbach Blog