Long time, no see: the National Stationery Show edition

So...I've had this dream, for almost as long as I've been printing, of doing this:

Linoleum block-printed gift wrap! Two patterns, 18x24", available in five colors, and the only place you can get it (for now):

my super-duper new booth at the National Stationery Show! The show opens tomorrow, and I'm so excited about all of the new products I've been added to my collection. If you're walking the show, stop in to booth #2144 and say hello!

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!

on the press: the bluest blue

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?

three cheers for pistachio press!

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

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!

on the press: my favorite color

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.

what-the-wednesday

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.

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

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

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 press: start to finish

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 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

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

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

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!

press mondays: the perfect eggplant

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

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

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: moments of stillness

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

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!

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)

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!