letterpress Saturday

On Saturday, I got a chance to work on my business cards.  I, currently, have one more style for my sister to make and to design a card for my best friend.  I have ideas but not a lot of time without Small Mister this week.

After errands on Saturday, I had a bit of time.  I still have problems getting the paper to sit in the same place every single time.  I am also figuring out what is just the right amount of ink.

It is just one of my obstacles.  I make the best faces and peer at every pressing.  I have to pay attention to what I am doing because the moment I get distracted something does not go the way I wish it.  I find the process can be very meditative.

I am very pleased with the end result.  I will have a few hours on Saturday morning to do some more.  We have Small Mister a lot this week and my allergies are bad.  Allergies make me move slowly.  

The best part, that I did not got pictures of, was that Small Mister pulled his own prints on scrap paper.  He had to show everyone what he did.  It made me smile.

more printing

After I got home from the library, I spent my evening printing.  There were times that I felt like I was taking steps backwards.  But then I felt like I got moving forward.  There sure is a difference from having someone there to bounce off all your questions.  I did figure out I was using too much ink.  Once I got that bit figured out, life was much smoother.

I also had issues with my paper gauges not working very well after about 50 prints.  I am using soft sticky ones.  The sticky did not stay long enough so my paper started creeping underneath them.  Which meant I was not printing straight.  I jury rigged on paper gauge totally and I realized I had to be very careful with placing the paper on the other two.  Slowly meditative.

But I got some business cards out for my Mom.  She chose the light blue with a brown ink.  I did a few of each of the other papers because I could.  I thought she might like to see the difference with the other cards.  The paper is heavier as well so the the impression is deeper.  

I still have more printing to do but there is a bit of paper cutting to do and a Small Mister to watch.  Saturday may be the next chance I get.  I was thinking baking bread tomorrow and scattering flour all over the kitchen with Small Mister might be fun!

crazy drive this weekend

We took a crazy drive this weekend.  I picked up a new press in North Carolina.  Opening the boxes that came with it felt like opening Christmas presents.  I actually did some printing today.  And it came easy with impression.  I actually think I need to tweak the plate but what I am trying to print is coming out okay.  I am going to print more tomorrow and hopefully there will be some more good results.  I also need to build a table with wheels for this (an Alan table - yes, there is a story here).  I think I know the plans I am going to use.  I just have to make a hardware store run.  The Tall Short Person also asked for a toy box for Small Mister.  One more thing to make.

Words may not be easy this week.  I have a lot of reorganizing to do which is not very special!

Part of the reorganizing is to get these trees in pots so I can take them to the land.  Just keep taking one step forward.

fig!

Last March, I shared the fig prunings that I was trying to start.  Out of the five, I only had one take.  I was actually pretty surprised even though I would have liked more to grow.  This little tree is thriving.  I was watering it this morning because it has been so hot.

And what did I see?

I have a fig!  I was so amazed that I had to share it instantly with my Beloved.  These are supposedly strawberry figs which means nothing to me.  I am going to have much more learnings going on here.

I found a new letterpress on eBay today.  And I am looking at another, dependent on how this this one looks.  I am excited.  I wish my press was here though.  I really want to print.

letterpress in NJ

I went to work with Alan Runfeldt for two afternoons last week in New Jersey.  Alan has been printing for 50 years, most professionally.  I learned so much that I do not think I even know all what I learned so far.  I did take my own letterpress so I could get help setting it up.  I just could not really get it to work right.  Then it stymied Alan.  I was so pleased!  One of those times where it still keeps breaking the way it does for you when support is there!

After we left the first day, with no one really happy with the end product, Alan kept working and thinking.  The next day, I did pull printing that I was happy with.  Then, I changed plates.  I felt like I started from scratch again.  Not quite but close.  Learned more tricks.  

I had brought Small Mister and my Beloved with me.  Small Mister was in heaven.

He loves my press and here were all these presses he could try.  I got to try a few as well and I am on the look out for a different small press and I know what I want in a big press.  I even know what I really want if I chose to get a powered press instead of a treadle or lever.

Small Mister and my Beloved were not feeling very well.  Small Mister found a place to sleep in the shot.  

The upshot was I pulled clean prints.  My Beloved has some business cards but also now has more ideas.

I have some cards I am really happy to send my sister even though they are not quite what she asked for.  

My press is getting some tender loving care.  It is still in NJ because that is what it needs.  Alan will ship it back when he gets done with it and then I have more work to do.  For my Mom, my sister, my Beloved, and myself.  But the thought of that is not so overwhelming.  I have ideas and strategies.  I found out some of the things I had tried were not wrong.  An "old" printer uses them too.  And I have someone to call with questions.  Alan and I even found out we know some of the same people.  That is how small this world is.  

Small Mister will enjoy my printing though he will miss the shop.  

I would have to say letterpress keeps getting more exciting.  My Beloved keeps looking at me and says that my shop is going to end up being bigger then his shop.  

Possibly.