Simply Screen Blog

Win a new SS kit!

2010-11-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

The new kits for Walmart are in and hot! Run on over to the Paint me Plaid blog and enter to win one! Good luck!

Birthday girl on Girls Life!

2010-11-20T06:40:00.000-08:00

We gonna party like it's your birthday! It's your birthday! Sorry, I couldn't resist those fun lyrics from 50 cent. This is our birthday girl Simply Screen. I see it's on sale here. Molly at Girlslife.com made a cute T with it. Check out her project here!

Screen Printing Cork board... It works!

2010-11-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

It all started with this cork board---which originally came dressed in pink satin with ribbons wrapped around it. $1. I snagged it, trading in the fabric for some time with my favorite Folk Art paints and brush.

You maybe can't see, but then I splashed some extreme glitter round' the edges. I'm not sure if I told you I moved, but I moved somewhere in the last few weeks. Whew. So glad it's over! I thought this cork board would look perfect for my notes and ideas above one of my work benches.

Most days, you can find me whipping up jewelry of some form, so I was hot to try the necklace screen. When you screen print cork, I recommend the brush technique or only squeegee-ing the paint down once.

Spray over the final surface with some matte or gloss sealer if you like.

And there you have it! Cute....and cheap! Two of my favorite words. ;)

Simply Screen - Get the Look Quick Tips Video: Foil Technique

2010-11-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

Quick tips video that features all the basics of Simply Screen. Be watching for some killer Simply Screen kits at Walmart the day after Thanksgiving! These would make a fun gift from Santa or a unique activity during your holiday vacation. No holiday vacation is complete without a family silk screening night...I always say! ;)

ThunktUp!

2010-11-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled on this site with a bit of quirky info. For example, who invented those cute little tree air fresheners in your car (SnoopDog has at least 8 hanging from his rearview mirror)? I like the yellow, vanilla ones by the way. Or how about, who came up with the "cone of silence?" And hey, they even tell you who invented Simply Screen? ThunktUp has the answers to things I might not've thought about. Fun!

His and Hers...

2010-10-21T12:41:00.000-07:00

It's October 21st and not to speed up time or anything, but it occurred to me that it's pretty much, well, 2 months until Christmas. I can't believe it! The holidays bring entertaining and gift giving. This towel project might fit the bill for guys and gals. I found micro-fiber towels at Walmart and was amazed to find how nicely they screen print!

For Him: Sporty screen prints (sans ribbon) would make a great bar towel. Throw a can of cashews in with a few towels and bingo!

For Her: Screen print and finish the edge with ribbon (you could use fabric glue, or machine stitch in place). How about a couple towels and some nice lotion or hand soaps?

Monograms

2010-10-08T14:19:00.001-07:00

It all started with this nifty little three pack of notebooks. I liked them for three reasons: 1. they were good gifts for guys or gals, 2. the covers were non-glossy so the paint would soak in nice and easy and 3. can one ever have enough note pads?! These came from Target by the way.
I cut out the letter screens and stuck them in place. Be careful here--they need scooched more to the corner than I originally thought.
I used a brush to pull my paint across. Metallic paints looked super snazzy against the matte background, I have to say! ;)
And here ya go... I'm tucking these in some goody bags for some of my gal pals. Love fall and all it's pretty colors!!

Party Time!

2010-10-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to tell you what to do, but you've got to check out Chica and Jo's Halloween dinner party post. I can almost hear the leaves rustling under the party goers feet from the pictures. From party favors, to napkins to the Simply Screened table runner--IT. IS. AWESOME!!! Tons of great tricks and treats! Now all you need is a costume!

*My month of October feels jammed at this point for creating a dinner party, but I was thinking you could also do this in icy colors for a winter dinner party...aqua, silver and white, maybe? Keep it cozy.

Dorm Room Decor...

2010-10-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my grandparents were heading down to visit my cousin, Mary at school. This is her first year at college. Grandma whipped up a sweet treat to take her and it made me smile because I remember care packages and visits when I was in school. Seems like yesterday! Eh. Anyhow, when I looked at this project, I immediately thought.....dorm room. Mary would love these. If you want a really easy to hang piece, try stretching a silk screened fabric panel around a Styrofoam* piece to get the same look. You can hang it easily with the poster strips. Voila!

Make your own screens!

2010-09-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

(image from Craftgrrl/girlx512)

I found this really nice tutorial for making your own silk screens for screen printing this morning. Thank you for posting it Kristi--the embroidery hoop frame is genius! I've heard some good stuff about Simply Screen paints working with handmade screens so I hope you'll think this is as cool as I do. I think a nice image of my dog Rocker would be awesome for this. Don't you?

Have fun!

Screen Printed Leggings...

2010-09-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Ok. I can't believe it. It works to screen print on leggings! Chica and Jo came up with this super cute idea! They also put together a cute video how-to. Thanks girls! Target has cotton leggings for $6.00. Who's in?

Simply Screen Giveaway!

2010-09-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

My pals Chica and Jo are giving away some Simply Screen goodies!!! Pop on over here to this link and leave a comment for a chance to win! Good luck everybody! And have a great Sunday!

Laughing is good!

2010-09-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

From "I Wear Your Shirt" guy, Jason Sadler! Thanks for the giggles, Jason!

Touchdown T!

2010-09-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ok kids. I bought this T for 2.50 and I was so determined to make something fun. Here goes. Touchdown!!! T!!!

Somehow I managed to squegee in an arch around the helmet. You can use your favorite team's colors together too! I have to admit...I wasn't quite sure of my color combo. I'm crafty, not sporty! (but I am proud of our Colts!)

I handpainted the letters in silver with a wide brush. Before I forget to tell you, this screen set comes with three screens-touchdown, football, and football player. The size of screens makes it great for decorating small clothing.

No joke, this took about 10 minutes with cleanup to make. Will that ever not surprise me?!!?

The shorts were also on the clearance rack. Why not?

I screened the brown paint and then hand brushed over the design with copper....because I couldn't help myself. It looked good with just the brown. ;)

Here's a snap of the player screen. I was tempted to put it above the football, but then I stopped myself. Less really is more.......sometimes. ;)

Chicago Craft Social...

2010-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Simply Screen will be at the Chicago Craft Social!!! September 24th---one week from tomorrow!!! Check out the details here. It's gonna be fun!!! We will be using Simply Screen to make funky dish towels. Hope to see you there!

Sweet Dreams...

2010-09-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

Cathie Filian made this fun pillow case. She called it the "doodle pillow case." I love that because the design really does look doodled... The trim on the edge makes it extra special. Pillow cases are a great project for a slumber party or to make as a gift for a young one (or actually, I'd love to get one). The instructions are right here!

Lightning Fast Shoes!

2010-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

Cute shoe project over on the Family Fun site using more Simply Screen glitter! Here's a link to the instructions!

(photo copyright FamilyFun)

Cheerleading Shirt...

2010-09-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Gooooooooo team!!! It's spirit day over here on the Simply Screen blog and we're making DIY Cheerleading shirts!

This is the cheer design which comes with two stencils---the cheerleader seen here and the "it's a cheer thing, you wouldn't understand." Will we ever tire of that saying?

I'm doing this one in my cheer-friend's school colors.

The letter stencils make it easy to add individual or team names. I started with the middle letter centered at the bottom of the cheerleader. Print it and leave to dry, then add the outside letters.

I wanted the poms to be glittery so I put the screen back in place and screened the glue over the pom-poms only.

Sprinkle the glitter on while the glue is wet. This might have been my favorite part. ;) Shake off the extra glitter (outdoors) and leave to dry.

Lay the parchement paper over your design and heat set.

Check out the sparkle!

And to that I say Go! Fight! Win!

One More Pocket!

2010-09-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

You may have seen this silk screened design being embellished in the car on our Facebook page. I stitched the red button on as an after thought. In the last post, I used a patterned bag vs. this solid one. Any design works on a solid bag which is awesome. I kind of wish I would have done initials or a bolder design on the patterned bag so it shows up better. Wahhh, lesson learned, right?!?!

A Touch of Sparkle!

2010-09-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

Let's add some sparkle finally to this bag I've been fussing with. I use the tip of a paint brush to apply the glue like this.

Then plop your sparkle into place! Did you know you can use Simply Screen's adhesive to glue the flat back crystals on?

This is the full pocket. I still have high hopes of embroidering around the pocket and butterflies.

I scored some metal embellishments on the clearance rack at Walmart. I like them because they add texture in a subtle way.

But then again, I really love the sparkle! Flatback crystals really are a crafty girl's best friend. ;)

Bag Embellishing Part I

2010-08-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

This bag was $3.24! I couldn't leave it behind (or the two next to it)! The front pocket was begging for embellishing. I set to picking out paint and screens.

This is going to be a gift for a "tween" so I opted for pinks and purple butterflies and flowers.

It's easier for me to use a brush to paint in the smaller stencils. Cosmo pink and sugar plum butterflies....sounds like a fairytale!

The hair dryer really comes in handy for these projects when you are clustering screens because sometimes the screens overlap which could smear the paint. :( Instead, run the hair dryer over your design for about a minute to set the paint a bit and carry on screening without smudging.

After the base layer of paint has dried, you can add details with other colors. A small, pointed liner brush works great for this. This butterfly has a striped border, and inside wing design which adds a lot to the basic silhouette.

Stay tuned for Part II....

For my mom...

2010-08-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

The other night was our library's Crafty Book Club. This meeting focused on t-shirt decorating, altering and fabric painting. Yep, you guessed it! We broke out the Simply Screens! My mom always helps with the meetings and I wanted to make her a special T to wear. She also works at the local high school where they sport the school colors every Friday--Orange and Black. This is a T she can wear over and over all year long!

The Chandelier screen placed on the shoulder was a fun change. I found that the chain at the top needed to be positioned closer to the neck than I originally thought (if I had to do it over again). Tin Foil (metallic silver) shows up really well on black too. Once it's dry, you can glue crystals on top of the design, or stitch vintage buttons in place. If you opt for crystals, try Gem Tac to glue the crystals on. One t-shirt + one screen + one bottle of paint + a few crystals = a happy mama! Yay!

Tip!

2010-08-22T19:51:00.001-07:00

Here's a tip for you! no pun intended, of course ;)

But! Did you know you can remove the end of the bottle tip, making a larger hole so it's easier to put extra paint back? I actually just discovered this myself. Waste not, want not, right?

Peace Pack!

2010-08-17T08:52:00.000-07:00

Today was the kids first day back to school. Sigh. The school buses were glowing like giant fireflies. The kids were busting out their new school clothes and gear. It reminded me of this cute backpack project using the peace screen and funky metallic paints. And to top it off, I saw a leaf go swaying to the ground on my way home from breakfast. At that point I thought to myself, "ok! I get it! Get busy and live up the rest of the warm weather because it is going to be over before I know it!" So to that I say bring on the remains of summer fun! Strawberry shortcake, a cannonball jump off the high dive at the local pool, or maybe just a lazy read on the ol' porch swing...

Carmi Screens it Pretty!

2010-08-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

Our girl Carmi goes to town again, this time with the Random Hearts Stencil! I'm intrigued with all the colors together---and it works! How do you do it, Carm?!? If you are looking for awesome ideas and tutorials, she has the coolest blog. You can also learn about how she decorates shirts with the flat back crystals and embellishments. XOXO.