On your up-cycle bicycle!

July has crept up on me. Suddenly I'm getting married this month! Eek! Am I ready? I think so. It feels like we've been thinking, planning, saving, living for this day for the past 18 months and now it is finally upon us! Hurry up! I'm ready now. 

The big task was designing and making my own wedding dress. It was something I really wanted to do and I'm pleased to say it's been a success. Can't wait to share it with you VERY soon!

Somehow, amongst the mad bunting making and endless adjustments to my dress, I've managed to create some new pieces. They are all created from existing materials I had around the home; broken jewellery, vintage fabrics, printed transfers, resins, maps and papers.

Stitched Collagraphs - 'On The Mend'

This is a series of collagraphs I've been working on lately, using a lacey (and racey)  upcycled negligee, ripped up, torn apart then printed. As you do.

The prints were based around feelings of anxiety and negative thought patterns. Feelings such as these can sometimes leave us feeling torn or broken, however, with time, we can be mended. But you are never the same again. I liked the idea of using a personal item, such as undies, and printing them for all to see! Laying it bare. I found this quite hard to do as it is so personal, making me feel quite self conscious. So of course, it makes loads of sense I go post it on the world wide web.

Check out the detail picked up in the lace! The print also has a beautiful slight emboss.

Collagraph plate in prep stage.

The monoprint which started the idea for a collagraph.

Ripped and stitched back together with text.

This went a bit wrong! The paper got stuck to the plate.
I managed to pull off some of the print and put it back together.
 I quite liked the print in the end. The detail in the lace is still so crisp.