Staying Busy, Staying Warm

mug from heath ceramics, and handwarmers from andrea

 Anyone who has known me for more than a few days knows that I have no problem staying busy.   Even with most of my jobs on some kind of hiatus this week, I have plenty to do.  Like make my room a little more homey, print in our garage studio, scheme new projects and bake.  (See the Smitten Kitchen cookbook for the popcorn cookie recipe.  They are the ultimate party cookie and we are making this weekend a party by baking these two nights in a row.)  I have a harder time staying warm, despite my deep down Yankee blood, but a few Christmas gifts from Andrea are helping out.

sara white's invitation to me

One thing keeping me busy for a few minutes was a drawing for Sara White's upcoming project in New Orleans.  She sent me an invitation to do a drawing for her.  I think she is making prints of the drawings she receives. I can't wait to see it.

desk and wall of postcard inspiration

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For the new year I finally made a few more datebooks for the procrastinators like me.  I also have started printing at home and offered a special to subscribers of Keep Writing postcards which will keep me busy with custom orders for a little bit.  I would love to spend more of my time printing at home (with baking breaks), and so if you have been waiting to get something letterpressed, write to me at gutwrenchpress@gmail.com .  I have been slow to offer custom services because I still do not own my own press.  Too much moving around and debt to be able to invest. Also, for most of my adult life, I have been able to work part time at a job I may or may not have liked but was able to have free time for writing zines, learning to print and volunteering at a community bike shop.  Now that I am done with school and I have a degree in printmaking (ha!) I feel more like maybe my work time and free time activities should merge more.  Not to mention I have lost a lot of my patience for food service.  The question comes--how do I do what I love, earn a living and  continue to love what I do.  I am still figuring that out.  For now that means collaborating as much as I can, asking to work with people I love and whose work I love.  Also, I remind myself why I love printing--because making multiples of something means you can distribute, share, and hopefully connect with more people. So, here I am.  Let's work on something.

the newest datebooks

Holiday Preparations

Holidays are sneaky. Ok, sure they mostly fall on the same dates with a bunch of warning and with the internet I am sure I can look up what is the date of Thanksgiving 2021. Still, here I am, the day after Thanksgiving getting things in order for holiday sales.

I've been binding datebooks, printing new business cards, and drinking whatever hot thing I can to keep the sick away and keep my toes warm. I think it is working. I had to clean off my desk too but it doesn't last. The shelves are stacked with piles of books in different stages, postcards in different stages and a pile of mail I can't wait to answer. I've been working from my home studio a lot lately, which has been great for my spirit and a little rough on the wallet. But we have been getting out a little more regardless and found a place in Oakland that serves really good craft beer on draft for 5 or 6 bucks a drink. Not cheap but a nice midafternoon treat when I have been book binding all day while Andy writes new music.

I've been busy finally getting to do some of the things I thought about all summer while carrying too many sweaters and not enough raincoats all over Europe. For example, if you want say, enjoyed your Keep Writing postcard this month and want to send one to a friend, now you can purchase just the postcard, without the portion to return to me.

I made some new simple business cards, with handset type one rainy evening at the San Francisco Center for the Book. I have had ideas for elaborate cards using polymer plates, but these little understated bitties are perfect for right now, just in time for a sale in the East Bay next weekend. If you are in the Bay Area, I will be at an open studio sale next weekend in Berkeley. There will be letterpress, cards, books, and a penpal I haven't met yet! If you don't live in the area, there is a sale in my etsy shop. Use coupon cope "gwp10" to get 10% off any items in the shop, until midnight on Monday.

And just in case you are worried about what I eat when I am so busy, Andy made vegan "shrimp" mirliton for Thanksgiving, from his mom's recipe. Things are good indeed. There are also a bunch more postcards to be posted on the Keep Writing tumblr site, so check back there once in a while. I think that's enough for tonight, though, don't you?

Weekend Update

Yeah! Before the new year and before my personal datebook ran out, here are three more for the store with three more on the way. I opted against a 4th job so I could work on this stuff on the weekends but somehow there is always more to do than I have time for. Well, and I made chocolate chop cookies this morning. And yesterday Andy and I biked around the Bay. He took these photos that I edited a little. It was so nice to ride, look at the water, eat, and not do too much else. Now, back to work and "work".

Getting Ready

Ah...one month back in the U.S. and I feel a little more sorted, relaxed, ready for postcard planning and fun work to begin. Unfortunately, I still have to move so most of my stuff is still in boxes (and all of it should be soon--we leave in 10 days), sitting in the sad sad van that will be left behind and is currently my storage space. I finally feel like looking at some of the things I collected during my travels, the papers and the sketches, my ideas for what I want to make in the coming year. And I found a new place for my stamps--this tin box complete with music bit Alec gave me and a tin rooster that was on my bike basket that now belongs to Jenn. Also, I have started assembling date books again. It might take another rainy night to finish them but slowly, slowly, all of me is back in one place, mind, body and the boxes.

Game On!

Phew! After a whirl-wind weekend trip to Tennessee to see my 95 year-old grandma, I am back. I sold out of two datebooks in two days before I left but my etsy shop is back up, online and stocked.



Along with getting ready for my show (less than 2 weeks!), and eating meals with Andy, I have been getting things together for my 4 months in Italy. There will be postcards from Italy so if you have a subscription to Keep Writing, you will continue to receive postcards. I am working out exactly how it will all work, but there will be some letterpress, and some other media. As of February 1 I will no longer have a "permanent" address but my sister has so graciously agreed to let me use hers. Stay tuned. I am going to try to focus on the present while eating candy cane oreos. Thanks to Daniel for this photo of his room displaying his collection of Keep Writing postcards!



Also, if you were looking for past postcards because you missed out on the first few years, Ms. Valerie Park Distro has purchased all the remaining cards and is selling them in assorted packs of ten. I assembled them so I know you get ten different cards in each pack!

Date Book Day!

I am not even sure I sleep in my sleep anymore. However, now is the time to finally share with you the finished collaboration between Gutwrench Press and Blackbird Letterpress. These datebooks are born of talk the perfect datebook, something flexible but accurate, sturdy but stylish, compact but room for all our ideas! We have spent months hand-setting type, printing on the Vandercook, buying books at used book sales, practicing our coptic binding, finally deciding to print the remaining pages with polymer plates, cutting, sorting and now you can have one! I had them at the New Orleans Bookfair two weeks ago but now we both offer them online on our separate etsy shops. Blackbird Letterpress also has a much better story about these lovelies on their blog. Check out their website to hear her side of the story, including a photo of the press bed with handset type, and to see her selection of covers. Each is unique. You can also see what I have here.