Screen sensation

One year ago, an at home screen printing system was launched, called screen sensation. It was something new and quite exciting, so I bought the first kit and have added to my selection of designs with the new screen collections released since. I mainly use my screen sensation to decorate tote bags, clothes and print my own fabrics, however, the possibilities go far beyond this.

Screen sensation is made up of 3 parts... 

the kit, the screens and the inks:

• The kit includes a base unit, frame, squeegee, stir sticks and a collapsible ink bowl
• The screens come in two sizes (12x12" & 5x7") in a wide variety of designs. You simply fix the screens to the frame using screen sensation fixing tape. This tape has been formulated especially to use with the screens, to be safe for use on the emulsion layer. If you are feeling really creative there is also a kit available to design your own screen.
• The ink is water based, drain safe and washes out in cold water. Once the ink is fully cured (about 7 days) onto a solid surface or heat set on fabric (iron on reverse for 2 mins, washer safe to 40'c) it becomes permanent. The inks are very thick and need to be stirred before use. There is a lovely selection of colours available, but you can also mix them together to create your own custom colours.

How to use your screen sensation:

1. Use the fixing tape to attach the screen to the back of the frame, where the screen sensation logo is. Also consider that if you have text on your screen this needs to be the right way up when printing (so backwards when taping). For the best quality of print the screen must be fixed so it is drum tight. At this stage, you may also wish to mask off areas of the design. Simply tape over the section you don't want to print (see image below). Once fixed, slide  the frame into the base unit.
2. Place the item you are wanting to screen print onto the base unit. If you are printing onto fabric it is best to iron it first to remove any creases and put a piece of card/paper behind where you will be printing (inside a t-shirt for example) to catch any ink which could go through the layers of fabric. Push the base unit lid down to hold the item in place.
3. Give the inks a good stir before adding to the top of the screen. It's better to have a lot of ink on as you don't want to run out and you will scrape the excess back into the pot when you have finished printing so it doesn't go to waste!! You can use multiple colours at a time to create different effects. I use less ink when doing this as you don't want to put mixed colours back into the original pots. You can still reuse this ink though, just buy empty pots to put your mixed colours in.
4. Pull the ink across the surface of your screen using the squeegee at a 45 degree angle. I like to spread my fingers over the length of the squeegee to get even pressure. You don't need a lot of pressure as too much can wrinkle the screen and ruin your print, (you can do a dry run to check if you're unsure). When you print occasionally you feel like you have missed a bit, in this case you can just add a little bit of ink to that piece with the small squeegee. Although not advised, if you are worried you have missed quite a lot, you can carefully reprint the screen pressing lighter on the squeegee. I have done this with no problems but there is a risk of getting a blurred image.
5. Finally, lift the lid to reveal your print. Remove the printed item from the base unit and set aside to dry. I often hang my bags and clothes onto a clothes airer to allow them to dry flat without taking up all of the counter tops.
6. When you have finished printing your chosen design, lift the frame out of the base unit, remove all the fixing tape (if it doesn't have any ink on this can use re-used) and wash your screen in cold water. The water must be cold or it will set the inks and ruin the screen. Once you have washed your screen and removed all the ink residue, lay this flat to dry on a towel. You don't want any fluff sticking to the screen so it is best to use an older towel.
7. Once your screen is fully dry, it can be put back in its packaging for protection and kept ready to use again. Once your prints are dry don't forget to heat set them or leave them to cure for 7 days.

Alternatively, if you are printing a bulky item that wont sit flat inside the base unit, you can print using the frame separately from the base unit. To do this, tape the screen on the opposite side of your frame (without the logo) ensuring your design is seen in reverse at this stage. Then, lay out your item that you are wanting to print directly onto a hard and sturdy flat surface. To print, turn the frame over so the logo is facing up towards you and hold it down firmly in position on the item. It is important not to move the frame during printing as this can smudge the print. If possible, I find it's best to get someone else to hold it while you print. Once set up, you can simply follow the instructions above from stage 3 onwards, (except at stage 5, simply lift your frame up in one smooth motion, ensuring it separates from the print item as the ink can hold the print to the screen.)

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit the screen sensation website to find out more information and videos demonstrating the system.

If you want to screen print at home, you can get 25% off any screen sensation purchase at crafting.co.uk ...simply checkout using the special discount code: SSBL25-OHC21

(valid until 30 June 2018)

Mx

#sew6organizers sewalong

For Christmas I got the wonderful stitched sewing organisers book by Aneela Hoey. I am excited to get sewing some of the projects and since the only thing that makes sewing better is doing it with friends, myself (@craftylilmouse) and Zena (@mycreativelypottylife) are hosting a sew along on Instagram. Since we are first time sew along hosts, it will be pretty simple and relaxed sew along.

The plan is to sew 6 projects from the book, one per month. If you would like to join in you can sew the same projects as us (listed below) or choose your 6 favourites to sew... we don't mind! If you want to adapt the projects to fit your needs perfectly, feel free to make small tweaks to the patterns. 

The only thing we ask is to be respectful to the lovely Aneela Hoey and do not share any of the pictures, instructions or tips in the book. 

The sew along begins in April and starts off very simple, we will be using this month to get all the prep done. Interested in joining us?choose your projects, your fabric, collect all your supplies and get cutting!!

My projects will be:

• Fold up pouch (may)
• Needle book (June)
• See-it-all pouch(July)
• Two-in-one case (august)
• Fold up sewing folio (September)
• Boxy pocket pouch (October)

The sew along will finish in November, before the christmas rush, with a little giveaway.

To join in, head over to instagram now ... don't forget to use the #sew6organizers and tag us in your pictures!

Mx

bags for the little ones

I bought these plain cotton drawstring bags online and thought they would make great bags for kids with the addition of a fun design on them. All the designs and inks are from screen sensations. I think they would be a great gift for little ones to give them a fun bag to carry their things in. I used the 'king lion' screen with 'orange zest' ink and the 'dinosaur' screen with 'key lime' ink for the above designs.
 

I masked off the writing on the 'cool croc' screen to only print the character using 'crisp apple' ink for the bag above. The 'unicorn wishes' screen was printed in a custom mix of 'berry', 'raspberry', 'bubblegum' & 'orange zest' inks. I only partially mixed the ink blobs directly on the screen before pulling the squeegee through to give the marbled effect. I simply used the 'peach amber' ink to print the 'alphanumerical' screen design on the final bag pictured below.

Mx

How I EPP

I recently read a great blog post by I'm studio lou (you can read her blog post here), explaining how she stores and does her EPP/ English paper piecing. I was inspired to share my own solutions with you in this blog.

I started doing an EPP quilt last year and am really enjoying it. When I started, I decided I would do 1" hexagons (I got some papers free in a magazine and couldn't wait to get started.) I chose a lovely fabric range called Sophia by Andover/Makower. I worked out how much fabric I would need to (hopefully) complete a double quilt, bought my fabric and got started. It is slow progress but I always knew it would be... I wanted a project which didn't have a deadline, so I would take time and not rush. It is also great that I can do some on the go and swap between different stages of prepping and stitching.

 I prefer the more traditional thread basting method and mostly like to do this on the go. I have a small pouch that I can take with me that has my essentials in. It holds a stack of pre-cut fabric squares, hexi papers, scissors, red thread (its contrasting so I can see it easily for removing later) and a small tin where I keep my pins and needles (I put a magnet into the bottom of the tin so the pin don't fall out as well!)

 

This pouch is a lot larger and stays at home. It holds extra supplies, like binding clips, 100% guttermann cotton thread, more fabric squares and pins with numbers on. It is also the perfect place to store the hexies I have basted.

 

 When I am ready to sew my hexies together I transfer them into this. I lay out my pattern on 12x12" cardstock, making sure all the patterned hexies are in the direction I would like to sew them. Because it takes me a while to get them sewn together, I had been wondering how to store them. I wanted them flat, dust free and to make sure the pattern didn't get mixed up while I wasn't sewing. I found this 12x13" clear box at a craft show and knew it would do the job perfectly. It is just the right depth to keep my cotton, binding clips, scissors and a hair bobble in, as well as my hexi layout. To sew my pieces together, I hold fabric right sides together and whip stitch over the edge making sure I don't catch the paper in the stitches.

 

Finally, I have this larger box. It's the start and the end box really. When I have completely sewn a sheet together, I add a numbered pin and move it to this box. It also holds all the fabric I purchased to do this quilt, some already cut into squares for basting and the rest just waiting to be cut when needed. There's spare needles (size 8 quilting gold eye needles are my preferred needle), and another set of hexi papers in there too.

 

Please forgive me for using the loccitane pouches, I had quite a few going spare and even though I sew, I still like to use them. I don't often sew for myself but I am planning on that changing this year... I really want to make some storage solutions for myself using the aneela hoey book.

Mx

#sncaswap

I recently took part in my first secret swap on instagram and thought I would quickly share my experience with you...

I try to join in with #saturday night craft along every week. I really enjoy having a goal of making something new to share. It is great to see what projects other people are working on and maybe get some inspiration for future makes. Everyone who takes part is supportive and helpful, so when the organisers announced there would be a swap, I jumped at the chance to sign up.

Firstly I had to create a mosaic to give my partner some inspiration, to help them know my style and what I like. I decided to pick some of my favourite items I own and picture them.

 

Jenny (@thelilaccat) got me as her partner. She made me a fantastic cushion using the dogs in sweaters pattern. Although my dog is a different breed, Jen did try to match her colourings. The fabric choices are just perfect for me and the incredible quilting makes this a wonderful item I am going to treasure. She also made a second item, using some funky mice fabric to make a see through pouch (pattern from aneela hoey). This is such a good sized pouch and those fun mice just make me smile. Also included in my package was some fabric that she kindly sent too.

 

My partner was Elizabeth (@biff74). She made a lovely mosaic, but I am very indecisive and found it hard to choose what to make. I finally decided to make a bag using a funky fruit print canvas. I made a few changes to a Debbie shore pattern.

I chose to screen print a couple pieces of calico fabric, using the festive cheer screen and red ink from screen sensation. In my package, I also included a handmade card and a Yankee candle... I picked the candle for the sentiment more than the actual scent!!

 

I had a bit of extra fun making a cute gift bag for the candle. I recycled some cath kidston postal plastic packaging from a recent order. I used the Avery Elle 'a tag for all die' to cut out two basic tag shapes. I stitched these together along three sides, leaving the top section open to fill with my gift. I finally found a matching yellow bakers twine and tied a bow to close the gift pouch. Personally, I think it's a great way to reuse such a nice printed packaging.

 

Mx

Useful links:

Jenny- www.thelilaccat.com

Elizabeth Hartman dogs in sweaters pattern

Aneela hoey (see through pouch pattern : amazon book link)

Elizabeth @biff74

Debbie shore (I made alterations to the savvy shopper)

Screen sensations



monochrome totes

I have customised these black totes with white ink and screen printed designs from screen sensations. I have used the 'mask', 'gothic peony', 'kaleidoscope' and 'plumage & folliage' screens. The white ink really pops on the dark fabric and adds some interest to these plain totes I got online.

Mx

black strap totes

I found these totes online which come with the black handles and thought they would look great customised with black screen printed designs. I have used the 'kaleidoscope', 'plumage' and 'wisdom' screens and the black ink from screen sensations and I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Mx