Tuesday 21 February 2012

the blues, leafwork & a giveaway





Yesterday I mixed up a most delicious blue ink for some screen printing. Oh I do so love it. It dried just perfectly perfect. Don't you like it when things go just right like that.
I'm still deciding on a name for the colour - naming colours can be fun, but hard. I don't want to be all silly and 'arty', but fun and descriptive. Some paint names I see, on paint chips, are so silly don't you think! Tell me the best you've ever heard.

Some experimenting with the designs at the moment. Printing on the kitchen table, using an old sheet/blanket that I mum made for me an eon ago. I like using it, and remembering that she sewed it for me to take on my overseas journey. Now I use it for a new journey - and I'm adding good ink splotches to it too.

I thought I had a free week this week to do some fun exploring and work with fabric and ink and such, but suddenly, just today, it got busy. I'll try to slip in a spot of printing again - but not sure. I also have a sewing project that a friend asked me to do, that I need need need to get done.


Anyway - here's what came out from the screen yesterday. Some of it anyway. Some bits were mistakes, and they're the best bits. But I haven't photographed them yet. I'm trying to decide what to make with these pieces, they are smallish test bits, but I think I'll make some more of similar design in bigger sizes.
The best bit that came out of the screen yesterday was the doing of it - I haven't done any printing for a few months again now. So getting back into it was good good good.

I've decided to give away one of these pieces. It's about A4 size or so, maybe a bit bigger (it's not beside me right now, I'm at the town library - so I can't measure it). Tell me - what would you make with this piece of delicious organic cotton / hemp hand screenprinted goodness. Leave a comment to enter to win a piece. I'll draw sometime next week, maybe Monday morning.

{this is called 'lacework/leafwork', and I'm thinking of calling the ink colour smoked teal - you can't really tell in these images, but it's a deep blue almost like a cyanotype}.

9 comments:

  1. I love the hues of blue that you have evolved in your prints and the speckled effect on the leaves. I have been hankering to change my lounge room around and would want to make new cushions in blue tones. The natural weave of the fabric would go well also with other textures.
    My other thought (without seeing the whole piece) would be to frame the cloth as a print. Thanks anyway for sharing, lovely!

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  2. Beautiful piece, love it but without seeing it, I think on a bag would look great. Love the colour

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  3. Anonymous3:57 am

    Hi Ellie, I haven't been here in so long and you are having a giveaway! It's great to see you printing again. I know what you mean about the funny paint chip names - one of the funnier ones I remember was "unicorn white"

    I think I would use this fabric to make a stash tote or some zips.

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  4. "smoked teal" - i love it - the way it sounds and the way it looks.
    i've been making wrist cuffs (one will show up in your mailbox someday . . . ) and this would be wonderful fabric for some of those. :)

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  5. This would make a fabulous zippered pouch or even just hang it on the wall as it is!
    I actually picked up some paint chips this morning - one of the best(?) names is 'Tarragon Glory'!

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  6. The first nailpolish I ever bought at age 11 was called Baby Shrimp. I still think it's the best name for that particular pink fleshy colour!
    I also have a ribbon of grey velvet that has a tag saying Secret Smoke. Gets my imagination going, anyway!

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  7. We painted the inside of our old caravan Brittany.
    That's the only colour name I can think of right now.
    And if I were so lucky as to win your gorgeous print, I might use it as a panel on a skirt, or a bag, or frame it on the wall...I'm not sure really. I think I'd have to let it speak to me and tell me what it wanted to become.
    I hope you have a wonderful week. xx

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  8. oh how I love your screen printings, Ellie !
    And this one doesn't fail. I love the very organic look of it
    it's far from a perfect leaf shape (in the good sense of the word)
    I would see it in a patchwork kind of curtains. With the light shining through the blank/white parts
    it would be so lovely.
    Keep the great work my friend
    I love what you do
    xoxo

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  9. love the blue colour Ellie!
    hope all is well
    Bree

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Thank you for your words and thoughts. I do so appreciate each and every visitor to my blog. While I try hard to reply to your comment, it often doesn't quite happen..... know that I'm sending you a thoughtful thanks xxx

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