Kitchen Table Publishing. Printing in gold.

I have been printing gold letters on labels this morning. They are the titles for poems also printed on labels, and hung up with keys. Here's the beautiful ink ready for printing.

Here's the first label. The gold doesn't show up brilliantly in the photos, but it has a lovely grainy quality against the rough card.

Here are the four seasons - I am going to print over the gold with a different colour for each, and the poems are different to the other four seasons label poems,

plus the key to the door! This is the title label for a short poem about Home and good it is to be there,

and here is the satisfyingly full washing line!

Setting and printing the poetry tomorrow.

Sitting and knitting. Helped by my cat.

A day at home today, knitting finger puppets. I knit in the sitting room, so here is the arm of my chair near the end of the day,

You can see some Scrooges in black, Ghosts of Christmas Present in green, and ghosts of Christmas Past in grey with white eyes. Two Jonathan Harkers are perched in the little box of wool.
I was helped today by my cat,

who seemed to think that standing on my shoulders was of use. It was very kind of him!

October woodland - riding through the woods

Thomas and I went up through the woods today. He was rather lively, so I took a quick photo without really looking at it, not wanting to stop and fiddle about with the camera, or he might have unseated me! I quite like the resulting image though.

His hoofbeats on the path of leaves and acorns sounded wonderful.

Here's my poem, started in my head as I rode, and finished just now.

 october woodland

brittle sunlight, shade -

golden path of acorns, leaves,

heartbeat of autumn

love, loss and letterpress

My newly purchased wooden Caslon font arrived today. A full font of upper and lower case letters. 

It really is lovely.

I used some it immediately.

I am taking part in a project with The Print Shed in Madley, that requires an edition of 25 prints, 

20cm by 20cm, and with the deadline looming, today was my last chance to get something done.

It isn't what I had been planning, but the print is in memory of my late friend Dinah, and I wrote the poem yesterday while driving in the car, thinking of those who are left behind when someone passes on.  She was very elegant and beautiful, and it was good to make her name the first word printed with my elegant and beautiful new font.

Here's the poem;

 

time is still flowing, but

seasons are different now

never quite spring again

robins, bluebirds and fingerprints

I have been making some fingerprint robin Christmas cards, to add to my stock of cards for fairs. Here are the Twelve Robins of Christmas.

Fingerprint robins are great.

I also made some Twelve Bluebirds of Happiness cards.

Bluebirds are equally satisfying.

The idea came from a fantastic book, brilliant design, printed on beautiful paper, one of the most high quality craft books ever.

 Also planned are the Twelve Snowmen of Winter, and something apocalyptic to do with blackbirds.

haiku by the sea

a slow tide turning -
soft salt breeze tasting my tongue
cold air on warm skin


changed by water and time -
different, familiar shore,
everything returns


tall cliff standing guard -
holds back prying path above,
quiet beach below, safe

Writing outdoors. Porthkerry Park.

I have been spending time with groups of children, walking in Porthkerry Park in Barry, and finding inspiration for writing stories. There's a magical woodland.

And a big pebble beach as well. The work the children produced was thoughtful and interesting, and they loved exploring the woods and the shore.

Often on a school outing, the journey on the bus turns out to be the most exciting and memorable thing for the youngsters. Well, for me a ride on the Ranger's quad vehicle was perhaps the best part of the experience!

http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/enjoying/visit_the_vale/barry_and_barry_island/porthkerry_country_park/porthkerry_country_park.aspx