As much as I hate that my day job diverts 8 hours of my day away from crafts, I will admit there are the occasional amazing perks (and I’m not just talking about the $s that arrive in my bank account on the 1st and the 15th). One of these perks came in the form of hiring a graphic designer for a project about six years ago. As we discussed the boring details of the promotional brochure that I hired Tracy Wagner for, little did I know that I was talking to one of the most creative and artistic people I’ve ever known! Since then I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to work on many projects with Tracy and it is always exciting to see her latest ideas.

Hi Tracy! Tell us about your creative background.
I went to the Savannah College of Art & Design – BFA in photography (switched my major a few times – painting, illustration and finally photography).

Grew up down the road from my grandfather’s farm in Osgood, Indiana. Besides being farmers, I come from a long line of crafters – both grandmothers made quilts. Grandma Wagner loved ceramics, knitting and had a little upholstery shop. My grandpa Wagner was a wood worker – had a yard full of penguins at Christmas time. My mother is a weaver and my father dabbles in wood working too.

I have loved art my whole life – remember going berry picking with my grandpa Jackson (didn’t care too much for berry picking) so I would sneak off in the cornfield and use my few berries I did pick and draw in the dirt.

Grew up in a small farm town in southeast Indiana. Always loved art but the small farm town life wasn’t for me. Moved to Atlanta 1st and studied graphic design at the Portfolio Center – only lasted 1 semester. Moved to White Bear Lake, MN for a year where I was the #1 fruitcake seller that holiday season. I worked at a day old bread store.

Realized I had bigger dreams than the day old bread store so I moved to Savannah and finished up college at SCAD. After college I moved to Hollywood where I had an internship that didn’t work out so I moved back to Cincinnati where my graphic design career started at Kanet Productions. After a couple of years I moved to Baltimore, MD and worked as a Senior Designer at Tullier Marketing in Annapolis. After a couple of years I headed south to Atlanta where I have been for 12 years. Started Tweet Design over five years ago and love every minute of it.

You do it all — you’re an artist, crafter and designer. What do you like about each? How is working on each different or similar?
I love all three – I think they all tie in and mesh together.
If I am working on a painting I can see little elements flow into my graphic design then I will simplify it and make letterpress cards or tshirts.

Being an artist, I love the freedom – working with my hands, getting dirty and seeing my ideas and thoughts come alive – same thing with crafting. I love working with found objects, junk and anything I can get my hands on. I am self-taught in a lot of things – I don’t think I will ever stop learning something new – makes it exciting. Graphic design is a good outlet for my creative side. I can still be creative but with guidelines (clients), taking someone else’s ideas or project and making it come alive.

What inspires you?
Anything old that has a history to it – love roaming through flea markets and junk
stores. Lately it has been little things that Henry, my 2 year old son, has been pointing out – he discovered his shadow the other day. Really interested in textile designs especially patterns.

I’ve noticed you are really active on Pinterest. What do you like about Pinterest?
So many ideas!! I used to save everything I found from the web in a little folder on my desktop and Pinterest is great! Everything is organized and easy to get to. Plus you can see what DIY project people in South Africa are into. Never ending – just need to get started on doing some of those DIY projects and other finds I have saved.

I know you’ve been working on an upcoming exhibit at Young Blood Gallery. Tell us about the Day of the Dead art show you are curating.

I started the Day of the Dead Show four years ago – wanted to host a group show where everybody starts out with the same material. Picked Day of the Dead because it was a great Holiday and four years ago I didn’t really hear that much about it. The idea of making little coffins was a plus too – my husband sometimes isn’t too trilled about the idea of making 100+ coffins a year but he is getting really good at coffin building.

It’s so exciting to get the little wood coffin back – no two coffins are alike – so many ideas. Just amazing. This year the opening is November 5th at Young Blood Gallery, an awesome gallery and shop here in Atlanta.

What else do you have going on these days? Anything else you’d like to tell us about?
I am in the process of getting a plan together of translating my paintings into clothing, especially children’s clothing. I painted a dress for the opening party for the Dali exhibit last year at the High Museum in Atlanta and that started the whole idea.

I started a little blog, and that has been helpful for getting my ideas and ‘work in progress’ out there. Would love to have another group art show and always thinking of my next art project – never ending.

That all sounds so exciting Tracy! Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Thanks for talking with us!

Collage Couture is dense with multi-faceted art techniques, pattern traces, and tutorials for the girly-girl and fashion fantasizer within. Most of the projects are inspired by the sketchbooks of fashion designers, and involve sketching or cutting out figurines and their accompanying outfits. There’s a paper doll tutorial, multiple tracings for dress sketchings, and advice on how to use stamping and collaging to create patterned dresses. For those less fashionably inclined, there are also projects for picture frames, inspiration boards and book covers.

Chapter 1 is a pre-requisite before setting up any art supplies, as it outlines techniques for stamping, figure sketching, and cutting out paper clothing that are used in projects featured in the subsequent chapters. The projects are do-able but complex, as most mixed-media projects are, so be prepared to prepare a hefty supply list before starting them, as well.

In terms of detail and writing, collage couture gives explicit but simple instructions. Each step is broken into a manageable task that’s accompanied by an illustrative picture. While many of the projects seem pretty ambitious, the quality of the instructions make them accessible to a slew of ages. If you want to re-create, to a T, the exact project featured, Collage Couture’s instructions are detailed enough to help you do so. But they’re also flexible, and encourage the reader to foster their own creative voice and style.

If your artistic impulses lean towards paper mixed-media and fashion, Collage Couture is rife with a week-long worth of artsy activities. But I do think it caters towards a specific audience. For those who love creating something that’s functional or wearable, this book isn’t for you. However, it could be a useful resource for learning to sketch your designs or to create mood boards and collages that instigate inspiration.

WIN A COPY OF COLLAGE COUTURE

Hello Craft has one copy of Collage Couture to giveaway to a lucky reader! To enter just comment on the post and tell us why you’d like a copy of Collage Couture by next Wednesday, 06/29.

* Update: winner has been notified. Thank you to everyone who entered!*

Cathy Pitters is a crafter from Portland, OR who creates Bossa Nova Baby, a line of handcrafted clothes and accessories, and who co-organizes Crafty Wonderland, PDX’s art and craft extravaganza. Many of you may have heard her speak about how to organize a craft market at the Summit of Awesome last year or met her at the Show of Awesome, which she organized with Hello Craft as part of the Summit festivities. I first got to know Cathy in 2007 when we happened to be booth neighbors at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago.  I was already a fan of hers though because she was a member of PDX Supercrafty and I kept up with their website and enjoyed their book, Supercrafty.  Since meeting, I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with Cathy in Brooklyn, Portland, Chicago and DC, where we’ve continued the tradition by being booth neighbors at Crafty Bastards the last few years.

Cathy made time for a quick chat earlier this week in the midst of final preparations for Crafty Wonderland, which will be next Saturday, May 7th.  If  you are in or near Portland you should definitely check it out!  I hope you find this little bit about Cathy inspiring. Turns out, dreams do come true!

How did you get started with crafting? And how did Bossa Nova Baby come about?
I feel like there never was a time when I wasn’t crafting! As a kid, my Mom was always making things with my sister and I. We would hand make our holiday gifts every year – candles, painted rocks, shell ash trays (!!!). So I feel like what I do for a living now is a natural progression. I really started crafting for profit shortly after my son was born in 1997. I was looking for a way to stay home with him while making some extra cash. I started making funky clothing for kids and selling them at local fairs and shops then later online. As my son got older it was a refreshing change to move away from kid’s items and start designing adult clothing and accessories. Then getting a Gocco Printer changed my life! I still sell my work online and at local shops but also travel to large craft fairs around the country. I feel so lucky to be doing what I love in a community of such amazing people!

What do you make these days?
I primarily work with my Japanese Gocco printer to create clothing and accessories which combine screen printing and embellished top-stitching. I print onto sweaters + sweatshirts and also hand make skirts that incorporate the printed designs. I also use the screen printed images on accessories like iron on patches and scissor cozies. This year I will be adding zippered pouches to the mix – I’m super excited about these!

Tell us about Crafty Wonderland.
My friend and business partner Torie Nguyen and I started Crafty Wonderland  in April of 2006 as a monthly art + crafty sale that featured 40 local vendors selling their goods in a basement rock venue called Doug Fir Lounge. We both had been selling our work around town at different events but felt like Portland was lacking a regular indoor venue. We ran the monthly show for almost three years and over that time saw a huge increase in the demand from both shoppers and vendors. In December of 2008 we made the decision to transition to a twice yearly show that would be on a much larger scale.  We now hold the sale at the Oregon Convention Center in May and December and feature over 200 vendors in 60,000 sq. feet of space! The larger venue gives us plenty of room to offer fun extras like free DIY make and take areas, donated booths for non-profits and a crafty author book signing area.

How did you decide to do a pop-up shop? And how did it go?
Last fall we were approached by the City of Portland to participate in their pop-up shop program. The city works with building owners and local designers to fill vacant storefronts downtown during the holidays. We had always dreamed of opening our own shop so we were thrilled to have the opportunity! The city subsidized part of the cost of the shop so it was a great way to test the market without a whole lot of risk. We decided to limit the shop to Portland area artists only – partly for convenience and partly because we loved the idea of a store that was entirely local. We brought together about 100 artists & crafters – most of whom were also vendors at our craft fairs. The shop opened in early November and was scheduled to run through the end of the year but the public response was so amazing that we decided to stay open and negotiated to lease the space on our own. As of now we are set to stay open through August of this year at which time we will do more negotiating and hopefully renew our lease to stay into the future. It really has been a dream come true for us!

(vintage Kmart tag photo by Roadsidepictures)

“$22 for $35 worth of letterpress cards!” I get so mad when I encounter crafters selling their wares at ridiculous discounts. And recently a spate of handmade discounting schemes has popped up, making me fear the Walmartization of crafts has begun.

First up, Heartsy.me is like Groupon for handmade goods. Vendors apply to offer a deal—which must be at least 50 percent off—and the site’s members vote on which should be accepted. Selected sellers create gift certificates, which Heartsy buys off you and promotes on their site.

Quite Unique is more of a traditional wholesale situation. The site offers a daily deal poised to sell out fast—“one unique handpicked item per day at a great value.” It’s the “great value” part that smacks of big-box discounters to me. (Is craftsmanship not valuable at full price?)

And, of course, Etsy introduced coupon functionality on the site in November 2010. You pick the discount you want to offer and go hog wild.

Shoppers are primed to react to discounts. (If you’re into social history, I highly recommend Ellen Ruppel Shell’s book Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture.) But discounts are largely a phenomenon of the era of mass production—it pains me to see handmade items’ prices slashed like off-brand iPods. Will discounts boost your Etsy sales? Maybe. But I think they’ll do crafters much more harm than good in the long run, for these three reasons.

1. Discounts make you undervalue your time.
Crafters are already notorious at underselling themselves. Too often, we simply price our goods at what we consider the going rate, rather than taking into consideration the cost of materials plus the cost of your time and any overhead you have. I fully believe in making a living wage, and I believe every crafter should do the same. (If you think I sound ranty now, just read pages 27 through 30 of my book.) More than likely, you’re already selling your work for too little. If you discount it any further, you could even be losing money.

When there are dozens of people selling similar things on Etsy, you may think you have to lower your prices to compete. But I think a customer is more likely to save up to buy a pair of steampunk owl earrings that they really love for $55 than spend $5 on a pair that’s marked down from $10.

2. Discounts don’t draw the kind of customers you want to have an LTR with.
You might think a buck’s a buck, but fair-weather shoppers who only buy when it’s cheap aren’t the kind of customers you can count on. Discounts don’t create repeat customers—they only create customers who expect more sales.

If you consistently offer discounts on your handmade items, what incentive does a shopper have to ever pay full price? We need to focus on educating buyers of handmade items why our products are priced what they’re priced, and why they’re worth it. Creating personal connections with customers is what handmade is all about.

If you’re struggling to make sales, maybe you don’t have a solid idea of who your audience is yet. Are your products appealing more to college students or empty-nest moms? Spendthrift yuppies or up-and-coming country folks? When you know who your customers are, you can figure out how to best reach them, and what prices they’ll pay. Discounts won’t do that for you.

3. Discounts cheapen your brand.
Let’s face it: Most handmade goods are luxuries. They’re lovely nonessentials that people buy because they want to—whether driven by wanting to support a small business, to consume more ethically or simply to have beautiful things. When you’re a craftsperson, being the cheapest isn’t going to help your business. Making quality products—and pricing accordingly—will.

Think about it this way—do you want to be a discount store shampoo brand, selling economy-size bottles of shampoo for $3 with a 25-cent-off coupon? Strive to be Aveda: Making and selling high-quality, beautiful products that attract a clientele that doesn’t need a discount incentive to be convinced to buy from you.

Brace yourself: What you’re about to read could provoke envy. Screen printers and business partners Kristina Bilonick and Anthony Dihle have managed to nail down the holy grail of business models for independent and artistic entrepreneurs. Pleasant Plains Workshop, their new business endeavor, is an urban row house in Washington, DC  that serves as their ideal creative trifecta:  a three in one studio space with a storefront and upstairs apartment. It’s a small creative business BLT.

Aside from a convenient space for it’s owners, Pleasant Plains also aims to build community by showcasing the works of its resident artists alongside a rotating lineup of projects by other DC-based artists and designers. There’s also a series of events, workshops and group shows in the works.  I emailed with Kristina, a screen printing ninja, DC artist-about-town, and a non-profit Program Director, about her forward thinking and all inclusive set up.

What is the idea behind Pleasant Plains Workshop? How and when did you come up with it?

Well, it was actually a convergence of things. I’ve always kept a studio for my art practice in addition to renting an apartment. In the back of my mind, I’ve always wanted a live/work studio space, especially one with a storefront so I could have a public presence.

Last summer I went through a series of apartment disasters and was on a constant search on Craigslist. Then, voila! An ad popped up for a storefront with an apartment above it. I mapped the location, jogged there, called the landlord from outside the building, saw it the next day and signed papers that weekend. My apartment had flooded and was really nasty, which made the decision to sign onto this new space that much easier. I teamed up with Anthony Dihle, a long-time screen printing friend (and commercial concert poster designer) to help offset the costs, and now I live upstairs!

Kristina last summer when she first moved into the space.

Where did the name Pleasant Plains come from?

The name ‘Pleasant Plains Workshop’ comes from a couple of places. Mainly, I wanted to acknowledge the awesome neighborhood I was joining, which is named Pleasant Plains, by including it somewhere in the name. The word “workshop” is a nod to the grungy aesthetic of screen printing. We didn’t want it to sound pristine. It’s also fitting because we hope to eventually hold actual screen printing and other types of workshops here.

You’re main medium is screen printing. Why were you drawn to it over other mediums? Why have you stuck with it?

Screen printing was so much faster and the results were so much more gratifying than other mediums, which I think is why I got hooked. I went to college at the University of New Hampshire where  I majored in printmaking with a focus on lithography. My first job out of college was at a commercial screen printing shop in Connecticut. Now I screen print ties, shirts, scarves and other random items. I actually screen printed beer koozies at Hello Craft’s PBR event a few weeks back!

I also like the history of screen printing. It can be traced back to one of the earliest forms of printmaking, used to reproduce patterns on exquisite textiles in China in the 900s A.D. (Okay, I just Wikipedia-ed that, but I knew it was a long time ago!) Recently, it’s fallen in, out and then back into fashion again as a ‘Fine Art’ medium. In my artwork, I straddle a line between the craft world and the Fine Art world, and I feel like screen printing is fitting because of its own status on that “line”.

Pleasant Plains featured a store-front installation by artist Billy Colbert at it's grand opening.

What’s it like having a three-in-one live, studio, and store-front space? Has it given you extra time to spend on your art?

Having everything in one place has been awesome. Last Sunday I realized that I hadn’t set foot outside my place once the entire weekend!  I did tons of work and opened the shop all day on Saturday, but I only went back and forth between the upstairs and downstairs all weekend.

That being said, I have no plans to become a hermit or shut in. I was just testing the waters! As of now, I probably log about 10 to 15 hours a week on my printing because my day job keeps my schedule pretty busy. But it’s great to know that I could wake up an hour early and get some things done before I leave for the office, all in the same amount of  time it would take to do a tae bo video!

How did you meet and partner with your business partner Anthony?

Printed posters line the walls while tables and racks display screenprinted clothing and accessories.

For years Anthony and I have been doing the same craft fairs and shows, like Crafty Bastards and Rock & Shop at the Black Cat. Because of those connections, we’ve always been aware of each other’s work. More recently I’ve bumped into him at art galleries because he’s been curating local printmaking shows. When I found the space, I sent an email out to a bunch of like-minded artists and he was ready to jump in! The rest is history.

Starting a business can seem risky and daunting. What made you want to dive in? Have you always wanted to become an entrepreneur?

I think so. Well, when I was 11 I started a grocery delivery business. There were lots of elderly people in my neighborhood and they seemed to have trouble getting to the store down the road. I bought one of those grocery carts at a yard sale and handed out flyers. Before I knew it I had delivery jobs almost every day after school, and had to employ other neighborhood kids and my brother to help me. I made $5 a trip, which was a lot at the time!

Kristina's popular screen print buffalo scarf

How about the overall look and atmosphere of the shop? Did you have a specific branding or design concept, or did it all just come together naturally?

A lot of it just came together when the space itself did. Two retail stores were here before I moved in (a shoe store called ‘Show Off’ and a natural beauty product store called ‘A Good Tree’) so luckily the inside/décor was already in nice condition.

How are you spreading the word about your shop? What sort of marketing initiatives have you taken?

A lot of it has been word of mouth and our email lists, but we’ve also reached out to community bulletin boards and dropped off flyers at nearby businesses. Getting mentions on blogs like Prince of Petworth and DCist (popular DC area blogs) has been helpful too!

Do you have a business plan? Are there any resources that you can recommend to other entrepreneurs?

Screenprints by Anthony Dihle. Image via PrinceofPetworth.com

I don’t have a working business plan at the moment, but I hope to chip away at one. The space as it stands now is mostly a work area for Anthony and me. It’s also a place for us to sell our work, meet with clients, or teach lessons. We’re open on Saturdays from 1  to 6 PM to ’see what happens’ when we open our space while we’re working. We also host monthly evening events that showcase the work of other artists in addition to our own. We both currently have full time jobs on top of this.

For those starting a full time business, most places have a Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Business Center and other resources that can help you figure out stuff like taxes. There are some great resources in DC, such as the DC Economic Partnership, the Women’s Business Center, and free classes/info at Martin Luther King Library. If you just go to the dc.gov site and click on ‘Doing business in DC’ you’ll find helpful lists of multiple resources.

What does the future hold for Pleasant Plains Workshop? Where do you hope to be in 1, 3, or 5 years?

I hope it becomes a sustainable business with a nice following of people from both the community and beyond. In the near future, I also hope to offer a variety of activities such as discussions, movie screenings, cooking demos, knit-ins, etc. I know the space is tiny, but I’m going to get a lot of little stack-able chairs!

Pleasant Plains Workshop is located at 2608 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001

For info, email pleasantplainsworkshop@gmail.com

If you’re in the DC area, be sure to check out their Holiday soiree this Saturday, December 18th from 7 to 10 pm!

Dudes of Craft is the Hello Craft series from Keli Anaya exploring the mysterious world of men who craft.

This week, I’d like to share a few links where I find inspiration on craftiness.

1. I’ve been a fan of Dude Craft for a long time. This post on Yvonne Lee Schultz really captures the variety of crafting.

2. You all know my love of being green. Recyclart is so good at combining eco-friendliness, art, and craft all together.  That light up globe chandelier from Benoit Vieubled is really incredible.

3. Geninne of Geninne’s Art Blog had a line of illustrations for Urban Outfitters a while back.  She makes lots of drawings, has tutorials on how to make stamps, and even free patters for whatever you want.

4. Next, Upon a Fold.  This site showcases the uses of paper.  Can you believe these are made of paper?! (from mammalampa)

5. This link isn’t for a particular blog, but for an incredible company named knife & saw.  This is the essence of craft to me:

6. Finally, I’m going to give a shout out to Bryan Byczek.  This post on Charissa Rais’ stamps is wonderful. Make sure to check out the rest of his site as there is so much inspiration on a variety of topics.

Happy Friday everyone!

Today’s post is the second installment on the basics of crocheting. Just like last time, you will need a crochet hook and some yarn, string, or twine.

Here are a few links:

1. This is a great site that gives you a run down of the basic stitches. Note, the ‘one and a half stitch’ that I reference in the video is actually called a half double crochet. The abbreviations for the stitches are listed, too which are used in patterns. (By the way, Quintuple stitch!)

2. This next site is near and dear to my heart and not just because of that sweet roses gif. I reference this site far more than I care to admit, but it is a comprehensive list of intricate stitches.

3. Here are a couple of my favorite stitches.
Afghan or Tunisian Stitch (This one requires a specialized hook, but look how pretty it is!)
Popcorn Stitch
Granny Square

4. Here is a video from a man who makes some incredible work. Check out all of his videos for an inspirational romp with crocheting.

The beauty and grace of the hand of embroidery artist Walter Bruno Brix is inspiring. He creates lovely subtle simple lines in thread to explore issues of sexuality, the aging body, and of life and death.

I am especially drawn to his series 42, a series of what I assume might be self portraits of a male nude figure. The images in some way reminds me of the photographs of John Coplans in their investigation and honesty towards the natural imperfections that come with age. The failure of our bodies to stay young and perfect.

The honesty of the work is what I love most.

He has also created a series of loincloths, which uses simple line and color to document the cloth of men in a fascinating way. I have seen very little if any other art that has treated the male body with such loving attentiveness as these works.

Walter says little about his work though what he does say is eloquent if not as revealing as we might want:

Basically no literally formulated, intellectual demand or grounds lies in my art. This would seem to me not sensible because everything what can be also expressed with words the art does not need. To me the inexpressible, non-clear, the unspoken, between-the-lines is more near to my heart.

With my art I do not want to teach, persuade nobody to something or take away on a putatively better one. My works are rather recordings of my perception.

Besides, my ranges of topics are seeming for me; the body of person and animal, sexuality, with homosexuality playing a bigger role, age and death, the fears and dreams of human. My work circles round me, round the images I think of, round my predilections, dreams and fears.

You can see more of Walter’s beautiful stitching here and here.

December 11-13, 2009 (Preview Night December 10)
Pier 94, New York

After 35 years in Toronto, and 8 in Chicago, the One of a Kind Show and Sale is now making its New York City debut. The One of a Kind Show and Sale is a huge holiday shopping event featuring fine art and craft from hundreds of unique artisans and designers from across North America. Every item for sale will be made by hand, and every artist represented will be in attendance.

Join Hello Craft in the Awesome Area to try out free craft projects, participate in handmade seminars, and much more!

Win Tickets
We’re giving away 6 pairs of tickets to this show; each ticket is good for all four days!  To win, just comment to this post and share your favorite place to shop handmade in NYC or tell us who your favorite NYC crafter or designer is.

Deadline to enter is November 30th.

We’ll be posting more information the One of a Kind Show soon, so stay tuned.

For more information, please visit oneofakindshowny.com.

Recently, I found myself beaten by a machine.

With great excitement, I purchased a Yudu screenprinting system after reading some reviews that touted it as the savior for those of us who are running out of our no longer manufactured Gocco supplies. Like the Gocco, it is a self contained screenprinting device and it has the added bonuses of being bigger, geared towards printing on fabric, and it’s screens are reusable.

I thought I’d have no problem transitioning from Gocco to Yudu but I was very disappointed.

Before I started printing, I watched a few tutorial videos, perused the Yudu user forums and read the manual. I completed every step slowly and thoughtfully but ended up with imperfections in my three separate attempts.

I spent two whole workdays trying to conquer the Yudu and ended up with unsatisfactory results. I printed 20 “foxy like a crafter” tote bags and most needed touching up by hand and in the end, probably only 6 of them are good enough to sell.

I returned the machine to Michael’s fairly certain I’d never want to look at the monster again.

If you are interested in a more specific description of my frustrations, here is a rundown of the failures of the machine and quite possibly it’s operator.

The application of emulsion is probably the trickiest part of the process. The screen needs to be wet (but not too wet and not too dry) and then the emulsion is applied in a sheet like a giant green sticker that needs to be smoothed out. My emulsion didn’t stick perfectly in all three of my attempts. It was drippy once and un-stuck to the screen once and generally irregular in my last try.

The waiting between steps was expected but annoying and always took longer than the manual suggested.

The machine is exceptionally clunky. It’s very large and feels slightly cheap. For example, the little door flap that holds the screen in the drying rack never stays shut and the top frame part did not hold the screen in very securely. The screen fell out onto the floor once and I spent the next half hour plucking bunny fur out of the ink…. nice.

Once I finally got to start printing on my halfway-decently burned screen, I ran into problems getting an even application of ink. I tried to apply an even pressure across the squeegee but I always ended up with un-inked spots which forced me to have to squeegee again (thus losing line crispness).

All of the aforementioned grumbles were not insurmountable and I thought that I could get over them with some practice. Then, I realized that my screen needed to be washed between every 7-10 printings because the ink started to dry. Seriously, no. Washing the screen between printings is such a sad waste of ink and time (especially considering the screen needs to be dried after washing too). Yudu ink also only comes in tiny bottles that are prohibitively pricy.

The worst part for me was when I finally had started pulling acceptable prints, I noticed a pink haze had begun to show up around my images. The ink I was using was red and I speculated the screen was wearing down with use and letting a little ink through the blocked parts. I’m still not really 100% sure what caused the haze though.

I stopped for the day feeling bedraggled and went to clean the ink off the screen hoping to pull a better batch tomorrow with the same screen. Sadly, while I cleaned the screen, one or two tiny details of the emulsion lifted off rendering it un-reusable. Reusability was one of the main draws to me for trying the Yudu! My experience was altogether maddening.

I think the Yudu is a great idea but ended up being not such a great product. It has huge potential but didn’t make the cut in my book. I wouldn’t recommend it and especially not if you want it for making more than a handful of prints at a time. I hope that Provo Craft comes out with a sleeker, simpler, more dependable second version of the Yudu because I’d be happy to try again.