For the Love of Print

Preparing for Baby

2012-02-20T19:45:00.000-05:00

Full nesting mode has taken off now that I'm 7 and a half months pregnant. I've been prepping the nursery area with wonderful gifts and hand me downs and have moved on to printing. My Aunt is hosting a shower in Ohio and my friends are hosting one here, but I asked if I could still do the invitations. Today I printed the Shower invitations, Thank you cards, and favor tags.
Almost ready for baby!!!

Score, Fold, Glue... Tada!! Making boxes

2012-01-29T19:21:00.001-05:00

One of the many reasons I love Pinterest is it reminded me how to make boxes. I can't believe I was looking at boxes for a stationery order when I have all this card stock and can make my own.

When I saw this tutorial, all the boxes I made in school came rushing back. Silly me. And I have this cool flower cutter that I haven't been able to find a use for until now.

So excited about making inexpensive and original packaging.

Stationery not stationary

2012-01-16T20:04:00.001-05:00

I received a message via Etsy about some custom stationery and it was just the push I needed to make a few easily ordered sets. This custom DJC card was done for a customer, but I also made sets with 4 different design choices.

See them on Etsy

January Smanuary

2012-01-09T19:37:00.000-05:00

After a fantastic Christmas Holiday with family and a super fun New Years with friends, it was time to get busy again. I'm in the middle of trying to organize all my printing supplies, but needed a break to make 2012 Valentine Day cards. Here are some new ones! Hoping I get into a Valentine fair and sell lots. And since I had red on the press, I reprinted my two deer in heart cards.

Be Mine

You're Awesome

I heart US

hyc Creative on We Heart Letterpress

2011-12-09T12:01:00.001-05:00

http://www.weloveletterpress.com/interviews/hyc-creative

updated hyc Creative website!

2011-11-20T11:41:00.001-05:00

The new and improved hyc Creative website. Now with Skreened tees, Videos,
New Wedding Invitation Designs, and more.

Monogram Business Cards

2011-11-18T23:30:00.000-05:00

This was a whirlwind and fun order. I received a call Thursday night from this gentlemen.
He wanted business cards to take with him out of town this week. We met Thursday night to
discuss design and they were printed tonight! I really like the way they turned out.

And I also loved that I tried a few different colors, sent him proofs and because
of today's awesome technology he could get right back to me with approval.

New Wedding Invitation Designs

2011-11-16T11:20:00.000-05:00

Available on our Etsy page.

These are professionally printed using a 4-color process on
100 lb recycled white matte stock with matching envelopes. Not Letterpress.

Some of the Designs can be changed slightly for Letterpress.

Jolly Father Christmas

2011-11-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

This Jolly Ole Saint Nick was created under my mom's request. She love a jolly Santa on her Christmas cards. I printed plenty extra without the personalization for you!

They are on Etsy sold separately or in sets of 8 for $20.
Also, have sets of last years jolly Santa design in sets of 8 for $20.

Christmas Trees make my spirits bright

2011-11-05T10:58:00.000-04:00

It felt a little strange printing these Christmas Cards before Halloween, but I'm glad I got a head start. This was my first attempt at some many overlapping colors on one card. I'm really loving the combination of colors and this amazing Savoy paper. My Holiday cards have come a long way from 2010. I also learned that I went a bit too fine with the lines on some of the ornaments. The ink spread and they just look like solid bulbs. I think they needed more white space.

Overall, I'm super thrilled and I hope Owens Electric like them! I printed some without the Owens. They are available on my Etsy site as single cards or Sets of 8 for $20.

New Video! Printing Telegram Thank you cards

2011-11-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

It's a little rough considering I just started playing around with Imovie on my new computer. I was inspired by Coury and I think I did a fairly decent job for my first try.

Next time, less mumbling and more smiling... I promise.

I love this whole set of invitations, place cards, and Thank You cards. It was a great time working with this couple. I wish them many years of happiness.

Blocks and Trains and Footprints, Oh my!

2011-10-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

I just got a new plate made full of Christmas and baby cards. I started a few of the baby cards this weekend and finished tonight. A few more to come. I love this new paper. Savoy Cover. It leaves a lovely impression. I'm excited to take these to Honey and Hazel kids that now carries my cards.

After Coury finished my other video it inspired me to learn Imovie and do my own. I'm in the process of editing a How to now. (at least a how to Dawn's way) Coming soon.

hyc Creative's first Video!

2011-10-11T22:03:00.001-04:00

Check it out! My lovely husband just finished the video we shot while making this wedding invitation earlier this year. More videos to come!

October means prepping for Christmas here

2011-10-01T19:28:00.003-04:00

Started working on a new Father Christmas and a Christmas Tree.

Graphic Baby Card, does it work?

2011-09-24T21:50:00.002-04:00

I tried a new pattern paired with a metal baby block. Do you think this works? Coury and I have been discussing it a lot tonight. I only printed a few and moved on to printing other cards. I'd like to print this pattern blind for different cards. It might be too large for me to get a good impression on my little press though.

I'd love to know what you all think?

I'm digging this one below.

Custom Cards for a little lady

2011-09-24T12:22:00.000-04:00

This project has been in the works for a little while and I'm glad to say it's finished and ready to be packed up and delivered. A mother requested Letterpress cards for her new arrival to use as Stationary and Thank You notes. She saw this handmade paper I've used in the past on my site. I love using it, but it is a pain to tear down. I use water and paint brush to soften the line and then carefully tear the edges. I also recreated the floral sprigs from a design that was given to me by a friend who's wedding invitations I printed. It was well worth the tediousness. They've turned out lovely.

Fresh Georgia Air

2011-09-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

h is for hyc Creative!

We just took an amazing trip to Georgia for a friend's wedding. It was an inspirational, calming, and motivating weekend. We took several hikes in the Georgia mountains, saw 2 beautiful waterfalls, and reunited with old friends. It was just the break I needed to get me focused for Fall and printing Holiday Cards!

Governors Island Jazz Age Lawn Party

2011-08-27T13:46:00.007-04:00

I was so excited to be a part of the vendors on the island last weekend! I partnered with my friends NecksTuesday and we set out for a fun day in our Jazz Age outfits. It was an absolutely lovely morning. We were all a bit sleep deprived, but had the perfect people watching vantage point. I love the fact that some shoppers don't even notice the vendors behind the table. It's interesting what you can pick up.

It was an experience driving my car onto the ferry and driving around Governors Island too. It's just an eerie place. No one lives there so it's a lot like a ghost town. There are 2 pools, a church, and lots of houses that are no longer in use. They put up a Dance floor in one end of the Great Lawn and dance the day away. It was dreamy and surreal.

It felt like we were far far away from New York City.

Lots of beautiful people and even a Bill Cunningham sighting.

Lots of folks bought cards and I would love to do it again next year!

Laughing and playing and printing, oh my!

2011-08-10T18:39:00.005-04:00

With several cards in mind, I dedicated the last two evenings to print. In an attempt to make more matted prints, I found 2 quotes that tickle my fancy. I hope others like "It's never to late to have a Happy childhood" ~ Berke Breathed and "Earth Laughs Flowers" by Ralph Waldo Everson. I dig them and I guess that's all that matters, but I do hope they sell.

Probably my favorite thing about printing is the happy accidents. I wasn't really sure how the prints were going to work out or even what colors I was going to use. I was thinking blue and pink for the Flower quote. When I had the rust color on the press, I decided to add a bit of mustard yellow to the ink plate and see what happened. I love this rusty orange result. If it hadn't been so late in the evening, I would have printed more rusty orange flowers for other cards. At some point I had to stop. I'm glad I used so many different colors of paper though. I was planning on printing just on the ivory, but grabbed a stack of colored 5x7 sheets. I didn't end up getting a very good print of the text on the watercolor ivory paper and I love the purple and light yellow pieces. Fun stuff. Can't wait to see how they come together.

I also used Savoy paper for cards for the first time. I was trying to get away from scoring and folding the cards on my own, but the quality is so nice and worth the extra work.

3 colors and lots of new cards and prints.

I made a trip to AI Friedman for mattes. Framed printed quotes coming soon!

hyc Creative on Skreened!

2011-08-05T21:23:00.006-04:00

Coury and I have put our heads together and made a tee-shirt shop on Skreened! It's super fun. Take a look! hyc Creative on Skreened

New Toys from Letterpress Things in Chicopee, MA

2011-08-02T20:27:00.004-04:00

I've been anxiously trying to make a trip to Letterpress Things in Massachusetts for months. Everything finally aligned. There there lives a new little baby in Rhode Island and we went to visit him and his family Saturday morning, then headed 2 hours north to the little gem of Letterpress Things. Coury was excited for me. He said I should just go wild, but I only hoped to spend $100 and to my suprise, that's exactly what I did, to the dollar.

John Barrett might be the nicest gentlemen I've met in a while. He was very eager to help everyone find what they needed and offer suggestions. I went in with a list of things that have been overpriced on Ebay for years. Line gauge, Composing stick, tray. I left with those and several new blocks, Quads for 8pt, 12pt, and 30 pt, a new font (12 pt Gothic), business card size paper, @ symbols in lots of sizes, and an interesting wooden storage box.

It's a lovely visit. www.letterpressthings.com

MOMA inspiration

2011-07-28T20:00:00.003-04:00

Coury and I had an exceptional date at Arcade at the MOMA on Wednesday night. The only thing that could have made it better would have been eating dinner. Cour worked late, so I shopped and met him there sans food... and there were cocktails. I can't express how fun it was to run around MOMA with a bit of a buzz. Especially when everywhere you turn is a new video game or gigantic balloons. We got a lot of compliments on our sorta themed tee-shirts.

It inspired us to make things. Those things will be out soon!

Blind Printing Place cards

2011-07-22T19:29:00.004-04:00

Today was the hottest day yet. Usually, I don't have to leave work and go out in the muggy streets much, but today I needed to get paper cut for place cards. I also took an order to Honey and Hazel. I was drudging around in 115 degree (heat index) heat with all this stuff. Luckily, it's a Summer Friday and I was out of work at 2. When I got home I took a little Seista while the AC cooled down my studio, but got to work after.

I've been listening to a lot of comics lately. So many funny Podcasts out there! WTF with Marc Maron is my favorite at the moment. It's interesting to hear famous TV folks in interviews. So many of them still doubt whether they are doing a great job or whether people like them. It makes me feel better honestly. I hate the fact that I crave other people's approval. I think it's human nature though. As a creative, it's very hard to make something, send it to your client and painstakingly waiting for a response.

I loved the Telegram invitations I recently did, but because I'm a perfectionist... I felt like there were a few flaws in them. It's one of the things I like and detest about my Letterpress creations. Because I work on a small press, it's limiting. It's also my favorite part about printing. Every piece has flaws that makes it interesting. Anyway, I was thrilled when they loved them and asked if I could make place cards for their wedding. I love printing things blind, without ink. This Savoy paper gives an awesome result. Now, I just have to score and fold each one. Sounds like a good job for Sunday when I'll be vending at Hell's kitchen.

Opposite Colors of the Color Wheel

2011-07-20T23:11:00.005-04:00

This week was super Hot in NYC, but also productive for me. I decided to suck it up, throw on my coolest dresses for work, and embrace printing again. When I got home I immediately turned the dial on my AC to High cool and changed into boxers and a tank top to begin printing. And look at the results!

I've been building a list of things to print and reprint lately. I could finally set aside time to make it happen. Monday was the night for Orange. I reprinted my Sunshine in a bottle which is one of my favorite creations. It's not a big hit, but I love the idea of sending someone sunshine. I also printed my Thank you in multiple languages in orange. My friends Amanda and Carey gave me this idea. As teachers they often buy packs of very general Hello and Thank you cards for parents, etc. Tuesday I printed the Hello in blue and also a new Bunny card. I just sent this to my nephew who turns 2 next week. They grow so fast. It feels like yesterday that he was born. I don't think he knows how to say elephant or giraffe, but he has rabbits in his yard. I hope he says "bunnies" right away.

I simplified my elephant and giraffe plate. I was having trouble printing the elephant. It was almost too much coverage to print evenly. I decided to make an outline of the body and it seemed to do the trick.

Anyway, new cards are fun. Elephants, Monkeys, and Giraffes... oh, my!

New Lead

2011-07-18T00:22:00.004-04:00

We had a tourist like weekend while my in-laws were in town. We walked all over the city and hit the main attractions on Saturday. It was my first time on Top of the Rock and I definitely recommend it.Sunday it was a bazillion degrees and we drove over to the Brooklyn Flea to eat, shop, and catch a little breeze on the ferry to Dumbo. It was too hot to stay long and the ferry was too crowded to get on, but we enjoyed our visit and I got these amazing new blocks! Love new lead and brainstorming how to use them :)

Gettin' Organized and Dust Free

2011-07-05T22:44:00.003-04:00

I came back from vacation motivated, but also a little overwhelmed with how long it's been since our apartment has had a good cleaning. My small little printing and computer studio has felt like the walls were starting to close in on me.

A long 4th of July holiday weekend helped us tackle the whole place.

I was hoping to go through lots more, but I'm happy the dust is off the floor and all the crap is put away. After another weekend of traveling, I hope to print bunches!

Road Trip!

2011-06-16T15:41:00.005-04:00

Road trip with Coury starts tonight! Off to be inspired, relax, and see lots of family and friends!

Celebrating first a Wedding, Father's day, a Graduation, an Anniversary. Glad I make cards.

Tee shirt Madness

2011-06-12T22:38:00.005-04:00

Coury and I went a little nuts buying tee-shirts this weekend. I was across from
Scared Panda at Hester Street yesterday. I knew right away I wanted this little panda
gazing at the south of Manhattan and the Brooklyn bridge. I love it.

And today, I set out to Renegade to find a baby gift. I was hoping to get a rattle from Hazel Village. Unfortunately for me, but exciting for her, she sold out this weekend. Luckily, she is local and I'll get one soon. Instead of baby gift in hand, Coury met up with me and we came home with a belly full of delish burgers and ice cream and 5 more tee shirts!

We are big tee shirt wearers, but this still seems a little excessive.
But you know, they kinda Rock!

Don't give up is by PrintLiberation
Do what you Love what you do is UG Monk
The Game shirt and Furry Swing are from Fuzzy Ink

Speedy Telegram Invitations

2011-06-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

This was the fastest turn around for a job yet. The bride visited Hester Street when I was there on May 14th. After describing they wanted a telegram invitation, I threw together a design and immediately went about ordering paper, envelopes, and the plate. They are inviting several international guests, so they were in a hurry to send the invitations out for their September wedding. The happy couple came by Hester Street yesterday to pick them up.

I love the theme and so glad they came together well!

Blues the Word

2011-06-06T21:33:00.001-04:00

Debuted 2 new Birthday cards last weekend at the Fishkill Craft Fair. The monkey seems to sell pretty well, so I printed him in blue as well as pink. I love using my large wood type for cards. It's been a while since I made a Happy Birthday card out of them. Ta da.

Though I didn't make many sales, the drive upstate, the fresh air, and my traveling campanion made for a fun day. I've never had so much table space. I borrowed a 6 foot and took my 4 foot table as well. It was nice to spread out!

Rainy Day Blues

2011-05-15T22:10:00.005-04:00

I was really looking forward to vending at The Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg today, but ended up canceling due to the rainy weather. It was pouring at 8:15 when my tent mate (traveling from an hour away) and I were making the call. After we decided to call it a day, Coury and I drove over to check it out and tell them we weren't setting up today. Fog and mist were coming from the East River and my cards wouldn't have stood a chance. Of course, it turned into a rather nice day, but I'd like to believe I made the right call.

To turn the day around, I put my pajamas back on, poured a batch of Bloody Mary's from the mix I bought last weekend from a fellow NewNewer, and made us a little breakfast... a pajama brunch I like to call it. We cozied down to a movie at 10:30 in the morning and enjoyed our rainy day together. I even took a nap before working out. Aside from doing the normal chores and painting and applying newsprint to my nails, it was a quiet, lazy Sunday. Oh, the things you do when you have time! If only we had more Vodka :)

By the way, this McClure's Bloody Mary mix is the Bees Knees. So awesome.

Hester Street Fair Rocks 2011!

2011-05-15T11:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was such a good day at Hester Street. It sprinkled on us a few times and I'll have to replace the packaging on a couple of my coasters, but it was worth it. I also got to know 2 fantastic jewerly makers; Felicity of Wish by Felicity and Loli and her husband of LoellaMedina

Lunch was fantastic with a Slider from Mighty Balls. You create your own combination of balls, sauce and cheese to make our own favorite slider, hoagie, or bowl of meatballs. I picked Pork meatball with Goat Cheese and Jalapéno sauce. I could have eaten several it was so tasty!

Because I never come home empty handed, I picked up a few awesome things throughout the day. A quart of Sour Pickles from Guss' Pickles, Homemade Granola by Spatzi, 2 savory and 2 sweet macaroons from my friend Simon at Macaroon Parlor, and this lovely little wishbone necklace from my tent mate, Loli.

Vending at Hester Street is always pretty fun. Even on rainy days, the energy there is awesome. This might be my market of choice. I'm hoping to return in June!

Marriage is Awesome! Celebrate those Anniversaries

2011-05-13T22:28:00.004-04:00

I ran out of anniversary cards nearly a year ago and have been meaning to print more, but never got around to it. Last weekend at the Handmade Cavalcade, a customer said they were having a hard time finding 50th wedding anniversary cards. I gave her a card and told her I'd get on it and she should check my site soon. Also, I've been thinking of making a special 40th Anniversary card for my parents this year. Well, you can say I made two birds (or 4) with one stone on Wednesday night. I printed Happy Anniversary, Happy 25th, Happy 40th, and Happy 50th.

I like to think these cards were inspired by my parents, the original love birds in my world. I've always admired their relationship. They respect one another and only make decisions after running it by the other first. They have been fantastic mentors for myself and my sisters. Coury and I will be celebrating 3 years this year. I hope we still enjoy one another on our 40th Anniversary as much as my Mom and Dad do. The bonds of matrimony truly are Awesome. I wish Everyone the right to experience it. Celebrate those Anniversaries! Now, I need to get on turning my wedding dress into a shorter, purple version before another year goes by.

Handmade Cavalcade today

2011-05-07T08:07:00.003-04:00

I'll be debuting new Coasters at Today's Cavalcade! Stop by.

Go Green Greenpoint was pretty awesome.

2011-05-01T21:10:00.001-04:00

Lovely day to be outside. I wish every vending day were like this :) I got to chat a bit with my fellow NewNewers and a few friends stopped by to say hi as well.

Looking Forward to a day in McCarren Park

2011-04-30T09:55:00.005-04:00

Town Square’s fourth annual Go Green! Greenpoint Earth Day festival is TODAY,
Saturday, April 30th (12-4 PM)at McCarren Park, Brooklyn. It’s going to be a
gorgeous, fun day for our community!

* Education displays & vendors.Over 100 schools, community groups,
companies, and government agencies will offer exhibits, merchandise, and
activities designed to enhance our understanding and appreciation of
ourselves, our environment and the Earth that we all share.

* Eagle Scout Project on pollution & health awareness.We are so very proud
to have an Eagle Scout Project at Go Green. Presented by Life Scout
Isaiah Segarra, his project will involve a Children’s Marathon starting at
12:30 PM. Life Scout Segarra will also present information on how to
defeat pollution and promote health awareness. Please come out and
support him!

* Children’s activities.We’ll have wonderful activities for kids and kids
at heart, including derby car racing by Boy Scout Troop 26, Cub Scout
Troop 469, tumbling by Gym Park, an obstacle course by Ms J, interactive
art projects by Materials for the Arts and Fas Trac Kids and Enopi of
Williamsburg, Greenpoint Eco-Jeopardy by the Greenpoint Y, science
projects by SciGirls, and more. It’s going to be a blast!

* Tree giveaways by NYS Assemblyman Joe Lentol. Special appearances by
US Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez & NYS Senator Daniel Squadron - and
possibly other local elected officials.

* Greencycle Swap.One man’s trash is another man’s treasure! Do drop off
your cleaned and gently used clothes, shoes, bedding, toys, and books.
We’re also taking in bicycles, electronics, and computers - in working
order please! Do browse through the selection and cart away as much as
your heart desires. All remaining items will be donated to the Vietnam
Vets of America.

* Art, Science & Writing contests.Writing submissions were due last
week. Art and science contest submissions are due at 12 Noon on the day
of the event. Contest submissions will be displayed at Go Green for all
to enjoy. Winners will be announced at 3:30 PM and will receive cash
prizes, have the opportunity to present their work on the main stage and
be featured in the Greenpoint Gazette.

* Live Music & Performances featuring Luis Barrenechea on the violin,
Suspicious Package, and Tenements. We’ll also have presentations by
NYSERDA and the Hudson River Foundation; appearances by our local elected
officers; children’s dance and circus performances by WMAAC – not to
mention a dance class, a yoga class, a NIA class, and more.

Go Green! Greenpoint is a fun-filled day for kids and adults, involving so
many different parts of our Greenpoint/Williamsburg community. You’ll just
have to come and check it all out. Please feel free forward this email to all
your friends and mailing lists.

Lamppost Bookmarks for the Handmade Cavalcade Goodie Bag

2011-04-17T21:41:00.003-04:00

The Countdown begins for the NewNew Handmade Cavalcade. These lamppost bookmarks will be in some of the goodie bags. Mark your Calendars, It's sure to be a fun event!

Pretty Little Flower Stamp Kit

2011-04-13T13:40:00.004-04:00

I love these hand carved stamps! They are darling.
From Eat Pray Create

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market Rocks

2011-04-11T21:25:00.001-04:00

Sunday was a very long day, but also equally educational. I barely slept the night before. The combination of knowing I had to be up super early and my super young neighbors outside partying on a lovely night made sweet dreams very hard. I did of course wake up on time and made my way to Hell's Kitchen. It was a gorgeous drive. I love being up before many people get on the road. It was an easy cruise, though parking was a little tricky.

I attempted to put up my tent for the first time by myself, but was offered a hand by my neighbor which was truly appreciated. I seemed to be the only one to lug weights (water jugs) to weight down my tent, but glad I did considering the winds were strong for the last hour.

Several friends and lots of tourists stopped by. Aside from my toes being really cold and jumping around a lot to keep the blood pumping, the day went really well. I'd like to do it again. I was only shaken by watching a cabbie run into the car behind me on the way home. I'm not a huge fan of driving in the city.

I loved a Flea guy close by that sold tons of Letterpress things. He gets his stuff from the warehouse Letterpress Things in Conneticut. I must simply make a trip to this place soon! He had printer's drawers, furniture cabinets and several blocks. I bought this one for $4!

more Monogram Cards

2011-04-09T21:20:00.001-04:00

Printed, Packaged, and Packed for tomorrow's Hell Kitchen Flea!

These have a bit of an Art Deco twist. Next step is Stationary sets.

The NewNew at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market

2011-04-02T12:21:00.002-04:00

Gearing up for The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market next weekend!
Lots of shopping and yummo food truck excitement.

When it Rains, it Pours!

2011-04-01T21:58:00.005-04:00

I've sadly been neglecting my Letterpress things this week due a freelance project. After completing one, I agreed to another. I have a problem with saying no, apparently. I wait all winter to get an opportunity to make a little extra money and it all seems to fall in my lap at the same time. It's OK though. Who needs to sleep, right? Coury and I are also on our second week of the P90 workout plan. We've been waking up extra early to squeeze in the routine before work. We've already lost some weight and I feel much stronger. Don't worry. I won't start posting before and after photos of my mid section. My main goal is too be in better shape with a stronger core to keep from hurting my back ever again. Last weekend's printing left me very sore. Needless to say, I've been very tired, but also crazy productive.

It's the second rainy, icky day in a row which leaves me feeling a little blah. It's a lovely excuse to throw on sweats, crack open a bottle of wine, and get to work too. Last night I packaged cards for the upcoming fairs all evening. Fold, envelope, cellophane. Fold, Envelope, cellophane. It's so monotonous, but I was able to watch Grey's Anatomy while I did it and a large pile of neatly packaged cards is a nice reward. Fair season, here I come. I'll take the rain now and lovely, sunny days to come, please! If only we could put in requests.

I had plans to print tonight, but got started a little too late. I set up the press to print more monogram initial cards on Sunday. These will be less floral and more unisex. Black on Kraft and white with my art Deco block.

I was able to spend some much needed time on Etsy tonight listing all my new cards. Check em out. Create on, my Friends!

Baby Announcements are for Sale!

2011-03-27T21:54:00.002-04:00

Up on Etsy for purchase now! Thank you to my dear friends that let me use these adorable photos of their kids :)

hyc Creative now at Honey and Hazel!

2011-03-26T17:25:00.001-04:00

hyc Creative cards and bookmarks are now sold at
Honey and Hazel homegrown in Brooklyn

A+

2011-03-24T19:16:00.002-04:00

The school themed wedding invitations are finished and in the couple's hands! The Bride let me know they received them and that they are thrilled. That makes me very happy indeed. I had a difficult time when printing due to the same Staples cutting debacle as the baby announcements. I'm so happy I had extra paper and was able to print and cut more. They may be my favorite invitations yet.

Sometimes I have a difficult client, other times a difficult task, or things just don't go right. The bride and groom in this case were wonderful. They had a loose idea of wanting their invitations to look like a grade card and school themed. I came up with red lined paper with a handwriting font. I thought it would look like they were all handwritten with pencil. I later changed the paper design to the red and blue lines. The bride suggested this old book font. I definitely think it was the better choice. I redrew a stamp I found on ebay for the schoolhouse.Once everything was approved, I printed the lines on Royal Cotton Natural 80lb. Cover stock on my Cannon printer and took them to Staples to get cut down to size. The girl working told me their blade was dull and that's why she added an inch of green cardstock to the stack.

When I got home and noticed how wackado the cutting was, I first exploded. I calmed down and was determined to make it work. The invitations would just be different lengths, but I could line them up on the top on the press. Once I started printing, I realized it would not work. They were cut wrong on the sides as well and the text did not sit perfectly on the line. I printed the lines again and took them to the Kinkos I usually get my things cut. I ended up having to cut the plate in 4 sections to get the font positioned correctly.

Once all the kinks were worked out, the printing was smooth sailing. I'm really happy with the results. They are printed on a natural paper. Along with the font, they have a pretty cool vintage feel.

I will try not to print on lined paper again. I was able to use the scrap paper for this graduation card. I just had to trim each card by hand after printing.

It was a challenging and fun learning experience all around. I wish the bride and groom many years of happiness and hope their guests ask where their invitations were printed. With all my rushing and troubleshooting, I forgot to print my website on the back.

Pressing away

2011-03-21T21:03:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was an Extreme printing weekend. If I wasn't printing, I was retouching for a freelance gig. My back hurt by Sunday, but I have a room full of cards and that makes me smile! I'm prepping for Fair season and a meeting with Honey and Hazel this week.

I was able to print 2 ideas I've had splashing around in my head for months. 2 new "lines". One is Floral initials and the other is my Silhouette line. I started with movie quotes with the silhouette. I have a few more in the works, but would love to hear more.

Here are the Florals:

So as not to leave out the fellas, I'd like to print a few in black with my art deco wood block too.

The first of the silhouette cards came out quite nicely too!

Feels good to Create. If there were only more hours in the weekend!

Gocco Gone Wrong

2011-03-12T20:54:00.001-05:00

I was excited to use my Gocco for the first time today and try to burn and print a new brocade design. I watched 9 YouTube videos in preparation. I printed the paper at work on the HP Laser Jet. With the paper cut down to size, I set up the gocco and burned the screen. In every video the original just peels off the screen, mine however stuck. I had to peel a strip at a time and use a spray bottle to wet the paper to get it all off. I was able to push a small amount of ink through, but something is obviously not right. I backtracked all of my steps and watched 2 videos again. I'm pretty sure I did everything right. The only thing I can think of is that the Paper I used may be a multi-use paper with a bit of gloss and maybe it melted to the screen. I'm going to xerox a print out on normal paper and see if that changes things. I hate to waste another screen and 2 more bulbs if I'm doing something else wrong.

Anyone have any ideas or recommendations?

Old Lessons Resurface

2011-03-10T22:25:00.009-05:00

I've been brainstorming packaging, invitations, new personalized stationary and I got to thinking about how much scoring, cutting, and assemblying I did in college. Time seemed so much more available then and I worked a ton in college. I was working 4-6 shifts a week at a bar and grille, keeping up with my studies, and socializing heavily.... I still had time to do this project. Of course, I was younger and wasn't producing mass quantities then. These days, my evenings now seem to fly by with a blink of the eye. Just when I get rolling on something, it's time for bed. Who needs sleep though, right?I dug this book out to use as a bit of motivation. I love printing on fibrous handmade papers and hope to make my own one day soon. There involved so much folding, Kinkos runs, and paper jammed in the copier. I remember how fun it was to set up all the different fonts. I wish I could go back and print these with less ink though. From what I remember we had to chose 5 objects and make a book from it. Mine were pretty much objects from the 5 parts of my life at the time. I scanned in all the objects to create the fold out imagery and set the text with lead type in the Letterpress room. It was great fun merging digital printing and Letterpress for this book.

1. My family, The object must have been a rose from flowers my parents sent: My mom sent amazing notes when I was in school and still does. She always wrote "Study, Study, Study" back then.
2.My oldest friends: The broken wing of my clay gargoyle that was purchased with high school friends. We didn't communicate well until Friendster and Facebook came into our lives years later.
3. My twin sister: She sent me the eucalyptus leaves. She had moved to California that year and it might as well have been the moon. I missed her greatly.4. My love interest: We met on Valentine's Day and he kept giving me those little candy hearts and was constantly making mine heart swoon and break.5. My Purple house college Housemates and friends: Annie gave me the Chinese coin for good luck. They were my everyday life and my main source of friendship and craziness. That year was quite hazy.
It's fun to go back and look at these things. I often blush at how green and young I was. I constantly wish I'd known more at the time I've created anything. I always think it could have been better if given more time, planning, and patience. I've never been a patient person and want immediate results. I've been getting much better about it, but can always improve. It might be time to re-create things I've done in my past, but better. I encourage everyone to go back and take a gander at things they created 10 years ago and reminisce about the lessons learned. Create on, my friends!

Sunshine State Inspiration

2011-03-08T21:30:00.001-05:00

I spent last weekend on Fort Myers Beach with my husband's family. It did me a world of good to steal away from this cold New York winter for a few days. It was relaxing and gluttonous. I feel reinvigorated from nice amounts of Vitamin D. I can now get back to filling out fair applications, tax forms, and Create more stuff.

Creating has been on my mind the most. I've been toying with making a brocade for a while. I have a vision of printing a copper brocade with my new gocco and Letterpress my silhouettes in black on top. It will be as though the couples (my friends) that I've redrawn are communicating in our local bar, Sweet Ups. Well, that's the plan anyway. It always changes. Here's the brocade design.
I also realized that I could broaden my inspiration some. We saw so much beauty in Florida. Why aren't I drawing Palm trees, flip flops, and sea shells? Palm tress evoke a sunnier emotion to me than say an Oak tree with "Miss You" I've been concentrating too much on my comfort zone. More designs to come!

Bubblegum pink

2011-02-21T11:49:00.004-05:00

Since I had Pink on the press for the baby announcements, I decided to make a few simple prints as well. This flower always makes a good blank card for any occasion. I like the way the bubblegum color looks on the Kraft paper.
I also tried out one of my new silhouette plates.
Can you tell it's me?

Baby, Baby

2011-02-21T00:14:00.006-05:00

It's been a productive and relaxing weekend so far. The weekend has been full of baby talk. Friday, Coury found this video on YouTube and we can't stop watching it. It's called Baby trashes bar in Las Palmas. I'm super entertained that this little cherub looks a bit tipsy... as toddlers often do. I am also anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new nephew. My sister was due Saturday and still no baby. She is more than ready for the little guy to join us as am I! I started setting up the baby announcements last weekend and needed to get them done before I can print the school themed wedding invitations that need to go on the press.

I took a lazy route in paper cutting this weekend that I will not repeat again. Instead of hauling the paper to work to be cut down at my regular Kinkos, I opted instead to drive to the Staples in our neighborhood on Saturday. It still cost $2 a cut and I didn't realize until I got home how crappy of a job they did. I'll discuss the wedding invitations in a later post. The paper for the baby announcements were all crazy. The girl told me their blade was dull, but she added extra paper to insure a good cut. When I stacked the bunch together, I noticed how ridiculously skewed they are. They all had at least one 90 degree edge so I used that edge to print and will have to go back and trim each print later on. I'm kicking myself right now for trying a new place, but it is fixable.

The announcements took a long time to get lined up and printing correctly. Once I got rolling, I didn't want to stop. I decided to wash the blue from the press, break for a dinner out with Coury and return to print the second batch in pink. I plan on packaging them in sets of 10.
The frame holds a 2" x 3" photo.

Now I hope one of my friends will say yes to using pictures of their little dudes and dudettes to use as an example :)

Lots of New!

2011-02-17T00:17:00.002-05:00

My favorite mailroom fella delivered my new Boxcar plate today. 2 huge things to print! The school house themed wedding invitations and the new silhouette cards. Time to get busy.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T00:09:00.002-05:00

All the flowers out and about for Valentine's Day inspired me to
make this floral treasury of fabulous letterpress items.

The prettiest roses we found at Trader Joe's yesterday.

Just Google it!

2011-02-13T22:45:00.002-05:00

I've been listening a lot lately to podcasts about business and marketing. One of my favorites is Tips from the Top with the Savvy Seller. It's jam packed with talented guests and tons of information. Most of the time it's super overwhelming and I rush home to apply what I've heard to my own site before I forget.

There seems to be a difference of opinion about whether Search Engine Optimization is worth that much of your time or not. I feel like there is a lot of low brow ways to get your stuff to the top of searches, but will people want what you are selling when they get there?

It's crazy how fast the Internet has grown and how much you need to know to sell online. In such a short time, I (like most people) rely on Google for most everything. If I have a question, need a phone number, directions, have a cold or headache.... I just google it and whoala... I have several answers to choose from.

I just started using Google places and I'm a little obsessed with the new Google art Project. It's amazing having so much knowledge at the tip of your fingers.

Keeping up with it all is a challenge, but also really interesting. It was said the other day on a podcast that the Internet is like the Wild Wild West right now. Anyone can jump in and build on the frontier. Very exciting stuff!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

New Photos for Etsy Site

2011-02-12T22:30:00.007-05:00

Spent the evening updating the photos on my Etsy site.

I'm trying out new packaging too. I like the Kraft paper with the light cards. We took the car to Michaels Craft Store and Trader Joe's tonight. I love that they are in the same parking lot! Letter size Kraft card stock was $3.99 for a pack of 50 sheets.

Lines and Designs

2011-02-11T18:08:00.005-05:00

Figuring out how to print the school lined paper for new wedding invitations has been more challenging than I thought. I think I have it though. I'm so excited to see how these school themed invitations turn out.

To the Post Office I go

2011-02-09T18:55:00.001-05:00

Valentine Post Cards are in the mail! They might be on time this year :)

I heart Lace earrings

2011-02-08T13:12:00.004-05:00

The earrings I've been eye-ing for a long time arrived today! Love the White Owl style of lace jewelry.

Valentine's Day is approaching fast!

2011-02-08T00:06:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to order Valentine's for the loved ones in your world! Free Shipping at my Etsy store.

Happiness is wanting what you get

2011-02-07T23:33:00.006-05:00

I had huge plans for Saturday. Coury and I walked to the gym in the morning and to my delight a new Pilates teacher invited me to her class. It left me feeling pretty energized and motivated. The rest of the day, Coury was scheduled to work and I planned to hunker down and work. On the schedule was; rebuilding the art deco border with a baby carriage for baby announcements, fix a few quarky things I'd noticed on my hycCreative website, order gift card boxes, Khaki paper for card sets, and finish the blog posts I'd been storing only in my head. None of these things actually happened. I did spend hours on my website making changes, but never really touched the projects I'd hoped.

Awaiting me on my computer were a few things that made me blue and upset so I phoned my parents for advice. In their cute fashion they both answered the phone and listened for a while... which was all I really needed. My dad gave me a quote to ponder "Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get." -- Dale Carnegie After only pondering this for a little while, my sister called with my nephew. He was feeling pretty chatty. (gibberish mostly, but we enjoy it) He blew me lots of kisses which cheered me immensely. When Coury got home he brought ice cream and wine and we had a lovely evening.

Now that a few days have passed, I can separate myself from the situation and really ponder the quote. On Saturday, I felt like I wasn't moving forward. My frustration got the better of me and ate up any productivity I had started out with that day. I realize my impatience and know that to truly be creative and successful in happiness, you don't always need what you thought you wanted.

Joel is about the age now, Andrea and I were here.

hyc Creative in Uppercase Magazine

2011-02-05T17:28:00.001-05:00

Thank you Uppercase Magazine for using my cards in Issue #8

A Gocco enters my World!

2011-02-04T22:30:00.005-05:00

Tonight I brought home my new Riso print gocco. It's basically a small at home silk screen device. My friend Ruby had an extra and we've been chatting gocco and paper for over a month. I anxiously rode home, poured myself a glass of wine, and dove into the directions. It's pretty awesome and brand new... nicely preserved from the 80's. I was thinking how much fun I would have had with this as a kid. I mean, look at how much fun the people on the box are having. Now, what to print?

A year ago, I tried to move away from only printing on paper and bought a whole lot of flour towels to print. Without a lot of experimenting, I managed to get a few good prints on the towels and passed them along as Christmas presents. Even though I set the ink with an iron, they all washed out. I have a few fabric inks to choose from, but I was going to check out my local art store before I pay for any shipping. I'm also hoping to burn screens for background patterns on cards. It's hard to get an even impression on my press for large areas. I have a visual for a pattern to potentially frame a photo. I just need to sit down and draw it and get some cleaner before I make a royal mess.

Ruby of Nemesis jewelry makes really great cards and moleskin journals on her gocco. I heart her Valentine below.

White January

2011-01-27T23:21:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd be able to drive to Astoria Market this coming Sunday, but it looks like another trek on the N train for me. One day, our car will thaw out and take me to a Fair :) Stay warm all, Spring is just around the corner.

Page Daily Mention!

2011-01-26T19:05:00.002-05:00

Thanks to PageDaily.com for the mention in their Top 9 Personalized or Monogrammed Gifts for Valentine's Day list.

Colorful night of Printing

2011-01-25T22:45:00.006-05:00

Though I only used black ink tonight, it's been the most colorful night of printing I think I've had. My sister got me this assorted pastel card pack for Christmas. It worked out nicely for Valentine's and Easter cards. I'm not sure I will buy more of these, but the nice bright colors were nice to work with on a dark, cold, January night.

I heart my new Goudy font! I'm so glad I went with 24 pt. and not larger. This is perfect and easy to handle. My favorite cards tonight are the duck. duck. goose! and the poker Happy Birthday! I love how black on ivory or white resembles an old stored in a chest vintage feel. It makes me want to get back on Ebay and find more vintage blocks. I'm trying not to log on to my Ebay app on my Ipad. I get emotionally attached to the items before I win them and feel utter loss when I lose the auction. I never would have made it as a stock broker or a gambler. I've started shopping on Etsy more and more for fun little stamps. If you like, you buy... no competing at the last minute and second guessing how much more you want to pay for an item. What I really need to stop doing is imagining a card in my head as though the piece of lead is already mine and then being outbid down to the wire.

I tried and failed printing my new Goudy font and a photo polymer plate on the Boxcar press at the same time. This will screw up the way I saw printing the silhouettes and quotes. Though it may end up being even more fun the new way. I could just print a ton of silhouettes in different areas of the card and go back and add the words when the mood strikes.

I'll be selling at Astoria Market this Sunday, January 30th from 12-5pm. All the cards you see here and more will be on sale. It was nice taking a break from everything Letterpress for a while. I feel motivated again to pump the press.

Create on, my friends.

Silhouette Time

2011-01-24T21:41:00.003-05:00

The silhouette's are coming along, but still need a lot of work. I want to order a Cameo version and a smaller black silhouette of each. The new Goudy font arrived today, so I'm excited to use them together soon!

Goudy that!

2011-01-17T23:11:00.002-05:00

Of all the achievements of the human mind, the birth of the alphabet is the most momentous.
-- Frederic Goudy

I finally won the Goudy typeface I want on Ebay!
I can't wait to put in on the press.

Dawn Likes Red

2011-01-17T16:12:00.007-05:00

I've had a love/ hate relationship with the color red since I was a child. My first favorite book was Ann loves Red. I changed the name to Dawn loves Red and wanted it read to me over and over again. I'm not really sure how this happened or if it was by our choosing, but I always wore red and my twin sister always wore blue. Our colors suited us well. I've stayed true to reds, burgundy, and deep purple, while my sis stuck to blues and greens. In the biggest year of Strawberry Shortcake fame, we requested a Strawberry Shortcake Doll cake for our birthday. I think we each had our own. The details are all a little fuzzy now, but I mostly remember the eagerness and excitement as I took a large bite of a solid red corner piece. It was the corner of her skirt made up of individually applied stars of frosting. I also remember the smell of the frosting. It wasn't like our normal buttercream since it was made by a friend. Immediately, I realized it didn't taste like regular frosting either. I ate the whole slice though... it was exactly what I wanted after all. It wasn't long after that I felt very, very ill. Turns out the red food coloring or the butter was rancid and unfortunately, I saw the red frosting again. I've been leary of red icing ever since. Red dye or food coloring you could say is not my favorite thing. To my chagrin, one of my husbands favorite things is red fake flavored things... especially in the version of fruit punch. At least it has a pleasing smell though I don't prefer to drink it.

I realized a while back that my magenta ink for my press smells a lot stronger and more like rancid butter. This last run of red was the same and took me back to my elementary Strawberry Shortcake loving year. I don't think I'm supposed to refrigerate the ink though it has be thinking I should read the fine print. But it's ink, not food and applied to paper makes a lovely card.

Love Birds

2011-01-12T20:47:00.004-05:00

Usually, I'm not this motivated to crank out 1 idea, but I was excited to get these little love birds out of my head and printed on a card. The hardest part was trying to simplify the birds on a branch enough so it could be carved and leave a clear enough positive image. My neck was hurting after bent over carving on Monday night and well worth it after I printed the little guys last night.

I'd like to use them for other occasions as well. I can visualize them in black with a script Happy Birthday. More talk about the rest of the Red soon. Check out all my Valentines on Etsy.

I Heart NY Connections

2011-01-09T00:05:00.004-05:00

The other day on the subway, I witnessed a sweet moment between strangers. A gentlemen scurried into the train right before the doors closed and plopped in a seat next to a woman. He immediately said he was sorry and she responded with, "hey, we're all on the same journey" He chuckled and they began chatting and laughing for the 2 express stops before I got off the train. They were both mid to late 40 year olds that didn't seem to have wedding bands on. I couldn't help but think they belonged together and just met on the train. What are the chances? I bet it happens all the time... at least I'd like to think so. I used to read Craigslist missed connections a lot, especially when I was single.

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I hope everyone finds their person that makes them feel complete. Whether it's on the New York Metro or anywhere else.

Check out all my Valentine's for your special someone and if there isn't one, I'm sure your mom would appreciate one from you.

Borderline Happiness

2011-01-06T22:17:00.004-05:00

I got my adorable little deco border today. It's a lot smaller than I thought from the photos, but I'm stoked to try it out. I'd like to make a photo frame for Holiday time with Happy Holidays on the bottom and room for a 4x6" photo. I'm also hoping to print birth announcements. We'll see. There are a few 2011 babies whose mother's might like it.

Ornamental Stylings

2010-12-16T22:26:00.003-05:00

Found a little inspiration while shopping this year. This is from a Long Island Printer, Wendy Addison. Sold at the Tinsel Trading. I love printing on my coasters. Just need a Grommet and I'll make them into ornaments.

Bustacular

2010-12-15T21:13:00.004-05:00

I was thrilled to be a part of Bust Craftacular this year. It was a long day, but the energy and tunes kept us in good spirits. Nemesis jewelry was a great partner for the day!

I hope I can do it every year, with less rain next time.

Parsnippity Thinking

2010-12-05T20:49:00.003-05:00

Lots of people ask for Sympathy cards and I've been meaning to print more for most of the Fall. As the Autumn harvest was beginning to stale and Craft Fair season was picking up, I ran across parsnips at the Fruit and Vegetable stand. I realized I hadn't cook any all season. I ended up making parsnips for dinner and sympathy cards for dessert.

Whenever I cook parsnips, I think of my neighbor growing up, Mr. Cloud. Not only does he have the best name ever to a child, he was also a twin and had the softness of a cloud. He grew parsnips and other yummy vegetables in his garden and always sent us home with some after a visit. Sauté a few in butter and you have a burst of flavor in your mouth. They hardly made them to the table, since we usually ate them right out of the pan. I tossed them into a stir fry for a new twist this time. Though Mr. Cloud has been gone for 15 years, I think of him every fall when parsnips hit the shelves.

Altoid tins turn into Pill Boxes

2010-11-29T20:44:00.004-05:00

The Pill Boxes are finally complete!

In the Mail

2010-11-22T23:11:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was fun and productive. Astoria Market was a buzz and a few people commented on seeing my cards in Time OutNY :) When I got home, I folded and packaged the cards for UPPERCASE magazine. They are on their way to Canada as we speak.

Now I'm off for some much needed relaxation, family time, and reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

hyc Creative and Astoria Market in TimeOutNY today!

2010-11-18T19:40:00.003-05:00

hyc Creative is in Time Out NY today!!

It's not easy being green

2010-11-18T19:05:00.005-05:00

Last night I printed 200 cards. It felt good to do a large run that will soon reach the hands of someone else. I printed the inside of my parent's Christmas cards and also 110 of 3 different cards to send to Uppercase magazine. City Bikes, Thank You, and Imagine > Create > Smile card. I hope they make it in and into the hands of Uppercase subscribers.

The Green color is a bit fitting for my mood. I have been green with envy lately. At the Laundrymat Monday night, I envied everyone I know with a washer and dryer. It just feels wrong to have to take your clothes somewhere to wash them. When I haul my luggage full of cards to markets on the Subway, I'm crazy envious of people with cars. Now that Holiday shopping has begun, I want everything. I'm awfully jealous of friends that live close to their families too and see them all the time. Its easy to get in a funk and get a little greedy. I realize I have everything I need in life. The abundance of things I have to be Thankful for this month, this year, ... heck my whole life flooded back in. Then, I just feel silly being envious. I'm so excited to be with friends and family next week for the holiday and my cup is very full.

Without the envy, I think I might have to print more of these Imagine > Create > Smile cards in Green. I kinda dig them.
Create on, my friends.

Workspace Wednesday - theNewNew blog

2010-11-17T19:26:00.001-05:00

On theNewNew blog today!

http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/2010/11/workspace-wednesday-newnew-team_17.html

Need Your thoughts?

2010-11-15T22:19:00.003-05:00

I need some ideas, Creative friends. I have the opportunity to submit 110 cards to Uppercase magazine that will hopefully go out in the issue. I need to print them this week. I'm thinking of doing the 3 cards below in Green on the Kraft Recycled paper. thoughts?
Thank you!

Astoria Market

2010-11-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

Astoria Market opened with a bang. I had a smooth, yet odd ride to Astoria on a Sunday morning. It was almost like I was going to work, but there was a homeless man in my car that sort of freaked me out the whole time.

Every year in New York when the weather gets a bit chilly, you see an increasing amount of homeless on the train. I always feel a little more charitable and sad for these folks around the holidays, but yesterday I was just kinda freaked out. I was hoping it wasn't going to set the mood for the day... and it didn't.

I was greeted with an energetic crowd at the Bohemian Hall... which is an amazing name for a Craft Fair location, by the way. I was even more thrilled when I realized there was no line for food or beer outside. Several friends stopped by and I had lovely chats with strangers and my new vending buddy, Erica. The Time Out photographer stopped by as well and I'm anxiously waiting for the Time Out to arrive in my mail slot. Hopefully, hyc Creative made it in!

It was a slower vending day, but I see great potential in this location and hope to do it again soon.

Jolly Old Saint Nick

2010-11-06T21:32:00.003-04:00

In preparation for tomorrow's Opening day for the Astoria Market, I busted out some Holiday cards. Lot's of Santa action!

Overall, printing went really well and I also tagged on another run of I Heart US that actually sold out.

Monkeying around Again

2010-11-05T23:04:00.007-04:00

The other night, Coury had to work until 4 in the morning. I decided to dedicate myself to hyc Creative and I saddled up to my press and starting a few projects. I've been meaning to make pill boxes out of Altoid tins for the longest time.

Ever since I successfully quit smoking, I've been addicted to Altoid Smalls instead. They come in the coolest little tin. It's so easy to carry and they are sugar free. I am a person that has always carried around some kind of pill container and most of the members of my family do too. It's not that we take anything a lot. We are those people that have toothpicks, matches, tissues, hand cream, a cocktail of tylenol, Advil, Zantac, Imodium, Decongesstant, etc, and recently anti-bacterial gel. That's us.. the Lucas's. If you ask my Mom or Andrea, they probably have Rescue remedy and possibly almonds as well. So, I'm hoping for other people like the Lucas Clan to love my new almost formulated and only 1/3rd created pill boxes. Christina gave me the idea to look for an old Rx label block on ebay. I didn't really find anything wonderful, so I decided to carve something instead. I'm hoping when I dampen the handmade paper a bit, it will form around the spray painted tin and stick well enough with spray adhesive.

Since I liked the idea of a vintage sepia brown, I thought I should print something else in brown as well. This little monkey was printed again with Hang in there! Get well or thinking of you cards were a huge request during the last fair. I'm kinda digging the assortment of zoo animal creations I'm building up. It might be time to create some more.

Feel a little goofy today! That's what monkey's always make me think. They are footloose and fancy free.

Carving Santa

2010-10-25T22:40:00.004-04:00

When my mom asked for a Father Christmas or Santa on her holiday card this year, I thought it was a perfect excuse to get creative and carve a new linoleum block. I've only done this a few times with mixed success. Carving is hard! I have great appreciation for people that do this all the time.

After transferring the image with graphite, I started slowly scraping away the linoleum. He came along OK, but I had to stop twice due to tool slippage and finger bleeding. The detail wasn't showing up as I liked, so I kept taking out more and more negative space. After the 3rd proof, we decided this Saint Nick is not happy enough. One of the cards I have in mind is "Have a Jolly Holiday" and this just won't do.

Enter Ebay... When I typed in Santa Letterpress in the search bar, an amazing assortment off the Jolliest Santas appeared. My Mom always uses a Santa on her Christmas card, so I know they'll be used for future holidays. The demand for Letterpress blocks has risen in the last few years and so has the price. I had to give up shopping on Ebay a while back. I got so caught up on visualizing cards with the vintage blocks and being awfully upset when I lost the auction. I ended up buying a little Santa as a Buy it Now purchase and watched the rest. I bid $20 for each thinking that should win. One of the Victorian Santa's went for $78 and the other I lost to a bidder at $20.50! I scored 1 Santa standing in front of a fireplace for $13. I can't wait for him to arrive.

Tonight, I put together a combination of card ideas for my mom to chose from. She decided on just the Santa with Tis the season on the front and a script Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! on the inside. I think I'll print Santa with the Ho, Ho, Ho while I have Red on the press as well.

The linoleum Santa may get used after all, but I think I'll stick to simple lines and flowers when carving! Working on a Rx label now for little pill boxes. Wish me luck and low to zero carving wounds.

Beautiful Vending Weekend

2010-10-24T22:34:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I was wearing a tee-shirt on Saturday and Sunday while vending at Brooklyn Indie Market. It was a great reason to be outside. Though the G train was a shuttle half the way to Carroll street, it was worth it. Lots of people were out enjoying the sun. I do enjoy people watching and many of my creations made it into the hands of card lovers. That always makes me happy.

For the Love of the Numbers and letters

2010-10-23T23:13:00.000-04:00

The minute I have a larger room to decorate, I want to fill it with items like this.

Bag lady

2010-10-22T18:04:00.003-04:00

Well, if sales don't go well tomorrow at Brooklyn Indie Market, maybe I'll score some change from fellow MTA riders mistaking me for a bad lady.

Crafts in Chelsea

2010-10-17T12:16:00.005-04:00

We braced the wind for Crafts in Chelsea yesterday. I'm very thankful that a lot of friends stopped by! I didn't really make any money after the rental cost, but I'm hopeful that I have a few leads for invitations. A newly engaged couple were perusing my invitation portfolio and also a woman thinking of invitations for her son's bar mitzvah. I had a lovely conversation with a girl that carves linoleum and she's in the market for possibly buying her own press. I just happen to have one I've considered selling. The new Card Rack and wine crate worked out great.

Rockin a new Card Rack

2010-10-14T23:29:00.003-04:00

I stained my new Card Rack this evening. Hopefully, stain dries in a day or 2. Craft in Chelsea is this Saturday! and I want to break it in.

Here Comes Santa Claus

2010-10-13T00:24:00.002-04:00

Here Comes Santa Claus. Here Comes Santa Claus, Right down Santa Claus Lane.
He doesn't care if you are rich or poor, he loves you just the same.

I never realized those were the lyrics to this song. I put a few Christmas jingles on tonight since I was printing Jolly Old Saint Nick. I finished an order for Christmas cards for my Dad's company and decided to make a few Santa coasters as well.

I heart Holiday Music. There are only a few other people I know that will indulge my listening habit from Thanksgiving until New Years. Mostly friends that haven't worked in Retail. It makes me happy and puts a spring in my step. I always think I know all the words to a song, but when I really listen, the meaning of the song seems so different than when I was a child. Last Christmas "Let your Heart be Light" really stuck with me. It's a good phrase to live by if you can.

I'm thrilled with our Fall weather and 70 degree days, but I always get excited when I buy my first Christmas present or the first snowflake falls.

Start your Holiday Shopping this weekend at Crafts in Chelsea. 100 artists selling handmade items.

New Coasters and New Packaging

2010-10-12T19:00:00.001-04:00

I have new Coaster packaging Courtesy of Rachael's left overs from her wedding favors 2 years ago. These boxes have moved around our office. They make perfect coaster boxes.

Setting up Sets

2010-10-05T19:47:00.005-04:00

I've not updated for a while since I've been in retouching land and not Letterpress land. Glad to return. I made some packages of cards and bookmarks last weekend. I debuted these and my new banner at Hester St. on Sunday. I didn't sell any prepackaged sets, but people picked them up a lot to view. When I mentioned they could make their own set, several people bought a pack of 4. Overall, it was my best Fair day this fall. I could barely feel my fingers and suffered a bit of windburn, but feel quite chipper about the experience. It didn't rain :)

Here are the sets. I'm tossing around making sets of 8 Christmas cards as well.

Pumping out some Christmas Greetings

2010-09-26T22:22:00.005-04:00

I can't believe I printed Christmas cards tonight. The Holiday season is approaching fast and this year I'm going to be ready. I'd love to take on more custom orders this year. I'm thinking of listing a few Custom Christmas cards on Etsy. I could use the cards I've already printed, but customize the inside.Thoughts?

My parents are probably my biggest supporters and clients. My dad asked if I could do his Company's Holiday cards this year. Of course I said yes and quoted him a good price. He picked my vintage Christmas Greetings with the smoking chimney home and the Merry Christmas with a candle burning. He also chose my 14pt. script font. I printed the outside and inside tonight in Blue. I'll go back and add the Santa to the front and print Owens Electric's return address in Santa Red. I'm really happy with the way they are turning out.

Custom printing is my favorite kind. Especially when it's family. What I love about printing for my parents is I know I'll get paid and they will be pleased. My mom has commissioned me to do their personal Christmas cards as well. I'm planning on carving a Santa out of linoleum. It's crazy that summer is over and I'm printing Holiday cards! Second to Fall, it is my favorite time of year :)

Gorgeous day for The MARTE

2010-09-26T22:12:00.003-04:00

My discouragement was quieted a bit after yesterday's vending at the MARTE. I sold a few cards and it made this schlepping about seem like it could be worth it. I made a little over what I paid for the table so I wouldn't call it a success, but it's all a learning experience. I sold one package ofo the Poker coasters I made years ago so that thrilled me. Hopefully, the promoters will get more people in for upcoming fairs. I've signed up for 3 more at this location. Dolores and Lu were my tent mates and we had a good time chatting throughout the day.

I was really bummed that I didn't sign up for Sunday's Atlantic Antic. I didn't realize it was so huge and had such a turn out in the past. I hope the vendors that went had a good turn out. Something to put on my calendar for next year.

Motivation Station

2010-09-22T20:07:00.008-04:00

I feel like I've been running at full steam ahead for over a month and starting to run on empty. I took a break this weekend to enjoy my birthday and recoup. It's hard getting back in the swing of things after only a small break. Every time I clean up my work space and put everything away, it's hard to drag it all back out... even when inspired or commissioned to. My defunct attitude needs to be lightened up. I need a little ray of sunshine to get me through... all of these things make me think of Journey's Don't Stop Believing or any Journey song for that matter. I feel full of cliché's with no direction.

I am attempting to make this business thrive. Keep on working and doing what I love and selling my cards. I already know that I have gained so much knowledge this summer after dedicating more brain power and determination to this business. I know I have to see it through and trek on. I just need a little encouragement... a little fuel. I've had some pretty shitty rainy days, but I do wonder if I'm barking up the wrong tree in general. I love the creative energy and a place to direct it, it provides fulfillment that I can't get anywhere else at the moment. I just don't feel as high on creative juices as I did before. My practicality mixed with my dreamy sense that anything is possible is a rough mental hurdle to jump. Anyway, searching for some motivation... I need a good New York day, a pat on the back, and little kick in the butt. Good things are on the horizon, I can feel it.

In case you need reminding of the lyrics:

Journey ~ Don't Stop Believing

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Messin with Impression

2010-09-17T00:04:00.005-04:00

The new Boxcar base has made a huge improvement in my printing. I'm messing around with printing my business cards sans ink. Maybe some with and some only imprinted. I'm pretty psyched about it!

Thinking of Mimi today

2010-09-15T19:10:00.006-04:00

Today I was reminded of one of the first cards I made. This Thinking of you card was inspired when one of my dear friends lost her grandmother. I adored her and wanted to send my condolences to the family in a handmade way.

Last night my childhood friends lost their grandmother. She lived a long and happy life and will be missed.

I only have 2 of these cards left and should print more.

Market madness

2010-09-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

After spending the weekend at 2 fairs, I have taken a bit of a break from anything Letterpress for a few days. I once again had high hopes for the weekend. Saturday, I was at Brooklyn Indie Market in Carrol Gardens and sold 3 cards. Sunday at Hester street, I sold 2 cards and 1 bookmark. It rained once again at Hester Street. The weather forecast said a few showers, but once it got started.. it just kept coming down. Louise and I once again just laughed. We're starting to think we're not meant to do Hester Street Fair... and yet we still want to go back. It's like a bad gambling problem. Just another try, and another. Man, someone else is going to need to tell me when to quit. I've already signed up for 5 other fairs. I hope they turn out to be profitable. At what point do I say, people just don't want what I have to sell? I didn't think it was going to be easy, but I surely didn't think it was going to be this depressing. I'll keep on treckin' I think my displays are getting better and better though.

Home Sweet Home

2010-09-09T21:50:00.005-04:00

I finished the Home Sweet Home prints I started the other night while printing pink. Tonight I added all the little home items in navy. I love this print. I'm going to frame them in a matte to fit in an 8 x 10 frame. I'm hoping to make more frame-able prints. This was a good first run.

Home Sweet Home bubbled up from all the emotions I've been having lately about the kind of home I want. I feel in between stages in my life in addition to feeling homesick for Ohio. I haven't been there enough this year. I'm so happy the holidays are just around the corner. The little lamp and curtains conjure up memories of my childhood. I dream of a home for my family similar to the one I grew up in. My sisters and I were surrounded by family heirlooms. The light fixture in the living room once hung in my great grandmother's home. We ran around the inherited dining room table, passing a bookcase that we would pull the wooden joints out to mimic guns, pass the oak side table that held my mom's china, and the China cabinet that was the home of all kinds of little treasures and hid the only bar my parents ever had. The wet bar usually contained an ice bucket, some questionable homemade liquor, and cooking sherry. The piano I learned to play on was handed down from previous generations and sounded like 50 other children had abused it's chords as well. Mostly, we were blessed with space to grow and surrounded with love. Our fenced in backyard was a huge part of our everyday life. We had a sandbox made out of an old tractor tire. It always felt cozy, warm, and inviting. I wish everyone this, especially my future children. Which puts me in a prediciment living in a small Brooklyn apartment with one room taken over by printing equipment. I know that wherever Coury and I are will feel at "home", but I'm feeling like I want so much more for any little ones we are blessed with. It's crazy scary to make a leap and find the space I crave. We love our world right now, but it might be time to look for another spot to hang our Home Sweet Home print.

Can I get an OH- IO?

2010-09-08T22:43:00.000-04:00

A little shout out to my lovely Ohio that I miss so. hello, little Ohio card!