Messenger Bag created using fabric panel from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. I was so excited about the launch of the new fabric panels from Chocolate Baroque – enlarged images from my favourite stamp company printed onto fabric ready to paint and stitch – yay!

I have been working on a bag design big enough to carry A4 folders plus craft stash for when I am out & about. The large bag flap was a perfect place to feature the Katya panel. You could create similar using a commercial bag pattern (messenger style or tote), or by applying the panel to a ready made bag front.

I have used fabric painting, stamping, applique of stamped images, stencilling, machine and hand embroidery – but don’t despair if you are a non stitcher. I have included an idea for decorating a ready made tote bag with no stitching involved. The panels are also fabulous to use in mixed media projects such as book covers or canvases too – just stick it down with some gel mat medium or book binding glue. Then add stamping and embellish as for other mixed media work.

Materials used:

• Printed fabric panels (3 Ladies)
• Stamp sets: Take It or Leaf It, Large Crackle Background, Artistic Affirmations, Harlequin Rose, Bold Blooms
• Stencils: Silhouette Palace 1 and Silhouette Palace 2
• Range of fabric paints from my stash – all fixed by ironing: silk paints (fluid), transparent and opaque fabric paints plus multi surface paints (off white, cream, red, orange, yellow, blue, turquoise, pink, purple, metallic pink/purple, transparent pearl and green glitter)
• 3D fabric paint (pearl green) – such as Appliglue or similar
• Alcohol ink pens (yellow, turquoise, pink, green)
• Archival Inkpad (Jet Black)
• Tonertex foiling fabric glue and foil (gold)
• Cotton quilting fabric scraps for applique (white, purple, lilac, cerise, plus waste strips of printed batik)
• Cotton fabric (black) for backing and framing panel
• Machine embroidery threads (black, variegated pink/blue plus green/orange)
• Hand embroidery threads: Stranded cotton (variegated pink/purple and orange/yellow), Pearl 5 cotton (variegated blue/green/turquoise)
• Iron on paper backed glue mesh (such as Bondaweb or similar) and Fray Check Glue
• Paint brush and Cut-N-Dry Foam
• For making the bag I also used: sewing thread, heavy weight cotton fabric (blue), light weight linen patterned fabrics for lining (blue & cream), plastic sink drainer (for base), Bosal foam stabiliser (one side iron on), bag feet and magnetic clasps (silver colour), zipper (blue), shoulder strap (recycled from old bag)

How it was done:

I first made a lining using my heavy weight cotton and linen printed fabrics. I wanted a heavy weight long lasting lining so layered my fabrics and treated as one layer. I also included plenty of pockets. I haven’t included details of my pattern here – sorry – but it’s something I am working on for my own business. You could choose a commercial pattern for a messenger bag with a large front flap to decorate, or a tote style bag to feature the panel.

I painted the Katya panel using transparent coloured paints so as not to obliterate the black outlines.

Fabric paints designed for light coloured fabrics are best suitable. Opaque colours (designed for dark fabrics) would obliterate the printing so you need to bear this in mind. I also used some paints designed for multi surfaces (including fabrics). These can sometimes leave a stiffer finish than those specifically designed for fabric. However, for a bag this can actually be a bonus and it is not essential to keep a soft fabric feel. If you are not intending to wash your fabrics then you can use just about anything that you would use on paper. However, I would recommend heat fixable paints for a bag as you don’t want colours to transfer from the bag or run if caught in the rain! Painting was fixed by ironing.

Tip: I like to leave my fabric painting overnight before heat fixing with an iron (follow the manufacturer’s directions). The panel is silk/cotton so can be ironed using a cotton setting safely. I usually iron from the back.

I did test the panel for compatibility with alcohol markers and found that if over wet and rubbed with alcohol the printing did bleed slightly so I would avoid these, or use with care (i.e. without flooding close to the printing).

I then applied some of the Tonertex glue, left to ‘dry’ (goes tacky as dries clear) and applied gold foil to elements of her headdress.

If you are not a sewer you could stop at this stage. As with card making the panel benefits from ‘mat & layering’. Black fabric provides a nice frame. You could back the fabrics with fusible web and iron onto a ready made bag. Heat fusible webbing does not always provide a strong hard wearing bond so gel mat medium, book binding glue or a fabric decoupage glue could be used to prevent the panel lifting off or fraying with extensive use. There are also several types of 3D paint that could be applied around the fabric edges too (e.g. Appliglue).

I found some lovely strips of batik fabric in my ‘waste’ scraps bag (I knew that they were too nice to bin – ha ha) so I had to include them in my bag panel design. Nothing was stuck down yet.

Next I stamped various colour fabric scraps to use as applique elements, using an Archival Inkpad. The images were dried and then heat set with an iron. Colour was then added using alcohol ink pens. Again colours were heat set.

Fusible web was applied to the back to prevent fraying and the stamped and coloured images were cut out.

When stamping with paints I prefer to apply them to my stamps using Cut-N-Dry Foam. I find that it gives a more even application with less clogging of the stamp than brushing or using kitchen sponges etc. In addition if placed paint side down in a plastic tray (recycled) they stay wet for longer. This is particularly so for multi purpose paints that can dry out very quickly. I also spritz the tray lightly with water to help keep them wet while working.

The fabric background was first coloured using the fluid silk paints (they are like an ‘ink’ formulation rather than thicker paint) – encouraging them to bleed and blend with a light water spritz. As with card making I tried to create a darker blended edge to frame the scene.

Next the bag panel was stamped and stencilled. The applique elements and panel were ironed down (using the fusible web backing). I used the border stamp across the top edge and lovely crackle stamp in the background. I had to add a little bling with the metallic colour too (you know me! – ha ha).

Tip: Stamping onto a darker fabric you will need to use darker or more opaque paints (or they won’t show up). Metallics work well too.

I added some 3D glue ‘pearls’ to Katya’s headdress and overlayed some areas with transparent pearl paint for extra shimmer. I also added glitter paint to some areas. Simply wasn’t enough bling already.

The panel was backed with foam stabiliser before embroidery (I wanted a quilted effect). I stitched down the panel and fabric strips and then used free machine embroidery to stitch down and decorate the applique. Hand stitching was added for additional texture.

Note: The fusible web backing does help prevent fraying but some areas may benefit from a little Fray Check along the fabric edges (e.g. my batik strips were not backed with webbing before stitching down so are likely to fray with wear).

Detail showing stencilling, stamping and embroidery.

I used free machine embroidery and black thread around the applique motifs, then further embellished with hand embroidery. The stamped smaller flowers were free machined with variegated thread.

Here you can see the stencilled palace with additional hand embroidery to highlight.

The back panel was also decorated.

Love this sentiment stamp – describes me perfectly.

So happy with my decorated bag (back).

The pockets on the front panel were also decorated (sits under the front flap).

Detail – love this sentiment too.

The finished pockets with magnetic snap closures (to hold down the front flap).

I also decorated the little side pockets.

Texture added with hand embroidery.

Here you can see a little more detail of the free machining and hand embroidery on the main Katya panel.

I hope that you have enjoyed my latest creation.

Hope to be back with more soon, Anne xxx.

Bold Blooms T-Light Holder created for Chocolate Baroque

Good afternoon. This was one of my recent samples using the Bold Blooms stamp set from Chocolate Baroque. I had a bit of fun creating this little T-light holder. The sentiment verse reads ‘Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul’.

 

Materials:

• Bold Blooms stamp set
• 15 X 10cm mixed media white board (Chocolate Baroque), metallic card (silver satin)
• Gesso (Black)
• Inkpads: StazOn (Jet Black), Versamark, Encore (Metallic Silver)
• WOW Embossing Powders (my own mix – pinks and purples)
• Sakura Glaze Pen (pink)
• Lose glitter (silver) and glitter glue (silver)
• Floral stamens (pink, yellow)
• Hot melt glue gun with clear glue sticks
• 2mm aluminium craft wire (Beads Direct) and scrap 0.6mm wire (pink coated)
• Electric T-light (battery operated)
• Jewellery pliers and mandrel (e.g bottle or jar)

How it was made:

1. The base and candle casing were coated with Gesso. The candle was then stamped with the sentiment using silver ink. Tip: roll the candle onto the inked stamp. Alternatively use a separate strip of black card and wrap it around the candle after stamping.
2. The base panel was stamped with Versamark and heat embossed with pink mix powder.
3. The 2mm wire was shaped into a spiral around a bracelet mandrel (use a bottle or jar if you don’t have one). To work harden the wire so that it keeps it shape gently tap along the wire (while still on the mandrel) using a nylon jewellery hammer (or use a wooden hammer, or even your acrylic block if you don’t have these). You will feel it stiffen and it will hold shape better.
4. I made an upright strut (seen just behind the small floral embellishment) and attached using loops created with round nosed pliers. I then used scrap wire to wrap to hold sections together where needed. Don’t worry if this looks scrappy, joins can be covered up later. You just need the structure to hold and not flop or spring around.
5. The images were stamped onto metallic card using StazOn ink and coloured with glaze pen, then cut out. The small leaves were cut from the larger leaf and combined with the small flower to make the small embellishment.
6. The large flower was stamped 3 times and was cut out, snipped into and shaped to make it 3D (i.e. into a cone shape). The outer layer of the large flower was backed with another stamped image to make it double sided (i.e. 2 images used to make the large flower outer). The middle of the third image was trimmed to make a central layer of petals. The middle of the flower was trimmed to leave a hole to glue in the stamens and attach it to wire.
7. Hot melt glue was used to attach the flower, stamens and embellishments to the wire, and the wire structure to the base. I dropped in some glitter before the glue set to add sparkle. Again you don’t need to be super neat with this. I then added blobs of glittered glue along the wire too.
8. Finally I used standard glitter glue to further embellish the flowers and base.

I was really pleased with the result – it has a sort of Indian feel. I may need to make another of these for myself.

Pretty Owl Necklace created for Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. This was one of my show samples using the Bold Blooms stamp set from Chocolate Baroque. I decorated an MDF owl and added it to some recycled chain and bead strings to make a pretty necklace. I made a little gift tag to match.

Materials:

• Bold Blooms stamp set
• Gesso (white) and acrylic paint (turquoise)
• Inkpads: Versamark, Stazon (Jet Black)
• Coloured pens (Pentel – pink and turquoise)
• Glitter Glue (clear)
• Ultra thick embossing powder (UTEE – Clear and Clear with mica)
• Recycled chain and bead strings, clasp findings and jump rings
• MDF owl and mini tag

How it was made:

1. The MDF owl was coated with gesso (primer) then acrylic paint. The image was stamped with StazOn and coloured with pens. A little glitter glue was added for sparkle.
2. When fully dry the piece was coated with Versamark and coated with pearlescent clear UTEE. Two more layers of clear UTEE were added to give a sealed shiny finish.
3. The pendant was attached to the recycled bead and chain to make a necklace, A little gift tag was stamped and coloured to match.

Bold Blooms Wall Art created for Chocolate Baroque

Good morning. I used the Bold Blooms and Tangled Garden stamp sets to create this 3D wall art piece.

Materials:

• Bold Blooms and Tangled Garden stamp sets
• White Board Shapes – Hearts and Circles sheet, 8 X 8 inch construction acetate (recycled packaging), black card (for decorative die cut frame), mount board (backing and outer frame)
• StazOn Inkpad (Jet Black) and Versamark
• Alcohol ink pens (blues and pinks)
• Gesso (White)
• Acrylic paint (light blue satin and metallic pearl)
• Coloured art pens, glitter and metallic pens (Pentart and Sakura, blue & pinks)
• Double sided sticky sheet
• Embossing powder (clear with sparse fine blue glitter), Ultra thick embossing powder (UTEE – plain clear and clear with mica sheen)
• Glitter (extra fine clear and chunky black) and glitter glue (silver)
• Large decorative frame die (Tonic) and texture stencil

How it was made:

1. The flowers were stamped onto the acetate sheet using StazOn Ink. Alcohol ink pens were used to add colouring to the back of the images (StazOn would bleed with alcohol markers). Some areas were left uncoloured. White gesso was then painted onto some areas to make them opaque (alcohol inks are transparent).
2. Double sided sticky sheet was then attached to the back and extra fine clear glitter applied with some chunky black glitter around the edges. A decorative die cut frame was then glued to the front.
3. The shapes were pushed out of the laser cut sheet and the waste was painted with light blue acrylic paint and trimmed around to make an overlay. Images were stamped with StazOn, aligning them carefully with the images on the base acetate sheet. They were coloured with various art pens. Versamark was then applied and a layer of clear embossing powder with fine glitter applied.
4. Some of the circles were stamped and coloured with art pens. Versamark was applied and they were double heat embossed with UTEE (one layer with mica sheen, one plain clear).
5. The embellishments were all glued down with 3D glue gel. Silver glitter glue was added around the border and onto elements of the stamped images.
6. The mount board frame was decorated using pearl blue paint using a texture stencil. The piece was then mounted onto backing board and the outer frame glued in place.

Quick and Easy Bold Bloom card created for Chocolate Baroque

This one is another very quick and easy make.

Flowers from the Bold Blooms stamp set were heat embossed onto black card using a mix of pink/purple powder. The sentiment was stamped with StazOn onto metallic card. Finished with glitter glue and pearls, ribbon and some twiggy die cuts.

Indian Bloom Card created for Chocolate Baroque

 

Good morning. This was another of my recent creations for Chocolate Baroque using the Bold Blooms stamp set. I have called it Indian Bloom. The stamp went perfectly with an embossing folder in my stash from Sheena Douglass (Indian Collection from a couple of years back).

Materials:

• Bold Blooms stamp set
• 15cm square card blank, black card, silver satin metallic card
• Pebeo Gilding Wax (Silver)
• StazOn Inkpad (Black)
• Sakura Glaze Pen (pink)
• PVA pearls (pink), faux gem flowers (pink, red), glitter glue (silver)
• Indian style embossing folder (Sheena Douglass)

How it was made:

1. The black card was embossed using the embossing folder and rubbed over with silver gilding wax.
2. The flower was stamped three times onto the metallic card, coloured with glaze pen, cut out and lightly shaped for layering. I used 3D glue gel to attach to the card front.
3. Gems were randomly glued to the front and it was finished with PVA pearls and plenty of glitter for bling.