Author: reflexadmin

Lots of DIYs in the last few weeks. Here are some highlights of the sessions.

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So what do you do when it’s May and you still have a stack of Astronomical Calendars printed on really nice paper, when there’s been a precipitous drop in online Etsy sales in the post-pandemic world? Well, you chop them up, pulp them up, and turn them into handmade sheets of paper with letters, numbers and astronomical symbols as inclusions, that’s what.

Still groping my way toward mastery of the papermaking process, but I have a client who saw the blended gray sheets on Instagram and is willing to experiment. So we’re going a bit darker, a 1:1 mix instead of 3:1 white to black. We shall see what results!

Been working away in the papermill recently, got a range of colors and blends and am starting to figure out what goes where. I’ll hope to put some sheets up for sale soon!

A year ago today I took delivery of a Vandercook No 4 proofing press that had been sitting in a warehouse in Tulsa for twenty years. It was a gamble, but besides a sheared taper pin on the gripper pedal, it was mechanically sound. Today it prints every day, and the grime is slowly wearing off.
But, even better, this press was built in 1948, which means this year is its Diamond Jubilee! I printed some celebratory cards for the occasion, available if you sign up for the mailing list or shoot me an email.
Some pics from last year, this year, and the birthday cards!

Everybody loves Lettra when they’re shopping for wedding suites, but a recent client decided to step a little higher. We went with Arches Cold-Pressed Watercolor, and the results were fantastic. It’s hard to get the look and feel with these images, but the impression was as luscious as Lettra with much more body and tooth to the surface. I liked the way it ran, too; it made the inevitable cotton dust worth it. And there’s never anything wrong with a simple, elegant design, but paired with this paper, the results were stunning.

I’m a tea guy, not a coffee guy, and ever since I quit Diet Coke six years ago I’ve been drinking gallons of the brown joy per day. There was a large, weighty glass mug kicking around the studio when I started at the Stove Factory, and it became my go-to for tea consumption. It’s got a good feel, good presence, and holds 20oz. What’s not to love?
The original glass met an untimely demise at the hands of a case of type a while back, and I accidentally found a (single) replacement at a local restaurant supply store during the pandemic. Since I’d already lost one, I was worried about the longevity of the replacement, and wanted backups. They didn’t know when they’d get more in, but I figured I’d just keep checking. No dice. Searching for “large glass mug” on Google is a fool’s errand, but reverse image search actually worked after I took a shot of the glass against a white background. Turns out this is a 20 oz Haworth Glass Beer Stein, and is no longer in production. HORRORS!
Enter eBay. I’ve found that eBay is the place where discontinued, obscure and weird consumer commodities go to find their Forever Homes, and this was no exception. I had to get them from England, but seven Haworth Glass Beer Steins arrived safe and sound. Whew! [sigh of relief]

A fortuitous conversation with my landlord reminded me of David Mamet’s classic examination of toxic male work relationships, “Glengarry Glen Ross”. While typesetting the first words of Alec Baldwin’s epic opening monologue, I chanced upon this eBay find from a while back. I knew that I’d find a use for Mr. Man one day, and that day had arrived.

Got some long-time renters in today for a DIY printing session, running some nice two-color invitations with an elaborate herbal border pattern, plus some elegant single-color reply and details cards.
Another DIY wedding run happening tomorrow!

Yesterday was exceedingly busy, with a workshop through Albertine Press, a private class, and a three-color pass on something I’ll working on for the APA. Enjoy some snapshots!

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