trying something new

...so, really, I just look for ways to make more work for myself. And make things prettier.

I've been loving headbands lately. Not the head kind--the book kind. Talas sells pretty one like these:Woven silk, in lovely color combos--just to decorate the tops of your book.

I decided to try it myself, to make my Rebounds look more finished. Here are the steps:
Sew your book as usual, and attach the super. Don't glue above the kettle stitch.
Cut a piece of ribbon slightly wider than your spine, and glue half of it just above the kettle.
Then put a bit of glue on top of the ribbon, to attach the super.
Fold the ribbon over the super, and make sure the loose ends (where you cut) are sealed with a bit of PVA.
Admire your handiwork!

While not totally necessary, I like the way they bring a shock of color to the textblock. Maybe soon I'll splurge on real headband, but I've got a lot of ribbon to get through first!

censorship.

I hope you all know about PostSecret.

Today Frank posted the following on the blog:

******

11/08/2008

MySpace Censorship

Last Monday, the PostSecret Blog on MySpace was the most visited Blog on MySpace. The next day MySpace administrators removed postcards and comments from the Blog and prevented more than 100,000 people from viewing it.

Many people have emailed me concerned about what happened. I am posting a response here because I am unsure if an explanation on the MySpace Blog will go uncensored.

As I write this, the MySpace Blog is unblocked but the latest postcards and comments have been removed completely. MySpace has set my Blog so that only friends can see it. If you friend me now I will add you.

http://www.myspace.com/postsecret

I will try and post more secrets on the MySpace Blog next week (November 15th) and see what happens. I hope you will email your friends about this and encourage MySpace to repost our secrets.

There is a censorship discussion about this now in the PSC.

PostSecret Media Contact: Dan Adams

******
If you have a myspace account, please add PostSecret as a friend.

my two cents

Life is busier than ever here, but I want to take a few seconds to remind you to vote tomorrow.
Those of you who know me, know that I'm snarky, bitter, and decidedly not patriotic. I regularly refuse to join in political discussions. You couldn't catch me with an "I Voted!" sticker. But I registered to vote when I was eighteen, and have voted in every election since. Even junior year abroad--I lived in Paris--I voted by absentee ballot.

Elections are not just about the president. I know, that's a big one this time around, but in Vermont, we're also voting for governor, state reps, attorney general, and too many more to list. Sure, the prez gets all the glory (and the shame), but the local guys are the ones responsible for snow plowing, road repairs, property taxes, and funding for our public schools.

I'm not crazy about either one of the major candidates--and there are those of you who will be quite upset when I say that. But I will be standing in line at City Hall to cast my vote tomorrow. Will you?

Letterpress posters by the ever-impressive Amos P. Kennedy Jr. (top) and the awe-inspiring Yee-Haw Industries (bottom).

choosing the right paper

...just a quick note to say hi, and remind you about the seminar I'm offering tomorrow at Letterpress Things: Choosing the Right Paper. I have samples from several different papermakers and paper mills, lots of swatchbooks, and a pretty concise guide to the best (and friendliest!) paper peeps in the US.
There'll be a sign-up sheet at the front counter--just choose the session you want (9:30-11, 11:30-1, and 1:30-3) and meet me there! Cost is only $10, which covers the paper samples. Bring your questions!

chapbook -- the last day!

Sometimes you think a project will be fantastic. And then it is, but takes two months longer than you'd scheduled for. Last Tuesday, the signed pages finally arrived on my doorstep (after this fiasco, I was despairing of them ever arriving!). I had all the rest of the chapbook assembled--I just needed to sew it all together, basically.

Four hours later, voila!
One hundred poetry chapbooks, printed and bound by me! (Buy yours here!)

And only seven weeks late.

That Wednesday, I took a short break from the chapbook to greet two very special guests: Dave and Beth from Hot Metal Services, who very kindly drove all the way from Tennessee to fix big metal machines in the Northeast. They had a day off, so after they were done with Shelley's Vandercook, they took the drive up to Montpelier to attend to Lucy.

The diagnosis: dirty, but in great condition. Beth took out the tiniest screwdriver ever, and dug out all the gunk in the gear teeth. Dave measured the rollers (exactly 2-1/2", thank goodness!), adjusted the ink drum belt, and answered all of my questions about funny noises and dust. Lucy is now 100% shiny metal from top to bottom--and in perfect health!

a quiet day

Last Saturday's workshop was definitely quiet!  I had two cancellations late Friday night--and so only one student!

Samantha was a very good sport, and put up with me talking all day long!  

She made notecards with an old saying of her father's: "Why is a mouse when it spins?" and inside "The higher, the fewer."  Has anyone else heard this before?

intro workshop blur

Last night I taught the first (of what I hope will be many!) session of Intro to Letterpress in my studio. Thanks to Maria, Emily, and Megan for having the faith in me to sign up in the first place!

Unfortunately, all the pictures I took last night were blurry. I was feeling a bit blurry, too--it's been a long few weeks, kids, and this is just the beginning.
(above) Emily (below) Megan and Maria, all checking out my crazy collection of magnesium and copper images
Right now: running out the door to prep for tomorrow's Experience the Letterpress Thing in Chicopee. Next week's intro workshop: setting type!

P.S. I have one more spot left in my 10/18 Wood Type Fun workshop--email me now if youre interested!

meet me here:

From Letterpress Things Printshop

Tomorrow, Saturday October 4, from 11-3. Check out the full flyer; get directions here; see you soon!

And, because I'm so excited about them, a sneak peek at some new work:

open studio: recap

The open studio was great! Thanks to everyone who came, and talked my ear off, and tried the presses, and bought journals, and...

...everything. You kept me so busy, I didn't even get any pictures of the studio-in-action. For more pictures (well, more exciting than my gloves), check out photographer Curtis Savard, who stopped by (and stayed for awhile!) and Tara Jensen, fellow Fort Can-ite.

open studio

I hope you'll all (yes, all!) join me tomorrow at my open studio.It's been a very long day...and I'm still not ready! Back to work!

just a quick one...

The chapbook is on hold, as the post office seems to have lost the signed pages from the poet. While I wait for my lovely, lovely mail carrier to reveal where he left the box, enjoy:Aren't stacks of things just lovely?

chapbook -- day 4 to 12

I'm almost done! Here are a few pictures from the last week:

paper "tongues," to try to stop the slurring at the bottom of the page (it worked!)

on the press, the palest orchid, but...

a solid lavender on the page!

my headache--eight hours of tiny, tiny (did I mention small) pieces of paper for makeready on the last plate.
that pic was after hour three.

it's still not perfect, but the last plate was finally printed!

chapbook -- day 3

My soundtrack for the day--Breakfast of Champions (Kurt Vonnegut is such an inspiration!) read by Stanley Tucci. I think I've read it a dozen times, but having it read to me is such a great treat!It's so small, but this smudge tripped me up for a good hour today. I ended up wiping down the whole press!
It's a bit of a walk to the sink, so I've been using (and reusing) latex gloves for my clean-hands work.
Grr. Hate it when that happens.
Relaxing in the midst of chaos. But really, I just wanted to show you my favorite socks (pink and purple stripes) and the best clogs ever: Dansko Piper in blue cabrio--now totally discontinued :(

Chapbook countdown: finished two more text pages today...only five more to go!

gocco fun!

Eva at my kitchen table, inking the first screen

Eva came by my house this morning to get a jump on her posters. As part of being a Fort Can artist-in-residence, Brian and I help with advertising your "show": Brian can consult about the art, and I handle the text--letterpress, of course. This month, B has his hands full with trying to repaint the walls, so I volunteered to show Eva how to use the Gocco.

I haven't used my machine in over a year (or more!), but the bulbs and screens were just fine, and Eva had a blast!
Two colors and sixty prints later...now they just need text!

chapbook -- day 2

Day 2 was not as productive as day 1. I only finished text page (I was shooting for two), because my knee was acting up. And Eva came by for a meeting about posters...she'll be the artist taking over the gallery for September.

chapbook -- day 1

click on the picture for a larger version!

It's been awhile since I mentioned this project, but it's taken awhile to get off the ground. I have the great privilege of printing a poetry chapbook for Well Lit Press. The publisher contacted me eight months ago, and it's been a long (but very illuminating) process. I'm very glad to finally be working on it!

The only downside is...just to the left in the photo. Yup, crutches. I did a little something funny to my knee last week, and have been limping very, very slowly since. Today I got the results of the MRI: sprained ACL, torn tendons, and lots of swelling and bruising. The forecast: maybe knee surgery, maybe not. I'll know more on Tuesday, when the orthopedic surgeon will be back from the long weekend.

Chapbook countdown: despite the injury, I've finished three of the eleven runs for the text. Lucy is cooperating very nicely; I'll keep you posted as to the rest!

P.S. Buy your copy now!

week(end) in review

Totally last minute invitations for the Letterpress Guild's annual party. Do you know how challenging it is to send letterpressed invitations to a group of professional (and particular) letterpress printers?Also, business cards for two *new* local professionals, Danielle and Kelsey.

a bit of a surprise

Look what startled me out of my business card reverie:
It was only the engine car, but when a train rumbles by, less than ten feet from where you're printing very small pieces of paper, you take notice.

Also note the amazing clouds + sky: after two weeks of almost non-stop rain, it's still hard to be indoors!

making do

Some days it's a real challenge to get myself to the studio at all. Today I don't have any scheduled print jobs--as I'm waiting for proofs to be returned--so...I guess I'll be printing business cards for me. (Note the serious lack of enthusiasm.)

It was in that sort of frame of mind that I started making these (all those months ago):


and now they're finally up for sale in my etsy shop. It only took me 15 months.

you're invited

Fort Can Galley & Studios
requests your attendance at

STAMINA
Brian Zeigler and Tara Jensen
An installation completed by Zeigler and Jensen during a twenty-four hour drawing marathon. Explores time, endurance and the meaning of life. Featuring a Q&A with the artists and DJ John Brinker.
Saturday, August 9th 6-10 PM
190 River Street, Montpelier

for more information: the fort can blog

advertising ideas

I work with paper. A lot of paper. And no matter how hard I try, there's always just a bit left over.

I was in the studio all day on Wednesday, and though I desperately need to print thank you notes and business cards for me, that wasn't challenging enough. I've been trying to come up with a flyer/brochure/something for MDS, but it all seems so...corporate. And corporate is one thing I'm not.

So a full day let me put this together:
*bits of paper leftover from journal-making (text weight, and slightly bigger than a bookmark)
*the new type and dingbats that came with Lucy G., and some of it is too cool for words
*pretty orange ink inspired by this post from Albertine PressToday's mission: hang up these little handbills in pretty little rows on the bulletin boards around town!

introducing...

Lucy-Goosey!

Two days ago, I inked up the Vandy for the first time. And as I was deciding what to set in type, it came to me. She was decorated by one of her previous owners with this sticker, and since all of her "issues" have been due to lack of lubrication, it seemed that a fortuitous name was needed.

What do you think?

tools of the trade + the best sound

Some folks have a favorite pair of jeans. I have a favorite composing stick (8", sets 40+ picas), line gauge, and bone folder. But the tools that made my afternoon are pictured above: 3-in-1 oil, the big maglite, tiny bottle brush, lint-free rags, simple green, wd-40, and more 3-in-1 oil. After much advice from the awesome minds on vanderblog and a quick email from Perry Tymeson, I spent the better part of this afternoon and evening oiling the heck out of my Vandercook. And it works! Oh, thank you thank you thank you!

And now, for the best sound ever:

even better

Even better than having the presses of my dreams, plus a light-filled, sunny-gold studio?
Having one of those presses in (very nearly) perfect working order. And brand new rollers. And the blackest black ink ever.

Now if only the Vandercook would be so obliging....

mondays + back in business

It's been a long few weeks, moving my not-so-little print shop out of the second floor apartment, across town, and into the new studio. This past weekend was the culmination--bringing up the Vandercook (+ more!) from Chicopee to Montpelier. Here are a few in-progress photos:

room without paint!

painted, but still moving in, last thursday

John B. with the full moving truck, early Saturday morning

Vandy on the lift gate...only two feet from the door!

And here is everything in place (mostly!):

new paper cutter, 8x12 C&P, and type cabinets along the far wall

my new little Vandy!

It's staggering, the amount of *stuff* I added to my printshop in one weekend. Doubled? Tripled? I have to say, running my own business is starting to feel *real*!