Fall Tour and Working Together

While this tour is happening farther east,leaving the house a little quiet,  there is plenty going on this coast. 
Astropress and Gutwrench Press are friends, and tabling near you. We will be hauling our prints, postcards, handbound journals, datebooks and a tiny spiky plant around the Bay and beyond.
After our superfun SF Zine Fest weekend two weeks ago, we needed a little time to rest and make more stuff for the following dates:
September 29th SFCB Roadworks, 16th and Rhode Island, San Francisco, 11 am- 4 pm.  Even if you don;t care about seeing us, come see a giant steamroller make prints, including a new linocut from Dutchdoor Press's Anna Braning.
October 19, 20th New Orleans Anarchist Bookfair Zeitgeist, New Orleans.  Come say hi while I am in town for a few days, with just our prints to keep me company as Astropress will have to remain on the west coast.
October 26th East Bay Anarchist Bookfair Oakland.  I'll be home in time for this. Don't sleep through it! Come by!

Also, I have finally posted more postcards on my etsy site, including this collaboration wtih my friend and hero of awesomeness, Jeremy Sedita of Sea Monster Workshop.  He is a fantastic illustrator and worker of magic, so when I saw this illustration, I wanted to print it.  He wanted me to print it too! Now you can buy these collaborative postcards and encourage us to make more together.

Thank you friends, and we will see you soon.

PS, if you followed the link to the Thou Tour Video, know that you have been impressed by Mitch Well's filmmaking.

Living the Dream

on the bay bridge bike path--a spot to sit and contemplate the water treatement plant

A year ago we arrived in Oakland, tired, excited, willing to bike 7 miles for vegan treats.  All that is still true.  Six part-time jobs later, I may be working a little less, for a little more money with more time for mornings like this: riding across the new Bay Bridge Bike Path to nowhere.  I met up with Eric and Cecilia two days ago to ride with 1,000 other cyclists on opening day.  It was Cecilia's second trip because she was so excited, she couldn't wait for the group ride.  It was so lovely, I went back this morning, without breakfast, just water and a camera.  The ride is 8 miles total, a long walk but  a perfect slow uphill, slow downhill trip past the dismantled end of the old Bay bridge, up and up, almost to Yerba Buena Island.  Yes, it ends without making it to the Island, and it may take 2 years before you can get there. For now you can ride up, near traffic, between the old and new. The path starts in Emeryville or West Oakland and you have to ride through shipping yards and service roads.  They made the path acessable and palnted some flowers to make it pretty but the industrial roots can't be ignored.  It is a great contrast.  I'd be a fool to complain.  I ride my bike up a bridge into a beautiful Bay, eat delicious food, make some prints, visit a friend. Hey Oakland, thanks for having me for the past year.  Here's to the next.

the end of the old bridge

up and up

it looks like I took this while riding a pelican

Oakland!

SF Zine Fest!

About ten years ago, I was hobbling towards the greyhound bus terminal in Gainesville, FL lugging everything I thought I might need for a year (read: acoustic guitar and chess set and not enough clean socks).  My patient and recent acquaintance told me about a guy who bragged he could pack everything he needed in a bag weighing 2 pounds.  Maybe  it was 11 pounds.  My new friend told me that what he aspired to as he strode easily down the street as I lumbered behind him with a large pack, a bag of food and no dignity.   Fittingly, he is now traveling the world by bicycle and my I hauling boxes of sellable wares on a very wobbly dolly through the streets of San Francisco to the SF Zine Fest.

pre-show planning

Highlights: sharing a table with the ever-inspiring Beck Levy of Astropress.  Recently relocated from DC to Oakland, she brings the hating, the witchcraft and the audible voice.  Also, she is relentless in the print shop and knows to bring chocolate covered espresso beans.

treats! includind a parking ticket!

Also, I finally met Jennie Hinchcliff of Red Letter Day, the SF Correspodence Co-op and a hundred good things.  And she helped organize the zine fair, so though she tabled next to us, we didn't get to talk too much. It was good to fianlly meet her and her mail art love energy.  We also made friends with Brian Herrick, who traded with us for copies of his comic, Ebb and Flood,  and checked out Tiny Splendor (always a lovely treat).   I also treated myself to a tiny comic drawm by Lindsay Watson called Spirits.  Her drawings are so sweet and delicate monsters.  Check her stuff out!

After two days and two amazing meals in the city, we hauled the badly packed boxes back to the car, drove acroos the Golden Gate Bridge .  It is the long way around becuase of the Bay Bridge being closed, but at least we saw this sunset.

not the end

That's not even the end of the story! Astropress and Gutwrench Press are co-conspirators, not just tabling events around the Bay, but workign together under the name Manic Impression Collective.  More about that later, but come visit us at SFCB Roadworks Sept 29th (where they make relief prints with a steamroller!), at the East Bay Anarchist BookFair October 26th, and I will be repensenting us both October 19th and 20th at the New Orleans Anarchist Book Fair. See you there!

I'm ON vaCAtion!

Point Reyes in the morning

 Actually, I'm not on vacation at all, but I have been super busy: new jobs, six weeks of awesome houseguests and weekend excusions.  Plus all the postcard printing to send mail to you!  It seems important lately, with the crazy schedule of switching jobs and juggling 2 or three at a time, to take one day off every week to see what California has to offer in the summer.  Mostly: beautiful cloudy coastlines and warm rivers.

Once again, Andy G. consented to birthday on the beach! Though the beaches are too cold for swimming, we had a beautiful hike around Point Reyes. Even the most touristy spots are beautiful and not too crowded.  We saw deer and smart-mouthed 12 year olds.

California State Bird! 

the lighthouse at Point Reyes

 A friend visiting from Norway gave us a good excuse to drive to the Avenue of the Giants, a stretch of road just off highway 101 that goes through and near many redwood groves.  It took us all day to get there but it was worth it to walk around these trees in fading light.  ANd we had detoured through Russian River to have lunch and a little swim.  We got back to Berkeley in time for "dinner" at Saturn and were home by midnight, but barely.   Now it is back to work.  Until next weekend, maybe!

giant!

The Longest Days

Phew!  June has been packed with an art show at our place, apertivo every Friday and out-of-town guest-adventures.  We forgot to take photos of the art show but I still have one of my prints to share.

seven postcards based on printmaking and prince 

The Prince/Prints art show was June 7th.  We raised over $150 dollars for the Beagle Freedom Project, Ben gave letterpress demos and Andy and Brooks served drinks.  A few people went home with prints and I napped with a rescued beagle on my couch.

practice practice. and measuring.

I also took a class at the SF Center for The Book in handlettering.  Unfortunately, I was ill for a few classes but I have been using my new pen nib trying out a little handlettering.  I am far from doing well but it is fun.   I practice once or twice a week, which is not nearly enough, but I experimented a little with some new postcard backs and next month's Keep Writing postcard.

a peek at next month's Keep Writing postcard

I am excited to try out printing next month's card on Crane's Lettra, the wonderfully ubiquitous paper made for letterpress printing.  I use it at work for almost everything we do but this is the first time I will use it for my own project.  We'll try it out next week.

potatoes!

While it is still never really hot here, I am sometimes warm enough and the garden seems very happy.  We harvested our first round of potatoes the other day and have eaten them all.  Here they are, washed and drying.  No complaints here.

Ride the "Lightning"

yes.

When I was young, I loved Little House on the Prairie books.  I still love to read the same thing over and over. Unfortunately I lacked the understanding or guidance to question everyone's attitudes towards Native Americans or Pa dancing in blackface.  But I also remember a much less controversial scene.  Laura convinces her parents to let her get her own name card printed.  It was fashionable to do so, and you could trade with your friends.  How I would like to bring back that trend! (That and buckwheat pancakes are the only things I may want to bring back from those books).  Since Andy Gibbs is such a great guy, and he helped me brainstorm for another business card, I printed these for him.  Silver on black calling cards.  The quotation marks were at his insistence (and Ben broke the tie vote) but I am happy to have printed them.  I have a business card for gutwrench press but I like these personal cards, totally tradeable, and, in this case, with no contact information.  Purely for style.

these are the best ideas we had

Andy's card came out of this list.  For Christmas, I offered to print my dad new business cards as he has recently relocated to Tennessee.  He sent me this letter of instruction and one night, we got to work.  My dad is a "motorcycle safety instructor" which sounds so square we thought we would help him out a little.  But my dad, though he is supportive in many ways, does not share my brilliant sense of humor and probably did not want "ride the lightning" or "turbulence manager" on his business card. My dad also sent his old card, and noted he "did not like the skull much".  Beck asked if my dad was a juggalo. Since he is not, I redesigned his card in a much cleaner, simpler, to-the-point card in classic gold on brown.  If you see something on the list you want printed, I will do it for cheap.  Because who doesn't want a pig saying "legit" in the corner of their business cards? My lawyer friends I am talking to you.

before

 

after

Lately

I will skip the parts about how I have been busy and sick (again!) and move right onto what else.

ephemra hoarder turns book binder

First, I used my first Patchwork show as an excuse to try out a bunch of things I have been thinking about for years.  Years!  Though the show ended up being a little slow and the projects are still in-progress, I was happy to have tangible attempts.  For example, I made blank books using train tickets and scraps I carried home from Europe last year but the bindings still need a little work.

datebook detail

I also made a few more datebooks after  letting the covers sit around for a few weeks.  I know, it is way past the first of the year, but these datebooks only have the days of the week listed. Use it now, for 5 weeks, forget about it for a while, pick it up again.  It is the datebook of my dreams, except mine is filled with lists and lists and, once in a while, nothing, when I ride my bike around the city instead,

stacking rings and necklace by april marie hale of tiny  magpie studios

A friend I met at Penland a few years ago offered a trade for a postcard subscription and I was happy to.  Years ago, she traded me a ring for a print.  The ring had a secret message for me on the inside "I love bacon grease," a tribute to our 2 weeks of dish washing together to pay for our classes.  She has an etsy shop--tiny magpie studios, where you can see her recycled jewelry collection.

all vegan, of course, and ready to eat

Every week is busy and every Friday is a rush to work on prints, call my parents, send out the mail and then prepare apertivo for out friends.  It is totally worth it.  By 5:45, everything is ready, our table is covered with food, Andy makes me a drink and I water the garden.  I may create so many things for myself to do but this one is relaxing.  We open the garage door of our room and get to talk with friends and meet our neighbors.
How can I complain?

PS Etsy sale at my shop www.gutwrench.etsy.com new stuff and 15% off selected items now through Monday May 20.