Let it snow

It's been some week.

The print count is hovering around 3,000 (not counting two-color runs, which puts it closer to 5000, or the 1000 business cards that I'll be printing tomorrow) all of which have been folded and packaged for selling at the fairs, which begin this weekend.

The shop is also undergoing a huge transformation (read, cleaning), painting frames and hanging things, organizing, tossing out scraps too small to use, hefting tables into new arrangements, and hiding everything else. All in prep for Paper & Chocolate. I wish I'd taken "before" pictures, but I'll certainly have "after" ones on Sunday.

There has also been busy-ness sewing a new table covering for fairs (bright sunshiny golden yellow), painting a new banner, and staining new display boxes.

Plus the regular ongoing design work (some exciting projects in the pipeline).

Oh, and in all the spare time allowed by 14 hour days I designed and printed some new coasters. So, while I swore left and right and up and down that I'd leave the Paper & Chocolate promo first on the blog for the rest of the week, I just loved them so much I was motivated to post anyway.







Though printed as coasters, just punch a hole and hang them as ornaments.

Packs of a dozen, four of each design. Get 'em while they're hot! Or while it's cold.

Paper & Chocolate

Just in case you're hiding in a cave, the holiday season is upon us. Shun the mall and big box stores and come instead to our open house and celebration of Paper & Chocolate! There will be chocolate factory tours by our neighbors Taza Chocolate, plus tastings, letterpress demonstrations, and plenty of handmade cards, books and more for your viewing and shopping pleasure. In the spirit of the season we've invited many other paper & chocolate artists to join us, including May Day Studio, Angela Liguori, E. B. Goodale, Beck Wasilewski, Melissa Gruntkosky and La Tene Chocolatier.

Sunday, December 2nd, from 1 until 6 in the afternoon.
561 Windsor Street, Somerville, MA 02143
Free parking across the street.

Hope to see you there!

Just one question

Whose job is it to lick all 1,500 envelopes ?

O' Goldenbaum

Otherwise known as the Chanutree.



Coming soon to a holiday craft fair near you (assuming you're in Boston).

Better late than never

Though late in coming, I wanted to share the latest from the land of letterpress classes. These bookplates were made by a remarkable group of talented folk at our ever-popular letterpress and bookbinding weekend workshop a few weeks back.



For more pictures of bookbinding from day two click here for Angela's blog.

Once more with feeling

Calendar pre-orders have shipped, the rest await ribbon-tying. I can't stand how much I love the front covers. I think I could mosaic an entire wall of the studio with these covers.

Pretty as pie

Angela of Carta, Inc. was so incredibly kind as to share some of her Italian cotton ribbon for the calendar. It arrived today and in such amazingly lovely packaging I had to share it with everyone.

It starts with Angela's beautiful handwriting.



And then supercute tape measure tape.



Then inside another super charming package.



I adore this ribbon.



And finally my cotton ribbon, wrapped around letterpress coasters by Sesame Letterpress.





Thanks, Angela, for a package that just made my day.

Like a Whirling Dervish

Work is hectic at the shop - in a mad dash to finish up holiday commissions before Thanksgiving, as well as the calendar pre-orders, plus, of course, building up a stockpile of cards for the myriad holiday fairs in the first two weeks of December. Which happens frighteningly soon after Thanksgiving. Which is next week.

Ack!

So, not much time to blog, but here are a few pictures of yesterday's finished madness.

The refreshingly bright sunflowers by Marisa, which we'll be selling in mixed packs at the holiday fairs.



Printed calendar pages awaiting binding.



A pile of 1,000 holiday cards for a law firm in Boston. One more color yet to go.



Can't think about all the work still left to do - just gotta do it.

Love from down under

Last week I got my first Etsy order form abroad - Australia, no less!



Albertine Press is now officially international - thanks Alischa!

Go with the flow

Over an entire month of nearly full-time marbling, and it is done. The paints are packed up, the drying lines tied back up to the ceiling, the trays cleaned & dried and only one giant purple stain on the floor. Back to the presses for the rest of November.



The last month that I tackled was June, which was an incredibly fun and gratifying design to repeat all day long - vibrant, dancing, and simply joyous to look at after each step



Stripes of color, with a tight, vertical getgel pulling the colors into each other.



Then a second horizontal getgel.



Finished June!