Ready to Frame

A gift of onions from Alex came beautifully braided.....and it captured my heart.

Sarah, from Winslow Farm, has commissioned me to put together 7 ready to frame 5 x 7 cyanotype prints for an event. So over the past several days I've been assembling and adding to my collection so I can give her several choose from. The prints were already made....but I've been trimming and stitching them onto watercolor paper and thought I would share my process here again.

I make most of my prints on mixed media paper cut to about 4 by 6. The small substrate helps me with placement and design...then I know the print will work for a card or a piece to frame. 

I trim the print down to fit whatever card I'm using or trim it to 3 1/2 by 5 1/2 to mount on white 5 x 7 watercolor paper for framing. I use inexpensive heavy watercolor paper for my background frame which is easier and more affordable than matting them. And...I like the stitching. 

The watercolor paper is 9 by 12 so I cut it into two pieces roughly 5 1/2 by 7 1/2.  I used to cut the backgrounds exactly 5 by 7....but it is nearly impossible for me to perfectly center the print on the card. So I eyeball the center on the slightly larger paper and secure it with double sided tape and take it to the sewing machine. If there is a place in the print where the image goes off the edge

...that's where I start and stop my stitching helping to hide any irregularity. 

I pull my threads to the back....tie a knot...and secure the ends down with some colorful washi tape.

The tape may not be necessary...but I actually like this little colorful...and almost crafty....homemade moment on the back.

Now I just need to sign it.

After it's stitched....I can easily trim it to 5 x 7 with my rotary cutter with the print perfectly centered.  

I have twenty one prints ready to frame....and it was nice having the dining room table cleaned off so I could lay them all out.  And...by the way...I'm still using the same first bottles of solution. But they're finally almost empty.

There's no better light to showcase that beautiful blue....than the natural light in the backyard. This was a double exposure print....I may have mentioned it before.  It was an underprocessed fern that I recoated...and over-printed with a large wabi-sabi leaf. 

 

And looking closely here today I had forgotten I added a swirl stencil the first time around...and there's just a hint of if. I think it adds a little texture and interest.