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!


Brought to You by the letter "F"


The F mug.

It's a shame that the letter F has some bad connotations, because it's a lovely letter. It's my favorite letter to write in cursive. It's fun to say in words like filigree and fennel and. In letterpress, you get to use ligatures with it. Fascinating.

I've been reading Elementary Platen Presswork by those Polk boys and the picture below says it all. Finally, a readable, informative, basic guide to platen presses. Without fear mongering.


isn't that beautiful?

And lastly friends, for whom I wrote this book. Inspired by taking a walk in the woods, "For You" is a small edition, letterpress book handprinted by Huldra Press. The text is set in Gill Sans and the images are linoleum block cuts. Each book is signed and editioned. There are only 36 copies.

It's now available in my Etsy Shop.



A flicker.

Farewell!

New Holiday & Recipe Cards

All available at Huldra Press's Etsy Shop

Huldra Press Holiday Card : Available in Blue or Green

My first holiday themed cards. Not being a fan of Christmas colors and holly and such, it wasn't the easiest card to design. But I'm happy with how they turned out. Yes, there's red and green in there but not that red and green. It's subtle.

Gift Tags too

Everything I've been printing these last couple weeks has been using the vintage wood and metal type in the Penland shop. No photopolymer plates. I'm going to miss having access to all those unusual little ornaments and drawer after drawer of tall wood letters, so I'm taking advantage of them now.

About a month ago, the school got a donation of wood type, I loved the simple wood borders and used them for these recipe cards. They remind me of an old movie theatre marquee.

kind of like this

4" x 6" recipe cards

printed front and back

It's winter, so that means cooking, lots of it. Roast chickens, soups, scones, and of course, rosemary potatoes. This afternoon, I made oatmeal raisin cookies for my mechanic. An honest mechanic deserves cookies.

Wintering


My roommate Joshua gave me that beautiful mug.


This last week, I've been working in the letterpress studio. All by my lonesome with a thermos of coffee, some snacks, and Pandora radio (lately Hall & Oates and Psychedelic Furs). I'm making new work... recipe and holiday cards, postcards, and gift tags. My goals this winter are to branch out with my color palette and work more practically and efficiently. It's good, I'm learning a lot and making things I'm excited about. I love working alone. At my own pace.

Last weekend, Jason, Wes, and I went to Knoxville to get off the mountain and see the drawing show that Rachel Clark had been so kind to invite Beth, Mark, Jason, and I to take part in. The show was called Seven Times Standard and each artist submitted seven drawings. Thank you Rachel, for inviting us and for your hospitality.

Mark Warren's wind drawings. Take a look at his blog to see more.

This is one of the drawings I did. A bit Pythonesque.

Knoxville was a refreshing breath of car exhaust and concrete. God I miss the city. I liked how industrial it was, with railroad tracks crossing the downtown, and garages at every corner. I got to visit Yee-Haw Industries, but was too shy to ask for a tour. I did get a nice nuthatch card though.

POST spelled backwards is TSOP

That is what I found out after printing a proof of my new postcards and realized I'd set the letters backwards. I did consider making TSOP cards. I do love TSOP. Love Train.
But I decided to go with the more conventional Post Card. This one will come in two color schemes. I think I'm going to do a series of cards like this with layers of type and ornaments.

Via Penland Show at Rebus Works


I'm so happy to be part of this wonderful show again this year. Rebus Works is in Raleigh, NC. The opening reception is December 4, 2009 from 6-10 and the work will be up until January 30, 2010. I'll be showing a series of drawings from the summer, and my new letterpress edition book "For You".


Layers, mixed media on book page

from For You, letterpress


There's more information about the show here. Hope you can stop by!

On another happy note, I am done with my work obligations as a core student. This is a joyous occasion. Mike and I will be moving to Philadelphia in early spring, and I will be working on getting my Chandler and Price press up and working. Till then, I'll be making paper, making books, some new stationery, and making some phone calls looking for a job. So if you know anyone who is looking for a studio assistant in Philadelphia, I would love to assist a printer, bookbinder, or conservator to keep learning about what I do. Thanks!

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. 

L is for Letterpress

I have such fond memories of Sesame Street. Especially the segments where they would go to some kind of factory or other business and learn how things are made. So when I was scrolling through my Google Reader and saw this video posted by Birddog Impressions, I had to pass it on. It made my day. 

Two kids go to the printer's to get a poster made so they can find their lost dog. Awesome letterpress footage ensues.


Rave to the Grave, y'all...


Poster by Jason Burnett

Halloween is tomorrow. Here at Penland, this is kind of a big deal. We have a party and everyone dresses up in handmade costumes. So far I've heard whisperings that a paint by numbers cat, a half polar bear half bridesmaid, and Brian Wilson will be attending.

Jason Burnett of Cakeboy Industries made this fantastic silkscreen poster featuring local legendary blacksmith Elizabeth Brim (with a leatherface mask) wielding a chainsaw. So tomorrow, Jason and I will be cutting up trash bags and splattering fake blood everywhere to set the mood. The theme is "rave to the grave" so get ready to do just that.

If you're in the area, there will a contest for best costume and the Scream Queen and King will be crowned. And yes, prizes will be awarded!

A couple years ago, I went as a Ghostbuster.

the beer in the pocket is a nice touch

This year, I will be once again mining a classic early 80's piece of film, this time Scanners. I'm not cool enough to be Darryl Revok so I'll be Kim Obrist, the female character in the movie.
So if you see someone dressed as a drab Canadian with a touch of grey and a nosebleed, that's me. Happy Halloween!




New and old


I took some time last week to update my website by adding new work and removing old work. Those of you familiar with my website will notice that there is no longer a photography section. I may not take pictures very much anymore, but I think the muted colors of a Polaroid will always be in my mind and in my work. Goodbye photography section.


Goats and Graph Paper

And Goats :: Huldra Press

My friend Erika asked me to make a book with "goats and graph paper." I thought, yes, this is where it's at. This is a great commission. If anyone else would like any combination of paper types and animals, I will make it, because I had a lot of fun making this book. Thanks Erika!


:: the text block is entirely graph paper ::

:: handmade paper covers with vintage paper bits and letterpress ::

The Odyssey of the Press

It's official. I own a press. All 1,500 pounds of a Chandler & Price Old Style 10 x 15 platen press neatly disassembled in my grandmother's garage in New Jersey. It needs some cleaning. New rollers, new motor, but it's in good shape. No welds or other funny business.


The story begins one month ago. I saw a post on Craigslist for an old printing press in a basement for very, very cheap. I called the seller, told him I wanted it and would pick it up in a few weeks. Done and done. Crystal clear... right?

I said, I want that! I mean, don't you?

I won't go into all the details, but fast forward to last Friday, after driving ten hours from North Carolina, my boyfriend and I found ourselves stranded without the address to the house and with a seller who would not answer our phone calls. Not good.

The next morning, we got the address! But the seller had to go into work. We would not be able to start at 9 AM like we had planned. And then later he wouldn't answer our phone calls. Again. Not good.

So like any reasonable individuals would do, we just showed up. With a U-Haul. And the resolve to not leave without a press.

We got very lucky because the seller's brother-in-law showed up, let us in, called the seller and said, hey, these nice people just drove ten hours to give you money, maybe you should be here. Thank you brother-in-law.

We started taking apart the press at 5 PM and unloaded it a 1 AM. The move went fairly well, except for a few baffling moments. Like this classic.

Oh crap.

I'll just say, it's amazing what you can do with a few come a-longs and ratchet straps. Thanks to these brave men, Mike and Dave, we got this beast taken apart without turning anyone's legs into hamburger.

my boyfriend really knows how to roll up ratchet straps.

I really do want to say thank you to my friends and Mike for helping me do this. Thank you to all of you who lent me equipment, lugged things, drove hours and hours, and hung out in a dusty basement for six hours with me. I couldn't have done it without you.

I'll keep you posted on the process of putting this thing back together. If everything goes right, it 'll look something like this.


Field Books






I've had field books on the brain. I guess it all started a year ago when I bought a yellow spiral bound surveyor's field book for note taking in Asheville. They tend to made with a higher quality rag paper than most other sketchbooks and are fairly waterproof. Their bright colors, lined papers, and rounded corners also make them attractive. I'm starting to incorporate elements of their style in my own books. Simplicity, utility, and quality!

:: hand bound hardcover with vintage paper cover and label by huldra press ::

:: rounded corner pocket books with handpainted covers by huldra press ::

A show, a press, and a giant floating stone head


It's been a little while, hasn't it? I've been busy, getting ready for the Core Show and so have all my dear colleagues. There's still framing to be done, but yesterday I finished my new deluxe business cards, so things are moving along. It's getting there.

There's also big news on the horizon...

Saturday, I'm picking up my new press, a 10 x 15 Chandler & Price. I'll post pictures after the move. A real bargain basement find. Literally. It's in a basement and yes, it's really a bargain. So this week, I'm gathering my wits and resources for the move. Any advice?

I know the press will need some work, but I'm beginning to feel like things are coming together. I have a hard time moving forward when I don't know what's coming next. Getting this press is making the future more concrete. A thousand pounds more concrete.

Oh, and I'm looking forward to watching Zardoz.





A Very Old Book: Les Commentaires De Cesar



You know how people say, this is why we can't have nice things? Well this is my nice thing, and knock on wood, I haven't ruined it, and I'm good at ruining nice things. It's incredible, I'm very capable of delivering neat, precise work to others but terrible at caring for my own possessions. I don't know. It's weird.

I've had this book for a very long time. It belonged to my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather was an academic and historian in France. I remember standing in his library in Aix-en-Provence and being told I could pick out one book and I picked this, the oldest looking book on the shelf. It dates from 1658.

Now that I make books, it's become a much more interesting object to me and the damage that seemed so unfortunate fortunately reveals the structure of the binding. So although I am no expert, I will tell you what I know of how this book was made.

To bind this book, the pages were sewn onto double raised cords that were then threaded through the front and back covers which were then covered in leather. They are called raised because you can see them bulging through the leather on the spine.

On the top of the book are endbands sewn over top a paper core. Two alternating colored threads were wrapped over the core for a decorative effect. The back of the book is lined with used parchment. Parchment was a valuable material and old manuscripts, this one handwritten, were taken apart and used again when no longer useful.

This is truly one of my favorite things about books, seeing how materials were reused and how much character it adds to the object.

At this time, all paper was made in a manner that we consider 'handmade' today and such paper was made from linen or cotton rags, no longer usable as clothing but very valuable to the papermaker. The paper is full of textures and inclusions that could be considered imperfections, but it has lasted almost four hundred years. That's right copy paper, four hundred years.

the texture of laid mould handmade paper

This book also has beautiful printing, sprinkled with ornamentation and maps



My family is from France and the quantity of, well, very old things is so much greater there than here and these very old things are passed on or trashed with a nonchalance that is jarring to an American like me. They are just not that exceptional over there. But I guess that makes me lucky. My family thought this book made an acceptable gift to an 8 year old and that's pretty great for me. Vive la France.

Hi, I'm in Delaware.

Yes, that's right. Delaware. No, that's not in Pennsylvania or New England (I'm looking at you, Midwesterners). It's a Mid-Atlantic state, folks. It's natural resources are refineries, old money, and the Wawas.



When I'm in Delaware, I love to go on walks. I went for a walk in New Castle, a very old town next to the Delaware River. It's really beautiful and small, slightly worn looking. It has the feeling of the coast. I like it there.



blue beautiful blue


My color of the moment seems to be blue. Grey blues, indigo blues, navy blues. For my last class of the summer, I took a weaving class with Janet Taylor, a textile artist and weaver. She makes beautiful work, and I must say, is one the sweetest, most generous teachers I've ever had. It was such a perfect way to end the summer...

In that class, I wove a scarf to look like graph paper. What originally inspired this project was a Shaker kerchief I saw in a book that was a simple grid pattern woven out of fine linen.

graph paper scarf :: handwoven linen and cotton

I did some weaving in college and enjoyed it, but never felt I made anything with a personal look to it. As simple as it is, I feel like this scarf does just that. I hope to spend more time in the weaving studio this winter.

Around the same time as I was making the scarf, my friend Erika also asked me if I would make a book using graph paper and goats. I think this is the most fun commission I've ever been asked to do. So good! I'm working on it right now and I'll give you a sneak peek in process.

in progress case bound book

And lastly, I saw this incredible mushroom while walking home yesterday, and I identified it. Done and done.

an indigo milky mushroom

My oh Mycology







I took some pictures of these incredible mushrooms today, coincidentally, a day after buying the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms. I grew up with this book around the house, which I found fascinating because of its glossy black pages and images of strange fungi. It's a beautiful book, slim and tall with dark brown plastic covers. When I go for walks, I love looking for mushroom. Strange little creatures that appear like magic, poking their heads out of the wet leaves after a good rain.

These mushroom are huge by the way. The pinkish white one (chicken of the woods I believe) is about two feet across and the orange one (jack o ' lantern I think) is about three feet.

I'll also share with you some pictures of another field guide to mushrooms soon. It has the most wonderful color palette. I'll also show you some of the weaving I just made... Inspired by graph paper!

Summer is over, so there will be more time to talk about all these wonderful things.


Looking Back and Forward. One More Week...


Eileen Wallace :: Mile Wide Press


Bryan Baker :: Letterpress Poster

That's right, there is just one more week of summer classes here at Penland. There are many things to look forward to this fall. Less hustle and bustle, sweater weather, scarves, and an eight-week letterpress class with Bryan Baker,formerly of Yee-Haw Industries, continuously amazing. Speaking of amazing, I just finished a two week class with Eileen Wallace of Mile Wide Press. Eileen is a letterpress printer, book artist, paper maker and painter. Also, an incredibly talented teacher who's taught me a great deal of what I know. I can't thank her enough. I'll be posting images shortly of some new books.

I woke up last night having dreamed about being in a japanese paper store. It was a wonderful dream, directly linked to the following. I was looking at a Shinwa cutting ruler online right before going to bed. I covet this tool. I swear, good quality cutting edge rulers must be illegal in this country or something because I can only find them for sale in Europe and Japan. Secondly, I was talking to my boyfriend about how I am searching for graph and ledger papers, a topic I find breathlessly fascinating. Now it is time to clean my studio space. I have some books and drawings to make for friends...
I want this.