Catching up

Phew! I'm finally finished my corporate client work for now...so I'm back at the home office and studio and into my own routine again. So much to tell! I'll start with this post. A few weeks ago I posted about my Mum's birthday. Well, we ended up throwing her a big surprise party the next day. She's never had one, so it was great fun! My Dad drove her down from Maine to our house under the ruse that we would all be going out to dinner around Boston. Well, when she arrived she was welcomed by 33 people!

We promptly decked her out in her birthday gear:


She was so delighted and I'm so thankful to everyone who came and made the day so special. It was a steaming hot day in September...95 degrees! So everyone was melting outside. But we turned on the sprinkler for the kids and made the best of it. We had lots of good music from the 50s and early 60s, cake, gifts, and TONS of food. Even Morgan the dog got in on the action.

A wonderful day and even better memories were had by all. The last photo shows Mum opening her gifts with her brother (my uncle) sitting next to her. My brother is on the other side of him; and of course, Morgan is at her feet hoping he might get a treat of his own. (He did get a special L.L. Bean boot squeaky toy later that day...and a few meaty soup bones to chew on). More posts later!!

Happy Birthday Mum!

For the mother who I have always dreamed to be like one day:
I love you more than life. You mean so much to every one of us. When I think of you, I can only think of words like "sweet" "fun" "loving" "nice, nice, nice" "caring" and "the best."
This is a very special birthday for you and we wish we could give you the world; sometimes it feels like all of our love and thanks seems so small and not enough for what you deserve.
Happy Birthday to you, Mum. Cheers to many, many more!

Wren

Last weekend I finally printed my "wren" notecards. I've had this plate for almost a year just waiting to be printed. I have them for sale in sets of 5 on my Etsy shop. I've only printed 14 sets in this particular custom color...never to be again! I will reprint the plate, but in a new color next time. Right now it's a sort of pale olivey color...I wanted something that looked like it could be used all year round but also had a bit of a fall feeling to it. I'm excited about them. I saw a really fat wren on our front porch at the end of the winter and it looked like a softball with legs. You could barely see its head...it was just so chubby for the winter. And so cute. That inspired me to do the card...this one on the card is a bit more thin than the one I saw (which is really saying something). I hope everyone is well! I've been busy freelancing these past few weeks and will continue to do so for the next few. After that I need to get cracking on my holiday cards and my next limited edition print (which I already have the plate for). See you soon!

"New" type

Check it out! I am now the proud and lucky owner of a whole font of wood type! It's so pretty. I got it from a lovely man who is 77 and retired (and has letterpressed all his life). All of his equipment came from his father and himself (his father was a printer all HIS life). I loved talking to him at his shop and getting to hear all his different stories about all the different jobs he's had through his life. It seems like he's done it all! It reminds me that I'm just beginning my story....

Back to it

Phew! I've been gone from here for what seems like forever. We got back from our vacation to Salzburg, Austria last weekend and I've been catching up on errands and sleep ever since. It was an amazing trip and I HIGHLY recommend it for anyone considering going to Europe. It was so breathtaking: clean, beautiful, friendly people, rich history and much to see. An added bonus: we never even needed a map to find our way around! It was such a charming place with it's historic buildings, cobblestone streets, and music traditions. And I never once encountered a piece of trash on the ground or a dirty bathroom...even at the beer garden!!! (I say this with a smile, but it is very true!) I would go back any time if given the chance! We did so much there that it's impossible to list here. Let's just say that it was a fabulous time and there was a new discovery every moment. With this post are some favorite photos. Now that I'm finally caught up on my errands and am back to work I hope to start posting more regularly again. I hope you all have been well and I can't believe it is almost September!!! See you soon!

Tagged!

Yikes! I've been tagged again (this time by 3 people on the same day, so I guess I'd better do it!). The game is: you list 7 habits/things about yourself and then "tag" other bloggers in their comments section to do the same. You list their links in the entry and onward it goes. I'm going to have to be a jerk this time because most of the blogs I read have done this already (and I've been so busy and stressed with work that I am now too lazy in my last few free minutes to scout out more people to do it). So, here's my 7 things (without tagging anyone else...sorry!)

1. When I eat Oreos, I try to isolate the filling part all-together. I eat the cookie from the top and carefully break apart the cookie on the bottom and eat it so all I am left with is a perfect circle of the filling to eat on its own. Lots of work. But keeps me from eating too many.

2. You know back when they used to make those black markers that smelled "toxic" but were addictive to breathe in? I loved those. Not in a crazy addict way... I just liked to take the cap off and smell that lovely scent every once in a while. Don't try to deny you've done it once or twice. I know I still have one stashed somewhere. Do they even make those anymore?

3. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. No, I don't wash my hands a million times or check the oven over and over. But I obsessively THINK. Really! When I let it get out of control I never sleep because I can't stop thinking and planning. It's like those nights you stay up worrying about things every once in a while... you know? And you can't get your mind to quiet down because you're planning the whole next day? Well, imagine that every single night. Forever. I've trained myself to NOT do it on cue (thanks to a helpful therapist and a lot of stupid practice; but when I'm stressed out I tend to plan my life years in advance when I should be sleeping! (No worries, it's under control.)

4. I recently learned that the song "Last Dance with Mary Jane" by Tom Petty is about Marijuana. How did I not know this? I've heard it called everything but "Mary Jane." Until now! I feel so enlightened! Or is that my special marker taking effect?....(kidding)

5. I love to concept my design work in little blank cloth books. I have some that Pottery Barn had put out a long time ago. I like to carry them around with me so I can write little words and ideas down as well as some sketches. You'll also see tons of lists...some repeating themselves (See No. 3 of this list).

6. I like to sleep. It's like a fun hobby for me. It's terrible...I like to sleep for 10 hours each night. Not that I get 10 hours every night, but it's what I prefer. If I only get 8 I feel like I've been hit by a truck. 10 always seems like the magic amount for me. One day I will have children and this will be an impossible dream. So for now, I make sure to relish it when I get 10 hours. (I hate relish by the way).

7. When I was in college I majored in Advertising Design. We had to take a bunch of studio electives throughout the time there so I took all figure drawing classes. And haven't done anything with it since. But at least the figure drawing was something I enjoyed. In fact, there's a lot of crap I haven't used since college. As for algebra from grade school times? Never used it. Never once. And do you know how many hours I slaved and toiled on that homework every day? How many nights spent worrying? I KNEW I would never need it. See? I was right. Not that I'm bitter or anything. I'm just saying...........

Sorry for my lack of posting lately. I've been freelancing for a corporate client (on-site) of mine by day and doing my own client work at night. Free time has been at zero; but hopefully soon I'll have a routine nailed down. Perhaps it's something I can think about tonight whilst trying to sleep? Or not....

Hope you enjoyed my list!! Comments accepted freely.

Broadhurst

Hi everyone! Here I am, ready to give you another eye-candy report. I am reading this amazing biography. It's called Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret & Extraordinary Lives, by Helen O'Neill. Click the link to see more info on it.
Broadhurst was an Australian Wallpaper designer/icon later in her life. Beautiful, hand-screen-printed papers that were truly works of art. But, she lived many lives in her one lifetime as a performer, a fashion guru, and all sorts of things like that...all up until her tragic murder at age 77. It's a fascinating read so far. Her life (as I read the book) is reminding me so much of the movie "Big Fish." She seems to have done so much and all so thrilling; yet you get the sense that some of her stories in life were exaggerated for dramatic effect. This book is CHOCK FULL of her wallpaper designs. It's another must-have is you love eye candy (like me). Not just a photo here and there...it's full of beautiful imagery. And it's also a good read! Normally biographies can be stuffy, but this reads well for me. (Her life was exciting, so it's hard to be bored with it.) And the outside cover is screenprinted fabric...just so lovely to hold and have out on the coffee table! The Amazon.com entry for this has a "search inside" feature, so you can see more of the book there. Have a great weekend everyone! I will be devouring the new Harry Potter book in hopes I don't hear what happens before I get to read it. (Maybe I will turn off the tv for the weekend?)

My Birthday!

Today is my birthday! (on Bastille Day!) My husband surprised me with breakfast in bed and then gave me my lovely gifts. You can see the birthday card he gave me in the picture; a letterpressed card from Paper-Source. What a great wake-up!! Now I'm up and getting ready to head out the door; we are going into Boston to check out the Edward Hopper exhibit at the M.F.A. Next, it's off to lunch at P.F. Chang's (a favorite of mine), and then to the Museum of Science to check out all the fun there. I'd like to see the 3d sharks movie and then maybe catch an Imax film at the omni theater. Then, we'll head to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner from where I will need to be rolled home and likely have my stomach pumped from all the good food. I hope everyone has a great day! Happy "quatorze julliet" (Fourteenth of July) to France.

Book of Inspiration

Hi everyone! It's almost the weekend, hang in there! In honor of my upcoming birthday, I ordered myself this little gem of a soft-cover book. You can buy it here. It's a Japanese book all about Lotta Jansdotter and her life style. I'm a big fan of her products and an admirer of the "brand" she has created for herself. The book takes you into her studio (when she was in San Francisco) and home and where she likes to travel. It even shows tidbits from her sketchbooks. This book is just chock full of inspirational and lovely photos and bits; I just love it. While much is written in Japanese, there are still little "essays" written in both English and Japanese; so the English-speaking can still follow along with some of her thoughts. It's definitely an inspirational shot in the arm for me whenever I look at it and I instantly feel cheerful as I flip through the pages. Definitely for those who love a little bit of eye candy. Be well!

Crane's

Just wanted to share this book I got...it's got no photos or drawings inside (so, no eye candy). But, it is filled with information on how to properly address all kinds of things as well as how to properly put together different pieces of stationery. It's sort of an Emily Post-ish etiquette book. It's a must-have and acts as a clear reference for me as a graphic designer of stationery. It even tells you how to properly address folks like the President of the United States and all the other members of the Cabinet. Find out more about it here.

Back to it!

Hello everyone! I'm back in action today after a lovely week away. We were up in the Belgrade lakes region in Maine. It was very peaceful and I read several books...nice and relaxing! I've put some of my favorite photos from our time (I always take too many photos, so I have to sort through them to pick the favorites) on my flickr site. Now it's back to the grindstone and today started with getting out several Etsy shipments and getting caught up with email...now I'm working on sketches for different projects. It's never the same thing twice! There's definitely plenty to do; along with plenty of errands to run. It's a "scorch-a" outside; so I'm happy to stay in the air conditioning. I hope everyone is well! I'll be back soon with inspirations and goings-ons.

On vacation!

Hey friends! I'll be taking a bit of a break this upcoming week since we'll be on vacation. Have a great Fourth of July and a great week! I'll be back with lots of posts in the following week. Enjoy!

WOW! I just found out that Paper-Source has worked with Riso overseas to import the Big Daddy version of the Print Gocco machine!(It' prints large prints, but also takes the smaller screens as well). Since all Gocco products had been discontinued, it's been nearly impossible to find supplies. Well...no longer! They are fully stocking the inks and supplies as well all online. Hooray! Looks like we can all stop being pack rats as we snap up all the leftover supplies and enjoy the rebirth! Found via Paper Crave.

Press Alert!

Hey everyone! Woo, it's hot out there! Just a quick note: My new limited edition prints were mentioned today on Poppytalk I'm so honored to be mentioned on her blog in the fresh/affordable art entry. I was also mentioned this past Friday on the ever-amazing blog DesignSponge. So exciting! I'm thrilled to get mentioned by these amazing design sites; and be amongst so many amazing artists and designers out there. It feels good to be making art again and to be making it affordable for everyone. Well, it's a busy day so I'm off. I've got to work on several quotes (this will eat up most of the day), finish printing for a wedding and ship it, and send out shop orders. I'll follow it up with some invoicing and emails and call it a day! (blah). I hope I can squeeze in some sketch and design time today; but sometimes the business side of life takes over, you know? More soon!

Seahorses Abound!

Hey everyone! And now for my next print....I introduce "The Seahorses." This is a limited edition of only 60 prints. For sale on my etsy shop. It's illustrated and letterpressed by me in a turquoise sort of pool blue ink...but light in color. It's printed in soft and pillowy Crane's Lettra letterpress paper. It's very thick and almost feels like fabric; and I got a pretty good impression in the paper with this. This is inspired by the beautiful shapes of the bodies of seahorses amongst the coral. I like the soothing calm that I feel when I look at this print and I think it would look nice in a bathroom or child's room. But it could work anywhere I guess. Now I'm off to get cleaned up and we're off to a barbecue this evening! I hope you're enjoying your weekend as I am!

Leaves and Follows

Hey everyone! I'd like to introduce my limited edition original series of letterpressed prints titled "Leaves and Follows." The total size of the piece is 5 x 7 inches and I've only printed 135 in the edition. What do you think of it? Warm red ink is pressed into Crane's Lettra paper...it's soft, pillowy, and thick. The impression can be felt when you run your hand over the bright white paper. It is so soft it almost feels like fabric. You can purchase it at my etsy shop. The design is an illustration I did...a sort of abstract combination of shapes inspired by nature. It depcits a mother bird and her hatchlings following her through the bushes. I love the organic leaf shapes and I think I'll use similar ones in future prints. I have tons of thicket outside of my house where loads of species of birds live and get visited by squirrels, groundhogs, chipmunks, mice, turkey, deer, and other fine folks. It's fascinating to stare out the windows at the world of activity going on outside and they have no idea I'm spying. Very inspirational! Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a great weekend ahead!

Happy Summer!

Happy summer!!! To celebrate, I got a new haircut today. It used to be down to the middle of my back, so this is quite a change! I've finished my first limited edition original prints today; so I plan to put it on Etsy tomorrow (after it is photographed). I'm so happy with how it came out! Be well, and see you tomorrow!

Tuesday Inspiration

Chris and I went for a walk this morning and it was so nice to enjoy the weather and just be outside. There were pretty little blooms falling off the trees everywhere so I grabbed one and put it in a glass to float. I also love this page from the latest issue of Elle Decor magazine...I love the different fabrics on the couch and I also love the grass wallpaper on the wall. You can click on the image to see it larger. I would love to do a small part of a room in that paper... Busy day; I'm off to continue to check items off my "to do" list, including printing my next stationery set design. Happy Tuesday!

Summer Sun

The weather has been amazing lately! So warm yet not humid. Trying to enjoy it while it lasts. I had my first reflexology appointment today and it was amazing. It's the use of foot massage and working certain areas of the feet and ankles (and sometimes hands and ears) to balance the inside of the body and thus treat illness/imbalance. I have tendonitis in my right hip and chronic pressure hives so I thought I'd give this a try since nothing else works to help. My hip felt immediately better when I left; and we'll see how things go with the hives. I have to go back a few more times so we'll see! It felt great and I highly recommend it. I had a follow-up doctor appointment for my other recent issues and the doctor thinks things are going beautifully. I'm finally putting the whole thing behind me and am excited for the future. I'm trying to stay positive to bring positive things into my life. And finally, I got notice that I'll be getting the plates for my new limited edition designs on Wednesday. I can't wait to work with them! But tomorrow I'll work on my new stationery prints for my shop and do some administrative work for my business. And onward we go!