Just some Instagram shots of the last few moments of summer. It's been a couple of balmy days here in Toronto so Marcus took advantage of the weather by playing with some water in the enamel basin I thrifted a few months ago. We've also hit a few places around the city, like the Scarborough bluffs. Best time to go is in the early morning when it's nice and quiet. We also tried to get up to the cottage this summer, but we've been so busy that we had to stick around home most of our weekends. One of the last times we were there, it was THE perfect summer day when the water felt like the same temperature as the air. And just last week, while at the Queen West Art Crawl, I stopped into Robber and picked up a new fragrance (OLO's Lightening Paw) and I think I just might wear everyday of the fall season.

//

Last year filmaker Henry Lu and Art Director/Cinematographer Stuart Campbell dropped by the S+T studio. Here are a few shots taken by Stuart.

//

I'd like to say that I've been missing in action, but the truth is, I've just been at home with my little Milk Monster. M has been doing alot of growing these past couple of weeks (how did he reach the oven knobs so quickly?) and doing new things every day, it's been a treat to keep up with him.

I joined Instagram last year but have only been starting to really use it on an everyday basis about a month ago. How can I not snap pics of this ankle-biter for every moment of his existence? But every now and then, I'll take a picture of something other than M.

I recently found about make-up artist Lisa Eldridge and pretty much watched all of her tutorials in one sitting. Ever since M was born, my main concern and focus was all on him. It was an effort to look decent on days that I had to go out when all I wanted to do was sleep. So jogging pants became my best friends, and sometimes I took a comb to my hair. Then a year goes by and I had enough of that. Looking disheveled wasn't doing anything to help my mood. Lisa's videos were just the kind of pick-me-up that I needed to sort things out.

I got a smartphone wallet for Christmas and it's the handiest thing ever. Actually, I dig all of the products from  MochiThings. I used to be a purse-girl. Then somehow, the diaper bag became my purse. I only started to carry my ID and bank cards in the diaper bag and I ditched the purse because there was just too much to haul around when out with the babe. So, the new wallet is perfect. It fits the essentials and my phone and tucks away neatly in the diaper bag. And if I'm lucky to go out on my own, it's a nice neat wristlet.

Since January has been a mix of extreme cold and warm weather, I placed my bets on just staying indoors most of the time. I got a bit of cabin fever and started to clean up the house in that way that you go nuts and end up purging almost half of your belongings. Boy, did that ever feel good! So the pad is neater, less cluttered and organized. I've had my Jessica Bell collages on the wall for a while now but didn't get a chance to snap a photo of it until recently. Snowy months are good for cleaning up house and admiring artwork.

So, there's me in January.

//

my cupid

When he was born, I had high hopes of designing and printing birth announcements for Marcus. But, really, what was I thinking? Any "spare" moment I had, I slept. Or ate. Or did laundry. Once things settled down, I started to think about announcements again and decided that it was too late for those. When this month rolled around, I thought Valentine's would be the perfect time for Marcus to introduce himself to our family and friends. So, when I had the energy and Marcus was sound asleep, I quickly handset a short greeting, set up the Adana, lay down some ink already mixed from a previous project and printed away. It felt really (really) good to get back on the press, even for a short time. I had enough sense to print these well before February 14th so that I could hand-finish them with slits to insert a wallet-size photo, handwrite short notes, stamp and send them off.

The sweet photo of Marcus was taken by the fabulous Ingrid. It was his first official photo shoot and three weeks old and he slept right through it. My sleepy Valentine.

//

design lines

A big thank you to Design Lines for inviting me to be a part of their 2011 Winter Issue stationery feature! The layout and photography are simply beautiful. I'm chuffed that the Print bags are among the chosen! Included in the round up are some of my favorite local artists - Send More Mail, Deadweight, and Kid Icarus.

//

moving announcements: nicki + sam

Moving into a new home brings on alot of excitement and the way that Nicki and Sam decided to share the good news was through letterpress printed announcements. I beamed when the couple contacted me because Nicki's ideas added up to something I've always wanted to design and print. That being a simple illustration of a builiding or structure. Architecture and line drawings lend themselves really well to letterpress designs. I wanted to customize the announcements so I asked the couple to provide me with a photo of their new home which was then rendered in Illustrator. We were delighted with the results!

//

outtakes

Here are some of the photos that didn't make the cut for the piece (pg. 139) I contributed to the first issue of Kinfolk.

//

kinfolk, volume I

I am so proud to be a part of Kinfolk's first issue that is now online today! This no-ordinary magazine is dedicated to small gatherings (just my kind of thing) and it's jam packed with food for thought and savvy ideas. Just get a load of the gorgeous photography too! The publication is both sophisticated and down-to-earth.The minimal and beautiful sparse design and layout is an oasis for the eyes.


Nathan Williams, editor of Kinfolk, kindly invited me to contribute some stationery ideas surrounding the theme of small gatherings. I picked out a few of my favorite stationers and wrote a short article (more of a list) on how you can host with simple stationery while entertaining.

It's an honour to be in the company of other artists, writers, photographers, designers, illustrators and makers in this issue. Nathan and crew have been nothing but exceptional to work with. I admire their vision and hard work and the magazine that has come to be.

//

amanda kern's letterpress baby

I just happened upon a beautiful blog by Amanda Kern who's in Orlando and specializes in newborn photography. I found her work to be refreshing in that the photos are downright simple, quiet, and she uses very little props to distract from the main tiny tot feature. What external items she does use seem to be organic and a natural fit for the babies (unlike Anne Geddes butterfly and flower babies). What struck me the most was a shoot she did for her own child, Chance. Amanda is a letterpress enthusiast and created a collage of wood type for her son to lay on for the shoot. She explains that it was no easy feat but well worth the effort as I'm sure most of you would agree.

 photograph courtesy of Amanda Kern

photograph courtesy of Amanda Kern

Expecting my first child at the end of autumn and being a letterpress printer, I was naturally interested in these photos and the story behind it. I'm inspired by Amanda's creativity and the idea of introducing my little one to all things letterpress too. Put this one under the category: adorbs.

//

london

On my last trip, I took four cameras with me to Italy. Four! The digital SLR, the Holga, a point and shoot and the Vivitar Wide. It was a doozy. This time, I opted to take one camera - the simple plastic Vivitar. The idea was to just have fun, pack light and shoot with abandon. Turns out I should have brought a back up. I only have less than ten shots of London because the camera ended up breaking on me. I think the advance wheel just couldn't wind the new film forward and so I was left to tour a beautiful city without camera in hand. I managed to take some photos on our bus tour before the camera meltdown.

The bus tour hit all of the major attractions and it was well worth the pounds spent! We wouldn't have gotten to see everything in such a short amount of time otherwise. The day after the tour, we took advantage of the 24 hour ticket and rode the bus into South Kensington. We took in three museums (Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum) and walked back to the hotel through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. That's alot of exercise for one day.

Over the weekend, we also got to head a bit north east into the town of Norwich to visit family. It was a nice opportunity to get out of the city and see some vast areas covered in green and homes with thatched roofs.

If we spent just a little more time in London, I would have tried to source some stationery or bookbinding stores. The few that I found had just closed for the day. We visited Sir John Soane's Museum (upon Micheline's suggestion) but it was closed on the Sunday. I also wanted to check out St. Bride's library but they're only open three days out of the week (one of which we spent on the bus tour). So our last day was spent walking around the city (Oxford street), taking the tube, Covent Garden and the British Museum.

I think we made ourselves a great little trip packed with sightseeing and plans to revisit. Next time, I won't wimp out and bring that extra camera.

PS. The weather was impeccable during our stay there. It was perfect spring weather, not a cloud in the sky and no rain to speak of. Oh, Toronto - what is with the fog this morning?

//

the good

Good bits:

1. my mini showcard press photographed with...
2. ...my rolleiflex.
3. getting in front of the camera.
4. a past workshop participant, Franklyn, takes some beautiful and compelling portraits. Check out the post on the letterpress workshop and detail shots he took of my new cutter.
5. A ten minute noteworthy animated movie (thanks for the link, Chris).
6. Amanda's amazing 2000 lbs press move. I'm so thrilled for her!
7. mango cherry smoothies every morning this week

//

taking stock

 

About a month ago the room where my press sits got a nice dose of sunshine. I dug out my Rollei, mounted it on the tripod, checked the light meter settings and crossed my fingers.  This is the result. When I still had the Craftsmen, I shot it with the Rollei as well. I think the Adana will have it's turn next time. Though there are only about 12 frames with 120 film, it takes me about a year to finish the roll. Not even kidding. I really only ever use it on special occasions, when I know I can take my time to set it up or in rare moments when the light is just too good.

I've been a little M.I.A from the blog this week. I'm prepping what little space I have left for another piece of letterpress equipment. I've spent these days trying to reconfigure my living and studio space. It's a bit tight here and so have even resorted to moving a set of drawers into a closet! It amazes me, when push comes to shove, that I can still manage to make space in my condo. But it doesn't come without sacrifice - not big ones in the grand scheme. I didn't think that I owned alot of stuff, but this week's exercise in clearing space here has turned into spring cleaning and clutter cleansing. And with that, I've had to take away some beloved things and put them up for sale. If you're in Toronto and see any items you might find useful, contact me.

I hope you had a good and productive week. I'm still waiting for the warm weather.

//

sweet valentine's for matthew plexman photography

courtesy of Matthew Plexman Photography

These Valentine's were custom printed for Matthew Plexman Photography and designed by Michaela Jantoska from The Workhouse. The project came in last minute but (thanks to the studio's producer, Kate) we managed to get these out in time for their clients to receive on Valentine's Day. The last two photos were kindly sent over by the studio showing the finished package. I like the idea of personalizing each card for the recipients. The accompanying treat of brownies was a nice touch too :) Tasteful, thoughtful and elegant.

//

correspondence cards for ingrid

These custom letterpress correspondence cards were designed and printed at the request of  talented Toronto-based photographer, Ingrid Punwani. In the spirit of the holidays, she wanted to send out cards to her clients and colleagues. But these aren't your traditional season's greetings. On the face of the card reads one of Ingrid's favorite quotes about photography by French artist Marcel Duchamp:

You know exactly how I feel about photography. I would like to see it make people despise painting until something else will make photography unbearable.

I naturally jumped at the chance to work with Ingrid to ensure these were not only just holiday cards but keepsakes as well. Check out Ingrid's portfolio here.

top photo credit: Ingrid Punwani

//

These were taken with my Vivitar Slim a couple years ago. I should get back to playing with this camera. A to do for this weekend.

You may have noticed something different with the blog header and sidebar. I hope the change isn't too jarring for you. I get into these spells of mixing things up a bit and today just happens to be one of those days.

Oh and I just found this by way of erica-knits. There isn't a whole lot I can do about the anonymous jerk comments I've gotten - but at least it sends a message. My virtual brass knuckles are on.

//

art print: j + s

This art piece was for A.N. who requested a print to mark the occasion of her fiance's birthday. They met because of Polaroids and on their first photo wandering date they took alot of photographs of trees. I loved the idea of printing a Polaroid frame (to size) and got to the design right away. What a sweet way to remember a special moment. Thanks A.N. for asking me print your gift to J.