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 Quilted Memories : Journaling, Scrapbooking & Creating Keepsakes with Fabric
by Lesley Riley
$24.95, 128 pps, Sterling/Chapelle Publishers
If anyone is looking for some inspiration to kick-start their artistic juices, I highly recommend Lesley's book!
The 128 full-color pages are loaded with guidance, ideas, and instruction that can be translated to fabric and paper collage art. The layout is a visual feast, and Lesley's writing style is warm and friendly.
Lesley discusses how you can learn to see like an artist by providing an overview of the basic elements and principles of design, color, and style. She gently reminds you that you can learn to incorporate art into your daily life. She introduces an assortment of techniques to transform your fabrics with stamps, stencils, paints, and image transfers. The info is presented in digestible chunks with a "you can do it" tone.
Also included are 24 projects, each presented on two-page spreads, with a full page image on the right and guidance on how the piece was created on the left. They are not "make this exactly" type projects, but rather the steps and in some cases the inspiration behind the work to help the reader better understand how they can take the concepts and incorporate them into their own work.
There's also a gallery with more images. Inspirational quotes such as "I cannot each you to be an artist; all I can do is help you learn to see - J.P. Loveless" and various exercises are sprinkled throughout the book.
This book is an absolute keeper!
Quilted Memories: Journaling, Scrapbooking & Creating Keepsakes with Fabric is available from Amazon.
For more information about Lesley Riley, see her website LaLasLand.
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 Paintstiks on Fabric,
Simple Techniques, Fantastic Results
by Shelly Stokes
$16.95, 32 pps, Cedar Canyon Textiles
What are Shiva Paintstiks (called "Markal Paintstiks outside the USA) and why do you want to use them on fabric?
Paintstiks look like a chunky crayon, but they are actually made from pigment, oil, and wax. They are available in 51 professional colors and 15 iridescent colors. My question when I first learned of them was: What type of oil is used in the Paintstiks? Mineral oil, as in Sennellier oil pastels? If so, I knew that was fine to use on untreated fabric. Or linseed oil, a chemically active, highly acidic oil that is generally not good to use on fabric unless some type of primer is used.
I learned that Shiva Paintstiks do contain linseed oil; but, there is far less oil used compared to all other oil sticks and the oil that is used is uniquely refined making it far less acidic. For these reasons, the manufacturer maintains that Shiva Paintstiks are completely safe to use on fabric, which is great news to fiber artists! Need ideas on how to use Paintstiks? That's where this book comes in.
Using concise writing and color photographs, Shelly Stokes shows you how to use Paintstiks on fabric to create unique looks. She explains how to create textures, work with stencils and masks, create transparencies — even how to create "Paintstik applique." Preparation, heat setting instruction, and clean-up are also covered. The techniques have a very short learning curve, yet offer a wealth of possibilities. Paintstiks on Fabric is well worth the small price tag — the only question is how many Paintstiks will you buy?
Paintstiks on Fabric is available directly from Cedar Canyon Textiles.
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