Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Oh, gosh

Working with the new blogger and still feeling my way. I started to post this afternoon but guess I didn't save it. Whatever. Spent another day at home - I think I must be fighting off a bug of some kind because there is no rational explanation for why I am so lethargic and sleepy.

Tried to do some more sorting out of my sewing studio to make room for the new 6500 that should be arriving any day now. A hopeless task. But I did do one other experiment: life is always a learning curve, even if you are teaching. Someone told me that HP inkjet printers have black ink with a high enough carbon content to make Thermofax screens with. So, I printed something out with my HP inkjet. Interestingly, it did cut a Thermofax screen. But the same ink evidently did not have enough carbon to transfer when I used CitraSolv. Dommage.

So -- if you are doing a Citrasolv transfer, you must have something printed out on either a REAL laser printer or copied with a copier that uses old fashioned carbon toner. If in doubt, take Citrasolv and a cotton ball & spoon with you and make ONE copy at the copy shop. Turn it face down on either another piece of paper or a piece of fabric, moisten the cotton ball and rub it on the back of the copy, burnish with spoon and see what happens. If it transfers, great! If not, do not spend another penny - leave and go elsewhere. Like maybe your local library, which still has an old photocopier that charges@ 10 cents. This is akin to going to the fabric store armed with discharge paste or bleach gel or whatever, and squirtiing it on the scrap you bought. Good grief, the machinations we go through!


The other thing I did, while going through my fabrics, was to throw some stuff on my home design wall. While I was doing my discharge experiments yesterday (which turned out lousy) I found a bunch of fabric that I did a while ago. Depends on who the mfg is and what the weather is like, and how the stars are lined up, and what you use, and what mood the discharge gods are in that day. This may turn into something. Or not. It is kinda growing on me. Tomorrow is another day. (who said that/??) Perhaps I will have a chance to organize a few more things here. The problem is PackRAT syndrome. Not sure there is a cure.

8 comments:

badmomgoodmom said...

How do you use a laser printer to cut a thermofax screen? Do tell.

OMG, I can't believe I didn't think of bringing discharge bleach with me to the store in a little squirt bottle. You are full of insights.

Anonymous said...

I cannot bleievehow I love the vilet piece. I see three distinct areas in it and love the bottom hazy atmospheric bayou attitude.
At least on my screen

Joyce said...

There is no known packrat cure. The closest thing is a non-packrat partner.

Anonymous said...

Do not place a packrat in a cage with a neatnik. Death by dirty looks is slow and painful.

Rayna said...

Grace - I'll post about that (if I remember - LOL).

Thanks, Pam. Amazing how differently blacks discharge, depending on what you use and which bolt it came off of. Who'd have thought pale violet?

Anonymous: I was married to a neatnik once.

FunkyC said...

The pieces on your design wall appeal to me. There is rythym, pleasing proportion, and variety in scale. Could be a solid work--my two cents.

TB said...

I really like this piece; has a lot of potential in my opinion.

Frances said...

I love this piece Rayna, the bottom section has a feel of marble and the criss cross circles wrought iron, looking forward to seeing what you do with it,

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