Let's talk about the simplicity of eco printing on paper.
Here are the supplies (what I used)
Take a walk and scout out leaves, branches and flowers. The flowers should have some strong color. This is akin to flower pounding, the more intense the color, the more potential. However! Some things will surprise you.
Paper: I'm using my standard Stonehenge, which is a smooth heavy printmaking paper. I tried some watercolor paper (cold press, rough) which didn't work as well.
A big pot with a lid. I have a canning pot from the thrifts which includes that insert thingie. You could use a steamer.
A flat base that fits into the steamer. I happened to have a rusty bottom of a springform pan. It works.
Something heavy to weight down the paper. I have a rusty cake tin that I filled with stones. A brick or two would do the trick.
I wet my paper in a container full of warm water for about an hour. Today's batch was wetted down in water + alum. We'll see what happens.
Now just start inserting your plant materials between the papers. Squish it down really hard. You want as much contact as you can get between all the materials and the papers. Weigh it down with your heavy thing and squish the daylights out of it. Steam it for 2-3 hours. Then let it sit until it is cool enough to handle. The extra time in the pot is a good thing anyway.
I have to leave the house at this point or get busy, very busy elsewhere. I can't resist peeking :)
Immediately after I posted one of these Windfall Papers to FB, Artist Laura Ryan contacted me about her recent article in Pages Summer 2013, one of Cloth Paper Scissors quarterlies. Ain't social media awesome. I ran out and got the magazine and saw her method which is a bit different from mine so you might want to get your hands on it and experiment some more. Laura lives in CA so has access to eucalyptus.
Most of what I know about eco printing comes from India Flint's amazing book Eco Colour which addresses eco printing on fabric. The past couple of years worth of eco dyeing has been helpful too.
A word about eucalyptus. India uses it extensively. It is native in Australia. The only place you can get windfall Euc is in CA (where it is agressively invasive). You could buy, of course. But be aware that it is extremely popular in eco dyeing circles. There are plenty of other plants that you can use, though.
I hope you'll try this!
Not all euc is the same. I live in CA and the euc in my area do not give those strong oranges that India and others get. There are many species of euc, some work well, some don't.
Posted by: Connie Rose | 08/28/2013 at 10:53 AM
Can you show us some pictures of your steamer contraption??
Posted by: SKG | 08/28/2013 at 01:48 PM
The only experience I've had with euc is from a flower arrangement. I did find this http://home.onemain.com/~crowland/Pages/Eucalyptus.html
Posted by: Diana Trout | 08/28/2013 at 06:06 PM
lol. It is a real Rube Goldberg. But sure, next time I'm printing, I'll unveil this masterpiece :)
Posted by: Diana Trout | 08/28/2013 at 06:08 PM
This is a great idea. It is something that I would have to read and study before I even attempted to try this.
Barb
NC
Posted by: Barb | 08/28/2013 at 07:35 PM
Absolutely beautiful...
Posted by: Aloquin | 08/28/2013 at 08:39 PM
It's surprisingly simple, Barb. If you have a big pot, a steamer and a heavy stone, you're good to go. Just fold up a piece of paper and go for a walk.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 08/28/2013 at 09:14 PM
Thanks Jen. This would be a great activity for your kids. I've been wanting to teach this at a nature center for ages. I should just DO it :)
Posted by: Diana Trout | 08/28/2013 at 09:15 PM
Some things that have worked well for me with alum: blackberry leaves, red Japanese maple leaves, Madrona tree bark, hydrangea blossoms, stock blossoms, fading dahlia blooms in deep red, and smoke plant/tree leaves!
Posted by: Virginia King | 08/28/2013 at 11:48 PM
Oh, I really want to try this and love the results you have got with your process. Not sure I have all the equipment but there is an old pan with a lid whichi is a starting point and one of my neighbours has a eucalyptus tree!!!
Thanks so much for sharing this with us Diana. You are such an inspiration.
Posted by: sheila | 08/31/2013 at 06:59 AM
I tried Hydrangea today, they were very pale in color and didn't produce anything. The leaves are another story! I got some blues and greens from them. Thanks for the suggestions, Virginia! Alum + cream of tartar in the soaking pot today.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 09/03/2013 at 06:20 PM
You lucky duck! I'll be in CA in Oct to visit family and I'm hoping there is Euc in San Jose. I really Rube Goldberg'ed my set up and it's working fine. Where there's a will and all that
Posted by: Diana Trout | 09/03/2013 at 06:21 PM
The product is apparently fantastic even though.... Enjoy it pertaining to producing.
Posted by: Toby Kinross | 05/28/2014 at 05:04 AM
Hi I am from Australia and the best oranges we get are from the gums that grow in the more arid areas, other than eucalyptus cinerea , and only at certain times of the year. I live in mallee country and our average rainfall is 10 inches of rain a year, and I get some beautiful Reds oranges and chocolate Browns from our gums.
Posted by: Kerrie | 05/10/2016 at 12:42 AM
I’ve never tried any Euca and I’m not sure we have gums here on the east coast of US. Someday, I’d love to try those!
Posted by: Diana Trout | 05/13/2016 at 08:51 AM
You mentioned wetting down the papers first in a solution with alum... How much did you use (e.g. Tbsp/gallon water)? I have cooked some assorted papers (did not pre-soak as I had not found your website yet!) using various autumn leaves and got some really beautiful papers but I wonder if they will fade since I used no mordant... Advice?
I also used a few papers I had left over from a flower pounding demo project of a few years ago so as to reuse the watercolor paper from this experimental piece, and the pigment from the pounded plants (which only were small green leaves) remained even after hours of being in the water bath! Pretty cool!
I generally simmer the "books" for 1 1/2 - 2 hours and then let the pot sit & cool overnight before removing the stacks with tongs and allowing them to drain for a couple of hours - until my impatience to see the results no longer can be contained!! LOL
BTW, while I have not used a wide variety of plant matter yet, some of the best leaves for me (as far as yielding great prints)have been various oak species (lots of tannin!) as well as - somewhat surprisingly - leaves from my rugosa rose bush and blackberry leaves. Too late this year to try apple leaves & many others, but maybe that whole family, which includes roses as well as many different kinds of fruit trees & ornamental shrubs, will yield good results. Can't wait to try! For a list, Google "rosaceae family plants"!
BTW, I use an old blue canning pot with the jar rack, which gives off a suitable amount of rust! And I sandwich smaller paper (nice for making cards or little gift books) between a couple of 4" x 4" stone tiles leftover from a building project. I plan to get some 12" x 12" ones to use instead of the boards I have since the stone (or ceramic tiles) sink of their own accord & need no weights.
Now I am going to go play some more!! Such fun! LOL
Posted by: Carol K. | 12/15/2016 at 10:25 AM
Hi Carol, So glad you found my postings on paper printing. I think I use about a tsp or so of alum/gallon or so. It doesn't need much. Interesting about the roses! Yes. Oaks are great because of the tannin and if you can find the little nubblies (I forget what they are called, sorry), they are filled with tannins. Try black walnuts too.. They start fall from the trees in late Oct/Nov in my neck of the woods (Phila., Zone 6B).
You can generate a ton of dyed paper/cloth in a growing season. I use a big canning pot too - but it doesn't have the original rack in it. Have fun!
Posted by: Diana Trout | 12/15/2016 at 12:12 PM
Gums are just another way or referring to eucalypts here in Australia, Diana :)
There's such a huge variety of species, all give some colour though some are beige...most can be coaxed to give something pretty :)
Posted by: Tine Brock | 02/02/2017 at 03:53 AM
Thanks! Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree”! Oh I’d love to see your country someday. I’ve seen Eucs here in the states. They were planted in California. Beautiful. I still haven’t dyed with them.
Posted by: Diana Trout | 02/02/2017 at 07:46 AM
HI, I am very new to eco-dyeing and have only just experimenting with paper and eucalyptus. (lucky me I live in Australia and I only have to walk a short distance to get leaves). India says to only cook the paper for 20 minutes - but you are saying 2-3 hours? Does it not go soggy? And can I redo my papers that haven't taken the dye very well? Thanks so much.
Posted by: Life Images by Jill | 12/28/2017 at 06:41 AM