Hot off the press: tea towels, canvas bags, summer workshops

Here are some photos from Sunday’s screen printing session at Emma’s, which was wonderful fun.  Many tea towels and canvas bags were adorned with Scandinavian horses (based on my recent paper cut design). Almost by accident the original design worked well as a repeat pattern, so we have a mixture of repeats in a fiery orange, and a single, larger image in a rich chocolate brown. ‘Vilda Hästar’ is Swedish for ‘Wild Horses’…

All designs copyright : Sarah Edmonds

As I’ve previously mentioned, I love Scandinavian design, and have enjoyed experimenting with a paper cutting technique to inform the look of the finished print. Maybe the forthcoming cabins will take a similar route?

While researching (alongside the arranging and rearranging of my Mum’s Swedish horse collection), I came across the wonderful website that deserves a share:  ‘From Scandinavia With Love’. It is truly inspiring. Click on the image below (these are just a few of my favourites on there) to visit the site. Searching ‘Print’ brings up some nice things and then you may, like me, spend hours lusting after a home of multi coloured chairs and procrastinating on the internets for a Very Long Time.

The tea towels and bags will be launched at the forthcoming market at Milkwood Gallery in Cardiff on Sunday 8 July. There will also be prints, both 5 colour and 1 colour, available.

Following that they’ll be on sale in my online shop… 

WORKSHOPS
I am running three workshops this summer at the Cardiff Open Art School.  They’ll all take place at the Howard Gardens Campus up in the Printmaking department. Places are limited to book soon to ensure you get a place…

Saturday 28 July 2012, 10am – 4pm
Creative Collage
During this one-day course you will explore ways to work with a range of media, from paper to found objects, magazine pages to rubber stamps. Taking inspiration from life, the media, collage practitioners and your imagination you will create several collages, and learn about the ideas behind this fun and fascinating medium of cutting and sticking.  
£65.00

Saturday 4 August, 10 am – 4 pm
Handmade Books
During this class you will explore several approaches to making a book, from traditional Western and Eastern stitch bindings to one-sheet books, concertina and pocket books and also more innovative and surprising ideas for what books can be.
£70.00

Saturday 11 August, 10 am – 3 pm
Letterpress Printmaking
Come and play with a range of original wooden and metal type and learn how type was designed, set and printed before the rise of digital technology. For all font enthusiasts and those wishing to try out a new process that is being brought back to life by artists and designers across the world.
£65.00

All of these courses can be booked over the phone: 029 2041 6628 or click here to book online. Do share with friends etc – the more, the merrier!

Laters x

It’s book making time…

As well as designing the odd book cover I love handmade books – folding and filling, cutting, covering and drawing in them. They are great houses for stories and illustrations – and right now, I’m planning a limited edition envelope book to accompany the forthcoming Shoe Tales exhibition, in September.  I’ll put a picture up of the work in progress in a couple of days. Meanwhile, have a look at these:

This book is about an old man who walks up and down his village while he waits for a visitor. It’s a folded book, the pages cut out in the shapes of houses, then a separate strip of card with the text on it threaded through the doors.

More of these little story books coming soon!

The first version of the Shoe Tales postcard book – photocopies of the original postcard stories are fixed in a folded book. It has a very neat finish, but I want the final edition to be more interactive!

A great book I’m reading – Indie Publishing: How to Design and Produce Your Own Book – has some great tips for making books by hand, and ideas aplenty!