Hand made cards

Cards are fun.I am trying out some ideas for different types of card.I think with hand made cards you need to be ahead of the game and have your cards prepared well in advance.I am thinking about getting a tabletop letterpress to give a professional look to the text on the card.

  We have like everyone else in northern Europe had a cold snap, not as bad as some but enough to keep us indoors.But despite this, the season is progressing and spring is just around the corner.These are some spring flowers from the garden,Mimosa,daffodils,twisted hazel and willow.This gives me another idea for an easter card and here are the preliminary sketches .

work in progress

This is the proof print of my current project.Its definately a work in progress as the plate needs to go back in the etching tank for further work to darken areas of the plate.My etching times have gone all to pot as the temperature in my workshop where I carry out all the dirty jobs is only 10 degrees today so I need to extend my etching times whilst this cold snap persists.I still haven't got round to making my aquatint box so I am stuck with using acrylic spray paint.The results are interesting but it does require a delicate hand with the spray canister.I am toying with the idea of using my airbrush with a resist,I think speedball do one,I am going to give this a try as its possible to vary the density of the spray, introducing a graduated tonal value in one go,could be interesting.By the way this is the lighthouse at Plumanac on the pink granite coast in Brittany not far from where I live.To be continued.