welcome to my weekend

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!

holiday happenings

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!

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: one year later + new and exciting

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!).

happy happiest of new years

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.

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!

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 press: one week is all it takes!

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

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

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

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....

hearted!

I know it was a few days ago, but Valentine's Day in Montpelier is one of the best things ever.  This year, the Phantom trekked all the way out to my little studio...and we can't bear to take it down!

so here we are at the beginning...

...of something completely new and promising.  I'm so excited about the things to come (and things to do! and things to share!) this year.  Thanks for being along for the ride.

I wish you all the best and brightest of new years.  Cheers!

holiday time!

The Paper & Chocolate Crew!

It's here again...Holiday Fair time!  And so I hope you'll excuse the light posting, because I've been working like a busy bee behind the scenes.

Paper & Chocolate!  Design Hive!  Touch of Vermont!  BCA Holiday Market!  Hope to see you four times over! 

P.S. Only two more days for the online sale...get your holiday gifts early!

happy bestest

Here's to you! All you bloggers, commenters, faraway artists, cheerful and kind folk across the globe--thank you. You make my day, and you make May Day that much brighter.

Best wishes for health and happiness in the new year!

one last weekend...

A holiday bazaar weekend, that is.
It's your last chance to get May Day Studio goodies for your friends & family! (Until 2009, anyway.)

Friday, December 19th 11am-7pm
Saturday, December 20 10am-6pm
City Hall, Burlington, VT

paper + chocolate

Not only two of my most favorite things, but also the name of this weekend's extravaganza.
For those of you that have come for the last two years, you know what a good time it is. Tell your friends, bring someone new, or whatever you have to do to get over to Somerville this Saturday and say "hey"!

the details:
Paper & Chocolate: Albertine Press + Taza Chocolate
featuring May Day Studio, Carta Inc., Beck Wasilewski, Pressbound and more.
Saturday, December 6th, from 10 am until 6 pm<---note extended hours! 561 Windsor Street, Somerville, MA
(between Inman and Union Squares)

and just because I know you're curious...a sneak peek at some new cards:
See you there!

black friday.

Yes, it's black friday. The shops will be mobbed. The weather will be blustery and snowy (in Vermont, anyway).
And what better time to pick up some holiday cards? 100% letterpress, 100% of the time!
This weekend only--November 28-30--I'm running a special on my holiday cheer cards. Buy two, get one free!

The scoop: Purchase cards from either my etsy shop or my bigcartel shop. The two sets need not be the same--but the free one should be of equal or lesser value. Indicate which set you'd like for free in the "notes to seller" section of the invoice. As always, contact me with any questions!

Sale ends at midnight on Sunday!

hiding out + working hard

I know I don't have a great track record, posting-wise, but I do feel guilty when it's been too long.

Here's a peek at what's been keeping me away from the computer:
Last night I finished eight new journals--all bound with bookcloth handmade from vintage and retro fabric. They're not in my etsy shop, but these are! (P.S. After much demand for a square journal, I've started making these in 7-1/2" squares. Only available at my winter craft shows!)
And it's taken awhile, but I'm finally ready to send out thank yous--to those few select folks (you know who you are!). These are printed on handmade paper from Langdell from a handcarved linoleum block. I'll have a few extras for sale, too.

paper + snow

It's been a dreary few days here in Vermont. Good for staying in and drinking lots of sweet coffee...but not so good for working. After digging my car out (eight inches of snow + ice = an hour + a half of early morning exercise), my morning task was to take pictures of recent work--I don't have a light tent, so I work au natural--but the serious grayness outside was not proving very conducive to product shots.

Here they are anyway...two new quirky love cards:

I Spy Valentine Card, available soon in my etsy shop

Head Over Heels Valentine Card, available now in my etsy shop

and a treatise on the consequences of impatience (and improper makeready):

Hold Yer Horses Broadside, available soon in my etsy shop

In truth, the broadside was a teaching exercise for my Broadsides for Beginners students this past Saturday. It's meant to be imperfect, so that I can show them how to make it right (amongst other things they'll learn that day). I printed off 5 or 6 of these, and 5 will be up for sale in my etsy shop shortly.

And now for one last look:

spectacular icicles, aka the view from my kitchen window 2/3/08
(that one on the right is over three feet long!)

P.S. Come visit me this weekend at the second annual V-day spectacular Paper + Chocolate, hosted by Albertine Press and Taza Chocolate. It's an open studio, chocolate-tasting, paper-hoarding (and selling!), meet and greet all wrapped up in a sweet v-day surprise. It all happens this Saturday, February 9, from 1-6pm in Somerville, MA. See you there!