3D Tuesday Tutorial: Stamped & Stenciled Beach Bag

I know that all the local craft stores are trying to convince you that you should be preparing for fall and winter, but really? There’s still a month and a half left of SUMMER! Let’s not jump the gun when we could still be enjoying those “…lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer”! Let’s stamp and stencil our way into September! My 3D Tutorial this week celebrates just that notion!

Supplies:

Stampendous Cling By the Sea and Cling Shell Background

Dreamweaver Stencils‘ Nautilus

3/4″ stencil brush

1 1/2″ foam brush

Soft White Acyrlic Fabric Paint

Tsukineko Coffee Bean and Pearlescent Orchid Brilliance Ink

cotton fabric

wicker beach bag (found mine at the Target Dollar Deal section for $2.50)

rickrack and pompom trim (available at JoAnn’s)

Beacon Adhesives‘ Fast Finish Decoupage and Fabri-Tac adhesive

Polyshrink plastic in white

Step #1-Squeeze some fabric paint onto a flat surface. (I use my acrylic blocks because they’re handy, but a piece of foil or waxed paper works as well, and is easier for cleanup.) Apply some paint to your stamp with a foam brush, and stamp image repeatedly (add paint between each stamping) over a 4″ X  42″ piece of cotton fabric. Let dry. Immediately clean brush, stamp, and blocks with warm water.

Step #2-Brush decoupage medium over area on basket for border. Place fabric band over this, smooth into place. Apply more medium over the top. Let dry. Repeat with back side. Trim extra. Clean brush with warm water.

Step #3-Here is where common sense would tell you that you that this step should have been completed before adhering the fabric to the bag. But noooooo. I had to do it the difficult way. After I had adhered the band to the bag, then I thought it needed something more, so I decided to stencil a bold shell on the bag. Doing this on a flat surface would have been easier, but here’s what I did: I taped the stencil to the bag with removable tape. I used the same fabric paint and a stencil brush to “pounce” the paint into the stencil design. Keep the brush as dry as possible and build up layers to avoid seepage under the “bridges” of the design. Let dry. Once again, clean brush and block thoroughly with warm water.

Step #4-Using Fabri-Tac, adhere trims over unfinished edges.

Step #5-Die cut a jumbo sized tag (I used the Sizzix Super Scallop Tag) from Polyshrink. Rub both sides with a small amount of talcum or baby powder. (Note: This prevents the shrink from sticking to itself during the shrink process, and no pre-sanding involved!)

Step #6-Stamp image with Brilliance ink. Apply heat tool to shrink. (During this process you will want to freak, as the piece will curl up on itself, but then will flatten out again.) Once flat, place a clean acrylic block over the top to flatten completely.

Step #7-Tie tags to handles with fun strips of stamped fabric, etc.

Once you’ve completed this project, you’ll begin to think of other matching accessories…a beach towel with bands of stamped fabric. A cushion for your beach chair. A matching surfboard…well, maybe not…hmmm. Yes, it could be done…