Leaf It to Me

Sorry, I'm all about the corny-ness today. It's been quite a day though. It started with an effing HUGE spider on my side mirror on my way to my client meeting. It was huge. I was afraid for my life... really. Here's a pattern that's very relaxing and not scary like spiders at all.

This was a bonus design as I was working on my top secret block print I mentioned yesterday. Clearly one of the design elements is a leaf and it's kind of that color green (but I photoshopped this color). I'm really digging these block prints turned patterns. The texture is just so fun. I know I always ask, but thoughts? Love it, hate it?

Block Prints Gone Digital

Woohoo, I have to keep this short because it's been a long day of "real life" work, additional "real life" work on top of work, grad school scariness and Declaration of You worksheet-filling-out. I just wanted to share the patterns I created with my block printing experiment over the weekend.

I love navy and white  as evidenced by my blog's design duh. Make sure you click this one so you can see the funky block printing mistakes details.

Next I tried to incorporate some colors from another design. In theory (maybe totally not based in reality because this is just something I'm inferring) if I want to make a line of fabrics, papers, pillows, dog costumes, there has to be a cohesive color theme thingie (lots of things around here are "thingies," I guess I need learn some of the vernacular). So I recycled the color from my beloved dot from two weeks ago.

So there ya go! I can't wait to start working on some other patterns using this method... as soon as I'm done with all this other stuff...

Block Printing Take One

As previously noted, I recently purchased some supplies to try out linoleum block printing. Let me tell you, I'm more of an instant gratification person so block printing seemed like a good alternative to screen printing. Not that screen printing is necessarily hard... but there's lots of steps... and waiting. I have no patience for those things. Linoleum block printing basically has three steps: 1. carve 2. ink 3. press and DONE! The carving was the hardest part and ended in me stabbing my fingers with the pokey-carvey-tool (technical term) more than I care to admit.

So here's what I made...

This was the basic block and the first attempt. After this I cleaned up the relief a bit with the carving-scraping-finger-poking tool. Then I started experimenting with some patterns and different color inks...

Kevin also got in on the block printing action. He was determined to make his first attempt as hipster as possible. He plans to make other prints including mustaches, birds and plaid shirts. Isn't his bike so cute?!

Have you ever tried block printing? Are you clumsy like me and stab you fingers 43 times? Would you admit it if you did? Stay tuned for part two when I scan these suckers in and play with them in Photoshop. Oooo. It's gonna be excitin' y'all.

Art Store Adventures

Bailey loves new art supplies.
And cookies held by photographers.

So we had an earthquake... and then we had a hurricane. Needless to say, it's been a week. Luckily yesterday was fairly sunny so we decided to take a trip up to A.C. Moore. We were looking for frames for a few pieces including my cow picture and a print I got from Jessica Swift's Kickstarter project. I also wanted to find some basic linoleum block printing supplies to play with. I came home with none of those things. I just picked up some basics that were on sale. Boo A.C. Moore. They rarely actually have what I want.

I bought this basic Speedball block printing
kit. You can also get it from Blick. 

But it's ok because the story gets better! That is when we re-discovered our lovely neighborhood art store! I was honestly so in love with this store. They had exactly what I wanted plus lots more at reasonable prices. I will no longer be driving 30+ minutes to go to A.C. Moore or Michael's for art supplies. Plaza Art Store is literally a five minute walk and I'm pretty sure they are my new BFFs. That's not creepy right? It was one of those moments where you are like, "uugghhugh, why have I been wasting my time when I could have just walked down the street." Duh.

So needless to say, one of our short term goals is to get a little more screen-printing practice and try out block printing. I think this might be one way I can make cool, hand-made prints to sell/give-away to friends/have just for me. Here's an example of a linocut print I got in Portland earlier this year. I will definitely be sharing as I figure it out! Anyone have any linoleum tips that don't include scrubbing gross stains off 1980's-orange flooring (you could share that too I guess, I'm not picky)?