Thursday 13 September 2018

Inspiration Post - Sun Prints

Hi everyone, Ruth here this week experimenting with a 'Sunprint Kit' that I've had for a while and just never got around to using until now. The kit contains photosensitive paper (cyanotype) which you expose to light. The resulting images can then be used in a number of ways and as this months challenge is 'Anything Goes' I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to dabble.


The kit is fairly readily available and comes in a variety of sizes and the one I've used is the smallest 10x10 cm. It's great fun for children and suitable for 6 years and over...so I thought I would be safe to be let loose with it!


It's so simple, card + paper + object + expose to sunlight and you can use a negative or a 3D object. Here in the UK we have had a glorious summer and I wanted to preserve some of the lovely foliage and flowers that have bloomed in the garden. Yes it took a little experimenting as the sun was so bright I overexposed some of the papers and also wasted one as I didn't separate 2 of them...but got it down to a fine art by the end, 1 minute! Once exposed you rinse in water and dry the paper.


All 12, 'disasters' included. Some images were very crisp as I used sunlight through a window, but some wafted a bit when I tried leaving them outside but I really liked the variety achieved. So how to use them?


I've recently inherited a huge pack of index cards which I'm really pleased about as I've seen a few challenges recently using them. I scraped glass blue and venice blue fresco paint on to a card.



I brayered some tango paint on and knocked back with snowflake paint.


Stamping and texture paint through a stencil, vintage book paper and stitching, also some of the Tyvek lace I created for this months challenge piece.


Trim the print and add a little more stitching, first piece finished.




For the card I wanted to echo the blue again and returned to one of the first techniques I ever tried, versamark stamping and mica powders.


I hope you can see the lovely shimmer, I decided to use one of Lin Browns grasses stamps as a background and keep the decoration simple.


I also used a kraft IC on this card, a little stamping, stitching and silver paint splashes....to be honest they are more like blobs as the paint was far too thick but I rather liked the effect....happy accident.


I know there are other supplies such as toners for fabric and paper if I wanted to step it up a notch but I'm happy enough with these results. I hope you've enjoyed my first experiments and as it's an anything goes challenge, dig out something you've had for ages and just have a play, we'd love to see what you create and there's plenty of time to join in. Ruth x

4 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous, so classy. Tracy ❤️

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  2. Fabulous technique Ruth ! Sue x

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  3. Fabulous Ruth! So interesting to hear how you have experimented with sun printing and tyvek. I've been playing with tyvek fabric and love the kind of unpredictable effects, you get once heat is applied. Have you seen Lynda Monk's work with tyvek ? The sun printing looks amazing, never tried it but I feel inspired after reading your post. Great stuff Ruth ! Xx

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  4. A magical effect from your sunlight prints - thank you for sharing your trial and error discoveries about creating them - and I love the settings you've given them... beautiful delicate colour tones and textures allowing the prints to really shine.
    Alison x

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