New Challenges

Emboldened by the spirit of adventure from a fellow blogger, I am offering my contribution to the notion of trying something new each week. I love the idea of pushing my boundaries wider and wider. With all the wonderful blogs and websites seducing me away from housework and current projects, I am continually reading about some new recipe or art project or technique that I think would be cool to try but which gets stashed way far back in the cluttered closet of my mind.

So here is what I did over the weekend.


Glue batik t-shirts. (And yes, given my bashing of Valentine's day, the irony of me making big heart shirts in celebration of Cupid's day is not lost upon me.)

These were so ridiculously easy and fun to make, I cannot believe I haven't done this sooner. I suppose I've spared family and friends a batik filled Christmas season, but watch out! Easter is coming and this is perfect for Spring themed projects.

The instructions are easy peasy and found here on That Artist Woman's blog. I bought inexpensive cotton t-shirts at Michael's craft store and use acrylic craft paints that I had on hand for other projects. I cut up some old cereal boxes and slide the cardboard between the front and the back of the shirts so the glue and paint would not bleed through. I did the initial glue "drawing" and let the pieces dry overnight. The next day I set Cowgirl up with water, a brush and paints and let her go at it. She put the paint on pretty thick while the directions have you water the acrylics down a bit. I helped her wet patches that were too dry to blend properly, but she got the hang of mixing the water with the paint. In fact, her shirt came out much more vibrant and fun than my more restrained piece! I don't know how the color will hold up to repeated washing; I will probably wash her shirt in cold water or hand wash as I am sure the colors will blend over time in warm water.




I love the idea of making seasonal banners and have loads of ideas for future projects. Maybe some napkins and a tablecloth? I used cookie cutter forms for my heart design and I can see gingerbread men for a holiday table setting.

Thanks Jane for the nudge! Now, if I could only figure out how to get paid to stay home and do all these great projects swimming around my head and the blog-o-sphere! If you want more ideas, just head over to Jane's blog for ideas!