My first experiment with POWERTEX

Hello everyone!

I promise to be updating this blog, How to do it!

Well I was seeing the lovely stuff made with Powertex (textile hardener); so I decide to give it a go.

A shoe Box!

You can search for images and the thing people and artist are creating with this is beautiful and amazing!

I am not an expert but,and this is my first attempt to use this! I will blog here my experience, what I found easy, what more difficult.

First of all you need to but the textile hardener (In USA have been around for a while); they have a website here in the UK, but I bought it through a TV channel; because it was a kit, and for experimenting I though would be easier. It came with the Powertex in Black (1K), some dust colours, a varnish and a brush.

For this project I didn't use the varnish or the dust colours that came in the kit, I have a lot of old paint and prefer to use it before opening something new.

A word this is a very messy project, but I am a messy crafter  so I enjoy it; but be prepared!

Materials used:

• 1K bottle of Black Powertex.
• mica paint (dust) 
• Acrylic mica  paints 
• Masking tape if need it. (use to reinforce the corners)
• Paint brush
• glove
• foil plate
• plastic bag (to cover the working surface)
• masking tape and big paper clips.
• plastic or cellophane bags (when drying I put them there to protect surface)
• jar with water for cleaning paintbrush
• Fabric, jeans, cold cotton socks, old t shirt (cut in stripes) , lace & embroidery, wide threads
• Embellishment (I use some old flower I made using air dry clay)
• Shoe box, old or cheap frame, back of an cheap or old canvas. old can, bottle etc.
• Use a very old t shirt for protection, and not damaging what you are wearing. This hardens fabric so it will harden the clothes you are wearing! Use something old that if damage isn't a lost.

WARNING:

I must say something, I used jeans, and I personally found it very difficult to work with and also they absorb a great deal of the Powertex; so I do not recommend using jeans at least until you develop more experience.  I use old sock cotton material, and t shirt like fabric and found it more easier to work with.  also I would advice to begin better with something more simpler like a frame or the backside of a canvas.  Please use things that you are going to throw away or bought cheap in charity store until you are more experience. I use an old can, bottle wood box and shoe box and found it quite tricky.

Powertex also serve as glue, so you don't need glue to do this project.

Bottles, here are 2 sides

I have to nice faux tulips.

Small Wooden Box

Front of the box.

Old can 

I used it to put the herb from my garden

Well, let star doing the project! 

1. Prepare the surface you are going to work! It is essential, so you do not  need to do much cleaning; I cover it with a big used plastic mail bag, big enough to cover the surface.
2. Decide how you would like your project to be, if you want straight lines of fabric, curve, spiral, the design also must be use in conjunction the base you are using, if you want more lace, prepare this before beginning. 
3. Prepare your plate, I prefer to use foil ones, you can wash it after or some people prefer paper dishes to discard them right away.
4. Take all the materials you are going to use, near were you are doing your work.
5. Put on the glove and pour the Powertex  into the dish, TIP: do not use to more Powertex than you need, you can not put it back to the bottle! This is expensive so do your best not to throw it!
6. Dip your fabric into the Powertex, soak it, try not to leave space uncovered with the hardener; use your hands in a motion like when you wash, then squeeze it a little, I notice that when they are too soak, I not only lose the hardener it also take longer to dry. Not to dry and to too wet!
7. Then applied this fabric to your project in the design way you have choose. Keep doing this until you cover all the surface.
8. When you have cover all the surface, check for blank spots.
9. Now it have to dry and dry well! I leave it overnight; still not sure if I can use a  heat gun. I will do it next time and let you know! 
10. When it is completely dry, the the painting begins! I use wet acrylic colors and mica dust.  Didn't want to use the one in the kit until I acquire more experience.
11. Use the dry brush technique, pick the paint with the brush, then brush it over a piece of paper until it looks dry, then apply to along the dry fabrics,  let the craves and crackles show off.  I use very bright mica acrylic paint and dust, my base was black.
12. When I finish applying all the colors I like, then I applied some waxing colors in gold and silver, to give it a lighter coloration and more metal type.

Different sort of fabric & lace, this give different texture to your work.

We are using a shoe box for this project. 

Foil plate for pouring the Powetex.

Materials

I reinforce the corner of the box with masking tape, I recommend do the inside after, because this is MESSY!

I draw a line were the lid cover the box, so I will not be covering it with fabric or the hardener, after I am finish will paint it with black gesso or acrylic color; this way I do not waste the hardener and the lid can close; this part of the box wont be showing.

Have your design ready

Dip the fabric in the plate with the Powertex.

Cover it very well and squeeze a little if is too soak!

Place the fabric following your design.

Keep adding fabric lace thread following your design.

To maintain the lid open so it wouldn't stuck to the base I use some clips.

Keep adding fabric until you cover the desire area following your design.

Here is the lid of the box covered with fabric, lace, thread.

Now you must let it dry, I dried and leave it overnight.  Still dont know for sure if a hot gun
can be use.

The sides, the pink parts I will cover them with gesso.

Here I am covering with black gesso, this part wouldn't show up.

After you have cover your object and your happy with it, let it dry. You are experimenting a new technique, so if things dont look quite well, they will in a future if you keep practising and learning.

I did this project hearing to the explanation of the lady in a tv program.

I use magazine that I dont want to put my paints, I prefer the ones with more shiny pages.

Pick up the paint with brush.

Sweep the brush very well over the paper.

Every wet color keep brushing it.

When is dry then you begin to apply it to the hard fabric in the object.

Is important to keep sweeping your brush over the paper, so the brush come very dry.

Apply the brush using the dry brush technique.

Keep adding the color that you like or choose.

Keep adding color until you cover the whole project!

Here I begin to change the look, it was to dark for what I was looking for, so I added more bright colors & silver wax.

More darker style.

Here I apply more bright paint so the design is lighter.

I could have leave it like this, if you desire a more dark design.

I use a paper clay embellishment and add a pearl drop in the middle.

Then when I was happy I apply silver and old gold wax.

Apply gold & silver wax.

I apply to the lace gold wax. Also I applied a little bit of dark acrylic pain t to the border of the lid.

Here are some laterals picture, the bottom I painted with black acrylic paint also every place that isn't show.  I still haven't done the inner side. I will be exhibiting it in a recycling festival so I want that the people see it how it was before.

Hope you enjoy this tutorial. I will be doing a video soon. (learning jajajajaj)
What I learn, that jeans fabric are difficult and absorb to many Powertex, is more easy to work with t shirt type of fabric.  Also I use towel paper, very muggy and difficult also, but have a beautiful effect when painted! Also I found some wipes, that they were unused but had dry up, they were easy to use, didn't absorb much of the hardener and create a beautiful effect when dry!
Also I would recomend to begin with a backside of a cheap or used canvas, working in vertical is a little trickier and is better youexperience the hardener with something easy then go up!
I will try to do a sculptor jajajajaj Better laugh.

Any question please feel free to e mail me.

BYE!