Meet my new lasercutter...

I often get very excited about getting to work but since my new lasercutter was installed last week I have been more excited than ever!

I had demonstations from two leading brands but I chose the 'Speedy 300' from Trotec. These machines are made in Austria and apart from having marvelous specs and capabilities I liked the sound of their level of support. The Trotec team are big on helping you get the machine working perfectly with your materials.  They have also made so many support videos and webinars for doing specific things. I liked all that but when they asked if they could part exchange for six of my lamps, one for each of their UK showrooms I was sold!

Using this machine feels like the difference between using a big fat chunky marker and a fine liner pen. It has such precision. You can do alot with a marker pen but I really do favour the fine liner!

These seeds are what are left behind in the laser bed after I make my dandelion lamps. I think I'll collect them all in a jar and save them as confetti for somebodys wedding or send them in the post to someone as a surprise!

So this last few days I have been getting to know the machine and setting up all my lamp designs in a new way that this machine can understand, ready to simply put in a bit of paper and press GO! It's coming into lamp making season so me and the machine need to be ready!

It has got a very precise engrave, meaning it can take the top layer of paper away. This means that when I'm making lamps more light will shine through the engraved areas so it gives me another 'colour' in my palette of light.

I was struggling to create these foxgloves with my old machine as I couldn't describe those characteristic spots inside the flowers (the bee runway) without a good engrave. It was at that moment I decided I needed a new machine.

I am practicing using the machine by using all the motifs from my hedgerow design. It's great to have all these motifs ready to be adapted for cutting. It's satisfying to see them in a new form.

 Here's the barren brome grass. It's super fine.

I adore the featheriness of these yarrow leaves. My old machine just made them break up and fall to pieces.

 It's is rather mesmerising to watch isn't it. 

I am buzzing with ideas. I can't wait to show you what I make next. x