New excerpt from "Study for the Possibility of Hope"

I gave my Book Making Projects class Dennis Phillips' poem to select an excerpt for a chapbook. I decided to do one, too, because I wanted to try out pressure printing with shapes cut from my new digital cutter. That's the birds on the spread image. The cover was printed in four colors without cleaning the press. It's a fun game to play, starting with one color, in this case the big blue-gray "2" and adding color as you go along. The second run was the green "birds" achieved by adding blue and yellow, then the brown "2" by adding red. I admit I had to take some ink off the drum for the final gray "rims" but then added transparent white and black. The color is nicely harmonious as one color leads to the next.

Rebinding of "Study for the Possibility of Hope"

I printed a new cover for "Study for the Possibility of Hope" on Crane's Lettra to rebind the book for entry in the Guild of Book Workers' member exhibition. The theme of the exhibition is "Horizon." The signatures are sewn through the spine using a pattern from Keith Smith's "Non-Adhesive Bindings Volume 2: 1- 2- & 3-Sectiion Sewings" called Contiguous X's (for an even number of X's). It's sewn using two needles and is much more complicated than it looks on the outside.

My Partial Tongue deluxe edition

I have finally found the time to bind the deluxe edition of "My Partial Tongue." The deluxe edition is printed on Somerset Velvet paper and bound in the separate board style with gold titling on a Harmatan goat leather spine and hand sewn silk end bands housed in a clamshell box with a suite of six additional prints.

Cover showing gold foil title on spine

clamshell box with book inside

Book moved aside to reveal the inset for the prints

Handsewn silk endband

Four of the six additional prints

Everything in its place

Work tables installation

My generous brother-in-law, Mark Traughber, built the two huge work tables that my husband designed. The table complete the new letterpress/bookbinding studio conversion of our suburban living room.

One of the finished table waiting in Mark's shop in Long Beach to be picked up and delivered to Simi Valley.

Mark picks up the table with the fork lift, yikes.

Mark and my husband wedge the huge table into the rental truck. The tables are so big, in fact, that we had to make two journeys. Only one would fit in the truck.

Getting the table out of the truck on our end. He used a rope and pulley system that he designed to lift his motorcycle.

The first table coming up the front walk.

may husband and son push it into position.

The second table moved into place.

He installed levelers to the bottom of the table to deal with our uneven floor.

Work tables continued

Installing the shelves for paper and supply storage.

I'm using these silverware organizers from Ikea from small tool storage drawers. This is the general tools one with bone folders, exacto knives, etc.

This one is for sewing supplies.

This one has sanding supplies.

This one has leather working tools: paring knives, strop, band stick, band nippers, pointe and spokeshave.

Paper and board storage. The units were designed to accommodate 20 x 30 inch papers.

The final touches

The last of the equipment is moved from the garage into the studio. This little guillotine proved to be one of the most challenging pieces to move. It is extremely top heavy and threatened to tip over all the way into the house.

The letterpress/bindery studio is complete. It's pure wonderfulness is beyond my wildest dreams. Thanks to my husband, my son, my brother-in-law and the Center for Cultural Innovation for making this beautiful workspace happen.