Suggestions of surface design

[tracey]

I made another felted card today.  I added two skeleton leaves along with silks, throwsters waste and nepps. I am happy with the result, but would love any other suggestions on what else to use as the 'main event' (the leaves). Anything else that will happily felt in? Thanks.

[lyn]

Handmade silk paper, cut to shape? I searched the forum because I remembered some leaves:

silk paper leaves

I tried making silk paper with the spray starch method but the strands of silk took flight all over the craft room! So this is how I make mine - prolly not very correct but it works - I lay down a piece of tutu net in a plastic tray, spread out the silks and whatever else I want to include, cover it with a piece of tutu net, wet it through with soapy water, then when it's drained, I 'paint' wallpaper paste onto both sides (making sure that the paste penetrates completely). Then I peg it up to dry.

[Pandagirl]

I agree with Lyn. Silk paper felts in beautifully and you can cut shapes. I tried the laundry starch it was ok, but I believe my best experience was with a tut Zed had done, I think using wax paper and an iron.

[MTRuth]

Lyn, I think that's the proper way to make silk paper. The starch method doesn't really hold together as well.




This iris is made from silk paper and felted in. 

[tracey]

Ooh another craft to learn, oh goody!    Thanks ladies.  I love the autumnal leaf link Lyn, thank you,  beautiful colours.

Beautiful iris too Ruth, flowers are such a great usable subject on cards.

[halay]

Has anyone tried kitchen gelatine which we use for making sweets? YOu spread fibers on baking paper and sprinkle gelatine to make it wet and then you put another sheet of paper on top and iron it to dry. I think I saw a tutorial somewhere but cannot find it any more.

[tracey]

As I already have silk hankies, and no silk roving, I am going to try these. I checked on the site I bought them from and it was stated they can be used for silk paper making. Does this get the thumbs up??

[MTRuth]

Hankies work fine. I think that's what I used for the iris but that was a long time ago so my memory may be faulty.

Nada, I haven't seen the kitchen gelatin way of making silk paper but it sounds like you have the basics and sounds like it would work.

[tracey]

That's excellent thanks Ruth. I will definitely have a go then.

[zed]

I think I used the starch with the brown (wrapping) paper and iron, Marilyn. I think I used some fabric sheets instead of paper one time, too. The starch spray does blow it away, if you spray slow, you get it more 'drippy'.

These are the results I get on flickr searching for 'paper', most of them are silk/other fibre paper: www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=33138187%40N06&view_all=1&text=paper

I don't think I tried hankies so I'll look forward to seeing yours, Tracey

[Shepherdess]

I've done it with spray starch and with the glue medium the silk paper makers use(we did a class at the guild. It was messy). the spray starch make something very delicate to work with. It falls apart into layers easily but if you where going to cut leaves out and use them right away it would work well. For the blowing try making your own solution and spraying it with a hand spray bottle. The pressurised bottles blast it out.

[Pandagirl]

May 21, 2017 11:13:43 GMT zed said:

I think I used the starch with the brown (wrapping) paper and iron, Marilyn. I think I used some fabric sheets instead of paper one time, too. The starch spray does blow it away, if you spray slow, you get it more 'drippy'.

These are the results I get on flickr searching for 'paper', most of them are silk/other fibre paper: www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=33138187%40N06&view_all=1&text=paper

I don't think I tried hankies so I'll look forward to seeing yours, Tracey

It was so long ago I couldn't remember other than I used a couple of techniques. Perhaps I used the brown paper over the waxed paper.  I'll have to try to find those instructions. Obviously, you wouldn't iron directly on the waxed paper unless you like cleaning irons. :-)

[zed]

I did buy a book on Lyn's recommendation, but haven't even flicked through it!