Kiss and make up
Sometime around 9am this morning the gocco and I made friends again and I finished my first multi-coloured print. Hooray! Thanks for all the encouragement yesterday.
Just in case you were wondering, the registration looks off deliberately. I thought that if I made the colours look as though they didn’t fit the outline as a stylistic choice then registration would be a whole lot easier. This was definitely a wise move.Things I must remember when printing:
1. Let go of the expectation that it will look perfect. As Jo and Sarah pointed out in the comments yesterday, all the weird stuff going on just adds charm and character.
2. Don’t drink two cups of coffee before printing. This only adds to the agro.
3. Don’t print on the floor if you are doing a lot of printing and you don’t have a particularly flexible body.
4. Don’t use 3 year old ink.
5. Don’t make six million prints because it’s fun doing the first plate.
Ok! Next up… this little number. I am going to try it as a gocco but then I am keen to make it in to a big embroidery / applique thing.
This is a happy image for me because Amelia decided she liked school when she discovered she could borrow a hula hoop at lunchtime. There have been no more tears in the morning and it has meant she finally left the classroom step and started to explore the playground. Much relief all round.
this is lovely! i’m so glad you showed us the results! you got me researching gocco’s again last night after i’d decided two weeks ago i would NOT get one… but now i WANT one!!! it looks like you have the PG Art/13?? from what i can tell they’re $800 each??
Yep — I got the PG Arts — it IS expensive and in retrospect I think one of the cheaper ones would be fine. This one doesn’t come with the stamp either which would have been useful.
the finished product does look really good, and thanks for the tips.
I love the print, it is so cute and charming!
Lovely results and gorgeous colours!
i too am happy you are back in the blogging world. i have a gocco and have yet to use it, but maybe i will try soon. are you going to sell copies of this print? i love it!thanks
oh goodness, that print is adorable! As is the ‘next up’ project. fun stuff, claire!
bravo! the final print is really wonderful.
I am so happy for Amelia. I hope things keep getting better.
Dear Claire, I simply love your work. I posted your girls on my blog. I will remove it if you say so.Lisa
Ok, now you made me finally want to use my Gocco! I’ve been too scared to try it! (Plus, the instructions are in Japanese!:()
ooh! very cute. i’ve been looking into getting a gocco for a little while. they look great!
I knew you two were a match made in heaven. I’m looking forward to the embroidery project very much.
That came out lovely! The PG-Arts does make your prints look that much more professional, with that big margin you can have. Plus you have that registration option like lara showed, rather than just having to pray to the gods like me! *is slightly jealous* 😛
Horray for loobylu! You are back and I’ve just found you. Love your blog – it was one of the first I ever found (I’m a slow starter!) and next thing I knew you were taking a break….So pleased you are back! I’m looking forward to reading lots more posts and being inspired by you. Thanks for sharing.
I love that. I am so glad you are back. When I first started blogging, I heard all about you. I was so disappointed to learn you were on a break…..although well deserved. I am glad you are back.
Holy cow I am sooo glad to see your back blogging again I had no idea and I went to another blog and they mentioned reading yours. I was such a big fan for several years and then you went off the air:( I love the gocco image I have been wanting to try but a little leary. Good luck with yours can’t wait to see more.
Your blog and prints are too cute!!! I am glad I found you! You are great…
so funny, almost exactly like louisa i had finally decided i didn’t need a gocco about last week. but now you go making beautiful things with yours and here i am again, wanting a gocco. thank you for the inspiration as always (that is not said in a sarcastic tone either!).:)
They look great. Congratulations!Way to go Amelia!
The print is lovely. Seems like many good (art) relationships start as hate/frustration…And the sketches are adorable!
Oh, I love how it turned out, and a pleased that you & your gocco are friends again…
That’s great about Amelia – Ari was the same all the way through Prep. He didn’t like to go to school at all – and he’s a really social lil guy. The whole year was spent tossing and turning about what to do -and then magically in Grade 1 – things got a whole lot better. But I felt like a witch that whole Prep year, I can tell you.I love the colours in your Gocco print. They are reminding me of a cocktail full of limes – which is NOT very pumpkin wholesome, is it?! Sorry.
xx
Yay Amelia!!!!! Enjoy the relief.
Hi!Stumbled upon your blog.. and loving your illustrations! Fab work!
Cheers!
Hi there! Thanks for featuring my ‘Stuff No. 1’ print on your Etsy mini! I used to follow your blog & didn’t know you were up & running again until someone mentioned they’d seen my print here!Regarding uneven print results, if you have fields of flat colour, applying halftones or other patterns or line work not only brings texture, depth & interest to a design, but is much easier to print evenly & conserves ink too.
So true that you have to give up on any ideas of perfection with the gocco…it’s very idiosyncratic. I love that about goccoing!
Your print looks great & it’s nice to see you blogging again!