finished fridays: well, hello there!

They're here!  I finished folding and sorting last night, and this morning printed the bands and hangers:

My first-ever calendar...in a very limited edition, and available this weekend at:

I'm sure I'll get around to putting it up on etsy next week...if they're not all gone!

on the press: eleventh-hour inspiration

So, at five o'clock yesterday, inspiration hit.  Hard.

It's not mind-blowing, or earth-shattering even, but I finally came up with a design for (drum roll, please):

May Day Studio's first ever calendar!  I am really excited about this, folks, and I hope you are, too.

But why eleventh-hour, you may ask.  Because we're already into the swing of the holiday season, and gosh darn it if holiday fairs and custom orders haven't started rolling in, leaving me little (if any) free time. 

Speaking of which, here's a peek at my table from Saturday's Queen City Craft Bazaar.

And my goodness! The fairs!  The full list is a sight to behold:

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, November 26-28
Women's Festival of Crafts
Burlington, VT

Saturday, December 4
Paper & Chocolate
Somerville, MA

Sunday, December 5
Bazaar Bizarre Boston
Boston, MA

Saturday, December 11
Touch of Vermont Holiday Market
Montpelier, VT

Sunday, December 12
Bust Holiday Craftacular
New York City

Friday and Saturday, December 17 and 18
Burlington City Arts Holiday Artist Market
Burlington, VT

Recently added to that list are this weekend's Women's Festival of Crafts, in Burlington, as well as the Bust Holiday Craftacular in New York City!

And my personal favorite, the Paper & Chocolate open house at Albertine Press.

finished fridays: in twelve hours...

...meet me here:

It's really, really hard to believe that it's already November, and that the craft show season is already upon me.  Where did the summer go?

on the bench: ready-set-go

My first craft fair for the holiday season is this weekend--the Queen City Craft Bazaar in Burlington.

This week I've been putting together pocket journals, and spiffing up my table banner---which today got a big patch to cover up the stains from summer rainstorms, and pretty fabric edging to finish it off!

Come by and scoop up your holiday gifts early: this Saturday from 10-5 at Union Station, Burlington, VT.

finished fridays: one small step

Well, I did accomplish a few other things this week, but this is the only one that I got to keep.

It's still just a prototype, but it's got a really nice size and weight in the hand.  More to come soon!

P.S. It's almost craft fair time! Get out your shopping lists, and meet me at the Queen City Craft Bazaar next Saturday!

on the bench: fooling around

It's been a dry week. I've finished up a lot of big stuff, and need to amp up my stock for those holiday fairs...but in the meantime, I'm feeling creatively blah.

So in my last twenty minutes at the studio this afternoon, I pulled out bookcloth and marbled paper from my stash, and sewed together a little prototype.

No gluing--just machine-stitched the covers together.  (I love my sewing machine!)

It's going to be a 5x7 journal, with a foldover and a vintage/salvaged button and ribbon closure.  What do you think?

on the bench: pro bono

On the bench today:

I was asked to put in a bid to print thank-you notes for the Montpelier Senior Activity Center.  They had a fire in their facilities last year, and are raising the money to repair the damage and get the place re-opened.  It's not often that organizations are willing to splurge for letterpress--or that printers are able to donate their time & effort for a good cause.  I'm glad to be a part of the community, and able to contribute in some small way.  Thanks to Rachael for thinking of me!

on the press: a blue day

It's been a blue day, for sure.

one: deep french blue ink on the Vandercook, for printing holiday cards.

two and three: a very wintery blue-gray sky outside, and digging out my teal blue wool coat...it's that time already.