Make Your Mark with Mixed Media!

The goal of Artistic Artifacts is to be the source of Creative Finds for Creative Minds, and today we ask — are you ready to make your mark with surface design techniques and mixed media art? Whether you are a beginner or an expert, Artistic Artifacts has everything you need to unleash your creativity. In addition to being an authorized BERNINA dealer and known for our wide selection of fabrics for the sewing and quilting enthusiast, we have a wide selection of products and materials for beginning and experienced artists!

Above left, TCW stencils are a fun way to add patterns and textures to your art — apply to fabric, paper, stretched canvases, art journals, and so much more. We have a variety of stencils from TCW that you can mix and match to create your own unique designs. And right now (and for a limited time) if you buy four new stencils in any combination of 12 in. x 12 in. or 6 in. x 6 in. sizes, we will add a surprise 6 in. stencil to your order for free! (Clearance stencils are excluded from this offer.)

Another way to enhance your art with stencils is using Stencil Butters from TCW. These are creamy pastes that have a metallic shimmer and can be applied through stencils or with a brush or palette knife. They add texture and sheen to your art and work well on a variety of surfaces.

We also carry beautiful wooden printing blocks, available as single designs and in themed sets. Hand carved for us by artisans in India who are continuing this heritage art form, our blocks are not only great for printing, but also for displaying as art pieces themselves.

Artistic Artifacts Textile Paints are available in two varieties. Our heavy-bodied textile paint (above left) is ideal for block printing and screen printing and are available in opaque, pearlescent, and transparent finishes and a lovely range of colors. Our Fluid Textile Paints (right) were created to be the perfect paint for monoprinting on gel plates: easy flow consistency right out of the squeeze bottle, high pigmentation that mixes beautifully, and permanent on fabrics with heat setting.

Our wooden blocks and Artistic Artifacts Textile Paints are not only for fabric, but also for paper, wood, leather, and other porous surfaces. You can use them to create beautiful cards, journals, collages, scrapbooks, and more. As shown above, wone of our favorite things to do is to print on the ephemera in our Found Paper Collage Packs, which contain vintage papers from around the world that you can use as collage fodder.

Pictured above right, a Gel Press representative demonstrating at the 2022 International Quilt Festival using Artistic Artifacts paint. Gel Press Printing Plates are available in a variety of sizes and shapes, including the large 12 in. x 14 in. size, ideal for surface design and fabric printing: Create your own custom textiles for quilts, garments, home décor and more! Easy to use and clean, Gel Press plates capture an incredible amount of texture and details due to the sensitive polygel surface.

Monoprinting is a fun and easy technique that allows you to make unique prints with different colors, shapes, and textures. All you need is your choice of Gel Press plate, some paint or ink, a a brayer or other tool, and some stencils and stamps, textures such as bubble wrap or sequin waste and soft tools like rollers and scrapers to create impressions on the plate. Then you just press your fabric or paper onto the plate, rub gently, and lift the print. You will be amazed by the results!

We recently shared that select Seth Apter stamps are now on clearance (and going fast so shop now) as well as Cover-a-Card brand. Use rubber stamps with acrylic stamp mounts for exact, detailed impressions, or without a mount to get bits and pieces of the design for more abstract images.

We are also proud to offer gorgeous stamp sets from Gwen Lafleur, created from her hand-drawn images. Gwen’s stamps are versatile and can be used on their own or combined and layered to make backgrounds for art journal pages, scrapbook layouts, handmade cards or your own collage papers.

We have a wide range of Stamp & Ink Pads for different uses and effects. Whether you want to stamp on fabric or paper, use heat embossing or watercolor techniques, or create vibrant or subtle colors, we have the right ink for you.

Home to a wealth of fiber and mixed media demonstrations and tutorials, visit our YouTube channel to learn how to make faux wax seals from Gwen using her Boho Blends powders and rubber stamps, plus a technique to create marbled effects.

Join Me for Creative Retreats

Plan to join us for the 2024 Creative Minds Summit! If you want to learn from some of the best mixed media artists in the world, mark your calendars for April 19, 20 & 21, 2024. By popular demand, Gwen Lafleur, Liz Kettle, and Libby Williamson will be returning for our second edition, joining me for what promises to be another amazing event — we’ll have more information for you soon!

As recently mentioned in our newsletter last week, if you are looking for an unforgettable artistic adventure, join here’s room to join me and Liz Kettle of Textile Evolution for our September 25–October 2 session in Ischia di Castro, Northern Italy! You will get to explore the beautiful Italian countryside, visit historic sites and museums, enjoy delicious food and wine, and of course create stunning mixed media art in a relaxed and inspiring setting. Above are pages from the art journal that one of our students started during last fall’s Creative Retreat. Don’t they look amazing? Contact Lewis Gautieri of Italian Culture Tours to reserve your spot for this dream vacation!

Meet Seth Apter!

P.S. Mixed media artist Seth Apter is a surface design master, and his Storyboard fabric collection has just arrived! And if you live near us (or will be vacationing or working in the metropolitan DC area on Friday, September 8, you can hear, directly from Seth, how he created the artwork that FreeSpirit Fabrics digitally converted into 100% cotton fabric! We’ll have special shopping hours after 5:00 pm, appetizers & drinks, extra discounts to accompany Seth’s lecture, including a quilt trunk show and Q&A! Visit our website for details and to purchase your ticket »