Frequently Asked Questions

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Every single workshop I get asked tonnes of questions…so let me answer a few of them for you here!

How did you get started with water marbling?

About 7 years ago I was working local farmers markets selling my handmade crochet hats and selling other local vendors handmade goods. Wife and Mom to 2 kids I was always crocheting. And my kids were getting older and I realized I couldn’t keep making items that took hours to create. Scrolling thru Facebook I came across a viral video about water marbling silk scarves by a company in California called Mayu Silk Art. I was mesmerized! The magic! They were offering in person workshops, but I couldn’t go all the way to California for their program. So I marched off to the art supply store and bought some supplies and was gonna figure it out on my own. Well that was not successful. I was so frustrated.

About 3 months later I went back to Mayu’s website and they had just released their new online program! So I booked it. I watched all the magic. Figured out a lot of what I was doing wrong. But it took me about 6 months of “playing” to get it right. Now I’m 5 years into teaching water marbling in the Okanagan and I love it. For me it’s the moment I see an item print and hear the maker excited about their design that keeps me in this artform.

Why does the paint NOT run when you water marble an item?

In water marbling you “pre-treat” your items with a drying agent called Alum. This creates a chemical reaction that sucks up maximum amount of paint that the material can hold. Then when the excess paint is moving on the surface it can not be absorbed because there is nowhere for it to be absorbed. There are different techniques for different items. But Alum is the magic!

What is your favourite water marbled design?

I don’t know that I actually have a favourite water marbled design. I really like the more symmetrical designs…but also love freehand. I think I really really like all the designs. I would say that ocean inpired is my all time favourite, it incorporates the all the tools.

Do you have alot of water marbled scarves?

Nope, I don’t. I have about 7 scarves that I love. But the rest of them I sell. Why? Because I want other people to enjoy the beauty of what we create with water marbling!

How do we fix a design if you don't like it?

To fix something that you don’t like in water marbling you have 2 choices. Option 1- Start fresh. Pull everything up and start over. Option 2- Move forward, there is no back button or undo button. Try a different tool. Walk away for a minute and come back. I don’t usually recommend adding more paint…but if you do, add paint evenly throughout, not just on the area that is bothering you. Sometimes we see something in the moment and get so focused on it, then once it prints that becomes your favourite part. So I usually try to push thru and focus on what I like about the piece.

Do you water marble ALL the time?

Ha, no I do not water marble all the time. Because it is work. I spend alot of my time prepping for the classes I teach. But I do have a running list of things I would like to try. And if time allows I will make after one of my workshops. But I love testing out new materials to water marble. Or figuring out how to make something happen for a guest.

What can you water marble?

You can water marble onto almost anything. The best materials are natural fibres. In my eBook I recommend starting with paper, it’s the cheapest. Materials I have water marbled: wood, art canvas, glass, ceramic, pottery, canvas shoes, cotton, paper, fake flowers, silk, bamboo, and linen. If you think it will water marble, try it.

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