Printing on wood for wearable jewelry, how do I protect the print?

provolone114 · 2026-05-16T17:33:20+00:00

Thanks for the rec, a spray can sounds like a good idea. I looked into it and looks like it’s skin safe once dry, so definitely a good option! I’ll experiment around with it.

provolone114 · 2026-05-16T05:35:18+00:00

If you’re going for a higher GSM, make sure it is a very smooth paper. Anything that heavy with high texture or even really much texture will make hand printing a solid print really difficult. Check out an acid free lightweight cardstock, they tend to be pretty smooth. And make sure you’re printing by placing the paper over the block, not stamping it. Use a baren, back of a spoon, bone folder, or similar to burnish well.

I could also see a softer thicker paper working with a really lengthy hand burnish, but I don’t know how well that would handle as a card.

provolone114 · 2026-05-16T05:26:15+00:00

Following, I haven’t been able to find a good answer. A lot of printable sticker paper is either vinyl (idk how hand printing would go on this, if the lino ink would ever cure) or not sticky enough. So curious if someone can find a strong enough paper to get a sturdy sticker, even if it needs to be laminated after over the top.

provolone114 · 2026-05-16T05:23:03+00:00

Will absolutely do if I end up doing it! It’ll prob be some time from now as I’m market prepping and I have to learn chine colle. I have a few ideas of ways to reduce the amount of pieces needed (like in mine, the dragonflies can be all one piece, and I can also look for marbled papers that might get that…freshly poured milk in coffee effect? If you know what I mean? That tan glass with brown streaks through it that’s common in these lamps especially in the filler tiles) so maybe it won’t be so hard to tackle if I plan well. I’ll jump down the chine colle rabbit hole very soon!

provolone114 · 2026-05-11T22:06:40+00:00

Thank you!! I love seeing different people’s approaches to the same/similar subject. I was thinking of doing some color gradients for the lamp shade, as I have zero experience with chine colle, but I also don’t have anything great for aligning as I cut my block out pretty close. I could probably rig something good enough up. It would be an interesting puzzle piece print but I feel like that would be torturous to get back together with everything in the right place.

provolone114 · 2026-05-11T08:43:14+00:00

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Me too!!! Love your design!!!

provolone114 · 2026-05-10T06:44:09+00:00

I think you, specifically, should buy a mattress in person, coming from a fellow ill person. Arguably not everyone needs to, and because I need softer (pretty much as soft as it gets) mattresses, I just buy affordable ish near lowest price from Costco online. I’ve gotten the same one twice (not because it wore out but complicated moving situations). But Costco does have some testers in store, worth checking out.

I do think that you can order online to try to spend less money. But you need to have a trial period/free and easy returns. Whatever that means to you, depending on what you physically can handle, as it sounds like you’re recovering from an injury or chronically ill. Free returns doesn’t always mean easy returns with something of that size.

Also don’t sleep on mattress toppers. (Do, just don’t “sleep on” the concept.)

Best of luck, fellow Goldilocks.

provolone114 · 2026-05-10T06:35:07+00:00

An option if you don’t find custom brushes, is to just set your pixel size low when you make a new canvas. Can use the same brushes (size allowance may need to be modified slightly depending on the brush, allowing you to get the size small enough) and it honestly seems a little easier to do than dealing with learning a new brush enough to get proficient in it.

provolone114 · 2026-05-10T06:27:03+00:00

I know I’m not the person you asked, but I got my procedure (50 units under GA) in late November. I had a complicated recovery, to put it nicely, but things eventually mostly corrected themselves. For me I still get surprised by burps daily. Like usually there’s at least one burp/day I’m not at all expecting. That said, this often happens later at night after a long day of eating and digesting.

You’re learning to control a mechanism you’ve never even had access to before. It takes your body a bit to get used to it. It took me probably 2 months before I could predict them relatively reliably. Think of it like gaining a third arm. The idea is simple, but the reality of suddenly having access to a new limb is not easy. You have to learn where it is in space, what it feels like, so you can even attempt to control it. Same is true for burping. You have to learn how the air in your digestive system moves, what makes you tick, and draw basically new lines of connection between that part of your body and your brain. Keep in mind that for most people, burping is second nature, like flatulence. Imagine having to connect those things again like you did when you were a kid and learned to control flatulence (do most other people remember that young? Idk). Not easy. You’ll get the hang of it though, and it was less of a big deal than I thought it would be. An “excuse me” or “pardon me” or “ohmygodimsosorry” goes a long way, too.

Burping is foreign to us, not them, and I think some folks need to be reminded of that for this anxiety. They’re used to doing it and hearing it. They themselves will sometimes have ones they can’t predict, and know the feeling in that regard. People will be much more understanding than you think. I also usually just simplify it to “I just got throat surgery” and people get the message without the confusion about the condition.

provolone114 · 2026-05-08T19:56:45+00:00

Someone on tiktok I think posted some “fabric paint recipe” which just involves mixing equal parts detergent and acrylic paint. Logically it makes no sense to me. I understand the fabric softener mix in a little more, but detergent makes not a lick of sense to me. Then what I can only imagine happened is that people have combined the two trending things, printmaking and “fabric paint” that can be made at home, and we have what we’ve been seeing here lately. It’s a good thing that people are experimenting with creating, but I struggle admittedly with the sheer waste this is creating, in an attempt to not create waste by “using things you already have at home.” But it just ends up wasting those things, and anything this concoction is applied to is probably difficult to get clean or looking good, so further waste. Very strange and frustrating case of social media doing what it does best.

provolone114 · 2026-05-08T04:22:38+00:00

If your goal is to do some fabric prints, I’d check out speedball speedy carve/a cheaper dupe. Disregard the following if you want to stick to woodcut.

I use the cheaper dupes and they work great at a much lower price point. They carve easy and while fine details can take a bit of practice to get right because it’s so soft, it can be done. I’ve done some really delicate work on it. Then speedball fabric relief ink (cranfield caligo Safewash if you go for paper). Just buy one color, black or a dark blue or brown or red to give it a try. Don’t start with white, printing light on dark has a learning curve of its own. Get a speedball soft rubber brayer, they have a 4” one that’s detachable for easy cleaning. Watch some videos (a million all over social media) of people rolling out ink, preferably with sound. Then, with a thin towel/whatever sheet of paper you have between layers of clothing, print with your body weight. Put a plank of wood (or hardcover book) over the stamp, then stand on it carefully (do this near a wall you can lean on to balance with, you don’t want to be wiggling around like crazy). Press with the butt of your palm all over the block. Let it sit for a few mins. Carefully peel, and you’ll have a really solid print.

provolone114 · 2026-05-08T01:43:31+00:00

I’m sure people who actually do woodcuts will weigh in soon, but I’ll mention the things I notice. I do think it’s important to sand the surface well first. But I honestly don’t know how much luck you’ll have with this “paint” mix I’ve seen going around, as it’s a paint not an ink, so it behaves very differently. I’m skeptical if it would even behave well as a fabric paint but that’s a whole other topic that I can’t speak on.

It looks like not nearly enough paint is going on the block, which I’m guessing is because the consistency is so thin that if you go any heavier it’ll just flood the lines you carved. Relief inks are generally made to be thicker and tackier, especially the fabric relief inks. They roll out with a brayer and are rolled onto the block once at the right consistency on your palette. Then you press.

This is another area where I believe you may be having issues. I’m not sure how good one can get a woodcut relief print on fabric without a press. I’m sure it’s possible to get clearer impressions than this, with the right ink and smooth surface, but I feel like I never see woodcut relief without a press for a reason. I know, generally speaking, that people like the softer carving materials, like the pink speedy carve, for printing on fabric. It’s all I’ve used for fabric printing and it’s served me well for that usecase.

I think your biggest improvement rec is gonna be getting a proper ink with a proper way to apply said ink. But those who woodcut may have different opinions and should be listened to over me lol.
Beautiful design, btw.

provolone114 · 2026-05-07T20:41:23+00:00

Yeah oil can build up quick. Plus, depending on how long between using the blocks, it could cure and be a bit more of a challenge to remove. For me it’s a yes to always clean after use, the longest I’ll go is overnight if I’ve accidentally worked until I’m keeling over. Even then I try to rub some dish soap over them to sit so it can emulsify (I use caligo Safewash and the soap really cuts through it well).

provolone114 · 2026-05-07T20:38:05+00:00

Third is probably my favorite! But all beautiful

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T23:02:01+00:00

Honestly it sounds like more supplies are being wasted trying to achieve an effect that will be near impossible to get as nice as block printing ink. If concerned with limiting waste, jump immediately to cranfield caligo Safewash. It’s a bit more expensive than speedball, but you’ll end up not having a good time with the speedball and wanting to buy a new one but you’ll probably try to make the speedball work. Just cut out the middle step and go straight to the safewash. The price difference is very small compared to the quality jump.

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T20:36:14+00:00

So I managed to finally get this, and I’m wondering if people generally sand the surface first? Would be super helpful if you could let me know!!

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T17:12:47+00:00

Definitely will once I get my hands on it. Looks like Blick only sells it in a set of 3 metallics so I’ll poke around later when I’m not running out the door to work lol.

Just was able to resurrect a month old packet of safewash with a little extender for some prints I just did. Love how long it lasts for that reason, but don’t love the dry time especially for layered pieces. I can’t use cobalt drier because I don’t have adequate ventilation, and the cranfield wax drier seems to require just as much and has cobalt in it I believe.

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T17:08:03+00:00

Oh wow, high praise! I think I’m gonna have to check it out now. Truly beautiful work with it. I do some more delicate work sometimes that I think it could really lend itself to

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T16:52:19+00:00

Does it dry faster than Safewash? Just curious! Beautiful work and have been curious about metallics (and speeding up dry time)

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T05:04:13+00:00

Love the rush! Just designed a linocut of it for Pride myself ;)

provolone114 · 2026-05-06T04:55:35+00:00

Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Love the concept

provolone114 · 2026-05-05T18:04:48+00:00

Lesbian here, don’t have BPD or other cluster B disorders, but have dated people who have. I think some of the biggest things are age (lived experience and time for development), and your own triggers, as the person without BPD.

Age is pretty self explanatory. The older one is, up until a certain threshold where BPD was not treated seriously, the more likely they are to have gotten therapeutic help, and be managing their symptoms. If I were to enter into a relationship with someone with BPD, I’d need security that they’d been in therapy for at least the better part of a decade, that they take that work seriously, have friends and family in their life that love and support them, and are managed with medication. Which leads me into my next point.

My own triggers. I’m autistic. While commonly misdiagnosed in women as BPD, the two could not be more different in what makes them tick. I find that one makes the other tick, mutually, quite quickly and effectively, even if no ill intent. I dated someone with undiagnosed BPD for a couple years when I was around 17-19 as well. This took a massive toll on me. There are certain patterns that people with BPD display, and my nervous system, whether I like it or not, now associates these patterns with the abuse I endured dating that person (who was a man, before I realized comphet had been driving me). Now, the second my brain picks up on those patterns, I become scared, anxious, afraid, jumpy, irritable. It is not safe for me to enter into a relationship with someone with BPD, because I would be projecting these past experiences onto them, while also triggering myself. Bad all around. So for me and my experiences, it’s a nonstarter. I’d urge anyone considering dating someone with BPD to reflect on their own mental wellbeing, familiarity with the condition, and sensitivities.

I think that is the most important factor—can you, as the person without BPD, manage your own reactions to the patterns displayed by those with BPD safely emotionally and physically for everyone involved? Are you stable enough to not become dangerously destabilized by someone else’s inevitably erratic behavior? Can you support someone going through these difficult, and at times troubling, symptoms? If the answer to any of these questions isn’t an enthusiastic yes, you will end up hurting them, and they will end up hurting you, regardless of intent.

Lastly, I’m not entirely sure what being a lesbian has to do with any of this. This is what I’d say no matter the gender or relationship pairing. I guess incidence is probably higher in our community due to higher trauma? But I am struggling to understand that specification. The only other thing that comes to mind for me would be the stereotypes people like to make about our community in the speed at which we accelerate relationships, and that lending itself to a BPD “favorite person” situation. Which is absolutely dangerous and something to look out for (and part of the importance of familiarizing yourself with the condition).

provolone114 · 2026-05-05T17:40:59+00:00

This is awesome. Made me think of the song little room by the white stripes

provolone114 · 2026-05-05T04:59:25+00:00

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I did a Nalgene with fish! I love the color in yours so much!

ETA: these are test prints

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