Wednesday 24 October 2012

WOYWW - It's Wednesday again!

I'm back! And with a different workspace.... my favourite father-in-law gave me an early birthday present of an Adana letterpress, which I am over the moon with BUT being the mother of 3 under-fives means I have NO time to play with it: a thoroughly novel kind of torture.

I don't normally write backwards: I thought it would help me set the type, but I didn't even refer to it in the end.


  I get to run in to my newly created workspace for half an hour in the evening before being summoned back by the youngest as she requests her evening/nighttime snack. Sigh. I almost wish I was the sort of mother who could just feed her babies every 3 hours and then shut up shop, but sadly that just has never felt quite right to me... however, now my new baby is exerting pressure on me too, I'm starting to think there could be some strength to that argument.


I'm yet to even make a single print: I have everything I need bar cleaning fluid (white spirit) and a palette knife to scoop the ink onto the printing plate.... I could make do, but John is such an impressive printer himself that the thought of doing anything he might disapprove of makes me feel unworthy of his gift or his teaching. I ran into Trago Mills (our local ghastly discount retailer) today trailing soon-to-be-3 year old and with (lead-weight) baby on hip, only to find at the till that there's a minimum spend on paying by card, which would have meant spending twice what I'd planned so I marched back out again as I simply couldn't face searching for more stuff to buy that I didn't want. I used to be able to go first thing in the morning when there'd only be 3 people in the whole store, but now I'm constrained by the school run.
File:Letterpress.png
Source: Wikipedia
So, I'm left with setting type, which is painstaking as the only bits I have are titchy, and I am very slow. I'd be happier with chunky type to start with just to be able to get used to the whole process, but I guess it's good practice. Hopefully I'll have a bit more energy tomorrow to get my supplies in and then I can get messy - the best bit of any creative process I think - from baking to painting! I do have a few blocks to play with too, so I don't have to finish my text (it's a silly poem I made up to give to John as thanks). And in the meantime I can carry on researching the wonderful world of letterpress! I'm reading this wonderful book too.

http://fameorshame.com/johnryder/wp-content/gallery/dust-jackets/eupdj.jpg

And it's rather nice to just sit in my new space and listen to all that silence for a bit.

And I still have plenty of monsters to sew! 

Joining Julia at Stamping Ground for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday
hope you all have a productive week and I'll be poking around all those other lovely workspaces in due course :-) I'm especially envious of all those mugs of tea I spy - I never remember to make one before I start work....




27 comments:

  1. I want your father-in-law. What an amazing present. I can't help with the whole baby thing, but I can suggest that you set your type from left to right. As long as your letters are all upside down, they'll come out the right way, but you don't have to work backwards or from right to left! Hope that helps.

    Happy WOYWW.
    cheers, rachel #67

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    1. Hands off he's my FIL!! I still can't believe it's mine - I keep popping in just to look at it :-)

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  2. I can't wait to see what you do with your letterpress - how exciting! Happy Wednesday. :o)
    Sue x (MiniOwner @ 89)

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  3. oh my dear gosh - how how cool is that letterpress!
    i'm @ 123 !

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    1. Yay! Definitely one of my best ever pressies!

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  4. Wow, this looks like it would be lots of fun....Big cheer for favorite Father-in-law!! Have fun!
    Karen 129

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  5. Oh my goodness - what a truly fantastic present! That's a father-in-law to keep... Do hope you get some time to play soon, though I can imagine the silence is also rewarding.
    Alison x
    #35

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    1. Thanks Alison! I had a quick go this evening: enough to realise it'll take a bit of practice! Somehow John made it look very easy... that'll be the decades of professional practice I guess...

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  6. Oh wow, what an amazing prezzy - how fantastic is that?? When I saw it, I immediately thought of The Truth by Terry Pratchett. Have you read it? It's all about the introduction of the printing press into a fantasy world city. It makes me laugh a lot! And I know it's hard running around shops with little ones..but it really won't be for long and then before you know it, they're 19 and 16....*sigh*
    Hugs, LLJ #66 xx

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    1. Yes!! I love his books, and I have read The Truth..... and yes, you're right, I'll miss them being tiny when they are grown and I try to always appreciate them as they are, but some days it is really difficult to get that persepective.... must try harder! xx

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  7. enjoy your free time with your new gift
    have a super woyww
    kay #57

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  8. Nice workspace Chloe!Waiting to see your new creation with those letters!
    Have a lovely evening!
    Dimi..

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    1. Don't hold your breath Dimi, it might take some time.... it looked a lot easier when John was teaching me! xx

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  9. Oh a real letterpress! How cool! And what a nice gift! Happy WOYWW! Nan 27

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  10. That is an amazing gift! You'll have time to use it soon enough, even though it doesn't feel like it right now

    The days are long and the years are short when the little ones are little!

    :)trisha
    #136ish this week

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    1. That has to be one of the wisest things anyone's said to me about motherhood.... thank you x

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  11. Congratulations on a fun new "toy"! You are in a rough stretch with the ages of your wee ones -- I only have one, so can't completely put myself in your shoes. It's a lot of work, but you also get lots and lots of snuggles and kissing, too. My daughter is 8 and an affectionate little thing still, but it's not the same. Hope you get time to play soon! Happy WOYWW from Laura #155

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    1. You're right: the snuggles do make up for an awful lot! Thank you for your lovely words :-)

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  12. lord!
    your favourite father in law has just turned into mine too!
    a letterpress!
    positively jealous here. in a moderate way.
    n♥

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    1. I just WISH I could use it!!! Patience is something I have in very short supply, especially when something so delicious is sitting in my shed.....

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  13. I understand your frustration at the lack of time, but it will come, honest!! What a marvellous present...I must say that it's the sort of gift that would make the giver my favourite too!

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    1. Thanks Julia, I'm so looking forward to having some time... :-)

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  14. You are so luck! This is an amazing gift! And you have space to put it in! And you have children! So time is an issue - you can't have everything.

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I love reading your comments, thank you for taking the time to write ♥

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