Screens exposed

I'm getting quite a collection of screens ;)

Easter- wk2

Okay so the Print studio is not open this week but I've still been at Uni working on market research as well as sketchbook work. It's been quite peaceful as pretty much there's hardly been anyone around.

Easter- wk1

Well lets see here's how my week went at home for what I suppose was my Easter break:-
Saturday I had a stall at Created in WA at Warrington Market, Sunday I went to a craft fair at the NEC in Birmingham- and got some useful items for my project...and a little for myself after Uni (I got a printing screen!)
Monday I had an appointment than did sketchbook work as well as my management file. Another appointment on Tuesday then more sketchbook, market research etc. Wednesday I went to a second hand place to see if I can find anything for my degree show that might work well to display my work without costing an arm & leg. I didn't manage to find anything unfortunately that would work, then it was back to Hud on Wednesday night and in Uni on Thursday where I managed to strip a screen ready to be coated and put to use week after next when the studio opens up again.
Today I've been continuing with sketchbook work, designs to print as a screen and oh yes... I've got my digital print session coming up soon.

My Studio Space

Feel like I'm getting somewhere now :)

Digital Printing- Sample session

Digital print today; I'm really pleased with the results- seeing my own designs on fabric is fab!
I printed two lots; one range on Silk Satin Viscose and another range on plain cotton as I'm doing an interior collection to see the differences the prints have on the fabric colour etc.
I already have ideas of how they can be used :)

Ready to be steamed & washed

Rubber Roll Dyeing

Well today I managed to dye my roll of rubber and it actually turned out ok; I'm pleased with the result. I decided instead of brown I'd got for a shade of blue. When I did test with this colour it was quite unusual as one side went the colour I wanted and the other side went a darker more green colour. With the large roll even though both sides weren't the exact same shade; they both ended up blue and I've just decided to print on the lighter side.

This time I'm using a really large pot :)

Waiting till water is at boiling temperature

Adding in the solution

Pouring in the dye powder

Stirring, keeping rubber submerged

Colour magic cauldron :P

Ta dah- my blue rubber roll

Dying Rubber

I've been testing dyeing my yellow rubber sheeting today as the colour doesn't go with my project at all. I've been screen printing onto the surface before now to quite a nice effect but that has the possibility of rubbing off after a while if wet etc. When hot water dying some of my perspex pieces I just happened to add a piece of rubber to the pot and the dye took to it really well and wouldn't wash off. As I have a large roll that I want to be printing onto I'd like to see it I can dye the whole thing to begin with so need to do these tests to see if the right colour can be achieved.

I was aiming for a pale brown but actually got a darker shade in colour; this is due to the rubber being left in the dye longer. This was much better than the first attempt which went rather red, ending up a maroon shade. Taking this into account the red was lessened to get the result of the browner shade.

Working out the ratio of dye to be added

Measuring out the dye

Putting the rubber in large pot of water waiting till it was at boiling temperature

Stirring the mixture; making sure the rubber was submerged for dye to fix

Left: Maroon shade. Right: Brown shade. Centre: Original rubber