Stamping on fabric

Fabric is such a great surface to stamp on!

I use natural or white coloured linen, calico or muslin. Muslin has an open weave and it is not easy to get a clear impression, it does give a vintage look to it. To give calico and linen fabric a vintage look you can dye it with tea or coffee. I sometimes add some vanilla for a nice fragrance :)

A huge advantage of stamping of fabric is that you can use the stamped pieces in many different projects. Cards, altered art pieces, fabric collage / books and so on. It is my favourite technique!

Draw string bag materials used:

Coffee dyed Calico 

Tim Holtz Cling Stamps - Classics #1

Tim Holtz Distress Stains - Broken China, Musterd Seed, Peeled Paint.

Front

Back

Inside

Fabric card / book materials used:

Calico fabric, lace and other fabric pieces

Tim Holtz Distress Stains - Broken China, Mustard Seed

Cosmic Shimmer Mist - Peacock Green

Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black & Coffee

Tim Holtz Cling Stamps - Classics #1

Indigo Blu - Honeycomb Background

Lost Coast Designs -  Wish Upon A Star

Materials used:

Coffee dyed Calico

Ranger Archival Ink - Coffee

Stampendous cling - Bluebird Branch (CRM285)

Crafty Individuals - Chicken (CI-289), Seagull  (CI-344),  Robin (CI-357)

Materials used:

Rangel Archival Ink - Coffee

Coffee dyed muslin

Crafty Individuals - Praying Angel (CI-056)

I had some questions about this technique, this is what I keep in mind when stamping on fabric:

• It is easier to colour the images with (distress) inks on a thinner fabric but the ink is most likely to bleed.
• When using distress inks your project is not washable.
• Acrylic paint is more opaque and can cover the lines, project will be washable.
• You get the best impression when using a foam mat (for example mouse pad) as stamping underground. 
• Contrasting colours like black on light fabric give a good and clear stamped image.
• The tighter woven the fabric, the better the stamped result.
• Most stamps are suitable for stamping on fabric, rubber stamps however give the best result.
• Ink that can be used to stamp on fabric are Ranger Archival inks or Stazon.
• To enhance the image you can outline with a black marker (I use Faber-Castell Pitt Artist pen).