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I have been on full puppy duty! Maren needs constant supervision, so it's been hard to get anything meaningful done. Hopefully soon I can get some photos done of some of my latest work and show you some of the fun things I've been letterpressing/designing. In the meantime I need to protect the house from being eaten by a puppy! Here are more pictures, taken with the built-in camera in my Macbook Pro.
I am off today to celebrate Christmas with my family and then with Chris' family. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday and I'll be back with lots of posts showing recent work when I return! All my best wishes to everyone; may you find every happiness you all deserve.
I have done so many little letterpress stationery projects lately...I can't wait to show them to you! But most of them are holiday gifts for people and I don't want to spoil anyone's gift! But I will be sure to post them after the holiday for sure. I just got a new plate in for my next card design. This time I will be doing folded cards and the design is a little more "pattern-y" and traditional. But I plan on using a fun color to give it some edge. We'll see how it goes. I have been working on lots of different plans and designs for my products for the new year so I'm hoping they come to fruition and that y'all like them. In the meantime, I have to go wrap some gifts. Believe it or not I HATE wrapping gifts. Lots of crafty people love this sort of thing but not me. I'm so bad at it. And it bores me to tears. It's the sort of thing I appreciate when I see it...but I don't like to do it myself. You would think I would be finding lots of cool glorious paper or print my own pattern or something...but no. I feel proud that I even wrap the darn things instead of sticking them in a gift bag (which I'd probably rather do). I'm terrible. A terrible, terrible art person. I'll go flog myself with the tape dispenser now. (If only I could operate it correctly).
It has been snowing like crazy here and has finally ended today. It is thigh-deep...good times.
Yesterday we set up the Lionel train set Chris' parents gave us for Christmas last year...it's a replica of "The Polar Express" from the book (many also know of the movie). It even has the little characters you can attach to the train and a reindeer harness bell you can ring. hee! Since we won't be around here to celebrate Christmas this year (will be with Chris' family) we didn't see the point of setting up a whole tree. We have a little tiny one that my husband grew up with they once used as one of the table centerpieces during the holiday feast. Each year since he was born, his grandmother gave him a silver ornament for the tree. A red velvet ribbon ties each ornament to each branch. He now has many on there and it's so fun to look at each unique silver treasure... When we got married, Chris' mom handed over (a little sadly I think) the little tree for us to have and now we set it up each holiday. Chris' brother has the same kind of tree and ornaments of his own...a lovely tradition and such a great idea! Here's our little holiday set up with the train in motion! We look forward to having the train at the base of our big Christmas tree one day...when we have children and celebrate our own traditions. But for now we figured why wait until we have kids to enjoy the toy train? And you know what? It is more fun to watch than I thought it would be.
As promised, here is the newest notecard in my shop...
Set of 5 plain white flat letterpressed note cards with a navy blue anchor motif on the top center. Set comes with 5 white matching 100% cotton envelopes.
Size of notecards: 4.25" high x 5.5" wide.
Paper is 100% cotton, Crane's Lettra letterpress paper. Ultra thick (110# cover weight), soft, and pillowy soft.
Great for a small gift...
Grab it here...
Putting one foot in front of the other is a great metaphor for life's journey. No matter what, we are moving forward whether we like it or not. So you'd better stay upright or you'll have some serious road-rash on your ass. Ever since I started working for myself and am at my home office and studio I find that I move MUCH LESS than I used to. When I worked at my corporate design job I scurried around that huge building like a rat on fire. I've always been slim and had a speedy metabolism. I would say my eating habits are pretty good...lots of balanced meals that are small. But over the past year and 8 months of working for myself I've put on about 14 pounds steadily. It has crept up on me and now most of my pants won't button. *sigh* With everything going on with my pregnancy losses I think the depression has held me in its frozen cloud. I kept thinking "Well, maybe I'm just bloated today." or "I'll start exercising tomorrow" and time has marched on. Lately, my idea of movement and exercise has been to take a shower and make my way to my desk chair or the couch. Phew! I always remember to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. Having always been not particularly athletic but active, I now realize how little I move during the day. So I'm starting small. I started walking on the treadmill. This morning, before getting ready for the day, I walked 1.85 miles and burned 120 calories. I went at a brisk pace but didn't try to go crazy with it. And you know what? I felt so much better about myself when I was done. I did it for a half-hour (and didn't care how far I went or anything) and watched the Today show while doing it. That Matt Lauer is such a cut-up. Anyway, I thought to myself "hey, I MOVED today...I DID something good for myself." And it's better than not moving at all. I feel like I have some energy right now and I feel a little bit more motivated than normal. So, I think I will try to do this each morning as a trigger to start my day. No more loafing along through the day in my sweats. I will get up, walk and burn off the stress and sadness, and then shower and *gasp* get properly dressed for the day (working for oneself makes it so easy to stay in sweatsuits all the time but this does not help one's state of mind I promise you). This will help me establish a habit and put me in my OWN workplace routine. Just because I'm in my home doesn't mean I have to act like it during business hours. Now, they just need to invent a fake boss--a life-sized figurine that I can position just outside the office door peeking in at me making sure I'm staying on track and not playing around on the internet during office hours. On the other hand, maybe not.
PS, I'm wearing my new shirt! It's this one.
Ugh. Things just aren't going so great in our journey to conceive a child. I'm having another miscarriage right now. My second miscarriage and third pregnancy loss...all in a row. The nurse who is working with me has suggested I see a fertility specialist (a reproductive endocrinologist) to figure out what might be wrong. But, they typically wait until you have 3 or more unexplained miscarriages and I've only had 2. So, we will try (in the future) one more time. Hopefully I won't need to see a specialist and it will work out that time. But, I will expect the worst and hope for the best. I need to remember how lucky I am...that I can catch the egg. Now, I just need it to stay with me more than a few days. We knew this one was coming because I was having blood tests every other day to make sure things looked alright. We learned right away that we were doomed, so at least it wasn't a surprise. They tested my thyroid for problems this time around and nothing was out of the ordinary. I know it will happen for us one day; it's just a hard journey where each loss feels so traumatic yet is old news to those around you.
I'll keep you posted, of course, if any developments happen in that area of my life. This blog, "Megan creates..." is about creating. It's about creating art, design, and creating each day. It's even about my attempts to create life. A task I have very little control of and one that is harder than I ever imagined. The word create can mean so many things and doesn't always mean in the way of creativity. It's about waking up each morning and knowing you are working with a blank canvas and each decision you make that day shapes and molds your experience. Whether you're creating a fabulous meal, a mess, a cozy nest to live in, a marriage, or a snazzy career...
Onto a different side of my life: work. I've completed lots of personalized letterpress orders this week and it's been so much fun to work on them. I'm really getting the hang of my press and the little things I need to do to keep it working. My press is in my basement studio space where it is cold. So, in summer I have to adjust the tape on the rails to be one way while it's warm while in winter I adjust them differently. I've got it down so I don't need to experiment anymore...it always seems to be a set formula for the tape. Finally, I get even prints every time. Progress! This makes it easier since I have a few more projects to print this week and I really need everything to cooperate! Stay tuned tomorrow as I'll show my latest shop item.
I love this eco-friendly wooden postcard by Night Owl Paper Goods! They have a wide array to choose from and make such a nice little trinket to get in the mail. I can't part with mine so it now lives on my inspiration board in my studio. Am spending much of the week printing in the studio. I worked on custom notecards yesterday, as I will today, tomorrow, and the next day. I'm also working on custom wedding materials with only a few days to turn them around (it won't be letterpressed, though, in that timeline). It's a fun theme and a fun project that I'll hope to share here when finished. Next week will find me working on a birth announcement and holiday card project on the press...and then I'll really have to buckle down and get my own holiday stuff done! Happy day everyone!
I've been tagged by Poppy Letterpress. I'm supposed to list 5 things about myself (some random and some weird) and then tag 5 other bloggers. Well, most of the bloggers I read have already been tagged so I'm going to forget that part. I've been tagged a few times in the past year so I need to be creative with what I write...hmmm.
1. Sometimes I find myself in tears over cute commercials with animals in them. Usually when I'm feeling hormonal.
2. I have a terrible potty-mouth. I know it's bad, but I think I could rival Will in "Good Will Hunting" in a swearing contest.
It's a terrible habit. Luckily, I'm ok in the workplace. It's just with family and friends...not that it makes it ok.
3. I taught myself to oil paint when I was 11. I would watch Bob Ross on public television and try to copy what he did. It at least got me started with finding my own style and way of painting.
4. I don't know my cell phone number by heart. I never use it. I turn it on, but it's just for emergencies so only about 3 or 4 people even have the number. When I get asked for my cell number I always feel so embarrassed that I don't know it.
5. When I was around 4 years old or so I got a fishing lure caught in my upper lip. It was all an accident...my older brother who was around 9 at the time was fishing and I was running around behind him pretending I was a superhero. I had a towel tied around my neck and such. Anyhoo, I thought I was far enough back. He flung the pole back to cast it out and it snagged me right in the upper lip. He tugged a bit because he thought it was stuck in the grass; but when he turned around I was just standing there as stunned as could be. My Dad ran over and scooped me up and off to the E.R. we went. I just remember getting a tetanus shot and everyone looking at me with horrified faces. It healed up nicely and I went on to love fishing.
Hope everyone is having a great Wednesday! I am waiting for a bunch of letterpress plates; so I will be pretty busy with printing in the studio next week. I'm looking to now go into the studio and work with some watercolor and ink. I need to get reacquainted with the supplies I used to love and see what turns out. Until Later!
I love this melamine plate from Savannah College of Art and Design's Working Class Studio. Here's a quote from an article about products from Working Class Studio:
Working Class Studio, a product development venture of SCAD, selects student interns each quarter who form an interdisciplinary design team led by studio directors. Based on the team’s market research and designs, the studio manufactures a line of products that are sold nationwide.
What a great idea and such a great way for students to experience actual business applications for their work. And the rest of us get to enjoy it!
I just love the design...it's fun and colorful and the perfect snack holder in the studio.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving; so "Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!" On the work front, this week I've done a few bits of client work and it's pretty slow because of the holiday. My holiday cards aren't selling; so I'm hoping it's just because it's still early yet. Fingers are crossed! I'm working on a birth announcement and some custom notecards so I'm at least having fun with those.
I never spoke much about our Curacao trip...so I will say that it was a lot of fun and involved a lot of sun exposure...I also read 7 books and did a lot of laying around. I think I have been so exhausted with everything that has happened with my health and our "issues" this year and I just needed to get lost in another world for a while (hence all the laying around and reading). I finally feel clear-headed and ready for life again. When our plane landed in Miami we had to rush to make our connecting flight to JFK. As we got on the elevator, a man rushed in at the last second. The doors shut leaving the three of us alone. The guy was behind us and started to talk to us (in a familiar voice) saying that he would bet money we were coming back from our honeymoon. I turned around smiling and said "naw, that was over 2 years ago...I'm sorry you'd have lost your bet...but we definitely like the compliment." I realized then that I was chatting with Joe Pantoliano. (has been in a bazillion tv shows and movies and is also popular for his work in "The Sopranos."
We exchanged jokes and jibes until the elevator doors slid open and we each rushed off to our destinations. What an outgoing and energetic man! Living in northern New England, I have never actually been near a celebrity like this before much less talk to one so it was a bit of a thrill. It feels funny even talking about it since he's just a regular person. But I talk about him like I've seen some sort of zoological treasure. Like "I've never seen a three-toed sloth IN PERSON before...Wow!" Anyway, the encounter added some extra interest to an otherwise dull day of plane travel. Speaking of seeing animals...we saw a cayote behind our house the other day walking along the edge of the treeline. It seemed to be looking right into our house. Peeping friggin' tom. It didn't look rabid or sickly or anything so I knew it wouldn't QUITE maul me when I tried to go outside...but still. It made me remember that there are dangerous things in the woods and going for a walk alone on that path would probably never be the best idea. I saw a fawn and a momma deer the other day in that same spot and my mind creates all of these sad scenarios between predator and prey. What I don't know won't hurt me. Anyhoo, I'll check back in another day or so, friends, after I've stuffed myself with food tomorrow in honor of the harvest and of all of our blessings.
I totally forgot to mention that I was featured on Domino Magazine's website in their gallery section for affordable art. The gallery I was featured in focuses on animals. Thanks to Holly Becker from the Decor8 blog for adding me to her list! Check it out here. Have a great weekend everyone!
In light of the fact that this blog is about my personal AND creative life I need to vent a little bit about the last day of our trip in Florence. I woke up that morning to discover I was having an apparent miscarriage. We'd happily found out we were pregnant again not long before the trip, so I was a bit nervous each day. The nurse at the practice I go to here at home had warned me saying that if I saw even the slightest speck of blood to go to the emergency room. She was nervous due to our experience with the cornual ectopic pregnancy I had back in May (you can read about that experience here); and thought the odds were higher for a dangerous ectopic again. I was scared something bad would happen to me in a foreign country where I didn't know the procedures or speak the language. Anyway, when I saw the blood I panicked. We ran to the front desk where they got us a cab to take us to the "English speaking" hospital. Well, when we got there we couldn't find anyone who spoke English (which I can understand in a regular hospital...but I thought people were able to speak some English at the "English speaking" hospital which was the reason we'd asked to go there). We couldn't read the signs or figure out where to go once inside. I was in a crying frenzy and we felt so confused. Anyway, eventually we found a nurse who I managed to communicate with via Charades and gestures. She found one doctor who spoke English and we were off...they hooked me to an iv and took a bunch of blood. The next thing we know, he was explaining that an ambulance was going to take us to a "gynecological hospital" where they had the right equipment. So, I get strapped to this gurney and covered in blankets and whisked into the ambulance. Still crying and in a panic I still couldn't tell what anyone was saying...and then the sirens came on. I thought "are you kidding me?!" We jetted through the streets of Florence for about 10 minutes...I had to guess that the shocks were out in that vehicle because I swear I felt every cobblestone and pothole we went over. Anyway, at the next hospital we found that most of the staff didn't speak a lick of English there (which we'd assumed), so I was doing a lot of gesturing and sign language to get across what was happening. They wheeled me into this sort of open area with an exam table and an ultrasound machine. It was the sort of room anyone in the hospital would have to pass through to get to other rooms so I felt like I was on display. To my relief, the doctor spoke enough English where we could understand each other and my exam began. It was HORRIBLE. There was so privacy, no private exam room, no gown to put on, no sheet to cover me. NOTHING. I had 3 nurses staring at me, and not at my face. Which I imagined would be the scene one day when I have a baby, but not NOW! And they all looked horrified at the grisly scene and ended up putting a METAL BUCKET under me where I sat at the edge of the table. I felt like some sort of cow.
Of course, the ultrasound showed nothing and he told me what I already knew, but confirmed it was not ectopic. One nurse could see the fear and panic in my face as I shook and cried...she came over to me and stroked my arm and my hair and said soothing words I didn't understand. That simple gesture made me feel so much better. Later, we were released and wandered out in the daylight to find it was raining and we had no idea where we were. Hmm. No coats, no umberellas, and a crying Megan. We shuffled through the streets trying to get to a main drag or someplace that looked like taxis would frequent. Finally, we found a taxi stand at a different hospital and the whole ordeal was done. The good part? From start to finish I was back at the hotel and resting in 2 hours. It was quick, efficient, and to the point. It wasn't what I'd planned for our last day, but that's what we got. I know now that the pregnancy never really progressed past implantation and that is the thought I cling to. It was all a "routine miscarriage" as they say, except this experience was anything but routine for a girl from a small New England town! Anyway, onward and upward. Two pregnancies down, hopefully the third time is the charm, right? I have learned that anything can happen. The third may not work out either. Or it could. I always thought that I might be the one to beat the odds and have a healthy normal pregnancy right away and now I realize that trying for a child is a solemn thing that cannot be planned, predicted or controlled. There is no fairness involved; only the hope that someday it will all work out for the best. Thanks for letting me vent!
We went to Florence for 5 days and it was amazing. It was always a lifelong dream of mine to see Florence and it's artistic and architectural treasures...And it did not disappoint! We also indulged in a lot of food and wine to boot! There was so much we saw and most we weren't allowed to take pictures of. But we saw the famous sculpture David, saw the Medici Chapels (the hidden Michelangelo drawings have been closed to the public for 3 years now...which I DID NOT know so I was quite bummed about that), ate a ton of food, climbed the Bell Tower of the Duomo (all 400-something steps), toured the Boboli Gardens, saw the Pitti Palace and the costume exhibit there, shopped, went to the Uffizi Gallery (amazing and amazing!), walked on the Ponte Vecchio, saw the tombs of Michelangelo and Gallileo, toured many amazing churches and saw many precious frescos, perused many museums and went to the nearby town of Fiesole and toured the Etruscan ruins there. My favorite parts of the trip were climbing the bell tower and seeing "The Birth of Venus" in person at the Uffizi. The views in Florence were so amazing. The Italian countryside is so breathtaking. I took a gazillion photos (well, some number close to that) and picked some stand-outs to put in a slide show so you can get a sample of some of our sights. See the slideshow here. The weather was quite gloomy or rainy a good portion of the time, but that didn't seem to stop us at all. This city is not one for the lazy person...if you are going there be sure to have lots of energy and be ready for little rest!
Hello everyone! We are back home from our travels...and now I am getting caught up and getting my bearings. Florence and Curacao were a blast...it was so great learning all I could about these places and soaking in the cultures. It was a lifelong dream so see Florence in person and it was so incredible. I'll be sure to post more soon and show some photos (once I weed through and pick some favorites). I loved traveling but was starting to get a little homesick at the end. In other news, as I'd promised, I just posted my holiday cards for sale on my Etsy shop...get 'em while they're hot! I'll be back soon with tales from our trips and other bits. I hope everyone has been well and it's lovely to see you!
Here is the packaging that I'll be using for my holiday card sets. (you can click on the image to see it larger) I'm calling them "Presslings Parcels." I liked the idea of marrying a crafty/vintage look with modern labels. I'm using brown paper lunch bags and wrapping the cards in them. The flap of the lunch bag is held down with a long sticker made from patterned Florentine paper. It goes across the back and wraps around to peek into the front. There is also a label sticker on the front giving the name of the card set. I also decided to stay away from a red and green color scheme just because I wanted the packaging to be different than the expected. So, here I'm using a wintry blue with a gold.
This is my last post for a few weeks as Chris and I are off to Florence, Italy and then to the island of Curacao (next to Aruba). We decided life is short so we figured we'd use his sabbatical time for travel (and also our last big travels alone before we have children). My card sets will be for sale on November 10th and ready to ring in the holidays. I have lots of plans for my work in the future, so stay tuned! I'll post a few favorite pictures of our travels when we return. Thanks to Lynn for house-sitting for us, we appreciate it so much! Have a great couple of weeks and I'll be seeing you in this space soon! Ciao!
The art studio is pretty much completed! I still have to finish decorating and moving in, but all my supplies and materials are put away and I'm ready to get back to it. Thought I would post some before and after photos to show the difference. The studio is in a part of our basement...and it would be huge money to have it finished by adding walls, ceiling, etc. since it's so huge and all kinds of other issues...so we decided to fix it up as best we could despite all that. We sealed/primed and painted the cement walls and I covered up the insulation with pretty wrapping paper (as noted in the earlier post). We got all new furniture (thanks Ikea!!) and I'm so thrilled with the outcome. We decided we were sick of "making do" in an ugly basement and realized we could do something about it. It's not perfect, but much better than the pit of destruction that was once there. I have to make it my own now. Next... to print all my holiday cards! I'll post more photos of the studio tomorrow here and on my flickr site. Have a great night!
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I love this eco-friendly wooden postcard by Night Owl Paper Goods! They have a wide array to choose from and make such a nice little trinket to get in the mail. I can't part with mine so it now lives on my inspiration board in my studio. Am spending much of the week printing in the studio. I worked on custom notecards yesterday, as I will today, tomorrow, and the next day. I'm also working on custom wedding materials with only a few days to turn them around (it won't be letterpressed, though, in that timeline). It's a fun theme and a fun project that I'll hope to share here when finished. Next week will find me working on a birth announcement and holiday card project on the press...and then I'll really have to buckle down and get my own holiday stuff done! Happy day everyone!
Here is the packaging that I'll be using for my holiday card sets. (you can click on the image to see it larger) I'm calling them "Presslings Parcels." I liked the idea of marrying a crafty/vintage look with modern labels. I'm using brown paper lunch bags and wrapping the cards in them. The flap of the lunch bag is held down with a long sticker made from patterned Florentine paper. It goes across the back and wraps around to peek into the front. There is also a label sticker on the front giving the name of the card set. I also decided to stay away from a red and green color scheme just because I wanted the packaging to be different than the expected. So, here I'm using a wintry blue with a gold.
One of three designs from my letterpressed holiday cards for 2007 on sale in my shop on November 10. These are to come in sets of 10 cards with coordinating green envelopes. Pressed on Crane's Lettra: soft cotton thick paper. Size folded: 3.5" wide x 4.875" high.
Image shows front of card on the right and back of card on the left
Message on the inside of card:
Detail of the candy cane on front of card:
One of three designs from my letterpressed holiday cards for 2007 on sale in my shop on November 10. These are to come in sets of 10 cards with coordinating green envelopes. Pressed on Crane's Lettra: soft cotton thick paper. Size folded: 3.5" wide x 4.875" high.
Wallpaper in our room:
Here's the little cafe table and chairs that now serve as my desk area where I can sit and brainstorm, paint, sketch, and draw. I like a clean desk surface for that and this fits the bill...especially when the mood seems to strike in an unplanned manner.
A collection of things on the window ledge...a chicken figure with a head that bobbles when you tap it (my friend Jim gave it to me as a souvenir from Cozumel, Mexico) ...an orange i-pod case...my favorite packaging which happens to be for a gourmet chocolate bar...a weird piece of wood where I practiced carving flowers with a wood burner...
A pulled-out version of the above picture. So far there's just a photo on the bulletin board...of my second-grade class in 1985. If you see the large version of the photo, you might be able to make out that board behind us says "Handsome Turkeys" since it was almost Thanksgiving at that time. My print apron is to the right. The yellow paper is Paper-Source solid wrapping paper. The white silk paper is flocked...I liked the fuzzy yellow pattern. (mentioned in an earlier post)
Here's where the edge of my studio meets the rest of the basement. The weather man is on the tv back there. The cabinet in the left/front holds all my letterpress materials.
This is a vintage drafting table with a built-in light box I got from a man nearby who is retiring from printing in his late 70s. He's incredibly interesting and so nice. I bought my wood type from him.
Here's the view of the covered insulation...it used to be ugly metal and now this is how it looks. The black/purple item to the left of the window is a Mardis Gras mask given to me by my grandmother many years ago. The left cabinet holds all of my oil painting and watercolor supplies.
Here's the green vintage chair I got almost 6 years ago at the Salvation Army for 8 bucks. It was perfectly clean and brand-new looking and I liked the color. I finally have somewhere for it to live now! The ottoman is a touch my husband added...it goes with his grandfather's leather chair (which is upstairs in the office) The clock above the doors is from Ikea...it looks like the classic schoolhouse clock. The bookcases aren't finished being filled...my old license plate from Maine is on the bottom left bookcase. It was a surprise from my Dad...but that's a story for another day.
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