silkscreening 101

I have always wanted to learn how to silkscreen. Every thing I’ve read or seen makes it look fairly complicated and definitely expensive.
Then thimble posted a link to this tutorial.
It is awesomely easy, and makes me massively excited. My head swims with dreams of silkscreened t-shirts, and tote bags, stationary, and prints, and throw pillows, and personalized underwear, and inexpensive but great gifts, and, and, and… don’t let me get carried away or anything.
So the above is my first successful attempt on paper. I’m working my way up to fabric. But I’ve got big plans, boy do I ever.
First I came up with a design.
I wanted something simple to start out with, so I decided to go with my name in a swashy, neo-baroque script. Very the Arcade Fire. I figured my name is generic enough that I can use it on a variety of items.
I used voile netting stretched on a small embroidery hoop, and sketched in the pattern with pencil, then painted over it with Mod Podge (which I bought specifically because it had such a funky label). I let it dry and then scraped a blob of pure acrylic paint across my design with an old plastic gift card (just like they do in ‘real’ screen-printing).
I’ve found that a somewhat thick acrylic paint works best so far (like the cheap kind that comes in little 2 ounce squeeze bottles). Anything too runny just bleeds. Anything too thick won’t squish through the holes properly.
It feels good to accomplish something substantially crafty. In fact, it’s been a terribly productive weekend. I’ve gone out for walks, fixed my jury-rigged curtains, unscrewed unsightly screws from my window casements, and baked a cake.
Although the cake was kinda a cheat. Just a Betty Crocker rainbow bits - which I’ve decided may just be my wedding cake - cupcakes actually.
Classy, I know, but It was my birthday cake from the age of about 4 on, so I figure if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Plus, have you ever even had a truly yummy wedding cake? I find they’re mostly pretty disgusting, and I’ve had some fancy ones.
Of course I might change my mind entirely and go for a croquembouche instead, which just happens to be the traditional French wedding cake.
I’m a complicated gal that way.