time

Doesn't time – or the passage of time – seem so arbitrary at certain points in life? It can seem so fixed and then so fluid so that, on the one hand, today seemed like such a long group of hours – Liam home sick from school for the second day now, up in the night to help him, up early this morning, Ben gone all day ... and yet I can hardly believe that it has been nine weeks since our friend died. Nine weeks, approaching ten, seems both like a lifetime and a blink of an eye. I think of that amount of time in months: almost two and a half months now. And then I think of it in fractions of a year: more than one sixth of one year. And then I think of that amount of time and how it will compare as my own life continues. It's been a hard nine weeks, but life does go on – and that is both healing and heartbreaking.

I know this is an incredibly personal story – and one, actually, that I'm reluctant to share here ... You might have noticed that I've been absent from this space more often than not these past nine weeks. But, here I am, here it is. It's where I am and how I am these days, pushing ever forward, enjoying the crisp fall mornings and warm afternoons, missing my friend, relishing the joy on Liam's face as we round the corner to his new school, working in the studio, meeting new people as we settle into our second year here in Corvallis, staying in touch with old friends, trying not to linger in the 'what-if' world ...

This print is of the piece Ben read at our friend's memorial service. It was Ben's birthday yesterday and so I gave him this print, which we've both always loved, but never expected we'd use in reference to our friend. (You can click on the image below to see it larger.)



When we build, let us think that we build forever.
Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone.
Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for;
and let us think, as we lay stone on stone,
that a time is to come when those stones will be held
sacred because our hands have touched them,
and that men will say, as they look upon
the labor and wrought substance of them,
"See! This our father did for us."

John Ruskin

sneak peek part two :: mailbox monthly

I had fun taking these photos for Mailbox Monthly. Keeping my websites (this one and this one) and online shops up-to-date takes a lot more time than I had ever anticipated and so, sometimes, I print new cards or have new projects that don't get onto the sites for much, much longer than I plan. Still, eventually, these things get done.

If you are interested in Mailbox Monthly, for your self or for a friend, you can email me directly at lynn@satsumapress.com or you can purchase a six month subscription, which has proven to be the most popular thus far, right here. (Please remember that my Etsy shop and my Big Cartel shop have different items in them – it's on the to-do list to get them in sync ... I always have very, very long to-do lists.)

The photos above show the subscription card you'll receive, plus a peek at a feather card I just printed that will go out the first month which is January 2010. Sign up, sign up – I don't think you'll be disappointed.

P.S. Those flowers in the photos above are ones I really love. They photograph well and add such a cheerful pop of color to a room. More information right here.

sneak peek part one :: 2010 calendar

Thank you for your patience. I've been busy. I've been having a hell of a time returning to this space. But, again, thank you for your patience. Here are some glimpses of the 2010 calendar. If you like what you see – and I so hope you do – you can pre-order by emailing me at lynn@satsumapress.com or by visiting my online shops here and here. The calendars should be ready to ship pretty early this year (because I'm wholesaling them to a few lovely shops this time: Heath Ceramics, Oblation, Liave ... and they need them sooner rather than later.) The retail cost direct from me is $44 + shipping.

More sneak peeks to come later today or tomorrow: Mailbox Monthly, holiday cards, etc ...

september :: 2010 calendar

I've been working on the 2010 calendar quite a bit this past week. It's amazing how much quicker everything goes with the new press. I am blown away by the speed and accuracy of it. It's no joke that it's not for a hobbyist. In the blink of an eye, you can run through a stack of 100 just like that. So it's really important to do the prep work carefully – making sure the tympan, the paper feed, the photopolymer plate, the impression ... Each of those has to be spot on. Honestly, I can really see now why other printers thought I was crazy for doing a calendar each year with a Vandercook.

I thought I'd give you a peek of the artwork for September, since here we are in that month. This was actually one of several drawings I submitted to a contest with Crane Studio, but I didn't get chosen. Oh well, though I'm a tiny bit disappointed, part of me is just fine with it because it means I get to use this – and the other illustrations – for my own work.

Also, a reminder: I've opened subscriptions for Mailbox Monthly. If you're interested, please send me an email – lynn@satsumapress.com ... {If you'd like to pre-order the 2010 Calendar, please email me as well. They are $44 + shipping and there will most likely be around 200 calendars printed this year.}

first day

Liam is at his first day of kindergarten as I type! We couldn't be happier about his new school, his teacher and his assistant (who will help Liam with logistical/accessibility things throughout the day, as needed). I think it's going to be a good year for him. When we got to school this morning – we roll-strolled there – he was immediately surrounded by a group of cute fifth grade girls! He was even holding one of the girl's hands – charmer...

a new press

I got a new press a few weekends ago and I couldn't be more excited about it! It was a matter of good timing, really, that allowed me to bring this beauty into the studio. I was browsing on Briar Press and came across a post by a person in Washington state looking to swap her Heidelberg for a Vandercook. I thought about it for a little while – a very short while – before contacting her. There was a flurry of emails back and forth to figure out logistics, but the last weekend of August she and her husband rented a truck and drove the Heidelberg down here and left with my Vandercook SP-20. I think we're both pretty pleased.

The Heidelberg Windmill is serious stuff. I love it already. I got new rollers, a new base from Boxcar and yesterday Ben and I fired it up. He's good at the mechanical and electrical side of it all and I'm good at the fine tuning – so between the two of us it was printing like a champion by the end of the day.

Ben and Liam want to name it Darth Vader, which is sort of fitting – you'll see why if you've checked out the video above – but I'm not sure yet. The video shows it printing yesterday, at its slowest speed!! This is an amazing piece of machinery and I feel like my studio is pretty much complete now.

september sale!

I think part of why I am sometimes overwhelmed by work is that I have so many stationery designs being offered right now. It takes me too much time to keep the two online shops updated and so in the interest of consolidating and cleaning out the studio space a bit more – not to mention my brain space! – I've decided to put many of my stationery designs on super sale for this month. Please check out either my Etsy shop or Big Cartel shop to see if there is anything you like. It doesn't mean the designs on sale will necessarily go out of production, but I may set them aside for a while. After all, there are going to be some new stationery designs coming soon for the holidays. More on that soon: 3 new holiday cards, 1 revisited holiday card, plus an amazing collaboration with the lovely and talented Heather Moore of Skinny LaMinx!!

love

This is what Liam said to me the other day (and I love it for so many reasons): Mama, I love you from the bottom of the earth all the way to the top of the sky. And even into the whole galaxy ... And maybe there is planet in the galaxy filled with Wall-Es!!

Liam starts kindergarten next Thursday and we're headed over to his classroom this morning to make sure it's accessible for him. I went shopping for kindergarten supplies for him – such a cute list: markers (thick and thin tip), crayons, watercolors, #2 pencils ... A new backpack and a new (but old-school looking) Star Wars lunchbox!

madsen bikes, again

Remember how Madsen Cycles was giving away a free bike in July? Well, they're at it again – only it is one every week. Holy smokes, I couldn't resist. I'm entering here and now. You can, too – and you should! But first you should click through to Madsen using the image above ...