Lucia Screen Prints...

Yes she does!  I have been having such a great time this week getting to know my Yudu screen printing machine.  It definitely has its limits, but it's great for starting out.  Earlier this week I received a request from a friend of mine to make an owl shirt for her to wear to her daughter's owl-themed birthday party.   So excited, I decided to jump all in and create the design myself.  It was a HUGE learning experience for me but so much fun.  

Here's what I've learned so far:

1.  Cheap paint produces cheap work.  Fork out enough to at least buy the 2nd cheapest brand.

2.  Paints that aren't water-based will clog and ruin your screen.  bummer.

3.  Emulsion will only come off with emulsion remover.  All the elbow grease in the world will not save you if you don't have it.

4.  If you have an ink-jet printer, do not print onto transparencies designed for laser printers.  It will not burn correctly and you will waste an expensive emulsion sheet.

5.  Yudu emulsion sheets come in packs of 2 and they stick together.  Don't be a klutz like me and try to burn through both of them thinking there's only one.  The only thing you will have created is frustration.

And, if I have learned anything at all it is this: Set your due date 2 days before your project is actually due because inevitably there will be 2 days worth of mistakes and problems to set you back.  Well, for me at least.  

But, by the grace of God I managed to get the shirts to her on time... even if it was 9:00 at night.

So here are the results:  

I made a little one for her daughter, but unfortunately it didn't come out as well.

Like I said, it was a learning experience, and I would have done some things differently, but all in all I'm quite proud of my little guy.  Have I inspired you to create your own owl paraphernalia?  You're welcome to use my design!  Don't have a Yudu?  That's ok, I'm sure you could freezer stencil it.

So have a hoot and make some shirts!  Oh, and if you are particularly fond of owls, do I have a blog for you!  It's called My Owl Barn and you are guaranteed to have a hoot of a time.  Ok, enough with the lame owl references.  I'm going to bed.  

Ciao,

Lucia