Showing posts with label production print studio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label production print studio. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

And then...SUCCESS!!!


The Garden is Printed!

Unbelievable but true, I finished all 440 prints today. Yes, I am tired, you bet. But happy tired.
I have a video or two of the last print being printed which I will upload shortly.

There is always more to do though. Aside from finishing up the "reporting" videography (wait 'til you see my exciting cleaning video!), the tasks left for the project are as follows:

  1. Finish colophon of information to be sent to everyone with prints
  2. Have colophon copied 92 times
  3. Finish putting together and formatting book (will take a while longer)
  4. Upload book and get proof copies, then publish
  5. Order roughly 50 books for participants and backers of project
  6. Take better photos of finished prints for poster size rewards
  7. Send pics to POD outfit for fulfilling rewards
  8. Pack and mail 92 sets of prints
  9. Pack and mail roughly 50 books and about 18 other rewards to backers of project
  10. Start new project MWAAAHAHAHAHAHA!


The prints

Here they are, the last two sets hanging peacefully in my very clean studio.
Am I the only one that really enjoys all those print edges hanging together? Hmmmm...

And here is a sneak peek at all the panels (yay!):





Fantastic Garden Headquarters: http://puzzleprints.blogspot.com

Monday, September 23, 2013

Ready to print!

Work begins!

My studio is a-buzzing with activity. I made a couple of videos of prepping the block and printing but as usual I'm behind editing and posting. 
The first is ready, beginning to prep the block. Next one I glue the block to the backing board so everything stays together while printing. And after that, I prep the press and get ready to print.

Prepping the block


Excitement builds! Next prepping the press...

Caboose

This is it


This concludes the individual pieces that I will publish on the blog.
As I have been publishing online, I have also been building the Growing the Garden printed book, which will have all the individual comments, photos of the blocks as you have seen them, photos of the printed pieces, and of course the usual "map" with all the participant's names and their location in the Fantastic Garden.

Some have asked what info they will receive with the prints. Even if you did not pre-purchase the printed book, all participants and backers will receive the information sheets with pictures of the 4 panels, the 4 panel map of the participants, and my usual comments about the project.

Everything is on course to be sent back to participants and backers of the Kickstarter project alike in the next month or two. Today I am finishing up the block chase which should make things a bit easier in the printing process.

Next in line for the preparation tasks are to continue to tweak a few blocks that look like may be problematic (did I not say to carve deep?), and perhaps I may get to actually proof a few of them this weekend just to make sure they will behave properly.
Videos and photos upcoming. Here are the last two blocks. I balanced the Kookaburra between the live and dried trunks of one of the Palo Verde trees. I always mean to cut down the dry stuff but love the contrast between yellow and green trunks...and the birds love to perch on them!

Melissa Read-Devine - Sydney AUSTRALIA
http://www.readdevine.com

"Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree", a well known nursery song sung by Australian children. This one is typical, sitting patiently, watching for a tasty snack to slither or crawl his way. Watch out if you are having a BBQ in your garden - these guys are notorious sausage thieves!

Maria Arango  Diener - Las Vegas, Nevada USA
http://1000woodcuts.com

"Cricket and the Two-Tailed Lizard"
Cricket was a feral rescue who loved playing in the garden, much to the chagrin of lizards and birds, mostly. We named her after her favorite prey, crickets, which she chased under the hollyhocks. But she also often brought us lizard tails...still twitching after being torn from their rightful (annoyed, surely!) owners. Cricket (1997-2013) is now a very happy inhabitant of the Fantastic Garden and has a best friend, a two-tailed lizard. 
I imagine the ongoing game goes something like this: Cricket chases lizard, lizard sheds one tail and escapes with the other one intact, everyone happy. Lizard grows tail back. Next game, Cricket chases lizard...

Print Party?


Well this year there is not going to be a print party, exactly. Oh I have fun, no doubt about that! I'm a one-woman print party animal! Flamenco music will be playing LOUD in my studio to keep me "in the mood", and strong coffee and energy bars will be served often.
But just too much going on right now to travel to my friendly helper crew in the Northwest or anywhere else. I will miss them dearly...I will pay the price with sore shoulders, no doubt, and nobody will be yelling "printmaker down!" when I collapse on the floor to stretch my back. Aaahh, good times for sure!

So here is the deal, I will begin printing next week and, even employing the mighty power of all the available Marias put together, printing will continue for about three weeks. Daily. Lordie, good thing I've been hitting the rowing machine daily during the "training" phase.
Want to drop by? Sure! I can use press crankers, print hangers, paper placers, and large roller wielders. Drop me a line 1000woodcuts at gmail dot com and we can chat about it.


Fantastic Garden Headquarters: http://puzzleprints.blogspot.com