Greenprints

It's finally time to start plotting a garden for this upcoming season. The bleak balcony over the winter months has left me eager to plant even more this year, with a focus on easy-to-grow edibles.

On the Right Track

While Ronak and I were driving through France we got really into the songs we heard over and over again on the radio. From scraps of paper with scrawled names and fragments of lyrics, I finally got around to finding these tracks (some french, some hip-hop, some german alternative rock...) and compiled a soundtrack that will continue to conjure memories of this extraordinary trip.

Snow Day

Apple Bottom

The lonely apples hanging around in my fridge from apple-picking back in October made perfect stamps for homemade wrapping paper. After a night of experimenting I was so happy with the results that I suddenly saw fruit in a whole new light. Passing through the greenmarket I felt compelled to pick up some new shapes-- a teeny tiny crab apple and a firm bosc pear. I learned my lesson with the pear: No matter how much I blotted the surface, the pear was just too juicy to get a sharp print.

But that's okay, I've already moved on from fruit and am now eyeing root vegetables...potatoes, turnips, carrots. I have a feeling that they'll work the best with their firm flesh and low moisture content. I just wish I had a little more time before Christmas.

T is for Telephone

...and for Théo.

Bon Voyage little man as you make your first journey to Paris.

Printer's Block

While I was meandering through the Brooklyn Flea back in August an antique Indian woodblock caught my eye. At the time Ronak was in India on a business trip and I was just settling into "our" apartment. I was on the hunt for a housewarming present for us that spoke to both our tastes.

I pondered over the worn woodblock for a while, drawn to both its form and function. I knew Ronak would appreciate it sculpturally being that it's dark wood and a relic of Indian handicraft. And for myself, I saw it as a new toy to play with and was excited to test out its printing capabilities.

Here I've finally found the time to experiment with the block using a lightweight cotton fabric and Jacquard screen-printing ink. Despite not having pre-washed the fabric to remove the sizing, the pitted wooden block made a satisfying impression and a seamless repeat design. It's become clear to me that I've only just begun to graze the surface of this beautiful old-world printing technique.

Mommy in Waiting

Due to a number of circumstances, my mom and I had to plan Rachel's Surprise Baby Shower within just few weeks from her due date... dangerously close! We were hoping she wouldn't have to bring her own baby to the shower. After waiting so long, we figured Rachel would be on to our ploy to get her to Long Valley this past Saturday afternoon. But alas, she was surprised! Apparently we're both very good liars.

Since the party was fairly small I was able to hand-print the invitations, line the envelopes and spend time on all the minute details (though I don't think I could resist doing the same for an even larger event). I like orange as a cheerful and fun alternative to the usual gender-neutral yellow. When I saw cupcake papers & toppers by Meri Meri, I fell in love with them and adopted the vintage circus theme on the spot.

Rachel lives for surprises... so much so that she and Fabien have opted not to find out the sex of the baby or give away the names they have in mind. We are all waiting in anticipation to meet Baby Janus, it's been long enough!

Hot Off the Press

I just finished the last session of my Wood Type Letterpress class. I'm psyched to come away with a set of "egg" and "pomme" note cards. I didn't really plan on any particular word before coming to class, but rather looked into the box, chose the letters that I thought were most interesting and played a little game of Scrabble. It just so happens that the egg card is very timely with Easter & Spring and I can imagine the two framed as a pair in my kitchen.

Thoroughly Impressed

I'm taking another class at Intima Press, this time integrating both metal and wood type. The wooden letters are so appealing even on their own: the worn edges, the subtle ink-stained colors, the nicks and scratches that reveal years of use. I'm really in love with them.

When I signed up for the class I had my head set on making something poster size, but the lack of duplicate letters in some of the alphabets forced me to be a little less ambitious and more minimal with the text. I'm really happy with the results!

First Impressions

Last night I took a Intro to Letterpress workshop at Intima Press. It was amazing. Working with 15th century metal type is a tedious, manual, time-consuming process that could not be further from the digital technology I work with day in and day out. It was just what I needed on Monday, having felt comatose from sitting in front of the computer for 8 hours straight.

After thinking much too long and hard about it, I selected a quote by Picasso: "I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it." This idea sticks with me and comes out in my desire to constantly learn and demystify techniques so that by the time I'm an old lady, just maybe, I may have the ability to make anything.

A June Shower

Josephine and I were thrilled to collaborate on throwing Jenny & Erik a baby shower in preparation for the arrival of their baby girl. We decided to nix the traditional pink "It's a Girl!" motif and instead made invitations, decorations and favors that reflect Jenny & Erik's personal aesthetic: bold colors mixed with pastel, polka dots, bicycles (a nod to their bike-riding days in Amsterdam), and a charming combination of old & new.