Embracing Imperfection

The most well adjusted people are constantly adjusting!

I purchased a pack of 5 x 7 tea bag papers knowing they would be a sturdy substrate for cyanotypes. 

I've printed on tea bags before....and it worked really well. Roseanne is the one who gifted me the bags...so I printed her this little tea bag filled with cyanotype snippets. 

You can read about Roseanne's teabag here:
https://joyfulputtering.blogspot.com/2024/07/tea-bag-project.html

I made several others at the time that I gifted here and there.

When I coated my papers I used a few of the tea bag papers to blot up the solution. from my work surface. No blogs of solution should go wasted. When the papers were dry I put ferns on both sides all sandwiched between pieces of glass. Then I processed it on both sides yesterday outside in the sun.

I think it made a fun print with really interesting texture.

I did the same thing with some meadow rue leaves. When I held it to the light I can see the plants on both sides. The two sided teabag paper will make a pretty page in a journal.

I was compelled to make a tag. I started by glueing a piece of this meadow rue print onto a tag....and decided that would be the back. I wanted something more interesting  for the front and I wanted to transition to another color. Orange is the compliment to blue...so that's the direction I'm going. 

I cut an old Real Simple magazine title into strips and collaged them on for the background. Using recycled materials has been a theme on a couple cards.

The overlay flowers (which I don't love)  are cyanotypes on tissue.....so they collaged on easily and that kept the Prussian blue color going. I also added some gold speckles for more flow.

I should have left the back alone...but it was too close in design to last back with the blue and white blotchy paper. So at first I tried coloring the white spaces orange and I didn't like it at all. Thank goodness there is no photo.

I decided to go with the Japanese practice of Kintsugi where they fill cracks in pottery with gold embracing the imperfections. 

So I filled in the orange with gold paint....embracing the imperfection while also celebrating the blotches in the print. I actually like that there is still a hint of orange peeking through.