Let it snow...

Finally, COLOUR!! It's so fun to now try something other than the black I've been using for the last few months. It's also good to get some holiday cards done. And appropriate that I picked the snowflake illustration first. Yes, ok, the snow... all my fault. 

Here is the blue - mixed from ultramarine and translucent white - on press and ready to go. I'm learning a lot about what works on my particular press and that would be line art rather than bigger solid areas. It's hard to get even coverage and to maintain it. My press is always shifting and loosening as I crank the prints out. I need to find a way to minimize that so have less wasted copies. 

And the finished, two colour card. While I had it on press and inked I thought I would try it out on gift tags and it worked well! I'm looking for tags in recycled brown paper rather than manila to better match the envelopes. And coordinating ribbon...

Hope everyone is snug and warm on this snowy day.

~Gina

A Most Excellent Midwinter's Feast

Here are the invites for the fundraiser, A Most Excellent Midwinter's Feast, hosted by the Ottawa Chapter of Canadian Organic Growers to promote their Growing Up Organic Project. 

The invitation printing plate artwork on press, but not yet inked up.

A table full of invitation fronts...

... and the inside text.

Ticket, back and front. Printed "2-up".

Lastly, the finished invite and ticket, with a nice brown, craft envelope.

The ink I'm using is from a supplier in England who carries a line of Caligo Safe Wash oil-based inks. They clean up with soap and water so they are more environmentally friendly and safer for me, working in my poorly ventilated basement. 

Paper is a lovely, thick, 100% cotton rag, tree-free Fabriano paper from Jason Vaughan, one of the owners of a local fine arts supplier and gallery, Artguise. I ordered my printing plates from terrific folks at Boxcar Press. The plates are a photopolymer (plastic) and are thin flexible sheets. There is adhesive on the back and they mount on a heavy metal base that goes in the "chase" of the press (see pic at beginning of this post). Here is a shot of the base and the plates from Boxcar. You can see the plates for the Medieval Feast as well as illustrations for greeting cards (top and third one) and my business cards (last one).

The printing was a big learning experience for me, from how my press works (in all it's maddening, charming quirkiness) to taming the high expectations I have for myself and the work I produce. The pieces have turned out to have a lovely "antique" and handmade quality to them that suits the event. I now have a much bigger appreciation for the printing industry. And my least favourite thing: cleaning the press.

My cat Lucy's favourite thing – all the packaging...

I took advantage of the press being inked up and did a few birthday cards using 2 of my illustrated designs. 

Before the weekend is out I will finish some merchandise tags for my friend Nadine who makes beautiful, felted, wool scarves. 

Thanks for stopping by!

~Gina

Experiments and Prototypes

Here is the actual press: The Kelsey Excelsior. It sits nicely on a Black and Decker Workmate and weighs about 85lbs. It is held together with a series of rods that I have discovered will shimmy out of place as I crank out prints! I managed to break the piece at the base of the handle when I pushed down too hard. Arg. Soon I'll have to get the part replaced or a new one made – for now it's held together with some nylon tape.

The first print job I did was for my mom. She goes into the homes of elderly or disabled folks, who can't get out, and she does their hair. The type was set with a combination of linotype slugs and some lead type I had. At the time I didn't have a plate made for the artwork so each of her cards (60+) I illustrated by hand. Here it is, very basic, some are a little crooked or off center. My first effort and a labour of love.

The next project was to produce a prototype for my greeting cards. I used a fabulous little vintage printers bit I got from Larry Thompson - I'm not sure what he is but half the fun has been in guessing! He's been quite a hit and will be  regular in my series. Leave a comment or send an email with your guess and I'll mail you one. Make sure to include your snail mail address...

With supplies and printing plates now in my studio I have a LOT of work to do! I'm in the middle of a set of invitations and tickets for a medieval-themed fundraiser for Canadian Organic Growers: A Most Excellent Midwinter's Feast. The artwork – designed by Chantal Lancaster – on the link is what will be on the front of the ticket. The learning curve is steep but I'm enjoying it! 

Cheers!

~Gina

Hello and Welcome!

Hello and Welcome!

My adventure in letterpress printing began last fall when I saw some gorgeous greeting cards on one of my favourite blogs (it was either dooce.com or design*sponge) and was curious about how they were made. A visit to the website of the vendor, Lynn Russell of Satsuma Press had me hooked. 

That was the fall of 2007. In the spring of 2008 I discovered Don K. Black Linecasting Service who put me in touch with Larry Thompson in Merrickville, Ontario and he introduced me to the Ottawa Press Gang. I took a one-day workshop he and Steve Quick hosted and another 2-day workshop with Margaret Lock of Locks' Press in Kingston, Ontario. I felt an affinity to the process and in June 2008 I bought a reconditioned, vintage press - a Kelsey Excelsior circa 1940. 

I also took part in a One Day Wonder - a group of us wrote, typeset, printed and bound approximately 60 copies of an 8-page book at Thee Hellbox Press, private press of book artist Hugh Barkley. In one day. It was a riot! 

Since then I have been sourcing all the materials and services I need to begin producing a line of stationery and papergoods. Some will be my design and illustration work and other times I will use illustrations and design supplied by other people and do their printing. The learning curve has been steep but I'm loving every minute of it. OK, except for the brokerage fees on international orders for supplies!

So now I have ink, paper and printing plates made from my illustrations. I'm ready to start! As I try my wings at this, I invite you to pop by here and take a look. Say hello even? 

Have a fabulous day.

~Gina