Happy Holidays!

So I guess I fell off the blog wagon again for the last week or two...the whole vacation over Thanksgiving mucked things up a bit. Not that I didn't enjoy myself, I mean, hello:


I didn't have time to letterpress print the menu that my mom and I came up with, but it was truly excellent. Prior to stuffing my face I'd been getting some orders for cards and such in from Etsy, which just warned my cockles. I just love the whole printing/packaging/shipping process...it makes me feel so "official."

The other day I finally got around to timing myself making paper out of junk mail, so I'll know how much to charge for the service in the (near) future. I even weighed the shreds prior to blending them so I'd know exactly how many ounces to use for regular sheets of paper vs. card stock thickness. I also took shots of the finished papers with various degrees of "chunk," or how finely I shred the fibers prior to making the paper. I personally like the paper when you can still see letters and sometimes even word fragments left over:

"Super Chunk"

However, such chunk-osity is only good for artistic applications (collaging or perhaps printing gift tags). If you actually intended to use the paper for writing but still wanted some of that speckly, recycled feel:

"Chunk Light"

And finally, if you were looking for a smoother paper,

"Smooth Operator"

All of these papers and various weights would be priced the same, it would just be a matter of providing me with more or less of your junk mail to start off with. As soon as I can get a few more details worked out, expect to see my junk mail recycling service available for purchase in the Tweedle Press Shop.

I told iHub (husband Ian) that one of the things I'll really like about the studio I intend to have some day is the ability to have lots and lots of space for drying my wet papermaking couch sheets (not the actual paper I've made, but paper I use to draw water out of them). Currently when I spend a day making paper, I have to lay all of my soaked sheets out whatever counter space there is in the kitchen and dining room. This last time I even strung some up in the windows and bannisters so we could actually have somewhere to eat:


Someday my setup won't be quite so ghetto. Lastly, I've just added a new product to the store which is actually the first thing I'm offering that uses some of the pretty papers I've made from my own junk mail and other waste papers.

Dead Things / Beast Gift Tags

I had originally intended to print these gift tags on chipboard (and still will, in the future) but I wanted to start using some of the paper that I've made for something. They'd be super cute tied onto a packaging with hemp or even baker's twine, and are pretty much as eco-friendly as you could possibly get. Credit card offers turned into letterpressed gift tags? Yeah, I do that.

Pulp & Press Soundtrack 12/4/09:"Lay Me Down"(The Frames).

Could It Be True?

Is the new Tweedle Press website finally, FINALLY live?? Man, this one has been quite a long time coming. A bit overdue, in fact. It seems that it has slurped up all of my time recently, so much so that I barely even remember that I'm a letterpress printer (or a blogger...). BUT now that the site's up, showcasing all my current lovely products, I can get back to printing (and blogging!). Even though it seems like this new website took me forever, I am really, REALLY happy with it. For the most part, I'm the type of person that doesn't like to rush things that involve design and creativity. Sometimes I overdo it with the perfectionism, but sometimes it turns out pretty well.

First up: and order of 275 Alice In Winter Wonderland (Cheshire) holiday cards: plates are made, ink and paper selected (and mostly cut)...now we just have to see if I can wrangle my 8x12 chase into allowing the plates to be inked properly. Second up: a nifty teaser postcard for a new "eco" company I'm creative Director for, Empty Boxes (plug plug). I'm not linking to the website just yet because the real one isn't up - it will be soon though, and I'll mention it again when it is. Until then, here's the image I'll be printing on some pieces of corrugated for a kickass postcard:


ROCK! After that, I'm on to some business cards for my sister Holly, which I'm doing in exchange for some writing she did for my website. Then I'll probably print up some more items from my Dead Things series, all the while doing some self-promotion and marketing. Woo! Tell your friends! :)

Pulp & Press Soundtrack 10/29/09: all Andrew Bird, all the time.

"Alice in Winter Wonderland" Holiday Cards

OK y'all,

Since I've been neglecting the blogosphere for the likes of my new website and some fancy new designs for holiday cards, I thought I'd at least show you the latter. The first series, "Alice in Winter Wonderland," I had already begun developing when my friends Hayley and Sheila asked if I could do some letterpress designs for their photography business Goode Green. If you remember, Sheila was the one who took the awesome pinup photos of me and my friend Rebecca a few months ago. Seriously folks, if you need some kickass pictures give them a call! Anyway, I'll be selling these through them including photos, and on my site without photos. You'll have the choice between a blank inside or a block of custom text:





I've decided that because I'll be folding these to create cards, I'll be printing on some super delicious Somerset paper from England that's made with 100% reclaimed cotton rag. This makes for an incredibly soft sheet that takes an impression well and scores/folds nicely, or so the folks at Evanston Print & Paper tell me. I've also gotten some Gamblin and Charbonnel etching inks (made the old school way, with linseed oil and pigments), because I've heard these work really well for large areas of coverage. I'm hoping to do a test this weekend or next week.

I have some more designs to show you, but those will be in the next post...