Huldra Press

If I were you I'd take precaution...

2012-02-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

yes, I made this. yes, you can totally have one.

Go Robo Go.

2012-02-01T09:21:00.000-08:00

This will be the third year that I print the ever popular, ever classy Robocop valentine.

So please take some time to show your lady or man that you care, and purchase this fine card.

Beautiful Books

2012-01-30T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my boyfriend and I spent a day walking around the city and we went to several used bookstores along the way, something we both love to do. I always make a beeline towards the children's section, followed by the science and art, he heads straight for science fiction. I read his science fiction books and take pictures of the books I buy. It works.

:: german biology textbook ::

:: American Wild Life with heavily embossed cover ::

:: American Wild Life, three foxes ::

:: a drawing I made a few years ago from this same book, different edition ::

:: Science Stories, gorgeous ::

:: Science Stories, how the moon looks ::

Best Day Job Ever

2012-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

:: Common Press poster by me::

I'm a lucky girl. My day job these days is working at Common Press, the University of Pennsylvania's letterpress studio as their letterpress tech/coordinator. I spent my first few months there organizing, cleaning, and getting the presses tuned up. Still working on that, I'm looking at you SP-15... Now though, we're turning our focus to printing new work at the press as well as archiving and documenting old work.

This poster is one of the new pieces I printed. It was printed using only wood and metal type from the studio on recycled French Paper.

Winter Colors

2012-01-09T14:09:00.000-08:00

I was so lucky to have been invited to spend a weekend with friends in the Catskills, NY. We went for a walk and I looked for for critters and treasures. No critters (well, I did see some little kinglets) but many treasures...

:: red lichen blossoms ::

:: golds and reds ::

:: layers of mushrooms and lichens ::

:: who lives here? ::

:: hello, bright little mushroom ::

:: shards of ice ::

I think winter is my favorite season.

Books

2012-01-02T16:34:00.000-08:00

One of my new year's resolutions to myself is to consistently, steadily, make books all year round. To not wait for an order or a craft fair, to just make them and put them out there. So here is what is available right now, these are all handmade and one of a kind with a unique mix of papers.

:: a pocket butter yellow journal ::

:: with mixed paper ::

:: a dark earth brown pocket journal ::

:: with mixed paper ::

:: mahogany pocket notebook ::

:: with mixed paper ::

Like Tears in Rain...

2011-12-31T12:58:00.000-08:00

I printed a letterpress broadside with the famous tears in rain quote from the movie Blade Runner. I am now queen of the nerds.

:: like tears in rain ::

The type is handset 8 pt Univers Italic, set in a straight line across the lower half of the print. Every time I pulled a print, I wiped the ink off of the last part of the text, "time to die" so that it would print lighter than the rest.

:: all wood and metal type and forms ::

The rest of the print was composed entirely from wood and metal type and forms (big blocks of wood) that were available where I work, at Common Press of The University of Pennsylvania.

:: type and wood block ::

Each print is cranked through the press one color at a time and one piece of paper at a time, so that's ten layers of color and text on every print. It makes some interesting and unexpected textures and colors when those layers meet.

:: type and wood block ::

The prints will be available soon from an edition of 15.

vivid

2011-12-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

I've been having dreams so vivid recently that I'm a little disoriented when I wake up...

:: fred herzog :: vancouver art gallery

:: kousaki hiromu - grandfather's envelopes :: The Douglas Hyde Gallery

:: rokuro taniuchi :: via 50 watts

:: urnatur ::

:: tigers in their natural habitat :: scanned from a vintage encyclopedia

In the shop

2011-12-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

All new. All available here in the Huldra Press Etsy shop. Plus much, much more. And if you enter the code "SHIPFOR3" at checkout, shipping is free until January 1st.

:: rock lobster letterpress postcard ::

:: leather pocket notebook ::

:: hello friend letterpress postcard ::

:: warmest wishes letterpress postcard ::

:: leather pocket notebook ::

This is where my head is today...

2011-11-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

Craft Fairs galore...

2011-11-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've been pulling my hair out. In a good way. Why? I am doing three craft fairs this holiday season. A record for Huldra Press...and a stretch. A good stretch!

In all seriousness, I'm very excited to be doing all three of these wonderful craft fairs. And it's been a great push to make new work.

I've been printing away and will have a selection of new cards to debut. Not photographed yet, sorry. And books, stacks of books. Many books.

Here's the line up, from soonest to latest.

:: Art Star Craft Bazaar - In Philly ::

:: The Big Crafty - In Asheville ::

:: Crafty Balboa - in Philly ::

Hope to see you there!

Three Things

2011-10-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

:: me and my buddy ::

I had such a wonderful open studio weekend. It was a beautiful weekend here in Philadelphia, and I'm so grateful to everyone who came by to say hello and see the shop, I had the best time and met so many interesting people.

Also on my list of things I'm grateful for...

:: Bear and Snake, by me ::

This week on Cheek Teeth, the blog of the Trachodon, the fascinating biannual magazine literature, art, and artisan culture, there's an interview about my work. I was invited by their super talented Managing Editor, Katey Schultz, to have my work featured in their last issue, thank you Katey!

:: Blade Runner Poster by Godmachine ::

And lastly, Blade Runner. I'm completely obsessed with Blade Runner. I think it might be the most beautiful movie ever made. The reason for this renewed love affair, a friend of mine gave me the soundtrack (by Vangelis) a few months ago, which I've been listening to while I work. Then I rented the documentary Dangerous Days, about the making of the film. I've always been fascinated by this movie and learning more about it's difficult production only made me more appreciative of its beauty. And, I think I want to be special effects designer circa 1984.

OPEN STUDIO!

2011-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Next weekend I'm going to be opening up my doors as part of the Philadelphia Open Studio Tour.

My studio is located in Northeast Philadelphia at Globe Dye Works, a beautiful old factory building converted into artist's studios. There will be a half dozen or so other exhibiting artists in the building, painters, boat builders, photographers, and more.

If you're live in or happen to be in Philadelphia next weekend, I really hope you can stop and say hello.

I'll have some new work to show you and you can see the new up and running press, type collection, and other neat things. There will also be refreshments.

See you there!

My sketchbook

2011-09-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people tell me they are afraid to use a handmade book. I tell them I make them to be used and that I think they only grow more interesting and beautiful with use.

This is a book I made for myself about six years ago.

The covers are made from an old book. They were already quite worn.

I inset a vintage photograph into the front cover. The owl is original to the old book covers.

:: sketches, left, illustration, right ::

I dyed the pages with black walnut dye and bound six the original illustrations into the new text block. Those are some cat sketches.

This is an autograph from Crispin Hellion Glover. He makes books too. I'm a fan.

A friend gave me this stamp of a fox, which I glued to the back cover.

There's no wrong way to use a handmade book. You can use it for your grocery lists or your diary, your notes for class or your drawings, and if you like, you can put it on a shelf and look at it when it pleases you. Anything you do is right.

Hey, Nice Loafers!

2011-08-28T14:33:00.000-07:00

hey, nice loafers

I sort and sort and sort some more. There's been moments when I've wanted to strangle the previous owners of my type collection but now those drawers are looking spick and span. There's more work to be done, but I've finally sorted all the standing type and spacing material that came with the typecases I bought. Progress!

cute-trimmer

I also bought this little beauty on Ebay for peanuts. I used it on Friday to cut the paper for my business cards (coming soon!) and it's the bee's knees. Welcome to the team, Kutrimmer, between you and the board shear, I am unstoppable.

Slow day.

2011-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

For the last week, we haven't had the internet in our apartment. It's kind of nice. I've been cooking real dinners. The last two nights, Mike and I sat outside on our deck for a couple hours. I've been reading a great deal more than usual too. I'm about half way through "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula LeGuin. My favorite part are the descriptions of the planet Winter, with its "pale-scarlet" conifer trees and the "small secret ceaseless descent of snow."

Today though, I did catch up on my internet reading though and found these treasures

:: queen bees via the golden smith ::

:: three rolls of kaya via sri threads ::

In the studio, I've been mainly sorting and organizing which has been very satisfying and the type cases are looking all the better for it. I guess that's it. Oh well, slow day.

Mysteries

2011-08-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long radio silence. I was traveling and now I'm back in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, while I was away, the internet at the house stopped working (I'm looking at you, starts with V ends with N) and it won't be back until September 1st (I'm giving you the stink eye right now, starts with V ends with N). Therefore I'm forced to broadcast from an unknown location.

Until things are back to normal, enjoy these mysterious images.

:: justin berry ::

:: accidental mysteries ::

:: hamilton wood type catalogue ::

:: mani katz ::

:: kevin appel ::

The Getaway

2011-07-22T08:55:00.000-07:00

:: ocean ::

It's 97 degrees here in Philadelphia. Feels like 112 according to the weather report. I don't understand how that's even possible. Summer in the city is pretty rough. Looking forward to leaving every chance I get.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to the beach in New Jersey, a quiet little spot that is part of the state park system. Such a good find!

And last week, I was so lucky to have the chance to spend a few days in the Adirondacks at a beautiful house that belongs to a family friend.

:: in the boat house ::

:: hammock ::

:: lamp and curtains ::

It's like candy!

2011-07-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

via inky socks

I am a big fan of my google reader, the nifty program that allows me to subscribe to the blogs & tumblrs I love and read them all together in one place. I use it to find inspiration, shop for equipment, and as a very effective general time waster.

When I want something new to read, I'll look to the links of my favorite blogs, see what they like, which always leads to very interesting and sometimes unexpected results.

Here are some recent finds.

really lovely ceramics by Takuro Kuwata

pencil talk!

This blog is dedicated to "exploring the art and science of pencils since 2005." How cool is that?

via Intelligent Clashing

I've also been reading Manna from Brooklyn, which is a blog centered around thrift store and curb finds and petting cats, two things dear to my soul. It's my favorite right now. Last night, I also ended up spending an hour at cardcow.com, looking at vintage postcards of Wilmington, DE which is where I grew up. You can search for vintage postcards on any topic, I have the feeling I'll be spending many more hours there, looking at pictures of kittens with books.

What are your favorite sources of inspiration?

Custom Journals

2011-07-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

Last year I was commissioned by my friend Catherine to make a set of four custom journals as graduation gifts for friends. Catherine supplied me with a list of the recipients likes and interests which I included in each one. This year, I had the pleasure of making two more.

The first one was for someone who loves fashion and textiles, flowers, feathers, and other delicate things.

:: the cover ::

:: a landscape opens to a history of shoes ::

:: graph paper, a page from a vintage autograph book, and a child's exercise book ::

:: a vintage postcard of Marilyn Monroe ::

:: the cover ::

The second book was for someone who loves the forest and the ocean. For the cover I had the perfect vintage illustration from a children's science book.

:: handmade flax paper and the ocean ::

:: fossilized marine life ::

:: vintage graph paper and a map of the Atlantic ::

Beauty

2011-07-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Cy Twombly

Birthe Piontek

Shaker Gift Drawings

Mark Cohen

The Books of Anselm Kiefer 1969-1990

2011-06-24T06:24:00.000-07:00

A very rare book by my favorite "book artist," Anselm Kiefer via The Art of Memory.

Textiles

2011-06-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

I love weaving. If I had all the time and all the space in the world. I would have a loom. I actually learned to weave years ago when I was in college, before I even knew what letterpress was.

:: Gunta Stolzl ::

A couple years ago, I got to take a weaving class again at Penland, and made this graph paper scarf out of linen.

:: me! ::

I think there's a lot of similarities in process and final appearance between hand-weaving and letterpress.

Both are labor intensive to set up, the hours of feeding each thread through the heddles and reed or the hours of setting type and spacing material, but quick to execute. Both are set up traditionally to work on a x and y axis, making design very linear and geometrical.

This is a constraint I actually really enjoy.

:: Impossible Objects by Huldra Press ::

And I just discovered the needlework of At Swim-Two-Birds. Love.

:: At Swim-Two-Birds ::

Maybe weaving will be my retirement.

Summer in Philadelphia

2011-06-11T07:25:00.001-07:00

:: clouds ::

We just got out of a nasty heat wave here in Philadelphia. The heat broke on Thursday with a dramatic thunderstorm. I made a little movie of the clouds forming, it was beautiful and threatening.

It was hard to do much when it felt like 104 outside. I know the cat felt the same way.

:: monkey ::

My studio gets very hot in the summer. I'm trying to find solutions to this problem. An entire wall of windows is beautiful, and a blessing in the winter, but it feels like a greenhouse in the summer. I'm working with my landlord to find the best way to install curtains, and possibly a portable air conditioner too.

In the meantime, I've been taking my work home with me.

:: books in progress ::

Mike is in Michigan teaching a class at Ox-Bow for two weeks, so I am home alone. Right now, I'm working on a big order of books for Cog & Pearl in Brooklyn, and later this week, I have some custom books to make too. I have plenty of work to keep me busy so hopefully those two weeks will just fly by. Well, almost fly by.

When he gets back, we're going to put those finishing touches on the press and then it's time for some serious printing.

Green Days

2011-06-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

:: that's my mom ::

Summer is here, the trees are green, and so is the new typecase! Last weekend, I visited my parents in Delaware, we took a walk in Brandywine Creek state park. I live in South Philadelphia, where apparently they hate trees for reasons I will never understand. Going to Delaware is a nice change.

:: that's my new typecase ::

Last month was very productive. I spent a lot of it cleaning and rearranging the studio, which certainly is looking better than before. I also made my first test print on the press. To give you an update on the press, all that needs to be done now is

- reattach the feed boards
- figure out where it's going to sit in the studio
- plug it in!

:: that's the Cooper wood type in the back that I'm dying to use ::

I'm so happy I bought these type cases. I didn't really have the room for them, but now that I've sold my old typecase and the galley cabinet, I know I made the right decision. Look at all that wood type!

:: and that's more wood type ::

Things are looking pretty good. There's days where I feel completely overwhelmed, but I know I'm doing something right. I just need to be patient.

Orange

2011-05-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

all via ffffound

Collaboration

2011-05-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

:: North Carolina # 2 ::

My friend Shane Darwent just launched a website. He takes incredible photographs and makes sculptures inspired by the sights he's seen in his travels around the country. Last fall, we collaborated on a portfolio as part of a show at Rebus Works.

:: Eastern Missouri # 2 ::

The idea was simple, Shane selected a series of image of basketball hoops and mailed them to me. When I received them, I laid them out and began "altering" them with a mixture of drawing and collage.

:: Georgia # 2 ::

I wanted to make marks that accented the tight composition of Shane's photographs, obscuring and highlighting parts of the photograph.

:: Tennessee # 1 ::

We ended up with a portfolio of five which happens to be the number of players on a basketball team.

:: Ava, MO ::

Shane and I are interested in producing a small edition of prints from the originals. I'll keep you updated on the project as it develops.

Animals and Minerals

2011-05-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

:: mineral ::

I recently added a new group of books to my Etsy shop.

:: wild cat ::

Very simple and neat.

:: okapi ::

They are bound in light natural linen book cloth, with inset vintage encyclopedia illustrations of animals and minerals.

:: cacomistle ::

If you would like to see more or purchase a book, please visit my shop.

:: letterpress printed page ::

The First Print

2011-05-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

:: first print ::

This weekend, after a year of searching and false starts, cleaning and oiling, adjusting and taping, I finally pulled a print on my very own press.

It may not look like much, but this print is the beginning of much, much more...

Note: In case you're wondering why this print looks the way it does, it was a test print to make sure that the platen, the flat metal surface on which you lay your paper, was perfectly parallel to the press bed, the other flat metal surface on which your type sits. To test this, I set type in all four corners of the chase (the chase is the frame that holds your type, see picture) and adjusted the platen until all four corners printed evenly and equally.

If you're trying to do this, here's the information I found most useful.

How to Adjust/Level the Platen on a Chandler & Price

- First, make sure your rollers are set properly (this is an entirely different animal)

- Spray the platen adjustment bolts with some WD-40 and let them sit for a few minutes. While you're waiting you can do this. (adapted from Green Dolphin Press's FAQ's)

Get a cap M or H, 48 pt. or larger, something you're certain is type high. Tape a 2 pt. lead to the face. Find a piece of string a couple of feet long and tie one end around the sides of the type. Remove the tympan and all packing. Close the press, stopping it with the platen lock (under the delivery board) snapped into place and the rollers at the top of the plate.Grasp the string and let the piece of type slide down between the platen and bed on the left side. If it won't go in, the platen is too far in. If it rattles around, the platen is too far out.

- Each bolt has two nuts. The one closest to the platen, top bolt, is the one that actually raises or lowers the platen. The one furthest from the platen, bottom bolt, locks the adjustment in place. It must be loosened first to make an adjustment and then tightened once the adjustment has been made.

- Get two wrenches.

- Use a wrench to loosen all the bottom bolts by turning them counter-clockwise. Using the type on the string as a guide, judge where the platen needs to be adjusted in or out.

- Now you can adjust the platen by turning top bolt. Turn it counter-clockwise where the platen is too far out, this will raise it and close the space. Turn it clockwise where the platen is too far in, this will lower it and increase the space.

Make you adjustments slowly, bit by bit, back and forth, using the type on the string as your guide. To lock your settings, hold the top bolt with one wrench, and tighten the bottom bolt with your other wrench.

- Put on your rollers and ink up the press. Set 4 48 point or larger, definitely type high pieces of type in all four corners about 5 picas from the edge of the chase. (see picture). Put in regular packing, a sheet of tympan paper on top, a piece of red board bellow, and a couple sheets of text weight smooth paper under that. Pull a print and take a look. Add packing if needed.

Where it's printing light, raise the platen, where it's darker, lower the platen. Look at the back of the sheet too to see make sure the impression is the same in all four corners. Remember, make your adjustments slowly, back and forth. Every time you make an adjustment, lock it in, and then pull a print. This will take a while, when you move one, it will affect the others slightly, but eventually you'll zero it in.

- Congratulations, you just leveled the platen.

Thoughts on Books

2011-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had a particularly good day at the used bookstore and came home with a heavy stack of books. Looking at them made me wonder, how can you replace books with screens?

In my opinion, you can't. A book is to be enjoyed for its design as well as the information it contains and unlike a screen, it ages, often in beautiful and unexpected ways.

perfect tape

This is Cape Light, a book of photographs by Joel Meyerowitz. It's one of the first photography books I fell in love with.

catchy title

I have always wanted to get more acquainted with minerals.

These reproductions of crystals are so lovely.

In 6th grade, I think I was the only kid psyched to go on a geology field trip, which included going to a quarry, checking out some strata, and looking at core samples collected by geologists. It was awesome. I should have been a scientist.

The Boy Mechanic

Lastly, do you ever have the sinking feeling we're getting worse at doing things? All things? If not, you haven't yet read "The Boy Mechanic," a collection of 800 projects a boy should be able to do, such as weave a hammock, build a canoe, or build your own homemade electric locomotive model and track system.

Now how do you feel? Yeah, I thought so.

I love books. I love them as objects and for what they contain. I never want to live in a house without books. I can't even imagine what that would be like. Maybe books will end up like records, no longer mass market but still enjoyed by a small group of loyal enthusiasts. We'll see.

Custom & Retail

2011-05-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

:: 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."

Gone Thrifting

2011-05-11T10:31:00.000-07:00

:: mikasa plate ::

I went to the thrift store yesterday to look for old books. It was not a particularly good day for books, but I found some things, including a very pretty, large Mikasa plate.

:: wildlife encyclopedia ::

I did find one book, the A's of a wildlife encyclopedia, which I'll use in my books. I also learned some interesting facts about anemones, amphiuma, and the organizational habits of arctic foxes.

:: sweet little cup ::

Lastly, this little cup, made in France, with mushrooms and vegetables all around. A good day, with inspiring objects.

I've been thinking a lot about what I will want to print once the press is running. Postcards? I like designing postcards. I want the first few things I print to be made using the type I have in the shop, no polymer plates. Then again, I want to draw. Mostly though, I've been thinking about color, which will be my jumping off point regardless of what material I choose.

My roller gauge is set to arrive on Thursday, meaning I'll be able to set my rollers by this weekend. Oh, this is so exciting! Everything rests on you, lollipop-shaped tool!

:: picture via letterpress delicacies ::

Fortune Cookie

2011-05-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

A fortune cookie told me the other day, do not let what you do not have, prevent you from using what you do have. I answered, how did you know I was secretly obsessing over not having found a Vandercook yet? It replied 39 5 12 4 7.

That cookie is right. It's so damn right. I'm lucky to have a space and great little Chandler & Price just waiting to get to work. Yes, I still want that Vandercook. Really bad. But it may be awhile before I find the right one...at the right price.

Yesterday, I took pictures of the galley cabinet, type case, and now furniture cabinet I've decided to sell. There is now a flickr set with measurements, descriptions, and prices of what I am selling to make room in the studio. I'll be posting it on Briar Press soon too.

While I was there, I shot a quick video of me turning the flywheel of the press, so you can see the motion of the press. Plus you get to see how awkward I am around cameras.

Before...

2011-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

Press Month began on Sunday with the addition of a two new type cases to the studio. As you can see in the photograph below, I have not yet found space for said type cases...It looks like I will be playing a little studio Stackenblochen.

:: Type Type Type! ::

But who can resist type!

Borders, ornaments, and oh so much more...

...and glorious, glorious wood type.

No, I couldn't resist. This means though that I am cut off.

That's it. No more. My 500 square foot studio has reached capacity.

By the way, this month, I'll be selling a single type cabinet (with type) and a galley tray cabinet, that also contains type, dies, and spacing material. You, dear readers, have first dibs. Please email me if you're interested.

So here we go, Press Month begins, and I submit to you this "before" picture, and we'll see where we are come June.

:: before ::

It's Press Month!

2011-05-03T09:59:00.001-07:00

That's right, Press Month has begun. May is the month that I have decided to devote all my time and energy to getting my little C&P running and generally, putting the studio in order so that things will run a bit more efficiently at Huldra Press. Thanks to the timely arrival of the tax refund check, I'll be able to do all these things and also pay the rent.

:: that's Junior ::

It's been two months since I bought the press, during which I've given it a thorough cleaning and added oil to all the oil points. So now, when you give the flywheel a good push, it all the parts move smoothly and silently, which is very, very good.

Next, I need to
- level the press
- adjust the platen
- adjust the rollers using tape
- reattach the feed boards
- reconnect the variable speed motor

And print!

Since I don't have any exciting photographs of this great endeavor just yet, instead I'll share some things I've been looking at.

:: David Neale, Aster Earrings ::

I really love David Neale's jewelry and recommend that you take a look at his charming blog and website to see the variety of work he makes. And I want these very badly.

:: Becca Stadtlander via Book By Its Cover ::

A group of (handmade!) sketchbooks by the artist. Beautiful color and pattern.

:: Christina Rosenvinge Album Art ::

There's something wonderfully 90's about this album art, if you follow the link, you can see a video clip of the booklet which comes with the cd, which is quite nice.

The Giant Wave of Fog

2011-05-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

:: altered image from a glass plate negative by Huldra Press ::

Last night, I dreamt about a giant wave of fog, as tall as a mountain, rising up and up until it curled and fell onto everyone below. I remember saying, "here it comes," and we all held our breath and closed our eyes, as if it would crush us, but instead, it blew over us, for many minutes, and then it was gone.

It was strange and lovely image, and I'll be thinking about it for some time.

A Book and Ore

2011-04-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

I would start this off by saying, things here have been hectic, but that line is getting old, isn't it? So I will focus on what has been accomplished, and what's coming up.

:: custom guest book ::

I made a wedding guest book for my friends Tina and Robert, who's wedding I had the pleasure to attend last weekend. The bride requested a fresh spring green for the cover, and I was able to use some of the linen bookcloth I made several months ago. It was a perfect fit. The inset cover was designed and hand lettered by my friend Beth Schaible, calligrapher and printer extraordinaire. Inside, was a mix of handmade, lined, and recycled paper.

I've also been making many new books, some of which I will be posting in my Etsy shop soon.
While sorting through my paper, I found this illustration of "ore deposits" from a vintage encyclopedia. I haven't decided what to do with it yet, but you might be seeing it again soon.

:: ore ::

May has been designated Press Month, meaning I will be working in earnest to get my new Chandler & Price up and running, so expect to see some updates regarding Junior (aka Indiana Jones) soon.

Looksies

2011-04-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

via Deli Sandwich

Filly Designs : I want this dress very much

BibliOdyssey : In sixth grade, I wrote a report on sea anemones

Emil's Album: I've really been enjoying these

Arctic Fox : I could do a whole post of these little buddies.

To the library

2011-04-05T17:54:00.000-07:00

I love libraries because...

1. They have books there

2. Ghostbusters

3. Librarians have the neatest supplies.

So, I'm very excited about this little addition to my hardcover notebooks. Library cards! A perfect place to write your name and contact information in case your book is ever lost.

:: now with library cards ::

I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of seniors from Tyler School of Art this morning. They came and visited my studio and we talked about what happens after art school, setting up a studio, finding work, making ends meet so you can make your work, etc. It was really nice meeting them all and I wish them the best.

I got to my studio a bit early and while I was there photographed a few books I've recently acquired.

I love the odd pinkish color of this illustration of the Red Eyed Vireo.

:: birds that every child should know ::

Then there's this vivid and bold cover. Love the giant V. Whenever I hear something about victory gardens, it makes me think of Rascal.

:: victory garden manual ::

The last one is Nature's Notebook which has beautifully drawn illustrations of wildlife. I wish Kingfishers lived in Philadelphia. I'd like to look over and see one of those on a wire.

:: nature's notebook ::

Hello

2011-03-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Still here. Working to get ready for the PPAC book fair, next weekend, April 2nd, 12-6, free and open to the public. I'll have many new books available, all handmade and one-of-a-kind. More posts to come soon, I promise. See you soon.

There's a lot going on.

2011-03-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, there's just so much going on right now, all good and exciting things too!

On April, 2nd I'll be at the Philadelphia Photo Art's Center for their second annual book fair, where I'll be selling my books alongside such awesome folks as Gottlund Verlag, David Graham, and much much more. I have a feeling I will be leaving with zero dollars, having spent all of it on other vendor's books.

:: PPAC Book Fair ::

Also, the schedule is out for the spring and summer letterpress workshops I'll be teaching at Red Wheel Press. Come for a 6 hr hands-on letterpress workshop— covering the basics of printing, typesetting (wood + metal type), Vandercook press maintenance, how to troubleshoot press + printing issues, inking, paper use + cleaning. For more info, and to sign up, go here.

The dates are:

Saturday, April 9th, 11-5

Saturday, May 7th, 11-5

Saturday, May 21, 11-5

Saturday, June 4th, 11-5

Saturday, June 25th, 11-5

So tell your friends, and hope to see you there!

:: Spring + Summer Letterpress Workshops ::

And I printed some baby shower invitations for a friend, who's having a sailor baby.

:: Ahoy! ::

Yo Teach!

2011-03-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

:: that's me leaning on the press in my jaunty vest ::

I taught my first class last Saturday, hosted by Aimee Wilson of Red Wheel Press and I had a great time, thanks to our wonderful students. The class covered the fundamentals setting type and printing on and maintaining a Vandercook proof press.

:: setting type ::

After the demo, everyone designed, set the type for, and printed their own personalize stationery. We're going to post a schedule of upcoming workshop dates very soon, so I'll keep you updated and please spread the word if you have any friends that might be interested.

:: printing ::

Last Friday (it was a busy week) I also bought a press, his name is Junior and he is a 8x12 Chandler & Price New Style. Thanks to my friend Mike who lent us his time and truck and my boyfriend Mike, who helps me so much... I can't even tell you, and the other Mike who sold me the press, the move went without a hitch and it was in my studio, safe and sound, in 3 hours.

Those of you who have been following the blog for awhile will know that I've been spending the last year restoring another press, a 10x15 Chandler & Price Old Style. After many ups and downs, hours and hours of research and elbow grease, and sometimes tears, I finally decided to let it go. I posted an ad on Briar Press and am selling it in parts, in hopes that it'll be of use to other printer's restoring their presses.

The old press wasn't a total loss though, I learned so much, and this time around made a much wiser purchase. The press needs a good cleaning, but it's complete so, fingers crossed, it should be up and running in a month or two.

:: oil wells ::

The niftiest thing about the new press, Junior, has got to be these little lidded wells for oiling. They're adorable and functional!

:: monkey ::

That's all for now, it's going to be a very busy next couple of months, so I'll be posting new work and progress on the press whenever I can. Thanks for reading!

Meet Junior

2011-03-06T19:34:00.000-08:00

My new 8x12 Chandler & Price New Style.

ffffound

2011-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

images all taken from ffffound.

New Books

2011-02-23T08:40:00.000-08:00

Some of the things I've been working on.

:: one of a kind notebooks ::

I finished binding a set notebooks which are going to New York. They are a new kind of book I've started making. I decided to add inset vintage encyclopedias to their covers because they are really neat... and to make front and back more easily identifiable.

:: bees! ::

Also working on some new leather pocket notebooks.

:: this one is on etsy ::

:: letterpress printed page and vintage book page with drawing ::

Here I am.

2011-02-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

:: little scraps ::

I feel like I've been holed up for weeks, there's so much to do. Making things, looking for things, watching things...

Many new books, and other projects in various stages.

:: hardcover books in progress ::

I was very happy to look in the mailbox a the other day to find some mail from my friend Beth, including an erratum to add to my collection. Thank you, Beth!

:: Oh Beth, you know me well, greenland, erratum, and birds... ::

:: studio ::

Basically, spending a great deal of time working in the studio and at home. Already starting to miss the cozy feeling of winter.

Letterpress Printing Workshop

2011-02-16T11:47:00.001-08:00

hello Mr. Vandercook

I'm very excited to announce that I will be teaching a beginning letterpress workshop on Saturday March 5th in Philadelphia hosted and organized by Aimee Wilson of Red Wheel Press. It's going to be a really fun and exciting day of letterpress geekery so I hope you can join us.

See below for more information about the class and how to register.

VANDERCOOK LETTERPRESS PRINTING WORKSHOP

SAT MARCH 5 // 11AM to 5PM with morning tea/ coffee & a break for

homemade Thai lunch @ 1pm!

Come for a personal 6 hr hands-on letterpress workshop-- covering the basics
of Vandercook press maintenance, typesetting (of wood and metal type), how to
troubleshoot press and printing issues, inking, paper use & cleaning.

This class will provide you with the skills to operate a Vandercook Press
safely and efficiently, as well as return & rent time for your own printing needs at
Red Wheel Press.

The class will be taught by Marianne Dages. Marianne is the owner and operator of Huldra Press, where she makes custom and original handmade books and letterpress prints. She recently completed a two year fellowship studying letterpress and bookbinding at Penland School of Crafts, and has taught classes at The University of the Arts and in North Carolina.

Please dress in comfortable clothes and shoes. All supplies provided.

Workshops cost $125/ per student

Contact Aimee Wilson- redfactorye@gmail.com to reserve your spot, &/or send
questions.

Red Wheel Press | 3215 East Tioga Street | Philadelphia, PA 19134

2011-02-11T18:57:00.000-08:00

david bowie

memorex tape

l.l. bean signature

via aesthetic outburst

collaboration with shane darwent

Gone Thrifting

2011-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

If I could some how make it my job to go to the thrift store every day, I would. I love it. Looking through row after row of ceramic mugs, books, and sweaters has a calming effect on me. It's also a place where I look for supplies for making my books, old encyclopedias and children's books being a favorite source for illustrations.

books in progress, with letterpress printed page

I'm on the hunt for new materials since I've been working on making more hardcover books with mixed pages, and I think they're looking lovely so far. Every batch is a little different, because the materials are unique and change depending on what I have on hand.

So I went to a couple thrift stores in my neighborhood and came home with these little treasures.

Alaska

A National Geographic book about Alaska bound with sage book cloth and printed cover, which I've been reading. When I'm done, I think I'm going to make a notebook using the cover, though. It's so simple and sweet.

McCoy Mug

I also bought this mug...because I have a weakness for vintage brown mugs.

Pictures for winter

2011-01-26T07:38:00.001-08:00

Brion Nuda Rosch

Eugene Atget

unknown, via ffffound

Michael Kenna

Old Books

2011-01-24T09:23:00.000-08:00

I recently put out a call to my friends asking for old paper and books. I'm planning on making a whole bunch of new mixed paper books in the next couple weeks, so I need all the paper I can get. A friend of mine sent me a few old books, including this school reader.

:: a children's reader ::

When I got it, it was wrapped in very dirty printed fabric which protected the original cover from becoming bleached or worn. It's such a beautiful design, especially for a children's school book.

:: run, hen, run! ::

Inside are detailed engravings of animals, people, and activities. One thing I found striking is how the lessons are centered on much more agrarian topics (and a lot more rats...) than what would be addressed in today's textbooks.

:: i too am a stationer and bookseller ::

Wilmington is where I grew up. I wish I could go back and time and visit this store. I bet they had some pretty great notebooks for sale.

:: bluejay ::

My friend also sent me a couple of books with illustrations of birds. I especially love the colors of this illustration of a bluejay from a children's guide to birds.

:: mr. cardinal ::

And the simplicity of this illustration of a cardinal on the roof from a children's book of stories.

Thanks, friends!

Everything's Coming up Milhouse!

2011-01-22T17:31:00.000-08:00

:: my cuffs are bone dry! ::

:: wood type and cat ::

I went on an adventure yesterday, to meet a fellow with some letterpress equipment for sale. I came back with a big box of wood type! The seller and his wife were very sweet, and I spent an hour getting to look at and talk about all kinds of interesting things. Searching far and wide for letterpress equipment can be a thankless pursuit, so when you meet honest, kind people who just want to see the stuff used, it's just swell. Yes, everything is coming up Milhouse, indeed.

New on Sale

2011-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

The Huldra Press Etsy store is now updated with new books and prints. Here is a selection of some of things you'll find there.

yellow graph paper field book
(featured on mint design blog)

navy blue pocket notebook

gray hardcover book with mixed paper
(featured on mint design blog)

impossible objects 2 :: abstract letterpress print
(featured on mint design blog)

black pocket notebook with mixed paper

Thanks for reading, hope you find something you like.

Nostalgia

2011-01-14T17:22:00.000-08:00

Today, I kept seeking out images and things from the past. A picture from 1909 a block from where my studio sits today from the wonderful Free Library of Philadelphia archives...

from phillyhistory.org

... Those red bordered labels that I use as if they were made of gold.

from animal head vintage

And the map I scanned today, from the geography text book that belonged to one of my ancestors a long time ago.

The most pleasant surprise was to discover that a company, named Esselte, still makes beautiful, sewn, acid-free ledgers so that, as they say on their site, you can "Be certain that important records stay in tact for a long, long...time!"

Esselte Ledger

That makes me happy, deep down in the cockles of my bookbinding heart.

P.S. I also wanted to say thank you to Ellie of the Mint Design Blog for her lovely feature about Huldra Press, and say hello to some new readers too. Hope you enjoy.

Stephen Shore

2011-01-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

This photograph by Stephen Shore is one of my favorite photographs of all time. I couldn't really tell you why, but I think it's beautiful.

Two

2011-01-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

Sarek

David Neale

owls

InPRESStigator!™

2011-01-07T20:41:00.000-08:00

You know what? Fixing a press is not easy, especially if you're unfamiliar with the inner workings of the type of press you're trying to fix. I've used Vandercooks for years, and feel confident tinkering with one, because I know how it's supposed to act when it's working. But this press...

my press where it sat for 30 years unused

Is a riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a vest. Recently though, I've made some more progress, and more importantly, I'm gaining confidence. I'm also coming to terms with the fact that this press will never look perfect, but it should work.

A few months ago, I found out that my press has some parts that weren't manufactured by Chandler & Price.

my press, ink disc bracket

My ink disc bracket is made up of three parts, two arms that bolt to the frame and one that lays over top, like a post and lintel. On a C&P, this is all one piece.

my press, ink disc lever

Another mystery was how come the ink disc lever, the mechanism with a little hook that turns the ink disc, was much smaller than a C&P's. It worked, it just didn't look like it was supposed to.

Lastly, there's the gripper cam.

my press, gripper cam

A C&P's gripper cam

Well, as you can see, one of these things is not like the other. I knew these parts weren't homemade repairs, because they had serial numbers on them, but I didn't understand where they could have come from.

So I did some research and found out that around 1887, Chandler & Price was not the only press manufacturer around. There were many regional manufacturers building nearly identical generic presses lumped under the description of old style Gordon jobber presses. The article George Gordon's Dream Press is a great resource if you want to learn more. I plan to buy A Catalogue of 19th Century Printing Presses by Harold E. Sterne when I have some extra dollars too.

Now that I knew that, I searched for images of "gordon jobber presses" and started finding some presses that had parts that looked like mine! Like this one, an S&L old style jobber press with a three piece ink disc bracket.

three piece ink disc bracket

And most striking, I found the Old Reliable. The Old Reliable was only manufactured for one year, 1888, and then the patents were sold to Chandler & Price.

Old Reliable

Chandler & Price Old Style

The two press's look nearly identical! So what I've come to realize is that my press is a mutt. The main frame and platen is from a 1887 Chandler & Price. The flywheel, gripper cam, ink lever, and ink disc bracket...not Chandler & Price. They could be from any number of regional press manufacturers that were around back then. I'm so glad I figured this out, because now that I know that there's plenty of other mystery presses out there that are working. Will it work even though it's a mutt? I think so.

The Cat Book and others

2011-01-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

I buy a lot of books just for aesthetics. It may be an unusual cover, exceptionally beautiful illustrations, or an interesting vintage design, I can't resist a good looking book.I found this book at the Philadelphia Free Library's book store, a children's book about a cat in the shape of a cat. The colors are worn and soft.
The illustrations, and the story, are sweet and simple.
This edition of White Fang from the early seventies has a striking cover, I love the white letters on the dark background, and I'm planning on making it into a journal.

This guide to North American wildlife is from 1982. There's something about the typography and color palette that is deeply comforting, and reminds me of my childhood.

I'm wondering what typeface was used. Plantin?

Delavacation.

2010-12-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

This week, I've had the chance to spend some time in Delaware with my family. I've been going on walks, going to thrift stores, sleeping, and just acting like I'm on vacation. A Delavacation. It's been really nice.

nice ice

Yesterday afternoon, I went for a walk with my Dad in Alapocas Woods, by the Brandywine River, and looked at the ice. By the way, what do you call a bicycle with an infinite number of wheels? An icicle. That's my math joke. I made it up when I was twelve.

pretty pretty board shear

Last week, Mike and I put together the board shear, and it works like a dream! I will no longer be cutting book board by hand, and this is good news. Cutting book board by hand was by no means impossible, but it did feel like a chore. The board shear will make it far more pleasant and quick work.

This brings to mind a quote from Books, Boxes, and Portfolios by Franz Zeier, my philosophical and technical advisor.

Again and again in these pages I demand precision, but far be it for me to discourage those who are truly unable to work with a high degree of exactness. Creative freedom, however, should not be confused with sloppiness... An object made with love and care can be a thing of beauty, a whole, even when it is imperfect, by contrast another one, although flawless, can leave us untouched and strike no sympathetic chord.

What does this button do?

2010-12-13T13:34:00.001-08:00

I don't know what any of these do, but I want to press all the buttons at once. It's like Jumping Jack Flash or the Millenium Falcon! I bet they make really neat 'beep' sounds.

a new kind of book...

2010-12-11T17:06:00.000-08:00

A new style of hardcover book I've started making with a mix of old and new papers, prints, and some prints too. What do you think?

Via Penland

2010-12-09T07:15:00.000-08:00

Mr. Shane Darwent, bookbinding by Kathy Steinsberger

If you're in North Carolina, there's a great show up in Raleigh at Rebus Works Gallery featuring photographer Shane Darwent. The show's name is Via Penland. Every year, the gallery features one artist connected to Penland School of Crafts. This year, they featured Shane and his collaborations with five book artists, including myself.

Via Penland

This show represents over a year of travels and residencies, which are beautifully documented on Shane's blog. Shane also put together a great slide show of the opening, which you can see here.

My collaboration with Shane, a portfolio of five collages/drawings on his photographs housed in a box.

Some of Shane's hand-colored photographs

It looks like it was a great opening, I wish I could have been there! I'd love to hear your thoughts if you were there. I'm so glad I got a chance to do this collaboration with my fellow former core student, Shane. Thank you Shane!

Chronicle Books Happy Haulidays Wishlist Giveaway

2010-12-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

There's a contest over at Chronicle Books. Make a list of $500.00 worth of books from the publisher that you would like and you just might win them.

Yes. I would like $500.00 worth of books and if you do too, you can enter here.

Pictorial Webster's Stamp Kit
Pictorial Webster's
Typeface: Classic Typography for Contemporary Design
The Handy Book of Artistic Printing
Plants and Their Application to Ornament
Bird's Eye Views
Open Studios with Lotta Jansdotter
Noodles Every Day
Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian
Craft Inc. Business Planner
Knitting Pretty
Thinking with Type
Quick & Easy Vietnamese: 25 Everyday Recipes
Minka: My Farmhouse in Japan
Tilting
Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress

Crossing my fingers!

Almost forgot, if you leave a comment, you yourself are put in the drawing. Best of Luck!

1,000 More Greetings

2010-12-02T05:19:00.000-08:00

Good news! I found out last night that some of my cards are going to be included in the book 1,000 More Greetings (page 17, Robocop). I submitted work for this book a year ago, forgot about it, remembered it, figured it must have fell through, forgot about it again, and then got an email which I almost deleted as spam saying I was in the included in the book. What a roller coaster ride.

Linen

2010-11-16T08:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I found out that my favorite bookcloth, a chocolate brown buckram, had been discontinued by its maker, which made me so sad because it had become my go-to color, the one that seemed to work with everything.

On the bright side, it was motivation to start making my own.

I'm using the instructions from Japanese Bookbinding: Instructions from a Master Craftsman, which are the traditional method of making bookcloth using kozo paper and wheat paste. This book is fantastic! My other favorite is Books, Boxes and Portfolios.

I'm excited to have a new palette of colors to work with, and to be able to use actual linen as a covering material for my books. It's such a wonderful material. So wonderful that Benoit Millot made a film about it.

BE LINEN MOVIE from Benoit MILLOT on Vimeo.

Scandinavia

2010-11-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

Some of you may already know, I'm fascinated by Scandinavia. Here are my reasons. They may not all make sense...

- I like the way the languages look when they're written.
- A book I read when I first started binding books called Finnish Handicraft greatly influenced me.
- When I was in 6th grade, I did a report on the tundra.
- The Norwegian forest cat
- This picture

- Lichen, birch, mushrooms, little country homes...
- Intensely strange and wonderful mythology and folklore.

I'd really like to go there someday. I would go here.

And there's other things I like, these...

:: From Fine Little Day ::

:: From Anna Emilia ::

:: From Paperiaarre ::

Wilson Jones!

2010-10-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

Check out this bad boy. It's the Wilson Jones "Hummer" and it's my new three hole punch that I picked up at the thrift store on Wednesday. You can adjust the distance between holes, and it punches cleanly through book board. I love it.

I also love this children's encyclopedia which has the loveliest end pages. I think I'm going to use them for book covers.

I've been working on a whole bunch of new leather and hardcover books. I'm pretty excited about them, especially the hardcovers. I'm trying something new with those...

I'm making all these new books for the holidays, I'll be selling them at Crafty Balboa on December 4th. More info here, and I'll post about it again when the date is nearer.

What I've been looking at ...

2010-10-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

Mary Judge

Avalanche Looms

Lucie Rie

One Hundred!

2010-10-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to blog post one hundred, a milestone I had doubts of ever reaching when I started this project. It's not that I didn't want to, but I don't have a good track record when it comes to things like this. But I've really enjoyed working on this and I hope you all have too.

This is a book I recently made for myself. I made it with the cover of an old science book. I liked the cover for its sturdiness and classic design. The text block is densely sewn together so it has a nice weight to it.

I rebound the book with a mix of recycled paper from French Paper and old maps, graph paper and illustrations. I made sure to include a map of Scandinavia to daydream over.

This illustration is one of my favorites, the colors are out of this world. Green sky and purple clouds!

The whole book is sewn together and glued in, so you would never know it was a new book by looking at the outside. Pretty neat.

So thank you everyone for reading, and I look forward to the next one hundred. Happy 100 blog posts!

Polaroids

2010-10-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

Impossible Objects

2010-09-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Pair of prints I made at Penland last month. They were exercises, to make abstract images using only the wood and metal type and furniture I could find in the letterpress studio. They both will be available in my shop soon.

:: impossible objects 1 ::

:: impossible objects 2 ::

Studios

2010-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a presentation about the role of studios in artists' lives and collecting images. Each space is so different and reflects the personality of its user. Here are a few of my favorites.

:: tricia treacy ::

:: amy tavern ::

:: denyse schmidt ::

:: kreh mellick ::

:: george nakashima ::

:: unknown ::

The Thrift Store Dream

2010-09-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have a recurring dream about the thrift store. I go to a thrift store I've never been to before. I look around. I rummage. And I find the most incredible, beautiful things! Old photographs, wood type, old ledgers and journal, a small press maybe. And I take it home, and then I wake up and hope, hope, hope that they'll be there. Well, maybe someday I'll find that cache of wood type in the sky.

Color

2010-09-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

:: from my collection of found slides ::

:: from the Produkin-Gorskii collection ::

:: from the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Collection ::

Two Things

2010-08-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've been looking through ffffound, which is a fascinating image bookmarking website I discovered through tokketok's blogging. And this is what I found today.

:: slime molds! ::

These images give me so many ideas for drawings.

:: the infinite library ::

A project where old books are altered, spliced together, and rebound. Also very inspiring. I'd love to see one of these in person.

Two Photographers

2010-08-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

Two photographers, Shane Darwent and Julianna Foster who incorporate media such as sculpture and installation into their work and create a heightened, portentous sense of reality.

:: Shane Darwent ::

:: Julianna Foster ::

Everything has been tagged. You're it.

2010-08-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, I spent a couple of hours tagging all blog posts in an effort to make searching for previous posts a little easier for you all. So if you scroll down and look on the right, you'll now see a list of labels organized alphabetically. This way, you can read all posts pertaining to such scholarly topics as the david continuum, my obsession with graph paper, and the studio, while browsing through a selection of cats . Enjoy.

On a sadder note, my beloved 99 Subaru Outback was recently totaled by an uninsured motorist. I was fine, the car was not. Since I normally drive to the studio, due to documented (yes, this happened) old man hatchet fights at the nearest subway stop, I won't be going there very much for the next few weeks or until I find a new car. If you know of any reliable station wagons or sedans for not very much money in the Philadelphia region, let me know.

This was my first car. A mint condition 83 Toyota Corolla that belonged to my grandparents. I called it The Roach, because of it's distinctive color and survival skills. I had only one tape in that car. Bill Cosby "Himself". Ah memories.

Field Books

2010-08-22T16:11:00.001-07:00

I made a small series of one of a kind, letterpress printed "field books" this month. I've wanted to do this for a long time, ever since I bought an old copper printing block of graph paper.

This allowed me to print my own graph paper in whatever color I choose.

I made softcover and hardcover versions. The softcover has a pocket in the back for storing notes, feathers, postcards, and whatever else you might find while out in the field.

Many pages also have random ornaments like the one below, also letterpress printed.

If you're interested in purchasing one, I have a couple of the hardcovers left. They are 60.00 a piece. Contact me and I can send you images. I'll be making two, one softcover and hardcover, with pink graph paper soon too.

Greensaw Business Card

2010-08-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-07-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

:: these are altered from old glass plate photographs ::

Old map colors, bare trees, pinkish dawn, ice, Skadi, the edge of the world...

The Pictorial Webster's

2010-07-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've heard about The Pictorial Webster's and have probably seen it passed around or own a copy yourself. If not, it's a visual dictionary, hundreds of pages of beautiful, antique engravings of animals, gadgets, and other goodies. Really neat.

the edition you may already know

But there's more to this story, which I learned from Kevin Mercer, a fellow printer who makes awesome posters, and that is that Pictorial Webster's started out as a small, handprinted, handbound, handeverything edition by Johnny Carrera of Quercus Press.

(my birthday is may 25th)

(just sayin')

Watch the video below, for an information and amazing description of the process that literally left me mouth agape.

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

thinking.

2010-07-19T11:54:00.000-07:00

:: Anselm Kiefer ::

Thinking about drawing and ideas for a book. Lines and shapes. Grey palettes. The feeling of winter.

:: Anselm Kiefer ::

:: Thea Djordjadze ::

:: Sofia Arnold ::

:: Anette Blaesbjerg Orom ::

:: Anselm Kiefer ::

:: Anni Albers ::

Me, you, and a whole lot of avocado green

2010-07-18T17:27:00.000-07:00

Guess what! I've been looking at seventies kitchens. I'm working on opening an Etsy vintage store, and all those earth tones are starting to influence me.

:: me & you mugs ::

I go to the thrift store a lot and am often drawn to items, especially kitchen ones, from this era. And I'm drawn to the objects that you can't tell right away if they're hideous or beautiful.

:: established & sons ::

I think my grandmother had that same double oven. I just ordered a book from Taschen all about advertising in the 70s, which I also love.

:: vintage clock ::

Hmmm...edge painting

2010-06-28T14:01:00.001-07:00

Edge painting. So hot right now, and apparently the most highly guarded secret in letterpress. Folks get a little mum about this one.

:: edge painted cards designed by Pickett's Press ::

Well, I'm determined to figure this one out. I haven't tried it yet but I think I have the basic premise and thought I'd share what I've managed to track down so far. These process pictures help.

:: EM letterpress ::

:: from Boxcar Press's Flickr ::

I think the first thing I'll try is a stiff brush and some oil-based ink (fast drying and there's also the benefit being able to easily match the color you used to print). I know some people out there are using an airbrush, but I'm not willing to make that kind of investment just yet, and there' also the possibility of using water-based dyes or inks, or even a stamp.

Hmmm... I'll get back to you on this one. Hope this helps, if like me, you're searching away on the internets for a tip, a lead...anything! Good luck and godspeed, fellow edge painters. I'll let you know how it works out.