My dad used to work in his woodshop all the time. He made furniture and trim work around the house. And I never knew him to pass a deserted boat on the river that he didn’t drag home to re-do.
I suppose that’s why I was drawn to this workshop. I have to admit. Some of the power tools made me nervous. After all, I do have a bit of anxiety. But when I finished a cutting board I felt like I had accomplished something.
Isn’t it pretty?
Connecting with small, local businesses makes my heart open. I love collaborating with others on projects, and with my press, I can help create what they’ve been imagining. This is Willow’s two-color note card, which means running it through the press twice- once with light gray and once with dark. Pairing the cards with a pale gray envelope makes a lovely presentation.
Life has been crazy with moving my mom and trying to get her settled in a new facility. Taking time on the press yesterday made my heart rate slow down and my focus return.
A printer friend once said that she’d hoped she was saving letterpress but discovered she was really saving herself.
I get that.
I might have to make this Tattly tattoo permanent!
Last night, we met at Kickshaws Market for an evening of letter-writing– to friends, seniors, and women at @girlslovemail. It was all to celebrate National Letter Writing month and the Write_On campaign.
Even though I prefer small groups, as in one or two people, the gathering of 15 seemed intimate. I enjoyed getting to know new friends who also love paper as much as I do!
Thanks to all for a great evening!
I am about to head out for another relaxing week on Turks and Caicos. Our stay involves lots of reading, walking, eating, and sleeping. But mostly, I stare at the water.
There’s something about the shades of turquoise that calms me and helps me breathe differently. I do recognize how lucky I am to be able to travel here once a year. I gather my art supplies and books and spend the week putting myself back together.
My IG feed will turn teal this week. But I’ll be back soon with lots of new ideas for prints.
…the less I sleep
…the more I worry
…and the more aches appear
But I haven’t stopped loving to learn.
The thing about letterpress printing is each time I ink up the press, I have something I need to figure out. Maybe it’s the paper. Is the ink too cold? What about the packing? Is that metal letter chipped? Why is it printing more on one side than the other?
At first, I feel frustration rising. And then I remind myself: you got this. I take some time and figure out what the problem is, and then…. Ta da! I love the feeling of success, too! I wish I’d discovered this early in my life. But I’m going to enjoy the time I have left with it.
Before the arthritis kicks in too much. #gettingoldhurts