Handmade Gifts

I've been lucky enough to get several amazing handmade gifts lately.
The turtle, card in the back and blocks are from Claire.
The flower cards are from our niece.
The mug is from Heather.
The poster of the Boss is from Kari, who got it from Paul.

I love them all so much. Thank you. Remember my post about how I sometimes get down on myself and wonder if what I do is worthwhile? Well, if the things I make help anyone feel the way these lovely things make me feel, then there isn't a question...

Easter Cards are here!

My favorite holiday decorations growing up were the colorful decorated eggs my mom hung from pussy willow branches in our front hall. She got the eggs on a trip to Hungary and what was then Czechoslovakia where they are called hímestojás and kraclise, respectively. Those pretty eggs were my inspiration when creating the drawing for these cards.

As usual, I printed them on my trusty Vandercook letterpress with soy based inks on post consumer recycled card stock, so they are pretty nice to the planet, and have that lovely letterpress texture.

I hope you like them:). I didn't have them done in time to put on my poppytalk handmade table, but you can find them in my Etsy shop or big cartel.
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p.s. i've been working on lots more designs, but i'm going to wait and show them to you all at once...probably in may -- right before the national stationery show.

Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte

We had a great time with Kirk's parents this weekend, who were visiting from Utah. As always when they visit, we ate lots of good food and stayed up late chatting and playing Boggle. We also went on a couple of walks, including one to this park in downtown Columbus. ( It's one of the things I put in my Design*Sponge Columbus guide. My friend, Steph, is the one who told me about it in the first place, though.)

I took the above photo from the wrong angle, but you can still get an idea for how they took George Seurat's original and translated it into topiary form.

image from sarah sherman's article on princeton.edu

And this, of course, is from a scene in Ferris Beuller's Day Off, where Cameron is mesmerized by the original.

This is the kind of thing that we would have discussed for hours in the visual culture class I took in school. I know...hours? But sometimes I wish still had the time and the occasion to discuss things like this for hours...I just don't miss having to write the papers.

Nashville and Knoxville: windows and signs

We just took a little road trip down to Tennessee.
We listened to Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn the whole way down,
ate fried okra and sweet potato pancakes,
saw the stage where the Grand Ole Opry took place for years and years,
looked at some amazing old school letterpress printing,
and met up with some dear old friends.

I have more photos and stories to share. Maybe tomorrow.
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Congratulations Mandie! (you said: These are just gorgeous!) You won the set of flower cards from last week's giveaway. Please email me at info{at}sycamorestreetpress{dot}com with your mailing address so that I can get those to you.

the sycamore q+a {no.21}: Kseniya Thomas

Sorry I haven't written the past few days -- we were out of town. More on that later, but for now, I'm happy to post this Q&A with the talented Kseniya Thomas from Thomas-Printers and Yonder Yest. We met on Etsy over our mutual love of the Smiths, and I soon found out that she's a fantastic letterpress printer, designer, and indie entrepreneur. Over the past year or so, I've asked her for advice a few times, and she's kindly and freely given it. I found out about her Ladies in Letterpress alliance not too long ago, and it has already been a great resource for me. Technically, Kseniya could look at other letterpress printers like me as competitors, but she makes it feel more like we are letterpress sisters-in-arms. I love that. Basically, I think she's the bees knees.

1.) How did you get into whatever it is you are into?

After graduating from college, I had a fellowship to study and work in Germany for a year. A friend and I happened to go to Mainz one weekend (I was nuts for movable type, but didn’t yet fully understand the implications!), where the Gutenberg Museum has a working letterpress-print shop. I wrote and asked if they accepted interns, and they did, so I moved to Mainz. I worked there for six months, and learned how to set type and print from guys who had spent their whole lives in print shops. It was great: they have hundreds of typefaces in lead, and I could print whatever I wanted. I also once printed a birth announcement for a princess, which was neat. I came back to the states, and worked various jobs before I bought my first press through the Letpress Listserv. I’ve been printing steadily ever since.

2.) What’s inspiring you these days?

Spring always washes the dirt out of my eyes! I love being able to open the big door and let the breeze in while I’m printing—plus, then I don’t have to sweep. I’ve been listening to the new Neko Case cd, Middle Cyclone, incessantly; it’s unspeakably good, and goes really well with printing and wind, for some reason.

neko case photo courtesy of the new yorker

3.) Tell us about something you’ve made or done lately.

Jessica White of Heroes and Criminals Press and I recently started a group for printers called Ladies of Letterpress. We noticed that most new printers out there were women, and thought a place for them to go with resources and discussion of business and printing topics would be a good thing. I recently started a wedding invitation wing of Thomas-Printers, called YonderYest, so that has been an interesting and exciting project as well.

4.) Is there anything else we would be interested to know about you?

My great-grandpa, a German guy I never was lucky enough to meet, started a flower shop and greenhouse called Thomas Florists. I like the idea of carrying on the small business spirit.
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Thanks Kseniya!
She does such beautiful work...and I'm really loving her new wedding invitation site. Please be sure and check out these links to see more of what she's up to:

http://www.thomas-printers.com/
http://www.yonderyest.com/
http://ladiesofletterpress.ning.com/
http://kseniya.etsy.com

a little weekend extra...

Do you remember this movie?
We just watched it for the first time since the 80's,
and it was as good as I had remembered.

Friday Giveaway

I'm feeling the time crunch more than usual today, so I hope you don't mind if I make this short and sweet. Leave a comment below to win a variety pack of our letterpress flower note cards. I'll choose the winner at random next Friday, March 27th.

Random.org chose last week's winner, and it's commentor #11, jen, who said "so beautiful!". Congratulations! Please email me at info{at}sycamorestreetpress{dot}com with your mailing address so we can send you your limited edition letterpress print.

Thanks everyone for participating, and have a great weekend!

the sycamore q+a {no. 20}: Natasha Wheeler

Has another week gone by already? Well -- here's to another Thursday -- my favorite day to blog because I get to bring you a Q&A with another talented artist! This time it's with fellow Columbusite Natasha Wheeler, who, in addition to having killer graphic design skills, is very patient and understanding. (I know this because she's designing our new website, wholesale catalog, and labels (among other things) to help us get ready for the National Stationery Show, and I'm not always the most decisive of clients.) Anyways, maybe you saw the pretty little membership certificate she designed for the Sycamore Club here ? That is just the tip of the iceberg of her many projects and designs.

Now, for the Q&A:


1.) How did you get into graphic design? I’ve always been easily side tracked by graphic design in my everyday life. The typography, color, paper, and the quality of the materials that are used have always captured my attention. While attending The Columbus College of Art and Design and trying to decide on a major was when I discovered the scope of what graphic design is, and its endless applications. Since then I’ve just been trying to get my hands in all aspects of designing. Be it lettering by hand or working on a website and everything in between.


2.) What’s inspiring you these days?
I love old childrens books. I have a small collection of catalogs, manuals and magazines from my Grandparent’s basement, nothing of which is dated later than 1980. My favorite relic from their basement is a model rocket catalog that I think was produced in 1969, which is full of copious amounts of retro eye candy. I find endless amounts of inspiration from plain silliness, anything that makes me giggle. Right now my favorite silly things are dachshunds and Segways.


3.) Tell us about something you’ve made or done lately. I’m working on a couple web sites I’m very excited about. I’m also creating a logo, website, and overall branding for a friend who makes bags from pre-loved materials. It’s a fun project because the inspiration we’re using revolves around old ice cream parlors. I work with my friend, Sara Brown, on a line of paper goods called Plum Pudding. It’s still a work in progress, but be on the lookout for new works this spring. I’ve also started to dabble in block printing with a small block press I received for my birthday.



4.) Is there anything else we should/would be interested to know about you?
I have two Corgis named Toby (seen in poster above) and Logan, who I share my day-to-day adventures with.
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Thanks Natasha!
I'm excited to see how all these projects turn out! The idea of designing the look of a brand around the idea of a vintage ice cream parlor is fantastic.
Don't forget to visit her website:
www.natashadesignedit.com

When I can't sleep...

photo by abby try again via eating is art

...I like to read blogs. My sidebar blog list needs to be updated, but in the mean time, here are 5 blogs I've been loving lately. Maybe you've known about them for a while, but most of these are pretty new to me.

1) Eating is Art - Written by an MFA student named Tricia, I love how this blog shows that the act of cooking and eating really can be fine art.

photo by Ninainvorm

2) Ninainvorm - Nina is a also a Dutch art student who also has an Etsy shop. Her blog is full of gorgeous color and design inspiration.

photo by katie coleslaw via bakery

3) Bakery - These ladies churn out great advice for small creative business types like me. They also offer consulting should you need more help.

photo by garance doré

4) Garance Doré - Beautiful fashion inspiration and insight from a Parisienne with a great eye. I like that I can read it in French for the practice, but an English version is available, too.

photo by david lebovitz

5) David Lebovitz - David is an American in Paris who writes about all the wonderful things to eat in that beloved city. He also has tips for visitors to Paris, and gives culinary tours of the city and surrounding countryside. One day...

Columbus Guide on Design*Sponge

My high school pal, Aubrey, and I used to always say that when we grew up we'd work for a travel magazine. Well, I may have just gotten as close as I'll ever get to that ambition. I emailed Grace of Design*Sponge a while ago and let her know that I would love to write a city guide for Columbus, Ohio. She graciously decided to trust my questionable credentials and gave me the go ahead. I had a lot of fun writing it. Click here to read the result. If you are a fellow Columbusite, please feel free to leave your own suggestions in the comments section of the guide.

If you haven't already seen them, you should click here to see all the city guides that have been on Design*Sponge so far. I plan on using these next time I go on a trip to one of the featured cities.

p.s. Kirk and I have really been into the new Biz Ladies posts at Design*Sponge, as well. I should start calling Kirk "Biz Lady". He'd love that.

TMI?

I read the March 11th post by Keri Smith, and it brought a lot of past thoughts and ideas up to the surface.

Here's the thing -- I am essentially in the business of making pretty things. I love what I do, but at the same time, I sometimes question the validity of it. And as someone who sells those pretty things, I have to sometimes wonder if I'm just feeding the monster of materialism and waste.

But then I look at other people running small businesses and making art and design and crafts and I am so glad that they are there. Because 1) I think the simple act of creating and making something beautiful is worthwhile, 2) I think that being able to feed your family by doing something you enjoy is a wonderful thing, and 3) I appreciate all the small business owners out there who are going it alone, taking the risk, giving our neighborhoods character, and showing what it's like to be independent from bosses and big boxes.

In the end, I suppose that I am one of those people. When I admit that to myself, it helps me to be a little less self-critical and a little more confident of my role in society. However, I still try and find ways to make what I do more than just about making money. Don't get me wrong. I like making money. I like being able to pay the rent on time. But I try in my small way to use my business to reach out into the world in a broader sense. That's one reason why I post a Q&A on this blog with a different artist every week. And why we're trying hard to make our business and printing process more and more eco friendly. We also give what we can to worthy causes...Okay, now I'm starting to toot my own horn (nothing new there, right? :).

But believe me, I'm not kidding myself here. I know these steps won't suddenly make being a letterpress printer/artist/entrepreneur as helpful to society as being a nurse or a social worker or a teacher. I have immense respect for the people in altruistic professions like those. I am so grateful for what they do every day...and I guess I'd just like to think that even if it's on a micro level, this work of mine helps to make the world a better (and not worse) place, too.

Friday Giveaway/ New Edition by Katie Kortman/ Shop Update

It's time for the March edition for the Sycamore Club*.

The fantastic drawing is by Katie Kortman (aka blue eyed freckle), and I printed them on my letterpress in varied shades of blue and green. It was really fun to print...each time I needed to add more ink to the rollers, I'd just dab a little blue here, a little yellow there, to create a blended, ombré effect with the color. No two prints are exactly alike, and as always with the Sycamore Club editions, there are only 100 ever printed. Click here to see more images and/or to purchase this print.

* The Sycamore Club is a letterpress-print-of-the-month club. As a member, you receive an official membership certificate, and then a new 8x10" letterpress print in your mailbox each month. (You can rotate your print on display each month, or keep some and give some as gifts). There are only 100 of each print ever printed, and therefore, only that many memberships available at a time. Oh -- and you get a good deal when joining the club -- free shipping within the US, discounted shipping everywhere else, AND a discount off the price of each print.

I also printed the Sycamore Club membership certificates in cobalt, and am very happy with the result. Natasha Wheeler, our freelance design intern, designed them. (The logo design is by my friend, Kristin Mills.) I've also been working with Natasha on coming up with a new website and a wholesale catalog.
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And now, for the giveaway (finally).
To win one of Katie's prints, just leave a comment below, and I'll choose a winner at random next Friday.

the sycamore q+a {no. 19}: Heather Dahl of Dahlhaus

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that Heather won our last giveaway. That's how I found out about her painting and ceramics studio: dahlhaus. One of the things that I love most about this online blogging community is that it's a great way to "meet" so many amazing and creative people.

Heather's color palette and forms are so beautiful. And as someone who would like to have a family but also keep on working and creating, I find her very inspiring. Keep reading to learn more about her...


1.) How did you get into painting and ceramics?

My first year out of high school I took a painting and a ceramic course at college to give myself a break from practicing 5 hours a day for a Violin exam. I eventually transferred to Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver where I graduated with my BFA in both Painting and Ceramics. A year after graduating we had our first son but even in family mode I found ways to keep myself creating. When my youngest son was 3 I found a studio space and started getting my work into galleries and shows.

2.) What’s inspiring you these days?

I’m always inspired by architecture and the city. Vancouver is really beautiful with the mountains and ocean as a backdrop.
The paintings of Peter Doig, Wanda Koop, Renee Vanhelm and Philippe Raphanel make me want to keep painting.
I love ceramics and am fortunate enough to know, own and use of the following local ceramic artists work: Gailan Ngan, Laura McKibbon, Lise Kuhr, Freddi Rahn, just to name a few…
And I’m a pretty big Dwell fan…

3.) Tell us about something you’ve made or done lately.

I got my sewing machine out for the first time in a couple of years… to patch up my son’s jeans.
I just bought Lotta Prints and have been getting ideas.
I’m in 3 shows in Vancouver during March, 2 painting group shows and 1 art & craft market with my ceramics, so I’m ‘churning’ out lots of mugs, teapots, bowls, and vases these days!

4.) Is there anything else we should/would be interested to know about you?

My husband is a skater (still at 40) and I have 2 boys that are 5 and 7.
I love to cook and sometimes I make ceramics just so I can serve good food in it.
A little bit about my name: dahlhaus, my last name: dahl, my german roots: haus, ceramics and paintings for the home with a nod to the Bauhaus movement in art, design and architecture.
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Thanks Heather!
I should also add that Heather is a very generous person. She won our giveaway, but Stephanie and I also ended up winning because she offered to make us each a mug in return. How great is that!

Podcasts are the answer.

Kirk and I like to listen to podcasts while we're cleaning, printing, driving, cooking, etc...
These are some of our favorites:

This American Life
Car Talk
The Gentle Tyrants
Radio West
The Splendid Table

Which podcasts do you recommend?