Printed Notebooks and Purses

Recently I've been exploring the idea of making products and started off with notebooks and purses. I have kick started my making by exposing some of my linocut designs onto screen.
Since the textile industry is the second most polluting industry in the world, I wanted to make choices that would help to minimise the impact that my products would have on the environment. For my purses, I chose to print onto organic hemp since it is far more environmentally friendly than cotton. Not only does hemp produce a greater yield than cotton, it doesn't require the use of pesticides and uses far less water. I did however use cotton tape for the labels, but I made sure this was organic. I have used off-cuts and reclaimed fabric for the lining inside rather than purchasing any new fabric and I also handed printed each panel to ensure effective placement whilst also limiting waste, nothing was thrown away! I haven't quite managed to work out what to do with the zips but have been researching companies that make zips from recycled materials. Alternatively I could also re-use zips from worn-out clothes. That's the next thing on my list to tackle!


 

  



For the notebooks, I chose to buy books with Kraft covers as it is compostable, unbleached and sustainable. Kraft card minimises chemical treatment by avoiding the use of bleach and nearly all the chemicals that do get used in the process can be recovered and reused. It would be great to use notebooks with a Kraft cover and recycled pages...again, that's another bit of research on my to do list.







Figs and Pumpkins

A bit of an odd combination but I've recently been playing around with my fig and pumpkin lino repeats by combining them with some screen printed details to make a small series of one-off prints. I've really enjoyed combing the two printing techniques, it's been a great way to experiment with colour and layering. I also love the difference in finish that you get from each technique; the smoothness of the screen mixed with the texture of the lino.

Couldn't help but share...

It's way too adorable. The lovely Odin hanging out in my hand printed baby gro 😍

Linocut Repeat Patterns

Recently I have been experimenting with creating linocut repeat patterns. It's been quite a while since I last desinged and created repeats entirely by hand and doing this through lino cutting is a completely new process to me. I've found it really enjoyable and very satisfying as I love the puzzle in desiging everything to fit together both technically and in terms of having a natural flow, but also the reward of printing the lino and seeing everything print and line up the way I imagined.

My first linocut repeat, which I shared in a previous post, was inspired by a book that I found at school, documenting British trees with the most beautiful encyclopedia illustrations. I used a combination of leaves and seedpods for my repeat.
One of the things I love about lino cutting is the sense of movement you can inject into your designs simply by using the character of the medium. I wanted to create a full repeat with leaves that could be moving and rustling in the wind. Once my design was cut and printed using lino, I then transferred it onto Photoshop and exposed it on a screen for ease of printing. The image above is the digital version.

My next two repeats I created after spending my summer working and holidaying in Greece and Italy. The brightness of the oranges hanging from trees in people's gardens really struck me as little polka dot accents in the green backdrop. And the sheer amount of pear juice I consumed, particularly at my friends' wedding, was one of the highlights!


Print and Make

After four years of working with each other and two years of Print and Make, Lilli and I have finally created a website for our creative workshops! Take a look at the new site and see what kind of creative projects we've been up to! www.printandmake.net


Tropical Repeat

I'm trying to make the most of the Easter holidays so, on top of a bit of pot plant gardening and catching up with friends, I've been working on some more print designs. I really enjoyed the repeat I made two weeks ago so decided to have a go at another with a tropical theme. This time I wanted to try to make the lines even finer than before.

I spent the day with my good friend, Lilli, yesterday and we drew on and cut lino together. Here's what I came up with...






I also got lucky and managed to come home with a beautiful piece of Lilli's beetle fabric for making into a cushion...thanks, Lil!


Craftsmanship Alone Is Not Enough

I am so pleased to share that I had the privilege of being invited to take part in an exhibition at CSM earlier this year to celebrate over 100 years of ceramics at the university. Along with current students, staff and other alumni, I submitted a design to be transferred onto a plate, exhibited and auctioned to raise money for materials on the ceramics course and the Royal Crown Derby Charitable Trust. It was so nice to see my work alongside so many other lovely designs.




Collage

I've been playing with a bit of collage recently...

Lino repeat

Yesterday I made my first ever repeat pattern in lino. I've made lots of repeats before but alway for digital or screen printed processes and often use Photoshop. I really enjoyed designing, cutting and printing entirely by hand and I love the movement and liveliness that hand cut lino provides in the quality of the line.

I'm pretty pleased with this as a first attempt and definitely want to get going with printing it onto fabric now!





Bedroom Wallpaper

Lilli and I are really pleased to see our interactive wallpaper in Emily's bedroom, we hope she enjoys it!