Art Market in the Garden

 Hi everyone, I hope you and yours are doing well. 

Just a short post from me today. I am winding down from a busy few weeks and weekend. On Sunday I had a market stall at the Stirling Street Art Centre in my hometown. It was there annual Art in the Garden market. A great place to buy products created by local artisans - everything from soap and candles to clothing, art pieces, pottery, wood carvings, garden objects - you name it you could probably buy it at the market. I've been so busy getting products ready for the market. 

I was there with my eco-printing-dyed upcycled-clothing, scarves, prints and greeting cards, along with my photography prints, cushion covers, tote bags and greeting cards, as well as some paper flowers I make for every market and Christmas baubles filled with dried wildflowers.

Above is a pic of me with my stall. Unfortunately it was a hot hot and windy day, with a side serve of flys. Amazingly people weren't put off by the weather and still came to the market. It has been so hot the last couple of weeks - an unseasonly very hot - heat wave - start to summer, with bushfires already raging. It's goig to be a bad summer. 

Below you can see a few samples of my eco-print products. 

Eco-printing on paper

Cyanotype sun prints on paper, Christmas cards, and tote bags

My latest craze - printing with coreopsis flowers from my front garden - the colour of summer

Also I have ecoprinted scarves, upcycle shirts and tote bags

I loved this little white denim mini skirt and lace edge cotton upcylced top printed with ecualyptus leaves - but unfortunately it didn't sell. Maybe next time.

Eucalyptus loves wool - but not all leaves print orange - these are eucalyptus karri leaves I source from a friend in the great southern who has them growing on her property - they love wool. 

I still have so much to learn - I'm off to a 3 day workshop in Albany for summer school early next year.  

Thank you so much for stopping by. I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. 

You might also like - some more about ecoprinting and cyanotype from past blog posts - 

eco-printing-and-coreopsis

The-art-of-botanical-eco-printing-on-paper

Eco-dyeing-magical-absorbing-art

How-far-does-hand-reach-world-wide-ecoprint-collaboration

Experimenting-with-wet-cyanotype

Cyanotype-sun-prints-how-to-basics

I am still packing up and sorting out from my weekend, but I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!
   

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy

Travel Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

Experimenting with wet cyanotype

 Hi everyone. I hope you and yours are doing well. Last December I blogged about the basics for Cyanotype printing. ie using the sun to do prints. If you missed it you can take a look here - Cyanotype sun prints - how to - the basics

I am certainly not an expert and there are lots of llinks on the net to learn more. 

Recently I have started experimenting with wet cyanotype. 

You start with the same mixture. These 2 bottles that you can buy from a craft store or online. They come as a powder in the bottle which you mix in the bottle with water, and then seal till you are ready to use. Then mix a small amount of equal proportions in a dish and paint onto your paper. (only mix the amount you need as it will not keep once mixed)

In the dry cyanotype method you paint the mixutre onto your paper and then leave the paper to dry in a dark place. Then store in a dark container till ready to use. 

In the wet cyanotype method you use the papers straight away while still wet. When first painted on the paper is yellow. It changes colour when exposed to the sunlight - first turning bronze. 

You want a paper than can withstand soaking. I use a printmakers paper. You could also use watercolour paper. Try different papers. 

You can use just about anything for the print - leaves, flowers, seaweed, feathers, lace, string - anything really. Where the piece lays will be white. I have found narrower pieces better, expecially if I am making prints which I will use for greeting cards. 

You can experiment by spraying onto your paper vinegar, soap suds, and sprinkling with paprika, tumeric, salt - then lay on your leaves and your glass. You can put wet crumpled plastic wrap over the glass for an extra effect - I keep reusing the same plastic. 

Have your paper on a stiff board, and clip your glass onto the board all around to get a firm contact. Glass from an old picture frame is great for this. I really should tape the edges of my glass. Or your could use perspex. Then put out in the sun and watch the magic happen. Depending on the strgth of the sun leave for half an hour to 2-3 hours - longer if it is a cloudy day.  Some people leave it outside for hours. 

Then the paper is rinsed in water for a few minutes and left to dry. 

Here are the results of some of my experiments with wet cyanotype. The yellow is from the tumeric. I know I have a lot to learn and so many more things I want to try. Experimenting with wet cyanotype is so much fun! 

 

Here are some links where you can learn from artists so much more proficient than me. Their artwork is so beautiful and inspiring. -  and a little video by Marianne Priest - 

Gatheracademy.org - creating a cyanotype with Judith McDermott

Kim Herringe.com.au/category/cyanotype/

Jo Stephen.photography/how-to-make-wet-cyanotypes/

Jacquard products.com/cyanotype

Thank you so much for stopping by. Have you tried cyanotype? Perhaps you would like to tell us about it in your comments. If you haven't I hope I have inspired you to give it a go. 

I value your comments and look forward to hearing from you. I will try to visit your blogs in return. Have a wonderful week. 
I am linking up to the link-ups below. Please click on the links to see fabulous contributions from around the world - virtual touring at its best!

Mosaic Monday @ Soul & Mind & So On

Saturdays Critters - Viewing Nature With Eileen

Travel Tuesday

Pictorial Tuesday 

ThroughMy Lens 
Image-in-ing
My corner of the world through my camera 
Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global hosted by Randomosity. 
       and Little bird - Pienilintu
Thankful Thursday 
Welcome to Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Hello there! I love reading your comments. If you scroll down to the bottom you can comment too! I would love to hear from you.

So busy!

 So busy these last few weeks getting ready for a Christmas market stall on Saturday. Back next week with any luck!