TLC188 Batik-The Colorwash Way {09-29-08}

[Lynn in St. Louis]

Today's technique is a variation of TLC114 Mulberry Batik, however, rather than use mulberry paper, this technique uses watercolor paper and either store bought colorwash, or you can make your own colorwash very easily with a few mini misters, water, and classic re-inkers.


What is Batik?

The word batik (pronounced Bateek) means "wax written" and this is basically what batik is. It is a way of decorating cloth by covering part of it with a coat of wax and then dyeing the cloth. The waxed area keeps its original color and when the wax is removed the contrast between the dyed and undyed area makes the pattern. Obviously we aren't decorating cloth (although that might be an interesting TLC) but decorating water color paper. Read on...

What you'll need today:

Stamps (uh...duh)
Watercolor paper
Versa mark
Clear Embossing Powder
2 or three Classic re-inkers
Water spritzer bottle (mini mister works great) - one for each color of re-inkers you will use
2 sheets of text weight paper (copy paper)
Iron set on high - no steam

Step 1: Stamp your images using versa mark onto your watercolor paper. Apply your clear embossing powder and heat until embossing powder is melted.

Step 2:
A. Get your colorwash or make your own by placing several drops of re-inkers into a mini mister (or similar small spray bottle) and then adding water to the mister. I didn't measure my drops of re-inkers, but rather just added enough water to provide the desired color intensity. Shake to mix.

B. OK, ready? Now mist your colors, one at a time, onto your embossed watercolor paper, dabbing with a paper towel if you get too much color, or to help blend blobs you may get.

NOTE: Keep in mind, when misting colors onto the paper that two different colors mixed together will make a third color. Like in my sample, I mixed pink and blue and got the purple shade you see. So while it may look like I used three different colors, I only used two.

Step 3: Now place your watercolor paper onto a sheet of your text weight paper (embossed side facing up) and place another on top of your watercolor paper (to protect your iron). Using your iron press the watercolor paper until the embossing is melted and absorbed into the copy paper. You can check to see if it's all done by lifting the copy paper and if you still see shiny embossed areas, keep ironing.

Now step back and admire the beauty you have created. Now, just complete your card as desired. It's such a fun an easy way to create a big WOW. I hope you will give it a try.

You may view my sample HERE.

To view all the samples in the TLC188 Gallery, click HERE

Be sure to use TLC188 (no spaces) in your keywords.

[eggette]

Sounds like fun!! Hope to try it later today!

[twinwillowsfarm]

Wow... I gotta try this!

[flutterbees13]

Looks like fun!

[smitty2004]

wow, never tried this, off to find my watercolor paper...


ok, just tried... threw it out. (mine looks NOTHING like yours!) mine is awful! awful awful!!!
i guess i will have to lick my wounds and settle for gallery viewing...

[debhorst]

I don't think the link to the gallery is working--or maybe it is something on my end but when I tried to click on the gallery nothing happened. Oh well I am off to try this--maybe by the time I get it done I will be able to click through. Thanks for the fun challenge--I have never tried this so I look forward to it.

[resqbarbie]

cool! I'll definitely try this later!

[dbdoodle]

Cool challenge! If I get out my iron though...I may actually have to iron my dh's shirts! LOL!

[Kim Hughes]

LOVE your challenges Lynn (thank you)

here's mine:

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=84523

(glad I woke up early)

[twinwillowsfarm]

I did my card, but didn't have the misters so I fudged and brushed on the colors.

[DawnL]

thanks Lynn!! I loved doing Batik in art when I was in school!

[Lynn in St. Louis]

I think I have corrected the non-working link.

Originally Posted by debhorst

I don't think the link to the gallery is working--or maybe it is something on my end but when I tried to click on the gallery nothing happened. Oh well I am off to try this--maybe by the time I get it done I will be able to click through. Thanks for the fun challenge--I have never tried this so I look forward to it.

[squirlsnest]

Aw, man! This is maybe the 3rd or 4th time in a row that I find myself without all the necessaries to complete the cahllenge - grrrr, argh...

I guess that is a pretty good indicator that I need to make a shopping list and get to it!

What a beautiful technique, though, I'm excited to see what everyone comes up with! I'll just browse and get ideas for when I get my hands on some watercolor paper, etc.

Have fun with it!

[Cook22]

Here is my . Dragonfly Meadow
Because I wasn't sure how it would go with only one mister that had to be washed in between sprays, and no colourwash or reinkers, I only used it as background paper. But I'll be back again now I know I can get a good result. I guessed that craft reinkers are really just pigment in a medium, and so is watercolour - so I was going to use my gouache paints till I couldn't find them. Then I reckoned inks would do, and they worked well. Thanks for a really fun technique. I'd seen it in a couple of magazines but long-fingered it till today.

[glitterbabe]

YIKES! Is probably much easier than it sounds. Seeing as I do not have any reinkers, watercolor paper, thick embossing powder..... I think today I will just oohhh & ahhh over everyone's submissions.

Stef H

[NANCYRUTH]

well I had to improvise a bit but here it is!! http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...0&ppuser=42694 Thanks Lynne!

[Lynn in St. Louis]

This technique requires only clear embossing powder...not UTEE...if that helps.

Originally Posted by glitterbabe

YIKES! Is probably much easier than it sounds. Seeing as I do not have any reinkers, watercolor paper, thick embossing powder..... I think today I will just oohhh & ahhh over everyone's submissions.

Stef H

[markie's mom]

WOW! Great technique! Markie and I are home sick today....Yes, big bad mommy gave Markie her cold! Poor Speedy the Cat can't make up his mind on which one of us to sit by! LOL!

Here's today's submission

[allee's]

Well, my first try is a disaster! Too ugly to post!!

[Lynn in St. Louis]

lol...I'm sure it's not THAT bad.

Originally Posted by allee's

Well, my first try is a disaster! Too ugly to post!!

[lacyquilter]

Fun challenge, Lynn. I need to prepare for a class tomorrow, so will probably not get to this today. But I will definitely try later. Thanks.

[princessdi69]

phew... I finally made one. I have never tried this technique and finally got one that I liked.

Hoppy Birthday Nick

[debhorst]

here is my card:

Live with passion

[papermoon04]

Here's mine:

Celebrate Batik

[kellyjg]

Wow! I am shockingly (but oh-so pleasantly) surprised at how easy this technique is! Thank you so much, Lynn for selecting it for today's challenge. And your directions were nicely detailed. I'm not sure why, but I found this much easier than the batik challenge with the mulberry paper. It's still one of my fav cards but it just seemed a bit trickier. Thanks again!

Here is my...

WARM WISHES

[katieg]

sounds like fun!

[jdmommy]

This was new to me and fun!!
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...&ppuser=136194

[BadSherry]

Okay Lynn, here's mine:


Batik Birthday

You really get a different look with this technique when you use watercolor paper.

[artystamper]

This looks fun! I hope I have a chance to try this today!

[Vicky Gould]

This was a fun technique - which I almost did not do since I hate getting that iron out! This is my first card and I will be posting a second - as soon as I take the dog for a walk! Hope you can see my background - I am really pleased with this sympathy card!

Sympathy Card

The trees don't show up very well in the photo, but they do IRL! Sorry.

Have a great day!

[luvfrogs]

I don't have any water color paper... any substitution ideas?
I have all the other items.
Thanks

[cullenwr]

A fun new technique (thanks, Lynn!) even though I need to buy some watercolor paper. Here's MY CARD.

[sarahzoe]

Thanks Lynn...this was much fun. I'm going to try another later today. Here's my first, it looks more like spring than fall. http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...71906?cat=8594

[mjscrapper]

Lynn! Are you crazy making me find my iron. I had to get this one done early so my hubby didn't come home and find out I really do own an iron, lol!

Great challenge. I combined mine with my Monday Lunchtime Sketch Challenge.

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/ga...00&ppuser=1645

Thanks for looking.

[jovialjudi]

Fun challenge Lynn! Thank you!
Here is mine

[Cook22]

Harlequin Ball
Had another go - now I'd really better go and get on with that cooking I am meant to be doing. Once I can lay hold of another couple of cheap misters I'll definitely be coming back to this. Bit harder when you have to empty and rinse the bottle between each colour, but still enormous fun.
And boy, that smell when ironing it. Maybe it wasn't just the hot wax, the hot EP smells almost the same - or else it's the telephone directory, which is always a good source of absorbent paper .

[cmc2stamp]

Here is my card for today!

Batik Colorwash

[WAXYO]

This challenge is exactly why I love SCS I never would have done this on my own, but had fun experimenting with this challenge! Thanks, Lynn!

Bundle of Batik

[janarah]

I love this technique. The colors are so bold.
Thanks Lynn!

Batik Poinsettia


A Little Bird Told Me

Antique Batik

[jmasse]

Oh Lynn what a great challenge!! I decided I needed to start trying challenges again and what a good one to try!! I tried it using my 3 step stamps (but only used 2 step and used them backwards - there's more explanation on my card).

Thanks so much!!

Here's mine: Batik Butterfly