ECO PRINTING ON PAPER

Ever since I received the most beautiful card from my amazingly talented Aussie friend Suzy, using her gorgeous eco dyeing/printing, I wanted to try it out myself. It has taken me a long time, but finally, I got my act together and wombled down the lane and picked some weeds and bits and pieces. Not much growing at the moment, lol.

The first batch I made was an experiment with all kinds of lane greenery, sandwiched between water colour paper and boiled in a pot with a couple of teabags and used coffee grounds thrown in :-). The results were very light and mellow yellow muddy brown, but did show a few prints -

I asked my DH to find me some rusty iron stuff in his workroom for the second batch. A bit of chain, nails, screws, all sorts of lovely rusty things went into the pot with this bunch of vegetation - 

The results were much more intense with better colours, lovely dark greys from the iron water I suppose and sharper outlines -

Hyacinth leaves and single flowers

Catkins from a tree in the lower field

tiny pink flowers and leaves from a shrub in the front garden, bit like a currant bush but without the fruit

Evergreen bush in the front garden, thick glossy leaves with tiny white flowers in the middle

I made a tag with one of the eco prints, to go on a birthday bouquet for a very dear friend and neighbour -

I didn't want to throw the iron water away, so I decided to pick a few more of those pink false currant bush things and a couple of other bits, and make a third batch. This batch turned out really rich and dark but more deep brown rather than the greys and charcoals from the first time I used the iron water. But that will have to wait until tomorrow. My doggies are giving me a hard time, lol. 

A bientot, toodlepip xxx