mixed-tape mondays: late nights

Usually I try to be cheerful on the blog (lots of exclamation points! exciting things happening!)...and lots of good things did happen today.  But now it's just after 11 pm, and after twelve hours at the studio, I'm beat.

Around 8pm I was totally in the groove, listening to one of my favorite audiobooks, and sewing up the last few albums for a big order heading out to Greenwich Letterpress.

They look pretty awesome all lined up like that, and when I think of how many hours went in to each step of each one, I do smile (just a little).  And then, with a big yawn, I say goodnight!

workbench wednesday: my how time flies...

...and then it's a week later, and gosh darn it!  I've missed a whole week of blogging.

Last week I started reprinting papers (to fill all those orders from NYIGF!) and really, really fell in love with these two all over again.

Usually the zigzag has another color layered on top, but I'm leaning towards offering a grey-only sheet.  What do you think?

And today, two more orders shipped out--these guest books (in my new favorite marine ripple pattern) and more are off to Nantucket Looms in Nantucket, MA.  And more goodies will be arriving a Fork + Pencil in Brooklyn in the next few days!

on the bench: the mad dash

It's amazing to me that after cleaning my studio so thoroughly for this past weekend's workshops, the piles still seem to multiply on their own.

Today I'm working on the last few things for an order shipping out to Rock Paper Scissors in Charlottesville, VA.  Above, piles of paper for journal and guest book pages, ready for sewing.

Notepads (their inky backs drying) need corner rounding and belly band labels.

And guest book cases just waiting for pages!

monday interlude: valentines edition

I spent several hours today finishing these up...they'll arrive a bit late, but they're on their way to seventy (70!) homes across the county.  My biggest holiday mailing yet...and I wish I could do more.  We all could use a little extra love in our lives, even if it's just a kind wish. 

And so, I wish you all many, many smiles and laughs on this Valentine's Day!

workbench wednesdays: you've got to make a mess to get clean

Another busy day!  Today was the first chance I've had to (kind-of) unpack from New York...but I'm also in the middle of production runs of cards + papers for wholesale orders.

So, by the end of the day today, my worktable was filled with lots of little piles--paper offcuts just wide enough to print business cards on, stacks of post-it note lists, every pen imaginable, plus (on the far side) cards just off the press, ready for a final trim tomorrow.

And at the end of the day, Brian and I attached the blade back on to my board shear! I'm a bit giddy just thinking about it.

on the press: first day back

Look!  It's a booth!  After spending a week sitting in this 8 x 10 trade show booth with Shelley, I finally got back on the press today.

 First up was a small reprint of my quirky love notes (heading out to two local shops this week!).

And then...the big grey print run (printing the first color for zigzag papers) took up most of my afternoon.  Here are the pretty bloops that transparent white ink makes when you dab it on the rollers haphazardly.  Really, I do mix very precisely (well, most of the time anyway).