Screen printing with Essy and a Yudu

Steve did a screen printing project back in Los Angeles, the traditional way.  I wasn't really involved in the process, but I remember it involving a lot of work and turning our tiny apartment into an art studio with a dark room.

With a specific project in mind and after doing a little research, I decided to invest in a Yudu.  It arrived just in time for my niece Essy's visit.  The two of us gave it a test run.

The first step was to find an image, edit it and vectorize it.  Essy chose an awesome gas mask and made the necessary edits.  I now have two new pieces of software GIMP and Inkscape on my computer with just enough knowledge to use them to turn an image into a vector and re-size it.

Then we had to prepare the screen and expose it using our image printed on a transparency.

 Here is Essy rinsing off the exposed screen and starting the drying process.

 While waiting for the screen to dry, we hiked up Pinnacle Mountain.

 After our hike, we did the actual printing, the easiest part of the whole process.  Essy shows off the finished product.

Steve came home just as we were finishing Essy's t-shirt and just had to have one too.

Mushroom. Mushroom.

My awesome birthday gift from Dawn...a mushroom growing kit.

This is what the compost looks like when you first open the box.

Then you cover it with moistened casing (included in the package).

Finally, close up the box and wait for "the gray mold".  In the meantime, I found the video I couldn't help but think about while preparing the mushroom box.   Uh, badger, badger, badger...

Steel-Cut Oatmeal and Blueberry Muffins

Leftover oatmeal?  Try these.

I used Red Mill 7-grain hot cereal, so they look a bit smoother than the picture in the Times.  Still, yummy.

Finding Emilie - Radiolab

On a recent episode of Radiolab called Lost and Found, there was a segment about Emilie Gossiaux, who was hit by a truck while riding her bicycle, and her boyfriend who refused to give up trying to communicate with her after the accident.  I was riveted for the entire 20 minutes.

Finding Emilie - Radiolab