Laser Cutting at TechShop
Took a 2 hour Laser Cutting and Etching SBU class at Techshop yesterday morning. The class was very interactive and hands-on, covering fire and safety precautions and how to set up and use their laser cutting machine, specifically their Epilog 60 watt, 1 of 3 machines.
I am making a custom case/sleeve out of organic cotton canvas to put a portfolio sample in as self-promotion. Here are several tests on 2 pieces of canvas. The class gives you the basic knowledge, but ultimately each machine and material requires some testing of the correct parameters for the laser, affecting quality and how much material is burned off. I use back and front of the canvas and sometimes have different settings for top and bottom halves. This is not what the final artwork is supposed to look like. But I test different size fonts and line weights and can adjust my artwork from these results. Note the darker brown is due to more heat from the laser and on some areas it was enough heat to burn/cut all the way through the canvas.
Lapuan Kankurit textiles
Who says towels can't be exciting?
Lapuan Kankurit is a textile mill in Finland that produces a wide range of products, from bath towels to table runners to wash mittens.
I especially adore the prints.
Oh how I wish to visit the country some day to check out all the cool design shops!
Colorful Upholstered Antique Chairs
Don't these urge you to add one to your living room? Here are several gorgeously upholstered antique chairs. You can turn just about any old chair into an eye-catching piece with good choice of fabric. Poetic Home offers some DIY instructions.
1. BOKJA Design 2. Horchow 3. Hudson Goods 4. Anthropologie 5. Poetic Home 6. Restoration Hardware
Nani Marquina Potten Containers
If you're not familiar with Marquina, she designs exquisite rugs. I've read a magazine article before of how they are handmade and dyed in India.
Potten is a series of containers made of layers of colored cotton, finished with a layer of white or colored latex. I have not seen these in person, but I love the texture left on the latex, perhaps from the brush used to apply it, or just the texture of the cotton itself. They are made by a fair trade group in India.
I have many aspirations, but one of them is to be able to collaborate with artisans in different parts of the world to produce my own designs, from handmade ceramics to commissioned artwork.
