Packaging and patterns

As the time draws near for the two craft events I have coming up I now put my efforts into packaging and craft display set-ups.
Today I block printed my paper bags that I will be putting the  larger item`s into when they`re sold.

Ive finished all the wrapping paper so I can now do these - its just a nice touch and useful to cart your goodies off in.
 Im also making loads of little  itemised pricing tags as well as paper sleeves for the  tea towels. One thing Ive learnt with events is the importance of presentation.
The last few details for my display will include a large tablecloth I want to block print with lots of cherry blossom for the stand as well as a couple of hanging racks. This week will be busy!

And finally a new special Christmas hamper intended for the Tate event which I actually love more than any of my other pattern. The gorgeous deep chocolate brown of the linen was perfect to print burnt orange and fuschia pink orchids on. This is the basic sewn hamper, tomorrow I will put in the grommets and  leather handles. Definately my favourite pattern and colour combination. So much so Ive made some scarves too!

Indigo bliss

 Today I surveyed the neatly washed and ironed indigo cotton I had cut cut from a huge bolt late last night.
As with any fabric I have to remove any sizing or finish that may hinder my ink from settling into the fibres properly so washing and ironing, tedious though it is remains a necessity.

By mid morning though the pile of fabric was ready and I started to print something that I had woken up in the small hours of the morning with an idea for earlier in the week.
Mini runners - more a feature in the middle of a table rather than a full length runner which I normally make.
I wanted to print a small batch of my lino patterns which I knew would work as strong visual pieces rather than more complicated tjap patterns.

So I chose two, the Madacascan pineapple and the botanical blossom, mixed a touch of ochre with my white ink so it wasnt too stark against the indigo and off I went...

The finished blossom runner-

I carried on with the pineapple...

done!

I also managed to print some placemats with both patterns in the same blue fabric. Now heat setting and hemming!

November 10th

Production is now at full pace and everywhere I look fabric is hanging up to dry, half finished bundles of heat set panels patiently waiting to be sewn and rolls of leather needing to be cut and hole punched.

With two very big events lined up apart from the usual Christmas busy period, mild waves of panic threaten.
Next year I promise myself I will look to get some help - there simply arent enough hours in the day.

I did however manage to make a tiny batch of hampers with the new wallpaper block pattern -Baron.
I only put the one listing in my etsy shop as the others are destined for the Tate, along with my other more ornate wood block patterns.

This week coming I will be printing a new batch of patterns on scarves and tea towels - some lush outsized florals and some peacocks and large birds.
I even have a very neat  work schedule I drew up for the week - which promptly got thrown out the window at the end of day one. Organised chaos is my style - did I mention the good dose of panic?

November 6th

I have recently  tweaked my logo and am now in the process of getting it produced on a rubber stamp for my tags and packaging. My giant orchid still features as the main image with Papa Totoro now going across the top - I still block print my wrapping paper with the full size orchid as it ties in beautifully with the rest of my new packaging.

Orchids and totoro`s......they even sit on my shelf chatting away to each other

Indigos and Pinks

I love a hot pop of colour in really vibrant tones, so I tend to combine certain colours alot - indigo blue and fuschia pink is one of my favourite combinations. I never mix a batch of ink up the same so sometimes the blue is darker or the pink is more blush than pop!

I havent printed my woodblock hunt scene in a long while - and as my work load increases I find some of my patterns slipping off the radar as its difficult to keep everything in stock and printed regularly.

So as I had a batch of blue and pink freshly mixed up today I printed some tea towels in two patterns - The Hunt and Geisha fans.