Work in Progress

photo - knit scarf in progress




*tap. tap.* Is this thing on? Testing. Testing. *ahem*

It's been more than a while since I have blogged. Today just happens to be one of those days were it seems like it should be done. Now, what to say? It's difficult to jump back in after such a long silence. How about an outline of life since my last posting in May?...

Summer happened.
I worked.
School started.
I worked.
Fall happened.
I worked...

Most of my work has been freelance graphic design and consultation work, and I've had quite a few projects for the food industry. I have worked on milk cartons, pasta boxes and sliced cheese packaging. I even landed a job so large that I had to outsource some of the work. Luckily, Laurie is still my trusted design sidekick and she saved my a**. We met the most ridiculous of tight deadlines...ON TIME. I'll be able to post photos of projects I've worked on when they "go public".

So today, as I finish the last of my projects for 2010 (hopefully), I'm wondering how it became almost 2011. Crazy. I plan on taking the next few weeks off to hang out with my family, shoot photos, knit, ski, sled, and relax.

Hope all is well with everyone out in bloggerland.

- Amy

Quite Quiet (Midwest)

I've been a quiet blogger as of late. I thought I'd better post a little "me" update...

Here is the laundry list of my life's current events...
- 4 business trips since September (Oy)
- weekly freelance projects (I'm so happy to be working)
- 2 week family battle with H1N1 (all 3 kids plus Joey, I was spared)
- approaching winter and cold (we are outside as much as possible for now)
- jury duty (I was excused after one day)
- camera love (I'm back to daily photo taking and so happy about it)
- Craftactular this Saturday!

Today I print and get signage ready for this weekend's craft fair. I will take the camera so that I have some things to blog about next week. :)

Yee! (Midwest)

Our entire family is finally finished with the summer swim team season. This year our pool hosted the end of season All City Swim Meet. All City is the largest swim meet in the Midwest and one of the 5 largest in the country. Almost 2000 kids competed!

The entire meet was run by parent volunteers. Each family was responsible for 4 half day shifts. I was the person in charge of taking photographs for the website. This was a great gig. I got to view the event from right up front. I had access to the entire venue, even the hospitality suite! It was exhausting, but I really feel like I got to see the magic of the meet.

Here is a (chronologically backward) slide show of my photos from the event. There are almost 200 of them!

Back to Reality (Midwest)

As I look out my window this morning it's hard to believe that spring is coming. We have 7 new inches of snow and are planning on going sledding. Again.

Last week's trip to Puerto Vallarta seems like weeks ago. It was a wonderful vacation full of laughing, swimming in the ocean (with baby dolphins!!!), margaritas, beach strolls, etc. Joey managed the home front perfectly. I returned to a clean and happy household. Unfortunately, I brought back a stomach virus. I was down two+ days due to that and now poor little Sam is struggling with it. I'm guessing Hannah and Sophie will be next.

I have big plans to work on some fine art prints this week. I'm so inspired. In fact, last night I couldn't sleep because I was designing in my head. If I have time this week I'm going to start the first layer of my print. This is optimistic considering the goings on in the immune systems of our family. I'd better hold my breath AND cross my fingers. We shall see...

2009 Awaits (Midwest)

Well, we have about 16 more hours of Christmas vacation. I haven't posted over break so I will line list some of the highlights...

•The rats climbed up the Christmas tree. Tree sap + rat fur = not good.
•I had two cosmos in one evening and wasn't even buzzed. This is remarkable. Trust me.
•I was on my letterpress once for a quick print job.
•Indoor soccer, bowling, and inflatable bouncing sessions were all achieved.
•I had a fun, paid (!) photography gig as a second shooter at a wedding.
•One of us caught a stomach flu and at this point we don't know how many others were exposed.
•Sam cut most of his left eyelashes off.
•We have had 3 family game nights with charades being the most popular game.
•I ate 9 pieces of chocolate fudge on Christmas Eve.
•We had at least one day were we never got out of our pjs.
•We sledded. And, sledded. And, sledded again.
•Hannah became my photo sidekick when she got a digital camera for Christmas.
•Fights happened and were sometimes resolved.

All and all we managed to end break with a trashed house, overtired occupants and an empty fridge. Well done, I must say.

Happy New Year!!!

Almost There (Midwest)

My week has been busy. Trips to the post office = 4. Trips to the mall = 3. Snow shoveled in the driveway = 10 inches. As I sit here and watch another 2-4 inches blanketing the outdoors, I sigh. Christmas is almost here. Hallelujah!





So, on this Christmas Eve day I'd like to wish all of you out there in blogger land a Happy Holiday. May you be warm and surrounded by love. Most of all I wish you all peace. Have a Merry Christmas! - Amy

Holiday (Midwest)

I'm checking in for a quick mid Holiday post. Joey and I have been busy with his brother in town, my longtime friend Missy, and the kids. Thanksgiving was very successful this year. And, by successful I mean nobody melted down, the food was tasty, at least one of my kids ate, I got to eat, nothing was broken (oh wait, Sam did take out a vintage ride on toy that probably had sentimental value), and we got to enjoy each other.




In the topmost photo you see a vegetable animal creation that I made. In our family each Thanksgiving (for some 25 or so years now) there is a table set up with a huge bowl of various vegetables, fruits, toothpicks and sometimes carving utensils. All those attending Thanksgiving are required to make a vegetable animal for placing on the table. It's a fun tradition because it's fun to do yourself, but it's even more fun to see what others come up with.





Hope everyone out there is having a great weekend!

Summer Sets (Midwest)

A quick post here to say good bye to summer.

Good bye, Summer. I will miss your warmth, your long days with pretty sunsets and the birds singing. I will miss the time spent in bare feet and the chlorine smells in my hair. Mostly, I will miss the freedom you gave my children to play without schedules and responsibilities. Kiss. Kiss. I'll see you in nine months.

Hello School Season! I'm so happy to see you.

11 More Days (Midwest)

This is our sweet Sunny. She comes when she's called, is cage trained, likes to snuggle, and has some cute habits. Who knew a rat would become such a cherished pet?

I woke up this morning thinking "I should post on the blog today". I had some early morning lucid dreaming involving youtube and the internet (!?¡). I will dismiss any notion of dream analysis and the idea that dreaming about the Internet may be a sign of daytime addiction, and instead compose a post...

We registered the kids for school yesterday, got teacher assignments, compared rosters, etc. I spent a huge portion of that time thinking about the near future (11 more days) when they go back to their day jobs. Some of my friends when asked if they are glad summer is almost over say they are so sad that their kids are leaving. They enjoy having them home and cherish every minute of time they spend with them. I will set aside my guilt for the moment and admit I am not one of those moms. I don't enjoy the fighting and whining part of having them home. I miss my time. Maybe it's selfish but what I want is a little bit of each day to myself. Don't get me wrong, I do like to be with them, just not 24/7. Anyway, I am really, really looking forward to the school year. I want to take on some more freelance work and of course work on my letterpress.



Speaking of letterpress I'm finally posting a photo of the notepads I made over the weekend. They were created almost entirely from salvaged materials. The chipboard from craigslist, the paper insert sheets from 3 reams headed for someone else's trash, and the pencil image from a vintage printer block. The only part that I purchased new was the binding. I hope to have more notepads in different sizes and designs soon.

Just 11 more days, hold on Amy, you are almost there. With that I must go make breakfast and break up the squabble that is escalating in my living room.

To the Point

I am at the tail end of a 36 hour respite from my family. Joey took the kids up North for an overnight and two days of swimming in the lake. Go Joey. Go Joey. Before he left I made of list of things I wanted to do while they were gone. I actually wrote them down. As if I would forget! So, far I have accomplished 4 of 5 items. Can you guess which one is undone?

1. ride my bike
2. eat a nice meal out
3. print
4. pick up my camera filter
5. clean the upstairs

Number 5 had no business being on my list, right? Clean the house? C'mon! When the kids are gone? Not a chance. Ok. I scratched it off the list (I really did). I think I wrote it initially for Joey as an incentive to split town. Whoops.

Earlier this morning I cut up a bunch of chipboard with the intention of making little note books. The chipboard took the ink beautifully. And, it's just the right density for a good impression. I don't have photos of the prints on the board, but above is something else I printed. My thought here is that the person sending the card can write their message in front of the pencil. I've always thought that greeting cards are better when customized. And, this one card can become appropriate for any occasion.

All right. I have to go make the best of what's left of my peace and quiet. I should probably change out of my pjs and head outside. It's sunny and warm. Bye for now.

Vacation (Midwest)

I have returned home after traveling with the kids 4 hours North to my Aunt and Uncles fabulous house on Sand Lake. We had such nice weather. We swam several times a day. We played many card games. We picked currants that were turned into currant jam, pie and a mixed fruit pudding which is a family favorite. I went for sweaty runs outside until the horseflies chased me indoors to the treadmill. I meandered along the lake with my camera (and new lens) shooting nature photos. I even read two books. It was such a nice, relaxing week.

Unfortunately, our drive home was interrupted with bouts of vomiting from the way back seat (sorry if that was TMI). Sam's stomach decided to remind us that the vacation was officially over. At least we are in our own beds again and have access to our pediatrician if need be.

So, I'm now forced to come down from the leisure high I had on vacation. I'm back to my list. I have an Etsy order to go out, some ideas to sketch, and a craft fair to plan for. There is dust on my letterpress and it needs to go. Time to get back at it!

Packaging Things Up (Midwest)

Today was a satisfying day. I had several Etsy orders from the end of last week to get to, a wholesale order to finish, and a messy desk to clean (you are thinking, why does this woman always have a messy desk?). Between rain downpours, which caused us all to stand at the window gaping, I got things in their proper envelopes and boxes. I even went to the post office on my way to the grocery store. Oh how I love it when business can co-mingle with home life smoothly. Joey put the air "ditioners" in the windows, and I put all our cold weather clothes into the attic. Yay for productivity. And, yay for summer.



Oh, I almost forgot to plug the shop that will be carrying our cards. It's the cutest little shop on State Street here in Madison. It's called Anthology. It's run by two very clever and creative women. You can ready their story here.

Ok Peeps. I have to fish a pizza out of the freezer and attend to the family.

I can see clearly now the rain has gone (Midwest)

Tis sunny. Was rainy. Was busy. Tis now not.

I've had a week like Laurie's out in California. End of the year is a busy time when you have school age kiddos. I didn't get to sketch or print. Not once. But, the weekend is upon us, and it will happen.

Big news here, I got my *new* camera this week. Purchased with my share of our economic stimulus check from GW. Yes. I invested in our countries' (and China's) economy. Anyway, I've been restricted from using it because it has been so rainy these last couple of days. Within the last hour it has cleared somewhat and I was out in the backyard stalking bugs, flowers and anything else that looked interesting.

Above you will see my first photo, shot number 0001 taken about 10 minutes after I opened the lens box yesterday. Those are my new glasses. I think they make me look smart.

This camera should be a nice creative outlet for me. And, it probably won't require a huge amount of extra time. I imagine stroller walks becoming more fun because I have a camera in tow. And, I look forward to photographing cards as they come off the press. Exciting stuff. Keep tuned.

Memorial Day (Monday)

I am having an "I didn't accomplish anything" feeling about this weekend. I had high hopes for housekeeping and printing. Neither was checked off the list. Today is looking to be about 80 degrees here (super yay!), so it's not looking good, especially for the housecleaning part of my list. Oh well, it is a holiday weekend, right?

I have accomplished a few details, but they all involve spending money, so I'm not really feeling a sense of accomplishment here. Eagerness to receive purchases, yes. Guilt, yes. A little panic, maybe.

I did manage to deliver the above custom print job, a gift for Erica. The "E" is from my stash of vintage wood type. I mixed a metallic rose ink, and ran notes on scalloped paper and also a lilac, Indian paper with flower petals in it. The set looks very nice all wrapped with silver ribbon.




This week I plan to finalize my wedding invitation project, finish up some posters for MTHP and hopefully file bills and paperwork. This will clear my plate for preparation for the Craftacular at the end of June.

Happy Memorial Day All!

Wanna Ride Bikes? (Midwest)

Joey and I just got back from dinner downtown. We had a sitter tonight so we biked to the Union and meandered around State Street. I rode my *new* birthday bike. It's much speedier than my old cruiser. And, very pretty, too. See?




Ok. Just a quick post here since I have to get ready for LOST tonight. I need time to dig the remote out from the couch cushions and find my snuggy jammies. I'm so excited!

Optimistic (Midwest)

I have to say that my mood last week was a tad low. I had a lot of work to do, which I enjoyed, but I felt a little pinned down by my commitments. Today, however is a different story. Maybe it's because we went for a family hike in the arboretum this morning? Or, maybe it's because I was able to get a head start on this week's work over the weekend? Maybe it's because Sam pooped on his potty for the first time today (hallelujah)? Maybe pms is subsiding? I dunno.

I am feeling like I have exciting things to come. New ink has been ordered. Laurie and I have committed Lucky Bee Press to a booth on an upcoming Poppytalk Handmade market. I get to invoice a few projects next week. AND. AND. Spring is here. The above photo is from this morning - a blooming branch in the arboretum, and my breakfast smoothie. Both photos reflect my blossoming mood.

Finally, before I go. Did anyone catch LOST last Thursday? Ohmygod. I can't wait for next week. Smoke monster I think you are pretty cool.

Have a cheerful week everyone.

Productive (Midwest)

Another busy week is almost over. I'm almost done with the brochure project I've been working on, and I'm making progress on my custom wedding invitation project. I'm posting semi regularly to both Etsy shops. And, I squeezed in a haircut, a trip to visit my aging grandmother, and a doctor's appointment. Big sigh of relief that the weekend is almost here.



Last weekend I printed the above tags and cards. The image is from a old block I scored off ebay. I really like printing these vintage finds. The idea that I'm recycling and reusing appeals to me. Plus, as a design problem it's fun to think about how to design something new and current with something old. I carefully consider layout, stock choice, ink color and envelope selection. For instance, when I saw this block I knew it had to be printed on a scalloped card.



Sometimes I have helpers in my studio. Here's Sunnie helping with a shipment. She wants to eat packing peanuts. I don't let her and this makes her a little crazy. Of course she (and my kids) are banned from being around if there is any open ink. Little rat footprints all over the place would be worthy of photographing but a major bummer to clean up for sure.

Enjoy your day everyone!

We Survived (Midwest)

We are back from a very much needed family vacation to my parent's home in Arizona. This photo sort of sums up the desert experience. Hannah and Sophie were in discovery mode while Sam was in running mode. I just hung about and carried their stuff, fed them and was the go to person for prickers, fights, and requests for stupid things and things not allowed ("No! Of course you can't climb up that cactus"). I finally finished my book, Middlesex. I ate well. And, enjoyed watching my family. My parents live "in the middle of nowhere" so we occupied our days with leisurely things and had no deadlines. Sam of course adhered himself to a cactus in the first couple of minutes he was released into the desert. That's all it took, from there on he navigated around things very well. This did surprise me. I expected him to be a human pin cushion. Anyway, the vacation was good, my parents are good, and the desert is, well, hot, dry and prickly. We will go back again next year.

It is good to be back. I have several ideas floating around in my head that I need to get on paper. Today, I have to clean off my desk and do some organization for my busy design week upcoming. I had many responses to my card give away and will do a drawing today. I will probably be mailing 3 cards out. I'm thinking quarterly card give aways may be in order. :)

Ok. I'm off to see if there is anything edible in the kitchen.

Before I Go (Midwest)

I'm feverishly trying to get some graphic design projects to good holding stages because we are going on Spring Break next week (see temporary Etsy avatar above). I'm excited to have nothing to do, but also wish I could be here working on things I want to do. I will probably need to have a few beers to ease my way into my leisure status. It will be hot in Arizona so maybe margaritas will be in order.




I was excited to learn yesterday that Amie of ploverwing has started a new lens on printmaking artists over at Squidoo and she put me on it.

Whoohoo!

I'm so grateful. But, I have to admit I didn't know much about Squidoo. Today I clicked around a bit. I was amused by the Squidoo Top 100. Coming in at number 9 is "Parrot Taming and Training Plus Teaching a Parrot to Talk" and then at number 13 there is "Making Lemonade". In between are more "serious" lenses addressing important topics like global warming, html programming, etc. Anyway, now I have a link to a place to search for artwork to purchase. I love the Internet! Thanks so much Amie.


Finally, I plan on posting Friday or Saturday with details about my card give away. Stay tuned for that one.

Terrace Town (Midwest)

I wanted to post about this last week, because it was such a positive experience for me. I'm finally getting around to it.

About a week and a half ago I chaperoned my third grader on a field trip to Terrace Town. Terrace Town is an exhibit hosted by Monona Terrace (Madison's Convention Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright). Several local elementary schools participate. A class of students work together to create their own box city. This year kids were challenged to design sustainable neighborhoods out of recycled materials. Hannah was lucky enough to be in one of the classes that participated. The city of Madison provided an Urban Planner who attended the classroom several times prior to start of the project. The class took a neighborhood walk to discuss architecture and community planning. Then they went about planning, designing and constructing their box city. The city was named "Blue River". It had commercial, industrial, and residentual districts. They had green areas, and a bus system. The hospital had solar panels. There were turbines to generate electricity, a couple museums, a natural foods store and many rooftop gardens. It was all to scale (1/8 inch = 1 foot) and quite amazing. I know it's so cliche, but I really felt the children are our future. I was so grateful to them for learning what they were learning. It was such a great day.





Well, I have a busy week already in progress. I'm working on a large project for The Madison Trust for Historic Preservation and finishing several small projects. I'm also figuring out how to do the card giveaway that I eluded to in a previous post. More on that soon.