Why Hello, My Deer

Available in both blossom pink and an orange-y poppy in the shop.

And don't forget there is a sale going on until Sunday!

Llove is in the Air.

While I wanted to photograph these in gentler light, I just could not wait.

I cannot tell you the fun I had with this project. Sometimes a client contacts you and reimagines your work in a new way, or tells you the personal significance it has for them. The llama llove card was reinvented here as save-the-date postcards for a easy, breezy seaside wedding in California (click to enlarge for more detail; some design details are blurred for privacy). I am so pleased with the result and glad the bride and groom are too. We have more in the works for this wedding, so stay tuned!

If you are interested in a similar project, please feel free to email me.

Llamas Now Back in the Shop

One of my dearest friends ends her letters "Love." Not as a way of signing off, but as a statement. I've been missing her a lot lately, and with this simple phrase in mind I simplified the pun on the ever-popular llama card.

They are available singly or in sets in the shop (and don't forget there's a sale going on until the end of the week).

I also have a fun custom project and some new items to show you in the next few weeks. I'm so excited to be making things again!

The Luckiest

Wishing you and yours a happy Saint Patrick's Day! I am certainly missing the spirited celebrations in Boston today. I didn't have time to make soda bread, which I intend to do every year, but I am going to try my hand at a vegan Irish stew (with some Guinness stirred in). I'll let you know how it turns out.

P.S. If you like the note above, two versions are available here and here.

Shop Update: Llama Llove

The llama cards are almost sold out in the brown and white (only one left in the Etsy shop!), so I updated both here and here with a new run in soft blue and turquoise.

I also printed up these little cards, which make perfect Valentines or thank you notes. They are also available on the site and in the Etsy shop.

Remember you can use the code BLOGLOVE at the new website for 30% off your first order!

Rediscovering

I was still playing around with my Gocco fabric printing experiment up until this week. I knew I wanted the end product to eventually be Christmas ornaments, but I wasn't exactly sure what the final result would look like. Then, when organizing my studio, I found the stash of embroidery floss above. I've had it since high school and it was added to by the mother of my college roommate. In any case, I hadn't touched it in a long time.

That's when I got the idea to finish the ornaments using blanket stitch, for a rustic, vintage cabin-in-the-woods feel. Here is a picture of the Gocco printing on linen in the early stages. I used a hand stamp kit and then heat set the prints before cutting them into squares.

And here is the finished product, lightly stuffed with batting and edged in blanket stitch. As is the rule with good embroidery, I tried to make the back look as neat as the front. If you want to learn blanket stitch, futuregirl has an excellent tutorial that I used as a refresher.

Well, that was it! I hope people like them, and I hope to have these listed in the shop shortly. I'll post a notice when I do.

On Dasher!

Just a quick note that there is only one more set of these in the shop . . . you may want to snatch them up now!

Gocco Test Swatch

Side by Side Gocco Test Comparison, originally uploaded by candice kimchee.

Candice Kimchee had the brilliant idea of doing a test swatch of a variety of pens, and then printing it on her Gocco. Though I do most of my designs in Photoshop and then photocopt them before I print them by hand, this is a great resource for those who want the freedom of drawing a design and printing it up right from the original image.

I discovered this on Flickr's always-inspiring Gocco pool, and Candice was generous enough to let me share it here. There are a few more shots of the experiement on her page. I hope other Gocco fans find this useful!

Chickadees and Linen

In a fit of boredom this afternoon, I decided to stop hoarding my Gocco supplies despite the sad news that the factory has closed. I bought a fabric stamp kit a long time ago and realized if I didn't use the screens soon, they would likely expire.

I decided to use some linen (bought on sale in Boston and then shipped cross country) and printed a chickadee image in brown. Once these are dry and heat set, I'm hoping they will make really lovely Christmas ornaments. I just need to choose the right backing and ribbon.

Shop Update: More Reindeer

Just a quick note that the new reindeer cards are now in the shop.

First Frost

The "Frost" cards are now in the Holiday section of the shop!

On another note, a huge thank for to Ez at Creature Comforts for posting the Jane Austen notebook. I have admired her blog for so long and was tickled pink!

Midnight and Silver

In the past few months I've become obsessed with the television series Mad Men and early 1960s vintage. I love the deep blue and silver I see in housewares and clothes from that era.

I've worked on a new set of Gocco prints this morning using that color scheme--- midnight blue paper with silvery pine needles and seeds floating away from a pine cone. The text floats down along with the seeds, reading "Happy, happy holidays."

They'll be bundled up and listed in the Holiday section of the shop as soon as they are dry.

Scandinavian Reindeer

The contrast of metallic inks on dark paper makes me think of a Christmas Eve in the woods, dinner by candlelight.

Now available in sets of six in the shop.

Holiday Preview

Along with the pomegranate flat notes, I printed up a holiday-themed run on pomegranate hued cardstock. I know it is early, and personally I am in no hurry for Christmas, but the holiday rush really caught me off guard last year and I vowed to be more on top of things in 2008.

These are the first cards of my 2008 holiday collection and the last of the pomegranates. I'll be printing more cards this weekend (if my hand stops acting up), so keep an eye out for more designs!

I am off to the Albuquerque balloon fiesta at dawn to witness a mass ascension of hot air balloons and play with my new Diana camera. I'll post digital pics soon and film pics if the results are promising.

More Pomegranates

A poem should be palpable and mute, like a globed fruit.

Flat notes in taupe, featuring a whole and halved pomegranate, now available in the shop.

Back on the Gocco Again

After my Gocco difficulties, I took a deep breath and printed these up today, along with a more holiday-oriented version. Yay for lush, full, successful prints!

As soon as these dry, they will be bundled up in sets and available in the shop.

One of Those Days Part 2

Yesterday was such a rough day that I pretty much whined to anyone who would listen, including Bear. Her mournful eyes make her a good listener. I don't know if it is hormones on top of life's usual stresses or what, but the Gocco failures really had me down.

I woke up feeling better, because I realized two positive things came out of my crafting disaster yesterday. One, I decided I wasn't as happy with my holiday designs as I thought. Why not take the needed break to tweak them a bit more? The second positive thing that happened is after all my crying about ruining my supply of Gocco screens (thankfully I had a last big order on the way), someone in the Etsy fora mentioned a bulbless alternative that is still in production. I haven't tried them yet, but I like the idea of getting away from the toxic bulbs, especially now that I'm pregnant (latex gloves are my friend). You can check them out here.

See? To use that old cliche, lemonade from lemons.

One of Those Days

I awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed, eager to get back to Goccoing in what is slowly becoming my new studio (it looks bare right now, I know)! I am really excited about my holiday card designs, especially since the Gocco factory is now closed and this will likely be the last run of Gocco cards I do for a long time, if not ever.

And then I started burning screens. And proceeded to ruin four of them. Four. Bulbs were not flashing, images were printed looking faded and messy. Never have I had such a run of Gocco bad luck, and it feels like such pressure with a lack of forthcoming supplies!

I suppose tomorrow is a new day.

Shop Update: Llama Llove

If you liked the cards in the Gocco tutorial below, they now are available in the shop.

Basic Gocco Tutorial

I know there are a lot of great Gocco tutorials out there already (and I know this because I read many of them), but since so many people continue to ask me what a Gocco is and how it works, I thought I would do my own tutorial while I printed up some new cards today. If you need an even more basic overview of what Gocco is, I recommend this timeline on the Save Gocco! site.

I start by using vintage imagery and editing it in Photoshop, which isn't shown here. Instead, we'll start with the actual printing process. You will need a carbon-based photocopy of what the design you want to print. Many people draw their own designs with carbon pens, too.

First, slide the blue filter screen into the window of the Gocco. This filter prevents too much carbon from sticking to your master and results in cleaner, more precise prints. You can also opt to let their photocopies dry for 24 hours, and then iron them to remove excess carbon. Next, slide the actual high-mesh master screen into the window. The screen side, rather than the smoother mylar side that can be peeled away, should face the grey grid pad.Make sure the screen locks into place by checking the tabs at the top.After the filter and master are in place, place your image on the grid pad. The stickiness of the pad will hold an image in place, but I recommend placing a piece of white cardstock behind the image. Otherwise, the grid pattern from the pad tends to burn onto the master and can show up on your prints.Also, use the lines on the grid pad to make sure your image is straight, especially if it contains any text.
Take one final peek through the window to ensure that it is lined up correctly.Now you can screw two flashbulbs into the yellow housing unit.Slide the housing unit onto the top of the Gocco, making sure that the metal tabs come in contact with one another. This is how the bulbs will flash and the image will burn onto the master.Now press down on the front handle firmly and evenly, with both hands, until the bulbs flash. Do not look directly at the yellow housing unit as you are doing this; it will hurt your eyes! Look up and press until you hear the bulbs "pop." You can remove the housing unit, but do not unscrew the bulbs yet. They're very hot! Just set them aside and throw them away later.When you lift up, you will see that the photocopy of your design is now burned to the master.
I used to peel the photocopy off immediately to check that the image had burned correctly, but now I just gently inspect the corners. If you leave it on, it makes it much easier to ink your master accurately. Remove your master and peel back the mylar cover:Since this is a two-color design, I apply the ink blocking first. Ink blocking can be cut into self-adhesive strips and applied to your master to keep the colors separate.Once you have the ink blocking in place, squeeze ink directly onto the screen. I like leaving the burned photocopy on the screen for these steps because it helps me see the design and apply the ink more accurately.Once you have the entire design inked, you can slide the master back into the Gocco the same way you did when you burned the screen.I always test print on a piece of scrap paper first. Press down with both hands firmly and check that your image is printing evenly. If not, remove the screen and apply ink where needed.If you are happy with the print, you can place it in the drying rack. Be sure to leave enough space between prints on the rack to avoid smudging.Continue merrily on your way. You can likely get up to 80 prints without having to re-ink the screen, depending on the design.