Oh how I love screen printing and I had the perfect excuse last week as my cousin Helen came for a few days of 'play' before Richard joined us at the weekend. I showed her how to cut a paper stencil. This is a robin I quickly cut to demonstrate the idea. We had meant to start simply using leaves but forgot to collect them on our walk soe we went straight in with paper cuts instead!
I used two colours for the printing to create the red breast and brown bird. You can see the paper stencil under the screen. I printed it out onto previosly screen printed fabric from last year. It is VERY EASY to get totally carried away with this and print far more than you actually need!!
After making a few 'pulls' the red and brown gently merge to create this blended effect. The eye lets him down...I would have been better to cut a ring and make the centre of the eye dark. Oh well....thank goodness for cotton buds....most useful for such little jobs....
Here is Helen working on her bird. she is printing onto my batikedfabric from Rikki's class last year...
Great result for a first attempt!
We made sure we had plenty of prints. Helen did a black cat which I have forgotton to show and I machine embroidered it for her too. She loved having a go woith the machine....and while she was working I was making a good stock of cards.
We walked up to the folly at Wimpole farm at the weekend. I just HAD to show you this gorgeous sheep. Just look at those sweatheart lips!!!!! I have never seen anything like it before. 
Here is the pre-supper activity on Saturday night. There is plenty of alcohol flowing and everyone was helping me to bag up my cards. Amazingly, by Monday I had made 600 cards since Thursday!
On Sunday Helen made this really intricate paper cut bird and later went on to painting the background using glorious purple, pink and blue silk paints
Every year I love to join in the fun at 'Thing-a-day' and my day 1 project was to cover up rhis trolley with a curtain.....
I found yet MORE screen printed fabric and made a curtain from it and the appliqued flowers onto it. 
It has done the job and the room looks tidier now...!
For my day 2 'Thing' I mircowave dyed some old sheeting while I was in Norfolk staying with Sandra. We had a quick, early morning session and then shared the four colours. We hope to make something with the fabrics for another day's 'thing!' Keep watching....
Here is Sandra rinsing out the dyed fabric in her gorgeous new studio where she is going to run painting courses in May
One of Sandra's loves is set design and here she is, demonstrating how easy it is to make wired cabbage leaves for a giant to eat on stage!!!!! I think we might be seeing a mini version of this with her coloured fabrics as she makes.
I shall add a link later...it is almost midnight as I write this...bed is calling!
I shall add a link later...it is almost midnight as I write this...bed is calling!
2 comments:
Such creativity.
That is what radiators are for, for drying out bird art!
You seem to be having so much fun and I can't get over how well you have cut the stencils. It is wonderful to watch you at work and to see such magnificent results.
Thanks for this view into your printing world.
Sue xx
The dyed fabric is being made up into something interesting!
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