may day studio

hello new york!

2012-01-26T21:31:00.000-05:00

Please join Albertine Press, Carta Inc, and little ol' me at this season's New York International Gift Fair! We've got a new look, and lots of new pretty things made of paper and cotton. We'd love to see you!

lovely words from blogger friends...

2012-01-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

...are just what I need to cheer me up!

This little award comes to me courtesy of the lovely Maudie at Maudie Made, whose blog about bookbinding and conservator training in London has me almost constantly drooling. Traveling and paper-spying in southeast Asia--check! Handling rare books at the Victoria and Albert Museum--check! Meeting awesome crafters at local shows--check! Maudie is really inspiring from start to finish.

As I am now the (smiley) recipient of a Liebster, I have to follow the rules and give the award to five other blogs with less than 200 readers. By the way, Liebster is German for ”dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome’”.

The full list of rules are:
Rule #1. You must acknowledge the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
Rule # 2. Give this award to 5 other bloggers. Please let them know through a comment on their blog.
Rule #3. Post this wonderful award on your blog.
Rule #4. Bask in the glory bestowed upon you and appreciate all the amazing bloggers out there.
Rule# 5. Enjoy and spread the good vibes around.

So here goes. My list of five blogs with 200 or less readers that I find “liebster” goes to:

1. Anagram Press
2. Campbell Raw Press
3. Clementine
4. Tiger Food Press
5. New Duds

I don’t want to give summaries of these blogs – I want you to visit each and every one of them to see what they’re all about. I can however tell you that they are all creative, informative, interesting, personal and just a downright pleasure to read. Definitely deserving of a Liebster.

And now it's time to enjoy rules no. 4 and 5.

one final friday!

2011-12-30T10:44:00.000-05:00

Here it is--the last Friday of the year!

Wishing you blue skies and good cheer in 2012!

P.S. This is the last weekend of my store-wide sale. Enter code "Poppytalk" at checkout for a 25% discount off everything in my etsy shop.

welcome to my weekend

2011-12-10T07:42:00.000-05:00

Not only do I have one of my favorite craft fairs this weekend, I also have this pile to contend with:

100 pieces of bookboard, 6.5x 9.5, for 50 folding bar menus
4 pieces of bookboard, 8.5 x 5.75, for two custom albums
Eight boxes of A2 envelopes (1600 total), return address printed
Two reams (that's 200 sheets) of 23x35--to be made into 1500 holiday cards

And it'll definitely take me longer than the weekend to finish all of that--so I'll be back next Friday for a recap!

on the bench: working from home

2011-12-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

It's such a rare luxury--to work from my own kitchen table. Of course, I can't print at home, but today's been a working-on-sketches and ordering-supplies kind of day. And it's not over yet! So back to micron pens + tracing paper + hot tea + audio book I go!

on the press: the bluest blue

2011-12-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

Reflex blue: it's such a nice color on the Vandercook's steel rollers, it's almost a shame to use it up.

But then I wouldn't have these beauties, would I?

holiday happenings

2011-11-16T22:33:00.001-05:00

Holy moly! It's that time again!

I've been very busy behind the scenes (more on that, I hope, soon)--not the least of which is scheduling five awesome shows to participate in this holiday season:

Craft Vermont: Fine Art and Craft Show
presented by Vermont Hand Crafters
Friday-Sunday, November 18-20
Burlington, VT

Women's Festival of Crafts
Saturday and Sunday, November 26-27
Burlington, VT

Handmade Holiday Festival
presented by Alchemy Initiative
Friday and Saturday, December 2-3
Pittsfield, MA

Touch of Vermont
Saturday, December 10
Montpelier, VT

Holiday Artist Market
sponsored by Burlington City Arts
Friday and Saturday, December 16-17
Burlington, VT

Hope to see you there!

Psst: if you can't make it, be sure to check out the fine selection of holiday cards and 2012 calendars now available online!

three cheers for pistachio press!

2011-11-04T14:50:00.000-04:00

So excited for my friends Rachael and Jake at Pistachio Press! Tonight and tomorrow are the great big grand opening of their brand-new stationery shop (and I'm so pleased to have been able to supply them with may day studio notebooks, notepads, and greeting cartds!).

If you're in the Rochester area, hop on over and give them a big hello from me!

back on track

2011-11-01T22:16:00.000-04:00

October was a bit hectic in my world--lots to do, but not much to report. Today I was sooooooo glad to finally get back on the press, printing something lovely!

This is just the first color (one more to come!) on some super save-the-dates. The bride-to-be designed them...but I get to put them on paper!

Oh, yeah.

2011-09-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

So, there's been a whole lot of this:

in the studio lately. And not much to write about.

But the end is in sight! And my sparkling commentary should return soon, too!

on the press: my favorite color

2011-09-06T12:06:00.000-04:00

It's no secret, really--this red is my all-time favorite color! And the linoleum holds the color so well, I just had to take a picture.

I just don't know what to say

2011-08-30T11:35:00.001-04:00

I spent most of Sunday in my little apartment bubble; it was raining too hard to bike to the studio, so I did a little internet upkeep and brought my plants inside.

I was checking-in on the weather periodically. Most sites were reporting less-than-expected rainfall, and no wind. Hurricane disaster averted.

And then: Entire towns flooded. Or marooned, because all the bridges, highways, backroads and footpaths have been washed out. Dams might be released, flooding entire towns for a second time in twenty-four hours.

Montpelier weathered the storm, for the second time in three months. Downtown basements flooded, again. Restaurants and theaters closed temporarily. The studio escaped, once again. I still don't know what to say, and am feeling even less like I can do anything to make a difference.

And then this post from Emily at Clementine reminded me: I can do something. And so:

Purchase any one of my prints, and I'll donate 25% to the Vermont FoodBank. Purchase all three, and I'll donate 50%.

There are a few other places taking donations right now, the Red Cross being one. I'm sure there'll be more as the days come. For more info on the scope of the devastation, read the Burlington Free Press article here.

what-the-wednesday

2011-08-24T22:10:00.000-04:00

Today was sooooo not an ordinary Wednesday.

How often am I taking pictures of myself while printing? (The answer: soooo rarely.) But a lovely blogger wants to interview me, and I need some pics.

Oh, and four hundred of these, while I'm at it.

And this was from this weekend, but is so lovely that I've been looking at it all week: the first harvest from my container-garden this year. A small bowl full of spinach, and some tender basil that needed culling (I planted the whole seed packet, and so a few have to sacrificed so the rest can get sun). We ate them tossed with fresh local tomatoes, and olive-oily pasta. Yum.

saturday edition: hard at work

2011-08-13T18:06:00.000-04:00

So, here I am again: New York City. I had an "is this really my life?" flash this morning, as I was eating brunch in Central Park with the Pistachio Press crew. The answer: yup.

Shelley from Albertine Press and I finished almost all of the setup for this summer's NYIGF yesterday, but I went back in today to finish a little labeling.

I'm trying out a new setup, color-coordinated this time, and highlighting my 2012 calendars, which I think are super-cool.

recap: to asheville and back (and a little bit of pretty)

2011-08-11T23:18:00.001-04:00

The conference was awesome! Exhausting, but awesome.

Here's a little bit of me, setting up for my demo...getting all the tools lined up for show (and a little use).

And look at that crowd! There were sooooo many folks there, asking lots of good questions...I'm sorry if I didn't get to talk to you, but I'm sending out my biggest thanks to all of you for making my day!

And oh, the pretty things! Asheville Bookworks was a lovely host, and they have so much cast iron I'd love to get my hands in.

And then home for a quick 48 hours, six of which was spent working on this:

A benefit print for my local bike co-op, Freeride Montpelier, to keep them open and keep newbie bicyclists like me on the road! They're hosting a fundraiser on Saturday, August 20--check it out (and buy a print!).

on the press: at the last minute

2011-08-01T22:31:00.000-04:00

or very nearly! I'm leaving for the Ladies of Letterpress conference in just two days, and today was packing up a few supplies for the demo I'm giving, and oh! Guess who has almost no business cards!

So I quickly cut 300 cards down, and inked up the press.

First color down, one to go!

Usually I print my cards in just one color, but I've been loving blue lately, and so put that on the press for my logo.

I didn't get a better shot of the finished cards--so you'll just have to come to Asheville and get one for yourself!

on the bench: organizing

2011-07-28T09:36:00.000-04:00

I do dearly love to organize...though in the studio, sometimes the piles just stay piles for months! Wednesday was an in-between day, so I thought I'd tackle the huge stack of printed papers (printed in April!). First sorting by color and pattern, and then taking inventory. All in preparation for this big event:

friday: oh, what a week

2011-07-22T22:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's been a doozy. It feels like this heat wave has been going on for weeks and weeks. Years even. The studio is thankfully cool, but just getting there is a chore in this heat...and then I'm not in much of a mood to work.

But today I really had to get things done:

Paper folding and scoring...

turns a (single-sheet) folio into a signature of its own.

Carving out an inset for a cover label

Lining up the pieces, in preparation for gluing

Sneaking a peek at my cover, making sure I've left enough room at the spine for my signatures. I'm sewing up the book tomorrow, and will try to get some good pics to post--this should be a really interesting project!

Also this week--updating my sadly faded sandwich board with a fresh coat of paint, and prepping the stencil for painting next week!

on the press: start to finish

2011-07-11T20:44:00.001-04:00

The thing about custom work is that you never really get leisure time--there's always a deadline, and by the time you get the plates and paper and envelopes back, I've got 24 hours until the client expects to pick up their job. Yikes. So the above is my work table at about 2pm, less than two hours after my UPS guy Randy dropped off the package from Boxcar. That's paper diagrams, figuring the best yield, and piles of paper cut to press sheet size.

Then on over to the ink table, to mix a particularly picky pale green ink. Usually I'm right on, but today--three tries to get to 7490. That's three of this:

And this:

And three press inkings, and press cleanings. And ten wasted sheets proofing colors. And so finally, at 7:45:

Oh, and a run of black ink for the second color, too!

on the press: the perfect green

2011-07-05T19:09:00.000-04:00

I'm really more of a red person. That is to say, I print more often with reds and pinks--and design cards and prints for reds. And then I designed this print, and had to find a good ink for it.

A color bright and springy, but not "new growth" spring. Not too rich, like deep moss on bark.

The perfect green? Pantone 355U. (In my humble opinion, anyway.)

finished fridays: sunshine on a cloudy day

2011-06-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Friday I spent printing and packing -- a new edition of the Sunshine prints (we're up in the 100s now!), each one hand-signed and numbered, and then packaged pretty for the stores! I'm so excited about the shops across the country that stock May Day Studio goodies--here are the most recent:

The UPS Store, Burlington, Vermont

Vermont Folklife Center, Middlebury, Vermont (they picked up some new cards and prints this time!)

Clementine, Middlebury, Vermont (Emily took nearly my whole catalog!)

Terrain at Styer's, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania

Rock Paper Scissors, Wiscasset, Maine

Twosided and Foursided, Chicago, Illinois

Cursive New York, Amagansett, New York

mixed-tape monday: a little of this and that

2011-06-21T11:07:00.000-04:00

I've hit a bit of a lull, studio-wise. Not a lot of work on the calendar (though there is a lot of prep to do, the deadlines aren't soon enough to make me panic!), so I'm spending my days leisurely...

...and Monday was no exception. With a sky like that, who wants to be inside?

I did work on the press for a few minutes, proofing vintage copper cuts for a client. Then back to staring at the sky!

two ways of looking at a wednesday

2011-06-15T20:51:00.000-04:00

(one) It was a beautiful day out. I propped open the studio door to let in the sunlight and heat (and the cottonwood fluff tagged along). I got to ride the my brand-new-to-me bike today, as the trusty Jetta has needed to retire for too long now.

(making a home on my apartment porch last night!)

(two) Forty minutes of biking plus the heat has left me wiped. And then three flights of stairs, after the biking and three hours on the treadle press--my quads are singing their complaints. Fluffy Sasha insists on standing over me and the laptop, and probably will for the next hour or so until my emails are done. It's still light out, and I would love to be doing anything other than working. Oh, and dinner. Goodness, it's almost nine pm...what in the world to have for dinner?

press mondays: the perfect eggplant

2011-06-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

And photos just don't do it justice! But just try a little PMS 275U for yourself...

These lovely invites were designed by the bride's brother--so lovely, crisp, and with a few feminine details to balance it all out!

finished fridays: heatwave edition

2011-06-10T16:20:00.000-04:00

Yup, it's summer already.

Wednesday was so hot and humid, I actually passed out from a heat migraine early in the evening--not sure if that was a blessing or a curse. Today, the weather is much more manageable, and the iced coffee is staying cold for longer than a few minutes.

I'm almost done with these business cards for Montpelier design firm Ravenmark...I've never worked with crop marks before, but it's really satisfying when they line up perfectly!

press mondays: back in the saddle

2011-06-07T08:55:00.000-04:00

Ha! A small press joke. Forgive me, it's early (for me) in the morning, and I'm just thankful to have rollers back in saddles, and ink on the press!

Yesterday I had side two of these coasters on the press--full bleeds and heavy solids meant really slow going, and lots of stopping to wipe down the jig.

But they look pretty cool, so it was definitely worth it!

finished fridays: the finish line is just the beginning

2011-06-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

So, I've been AWOL for a little while...and this little blog has been on my mind. Not that I got to take any pictures before shipping out big orders to four(!) stores--just the aftermath.

Not much bubble wrap or tape left.

Empty boxes, for storing and sorting between steps.

Empty sheets of labels.

Leftover strips of paper--nothing wasted!

I had hoped to give you a sneak peek at some new product before it arrives in stores, but I ran out of time. Instead, you'll have to come out tomorrow and see them for yourself!

I'll be at the Queen City Craft Bazaar, along with dozens of other brilliant and talented crafters--and I'll have loads of new stuff to show you!

press mondays: oh, my.

2011-05-23T22:08:00.000-04:00

I had the best intentions of blogging while in New York...

And then the days just kept getting away from me (and the nights were too short!).

I can't believe that I put this together in twenty-four hours...and that it looked pretty okay!

The Stationery Show is like a big sleep-away camp, where you get to catch up with all of your old friends (and meet new ones!) and gossip.

Or make pretty things--do you know how hard it is to keep my hands still all week?

My pictures aren't the best, but the lovely and fantastic Nole at Oh So Beautiful Paper brought a professional photographer with her, and they got some really pretty shots of my booth.

And then today...

it was time to get back to work!

mixed-tape monday: stationery show!

2011-05-09T21:52:00.000-04:00

So much to show you, but it will all have to wait! New York, here I come!

finished fridays: moments of stillness

2011-05-07T10:51:00.000-04:00

The time: 6 pm, Friday night

The place: the studio

Last night, as I surveyed the madness that is my studio, I thought about all the other tiny little shops out there, trying to finish up whatever for the Stationery Show, plus, you know, real work. From my corner, it's hard to find the moments of stillness, where there's nothing to check off the to-do list, no emails to answer, no telephone ringing, and no ink on the press!

So I turned off the stereo and took just a few minutes to BE--and to find something interesting (and not stressful to think about!).

When the studio is clean, it's so easy to see what might be.

And piles of paper are both overwhelming and inspiring.

Empty frames are just beginnings.

And patterns are everywhere!

press mondays: countdown

2011-05-02T17:44:00.000-04:00

It's here, for real. I've been (mostly) avoiding Stationery Show madness, but now with less than two weeks....

...it seems like there'll never be enough time. But we still must print!

And paint. Oh goodness, the paint. It will all come together, I'm sure. Right?

finished fridays: sneak peek!

2011-04-29T16:39:00.000-04:00

Just a peek of new goodies debuting at the Stationery Show in two weeks!

This week has been really challenging (in lots of ways), but then I got these lovelies on the press and everything turned around. Sometimes it astounds me how much I love printing!

on the press (almost)

2011-04-25T21:34:00.000-04:00

Monday mornings are always a challenge--and today I had two post-its, written in very tiny print, full of stuff to get done. Most of which was emails and phone calls...which doesn't make for very dynamic blogging.

So it wasn't until after 3 that I started working on the main body of my NSS recipe cards...which, after a lot of complicated design ideas, turned into this:

Which is way less complicated than it looks!

finished fridays: nothing wasted + the two whites + a new country

2011-04-22T19:16:00.000-04:00

Nothing wasted No. 1: I think this is officially the first full can of ink that I've devoured. Transparent White, of course, is in just about every PMS color...and I guess I use a lot of those really really light colors.

Nothing wasted No. 2: I'm part of a group of printers, doing a collective promo for the Stationery Show. The theme is recipe cards, and I've been stumped...until today! Inspiration finally hit, and I pulled out my Valentines hearts and the almost-empty can of transparent white, for the first color/background layer of the print. I'm super excited about my card, now that it's in progress. And I can't imagine why I don't print with just trans white more often--I love it!

The two whites: today the Vandercook was inked up with the other white--Opaque White. It doesn't get much use in my shop (and I had heard that it was a pain-in-the-behind to clean!), but this project called for it...albeit with a little dash of yellow. Truth be told, I impressed myself with how clean my rollers were--the white was very true first time out!

All that ink, for just a few prints...these are the proofs for a one-of-a-kind, custom personalized guest book.

And...I shipped to a new country today! It's always exciting to send little packages of pretty things out into the world, and today this Grass is Greener print started it's journey to Sweden!

wednesday miscellany

2011-04-20T17:20:00.001-04:00

Scenes from the studio today:

Plates just off the press.

Pantone 1795 (or so).

One Stationery Show promo piece waiting final trim, one custom order waiting to be boxed, and one custom order in progress.

Two more plates to print tomorrow!

mixed-tape monday: taking measurements

2011-04-18T17:11:00.001-04:00

I wasn't able to post this photo on Friday--the recipient hadn't yet seen them...but here they are!

Jodi from Paisley Tree Press drove out to Letterpress Things on Saturday to meet me and pick up her new custom binders--she squealed a bit, I won't lie. They'll be making their debut to the public at Paisley Tree's booth (No. 1665) at the National Stationery Show in May--do stop by and ogle them for yourself!

Today was a lot of catching up--and then a lot of cutting. This is a stack of 1200+ 135gsm sheets, if you can believe it. They started out as 25 x 38" parent sheets, and are now 4-1/2 x 6-1/2". Whew!

on the bench: getting to the scary bits

2011-04-13T21:18:00.000-04:00

Progress! Bookcloth is all finished, and today I started working on the pastedown/endsheets.

It's the scariest bit, being the last step (and the one most likely to get messed up). No mess ups yet, but one is less perfect than I like. (Did I mention that I'm my own worst critic?)

mixed-tape mondays: on working BIG.

2011-04-11T19:28:00.000-04:00

Yep, binders are still in progress. I took a tiny break from them this weekend to work on taxes (blech.), and was really looking forward to be working with my hands again today.

Today I finished up the insets, and wrestled the big bolt of bookcloth on the table to trim out the covers--they're going to be full cloth, so I was cutting 13" x 35" pieces out of a 50"+ wide spool. Awkward!

On working BIG--I forget how much time it takes to do everything! Even though there are only ten binders to do, when the material dimensions are ungainly, it seems like it takes hours to do each small step.

finished fridays: diving in

2011-04-08T19:30:00.000-04:00

Did I mention that the three-ring binders are super-deluxe? Not just thick and big (11-1/2" x 15"), but with two special insets.

Each inset has to be measured and marked by hand, and then the edges carefully scored with an exacto knife--trying, of course, to get all four sides cut to the same depth. Then the tip of the knife is inserted into a corner, and a few very thin layers of board are peeled up.

Only ten more to go!

on the bench: hooray!

2011-04-06T17:17:00.000-04:00

Just over six months ago, this beauty was delivered to the studio.

And today I finished tightening up the last bolts, and was finally(!) able to put the counterweight on.

And then immediately got down to the business of cutting thick, thick boards for a custom order.

These are .120" thick, and by this time next week will be very big and very fancy three-ring binders!

on the press: old-school

2011-04-05T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's nice to just stick a plate on a base and print.

But after a long day on the computer, I really look forward to printing old-school: handset type, border pieces and rule, and magnesium plates. They all have to be set in a delicate balance, snug but not too snug. Finding just the right spacing is a small triumph!

finished fridays: when a picture turns real

2011-04-01T14:38:00.000-04:00

I saw this in my facebook feed last night:

And thought: Trash? That looks suspiciously like a printing press! A few emails (and not more than 18 hours) later:

Ta-da! A slightly scruffy, but completely functional Vandercook No. 1! It landed in my studio this morning, after a trip to the high school in the next town, and much help from one teacher (thanks, Marissa!), three custodians, and a bored student to get it into my car.

It came with the original cabinet and ink stand, too! Here's the catalog photo from the Vandercook Press website.

P.S. You can now find May Day Studio on Facebook!

on the bench: the wait

2011-03-31T10:29:00.000-04:00

It's perhaps the least glamorous step of bookbinding...and certainly the least photogenic. What is it?

Waiting for glued covers to dry. Yesterday I finished eight address-book cases, but there wasn't enough time to case in the blocks. So into the boards and press they went!

on the press: tiny hearts

2011-03-28T17:43:00.000-04:00

After two weeks (!) of only bookbinding, I finally got back on the press today.

These tiny hearts are just about 3/4" tall, and are the first color of a business postcard.

Hooray! And oh goodness, am I out of practice on the treadle!

mixed-tape mondays: coming or going?

2011-03-21T19:21:00.000-04:00

Today was a not-quite-sure kind of day. I packaged up a few custom orders, but couldn't get started on the next round. I got some good news, and then some bad news. The world might be falling apart at the seams, but then people get together and do lovely things. New England is having a snowstorm on the first day of spring|, but that means the sap will run for a bit longer and my family might get another sugaring weekend.

It's about time for me to be getting ready for the big event this May, but I just can't seem to find the balance and motivation to move forward. If you've got any get-out-of-a-funk cures, please share!

finished fridays: what a week

2011-03-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a doozy of a week. Between client meetings, wholesale orders, member and show applications, and trying to catch up on custom work, I'm not sure which way is up. I'm hoping that if I can just get these few books finished over the weekend, then a little breathing room will open up.

P.S. Happy Spring!

finished fridays: a clean table

2011-03-11T19:23:00.000-05:00

It may not look like much...

...but it takes several hours to make the studio look this good. All in readiness for tomorrow's workshop!

mixed-tape mondays: snow day!

2011-03-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

So, it was just a quick trip to the studio today--after blasting through a knee-high, two-feet deep plowed-in snowbank, my key broke off in the studio door. I did manage to get the broken key out, but then lost my steam.

And so I went home. Apparently, this storm was epic!

finished fridays: lining it all up

2011-03-04T21:49:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've ever seen this--

--the pattern lining up perfectly after being folded over. There are two little tucks under there, plus the paper turns a corner.

And still more to go!

P.S. If you didn't catch Tom Waits on Fresh Air this afternoon, listen to it now! Mariachi music + wanting to be an old man + a box (!) + melancholy things set to a pretty melody = a pretty damn fine half-hour of radio.

workbench wednesday: miles of piles

2011-03-02T17:54:00.000-05:00

Well, not really miles--just thirty inches--but it sure looks like it from this angle. I spent a good hour or two cutting down bookboard for the 39 address books I'll be putting together over the next day or two. Step one was to make the big sheets of board (30" x 41") a little more manageable by cutting them into strips. Tomorrow is the last trim, and then glue-glue-glue!

mixed-tape mondays: late nights

2011-02-28T23:12:00.001-05:00

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...

2011-02-23T20:13:00.000-05:00

...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

2011-02-16T17:53:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-14T20:53:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-09T18:12:00.000-05:00

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

2011-02-07T20:42:00.000-05:00

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).

oh, hello there, new york city.

2011-01-29T09:04:00.001-05:00

Here we are...The next big adventure starts tomorrow!

finished fridays: rockstar gold

2011-01-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

What a way to end the week--printing cd sleeves for rockstars.

Local rockstars, that is. And the gold ink looks totally awesome over the black, don't you think?

on the bench: inventory

2011-01-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

Oh, inventory. It would be so much easier if I remembered to do you January 1.

But here we are, two-thirds of the way into January, and gosh darn it--I have a lot of paper.

So much so, I'm putting all of these on sale! Up now in my etsy shop, $2 per sheet, and when they're gone, they're gone.

on the press: red

2011-01-17T21:56:00.000-05:00

Here's a sneak peek at one of my new cards! A little addition to the lunchbox notes family: awesome! I had red ink on the press all day (printing lots of cards for two new stores)--and it just so happens to be winter colors week over on Poppytalk...and guess what today's color is?

finished fridays: new new new!

2011-01-14T16:55:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited to share my newest pattern:

(I'm still looking for a name, if anyone has any suggestions....)

I'll be debuting the pattern (and its five colorways) at the NY International Gift Fair, which opens January 30 in New York City. Visit me at booth number #4124 in the Studio Division--I'll be there with the lovely and talented ladies of Albertine Press and Carta Inc.

workbench wednesdays: one year later + new and exciting

2011-01-12T19:17:00.000-05:00

Yup. I was looking at my 2010 calendar earlier, and I've had this project on the calendar since last January. One year! It hasn't been worked on continuously, but it's been on the top of my projects list for the last twelve months. And today, I packed the last four boxes and sent them on their way.

And then I had to open up one of the boxes--I forgot to take photos of the finished books!

In other (super fun) news, I'm offering a make-your-own valentines workshop--as featured in the February issue of Country Living:

And now, just one more picture:

I love piles + rows of things...and this is one of my favorites. Ropey, delicate linoleum shavings (and a brand new pattern is born!).

on the press: almost done!

2011-01-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finished up the last scores on the book covers--the scoring is definitely the trickiest part of the process. After going through the press four times, just one misfeed on that last score means that cover is scrapped. (Thankfully, I only had two misfeeds!)

finished fridays: making progress

2011-01-07T19:21:00.000-05:00

I made a little bit of progress this week--I finished up the Hadestown programs this afternoon..and they're off to New York!

And I got another tiny bit ahead on the big book project--I finished half of the scores on the covers (just the ones for the turn-ins).

And now it's time for a Friday night off!

workbench wednesdays: backwards week

2011-01-05T18:43:00.000-05:00

So here we are, in the middle of the first week of the year...and I just can't seem to work fast enough.

I was on the Vandercook today, printing more programs for Anais Mitchell's Hadestown show (happening next Monday in New York City!). There's 400 to do this time around--and two ink colors, double-sided.

One color down!

P.S. Less-than-awesome photos today, because I forgot the camera at home and photobooth can only do so much!

on the press mondays: still not printing

2011-01-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's sort of misleading. I was hoping to get on the press today, to finish scoring the covers for these beauties, but the sewing took longer than expected, and I had to leave the studio early.

Instead, this lovely pile of book blocks will have to do!

P.S. Go out and pick up the February issue of Country Living, and check out page 18!

happy happiest of new years

2011-01-01T10:32:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up with a smile. That doesn't happen too often, so I'm choosing to think of it as just the beginning of an amazing year.

Wishing you all a year filled with smiles + laughs, hope + inspiration, and a few good surprises.

on the bench: busy is as busy does

2010-12-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

I finally got to take a day off on Sunday (it'd been at least seven weeks!), but as of Monday morning, I had to be full steam ahead on the last of this year's projects.

Starting with the final 150 (of 500!) books of poetry--holes hand-punched, then sewn to the endsheets, and then cased in. I'm just about done with the hole punching bit.

Merry merry holidays to all--see you next Monday!

finished fridays: off to new york!

2010-12-11T17:48:00.000-05:00

Meet me in New York tomorrow, and I'll have a little something for you!

on the bench: pretty packaging (and lovely words!)

2010-12-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

Thirty-one hours. Really. That's how much time I've spent (since 8:30 Monday morning) on the press and at the guillotine to print this lovely pile:

400, 4-color cards, plus 100 envelopes and 300 belly bands. Designed by the awesome duo of Mark and Lisa at Interrobang Design, and printed right here!

Also, many thanks to Rachael at Pistachio Press for pointing me in the direction of this:

And thanks to Apartment Therapy for featuring my calendar!

press mondays: silver, silver, silver

2010-12-07T10:18:00.001-05:00

It was a dark & snowy night, and I printed as fast as could.

300 belly bands and 600+ cards later, I looked up at the clock: 10:15! Not the latest I've been at the studio (by a long shot), but the ink had been on the press for six hours. And silver, being oil-based, loves to stick to rollers and not come off!

After a quick and thorough scrub, I peeked at the piles of prints.

Only three more colors to go!

finished fridays: off to boston!

2010-12-03T22:10:00.000-05:00

Today I was so busy I didn't even get to take pictures! But two (big!) boxes went out the door, lots + lots more paper was cut, and the car was loaded up for a big weekend! Join me tomorrow at...

Paper & Chocolate! Chez Albertine Press, with special guests both papery + chocolatey.

And then on Sunday, come on down to...

Bazaar Bizarre! It'll be my first year at the BBB, so stop by to say hi and check out the new stuff!

on the bench: making a mess

2010-12-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

One of the (good? bad?) things about being awesomely busy is that there's never a chance to clean. The recycling piles up, and stacks just keep getting shifted around until I find the project I need to work on.

Today I had four projects sharing space on the bench, along with bits of paper, the laptop, three or four rulers--and that's just the beginning.

But the exciting bit is what I actually finished. Ten new check-holder-books for Kismet, one of my favorite restaurants in Montpelier. Probably in the world, actually.

Hand-marbled covers, and lokta endpapers, with coordinating marbled straps for holding your end-of-brunch bill. Yum.

finished fridays: well, hello there!

2010-11-26T23:15:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-22T19:43:00.001-05:00

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...

2010-11-19T21:54:00.000-05:00

...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

2010-11-17T23:33:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-12T23:58:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-10T20:24:00.000-05:00

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

2010-11-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

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

2010-11-01T23:20:00.000-04:00

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.

interlude: feverish

2010-10-27T19:40:00.000-04:00

Hello folks. It seems I've come down with a nasty viral something-or-other, and am going to be sleeping away much of this week. So, to keep you entertained:

I'm loving Emily's posts over at Sophie & Eleanor. I met Emily earlier this year, when she came to take one of my workshops in Montpelier. She writes a very, very pretty blog, and I'm so excited to see the changes as she leaves the corporate world to follow her dreams.

Fellow Montpelierite and bookbinder Elissa at Blue Roof Designs recently tackled the wild world of bookbinding in Japanese. Read parts one, two, and three here. It's a lot about miniature books, which is one avenue I've never traveled. Perhaps soon...

If you're not a fan of Linzie Hunter, you should be. Take a peek inside her studio, and then read the rest of her blog for handlettered and quirky character goodness.

For more inspiration, check out Sarah Ahearn's new book, Painted Pages. And then get creating!

I'll hopefully be back healthy and with regular posts next week--there's a lot of work waiting for me!

on the press: one week is all it takes!

2010-10-26T08:25:00.000-04:00

So, one week ago, I started designing my holiday card line. And this week, here they are:

Visit my table at Poppytalk Handmade--and buy your holiday cards now! As a special for my blog readers, get free shipping on everything at my Poppytalk table. Just enter "blogfreeship" in the notes to seller! Valid through November 15, 2010 only.

finished fridays: the longest week

2010-10-22T22:06:00.002-04:00

Perhaps it's the cool weather--it snowed today!--or maybe it's the not-quite-firm deadlines on all the projects I'm working on, but this week seemed like the longest week ever.

Here it is, Friday evening, and I'm so excited to be able to share with you:

Open publication in new window

My 2010 Holiday Collection. Order now via email, or wait until next week, when all items will be available on etsy!

on the bench: getting dirty

2010-10-20T21:29:00.000-04:00

The bench today:

No journals or albums, just mockups of holiday cards waiting to be proofed! And as a bonus:

Mmm...a lovely olivey green ink!

press mondays: thinking ahead, sort of

2010-10-18T18:53:00.001-04:00

The big delivery was yesterday! John Barrett (of Letterpress Things) graciously offered to bring up my new stuff--they certainly wouldn't have fit into my car!

It was touch and go for awhile, as there's a slope down to the front door...and balancing heavy equipment, on a pallet jack, heading downhill? Yikes.

And then we had trouble getting the bed back in the guillotine...thankfully John's hydraulic cart was very useful in balancing one end, while the two of us wiggled the other.

And at the end of the day...ta-da! A very, very big paper guillotine--with a 30" blade, so I can cut parent sheets--which is just exactly as tall as I am, and my very own board shear. It makes me smile just to look at it!

And here's where the thinking ahead bit comes in--I've been brainstorming my seriously neglected holiday card line, and will be printing samples of ten (10!) card designs this week. Really, I should have been doing this months ago, so I could try to get them into stores, but that just means that you'll have to get them from me in person (or online, if that's your fancy)!

This is a design from last year, reprinted today in a lovely french blue that I can't get enough of....

finished fridays: making room

2010-10-15T21:41:00.001-04:00

Every day this week has felt like Friday, and now that it's here, I really want to veg.

But I spent the day moving the studio around, sweeping underneath everything, and making room for my special delivery--arriving this weekend!

on the press & on the bench: three days, one post

2010-10-13T19:46:00.001-04:00

So....I missed my Monday post for no good reason--except that I couldn't find my camera. And then I found it, but not the batteries.

I promise that I've been on the press for very long hours for each of the last three days--six ink colors, six different pieces, printed on two presses. And one piece had be scored in three places, which means three more times through the press. It's not the most I've ever done, but it did make for some very long days.

This is late last night--the last of the print runs on Butch, my 100-year-old C&P.

These are gifts for the bridal party, so no closeups yet!

And today, on the bench, after doing all the final trims and scores, I got to sit and fold. What a relief!

finished fridays: quality time with the guillotine

2010-10-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

Some weeks it seems that I spend all day, every day, slaving over the guillotine. This was one of those weeks.

In reality, it was just one day, but cutting down parent sheets of text paper into 3x5 rectangles is a lot of cutting!

And then they're stacked neatly, and clamped into the padding press for gluing.

It helps me to able to look at stacks of finished work...it's a small reminder that I've accomplished something!

on the bench: the perfect photo

2010-10-06T19:25:00.001-04:00

It's not everyday that I hustle to get to the studio early...I'm really not a morning person. At all.

But I'm trying to take pictures of everything I make (and then send far, far away to stores across the country), and I know from experience that the light--the best light--for product photos is on the early side. So I got in to the studio this morning, and almost immediately started taking pics of the brag books I finished up last night. Coming soon to a few select stores, and my etsy shop.

See the difference? The top one was before 11am....the bottom one was later in the afternoon, when I remembered that I should take a group shot as well!

interlude: my online inspirations

2010-10-05T20:37:00.001-04:00

I missed my "on the press" post yesterday because I've been suffering though allergies for the last three days--my afternoons and evenings are mostly lost to killer headaches.

In the meantime, I've been catching up on my blogroll, and have found some really lovely (and inspiring) posts:

Brooklyn Bookbinder aka Maggie's writeup of the Fine Press Book Association's journal Parenthesis (be sure to click on her links--they're beautiful!).

Image (c) Ampersand Duck

Ampersand Duck's chronicle of being a printer-in-residence, and having seven (!!) multi-color poetry broadsides (plus the folio) to print on handpress (!!) and on a deadline!

Shelley at Albertine Press did a lovely writeup of our time at NYIGF (I'm really terrible at remembering to take pictures!): look at part one here, a little bit of our daily walk here, and the ever-adorable Sadie's adventures through the Javits.

Image (c) Albertine Press

Did I mention that May Day Studio has a little feature in a new book about letterpress? Shelley took some lovely photos here. Reinventing Letterpress (released in the US as Little Book of Letterpress) is filled with studios small and large, many of whom I'm totally crushing on right now. Many thanks to Charlotte Rivers for inviting me to participate! Charlotte writes the incredibly stylish blog Lottie Loves...which should be added to your blogroll asap!

finished: saturday morning edition

2010-10-02T11:13:00.000-04:00

I took a little break Friday afternoon, after shipping out orders to four new stores (Paul Smith! Perch! Jacqueline Bed & Bath! and Just Paper & Tea!), and stopped by the Drawing Board to check out my display. Liz put this together a week ago, and I just haven't been able to make it downtown during business hours. So here it is!

Thanks to Liz, and all the amazing ladies & gents at the Drawing Board for the awesome display!

on the bench: annotated

2010-09-29T20:08:00.000-04:00

It was a quiet day in the studio...just finishing up on casebound journals for another wholesale order. Click on the picture to see notes!

on the press: september 27

2010-09-27T18:47:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy, rainy Monday, after a long weekend...but no rest for me! Today, my intern Yim came in, and I immediately had her on the press--she's so enthusiastic about printing (even cleaning the press!).

Project 1: Proofing a birth announcement--printed from handset type and a vintage cut.

Project 2: a two-color, four-fold wedding program.

finished friday: late night

2010-09-24T22:39:00.000-04:00

Why yes, it is 10:30 on a Friday night. I'm actually home early (for once this week)!

I've spent a lot of time on the Vandercook this week--first, three runs x 200+ sheets for Anais's Hadestown programs.

And tonight, three hours on the press for the last batch (for a little while) of charcoal grey for decorative sheets.

P.S. I saw the October issue of Martha Stewart Living at the grocery checkout, and squealed like a little girl. Go out and get one!

on the bench: multitasking

2010-09-23T11:27:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest ~~joys~~ ~~curses~~ challenges of being a small business owner is having each day be completely new, and completely unplannable. Yesterday I had to step away from May Day Studio for a few hours, to train for a few additional responsibilities at the Savoy (for when my dear friends Eric and Megan are on maternity leave!), and didn't get to all the bookbinding that I needed to finish up.

But some of it did get done--the Bingo Books, at least, are ready for next week's shipment.

And I had to squeeze in a last-minute reprint of Hadestown programs for my friend Anais Mitchell.

Here's the first color down--two more press runs to go!

on the press: this weekend

2010-09-20T22:35:00.000-04:00

So, I didn't actually print anything today. But this weekend was chock-full, so here you go!

Saturday brought seven enthusiastic ladies into my printshop for a bridal shower weekend extravaganza.

It's a lot of fun to see things start to click--Meredith was all set to do a second color with stars, and on the very short walk to the press, turned to me and said, "What if I use a star here?" And it was perfect; the teeny tiny star is just the right little touch.

And trying out blind impression....

Mixing up wood type (and loving the "salty" effect of printing it on the Pilot) and using silly little cuts for casual notes.

Playing with border pieces!

And Lydia used the unicorn! I've been trying to find a good reason to print to for almost two years.

Two ink colors! And excellent use of my skull & crossbones.

And finally, a little "woot woot" and they were on their way. Thanks to Kate, Kelsey, Maggie, Lydia, Maggie, Meredith, and Becky (who made the cutest cards that I didn't get a photo of!) for an inspiring day!

finished fridays: the big reveal!

2010-09-17T14:04:00.000-04:00

I've had to keep this under wraps for so long! And I'm really a very good secret keeper, but this has been bursting out of me, especially since my copy came in the mail Saturday.

I'm in the newest Martha Stewart Living!

The section called "Great Finds" is all reds & purples for October.

And my little journals and decorative sheets made the cut!

Hooray!! The issue should be in subscribers' hands any day now, and on newsstands shortly. In the meantime, all of the featured items (and more) are available in my etsy shop!

on the bench: cozy time

2010-09-15T17:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a rainy and blustery couple of days--and that, combined with a misplaced camera cord, has made me want to cozy up to a movie with a big mug of hot cocoa and two lap kitties. Alas, work keeps coming in, so today I brought the movie to me--Katharine Hepburn's 1933 tear-fest Little Women. And brag books, ready to sew.

finished fridays: september 10

2010-09-10T23:09:00.002-04:00

I'm not feeling super accomplished this week (I spent a lot of time on the computer, which doesn't feel like "work" to me), but taking photos and updating the blog does make it seem like things happened.

I cut down piles of paper for notepads--these are trimmed and waiting to be glued.

Yim actually printed these for me--it was her first real crash course on the Vandercook--three colors in under three hours. She was very patient while I mixed a slightly darker yellow ink, fiddled with the underlays and slipsheets, and reminded her over and over again that precision and perfect prints are way more important than printing quickly.

These postcards were my "fun" time for the week. They're my submission to the latest Ladies of Letterpress swap, a collection of "Hello from...." postcards.