10.28.2010
10.25.2010
Screen Printed Wood Panels
I have always loved the beauty of birtch and I've been dreaming of screen printing on it for quite some time. I finally got a chance to experiment with printing my patterns and designs on birtch plywood and I really love the way they turned out. The grain of the wood adds so much to each print making it completely unique! Check them out in the shop.
There are currently four in the set, but I hope to add more in the near future. My dream is to fill an entire wall full of these 8 x 8 wood squares with my patterns. Maybe one day.
There is a lot of love that goes into preping these wood panels. I sand them smooth and take of as many imperfections in the wood. This belt sander was a life saver. I debated on the most economical way to get these babies sanded and it ended up making since to buy the tool to get the job done properly.
I preped the production file so I could print two images at a time. That ended up saving me a bunch of screens, it just took a bit of coordination.
There are currently four in the set, but I hope to add more in the near future. My dream is to fill an entire wall full of these 8 x 8 wood squares with my patterns. Maybe one day. 
There is a lot of love that goes into preping these wood panels. I sand them smooth and take of as many imperfections in the wood. This belt sander was a life saver. I debated on the most economical way to get these babies sanded and it ended up making since to buy the tool to get the job done properly. 
I preped the production file so I could print two images at a time. That ended up saving me a bunch of screens, it just took a bit of coordination. 
10.24.2010
I went to ikea and I was pleased to see that they finally had the fabric I've been wanting for a long time. The very talented textile designers name is Anna Svanfeldt is the mastermind behind the Fialena series. She really does have a wonderful eye for pattern, shape, and color. I'm going to use this fabric for the bathroom curtains. There is a graphic geometric theme going on in there so i think it will fit nicely.
10.23.2010
10.15.2010
Screen Printed Zippy Coin Purse Bag
Whew, I've been a busy little elf in my studio making all kinds of cute things for the holiday season. I just finished a batch of these little zippy screen printed purses. The teal diagonal pattern is one of my original designs that is hand screen printed onto muslin.
This size is perfect for a little bit of cash, a credit card or two, and lip gloss.
The inside is fully lined with a flannel plaid that is cozy and cute.
These are some process photos of me working. There are lots of little piles around the studio of brightly colored fabric in the different stages of the process.
I love these bright colored zippers!
These purses are available and ready to ship from my shop!
This size is perfect for a little bit of cash, a credit card or two, and lip gloss.
The inside is fully lined with a flannel plaid that is cozy and cute.
These are some process photos of me working. There are lots of little piles around the studio of brightly colored fabric in the different stages of the process. 
I love these bright colored zippers!
These purses are available and ready to ship from my shop!
10.14.2010
Curtis Steiner: 1000 blocks project
The combination of images that can be created from 1000 identical blocks is quite vast. Here are few of my favorite that I saw on Curtis Steiner's website. These blocks are part of the SAM permanent collection. Visitors can play with the blocks and make their own images. I love everything about this project and I'm kind of mad I didn't think of it first :) 
You can see an interview with talented Curtis Steiner here.
You can see an interview with talented Curtis Steiner here.
10.13.2010
2011 Tea Towel Calendar
My 2011 Calendar Tea Towels are availble in the shop and ready to ship.
I had fun packaging these towels up. It was very meditative and I like the way they turned out.
Yup, thats my kitchen! That sink is from the 1910s and is beautiful. I can't wait to start using my new tea towels to dry my dishes.
• Hand screen printed with water based inks: red & teal
• Printed on 100% Organic Cotton Tea Towel with a rolled hem
• Size: 28"x20"
I had fun packaging these towels up. It was very meditative and I like the way they turned out.
Yup, thats my kitchen! That sink is from the 1910s and is beautiful. I can't wait to start using my new tea towels to dry my dishes.
• Hand screen printed with water based inks: red & teal
• Printed on 100% Organic Cotton Tea Towel with a rolled hem
• Size: 28"x20"
10.12.2010
Oh Deer Holiday Embroidery Project Prototype
I was doodling with my deer character this past weekend. I was thinking about making this one into a DIY kit, but I'm worried that the cost of having the holes lasered will make them too expensive to customers. Would you be willing to poke your own holes if it meant the price point would go down a couple bucks? Please leave a comment. I would love to hear your opinion.
10.11.2010
10.10.2010
2011 Screen Printed Calendar Tea Towels
Here is a sneak peak at my latest project, the 2011 holiday tea towel!
This weekend has really been a lot of trial and error. The first time I printed the tea towels, the ink instantly clogged in the screen leaving me very frustrated. I tried again the next morning with a slightly different set up, and it work beautifully.
After a lot of brainstorming for packaging ideas, I decided to go with the simple jute wrap with a little kraft tag. I thought about putting them in a clear ziplock, but I want people to be able to touch them. I also thought about doing a belly band, but the band went right through a critical part of the design, so I opted not to do that. I like the simplicity of my final solution.
Check out this beautiful red ink that's not clogging!
This weekend has really been a lot of trial and error. The first time I printed the tea towels, the ink instantly clogged in the screen leaving me very frustrated. I tried again the next morning with a slightly different set up, and it work beautifully.
After a lot of brainstorming for packaging ideas, I decided to go with the simple jute wrap with a little kraft tag. I thought about putting them in a clear ziplock, but I want people to be able to touch them. I also thought about doing a belly band, but the band went right through a critical part of the design, so I opted not to do that. I like the simplicity of my final solution.
Check out this beautiful red ink that's not clogging!
10.08.2010
Etsy love: Jetty Kolobaric
It's time for me to let go of summer and embrace the season change. I wanted to share this cold weather photograph I've been eyeing on Etsy by Jetty Kolobaric. It is very intriguing from afar. You can't quite tell if it is an abstract painting or a photograph. When you get closer to it, you see the reflection of the water. It reminds me of stillness, the importance of mindfulness, and the beauty and comfort of mother nature.
Jetty has a great eye for finding all the beautiful things in nature that you should check out here.
I hope you enjoy the beauty in these photos and they bring some calmness to your day.
Jetty has a great eye for finding all the beautiful things in nature that you should check out here.
I hope you enjoy the beauty in these photos and they bring some calmness to your day.
10.07.2010
2011 Screen Printed Calendar "Hooray Hands"
The story of translating my sketches and ideas into a tangible product is a long journey. And I'm learning more and more every year I make a calendar. I started sketching all the way back in May. I had my first prototype made in July and now I'm in production mode trying to get them stocked into boutiques and into your hands. Check out the previous post for more on the process of getting these babies printed.
I knew I wanted to have a calendar with a more cohesive theme this year and after a lot of brainstorming and sketching I decided on "Hooray Hands", which is a celebration of using your hands creatively. Each of my hand printed illustrations show a person making/doing with their hands, something I find very rewarding. In fact, I'm usually the happiest when I'm using my hands. That's why I felt it was important to make this calendar.
Sometimes the process leads us down unexpected paths. I had really never thought too much about printing front and back on the paper, but 12 sheets of chipboard don't fit into the jewel case. So I decided to print front and back which is a wonderful way to save materials and keep the cost low.
The process of screen printing lets the ink sit above of the paper giving the finished product a much more tactile feel. Each calendar is lovingly silk screened at The Pull, an independent silk screen shop in Portland, Or operated by Diskgrunt. I reduced environmental impact by printing on both sides of the paper. The calendar measures 4.6in x 5.25 and fits perfectly into the jewel case that folds back to make a stand.
Photo by MichalGarcia.com
You can purchase calendars in my shop. They make awesome gifts that keep giving all year long.
I knew I wanted to have a calendar with a more cohesive theme this year and after a lot of brainstorming and sketching I decided on "Hooray Hands", which is a celebration of using your hands creatively. Each of my hand printed illustrations show a person making/doing with their hands, something I find very rewarding. In fact, I'm usually the happiest when I'm using my hands. That's why I felt it was important to make this calendar. 
Sometimes the process leads us down unexpected paths. I had really never thought too much about printing front and back on the paper, but 12 sheets of chipboard don't fit into the jewel case. So I decided to print front and back which is a wonderful way to save materials and keep the cost low. 
The process of screen printing lets the ink sit above of the paper giving the finished product a much more tactile feel. Each calendar is lovingly silk screened at The Pull, an independent silk screen shop in Portland, Or operated by Diskgrunt. I reduced environmental impact by printing on both sides of the paper. The calendar measures 4.6in x 5.25 and fits perfectly into the jewel case that folds back to make a stand.
Photo by MichalGarcia.comYou can purchase calendars in my shop. They make awesome gifts that keep giving all year long.
10.03.2010
In the Studio with CuriousDoodles and Michal Garcia
My good friend Michal Garcia, who happens to be a very talented photographer and musician paid me a visit recently all the way from Hong Kong! He was very generous with his talents and we had 2 photo shoots while he was in town. The first was in the screen printing studio, The Pull, while I was printing up my 2011 Calendar. I wanted to share the photos with you as well as reveal some of the behind the scenes process that is necessary for screen printing.
I start by taping my screens with a waterproof tape. There are two main purposes to this:
1. the tape at the top and bottom of the screen creates a nice ink well
2. Masking out the unused areas of the screen insures that ink is only going where it belongs.
Once the screen is taped up, I start the registration process. There are crop marks on that transparency that indicate where my calendar pieces of paper should go. Once they are correctly placed, I put little red pieces of tape along the top two corners to indicate where to set the pieces of paper down throughout the entire print run.
Now its time to mix the paint. For this particular job, I used a pantone ink so there was very little work getting the ink prepared. I just add an extender base that keeps the ink from drying so quickly. This is a preventative measure to keep the ink flowing nicely through the screen. If it starts drying in the screen it will cause clogging and all kinds of hair pulling.
After I print the front of the calendar, I use a mobile heat unit to cure the inks so I can flip the cards over without getting wet ink all over everything. The heating unit (the gray thing pictured above) is on an arm that you can easily swivel on top of your print for about 15 seconds and then swivel it out the way. Its a very handy tool!
This is a small piece of the overall process, but I hope you enjoyed it.
I start by taping my screens with a waterproof tape. There are two main purposes to this:1. the tape at the top and bottom of the screen creates a nice ink well
2. Masking out the unused areas of the screen insures that ink is only going where it belongs.
Once the screen is taped up, I start the registration process. There are crop marks on that transparency that indicate where my calendar pieces of paper should go. Once they are correctly placed, I put little red pieces of tape along the top two corners to indicate where to set the pieces of paper down throughout the entire print run. 
Now its time to mix the paint. For this particular job, I used a pantone ink so there was very little work getting the ink prepared. I just add an extender base that keeps the ink from drying so quickly. This is a preventative measure to keep the ink flowing nicely through the screen. If it starts drying in the screen it will cause clogging and all kinds of hair pulling. 
After I print the front of the calendar, I use a mobile heat unit to cure the inks so I can flip the cards over without getting wet ink all over everything. The heating unit (the gray thing pictured above) is on an arm that you can easily swivel on top of your print for about 15 seconds and then swivel it out the way. Its a very handy tool! 
This is a small piece of the overall process, but I hope you enjoyed it.
10.01.2010
Curious About How Ink Is Made
Ink is something I don't think about too much, but it really plays an important part of everyday life. Take a moment to acknowledge the ink!
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