Cards and Experiments

:: the tricky little lock-up ::

I printed some new business cards for myself last week. To save money, I set the card on wood and metal type instead of getting a polymer plate and printed the cards on scraps I had gathered from previous projects. Setting the type and getting the composition just right took some time, but the printing was quick and easy. I switched colors a few times for variety. To make them more versatile I trimmed them long and narrow so that they can double as bookmarks and price labels for books as well. 

:: done and done ::

I also did some polymer plate experiments on my Chandler & Price, Junior. So far, I've only printed wood and metal type on it. Polymer is a little fussier and I was worried the results wouldn't be so great. I set up a variety of plates, a halftone, a block of large text, and another much finer lined text. Not bad at all, these aren't even the recommended deep relief polymer plates. 

:: nice ::

:: very nice ::

:: little over inked, but nice! ::

That's a relief. Good job little C&P. 

Custom & Retail

:: Janeya Cooper ::

Recently, I printed business cards for Janeya Cooper, instructional designer and technical writer, who supplied me with the design. Her design was perfect for letterpress, simple, colorful, and textured. I printed it on 220 lb Lettra, which allowed deep impression, especially for the blind embossed dots, without showing through on the other side.

:: Blue Gallery ::

Other than that, I've been focusing less on custom work and more on retail goods. Recently, I've had the good fortune, to have my books and prints added to some wonderful stores and galleries, including, the newly opened Blue Gallery in Provincetown MA, Cog & Pearl in Brooklyn NY, Rebus Works in Raleigh NC, and...it's official, the Penland Gallery in Penland NC. I'm thrilled to be working with all of these wonderful people.

Also working on some new books to add to the Etsy store, so be on the lookout for that in about a week. Five of them are going to be "special edition."

Greensaw Business Card

Hey there.

Sorry for the radio silence.

I was in North Carolina for three weeks. Promise I'll be posting regularly again.

Here are some business cards I printed for Greensaw Design & Build, an eco-conscious construction company based in Philadelphia. Three colors printed with deep impression on Muscletone Paper from French Paper Co. I think they turned out pretty nice, plus working with Greensaw was a pleasure. Thanks Greensaw!

It snowed.

A lot.

This has hindered my plans for driving to Delaware today and has left me with no choice but to play video games and drink coffee instead. Did you know that after getting 9 lives in Super Mario Bros. your lives become symbols? So you can have Crown-Brick lives!

It's true!

Perhaps due to the snow, there is now something living in my wall. Something with little gnawing teeth that kept me up last night . I would like to tell that critter that unless he/she is a mongoose and planning on coming out soon and becoming my mongoose friend, I am not pleased with this arrangement. Not at all.

Lastly, I also finished these business cards for the husband of a friend. It's their one year anniversary, which is the paper anniversary, so she is getting him these as a gift. I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard.

These were very good practice for precise trimming on the guillotine paper cutter. The guillotine, while being an enormous time saver, has always made me very nervous because if you are not paying attention, you can ruin days of work with one bad cut.

Happily, I feel like I'm getting better at it, calmer and more focused, and these came out very well. Nicely centered and even all around.

Stalking Cats

This cat does not know his picture is being taken

The little orange feller has been hanging around campus for a few weeks now, he's very skittish. I took this picture from inside the studio while he was outside enjoying himself eating grass. I think it's the closest I'm ever going to get to him. Why won't he return my calls? Flashes of Quincy!

Well, I've also been printing. I finished these cards for local blacksmith, Zack Noble. Silver on French Paper's Muscletone Black. Very nice. He's got a new website which is also very nice, you should take a look.

That's pretty much it. Finishing up odds and ends. Going to roast a chicken tonight. Going to attempt to drive home 10 hours with my cat and said chicken together in my car. It's always nice to go home for a visit. I can't wait to see my friends and family around Philadelphia.

Happy Holidays!

Anne Lemanski Business Cards

I recently finished these business cards for Anne Lemanski, sculptor and former resident artist at Penland. She is exhibiting this weekend at SOFA Chicago and needed a new set of business cards for the busy weekend. The text is all set by hand and the rabbit, a drawing of one of Anne's sculptures, is a polymer plate. Anne chose the colors, a deep rich red against a bright blue, and I looks great. One thing I love about doing custom work is that the client might pick something you never would have thought of and it opens up your palette to new possibilities. I printed them eight to a sheet, front and back, so I had to be very careful in my measurements and cutting. It all worked out. And I hope she has a great weekend at SOFA.