nature print envelopes for my mail art swap

2010-12-03 naturePrint envelopes 04542, originally uploaded by creativelenna.

I have been making lots of envelopes for my mail art swap! There are over 50 participants and wanted to send their returns home in a mail art envelope I had made myself. So I got busy and made a few different kinds of mail art envelopes. This was my last batch - nature printed envelopes.

Isn't this print beautiful? click for details.

It had been a while since I had done this and it was different working with the plant material that is available in Florida versus Connecticut. I even tried Spanish moss! Nature printing is not hard at all. You need plant material, something to print on (an envelope, piece of paper, or fabric) some paint -Lumiere paint is wonderful but any will do, some scrap paper for pressing/printing, and something to paint your plant material on. I use a plastic write-on transparency sheet because I have a lot of them, but you could use a piece of wax paper. click on any small photo below for a larger photo.

add paint to your leaf with a sponge or foam brush.
It is on top of the transparency sheet.

paint side down onto your receiving item

place scrap paper over and use your hand(s) to press the leaf
(or use a brayer - I prefer my hands)

Lift carefully . . .

Voila'!

You can generally use the same leaf or flower over a number of times unless it is really fragile. I often mix colors right on the leaf and today I used pigment powders, sprinkling them over the wet paint. The spots of gold below are a Pearl-Ex Pigment powder. Click for details.