Ornamental Stylings

Found a little inspiration while shopping this year. This is from a Long Island Printer, Wendy Addison. Sold at the Tinsel Trading. I love printing on my coasters. Just need a Grommet and I'll make them into ornaments.

Bustacular

I was thrilled to be a part of Bust Craftacular this year. It was a long day, but the energy and tunes kept us in good spirits. Nemesis jewelry was a great partner for the day!

I hope I can do it every year, with less rain next time.

Parsnippity Thinking

Lots of people ask for Sympathy cards and I've been meaning to print more for most of the Fall. As the Autumn harvest was beginning to stale and Craft Fair season was picking up, I ran across parsnips at the Fruit and Vegetable stand. I realized I hadn't cook any all season. I ended up making parsnips for dinner and sympathy cards for dessert.

Whenever I cook parsnips, I think of my neighbor growing up, Mr. Cloud. Not only does he have the best name ever to a child, he was also a twin and had the softness of a cloud. He grew parsnips and other yummy vegetables in his garden and always sent us home with some after a visit. Sauté a few in butter and you have a burst of flavor in your mouth. They hardly made them to the table, since we usually ate them right out of the pan. I tossed them into a stir fry for a new twist this time. Though Mr. Cloud has been gone for 15 years, I think of him every fall when parsnips hit the shelves.

Altoid tins turn into Pill Boxes

The Pill Boxes are finally complete!

In the Mail

Yesterday was fun and productive. Astoria Market was a buzz and a few people commented on seeing my cards in Time OutNY :) When I got home, I folded and packaged the cards for UPPERCASE magazine. They are on their way to Canada as we speak.

Now I'm off for some much needed relaxation, family time, and reflecting on all the things I'm thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

hyc Creative and Astoria Market in TimeOutNY today!

hyc Creative is in Time Out NY today!!

It's not easy being green

Last night I printed 200 cards. It felt good to do a large run that will soon reach the hands of someone else. I printed the inside of my parent's Christmas cards and also 110 of 3 different cards to send to Uppercase magazine. City Bikes, Thank You, and Imagine > Create > Smile card. I hope they make it in and into the hands of Uppercase subscribers.

The Green color is a bit fitting for my mood. I have been green with envy lately. At the Laundrymat Monday night, I envied everyone I know with a washer and dryer. It just feels wrong to have to take your clothes somewhere to wash them. When I haul my luggage full of cards to markets on the Subway, I'm crazy envious of people with cars. Now that Holiday shopping has begun, I want everything. I'm awfully jealous of friends that live close to their families too and see them all the time. Its easy to get in a funk and get a little greedy. I realize I have everything I need in life. The abundance of things I have to be Thankful for this month, this year, ... heck my whole life flooded back in. Then, I just feel silly being envious. I'm so excited to be with friends and family next week for the holiday and my cup is very full.

Without the envy, I think I might have to print more of these Imagine > Create > Smile cards in Green. I kinda dig them.
Create on, my friends.

Workspace Wednesday - theNewNew blog

On theNewNew blog today!

http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/2010/11/workspace-wednesday-newnew-team_17.html

Need Your thoughts?

I need some ideas, Creative friends. I have the opportunity to submit 110 cards to Uppercase magazine that will hopefully go out in the issue. I need to print them this week. I'm thinking of doing the 3 cards below in Green on the Kraft Recycled paper. thoughts?
Thank you!

Astoria Market

Astoria Market opened with a bang. I had a smooth, yet odd ride to Astoria on a Sunday morning. It was almost like I was going to work, but there was a homeless man in my car that sort of freaked me out the whole time.

Every year in New York when the weather gets a bit chilly, you see an increasing amount of homeless on the train. I always feel a little more charitable and sad for these folks around the holidays, but yesterday I was just kinda freaked out. I was hoping it wasn't going to set the mood for the day... and it didn't.

I was greeted with an energetic crowd at the Bohemian Hall... which is an amazing name for a Craft Fair location, by the way. I was even more thrilled when I realized there was no line for food or beer outside. Several friends stopped by and I had lovely chats with strangers and my new vending buddy, Erica. The Time Out photographer stopped by as well and I'm anxiously waiting for the Time Out to arrive in my mail slot. Hopefully, hyc Creative made it in!

It was a slower vending day, but I see great potential in this location and hope to do it again soon.

Jolly Old Saint Nick

In preparation for tomorrow's Opening day for the Astoria Market, I busted out some Holiday cards. Lot's of Santa action!

Overall, printing went really well and I also tagged on another run of I Heart US that actually sold out.

Monkeying around Again

The other night, Coury had to work until 4 in the morning. I decided to dedicate myself to hyc Creative and I saddled up to my press and starting a few projects. I've been meaning to make pill boxes out of Altoid tins for the longest time.

Ever since I successfully quit smoking, I've been addicted to Altoid Smalls instead. They come in the coolest little tin. It's so easy to carry and they are sugar free. I am a person that has always carried around some kind of pill container and most of the members of my family do too. It's not that we take anything a lot. We are those people that have toothpicks, matches, tissues, hand cream, a cocktail of tylenol, Advil, Zantac, Imodium, Decongesstant, etc, and recently anti-bacterial gel. That's us.. the Lucas's. If you ask my Mom or Andrea, they probably have Rescue remedy and possibly almonds as well. So, I'm hoping for other people like the Lucas Clan to love my new almost formulated and only 1/3rd created pill boxes. Christina gave me the idea to look for an old Rx label block on ebay. I didn't really find anything wonderful, so I decided to carve something instead. I'm hoping when I dampen the handmade paper a bit, it will form around the spray painted tin and stick well enough with spray adhesive.

Since I liked the idea of a vintage sepia brown, I thought I should print something else in brown as well. This little monkey was printed again with Hang in there! Get well or thinking of you cards were a huge request during the last fair. I'm kinda digging the assortment of zoo animal creations I'm building up. It might be time to create some more.

Feel a little goofy today! That's what monkey's always make me think. They are footloose and fancy free.

Carving Santa

When my mom asked for a Father Christmas or Santa on her holiday card this year, I thought it was a perfect excuse to get creative and carve a new linoleum block. I've only done this a few times with mixed success. Carving is hard! I have great appreciation for people that do this all the time.

After transferring the image with graphite, I started slowly scraping away the linoleum. He came along OK, but I had to stop twice due to tool slippage and finger bleeding. The detail wasn't showing up as I liked, so I kept taking out more and more negative space. After the 3rd proof, we decided this Saint Nick is not happy enough. One of the cards I have in mind is "Have a Jolly Holiday" and this just won't do.

Enter Ebay... When I typed in Santa Letterpress in the search bar, an amazing assortment off the Jolliest Santas appeared. My Mom always uses a Santa on her Christmas card, so I know they'll be used for future holidays. The demand for Letterpress blocks has risen in the last few years and so has the price. I had to give up shopping on Ebay a while back. I got so caught up on visualizing cards with the vintage blocks and being awfully upset when I lost the auction. I ended up buying a little Santa as a Buy it Now purchase and watched the rest. I bid $20 for each thinking that should win. One of the Victorian Santa's went for $78 and the other I lost to a bidder at $20.50! I scored 1 Santa standing in front of a fireplace for $13. I can't wait for him to arrive.

Tonight, I put together a combination of card ideas for my mom to chose from. She decided on just the Santa with Tis the season on the front and a script Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! on the inside. I think I'll print Santa with the Ho, Ho, Ho while I have Red on the press as well.

The linoleum Santa may get used after all, but I think I'll stick to simple lines and flowers when carving! Working on a Rx label now for little pill boxes. Wish me luck and low to zero carving wounds.

Beautiful Vending Weekend

I can't believe I was wearing a tee-shirt on Saturday and Sunday while vending at Brooklyn Indie Market. It was a great reason to be outside. Though the G train was a shuttle half the way to Carroll street, it was worth it. Lots of people were out enjoying the sun. I do enjoy people watching and many of my creations made it into the hands of card lovers. That always makes me happy.

For the Love of the Numbers and letters

The minute I have a larger room to decorate, I want to fill it with items like this.

Bag lady

Well, if sales don't go well tomorrow at Brooklyn Indie Market, maybe I'll score some change from fellow MTA riders mistaking me for a bad lady.

Crafts in Chelsea

We braced the wind for Crafts in Chelsea yesterday. I'm very thankful that a lot of friends stopped by! I didn't really make any money after the rental cost, but I'm hopeful that I have a few leads for invitations. A newly engaged couple were perusing my invitation portfolio and also a woman thinking of invitations for her son's bar mitzvah. I had a lovely conversation with a girl that carves linoleum and she's in the market for possibly buying her own press. I just happen to have one I've considered selling. The new Card Rack and wine crate worked out great.

Rockin a new Card Rack

I stained my new Card Rack this evening. Hopefully, stain dries in a day or 2. Craft in Chelsea is this Saturday! and I want to break it in.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Here Comes Santa Claus. Here Comes Santa Claus, Right down Santa Claus Lane.
He doesn't care if you are rich or poor, he loves you just the same.

I never realized those were the lyrics to this song. I put a few Christmas jingles on tonight since I was printing Jolly Old Saint Nick. I finished an order for Christmas cards for my Dad's company and decided to make a few Santa coasters as well.

I heart Holiday Music. There are only a few other people I know that will indulge my listening habit from Thanksgiving until New Years. Mostly friends that haven't worked in Retail. It makes me happy and puts a spring in my step. I always think I know all the words to a song, but when I really listen, the meaning of the song seems so different than when I was a child. Last Christmas "Let your Heart be Light" really stuck with me. It's a good phrase to live by if you can.

I'm thrilled with our Fall weather and 70 degree days, but I always get excited when I buy my first Christmas present or the first snowflake falls.

Start your Holiday Shopping this weekend at Crafts in Chelsea. 100 artists selling handmade items.

New Coasters and New Packaging

I have new Coaster packaging Courtesy of Rachael's left overs from her wedding favors 2 years ago. These boxes have moved around our office. They make perfect coaster boxes.

Setting up Sets

I've not updated for a while since I've been in retouching land and not Letterpress land. Glad to return. I made some packages of cards and bookmarks last weekend. I debuted these and my new banner at Hester St. on Sunday. I didn't sell any prepackaged sets, but people picked them up a lot to view. When I mentioned they could make their own set, several people bought a pack of 4. Overall, it was my best Fair day this fall. I could barely feel my fingers and suffered a bit of windburn, but feel quite chipper about the experience. It didn't rain :)

Here are the sets. I'm tossing around making sets of 8 Christmas cards as well.