Bundles

These will need to sit a bit. Hopefully ready for Art Fest.

Fungus is our friend

This piece of silk noile was steam printed with leaves from a eucalyptus tree that was covered with fungus.

Weeds

What a lovely use for knapweed!

Ok, maybe seaweed wasn't the greatest idea I ever had...

Steam printing with seaweed sounded like a great idea, it is all kinds of different colors and shapes, oh my how can a girl resist. Trouble is, think about the concept of steamed seaweed. Yeah, it smells just like that. While it did make some fantastic colors and patterns, I could barely stand to have it around. Trying to be as gentle as possible, I attempted to wash out the smell. Although a lot better, it took so much effort that most of the colors disappeared. They may have been transient anyway, who knows.
Anyway, I thought I would post some pictures of a little more successful experiment. The first picture is of a steam printed scarf using red cabbage. Yes, it has a smell too, but it doesn't have the staying power of cooked seaweed!

The next picture is of a scarf that was also eco-printed with red cabbage, but given a post bath in a light alum solution-voila! Blue!

Fun with Eucalyptus

Recently I went to visit a friend on the Washington coast and there in her front yard were two different types of eucalyptus! The first picture is a detail of the round leaf variety used with rusted nails.

The next is from the other tree, a variety with long skinny leaves.

The last is done with dollar eucalyptus, purchased from a florist.

So many plants to play with, so little time!!!

Seaweed Salad

I brought home bags of seaweed off the beaches of Olympic Peninsula, we will see what happens. Needless to say I did the steaming outside for this one!

Eco Printing Results!

I will be taking these to Best of the Northwest next weekend. In the meantime I will be fighting my way across Snoqualmie Pass to visit a friend. She lives on the peninsula where things are actually growing! I am taking an old dictionary and a phone book so I can press some leaves to bring back.

Mono printing with rusted nails.

Eco-printing with rose petals.

With deadfall leaves.

With eucalyptus.

And with fern leaf maple.