for Sale
MARBLING SUPPLIES
for Sale
Attention: we will be closed until October 14, teaching marbling classes in Houston. So we will not be able to fill any orders or take any calls until we get back. You can mail or e-mail us your order, and we will fill it as soon as we return. Thanks! GB
The following supplies may be ordered by calling 1-(405)-949-1239. Please call between
1:00 pm and 9:00 pm (Central Time Zone). If there is no answer, please leave a message and phone number, and we will call you back to take your
order.
For more information, click on "How to Order" at the bottom of this page.
If some pictures do not come in, click your "Refresh" button.
Carrageenan: An extract from the seaweed Irish moss. This is a powdered gelatin, which
you mix with water in a blender to form the "size" on which the colors float. No boiling necessary.
It's expensive, but nothing better for marbling size has been found than
carrageenan. It is a non-toxic food product, and will not harm you or your
blender.
Half lb. bag...........................$16.00
One lb. bag............................$30.00
Alum (aluminum
sulphate): Serves as a color binder. Makes the
color stick on the paper or fabric. Very important! This is pure aluminum
sulphate, and doesn't contain other unnecessary chemicals like potassium or
ammonium (which is found in the pickling alum you get at grocery or drug
stores).
Half lb. bag...........................$ 4.00
Marbling Gall: A wetting agent. Makes
colors spread on the surface of the size. Some colors need it, some colors don't.
If a color is not spreading, or is sinking, give it a drop or two of gall.
Also, gall is necessary for some patterns
such as
the Stone Marble and the Italian
Vein. This is not the traditional oxgall, from a cow... genuine oxgall
is not strong enough to work with acrylic colors; our gall is actually a type of
detergent and works much better (and doesn't smell bad).
2 oz. bottle...........................$ 4.00
The following 5 tools are made to fit a standard-size (11½" x 17¼") baking sheet or cookie tray, which can be used as a marbling tray to hold the size. A clear plastic 11" x 14" box picture frame can also be used as a tray. The tools are made of a strip of wood with metal pins or nails for the teeth.
Fine-tooth
Comb: Used for making the nonpareil pattern (shown below), and used
as a preliminary step for making the bouquet, feather, birdwing, etc. Five teeth per inch.
This is the standard spacing for a traditional nonpareil. If you are only buying
one comb, this is the one you should get.
11" long...............................$ 8.50
Wide-spaced
Comb: Used for making a slightly wider-spaced nonpareil pattern, and
is especially useful for up-and-down combing (chevron). Four teeth per inch. A
comb like this was used to make patterns #4-Birdwing,
#12-Thistle,
and #18-Chrysanthemum.
11" long...............................$ 8.50
Rake:
Nails spaced at 2". Used alone or in addition to the comb, for making wide patterns such as the French curl, feather, and
birdwing. The rake is usually used lengthwise in the tray, so it is longer
than the other tools.
14" long...............................$ 3.00
Double Rake:
Nails spaced in 1½" triangle patterns. Used alone or in addition to the comb, for the bouquet, peacock, and thistle
patterns.
10" long...............................$ 5.00
Scraper Stick: Used to skim the excess paint from the surface of the size between
prints.
11" long...............................$ 1.00
The following tools are similar to the ones above but are made to fit larger trays. You can cut them down if they are too long for your tray.
Fine-tooth
Comb:
(about 5 teeth per inch, or 5 millimeters apart)
21½" long, two teeth per centimeter....$16.00
Custom-made lengths....................$ 1.00 per inch
Wide-spaced
Comb:
(not pictured above, but
similar to the fine-tooth comb)
21½" long, one tooth per
centimeter....$16.00
Rake:
28" long...............................$ 8.00
Double
Rake:
21" long...............................$10.00
Scraper Stick:
22" long..............................$ 2.00
Plastic Broomstraw:
This is a bundle of black broomstraw, containing enough
straw for you to make 8 to 10 whisks (by wrapping a rubber band around the end
of about 60 strands). Used for sprinkling paints onto the size. Even though many marblers
still use natural broomstraw, plastic whisks are better since strands don't
break off and fall in your tray, they don't get waterlogged and limp, you can wash them out and use them over and over
with different colors, and they last for years. You should make one whisk for each
jar of paint you will be using.
.......................................$
3.50
per bundle
SALE!!
Texoprint Paper: A very durable
55-lb. white paper, with a slight
latex content, which makes it great for marbling since it is not harmed or weakened when it gets wet,
it won't rip or tear easily, and it dries out flat. Great for bookbinding. I have
been using this paper exclusively for all my marbling, for over 15 years
now. Grain goes long way.
Attention: We have the 19"x 25" size once
again! I just drove to Wisconsin and brought back 20,000 sheets, which I
had special-cut off some giant rolls, just for us marblers!
9½" x 12½" sheets......................$ .15 each (were $.25 each)
19" x 25" sheets......................$ .60 each (were
$.80 each)
"The Art of Marbling" booklet:
22 
pages.
This is a very detailed full-color booklet with complete and easy-to-follow instructions on how to marble both paper and fabric. Great for beginners. Contains directions for making 28 different
patterns, such as the Peacock, Spanish Wave, French Curl, Thistle, Birdwing,
Moiré, Ripple, Stone Marble, Feather, Nonpareil, and Antique Spot. Overmarbling and Masking are also discussed.
Full details are given on how to prepare the alum and carrageenan, and how to
mix colors and prepare the paper. A section on solving marbling problems is at
the end.
Trying to teach yourself marbling without good instructions will cause lots of wasted paint, paper, time and supplies. Having a good book will actually save you money!
Written and illustrated by Galen
Berry.
..........$15.00
Mouth
Atomizer: Used for making the Italian Vein pattern, or for doing
overmarbling. This small tool is what was used before spray cans were
invented! Put the long end into the liquid, and blow (hard) through the
short tube, which has a little wooden mouthpiece. A fine spray will
result. You can blow diluted paint through it too, but it takes more
effort.
.......................................$ 6.00 
Marbling Paints:
These are acrylic paints in 4 oz. jars,
mixed to the right consistency for marbling -- no need to dilute. To be used only with carrageenan
size (not methyl cellulose); suitable for marbling on both paper and fabric.
Any of these colors can be mixed together to get new shades.
Black should be applied as the first color on almost every sheet you make
(unless you want a more pastel-colored sheet), since it will then outline all
the other colors and make the whole sheet look richer and more detailed.
Red and black cost more because they have extra pigment added (otherwise they
would look like grey and pink when they spread). Gold and copper have
metallic mineral flakes instead of pigments, and do not stick well on cloth.
Colors below are just approximations and may not look accurate on some screens.
Black.......$5.00 
Gold........$5.00
Red.........$5.00 
Copper......$5.00
Blue........$4.00 
Teal........$4.00
Green.......$4.00 
Indigo......$4.00
Yellow......$4.00 
Brown.......$4.00
Purple......$4.00 
Viridian....$4.00
Orange......$4.00 
Cerulean....$4.00
Pink........$4.00 
Lavender....$4.00
White.......$4.00 
Beige.......$4.00
Grey........$4.00 
Ochre.......$4.00
Turquoise...$4.00 
Russett.....$4.00
Empty Plastic Jars: Ideal for mixing and storing
paints. 2" wide, 2½" high.
4 oz. jars, with lids...........$.75 each
MARBLING KIT: Contains everything you need to learn
marbling, except the paints. (Paints are sold separately
so that you can order whichever
colors you want
-- see the list above.)
Included: carrageenan, alum, marbling gall,
24 sheets Texoprint paper,
sponge, marbling tray, fine-tooth comb, rake, plastic broomstraw, stirring stick, skimming strips,
samples of real marbled papers, and full-color 14-page
detailed instruction booklet. With this kit you can produce professional-quality
marbled papers up to 11" x 15". For larger sheets, you will eventually need to buy or construct a larger tray, but this kit is great
for those who are just starting to marble - it is much easier and quicker to learn on smaller
sheets. Instructions are included for fabric marbling also.
................................$45.00
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