Friday 19 September 2014

Surprise seed packet

My first project for my Masters in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art required the School of Design to design a calling card to give out to fellow students. The calling cards could be any size, shape or material. The idea of creating a seed packet business card came to me instantly. I thought a seed packet would reflect my  interest in using sustainable, natural materials and permaculture. I used a rough sketch of my partner Graeme, digging in the garden as a starting point and developed this into a more detailed drawing. I used natural, homemade paints made from turmeric, cumin, foraged berries and paprika mixed with free range organic egg white and water. I bought some lovely recycled, eco card from the nice people at The Edinburgh Art Shop.
 

 I included simple instructions for the recipients to care for their seeds.

 I added my signature in the soil of the picture to suggest an organic feeling of growth in my logo.
Turmeric makes a lovely deep yellow with lots of texture.
I used a seed template to set out the design of the text and images.

 
 
  Testing blueberries, turmeric, coriander and cumin mixed with egg white.

 
I popped sage, salad, spinach and a mixture of vegetable seeds in the packets and wrote which seeds the packet included on a strip of recycled card which was placed inside the packet.
 

Typewritten by hand then scanned onto the computer.
 
 
 
 
Everyone seemed very happy with the free seeds and it felt like a lucky dip in which ones
they would receive!