Tjaps are copper batik stamps. The ones we import are from Indonesia and are sold on Artistic Artifacts and Batik Tambal website. During our visit to Indonesia in January, we not only watched men in the batik factories use Tjaps to apply wax to fabric, we observed men creating the copper beauties. Then we went to an amazing shop to pick out vintage tjaps for purchase. Imagine a 10×10 foot space, floor to ceiling glass cabinets creating a maze within that small space. Each glass cabinet was holding beautiful copper tjaps 3 deep!! The world around me ceased to exist! I dove in!! The torture of the process is that you pick out more than you can ship home and you’re scared that you missed a shelf, or wonder, did I look behind that one? As Owen, Trish and I were pulling tjaps that we loved… my husband was counting, he made me put half back! Okay, the budget made me put half back.

Now that we have the copper treasures home — what now?? Well our vintage tjaps stand on their own as collector items. They decorate the home and studio, they are used to create wax artwork, Batik of course, but I have heard from artists who have purchased our tjaps for use in creating encaustic art — very cool, huh? I would love to see some examples!

I have used the tjaps for rubbings. Holding the tjap steady, a piece of fabric laid over the top, taped down or held in place firmly, I take the flat side of a Shiva Paintstik and rub in one direction lightly. Like magic, the lines and patterns on the tjaps come through to the fabric.
I created many of these rubbings while demonstrating at various shows on the east coast this year. I really hate tossing out samples; my time for art has seriously declined since the inception of my businesses —so waste not want not.

This rubbing is a combination of tjaps to create a flower garden

I think it needs more. I am a fan of Stewart Gill textile paints — we sell them, I love them so much. And they are a waterbase fabric paint. The rubbing is done in Shiva Paintstiks, which is an oil paint, so I can “over-paint” with a water base paint and not lose my oil paint rubbing.

Here are samples after adding the Stewart Gill water base paint

I did not like this one — I know it is a beautiful Crane, but I saw Pink Flamingo. I added more paint this time…

The next step is to stitch and thread paint. More photos later…. after I have time to stitch.

What have you done with your wonderful Copper Batik Tjaps??? Please share your ideas!