I've only worked with fresh material, Marilyn. I think you'll have your greatest success with water color paper from Arches of France. If you don't have a Dick Blick store in your area, you can order it online at http://www.dickblick.com/produ.... I suggest starting out with item #10011-1008. The paper may seem a bit pricey, but it's a fairly large sheet, so you can cut lots of 5X7 or 8X10 sheets from it.

If you have any daisy-like flowers available, those are almost fail-proof when you hammer them. Of course, the white ones don't work, but colored ones really come out quite well. The same holds true for zinnia petals. Hammer your petals individually, forming a circle, with the base of each petal on one central point. Usually, you don't have to add a center to the resulting flower; the bases of all the petals emanating from the same point will form one for you.

Give it a try and let me know how you do.

Larry, I think I can get it locally,

I did read something about soaking the paper to remove the sizing. Is that a good idea for these prints?

I will try again, after I get more paper.

Thanks

Soaking is not necessary and I wouldn't recommend it. When my paper accidentally got wet, it dried all curled and waved. Hope you can find the Arches paper locally.

When you use watercolor for painting with watercolors, you often wet the paper, but it's taped down before it is wet and retains its flatness and it's size upon drying because of the tape. I'm sure the directions are meant for artists who use it in that way, but as Larry says, it needs to be flat and dry for the botanical prints.

Just clarifying.

Thanks,

I know I can get the Arches at the downtown art supply store, but I am checking around closer to home.

Hope I get it done before all the flowers are gone.

If you have colorful fall leaves there, they work too, as long as they aren't dry and crunchy.

Some leaves have a waxy coating when they're fresh. If the coating is too thick, you won't get much color transfer. You might want to collect a bunch of different leaves and proof them before you start on your actual print.

I finally got the special Arches Paper, but now there does not seem to be anything to hammer

Any suggestions?

"I am a day late and a dollar short" as the saying goes. I may take a while but I get something done eventually.

Have been looking for Styrofoam containers, at grocery, pharmacy and seafood store, Dollar Store and no luck so far.
Wanted to paint them for succulent planters. Wish me luck.

If anyone is interested, I have a couple of huge sheets similar to the Arches heavy duty paper. I won't mail it that size, but I can probably cut it down to about 10"x10" sections and mail for less than $5.00 for 4 sheets. Let me know if anyone wants any and I will give you a better idea of postage. I can guarantee it will be less than $5.00....probably closer to $3.00.

Now you tell me.....

Sally,
You can mail large sheets like that in those mailing tubes you get at the post office. I do it all the time.

I also save the cardboard tubes that wrapping paper comes on just for the same purpose.

Cheap and you don't have to fold or cut down the water color paper.

Cool, do you recall how much it costs to mail one of those sheets? I think I still have one or two, plus one that I had cut some off of (that I was going to cut down to 10x10" squares).

I can't remember. Duh. I mail some paintings that way too, the ones that aren't framed and are on that kind of paper. I insure them so I don't remember how much the basic price would be. Not much, though, I do know that.
Sorry, Sally.

If I can remember I'll call my post office tomorrow and find out.

NP, I went online and did a calculate price and it still looks like it would be less than $5.00 to mail a full sheet in a tube. I'll have to dig around under the futon (where I stuck all the large paper that I have) to see what I've got. I know I probably have one or two sheets of that heavy Arches type paper and I have some Canson Mi-Tientes colored drawing paper and some other stuff. Now that I know it does not cost too much to sell, maybe I can sell it all online! Thanks!!!

Great minds, so did I check prices.
I think the tubes are very reasonable plus they protect what's inside.
You are welcome.

Hello,
I love the ferns. I would like to hammer some on fabric to make throw pillows. Can you give me the best fabric type to work with? Sharon also did you use card stock or what for your project?

Thanks,
Teresa

I used water color paper, Teresa.
Blank cards made of w/c paper.

On fabric, I've always used cotton.

ok, thanks. I like to make little gifts for people and thought these would be cute.