Category: Printing

Cozy Sick Day

9/14/2011

Open and Close

Mister 5 has been a bit sick today (and last night, ugh), so we had a snuggly, cozy day where the to-do list went out the window as much as possible.
After a fantastic 3 hour nap (in my lap and on my chest), he felt perked up enough to go check on Dad in the bathroom and figure out that he could shut the door on me! We then open and shut the door about 100 times. Anything that makes my baby smile like that is fun.

Must. Make. Pesto.

Every fall I order a pound of basil from the coop to make and freeze a big batch of pesto. Someday, I will successfully grow enough of my OWN basil so I won't have to order it, but...
I picked it up sometime last week already, so I HAD TO MAKE THE PESTO! So, 5 got to pull things out of cupboards while Mom made pesto.
It turned out especially DELICIOUS, which is a good thing, because I didn't use any pine nuts this year (they were $54 per pound!) so I made it on the fly. I used basil, olive oil, parmesan, slightly steamed garlic, raw pumpkin seeds, lemon juice, and cashew butter. So good!

Veggie Printing

While my boys ran to the store to pick up dinner items, I whipped out a bit of printing! I'd wanted to try printing with okra since I saw it over on Bloesem Kids and boy oh boy is it cool! I did not know that okra had such a cool cross section. Hoping for some more minutes this week to print a few other colors...

a Package from South Africa!

I ordered a green scrap pack from Skinny La Minx a few weeks ago and it finally arrived! Yay! If you haven't heard of her, you should definitely go check out her site, she does beautiful screenprints on super tasty fabric! Most of these beauties will be made into Christmas presents, but perhaps one or two will make their way into my personal stash...

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Birthday Fun!

8/29/2011

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We've had some birthdays to celebrate in the last week. That's right, I am blessed to have many virgos in my life (I say this because I am a virgo, I'm told those who aren't don't always find us all that charming...). Now that all the gifts have been opened, I can share some of the lovely prezzies I shipped off last week!

Something NOT Textile related! What?

Today is my sister's boyfriend's birthday. I talked to her awhile ago about what kind of things he would like/ they need, and while I got lots of great ideas, almost NONE of them could be accomplished in a week or couldn't possibly be shipped to North Carolina. They do both like art though, and I have seen pictures of their lovely apartment and I thought they could really use some strange, Scandinavian-inspired papercut art. I was really pleased with how the piece turned out and once I mounted it on some nice creamy cardstock, I had a blast sorting through my 1948 wallpaper samples to find an appropriate background. I love this brown and yellow plaid, and I especially like that the pattern is not straight- it's a bit wonky. Perfect.

Collaborative Design!

My husband and I both work in design, but we RARELY collaborate. For his sister's birthday though, we wanted to do something really special- she is a really amazing person who has been so incredibly generous with us in every way possible and we always have a hard time finding a way to show her that.

So we moved heaven and earth and worked together on something.
It was pretty fun once we got past the yelling and the swearing (yeah, we're both really fun team players).
I can truly say that this design is Fred and I meeting in the middle and going somewhere fun and different.

My Attempt at Being "Cool"

Also for my sister-in-law, I made this crocheted necklace. I've seen a few of these about on the world wide web- cool and trendy texture-heavy necklaces with bold color blocking using both bright and neutral colors. Not exactly the adjectives I'm known for, but, my sister-in-law has good taste and I tend to think of her as the older sister I never had who will forever be cooler than me no matter what, so I brought my A game and I think it worked.

Some Little Handmade Note-y Whatnots

I used my trusty big circle punch on another piece of 1948 wallpaper to make some pretty gift tags for all my precious birthday goodies. They turned out so pretty and made me feel so birthday-fancy that I just had to include them in the gifty post.

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Sewing Success!

8/5/2011

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For the Babe

i wanted to make another sleeveless outfit for 5 before our trip to Duluth and today turned out to be the day to do it. It was a hot, sticky, crabby day here but for some reason, the sewing went seamlessly (or perhaps seam-fully would be more appropriate).

I repurposed another of Papa Fred's shirts and got to use some of my new cotton ribbing! My parents picked this shirt up at a thrift store in Hilo a few years ago and I think it is perfect some festive baby-sized summer wear. The construction went much more smoothly this time, I'm working on a tutorial so all you lovely folks at home can turn the old Tshirt pile into cool duds for the little ones!

He would prefer to be naked, but I think his new outfit is a close second.

"Hi Dad! Check me out- I'm like you, but better-looking!"

For the Mama (finally!)

I did it! I finally finished the skirt! It could still use a bit of pressing, but that will probably never happen... I'm wearing it right now and LOVING it.

My masking tape stencil worked quite well. I used 4 pieces of tape and a hole punch, plus my new stencil brushes I got from Dick Blick. It's amazing how much easier things can be when you have the right tool for the job. I'd been using those cheap foam brushes for my stencils just because we had some laying around the house, but man did they make things go slowly! I had to be so careful to make sure I was going in the right direction, etc. Anyway, stencil brushes=good.

Tune in Monday for the First Duluth Report!

9 Comments

Screenprinting, Owie-Kissing, Mommy Elves

7/11/2011

2 Comments

Working on the Weekend

The Rispok elves were hard at work over the weekend. Summer Craftacular is close at hand and the to-do list is not finished... In between weekend family time, shopping, cooking, and visiting with friends from out of town, I managed to get all the printing done for my placemats and throw pillows- hooray!
There are a few new designs in there, what do you think? I did a very trendy chevron, and a rather geometric berry-type thing and I'm pretty pleased with the results.
Now, I just need those elves to sew like the wind ALL WEEK!

5's first head lump

While I was grocery shopping on Saturday, the boys were busy injuring themselves. Mr. 5 crawled around and pulled things down, including a nice long piece of wood that knocked a frame off the wall which hit the floor and bounced up to hit him in the eyebrow. Dad was taking pictures. Of him. So it's well-documented.
With the double ice method (one on the wound, one in the mouth) the swelling went down quickly. He just has a red mark on his eyebrow that looks like he used to have an eyebrow ring, but it got all infected after some three-day rave in the desert, and now he has to take it out for a while...

Mama Makes It Better

'Nuff said.

Where are all the delicious food pictures?

That is an excellent question. The food pics are lacking for two reasons.

1. The last few weeks I've been cooking almost exclusively from my new cookbook Super Natural Every Day (go get it, it's awesome) so I don't have any recipes to share.

2. Strawberry season has finally hit the Keweenaw and all I'm eating is strawberries and ice cream. Yes, I know, awesome, but how many pictures can you see of strawberries and ice cream? Lots, you say? Well, it's hot and I can't wait to take a picture, I have to eat it NOW!

I promise, they'll return soon, and with them some fabulous recipes!

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Placemats and Procrastination

5/18/2011

3 Comments

Sneak Peek

These are the screenprints for the soon-to-come placemats! The one on the right is modified from a stencil you may have seen before and I created the one on the left yesterday. I think they complement each other nicely. All the pieces are printed, heat set, and I've cut out the fabrics they will be sandwiched between. Yay! Only a day behind schedule, too! That will seem more impressive once you see all my distractions below...

Scrappy Pants

I make a lot of things out of old T-shirts. T-shirts that would otherwise be thrown away usually. I strive to create the absolute least waste from my materials though. I am often left with sleeves and the uneven pieces near the neck and have been wondering what I can do with them. My question has been answered. I will make my boy pants!
In sorting my collection of scraps, I discovered I had a ton of sleeves that were already the perfect pants length. Even easier! I was hoping to have a tutorial for these ready today, but the technique I used for the waistband needs some refining... perhaps next week.
They are super easy though, I think they took me 30 or 40 minutes to make, start to finish.

More Distraction

Anyone who has read any of my posts may be able to guess that being surrounded by colorful, patterned textiles is one of my favorite things. There is so much truth to this. However, we have a small house, and I married a man who likes white space so much that THX1138 is one of his favorite movies (look it up, you'll laugh), so I cannot fit all the patterns I want in the quantities I want them. This is a super-rambly way of saying that I LOVE scrap fabric.

Not only do I save my own scraps to use in applique and patchwork, but I get scrap packs from other etsy sellers, put them all in a basket, and keep them as my private treasure chest. I feel like a squirrel with a nut stash. Every time I have a tiny project, I pull the basket out and sort through ALL of it (it's no fun to have it organized) pulling out bits and pieces that I like, sorting through over and over again until I have culled the collection to perfection.

The above pictures are the result of such a sort, this time thinking about making two more strap covers for 5 to chew on. It turns out those are handy things to have and in greater quantities than we currently have. I was so pleased with this current round I had to share it with you.

What projects do you have in mind this Spring? What are you working on instead (if you are anything like me)?

Friday will, fingers crossed, bring fabulous new placemat sets! Hope your week is swell!

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5 is 6 (months)

5/11/2011

1 Comment

The (Not So) Little (Half)Birthday Boy!

My funny little man is a half-year old today! Everyone says it goes by so fast, but it goes by SO FAST.

Birthday Presents! (kind of)

Because being in the middle of 10 projects isn't quite enough, I decided to print a few shirts for Five today. I had a stack of kid's clothes in various sizes that I dyed at least a year ago, so I pulled out the stuff that would fit him well enough and got my stencils out!
The technique is basically the same as printing with bleach, but with more variables. I have to consider how the color of the fabric will interact with the color of the ink, how thick the ink is, etc. I chose what would go where with which color and planned my order to minimize washing of brushes and stencils and maximize built-in drying time.
I think they turned out just great. I still have to heat set the ink and wash them again, but I will post pics with the ever popular model ASAP.

New Summer-y Recipe

This weekend the weather was so fabulous I simply could not bring myself to cook any hot food for the week. I made this lovely summer tortellini salad, ramp leaf pesto and provolone sandwiches and muesli for breakfast. Check out the summer tortellini salad recipe!

I would like to thank everyone for such wonderful comments, especially in the past week. I apologize if I have yet to respond to your comment- it is my sincere intent to reply to every comment I receive, I'm just running a bit behind this week. I appreciate each and every one of you and am so glad you choose to share with me (and all of us!)

See you Friday!

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Happy Home, Happy Baby, Happy Mama

4/15/2011

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1 Project Finished! (kind of)

Remember the fabric from my last post? It is now place mats! I love them so much that I'm working on a coordinating runner...

2 Out of 3!

Yesterday I finished the second of three pillows that will be on display at Finlandia University's Reflection Gallery this summer.

Hard at Work on the Third

I have the prints done for the third pillow, just have to decide on the appropriate fabric to complement it. You might notice that this is a different printing process from the other two. Printing with bleach on khaki seemed a bit silly, so I thought I'd go for some color.
I found what I thought was going to be some pretty sweet spray on fabric dye in Decatur, but when I tried it at home, it was a disaster! Way to thin to work with any kind of design, it just runs all over the place.
So, I pulled out my textile ink that I hadn't used in a few years and got back to work- no shortcuts for me, apparently! I really like this blue though, I think it's fantastic on the khaki.

Emergency Baby Legwarmers!

Ok, for those of you who know me- it's not what you think. I'm NOT trying to get my 5 month old into Flashdance. No need to write to child protective services.
The marshmallow man is having trouble wearing pants because they pull his diaper down to instant-leak level. I like to dress him in shirts and pants because he can wear the same shirt almost all day long. How can this work, you ask? Hmmm....
I pulled out a pair of my socks with holes in the toe (now I'm GLAD I didn't throw them away, mom!) and cut off the feet. Voila! Instant baby legwarmers.
He looks smashing, if I do say so myself.

On the topic of parental musings, I am happy to announce that my husband and I have finally caught on to what the little guy has known for weeks- he falls asleep at the same time every night! It took us a while, but now we have figured out that if we put on his night-time diaper and pajamas by 8:00, we won't have to wake him up at 11:00 or whenever, hooray!

Join me Monday for the exciting conclusion to the Hand-Printed Pillow Saga! (and more)

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Too Warm for Soup!

4/13/2011

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As much as I LOVE soup, it is so thrilling to find that the weather no longer makes me crave it. Neither of my lunches/dinners were even close to soup but were inspired by even hotter places...

Rice and Beans with Fried Plantains

On the way home from Decatur last Sunday, we stopped at the Willy St Coop (where my husband and I first met) to pick up groceries for the week as our local Keweenaw Coop closes at 5 on Sundays. I hadn't really decided what I was going to make yet (gasp!) and was doing some wandering when I saw a lovely display of plantains!

It should be said here that I am a starch girl, for real. Growing up, my Norwegian blood caused me to do things like put mashed potatoes on my lefse (a thin tortilla made from potatoes)! So of course I love plantains, the starchier cousin of the banana.

I knew right away that we would be eating rice and beans with fried plantains this week. You can too, as I've posted the recipe!

North of the Andes Sandwich

My other recipe for the week was also Madison-inspired.
It is my version of the West of the Andes sandwich from the Weary Traveler and one of the best sandwiches in the world.
I can heartily recommend my North of Andes Sandwich, but if you're in Madison, definitely stop in and try it!

Dinner looked so good last night that the little man was pretty sure he wanted some. Luckily, he doesn't know the difference between dinner and a ceramic bowl.

More Printing Fun

Still obsessed with printing and getting trickier every day! Look for a new tutorial soon. This is an already mutated version of the placemat project from Prints Charming. I used one of their motifs in the center and added my own along the top and bottom. They'll be flanked with upcycled plaid shirt fabric later today. Wahoo!

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Birthday Love

4/11/2011

4 Comments

i like stamps

There are a lot of birthdays to celebrate in my family in April. I love love love making birthday presents. So, naturally, I like April. My nephew is turning 9. He is fun and playful, but also organized and meticulous. What could be better than a shark pouch for such a boy? He has four younger brothers and sisters too, so putting his name on it is a must.
The shark fabric used to be part of a coat my Mother-in-Law had. It's going to make so many fantastic things!
I got this great set of stamps in Decatur this weekend and I have really put them to use. Card-making is always fun, but these stamps make it soo much cooler!

sharks are a perennial favorite

I am thrilled with my new stamp/applique/sewing combination. Hooray!

It was also my Mother-in-Laws birthday this month. I made her this awesome bracelet! The pictures are all her grandchildren and they're on the back of scrabble tiles with their initials on them. It was fun to assemble but an almost disaster to prepare. Drilling two holes through a scrabble tile is a bit difficult. My husband was in charge of the drill press and the heat created by the drilling actually made the ink run!

not a fan of sharing the spotlight

Shooting the birthday present pictures made the little guy a bit jealous, so we had to let him in on the action.

Come back Wednesday for some new recipes and more fun!

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Beets, Futons, and the Most Beautiful Pillow in the World

4/6/2011

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My friend Dan is a writer. He is writing my biography in fact. It's not as pompous as it sounds. It will be short, like 1000 words short, and probably a little bizarre.
Last fall, our local art center had a goods and services auction and a brief biography written by Dan was one of the services offered. My husband and I decided we HAD to have it and even though the man we were bidding against had led a long and absolutely fascinating life we outbid him and won!
I think it's going to be great and I'll share the best parts when it's done.
So, Dan was at my house yesterday, interviewing me, or listening to me yammer, and he brought me a new tiny zine he had made. I am in love with it. It's called "Beet Romance" and it's a strange, short, sort of love story, and yes, it features beets.

Beet Romance

by Dan Schneider

I May Have Created the Most Beautiful Pillow in the World

Yup, that's it right there, enjoying the company of Sophie the French giraffe. It's made from half of a pant leg and most of a shirt sleeve and I would totally make out with it if I could.
You may be wondering if those cute and slightly sassy circle clusters were printed by me, the girl who WILL NOT STOP TALKING ABOUT PRINTING, and you would be right! Want to know how I did it? I will show you, step by step, with so many pictures here in my discharge with bleach pen tutorial! You can also find it on my create page.
This pillow will be part of a summer exhibit at the Reflection Gallery at Finlandia University. It's a group show for past recipients of Kuhlman Foundation grants given to fiber students. Yay!

We Got My Favorite Part of the Living Room Back!

Do not adjust your screen, this is REALLY what our house looks like. Go ahead, sympathize with my minimalist, Bauhaus-loving husband if you must, but do not avert your eyes! This futon has been in bed position since V was born in November, very handy for tired babies and exhausted mamas, but kind of unwieldy for the living room, especially buried under a mountain of baby stuff. This past weekend I realized it's been WEEKS since I needed to take a nap in the middle of the day, so we folded it back into a couch! Hooray!

Check back Friday, when I'll be writing from beautiful Decatur, IL!

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Open and Close

Must. Make. Pesto.

Veggie Printing

a Package from South Africa!

Something NOT Textile related! What?

Collaborative Design!

My Attempt at Being "Cool"

Some Little Handmade Note-y Whatnots

For the Babe

For the Mama (finally!)

Tune in Monday for the First Duluth Report!

Working on the Weekend

5's first head lump

Mama Makes It Better

Where are all the delicious food pictures?

Sneak Peek

Scrappy Pants

More Distraction

The (Not So) Little (Half)Birthday Boy!

Birthday Presents! (kind of)

New Summer-y Recipe

1 Project Finished! (kind of)

2 Out of 3!

Hard at Work on the Third

Emergency Baby Legwarmers!

Join me Monday for the exciting conclusion to the Hand-Printed Pillow Saga! (and more)

More Printing Fun

Come back Wednesday for some new recipes and more fun!

Beet Romance

I May Have Created the Most Beautiful Pillow in the World

We Got My Favorite Part of the Living Room Back!

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