Shiva Paintstiks are a wonderfully simple fabric-colouring medium. The pigment is manufactured in a mixture of oil and wax and produced as a chunky crayon in a card sleeve. The productive skin on the crayon is broken to reveal a moist colour which is easy to apply using a variety of methods. The skin reseals after use thus preventing the stik from drying out.

Paintstiks can be applied to any porous surface - paper, plaster, wood and fabric (man-made, synthetic or natural). They are permanent after 48 hours or so, once the oil has evaporated and the colour has been absorbed onto the surface. You then iron the fabric at the hottest setting for the fabric type. They are fully washable once fixed.

Shiva Paintstiks are available in 50 Professional colours and 16 iridescents. The colours can be blended to create a variety of shades and tones.

There are two blending stiks:
• a pure blender which adds more binder to the surface colour, making it softer and more workable for blending colours together
• a pearlized blender which will create iridescent effects when used with the professional colours, and which enables very subtle blending of the iridescent colours

Paintstiks are easy to apply using any of the following methods:

1. Apply the colour directly from the Paintstik by simply drawing onto the surface of the fabric. Care must be taken not to create too thick a layer as it may be difficult to bond with the fabric fibres. The colour can then be worked in with an old toothbrush which helps to spread it and give a gradual build-up of colour as well as develop areas of shading.

2. Use masks and stencils to create wonderful effects. Lines of masking tape can create grids, meshes and geometric patterns. Apply the colour from the Paintstik by rubbing it on to the mask. Brush the colour from the mask onto the fabric using an old toothbrush until the colour is the density you require. You can also use your favourite stencils by this method.

3. Lay textured surfaces such as lace and meshes under the fabric. Gently rub the Shiva Stik over the surface, building up layers of colour. This method can be repeated to create a highly textured and attractive surface by mixing the colours. You can also use printing blocks, leaves, rubber stamps, your husband's shoe tread, embossed wallpapers or your own blocks made from string etc to create very exciting textures.