Making something....

As it has been a very busy Christmas and I havent had time to post much on my blog I thought it would be easier to show what has kept me busy over the last few days of my Christmas break (also known as creative time in my home - I dont have time the rest of the year to focus on designing or creating new ranges)

Before I do I wanted to show you some beautiful Hokusai prints I got for Christmas which had been reproduced by the Victoria and Albert Museam.

 And then the making bit...a very exciting move into combining leather into my work in a new direction.
Over the next few days Ill post the progression at each stage.

A big box of leather

The leather came in four colours, rich tanned thick leather which smelt so beautiful.

Then I started to sew some template fabric I had designed.

Then to cut my leather

can you see what its turning out to be?

Tester print

And the test print:

Having printed a small run on oatmeal and ecru linen I like the initial impression but will carve more definition around the swallows scallop feather pattern and add more definition to the blossom surrounding it (bearing in mind I use a sponge roller instead of  rubber with my water based ink I lose a certain degree of detail each time I ink up so deep simplistic cuts are best) .
Some more colour variations in the next print run will also be interesting.The final result you will be able to see in the new year in my online shop as zippered pouches.

A plethora of Birds

The carving of my lino swallow has made good progress.

Inky fingers

I managed to finish the pattern over the last couple of evenings. I must admit to not being very happy with the quality of my newly acquired lino tools. The set contained the basic v shaped cutters without the curved heads I normally use so I had to adapt my cuts somewhat. Realistically I will need to buy a new better quality lino cutting set similar to the tools I used to have.

 Tomorrow morning I will test print this pattern onto some linen to test the print and see if it requires more definition - I may decide to carve more of the wing area out.

And whilst Im on bird patterns (birds and exotic flora excite me no end) I wanted to show you some new tjap acquisitions: Two small single birds tjaps and one larger rotating repeat bird pattern tjap. They came yesterday all wrapped snug and sound in an excitingly heavy box.
Another big thank you Susan :)

This afternoon I cleared my kitchen table and laid the three blocks out ready to test print them on some paper with black water based ink.
My daughter however had other plans and quickly muscled me out of the picture, promptly positioning herself in the midst of ink and tjaps (my heart was sinking ever so gently at this point as the prospect of ink being daubed wildly in the air loomed rapidly)
Lo and behold, she expertly sponged the ink on and proceeded to block print a few random prints....it must run in her blood.

A linocut Swallow

This is the time of year when I create new lino patterns. Usually when the slightly manic Christmas period has started to settle down.
This year I decided to make a start on a pattern that I have been eager to create for months, a lush and exotic medley of flora and fauna. I wanted strong foliage and sweet bees....with the focal point being a swooping swallow.
I usually make larger scale lino patterns 16 inches tall or more. This time I decided to make it smaller in size as I want to print some zippered clutches and pouches with this pattern.

Eager to start I rummaged through my studio drawers, only to find that I had lost the box that contained my lino sheets and cutting tools. Somewhat disgruntled I went online to my favourite art shop and bought a new set of tools. However the larger sized lino sheets I normally purchase were'nt in stock so I decided to try another supplier.

Lo and behold when the lino arrived it was nothing like the stuff I have always used which is the hard and somewhat brittle non pliable sheets with a hessian backing. This new sheet was almost like rubber - incredibly pliable.
 This might well be a bonus as my old sheets have areas of crumble and wear on the edges.
It also proved very hard to draw on (I draw directly onto my lino with pencil before I start carving) So I used an ink pen.....and halfway through my initial sketch found I had inadvertently wiped the previously drawn areas clean off the surface with my wrist as I leant against the sheet.
Somewhat annoyed I got a sharpie and started again - by the end of the evening I had completed the basic outline and will start carving once my tools arrive in the post. As I used a fairly blunt tipped sharpie the lines are thick and somewhat crude, however I will compensate for this when I carve ensuring I cut delicate lines.

Half finished....

As the year draws to an end I focus on completing the last little stack of half sewn pods I always seem to have in the "to do" pile.

Once this batch is done I will finally be able to shut up studio for the year and simply focus on packaging and shipping incoming orders before finally taking a much longed for break.

And cast a critical eye over the areas that require improvement on my online site: photography is a key one. The dismal lighting during the overcast  winter months means many of my pictures which would otherwise have been fine need attention and re-working.

But most of all Im looking forward to a new business focus with the introduction of wallpaper and upholstery fabrics that I will be adding to my range and a new stand alone website.

Pattern Saturday

A final push to print another batch of linen for a set of smaller cosmetic pouches:

And from this point I will stop printing and focus on the mammoth task of heat setting, prepping and sewing the neat stacks of linen into finished items. I have a number of custom orders that need to be finished too. I do love the printing most of all........sigh.


Here are some of the new cosmetic pouch range, orchids, blossom, birds....

Parakeet

Chrysanthemum

Orchid

And the indigo versions...

A crisp morning

So London awakens to a cold crisp start and the day begins for me with packaging orders and choosing tjaps for a batch of little drawstring bags that need to be printed.

I have a love of birds in all guises.Some of my tjap patterns are lush and exotic, some sweet and twee.
I chose a bird that is one of a mirrored pair, though I only needed one to combine with another blossom tjap. I used a blush pink I had mixed earlier that morning.

Simple pairings like this often produce the most impactive pattens. The pink is an unusual twist to this one which I really like.

Indigo and ethereal

November. sigh. Dark mornings and dark days. Perhaps a perfect opportunity to create.
The fabric for my cosmetic pouches is all printed and heat set, neatly stacked up, so now I must concentrate on some runners.
I have a very old tjap (batik stamp) that I have had for many years and it is a beautiful piece of art in itself. Its a giant butterfly, one of those sought after tjaps. Not particularly intricate and made of thin copper to create the first outline pattern before another tjap with the solid detail would have been then stamped on top to dive depth and solid colour to the shape.
The  framework and tjap is incredibly thin and delicate. Parts of the backing frame is buckled and held together with metal strips I added years ago and the  wings are paper thin. Yet she prints like a soldier.

I loved the chalk white ink against the deep indigo.
The finished runners looked even better than I had imagined they would, simple and striking. The scale of these giant butterflies was perfect for the impact needed on the runners. I havent used this tjap for over ten years so it was a treat to see the finished prints.

And despite poor light (it rained most of the day) I sill managed to get some decent pictures done. Now available in my Etsy shop.

I was printing away happily until....

The handle of my beautiful tjap snapped off mid stamp.
Sob.
Its vintage and irreplaceable as workmanship goes. However the  handles are fixable - a pain, but fixable - though possibly not halfway through printing a complicated repeat pattern for a custom order.

 So I carried on without the handle...pecariously.

It turned out well in the end.Phew

This Christmas I have a brand new range Im working on that will be in my Etsy shop mid November.
The New Year will see a new website with a larger variety of items that are currently in the pipeline. Never a dull moment I say!

The quiet...

before the storm as the saying goes.
I gradually start to make stock for the Christmas season, but the monotony of producing stock items often finds me distracted to making small batches of new things.
I love the simplicity and boldness linocut patterns have and am determined to start printing some of my many patterns that I faithfully carved into the small hours of the night.

Here are some patterns in progress, the Maneki Neko cat and Kawaii Kitty are a set of custom orders:

The snapper fish and paisley are neglected patterns that I havent printed in such a long time. The snapper is printed metallic gold ink.

A range of shades

Ive started dabbling in metallic shades of textile ink, at the moment gold and silver.
The results were not as satisfactory as my usual densely pigmented inks (despite being twice the price) when block printed, due to the opacity but never the less produced a lovely sheen with those pretty light reflecting particles.
After a test on a range of my linen which I though would be most suitable (ecru, indigo and olive) I decided the gold worked the best on indigo and ecru. I will see how a full tester print fares.

Im yet to try the silver - probably when I do it will be with my giant linocut paisley pattern for a real twist.

I also decided to start colour graduating again with some of my block prints.
As my time is limited with regular print runs of certain items that are more popular in my Etsy shop (predominantly monochrome prints such as white on indigo) I have lapsed in other more colourful items such as runners and tea towels.
Today I printed a couple of runners in Big Ben, a gorgeous wallpaper block, and used grey and ochre with a subtle graduation in the centre.

They came out very well....

Perhaps I should also start colour graduating on my pods and hampers too - I have a tote in mind which will have detailed orchids which I have mixed soft muted blush pink and burnt orange inks which will be graduated.The ground linen will be a gorgeous mocha linen.

Pretty Paisley

The wallpaper blocks are coming out.....meet Cachemire. She's beautiful.

 I laid out the two panels I printed this morning - Baron and Cachemire. One very ornate and detailed, the other a bold statement. Two sugars in my coffee please.

Hello August:Enter the birds and peacocks

Just a few sneak previews of the work Im up to this week other than the custom orders and stock building:

A big batch of parakeet drawstring bags

These drawstring bags are so pretty, I printed and sewed about forty of them and attached a gorgeous porcelain bead with a  vibrant cherry blossom pattern to match my red ink on the string pulls. These are destined as free courtesy give aways - I often include a gift with purchases such as  hampers from my shop, and Ive just run out of the last batch of stuff. Its a sweet touch that shows you value that person buying something from you.

And a nice variation on my blue and white starry owl hamper: Snowy Owl for winter 2013. Ive just finished printing these panels, white pattern on the most beautiful thick silver grey linen. I only sourced one roll so I will only be able to make a limited amount.
And finally the belle of the ball: Peacock Eden...didnt she turn out well?

Printing Peacocks

At last.....Ive shut my Etsy shop for a week to re-stock and complete existing custom orders. Its been hard keeping up with orders whilst trying to gradually build up the stock that turns over regularly. I feel like Ive been chasing my tail for a while and my beautiful new wallaper blocks have sat un-printed and patient for months.
So finally today, I printed the Liberty double peacock block. No small feat, this block weighed a ton and my back and arms now ache. I was barely able to lift it alone but determination is an amazing thing.
I modified my printing pad by extending the size and making it larhe enough to take the large block with a simple double fabric padding as a base layer.

 Then to inking the block. I had to work at double speed as I had to sponge the ink on as a consistent layer right across the surface before it started to dry at the first end. As you can see gloves are now essential to prevent my hands being constantly in contact with ink and water and scrubbing it out of my nails frantically as I race out the door for the school run.

 Then manouevering it ontu indigo linen..I confess I simply had to let it drop from a couple of inches above the fabric as I couldnt take the weight of it after lifting it up and over to the pad.

 And after a couple of tester prints...a nice little batch. As you can see five or six imprints is all I could manage before my arms gave out and I conceded defeat. This is one serious heavy weight of a block.

And the prints...

Then I staggered out to the garden to clean the ink off this beauty..much to the utter hilarity of my children who found my shuffling steps and wheezing grunts pure comedy gold as I dragged the block to the patio hose.

So a good twenty minutes of scrubbing and hosing before leaving her to drain and  dry on the table.
Now lets see what I can make with this linen...

And as a real juxtaposition of patterns, here are some kawaii storage hampers I will be listing in my shop once I return from my week long hiatus: These are the finished linocut prints I blogged about a couple of weeks ago.

Finishing touches

Today just a few snaps of some finished custom orders - bizarrely Im struggling in our unexpected heatwave despite longing for a warm dry summer for months!
My ink is drying on the table as Im block printing, I spray the surface constantly -plus the exertions of working in such a physically demanding way with heavy blocks  is difficult in such intense heat ( I`ll try and remember this hot sticky humid heat come February...)
So here are a couple of finished totes:

Tommorrow evening I hope to post the kawaii pods and some exotic linocut orchid pods I just finished sewing... or maybe a large strawberry cider, my favourite tipple of this summer instead....

Sweet Summer July 14th

As the weather has been ridiculously beautiful and hot I decided to work off one of the garden patio tables (which has seen much inking up over the years) to test print a fabric block that has sat un-used for ages.

A cool shady spot under my pergola patio to ink up with classic FM!

The tree ferny is my main view before the main garden further down is visible.

 I inked the pattrn on some soft sheer indigo linen I always have ready for these tester prints:

I love the missing parts of the wood pattern surface and the dense repeat block look. The character of an old imperfect pattern often appeal more than crisp perfection.
Its now pegged up on the grapevine to dry whilst I consider its potential as a stand alone print or as a combination pattern that will work with another of my blocks.

Sometimes looking at a heavy repeat pattern from a  distance helps more than staring at it right in front of you on the print mat.Im still undecided on hot to use it..


And a snap of the fuschia Foo dog lino cut print for a custom order tote thats in progress:

Please summer.......never end.