Thinking about Momma - a few dates to remember

One of the most thoughtful and unique gifts to the art and fashion lover in your life is a hand painted silk scarf.  It even becomes more special if it has been custom made just for her.  Mother’s Day will be here before you know it (May 8^th), so just sending you a friendly reminder about timing :)

"Shady Bouquet"

Although I do love creating special, custom pieces, please keep in mind that newly designed, custom scarves can be quite time intensive due to the creative process.  Here is a great example of a past custom project which illustrates the process from sketch concept to final scarf HERE. My schedule is filling up quickly right now so I just wanted to post a few dates (for U.S. residents) to remember in case you are considering placing an order and would like to have it in time for Mother’s Day.

silk scarves on frames drying in studio

1. April 3^rd – Custom Request deadline (This is for a completely new design that I have never painted before)  If you would like to see some of the custom scarves I have painted, please visit my Flickr albums HERE and HERE.  To view even more photos of Sold and Custom pieces, please visit my Facebook Fan page and browse the photo albums HERE. 

2.  April 10^th – Recreation Request deadline (This is if you want something quite similar to a piece I have already sold or maybe in a different color)  To browse sold pieces on Etsy click HERE.  

3. April 24^th – Etsy order deadline – please order before this date in order to guarantee on time, U.S. domestic delivery for Mother's Day.  Shop our new Spring/Summer Collection HERE and our new Transitions Collection HERE to see my latest available pieces!

Don't be late like the White Rabbit, or you might not get your scarf in time!  Please contact Angel any time to discuss details for a custom order or timing for International orders at arscarves@hotmail.com

"White Rabbit" (always late for a date)

 Here are a few testimonials from some of my customers who have made their Mom’s and Grandmothers so happy with a Muse scarf!

“Absolutely stunning! My grandmother LOVED her scarf for Mother's Day, MUSE!!!! She was in tears as the gorgeous scarf brought her enormous joy. You never cease to make people happy and feel special; your designs embrace pure BEAUTY~ Thank YOU so much for another wonderful shopping experience at MuseSilkPaintings. I sincerely can't (ever) get or have enough! Your talent is above and beyond and my family and I are so proud to own and wear your scarves with utmost honor.”

“I bought this beautiful scarf for my mom on her birthday, and she loved it. Service was wonderful as well. Seller was very attentive and super sweet; she wrote a card with my message and made the package look lovely. Also, it arrived promptly. Love!”

To read ALL customer feedback from my Etsy store, click HERE. 

gift wrapped scarves ready to ship

When you order a scarf from Muse Silk Paintings, not only do you receive a beautiful, hand painted scarf, but it also comes with complimentary shipping, gift wrapping, an extra gift and a hand written card.  Shop Muse Silk Paintings TODAY and let me help you put a big smile on her face this Mother's Day!

Silk & Chocolate - a delicious lesson for scarf lovers

Are you obsessed with chocolate? Have a weakness for silk?

My dear, this post is for you.

This entry was created in order to help my clients pick the right type of silk when placing a custom order. While musing over describing each lovely silk base, the similarities to chocolate just came naturally. The smooth, rich textures, the heavenly satisfying feeling, life's little indulgences.. it became clear that silk and chocolate are like peas in a pod. Have your glass of milk ready?

Muse Silk Paintings preferred

SILK QUALITIES

1.HABOTAI - Otherwise known as "China silk" is like the chocolate mousse of silks. The most economic base I work with, and like mousse, is smooth, flat, opaque and yummy. Habotai silk is the real deal, and just hits the spot.

I enjoy this base for painting detailed line work designs and is for your modern fashionista daily wear. Perfect with jeans or to dress up a work outfit. To shop Muse habotai silks, click here.

2.GEORGETTE - this is a sheer, beautiful silk and it has a little bit of a pebbly texture to the finish. Georgette is like a Plaisir Sucre with its light layers and interesting textures.. It's such a soft and romantic look, while still being reasonably priced.

Georgette is great for abstract, watercolor designs. It is for the lady who enjoys the translucent, ultra feminine touch of color! To shop Muse georgette silks, click here.

3.CREPE DE CHINE - sniff... do I smell a little more decadence in the air? Just a gorgeous fabric! Crepe de chine is like an fancy mousse with those extra flavors and toppings added in. Similar to habotai, except a softer, silkier, feeling with an understated shine. Drapes beautifully and my favorite to paint! To shop Muse crepe de chine silks, click here.

4.SAND-WASHED CREPE DE CHINE - Makes me melt. A heavier crepe fabric is washed with stones or rocks to achieve the most plush and ever-so-soft feel. It has a gorgeous drape, and is really something special. Enter The Chocolate Pistachio Kiss, a rich, irresistible morsel. The buttery nut toppings remind me of how luscious the sand washed crepe feels against my skin. The cocoa powder emulates the sumptuous matte finish of this silk. For the woman who wants nothing less than the creme de la creme, this is it! To shop Muse sand washed silks, click here.

5.CHARMEUSE - Aside from velvet, this is the most high end and luxurious silk. One side sleek like satin with lustrous shine, and the other side has a matte finish. I adore charmeuse for painting watercolors and "free" designs. Vibrancy of color is amplified by the magnificent luster of this silk. Like the famed Platinum Cake, which is literally laced with edible gold flecks. Charmeuse silk is for the elegant, illuminating lady of the hour who is not afraid to shine! To shop Muse charmeuse silks, click here.

5.SATIN BURNOUT - Also called "devore" is a blend of silk and rayon and comes in a variety of patterns. The scarf example here is a dot design, with a swirly dot imagery painted on top. Silk burnout is right up there with the finest of silks. Like assorted chocolate truffles, this base offers something different; a unique and special texture. It's mix of matte and opulence creates several shades of light and dark within hue and gives you just enough of a glamourous shine. So pretty! To shop Muse dot burnout silks, click here.

Now that this deliciously lesson is over, I suggest you go grab a chocolate treat, a glass of milk, and muse over which color and type of yummy silk suits you best . After all, you deserve a little indulgence once in a while!

Labor of Love - Silk Painting Process

Hope you had a lovely Labor Day weekend!

In response to the numerous requests from friends, today I want to share with you my basic silk painting process that is used when creating my silk paintings. When you scroll down to the end of this post, there is a flicker link where you can view more photos of each step. Sometimes people wonder why the prices are a bit more expensive, than say, a scarf you would find at Macy's. It depends on many things.. the type of silk (which I will explain in more detail my next entry) , size, and of course, the level of detail and time put into each piece. Each of my scarves truly are one of a kind artworks, and really are a labor of LOVE. Here are the stages:

1. Inspiration - from books, online images, my pictures of the sky, dreams and imagination, I first must come up with a design I'd like to express.

2. Preparing the silk - After learning the hard way, I now always pre-wash my silk before painting, to get rid of any unseen residues.

3. Stretching - I stretch the hand rolled, silk scarf blank with pins on a wooden frame so the silk becomes taught from all angles.

4. Resist - Usually I draw freehand with the water based resist

onto the silk. These lines act as a barrier later when painting, and keep the colors from spreading.

5. Paint - I use water based paints, unlike most professional silk painters who use spirit based dyes. I use a Japanese sumi brush to paint in the colors - my favorite part!

6. Heat set - Once dried, I iron the scarf so that the paint chemically bonds to the silk.

7. Washing/Ironing - I hand wash each scarf about 2 or 3 times with baby shampo, soak the scarf in a water/softener mixture for a while, lightly roll towel dry, and then lightly iron on the backside.

8. Viola! It is finished and ready for photos!

Recently I finished a custom order scarf for a wonderful client of mine and took pictures throughout the entire process. To view this picture gallery, click HERE.

Another earlier custom "Go Broncos" piece also has great step-by-step pictures in the album HERE.

All together from start to finish, one of my hand painted silk scarves could take anywhere from 3-12 hours! But of course, each minute I spend is a minute I simply cherish, as I have fallen completely love with the artistic medium of silk painting... and this Labor Day, I'll end with this quote, "Love what you do. Do what you love." - Wayne Dyer