My Adventures in Printmaking

Got Gocco?

Me — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:35:23 +0000

After I guess 4 years of wanting a Print Gocco, I’ve finally given in & purchased one off ebay yesterday for less than $120 including shipping. LOL

I got a lightly used Print Gocco B6 printer that came with Lamp Housing w/ 6 bulbs, Blue Filter, 4 Master Screens, 5 Inks (Paper- Brown & Fabric- Red, Yellow, Blue and Black) & the Print Gocco B6 Stamp Kit for Fabric plus Owners manual (which I hope is in English & not Japanese LOL). I think I got a pretty good deal to be totally honest. I’ve seen them go for A LOT more. There was one that someone was selling for $215 & it didn’t come with any bulbs or masters at all.

So I guess the subject of my blog will be my adventures with my new Print Gocco B6 Printer & Stamp Kit for Cloth. LOL Now not only can I print paper goods but I’m really anxious to try my hand at textile printing especially repeat patterns.

I’m really excited & can’t wait for it to arrive. I’m guessing it should arrive no later than next Friday. :: Keeps fingers crossed ::

1 Color Screen Printing Press

Me — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:49:02 +0000

So I want a screen printing press and I just can bring myself to spend upwards of $100 on a one. I guess you would call me cheap but I look at it as being caution. Look it’s taken me 2 years to use my silk screen kit fro Michaels. LOL So I’ve done some searching around and thanks to these two sites, How To Build a 1-Color 1-Station Screenprinting Press & Silk Screen Printing Instructions, I will be making my own for probably less than $30 including the jiffy clamps. LOL Great deal considering the jiffy clamps cost $30 by themselves. I do plan on working it so I don’t have to nail or clamp the press to the table top. I want it to be a table top press that can be used anywhere. LOL Hopefully I can make it (including any unforeseen mistakes in construction). LOL

On a different note, my new exposure unit arrived yesterday via UPS. I wanted to make up some cards to test out the new unit but I didn’t get a chance because my youngest didn’t fall alseep until 1am this morning. LOL I’m glad I still have the 110lb cardstock that I purchased awhile back. I want to make some 2010 calendars as well.

Did A Little Shopping

Me — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:07:26 +0000

It appears that emulsion has a shelf life of somewhere around a year before it goes bad. I didn’t know that. LOL

Futhermore, I think I ruined my screen because it has some screen filler still on it. So I needed to purchase new mesh for it. I also purchased an exposure unit to help burn my screens and I plan on purchasing a few more bigger screens to aid in printing fabric yardage.

I’m not sure how long it’ll take to burn on screen yet but I’ll find out later when all my supplies show up. My exposure unit should actually be here no later than Saturday.

I’m really happy to get started. With the weather getting so cold out here, it makes me want to sit in the house & be crafty. After I come home from my “day job”, of course. LOL

Here’s to renewed excitement!

Dusting Off Screen Printing Kit…

Me — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:04:52 +0000

About 2 years ago I purchased one of those speedball screenprinting kits from my local Michaels and gave it a go for a total of maybe 20 mins. I think I may have ruined the screen though because I’m pretty sure that I can’t get the screen filler off of the screen. Yes poor maintenance of the screen.

What does that mean? It means that I’ll either have to make my own screen which I think I may just do that. I think that I’ll just cut the screen out of the frame because the frame is practically brand new. LOL No need to go and purchase a whole new screen when this one is completely sound.

So I’m challenging myself to go outside of my comfort zone and use my screen printing kit to create my own line of textiles to use for my designs. I normally purchase my fabrics with the designs already on them. I’ve secretly coveted my own home decor collection with my designs on them.

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

Me — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:57:35 +0000

Thanks for stopping by my world of printmaking. My curiosity for printmaking goes all the wy back to when I was still a schoolgirl being bored in class and carving my pencil eraser to make a rubber stamp and using my pen as the ink. Anyone else do that? *** Waits patiently*** I know I’m not the only one who has done that. LOL

Well my curiosity for printmaking has definitely evolved to other forms including rubber stamp (I mean actually carving my own out of real materials), block printing (which I guess would go along the lines of rubber stamp making) and the silk screening (screen printing). I’ve done all of these techniques over the years but am now really serious about getting my printmaking up to par. I would like to produce my own line of textiles to use for my sewn creations. Did I forget to mention that I’m a fashion designer? Ooops! LOL

As you could imagine, to be able to have my own line of custom textiles for my designs is any designer’s DREAM!

So follow along my journey as I create the textiles, oh and paper goodies too!