Melanie Testa

Fleur de Lis

Birds and Fleur de Lis

Carving rubber stamps is my favorite printing technique. For years, I used grey rubber, but when Lisa Chin introduced me to Inovart Eco Carve, I changed loyalties. I did so because, Eco Carve is firmer than the grey stuff, though it carves like butter. The firmness allows for finer lines.

Check out this time lapse instagram video of me carving the Bird and Fleur de Lis pattern:

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Its like being #hypnotized #handcarved #rubberstamp #repeatpattern #fleurdelis #birds #textiledesign #surfacedesign #surfacedesigner #handprintedtextiles

A post shared by Melanie (Melly) Testa (@mellytesta) on

I continue to swatch and print a new color triangle and am happy to say I am past the half way point. I have 15 colors swatched in gradations of four each. This means I have 13 more colors to go. Woot!

Soon, I will have 4 color triangles to choose colors from! I am a greedy little dragon! I want even more triangles! 

With each color grouping I swatch, I am using a new multicolor print set. When I am finished with this new color triangle, I will have, So. Much. Fabric!! And there is nothing wrong with that.

Again, again.

A little more than a month ago, I had an exercise accident that derailed my blogging efforts! It certainly took me off my feet! I tore my right calf muscle. I couldn’t walk for close to two weeks! It slowed my art making down, it spiraled into taking a break from everything in my life.

But!! It can’t be all bad! My birthday came around (it’s a big one, 5-0), and… I got a pair of Purple Moxi Lolli roller skates! I know! How does one go from leg injury to roller skating? I assure you, it makes sense to me!

I have been printing too! I have 12 of 28 new colors swatched, in all four values, and I am in the midst of printing my newest multicolor print sets. When I am finished swatching the entire color triangle, I am going to have a boat load of new fabrics to begin piecing quilt tops! Please, check out my art insta, to see many recent prints from all of these groupings.

These will be small quilts, as I am printing just 27 fat sixteenths with each grouping of three colors mixed. This isn’t a lot of fabric, each collection will need to be paired with commercial, low volume or single color prints. And, well, that’s exciting!

I will leave you with a photograph of my Man and I, celebrating during my birthday weekend. I am grateful to be me, 50, a goofball artist and fitness enthusiast, who wants to dance roller skate! I am glad you are here and interested in my shenanigans too. 

StencilGirl Stencils (a SALE) and The Motif Maker’s Zine

StencilGirl Stencils and The Motif Maker’s Zine

Tomorrow!!!

June 20, 21, 22, StencilGirl Products will have a

Melanie Testa stencil SALE!!!

21% OFF     Scroll to end of post for the discount code!

If you haven’t already bought every stencil in my line, I wanted to let you know, it’s time to make a purchase or two!!

I am writing the Motif Maker’s Zine -as we speak-. I plan to print the first three within the month. In this offering, I am using my StencilGirl stencils as a jumping off point to discuss repeat design and motif making skills, for the textile/surface design artist. The zine is a visual feast of pattern, motif, texture and prompts to get you printing and creating your very own motifs.

The Zine is written in such a way that it relies on the text of Playful Fabric Printing as a support and learning opportunity. At 15$, this book is a deal. So please! Stock up on my behalf. Every sale is appreciated.

And soon, we will get to learning all about motif making, repeats, single color designs and designing textural elements through, The Motif Maker’s Zine. Please, stay tuned. 

27 prints, before steam and boil.

This Fleur de Lis pattern is a three color print, utilizing a thermofax screen print for the line drawing, and a two part fun foam stamp set, to print the background and the inside of each Fleur de Lis.

I tried to plan out what colors would get printed and where. I tried to adhere to my plan too, but my dyslexia got the better of me. I transposed numbers and generally got happy and forgetful of my intention. I am not worried though. These colors go quite nicely and these are a great set of quite usable fabrics.

(Sorry this photo is not upright, the blogging software is being wonky and I tried to fix it, but no)

I will use the remaining unused dye in single-color, supportive prints. I hope for equal numbers of prints, but we will see what happens. In the meantime, it’s time  to steam and wash.

Take note of the color intensity there! It will lessen some with steam and wash! It’s part of the process, and so, it is expected.

 

Fleur de Lis, plus an update

 

I am on a new and different life path, it has been a long time in the coming and is a welcome change. I have decided to become a certified personal trainer and to broaden my employment skillset. I have discovered that I love lifting weights and that I love cardiovascular aerobic exercise! Who knew! My long term goal is to get an additional certification so that I can work with special populations, like cancer patients, queer and transitioning individuals, and those who seek to improve their body image and self love skills through physical exercise.

I have been dance/walking the streets of New York City, listening to songs like Lizzo’s Boys (whom I love for her fantastic sense of self), and enjoying being goofy in public. It is liberating to dance how and where I want. The world is my audience!

I am keeping track of my home workouts via instagram, at Flat_and_Fit. In fact, I have broken my insta accounts into three, Art where you will find my latest makings and Breast Cancer Advocacy too. That way, I can separate my social media personae and you can follow those that interest you. 

In the meantime, I have been printing a bunch of Fleur de Lis prints, while also swatching a new color triangle from Playful Fabric Printing. 

 

Zine Making, what? why?

A Zine is a short & sweet version of a magazine. This printed material is often made by individuals, be they artists, activists, enthusiasts, fans or groups. These booklets are traditionally created by way of photocopy machines, an easily accessible and generally inexpensive means of printing.
On March 31 of this year, I went to a Feminist Zine Festival held at Bernard College in NYC. The Zines at this event ranged from 4-12$, more or less. I was so excited about what I might learn and whose Zines I would collect, I arrived early.

I am glad that I did because I was able to nab the brightly colored Zine named ‘Making Your Mark’ at upper right, in the photo above. That Zine is subtitled, ‘Women, Queer & Gender Non-Conforming Tattoo Artists in their Own Words’. It was printed under then Diaspora Savant Press. But I purchased Zines from many interesting people on topics like body positivity, breast cancer, trans poetry, and penpal Zines for incarcerated women and gender non-conforming people.

Then, I got bit by the bug!

I buckled down and began creating a Zine of my own, and I am calling it, The Motif Maker’s Zine.

Of course my Zine needs to be an artful exploration of motif, textile design and printing. I am drawing and lettering the entire Zine myself and I plan to release three at once, ASAP. I have two Zines complete and have started a third! I find I like communicating by way of drawings and written word. I like the format and I hope you do too.

So, please stay tuned. This will be fun.