Printing a Steampunk Cat

Steampunk Cat Tote Bags

My Steampunk Cat tote bags have proved to be one of my most popular designs ever and I'd almost sold out of them so I thought I'd better get busy printing a few more this weekend! I took a few photos of the process too so that you can see how and where they are printed, the model himself was too tired to pose for any photos though and was fast asleep in his radiator bed!

This is the printing plate made from a piece of lino so that anything carved away will stay white and anything left will print black or in this case raw umber.

My ink rolled out and ready to go! I use the Caligo safewash inks as they are very good on fabric and really easy to clean away with soap and water.

My first mini tote bag hot off the printing press! The linocut printing plate is placed on the press on some waste paper and the bag is placed on top of this. The blanket covers everything and I roll the whole lot through the etching press on a light setting so that nothing moves.

A turquoise blue bag coming off the press.

And a red one!

Here's a comparison of the printing plate with the finished print on the bag. Note the image is always reversed.

This is one of the larger tote bags coming off the press. These are slightly more difficult to print as they are bigger than the actual printing press so have to folded very carefully so they don't get trapped under the rollers!

And this is where all the magic happens - the corner of my dining room table! Complete with Dalek cookie jar, bottles of wine etc!

A few of the finished tote bags all drying on my improvised drying rack otherwise known as my spare room bed!

 

A very fun afternoon of printing a Steampunk Cat!

Clare xx