It was a conversation a few months ago with a friend about trade shows, that first introduced me to the BCTS. I was interested in everything I was told about it but worried I wouldn’t be able to go because I wasn’t exhibiting. A trade only event that showcases some of the finest, high end craft, I felt really out of my depth.

So BCTS kept floating into my life, people I met mentioned whether I was visiting, so finally a lovely lady called Moira, kindly gave me an invite and so I went along. Moria runs Hunt & Gather design and she brings out printer envy in me! Her work is based on using Cyanotype photography to create absolutely stunning prints.

So I have a huge thank you to say to Moira for giving me the chance to visit and discover a very well organised event. BCTS was a lovely serene and calming experience, where I got to meet some really genuinely lovely people. Talk creatively, discuss ideas and really engage with people who are very good at what they do.

Naturally, I gravitated towards print based stands because if I do go ahead with a stand application next year I wanted to see how print was represented. The first stand we came to was Natty Maid. Mandy Tait is a fabulously lovely Scottish lady, who makes beautiful and outstanding prints using lino cuts and a Gocco printing machine from Japan. Mandy was really helpful and it was great to meet someone who is as equally passionate about printmaking as I am!

The next stand we came to was Sue Bulmer who’s work is also illustration using digital print. I was drawn to the monotone style of her work and also the quality of her textile goods. I’ve been thinking about transferring my work onto aprons and tea towels and seeing Sue’s designs work so well has really given me the impetus to get it done.

Then the next people we met was Caroline from Bubble and Tweet, who make some amazing quality graphically designed textiles for the home. We’ve also met when I’ve had the studio open on craft fair days, so it was really great to meet up and swap details. I was really impressed with how professional their stand looked and also all the fantastic advice they offered!

As we moved along we found that jewellery and ceramics was really very well represented and very beautiful! It was a fantastic experience to be able to view so many talented crafts people. As the craft fair was split into several sections we moved into the established sellers sections.

The Red Corvid is a papercraft studio run by Kimberli Werner, who has some stunning cards that she hand cuts and layers herself. Using an eclectic mix of papers she has a really good eye for making the designs come together really well. She also has some lovely business cards too!

So naturally at these events, I bumped into lots of lovely Craft Soupers, a group which I belong to that encompasses a great collection of talented craft people. Sort of like a support group that offers sound advice and honest opinion! I bumped into Lynsey from Swirly Arts, who also runs Cuteable which is a great blog that Lynsey uses to showcase craft finds. Lynsey makes funky chickens and I am in total awe of her sewing skills!

I also finally got to meet the lovely Jo who runs the I love Red blog and makes gorgeous glass pieces. Jo is also exhibiting at the Saltaire Maker Fair at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, UK on Saturday 5th May. So if you can go along go and check out her work!

I met Liz from Inkylinky as well! We sort of bumped into each other at the food hall bit! Had a really good chin wag about the event and it was great to meet up again!

I also feel in love with Rachel Lucie’s work and have my eye on some gorgeous earrings that she has to put up on her site! Next to Rachel was Leigh from Leigh Shepherd Designs who also makes fabulous jewellery and was kind enough to share some great advice for having a stand at BCTS.

Overall, I had a really good day and did what I do best, which is talk lots! Thank you to everyone who was kind enough to share their time with me to give me advice. I am seriously considering having a stand for next year and meeting other inspirational crafters has reaffirmed that it is a great way to improve your business.

I am a bit of a paper addict! I love the stuff, how it’s made, the quality, colour, smell, how it prints and I love to discover new papers to work with. I try to find copyright free papers, so I can make them into envelopes or liners, or to print onto, it makes my life as a small printer easier and keeps the costs down.

A while ago I bought some beautiful quality wrapping paper designed with an Orla Kiely print on it, the plan was to make envelopes from it and pair it up with a spring themed card I was printing. Naively, I hadn’t considered what the implications of using an established print would be, I just assumed that as I was buying a wrapping paper it could be reused in a different way. Almost like buying fabric and making it into a different design.

It was only whilst assembling some of the envelopes that I had a niggle about whether I was breaching copyright, so I asked several people and a group I’m part of for advice. The outcome is that it’s a very undistinguishable line of uncertainty. Paper, like fabric that is sold with a designed pattern can be turned into almost anything, the design belongs to the original designer but in theory you should be able to use it providing you credit the designer should you sell it.

However, it seems that this isn’t the case with designers like Orla Kiely for example, especially  if you want to ‘upcycle’ or use wrapping papers to make cards or envelopes from. You could possibly get a call from the lawyers! So I think in future I’m going to resist buying printed or designed papers to avoid the possible headache of copyright enfringement!

Well I’ve trying to buy insurance and what a mine field it is trying to cover yourself. I’m looking to do several Craft fairs in the up and coming months and naturally it is required you’re covered.
I have had several quotes from various companies with £120 being the most expensive. For a very small business that is a lot of money to pay out, however, I was recommended another company called a-n  who offer insurance for a much more reasonable cost. So I’m ready to go and I’m also covered for workshops too, which is another spoke to the wheel I want to add.

The idea being several people get to spend half a day with wooden letterpress blocks and cake and tea thrown in at half time! I’ve yet to finalise the details but if you are interested just drop me an email from my contact page registering your interest.

In other news, I’d like to point you in the direction of Pinterest, it’s an amazing resource to show case visual goodies and better still I can promote Do You Punctuate? Products through boards and pinning images. If you get a chance to be involved, then I heartily recommend it. Though be warned you can loose several hours!

Right, I need to update the store and add new products. I’ll also be having a spring sale soon, if you look through the store, some items have already been reduced to make way for new cards I’m working on.

Have a happy week!

Bec

Recently I needed to find a specific image that could be made into a plate to print. Initially I searched the internet and then my own stock of images I’ve collected. Then I considered the stock image publishers, so google being my friend I found quite a few companies all willing to sell Victorian ‘copyright free’ images, at a hefty price. This sounds like a contradiction but it seems that a lot of companies are hosting images and selling on the behalf of the owners.

Anyway, I was looking for a Victorian pram, quite a small image really, that could be used as a new baby card. Bearing in mind that I do very limited print runs I only needed to make 10 to 20 cards. Anyway, for a relatively small pram at low quality the prices varied from upwards of £150. Suffice to say, I thought it best not to use this route!

Not to be deterred I also had a go at drawing a pram but I fail at drawing and I refuse to let anyone see the results! So thinking all could be lost I found a remarkable book shop in London at the weekend. A great little shop which appears to be dedicated to books of images, resources for print and drawing. They cover everything you can think of and of course I found my pram and more!

The Dover bookshop, we found by accident whilst trying to find a taxi. The shop is tucked away off of Seven Dials down Earlham street and if you happen to pass by, go and have a look. The nice thing about the book I bought, it has an ‘angel policy’ so I’m able to use the images a limited amount of times and not pay a royalty fee. So a win win!

Here are a few of examples of the images from the CD provided (Pram excluded). These are web quality but there are print quality (600dpi) images on the CD too. I think for future reference I’ll be using these stock images to create letterpress plates. These drawn/etched images are some of my favourite styles and set with contemporary fonts, are quite effective.

I was first introduced to letterpress at university, in a fantastic well stocked print facility in H Block of Leeds Met. Sadly, that print room has moved to another building but the memories of my time there are still quite vivid. I tried my hand at almost every type of printing technique but I loved letterpress and etching the most.

In some ways, I wished I had spent more time familiarising myself with the whole letterpress process but I was seduced by digital font programs and the lure of Adobe’s Creative suite.

It was only as I left at the end of my BA and started my MA, that I bought a press and all the lovely things that are involved with typesetting, did I realise I needed to overhaul my knowledge.

I have retained a fair bit of that time but I also started to read extensively on the practice of printing. I searched for forums, articles and books that gave advice both practical and theoretical as to the best way to print with an Adana 8×5.

There is a lot of information available and everyone has an opinion on how you ‘should’ do it rather than what you ‘could’ be doing. I don’t mind confessing that I’ve learnt to set the type and ‘dress’ the forme (Imposition) in my own way, with a sprinkling of tradition thrown in for good measure. I also found that printing on various presses is a whole new learning experience that you must not assume will work across the board. Though the basic principles still apply.

For awhile I have struggled to get the Adana to print clearly and evenly, even though I’ve packed out the tympan and used a blanket to try to create a good print of type I’ve set. Images from plates have always printed well, it was just the type that proved tricky. Today I had a breakthrough, as I changed how much packing (tympan) I used by squashing a kitchen roll to make it flat and used masking tape to bind two boards around together, to create a sandwich. Then by adjusting the platen and using my new tympan, I was able to print a very clean and clear type impression.

This might not be a massive achievement but today has made all those previous failed attempts fade away and I feel quite proud for persevering and finally getting a result. I have posted images here, so check them out!

I’ve included some links to sites that I found incredibly helpful so I’m putting them here just in case anyone else needs help.

Green Dolphin Press

Introduction to Letterpress

Happy Dragon Press