Color Number Two

Good evening! Or should I say "Greetings!!" Today I did some client work and then I got a chance to print the second color of my 2 color print job! Finally! Some of them got messed up; so I'm not sure how many total usable cards I got. But I'm hoping to eek out a couple sets of 5 to sell on my etsy shop soon. YAY! Brown was the second color; and I'm happy with the way it came out. (I made a joke in today's title entry...did you get it? I know I'm not funny.) I'm happy with the design... I've discovered I'm not that happy with the paper. It's very smooth and I didn't really get any impression (except where the logo is). Which is the way it's SUPPOSED to be, but I wanted at least a little bit of an impression. So when I run the job again, I will use Crane's Lettra letterpress paper which is soft and "pillowy." It is supposed to take more of an impression. I also learned that my design printed slightly crooked which will make me have to trim each card a certain way to "hide" it. Next time I'll have to take more diligence to get it straight so I don't have to fix it through cutting after the fact. BUT I'm proud of myself. It's my first letterpress project and I chose a challenging design that had to line up perfectly as two colors. I learned so much and it's been fun so far! My next several projects will be 1 color flat notecards...a bit easier to pull off as a beginner. I've just been booked for a major freelance design project for the next 1-2 months, so that will away a lot of the free time I've had for printing. But I'll still try to fit some press work in during the weekends during that time. Things are lookin' good! (And Busy!) I'll be sure to post images of the finished cards and card packs when I put them up for sale at my Etsy shop. Hopefully that will be by the weekend. You can check out today's print session on my flickr photos. I hope all is well with everyone! I'm off to go celebrate my first card print. Wahooooo! *dancing*

It's Chili

Good morning! Well, I got more sick on Friday. f*ck!!! Went through a box of Kleenex...I'd moved on to the "head cold" portion of the flu with the watery eyes, nose, etc. PLUS my beloved cough. Spent the entirety of the weekend on the couch unable to move or do anything at all. Last night filled with asthma attacks. Today, I'm just back to having the cough and almost deaf ears. The whole thing is a sonofabitch. All with hives covering 90 percent of my body; thanks to my flu meds aggravating my normal batch. So the insane all-over itching tended to be a factor of the weekend. I just try to remember it could be worse...it always could be worse. On to the topic at hand; my husband made me my favorite chili last night for dinner. Not just ANY chili; THE chili. My favorite food dish is the chili at Charlie Beiggs Restaurant in Windham, Maine. It's won many awards and whenever I'm in Maine I beg to go there just so I can have the crock of chili (which they bake to melt the cheese on top and put a bunch of scallions and such on the top). They make it with pulled pork (smoked) and special bbq sauce and such. It's got the most amazing flavor. I've been obsessed with it for years and I don't try to hide it. For Christmas Eve dinner (since I don't eat seafood...I'm shamed) my Dad drove all the way out to the restaurant just to pick up the chili for me (they don't do takeout). He convinced them to put it in a container for me and I gratefully ate my chili as the rest of the family ate their lobster rolls. Thanks Dad! It was a nice surprise. And so sweet to drive all the way there just for me. Knowing my love for this stuff, my husband has taken on the task of trying to emulate the recipe. Yesterday morning he set up the crock pot and started in with cooking the pork. He spent all day lovingly preparing all the ingredients. He toiled and slaved over each vegetable slice and sprinkle. And when it was ready and smelled so delicious he put it into crocks and baked the cheese on. He even added the scallion garnish! It was friggin' great! It wasn't exactly like the restaurant's, but it was better. It was his. It was made with love and determination to make me smile. It was perfect and perfectly delicious. And now I have enough to last me the week! He will try to make it again; and next time he'll add a little more sauce. All I know is, it was heavenly and I'm very lucky.

Be well everyone; I will be trying to get through this recovery so I can get back to my life again. Dirty bastard flu!!!

*COUGH*

Sorry for the coughing; I'm covering my mouth...I promise. (waaaaaaa!!) I hate being sick. Well, I was booked to work for my client on Wednesday; and they booked me for yesterday too. So, that was a nice surprise. They wanted me for today too; but of course my creepy cough has escalated to more of an illness. I'm sort of slogging around the house to get where I need to go. I've even used up my DayQuil. And my breathing is that sort of perverted phone-call sound. You know, the guy you hang up on after he asks "what are you wearing?". In all seriousness, we had a guy call our dorm every night at 2:45 am when I was a freshman in college. I would answer and he'd say "What are you wearing" and then be silent. I was always puzzled by this. At first I said "sorry, sweatpants and a tshirt aren't really the most exciting things"...and he hung up. Then, I could hear the phones ring through the walls in other rooms on the floor. He called everyone. I always just told him to get a blowup doll and I hung up the phone. Well, he finally called during the SuperBowl once and I tried to have a conversation with him. I asked him what HE was wearing instead. I said we couldn't keep meeting like this and have it be so one-sided. He finally hung up with anger and he never called again. I talked him to death. With that, I'm off to the couch. I'm sorry no print yet. I'm sad it's not done, but I guess I have to take care of myself first. As soon as I feel ok I'm going to finish it. I'll be sure to put up photos and all. OH! And my potential new client is officially my client! He approved my quote for his project and I'm off to the races! So, I CAN say to anyone considering, that joining the Chamber of Commerce (as a graphic designer) was a good idea and worth it. A fraction of this project will pay for the membership and I might forge new relationships as the networking meetings continue. The trick is to remember that a lot of small businesses simply can't afford big-ticket marketing. So I push myself as professional and affordable. Design on a budget does not have to look bad. Be well everyone!! Happy Friday and I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. I hope my next post will have photos of my print with the second color (which will be brown). Later!! (Card posted above is on my inspiration board. It's a fabric card by Beaumonde...it's fuzzy/velour-like. I'd gotten it at Anthropologie a while ago. It's cool envelope is behind it. Check out the website; there's a lot of cool stuff there!)

Off to Work!

Good Morning all! Well, I'm getting ready to head into the City today. I got booked yesterday to work for a client on-site today. (I'm very happy to have gotten booked!!) I don't like the commute (2 hours door to door via drive to commuter rail, commuter-rail to T, T (subway) to the stop, and a 3 block walk). But I'm grateful for the opportunity to work and happy about it. It's only for today. I can come home and rest tonight (I probably won't get home until after 7) and sleep more of the cold off tomorrow. No printing news yet! I didn't do it yesterday since it's cold in the basement. I figured that wouldn't be smart. Perhaps tomorrow. It's definitely calling me! I also got a few calls from other clients for work soon, so things are picking back up. It's been a slow month for sure. I hope February sees better times work-wise! I'm still trying for my goal for having at least one letterpressed card up for sale on my etsy shop by the end of the month. Never hurts to try, right? Well, I'm off to finish getting ready. Be well today everyone!

Sick Day

Hello all! *cough* *cough* I feel like crap today. Some sort of deep cough and pain in the chest. Maybe I have the black lung. (Anybody see the movie "Zoolander?"...it's a stupid/funny movie, but a good quote) Maybe it's bronchitis. I tend to assume the worst thing first so that when I find out it's just a little cough I can feel relieved. I'll have to keep an eye on it. I'll head for the couch. I was hoping to do the second color of printing on my cards, but don't know if I have the strength. We'll see. I've done a small run of 30 cards. The first color went on evenly (yay again!) so now I just have to correctly register the second color on top of it. I tried one or two yesterday and it came out ok. But just not in the ink color I want. Almost there! I also have to head off at some point to the craft store to get mineral spirits for cleaning the press. I'm running out. I use Crisco on the plates, but the former owner of my press mentioned his concerns about using it on the press because he said it leaves a varnish film behind. Anyone have thoughts on this? I am also waiting for more plate adhesive from Boxcar...my plates aren't really sticking very well right now (I've peeled them on and off a handful of times now) Anyway, when I clean the press I use mineral spirits and I wear surgical gloves. I can't use anything with water because my rollers aren't rubber...they are composition and will deteriorate with water. Anyhoo, I hope all is well everyone! Keep smiling! (or start, whatever the case may be)

The Celebration

Muuuuuaaaaaaaahhhahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!! (That is maniacal laughter in case you weren't sure) I finally got my press to print evenly! Friday was the magical day when I got the platen to print evenly. The bright blue ink in the image is not going to be the actual color...but it was just used so I could gauge an even print. Now I'm that much closer to having these come out the way they need to. YAY!!! I am in the bathroom in that picture, taking photos of myself celebrating after the "win." When the print came out evenly I stood there in disbelief while my heart raced. This time it had to have been GOOD blood pressure. I must have looked like I'd unearthed the Holy Grail or something. I imagine a glow of light shining up on my face as I stared down at the "treasure." I stayed pretty calm as I did a few more to be sure I wasn't hallucinating. Then I went upstairs to do a little dance and take photos. I also immediately marked up the print with everything I did to set it up so I'd remember and be able to do it again later.

I ate lunch right then too in order to avoid fainting from surprise. I also got a really cool sample: paper and envelopes package from Crane's. I wanted to know the difference between their "Lettra" letterpress paper and their regular cover stocks. So they sent along samples of all the kinds I'd asked about and labled them all for me! They also sent one item in every color. Same for each and every size/shape of envelopes! Now I have a nice reference library of these great papers! (It's amazing what kinds of things can excite me.) I'll be sure to order.


And finally, I got my Lassco corner rounder in the mail. I can put a stack of cards in, and it rounds the corners of the stack for me. Very cool! And will be used a LOT. I plan to use rounded corners in most of my work (where it will suit the design). I tested it out and it works great! This weekend we went to my husband's family's house up by Stratton Mtn. in Vermont. I read by the fire and watched movies/tv. Very relaxing! I also ate tons of junk food and now am a little sluggish from it all. All that "activity" takes it's toll, you know? Well, I'm off to nap. It's Sunday; it's ok. I'll end with a photo of some random dude driving a 4-wheeler along the foot-path the runs behind our house in the woods. He'd whizzed by when I was photographing my celebration. :) Have a good one!!!!

Tagged!

I've been "tagged!" In blog-world, this is where someone writes 6 weird things about themselves and then "tags" 6 other people with blogs to do the same on their site. Kathleen of Cake + Pie has tagged me. I never had heard of this until recently so here goes!
1. A lot of people don't know I have "Nail Patella Syndrome" which is a genetic disorder. From it, I have cracked/incomplete thumbnails. Also, I cannot rotate my forearms...there is no socket in the elbow to turn...I can only bend the elbow. WEIRD! I also have strange hips and knees. Luckily, it's hard for others to notice (except sometimes I get comments about why my arms always seem to look "bent." But I tend to hide it ok. So this is a weird thing about me.

2. A lot of people ALSO don't know I have "Pressure Urticaria" which is pressure hives. I get them every day all over myself wherever there has been pressure on my skin. It's extremely itchy and annoying. On bad days I look like "Pizza the Hut" from Spaceballs. The key is to not do too much strenuous activity and avoid sitting/leaning on hard surfaces. I'm contemplating getting a bubble I can live in. Anyway, side effects are painful/swollen joints, fatigue, and of course itchy red welts. It came on just before I turned 22. I'm halfway to 29 now, so this sucks. There's no treatment or anything...mine is a severe case. So, I'm just used to it now. They say it will probably go away some day just in the way it came. WEIRD, RIGHT??

3. I'm originally from Maine and I hate seafood. Anything that looks like a giant ant is not for me. I'm just not a fan of the tastes or the textures. BLECH! But I know I'll probably never be allowed back in the state and I've also shamed my whole family. I can't help it; I'm weird!

4. I LOVE the muppets and anything muppet related. NO, I don't have muppet shrines in my house. Just a bunch of DVDs. Jim Henson was a genious. And his goal was to create a more peaceful and happy world. His work makes me feel like that. But to be 28 and singing "And Dance Myself to Sleep" by Ernie from Sesame Street makes me a little weird. Oh well.

5. I don't like to be tickled. Yeah, most people don't. But I cry and panic. Who does that?

6. My favorite movie is "Platoon." It's so great. What makes that weird is my second favorite is "Muppets Take Manhattan." I know, I know. Freakish.

Now, I have to tag 6 people. It's ok if you don't want to do it; but it's refreshing if there's a lot of other things on your mind.

RULES: People who get tagged need to write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

I tag: Juliet, Thea, Amy, Romina, The "Reluctant Housewife", and Alison

Already Thursday

Sorry no photo today. My meeting with the potential client when really well yesterday! I learned a lot about his business and the project will be really exciting. Therefore, I'm excited! I have to put together a quote today and we'll see how it goes. Becoming a member of the Chamber of Commerce is really paying off! As for today, I have a different meeting with a client of mine so it's an administrative day here. Lots of filing and organizing to do. I didn't get to do much on the press yesterday; perhaps this evening I can make some progress (will I EVER!?) I DID receive my stack paper cutter yesterday: a QCM-1200E Stack Paper Cutter. I was all excited until we put it together and thought there was all kinds of things wrong with it. SIGH......
The paper clamp seemed to be ruining my paper and the blade wouldn't cut through my small stack. BUT upon calling the guy who sold it to me, I found that the stack had to be thicker. Once I thickened the stack, it cut like butter and the top sheet only got a little ruined from the paper clamp. He told me to use a few sheets of scrap paper on the top to absorb the clamp pressure and it should be ok. YAY! So, I'm now happy with the cutter and relieved I don't have to send it back. Another near set-back averted!
Today will be a little break as I focus on design-world. But I won't give up! (slamming fist on my desk) I hope everyone has a great day today!

Not yet defeated

Good morning all!
Well, yesterday was another trying letterpress day. (I say this as I rub my back) I had finally gotten my design to print straight, but ran into major press operation issues when it stopped working all together. After hours and hours of troubleshooting, my husband helping as well, we came to figure out that the bottom of the right gripper was smashing the base all along and shredded up the bottom of the base. There was no warning or sound that I knew this was happening. It slowly threw the pressbed crooked and hence stopped it from working properly. Upon the realization I felt like I had about 2 heart attacks and 1 panic attack. I thought the press was dead, but my husband the superhero with a ratchet made some adjustments to the form and re-balanced out the bed. It seems to be working great now; and I'm no longer hitting the bottom of the right gripper. A HUGE lesson learned. I'll get there yet! Today I have a consultation with a potential client in the morning and then errands to run. I'll have to start my design layout from scratch this afternoon since all the adjustments yesterday have changed things. We'll see what I can accomplish today as tomorrow will be strictly a design/administrative day. The good things this morning: It's sunny out, my blood pressure is coming down after yesterday, and I'm going to have FUN dammit! Stay strong everyone!

The Progress

Whew! I feel much better this morning. Still sore, but the bath and Tylenol did wonders last night. I've put notes out in letterpress world looking for help with my "crooked printing" problem so we'll see what tips turn up. In the meantime, I thought I would post some images from yesterdays press attempts. As I'd said, I don't have the first run of color done yet. Once I solve my crooked printing issue I can keep going. But, the pictures give an idea of where I'm at. One thing I discovered yesterday was that ink is DEFINITELY different than paint! I'd always assumed that mixing it would be similar to paint. How wrong I was. I had to throw out 3 mixed batches before I got the color I wanted. The amount of blue I needed literaly could cover the head of a pin. (Mixed with a blob of Transparent White) That's it. I can't believe how little I needed. But, as you can see in the ink photo, it's quite blue! Of course, then I realized that when you put the ink on the paper it is MUCH lighter than what you see on the palette. So, I've learned to not believe what I see. And I am such a trusting person! :)

I've learned a lot so far; and I figure with each printing attempt I will get a little more adept at what I'm doing. It's easy for me to get discouraged when learning something new. I want to be good at it right away! And that just isn't possible with something like this. There are too many factors involved...so I'm learning to go with the flow and enjoy the process. Each little discovery is another little thrill that gets the adrenaline pumping and keeps me going forward. It's a lot of fun so far and I know the payoff will be worth it down the road. In other news, not much going on business-wise. I have a few consulting meetings this week and that's about it. January has been such a dead month so far! Is it always like this? It's my first dry month since I started last March. One of my consulting gigs is with someone I'd met through the Chamber o. C. networking meeting. I can't get my hopes up, but my fingers are crossed that I can build a relationship with this potential client. I really enjoy the thrill of helping small businesses improve their brand image. I love a job well done and a happy client. Well, I'm off to face this day of printing...we shall see how it goes! Have a great day all!

Sigh

Holy crap. I'm sore. I'm tired. But I'm not giving up!
I've spent the entire day and evening working on my first letterpress print. And I still have nothing to really show. I keep running into roadblocks and problems. I'm learning a lot, which is great. I haven't even done the run of my first color yet because I'm still fumbling with how to get the print to come out straight on my paper. Once I solve the issue with the crookedness I'm good to go. My back is imploding right now...I feel like Igor. I'm excited because I'm learning so much; but I just wish I had something right now to show for all this time and effort. Maybe tomorrow. I will post again then with a bunch of pictures I took of today's activities. I feel like a bumbling idiot, but I know that with each project I try I will learn more and more; thus getting better and better. I have a little Word document with all the things I've learned today jotted down. I can use this as a "what not to do" sheet as I move forward. I'm off to take a hot bath and some Tylenol. I'll write more tomorrow when I'm refreshed and have pictures to share. (All before I have another go at the press, of course). I hope I don't have too many nightmares tonight about measuring. Oh, the measuring. *shudder* Oh ruler, I will master you yet!

Nineteen

19 is the number of layers of tape I needed for my press on each rail. I spent all day yesterday taping and testing and taping some more. I cannot believe how thick the tape is!! But now, the rollers are at the perfect height where they are finally not inking the entire printing base and plate. Now, the rollers just kiss the top of my plate and I'm now good to go. I'm not sure if I'm going to start printing today though...I need a little recovery from my 8 hour tape-wrangling episode from yesterday. I also got my paper, correctly cut this time. I'm finding it makes a nice impression, and is very smooth. My original goal was to get soft fluffy paper, but it's kind of hard to write notes on without the pen snagging a lot. So I've gone with the smooth and thick paper for the stationery projects for now and we'll see. I want to try Crane's "Lettra" letterpress paper. Maybe in another month or two...my budget is tapped for now! On another note, I went to the Business Network Intl chapter meeting today and it was very interesting! Only one member of each profession is allowed in the chapter at a time. And everyone make sure to refer each other from the group; they keep track of referrals and the money brought in to the businesses from those referrals. It seems to work out quite well for everyone involved. I'm not quite decided on whether I will join or not. It's a big time commitment with mandatory meetings every Thursday am. It also calls for time outside of the meetings as well. I'm just not thinking I have so much time to devote so faithfully. But it HAS taught me the power of networking and how word of mouth makes such a difference for people. Now, I think the rest of my day today will be spent brainstorming and thinking about a few projects coming down the pipeline. Above photo is of a corner of my vanity table...on the lookout for a mirror that is of medium size and a bit modern or different in some way. I'd also like to find some sort of bright light for the area as well so I can actually do my makeup there and not come out looking like Bozo's bride. Any suggestions are welcome! Happy creating all!

Adjustments

Good morning all! Well, I didn't get to play as much on the press yesterday as I'd wanted. I went and had all my paper cut, but they cut it wrong be accident. One ream was supposed to be cut one way since it's a particular weight while the other, thicker ream was to be cut another. But she reversed them by mistake. The good thing is she's ordering me new paper and will cut it correctly for today (at no cost to me). So I scored a bunch of paper for free! It's rare when a mistake like this works out so well. It just set me back a day. But, I got home to do more adjusting on my press and found that the new tape I'd added to the rails came peeling off all over, so I have to take off ALL the tape on the rails and start from scratch. I'm annoyed at this because it will take forever and I'll have to do a lot of trial and error to make sure my rollers are at the right height. But, it's also relaxing and time well-spent to make sure everything works properly. Hopefully I can get this fixed up today and get back on track. (on track...get it? I made a pun!...ok, it wasn't very good). The photo above is of a silk jewelry travel pouch one sister in law gave me...I love the colors in it and the pattern. The dish on the left was given to me by my other sister-in-law...again I love the colors and the pattern. It's little things like this where I find my favorite color combos. On tap for tomorrow is a different networking meeting; this time not with the Chamber of Commerce but a different group called "Business Network International." I was invited to go as a guest so I figure it can't hurt to check it out. The local chapter is for the greater Boston region and very specific to where I live. It meets at 7:00 am so that will hurt a little, but I'm looking forward to any opportunities it may swing my way. I'll keep you posted! Here's a link for those of you who enjoy podcasts. A friend of mine recommended this to me as all the podcasts are about living a creative life/running a creative business whether it be through music, art, theater, etc. It hasn't been updated in a long time, but there's lots of content there to explore. Just little bits of inspiration if you are interested! Happy Wednesday all!

Press Practice

Good morning all!
Well, yesterday I spent about 5 hours in the basement making adjustments and learning about my "new" letterpress (a Pearl Improved No. 11). I''ve finally saved up enough money to get the accessories needed to print, ink, etc. I've also been reading everything I can find on the subject. I still would like a guillotine cutter/stack paper cutter and a corner rounder...all in due time. I'm open to any suggestions anyone out there may have for those! Time flew by yesterday; it's so easy to get lost in everything. I don't have any prints yet since I'm still adjusting and such, but it's really interesting so far! Above are photos from my practice setups and adjusting times. You can see the old tympan paper on the platen from the previous press owner. (I will be changing it out). I still have to organize the printing area...everything is just sort of thrown on the desk down there. I need to get things to be organized that's for sure. Hopefully I will have photos to share of my first actual print within a few days.
Be well and remember to do something creative!

The Big Meeting

Today was my first meeting with the local Chamber of Commerce. It was a small "breakfast" networking session so everyone could mingle, trade cards, and discuss what they do. It was really neat! I was so nervous before going, but felt good once I started chatting with people. I like the idea of supporting local businesses while they support me. It's a great way to meet new people, potentially get new clients, and get out of the studio. We went around the room in a circle to introduce ourselves and our businesses out loud to each other which gave me sweaty palms. In terms of networking tips: I made sure to say my name in the beginning and at the end of my little spiel--where I discussed the kind of design I do. I also made sure to mention my purpose (my tagline) which is "growth through creative strategy" while remembering to also mention my website. Whew! Hopefully it was all enough to stand out for others to remember me. I circulated a lot of cards, met wonderful people, and even have an invite for another networking group that meets once per week. Overall, my 2007 goal for expanding my client base has begun! And on a fun note, I have ordered my boxcar base and my very first plate for printing my first letterpress projects! They should be here any day now. I finally have everything I need to get started with printing. It felt like forever saving up the money I needed to get all the supplies and ink and paper. And I'm not even sure the paper is going to work! But I can only try, right? I have completed the design for the packaging for my cards and I'm very pleased with it (hope to provide a sneak peek soon). So hopefully I will have more to report regarding my letterpress fun very soon! Happy and creative Friday everyone!!!

LensBaby!

Good day to you all! Well, I had vowed to start having some fun with photography yesterday. And I started by playing around with my new Lensbaby that my lovely husband gave me for Christmas! I highly recommend checking it out; it's a cool little "toy." The two shots I posted here were taken with it. I have to practice using it, but I like the effect of the edges. It adds an element of "surprise" to digital photos...you don't quite know exactly what you will get. Of course, it will change as I learn to control the lens. But fun! As another surprise with fun photography, my father emailed me yesterday with this:
"Found my Polaroid 230 Automatic Land Camera (Circa 1969) if you want it." Well, Yes! How cool! I've been researching now what film can go in it (since all the original film is discontinued) and what battery needs to be used. They also don't make the flash bulbs for that (apparently) anymore, but I can use it outdoors in the natural light I bet. THANKS DAD!! So, lots of fun photographing ahead for the year! It's fun to see what happens when you put your dreams out into the universe. Have a creative day everyone!

Happy New Year!

Ahhh yes. A new and clean slate. The New Year is always like a fresh new pad of paper or a new unopened book or magazine...just waiting to be discovered and crisp. I never make resolutions because it just sets me up to be disappointed in myself so I usually think about directions I want to go in a general way--A sort of compass for the year and what I'd like out of it. Here are some of my thoughts:
-Develop my line of letterpressed stationery and paper goods -Involve more of a purpose to my blogging -Begin a generally regular workout routine that I can stick to for health's sake -Have fun with photography and play with it! I want to put more pics up on flickr. Learn to use my new Lensbaby. -Start bike-riding for fun with my husband -TRAVEL! We have upcoming trips to Austria and to Italy (I've never been abroad!) -Network and build on my design business; try to work with more local clients (I just joined the local Chamber of Commerce so I can build on this goal) I have other goals that are more personal as well...as we all do. I'm looking forward to the year! It's going to bring a lot of discovery and adventure. Here's a toast to all of you out there and your personal goals and interests for this year! I wish you all the best!!

Yay!

It's Sunday! In a few days we are headed to the hubby's parents' house to celebrate Christmas and then it's off to mine to celebrate. I'm wrapping gifts today while I can since Chris is off at the Patriots game. Such unusually warm weather here! Everyone's joking that we could be at the beach...in December! So much for sledding! I know that we'll get plenty of our fill of snow soon so I'm not worried about it. Been looking at all the greatness on flickr and found this lovely! It instantly makes me smile every time I look at it! This week at the studio brings some packaging design, website edits, and some fun card design! My new logo design in on my etsy shop header...it's designed to look like an official seal. I designed one for my Presslings card line and one for my design studio. Hopefully my newly designed website will be launched this spring! And one last link for fun, I love the designs at eiei-o studio...their paper is so gorgeous! And their website design is clean, simple, and easy to navigate. I notice they change up the motif on the homepage to keep things fresh. Lovely patterns on their wrapping paper keep me coming back for more! Happy Holidays to all if I don't catch you before then!

Holidays!

There's something about the holiday time when I feel so happy with family and friends. But I also feel so disconnected during this time as well. I think it's because there's just so darn much going on! I've been working very hard here at the studio and away with clients. Busy busy! I have big plans to begin production on my Presslings by Megan creates... LETTERPRESSED card and paper gifts line in January. I have several ideas that I just have to execute and print. My goal is to have at least one item produced in January; hopefully it will happen! Since it's a side project it can be hard to find a lot of chunks of time needed to focus on it. I'm so excited to get started though! For spring, I also have planned to redesign my website and get it more "branded" to the new direction my design studio is taking. 2007 will be a big year for the studio and I'm so excited to get things going. I've been so excited by all the inspiration and sharing out in blog world. A favorite shop I've discovered through a friend is Design Public. It's got the coolest items for the home...for yourself or as gifts! It's really fun to look at all the neat little items. Check it out!

Nostalgia

When I was a kid I used to watch "Pinwheel," a show on Nickolodeon. I watched faithfully every single day. And now to this day I still remember certain segments and songs...the show had a variety theme in the way that Sesame Street had. One of the segments was about Simon, a little boy who drew things in chalk and they came to life in the Land of Chalk Drawings. He had his friends there and spent a lot of time there. I LOVED that idea as a child. Especially because I loved to draw so much. I find the idea endearing even today. Here's a You Tube showing below. (It's told like a story to children.) love it! Happy Friday!

Thinking.

There's something about vintage items that are so inspirational for me! I loved this lamp that was in our room at The Whitehall Inn in Camden , ME over labor day week. Happy Wednesday! It's been a busy week so far. I find that the months of the holidays are always the busiest. Or at least it feels that way. With it brings plotting and planning for what the new year will bring. I have spent the past several weeks observing and studying what is going on out there in the world of letterpress. Part of it is for inspiration. But mostly, it's for the purposes of seeing what is out there so that I don't copy anything. There is so much out there that is similar to each other! I really want my work to be different in some way and I just have to figure out what that means. I still have a bunch of accessories to get in order to get my press in working order. I'm shooting for some time in the first quarter of the new year to have a letterpressed card or two up for sale in my etsy shop. I'm slowly acquiring everything I need, but it takes time financially to make that happen. I have to say I'm pretty exhausted from scouring the internet as I study different letterpress boutiques and shops. I think it's finally time for phase 2 now that the research (phase 1) is over. It's time to start working and brainstorming and designing. Time to figure out what works and what feels right. I need to determine my brand and what I want to be. This all takes time and consideration. I also have to start bringing some of my card and stationery ideas to life through actually designing them (instead of leaving sketches sitting in my sketchpad). I want my work to feel new and different; and that's going to be quite hard! So much of the work already out there and done by others is so great! But I'll get there. It's a process and there's no point to rushing! I need to remember that this is supposed to be a fun side project. No pressure!!! (The go-getter in me has a hard time with that sometimes). Enjoy your days!!!

Missing Summer

Don't you just love this shade of green? Things are very busy here at Megan creates...
and it's getting cozy with the cold weather! But I miss those warm summer breezes.

The Cheese Stands Alone

Well, it was an interesting visit yesterday! From the testing, he says my body does not agree with Aluminum, Wheat, or Dairy. I guess aluminum is everywhere and can't be avoided, but I CAN change my deodorant (contains high aluminum) and I can avoid processed foods with food coloring (lots of aluminum in food colorings). The wheat and dairy thing is rough. It's ALL I eat!!! Perhaps that's the problem, but STILL! No more cereal with milk. No more cheese. Cheese is what makes my food-world spin! No more wheat pasta. No more tomato-soup suprise (the tons of garlic I like to add is the suprise for my husband...hee hee) *sigh* I'm supposed to eat lots of chicken, lean beef, vegetables, and fruit. And that's about it. I'm cutting out things that aren't whole food (except my maple and brown sugar Quaker Oat Meal in the morning). I hope this makes me feel better. Changing my entire food life is going to be a big undertaking. But I have to do it. I'm GOING to do it. I want so badly to feel better and to have my hives be gone (see post below). And if this might help, than so help me, I will eat grass only if it means better health. We're off to the grocery store tonight to explore and look at the gluten-free aisle and check out all the special foods I actually might be able to consume. It's a great opportunity to find new recipes that are healthy and will restore my body. I'm on the road to having energy! I think this might be a bumpy ride.

A new day?

Good morning all! Geez it's cold out. Been keeping very busy here in my home office; designing patterns and concepting for my future line of high-end stationery. I've also been pretty busy with my corporate clients and that makes me happy! I've been freelancing now since March; so that's 8 months. I'm grateful I haven't had to take on an extra job yet to make ends meet. It's all too common; so I'll knock on wood now. Ok. Done.
Anyway, I have an appt. today with my chiropractor who is going to do Nutrition Response Testing (tm) on me. I've had to fill out a ginormous health questionaire and plot my answers in a graph (it took my back to grade school let me tell you). I've also had to keep a food diary. It ain't pretty. It's hard to look at what you've eaten in a week and realize how crappy it looks on paper. I thought I was more balanced, but I can see differently. Anyway, Dr. Kowalik will look at the chart and my answers, etc. and do an analysis through testing my neurological reflexes and acupuncture points. It finds energy or lack thereof. Then, it is determined what my body needs and how to meet that need. Why all of this? Well, I've suffered from pressure hives for over 6 years now (almost 7) where my body is covered with hives wherever there was a bit of pressure on my skin. There is no treatment and no cure. Just constant itching. As a side effect, it causes fatigue and painful joints. So, it seems that everything I do causes pain and itching. If I carry a heavy bag, wear clothing, sit, stand for a while, do any manual labor...all equals hives. I feel like I need to live suspended in a pool of water (too bad the goggles would give me hives on my face as would the bathing suit give me hives on my body). It's frustrating. There are good days and bad days. Some so bad I can't move. Some days where I feel so sorry for myself I wonder how I can go on. Where the itching is so bad I will scratch through my skin all over. No creams help the itch. Nothing helps the itch. And believe me, I've tried absolutely everything over the years.
Other days I'm grateful that it's not something worse. I'm grateful it's not terminal. They say these hives can last as long as 50 years. But they can also disappear in 9. I'm hoping for the earliest possible date...when they will just up and disappear with no explanation. Just they way they came in the first place. So keep your fingers crossed for me today! Maybe with a complete alteration of my diet I will be able to heal my body. I know it won't be an overnight thing, but hope is what keeps me going day in and day out. I will post later on what was said, and we'll see if any discoveries are made today that might help me. (In the meantime, I will not cross my legs, carry heavy bags, or sit on hard surfaces).
Have a great day all; I hope it is a good one!

Back!

Hello! We're back from our trip to Washington DC. I truly enjoyed seeing everything. I've never walked so far and for so long in my life!!! I took a zillion photos and posted just a few of my favorites on my flickr site. A few are, of course, here as well. The Holocaust Museum was a highlight as well as the Vietnam Memorial (my Dad fought in the war, so it was a must-see). I loved the American Museum of Art and Portraiture as well. That had all the Presidential portraits from Washington to now. Amazing! We had a great time taking in all the history and learning. The area is so rich with our culture and so heavy with burden. Everywhere we went had a tinge of sadness and loss to it; everything seemed to be a memorial or a rememberance of some kind. The place definitely makes you think, that's for sure. The Museum of American History is closed until 2008, so I didn't get to see all the cool memorabilia from pop culture; so we'll have to go back then. Now, I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things here at home as I fight off a head cold. Good times! Time to get geared up for the holidays! I don't want to wait until the last minute like I usually do. Hope everyone is well today!

Happy Tuesday!

Not much new going on today. Been doing some work for a client and I also just finished this silo portrait commission. It was fun to work on. In travel news, we're going to DC soon for several days to see the sights and visit fam and friends...I've never been there! There's so much I want to see and am very excited. I'll be sure to post my favorite things when I return. For a fun link, here's a blog from a friend of a friend. He posts a photo and entry EVERY single day...and has been doing it for many years. I learned of the blog through former cooworkers who had worked with him once upon a time. And the chain grows on. Happy Tuesday!

Pearl is here!

We picked up my letterpress today!!! A huge thanks to my brother, J., for coming down from Maine to help move it. Couldn't have done it without him! And a special thanks to my husband for nearly breaking his back trying to bring it in, and then toiling for a while putting it all back together again. He's such a trooper and a sweetie!!! I appreciate it soooo very much, Thank you both! She's a "Pearl Improved Number 11" and she's got all her working parts. I have a lot to learn and am so excited to get started. She's in our basement in my little corner for "messy art things..." (You know, the stuff you don't want to ruin your floor with, so you use it somewhere "safe.") We all got pretty greasy with all the oiled parts when we were moving her in and putting her together, but we had our "work clothes" on so no damage done. Chris made sure to get a photo of me with her...our first portrait. It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship! And I promise to take good care of her. Hope everyone is doing well and happy weekend!!

Happy Anniversary!

(Photos all by Michele Stapleton...a glorious photographer. She's got 2 sites...www.michelestapleton.com and www.maineweddingphotographer.com)
Wow. This Sunday marks our 1 year wedding anniversary. A year ago that day we stood in an old, warm church filled with character and love and exchanged our vows in front of our closest friends and family...and it has been bliss ever since. It rained and rained and rained and caused flooding all that following week. I love you Chris! This is just the beginning; our story is beginning to unfold.

Oh boy!

(Image shown is from Briar Press's website...has a great online museum!) I'm very excited today because tomorrow we are picking up my antique letterpress! It's a "Pearl Improved Number 11" and is full of character and history. She's a beaut! It will be a while still before I get to print with her since I still need to get some starter accessories, but it won't be long now! The man who sold her to me is soooo nice. And he's taken such good care of her. He spent several hours with me teaching me how to use it...which was just so nice...I feel like this important baton has been handed to me and now it's up to me to carry on the tradition and add to the history of this press. I have a lot to learn but have found the people in the letterpress community to be so nice and welcoming and helpful! Anyway, I look forward to getting to know "Pearl" and I hope she likes me. I promise to take good care of her.
And I've got lots of good arty ideas in the works and am just itching to start cranking them out. All in due time!

Where to now?

Do you ever find yourself sitting there and wondering "what next?" That's how I feel right now. I'm in the middle of figuring out exactly what I want out of my career and what it is I want to spend my time focusing on. I'm having a hard time deciding which thing I want to focus on and that ends up confusing me; thus DE-motivating me. It's this stupid endless cycle of planning and thinking...thinking and planning. Yet I can't motivate myself to move forward and get into action. I know it's because I take it all too seriously. My Dad would probably tell me "Lighten up Louise!" And it's true. Anyway, I think I'm finally coming to some conclusions that will guide me through at least the near future and that's all I can ask, right? But don't get me wrong; I'm not melancholy about this. I'm just........quiet. Hopeful. Eager. I'm glad I do have a bit of design work for clients that helps keep my mind busy when I get tired of thinking and thinking and thinking.

On another note, my 10 year high school reunion was this past weekend. I have to say I'm glad I went. I ended up having a lot of fun and saw a lot of people I wanted to see again. It felt warm. It felt weird. But it felt happy. And then I blinked and it was all over...so quick! But I'm relieved it's over with now. (I didn't LOVE high school. I was just sort of going through the motions while I counted down the days until I could move to the next step and just sort of coasted along as if in a blur). There were many amusing people and some people haven't seemed to change a bit (for the worse). Such is the way of life I guess. All I can say to sum it up is it was weird and fun. So, where to now???? What next???? And so it goes..... (feel free to share any of your own reunion stories or career ponderings)

New Cards!

My new cards are for sale on my etsy shop!
Both are hand screen printed and drawn by me. Limited edition!
It's another beautiful sunny day outside today here. Hope all is well for everyone!

Happy Fall!

Hello All! Well, fall is really here. I mourn the summer, but fall is always so invigorating and refreshing. Been working on freelance work and gocco stuff on the career front. Here is my gocco project in progress. Hopefully soon I will make an announcement for when it is on sale at my esty shop.


Chris and I went apple picking this weekend. View my favorite photos here. It felt nice to be out in the fresh air and sunshine...a busy work week lies ahead complete with my 10 year high school reunion on Saturday. eek.
Ok. Off to get some work done!!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my amazingly wonderful husband! To another year of fun and love.
You are my light.

Back!

We're back from our trip; it was great! We drove up Route 1 through Maine to see the little sea-side towns and ended the journey at Bar Harbor where we got married last year. It was wild being back there...our last memories were of the wedding and all our friends and family. We were very nostalgic about it all. We had fun hiking and sitting by the water and wandering around. I got to take tons of fun photos and uploaded just a few favorites to my flickr site. We even got to see Little Miss Sunshine during a rainy evening. I LOVED it. I found it so touching and hilarious. Anyway, the inspiration was endless all over that little town! I highly recommend the trip to anyone looking for relaxation and eye candy. I'm back to freelancing in the city the rest of this week. I'm hoping to do my first gocco work soon! Free chunks of time have been hard to come by lately; but I'm definitely not complaining! Happy week to all!