Purple Steampunk Elephants!

Steampunk Elephant Collagraph Print

 
Today I decided to have a look at some of my older collagraph printing plates and do a bit of experimentation with them in different colourways. I really like my Steampunk Elephant printing plate with its cogs etc as it was great fun to design and make. I only ever printed it in a gunmetal grey so wondered what it would look like in my favourite printing ink purple!
 
Here is the printing plate just starting to be covered in a lovely rich purple ink!
 

 

The printing plate all covered in purpleness and being wiped to uncover the elephant beneath!
 

 
 On the etching press ready for the exciting part the printing!

 
Hot off the press - a Purple Steampunk Elephant!
 

 
Here is a sneaky peak at what is going on in the background when I am printing! My printing press is on the dining room table and even when Morpheus the cat is no where to be seen as soon as I start printing he appears to supervise and today to make a nest in my tissue paper!

 I think he liked the print although he was a bit upset I wasn't immortalising him in print like I usually do!

The finished Steampunk Elephant collagraph print looking good in purple!

 

 

Clare xx

 

Wearable Artworks

I love the idea of getting my artwork out to people who wouldn't normally buy or be able to afford to buy original artwork. When I came to work on a new Steampunk costume I decided that I wanted to make some fabric wrist cuffs to wear which featured some of my wearable artwork so I thought I'd have a go at printing some myself!

I couldn't resist carving an octopus tentacle for a linocutprint. Its a very simple image but looks great printed onto fabric. I used the softcut lino so that I could cut out the shape of the tentacle and therefore didn't have to carve out the unwanted background. Heres me getting messy inking up the lino printing plate or tentacle!

 Lots of tentacles printed onto scraps of fabric, once I get printing I can't stop!

Once the ink was dry dry I started making! This is the one I made for myself with a ruffle at the wrist which matches my new green elf leaf skirt!

 Once I got started making of course I had to make a few more!

Purple Octopus Tentacle Cuff

 And a few more! These are available in my Folksy shop.

Steampunk Tentacle Fabric Cuffs

  I've even managed to make use of my huge tin of buttons too!

 With a little bit of left over printing ink I even printed a tentacle tote bag too!

Tentacle Tote Bag

I was enjoying making them so much I thought I'd try a few different coloured printing inks and also some of my cog linoprinting plates!

Steampunk Cogs Fabric Cuff

Green Steampunk Cog Fabric Cuff

I'm having great fun making them so should be making some more very soon!

Clare xx