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!

I just don't know what to say

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

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!).

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: rockstar gold

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?

finished fridays: making progress

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

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 bench: busy is as busy does

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!

on the bench: pro bono

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!

finished: saturday morning edition

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!

finished: one week at a time

It's been such a busy week.  I haven't stopped since getting back from New York (and tonight, I'm really feeling the drag).

This week I finished three wholesale orders--to three stores that I'm so excited to be a part of: Urban Mercantile, in San Francisco, Papel New York in Brooklyn, and The Drawing Board right here in Montpelier.  I did a little photo shoot with the Drawing Board's goodies before I dropped off the box with Jodi, Liz, and Jen. 

Don't you just love the way pages drape and curve?  They're so sturdy and practical, and yet are so light.

Also this week: I've been thinking about this packaging for six months--no, seriously.  My decorative papers, stitched on the sewing machine into pretty little packages for card sets.

finished fridays

Part three of the new blog goals: Finished Fridays!

Every Friday, I'd like to show off a little something that I finished during the week. This week, a lot of stuff is still in progress, but I did complete one wholesale order, and dropped it off at the chocolate factory(!) Friday. Thanks to Nutty Steph's for falling for my Quirky Love cards!

on the press mondays

The first of a new series (I hope) of blog posts about the daily life of a letterpress business. And to start us off:

No rest for the press!  I returned (triumphant! I might add) from the Gift Show on Friday, and immediately started working on the custom jobs that had been piling up...these are birthday announcement/cards for the President of Saint Michael's College.  1300 of them, to be precise.  I finished the printing and final trims last night, and today am sorting and shipping.      

And yes, I know it's Tuesday.

so nice!

Yesterday the fantastic Jeb Wallace-Brodeur at the Times Argus came by the printshop to take photos and learn a bit more about what I do.   I'm thrilled with the results!

(a sneak peek on the front page!)

(and a very nice spread at the front of the local section.)

Thanks, Jeb!

a day in the life

On Wednesdays, my day starts at 8am. That may not be early for some of you, but I am most definitely not a morning person. At least until I've had a cup of coffee.
Which means that after I open the studio doors at 8, I sit on my bum and read, or listen to VPR, for an hour or so until the caffeine has kicked in. Today was no exception.





At 9, I put more of that plummy purple ink on the big C&P, and printed the details on the back of save-the-dates for Emily and John.





Then a short break--run home to check email--and back to work.
Sara Grace gave me a stack of posters two weeks ago, and I've been working on them slowly. Since she only needs ten or so for each date--and there were four dates, at four different venues, to be printed in four different colors--I've been doing one set every few days. Today was the last round!

(around the Vandercook's cylinder)

(all finished!)

And then clean up the second press, and run home for a very, very late lunch.

Yay for overprints!

Then Em & John, and Sara Grace stopped by to pick up their goodies, and I...
...get back to work. It's 7:30, and I'm finishing the first side of cards for The Lamb Abbey.

I'm feeling really accomplished today...it's rare that I get a full day in the studio, so it's pretty amazing to see what one person can accomplish. It was also lovely to have visitors (Brian's wife Linda with Baby E., and Ben & Ben & Gordon, and Sara & Lindsay, and Emily & John), and to geek out to two pretty good books on tape--which are a total staple around Fort Can.

in the meantime...

...I've been so busy lately, I don't even know where to start!  And I don't have photos of the big projects, but here's the fun stuff I manage to slip in:

 

Fun valentine-themed party invites for my friend Esme and her new venture, Venus Tattoos.
More talented friends!  Band posters for the incredible Sara Grace & the Suits.  Photo by Heather Gray, design & letterpress by me!
And today I'm working on save-the-dates for John & Emily--former housemates, now engaged.  Emily designed the save-the-date after this logo because they're getting married on--you guessed it!--7/11.

harrumph.

Or, more precisely, *sigh.*

Last year, around this time, I was happily shopping at the ReStore and finishing holiday cards. January is a typically slow month in many ways--folks aren't spending money after the holiday glut, etc.--and I usually get a week or so to knit and hang out with friends.

Not so this year.

I shouldn't complain, really, not with all the seriously depressing financial forecasts, but I'm busy. A little too busy.

In the last week alone:

I'm so thrilled to be a part of this month's Poppytalk Handmade: Love Transforms. The market started last Monday, and I've had a fairly large response--sales, inquiries, compliments--all of which need to be responded to.

...which led to a shout-out on etsy's blog, and two etsy front page spots.

All of which involves the internet, which I don't have at the studio--only at home--so making that four mile round-trip a few times a day (posting new items to the shop, photographing new work, packing orders, printing labels, dropping them off at the post office) has me a little turned around.

Did I mention the crazy snow/twenty-below weather we've been having? The May Day mobile doesn't care for the cold, so I've been walking more than my knee wants to allow.

And that doesn't include the print work I have on schedule:
Inaugural Ball posters for the Lamb Abbey--a collaborative project with the Fort Can geniuses. Totally last minute, of course. (P.S. Brian + Tara were just photographed for the local paper--read more here.)

Party invitations for a local literary press:
(Still in progress--so no more details yet!)

Did I mention that I still work two other "day" jobs? Here's to a crazy 2009!

P.S. The workshop schedule is now posted, too. Whew!

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