....or : how i spend my friday and saturday nights.
FORELOCK // CHELCIE BLACKMUN
Sep 30, 2009
Sep 21, 2009
Shop Cards -- Runs 3 & 4
And done! After shelling out $25 for a can of yellow here are my cards:
I added the lightning bolt on the back accidentally at first, then I went with it and added the blog address last minute too. I'm happy with them. Printing the blog address was interesting, since it was just one line of type it made a killer impression. (a little too killer actually, it was embossing the opposite side.) I didn't feel like repacking tympan for this (???) but instead just adjusted the hand pressure of each of my pulls. It worked okay but next time I'll fiddle with the tympan for practice.
Sep 20, 2009
i wish i had:
>>> a scanner
...or... >>> a not-so-fussy camera
...or... >>> decent light @ ten @ night
Sep 8, 2009
first drafts.
Back in May right before I visited China, I started working on a set of cards for the shop. I used my baby watercolors to make a pretty stack of rainbow cards to print on. I set some type and pulled a few proofs by locking it up in the press and just inking the type by hand with a brayer.
I think the set of cards I'm working on now is stronger all around, but this was good practice. It got me reacquainted with setting type, was my first attempt at locking type into a chase, and generally got me moving and thinking in the right direction. I've just gotta come up with a use for those rainbow those cards now!
I think the set of cards I'm working on now is stronger all around, but this was good practice. It got me reacquainted with setting type, was my first attempt at locking type into a chase, and generally got me moving and thinking in the right direction. I've just gotta come up with a use for those rainbow those cards now!
Sep 7, 2009
Rollerhook Drama, Tricky Trucks & Boo Acrylic Paint!
Naturally I've had tweek a few bits of my press between getting it and printing my first job. When it first arrived the wooden base it was screwed to was totally busted, so my step dad Mike made me the gorgeous new one you see here:
After that there was the overly drawn-out rollerhook/truck/roller action drama. The trucks and rollers were getting hung up on the corner of the chase bed, I had to manually lift them over the corner every time. Maybe its the thick paint on the hooks I thought. So I scraped paint off the hooks. But NO! The hooks were bent! Scraping paint made no difference to bent hooks! So for months I pondered until a friend helped out by taking them to a smith to be straightened. It was quick and simple and now they are nearly perfect. Surely things would work perfectly. But again - the trucks were getting hung up on the corner of the chase bed. Woe was me! What could be done? I agonzied, and then I oiled. And everything was fine. :/ I also noticed my trucks slipping away from the roller every few strokes as I worked the press. So I used these tiny hair bands to keep things in place:
Most recently (today) I had the hairbrained idea to try acrylic paint on the press. Now I kind of knew better -- but what if it totally works? how convenient, clean-up would be so easy! I thought. It did not work, AT ALL, and now my rollers are green...and a tiny bit sticky. :( It seems the yellow paint that was on them soaked into or became one with the rubber on the rollers. If anyone with actual press experience stumbles upon this, I wouldn't mind hearing exactly how & why my idea with the acrylic paint was so dumb. (Is this a situation similar to no silicone lube with silicone toys?)
I think they will be ok - but boo bad ideas with acrylic paint!!
After that there was the overly drawn-out rollerhook/truck/roller action drama. The trucks and rollers were getting hung up on the corner of the chase bed, I had to manually lift them over the corner every time. Maybe its the thick paint on the hooks I thought. So I scraped paint off the hooks. But NO! The hooks were bent! Scraping paint made no difference to bent hooks! So for months I pondered until a friend helped out by taking them to a smith to be straightened. It was quick and simple and now they are nearly perfect. Surely things would work perfectly. But again - the trucks were getting hung up on the corner of the chase bed. Woe was me! What could be done? I agonzied, and then I oiled. And everything was fine. :/ I also noticed my trucks slipping away from the roller every few strokes as I worked the press. So I used these tiny hair bands to keep things in place:
Most recently (today) I had the hairbrained idea to try acrylic paint on the press. Now I kind of knew better -- but what if it totally works? how convenient, clean-up would be so easy! I thought. It did not work, AT ALL, and now my rollers are green...and a tiny bit sticky. :( It seems the yellow paint that was on them soaked into or became one with the rubber on the rollers. If anyone with actual press experience stumbles upon this, I wouldn't mind hearing exactly how & why my idea with the acrylic paint was so dumb. (Is this a situation similar to no silicone lube with silicone toys?)
I think they will be ok - but boo bad ideas with acrylic paint!!
Shop Cards -- Runs 1 & 2
So the other night on a bit of a whim I printed the first project on my Kelsey -- cards for my soon-to-be etsy shop. (which will feature a handful of my art, craft, & printing endeavors.) Oh man, I had a good time. Maybe a little too good, had I not been so damn excited I probably would've taken a little more time to fuss with details like proper ink coverage. All the same, I think they turned out pretty well for a first try. My camera wasn't very into taking photos this night, apologies for the fuzz.
As you can see in the photos I did them in two runs: one for the lead type and one for the linocut, as the lino block was a bit wider than the type form. Typesetting is always a puzzle but even more so when you're working with letterpress hand-me-downs. The only word spacing I have is 10pt, 14pt, and 18pt so that dictated my type choices. Hence 3 faces of Old E on one card! Also, I don't have a single em quad! I was a bit worried that the masses of 3 & 4m's in the form would prove unstable during printing but it held together just fine. Horray! One more run to go and they'll be finished.
As you can see in the photos I did them in two runs: one for the lead type and one for the linocut, as the lino block was a bit wider than the type form. Typesetting is always a puzzle but even more so when you're working with letterpress hand-me-downs. The only word spacing I have is 10pt, 14pt, and 18pt so that dictated my type choices. Hence 3 faces of Old E on one card! Also, I don't have a single em quad! I was a bit worried that the masses of 3 & 4m's in the form would prove unstable during printing but it held together just fine. Horray! One more run to go and they'll be finished.
ONWARD!!
I have moved my blog -- HERE! Welcome to
ForelockI've imported all the old posts, but if you'd like visit artsnfartsncrafts.blogspot.com to go back in time!
art . craft . press
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)