Yes, I do have a bunch of muslin that I meant to get out and get ironed and test transfers with colored pencils.

 

But, when I think of fabric, I think of the most luxurious of all (IMO) - Ultrasuede. I love the feel of it, I love that it has body and does not fray (because I am not a person who could sew a hem to save my life!) And I already knew that photos on Sheer Heaven transfer to Ultrasuede like a charm.

There is a trick to it. One side of the Ultrasuede is a little bit rougher than the other - and that is the side that takes the transfers well. The smoother side has more sizing it seems and seals off some of the porosity of the fabric.

 

Sheer Heaven transfers *need* an absorbent receiver, so the transfers do not do as well on that side.

 

Ultrasuede is totally washable so it is on my to-do list to try transferring to a laundered piece (some of the sizing presumably removed). If only time grew on trees, right?

Anyway, since my Caran d’ache Supracolor watercolor pencils had performed so brilliantly on Moleskine Sketchbook pages, I tried them first. The transfers were very washed out. I tried my other brands, and the Derwent seemed to do pretty well, as shown at the right. The other brands did not.

I am sure that many of you are aware of the fact that Derwent also makes some specialty water soluble colored pencils. One of them is called Inktense and is actually a dye-based pencil. Dye based inkjet prints transfer to Ultrasuede better than pigment inkjet prints do. So, it occurred to me that the Inktense pencils might work really well because of that dye-based business.

 

And I was right! Both the drawing of the Leaf above left, and the birds above were drawn on Sheer Heaven with Inktense pencils and blended dry. They were then transferred to the rougher side of Bone colored Ultrasuede.

 

I just love how the transfer held the color variations and the detail.

 

All kinds of ideas came to mind - so many that I am working on a “Studio Cookbook” (TM) with several Ultrasuede project “recipes”,

 

But the first one I am going to share with you here in our blog-a-zine. Just to get you going. But not tonight.

 

If you knew about the day I had today, you would never believe I made my challenge for a blog post for March 5. But I did.

So, for now, I am going to show you this great picture, tell you that I have talked my dear friend into being a source for small and afforbable pieces of Ultrasuede in Bone and White, (because it is so hard to find and so expensive when you do find it), and some EXTREMELY cool rainbow colored ball chain.

 

Her website is:

 

Tomorrow, my sister arrives from California, but I am going to keep posting. She knows about this challenge and is “daring” me. Gotta love sisters.

 

So I will share this really great project.

 

These are on a black ball chain (which Experiart has too). But, you should see  them on the Rainbow Chain!!

These Ultrasued tags hang on my new Art Tote. More about that Tote later.