New Workshops are Coming!

E-mails are flying fast and furious, but we're scheduling new workshops right now.

We've got classes in:

Book Repair

Photo Albums

Papermaking

Letterpress

Silkscreen

and so much more!

Please check the website to see our latest offerings, and feel free to chastise me in the Comments for being so slow. Photoshop eludes me.

Poetry and Artists Books

There's a great article in the current Poetry Foundation newsletter about the impact a book of poetry's binding can have on the poetry and vice versa. We had a great workshop for poets on creating broadsides for their work, and I'd like to advocate looking at artists books as having interesting potential for poets & lovers of poetry alike. We're in the process of scheduling another Artists Books class (or two) and I'd encourage anyone who loves words to think about this workshop as a chance to create something really magical.

Check out the interview at this link:

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/journal/article.html?id=239900&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CampaignMonitor&utm_content=635276361&utm_campaign=PFORGNewsletter-07-30-2010&utm_term=BeyondPerfect-Bound

If that doesn't work (and I have to admit the link looks really dicey going in) you can see it at the poetryfoundation.org. The title of the article is Beyond Perfect-Bound. Because we all know that perfect bound books are far from perfect.

Printer's Ball 2010

We were delighted to be included in the sneak peak images from the Chicago Printers Guild broadside collaboration (that's us on the right). We got to work with Lisa Janssen's poem Nostalgia, and we really enjoyed it. We're sorry we missed this years Ball, but glad our work was there for us.

Silkscreen Studio for Rent

Don't forget that we rent time in our silkscreen studio. $15 an hour. Complete with mood lighting.

Doesn't it get tiresome to read blog entries about how much people meant to post, but didn't; and how they had promised faithfully they'd be more regular, and weren't? It does. So we won't, (but we are sorry). Anyhow, the work above is featured in the current issue of the online magazine Jettison Quarterly, and is the work of our silkscreen teacher Jessica Taylor.

Her silkscreen classes have been great. You should take one. Yes, you with all the Chinese characters in the Comments. Use your time better. Make something.

Just this week!

Lest you think the lack of posts means there hasn't been anything going on, think again. It's the fact that so much has been going on I haven't had time to find the stupid plug for the digital camera. (Give me wireless or give me universal plugs. Please.)

Anyhow, prepare to be amazed by what students are making here in Evanston. You should be making stuff, too.

This lovely work is from our Ink & Thread class. The students have letterpress printed and bound limited editions. The text blocks below belong to Kathleen.

Ambitious new silkscreener, Laura, designed and printed a three color t-shirt.

Poets Jenny, Ann, and Donna began designing broadsides for their own poems. They'll print next week. They even set their own type. Tune in next week to see the finished products for all of these classes. And then sign up for one yourself.

AND there's a Letterpress I class, too. It's really great stuff.

Hope to see you April 16 & 17!

Did you take our survey?

We just sent one out via e-mail. If you didn't get it, don't feel left out! It's got a mere five questions, and we're using it to help us set our summer schedule. If you want to take the official version, just shoot me an e-mail, and I'll send you the survey. Boxes to tick - things to rate - comments to leave. [eileen@evanstonprintandpaper.com] Some people have had trouble with the survey? All we want to know is what classes you want, and when you'd be available to take them.

- or -

If you just want to tell us your thoughts, just click "Comments." There's one real question we've got for all of ya'll. Sooooooo many people told us they wanted silkscreen classes, but we aren't getting sign ups. We've got one offered now. Seriously, have you seen those pictures? Go look. If you haven't been able to fit one into your schedule, but would like to, let us know what you want, and we'll do what we can to make it happen.

Hot Off The Press - Silkscreen T's & Aprons

Hot off the presses.....or really, hot from our silkscreen studio, these new silkscreened t's are available for sale. Designed by the lovely Lydia Evans and printed with white ink on black, these shirts are sure the be a hit with all you letterpress printers. This is how we roll. $20 per shirt. Available in small, medium, and large in women's sizes, and small, medium, large, and extra large in men's sizes.

Aprons with the same design are available as well, but we will be printing those on demand. So let the demanding begin.

Contact us to place your orders at 847-475-7674.

Preventative Maintenance Is Our Motto

All better!

If you own (or ever hope to own) one of these old machines, you need to know Advance Printers Machine Shop at 4271 North Elston - Chicago, Illinois 60618 - 773.588.3169. They machined us a new cam in an hour, and now our machine's running beautifully again.

We couldn't be happier.

Paul Moxon's Vandercook Maintenance Workshop

Looks like our visit from Paul Moxon was not a moment too soon. That flat space Paul is pointing at? Should be a nice smooth wheel. We found out why our grippers weren't coming up well. Cross you fingers we can find someone who can machine us a new one. Job one today.

The workshop was really great, as was Paul's talk on the history of the Vandercook press. We had no idea that the Vandercooks lived here in Evanston, and that R.O. was a Northwestern grad. The Vandercook Centenary Bundle will be up at our shop through April. If you want to see what 100 (ish) printers did to celebrate the 100th birthday of the presses we love, feel free to drop by for a visit. We really love visitors. If we haven't met yet, we'll be easy to spot. We'll be the ones with a rag in one hand and a can of WD40 in the other.

Paul Moxon Talk This Saturday. 8:00 p.m.

The poster's done. Anyone else know the movie 24 Hour Party People? When the posters always got delivered to the gig they were meant to advertise? Well, we're four days ahead of that.

Anyhow, we really hope you can come! 8:00 p.m.

Questions? 847.475.7674

Paul Moxon's Coming! Paul Moxon's Coming!

We're hard at work letterpressing a poster for our upcoming events celebrating the Vandercook's 100th anniversary.

So you know before the poster's done. . . . Paul Moxon will be giving his talk on the History of the Vandercook at 8:00 on March 13th - 1123 Florence Avenue. Come one, come all. We're also going to be displaying some of the amazing pieces from the Vandercook Centenary Bundle that Paul organized. 100(ish) printers from all across the globe did 100(ish) prints to honor the 100th anniversary of the presses we love so much. Come and see this incredible show. If you can't make opening night, we plan on having it up for a month. Just give a call for our hours, and we'll happily show you our collection. We're in it. We're so proud.

Our Linoleum Block Printing class yesterday.

Can't tell if these kitties look scared or delighted.

Do they know they're on an ice cream cone?

Maybe adding the "yum!" was a little dark.

We'll be offering this class again. Add us as a friend on Facebook to see what everyone did.

The Illustrated History of the Vandercook Press with Paul Moxon

It's official. Paul Moxon will be giving his illustrated talk on the history of the Vandercook press on March 13th at 8:00.

We're also going to get our own Vandercook Centenary Bundle up on the walls in true gallery fashion. We're so excited, and hope you'll come and see it. April Sheridan will be leading a cemetery tour to visit the graves of the Vandercook family.

Don't miss it.

Okay, blog readers, yes, both of you. Paul Moxon is coming here - Saturday and Sunday, March 13th & 14th from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We are also planning a field trip after the Saturday session to the cemetery where the first Mr. Vandercook is buried led by the lovely and talented April Sheridan.

We're hoping that after that, Paul Moxon will share his presentation on the history of these presses we love so much. We will also at that time display the fabulous Centenary Bundle. 100 (ish) broadsides printed on Vandercooks across the globe to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Vandercook press. It's a glorious collection, and we'd say that even if we weren't in it. But we are.

There are truly only a few spots left in the Vandercook Maintenance class. Understanding the workings of the press is important to making one a better printer - whether you ever plan on owning one or not. btw . . . . I never planned on owning one, and now I have two and the care and feeding of a third. You never know, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Stay tuned here, both of you, and learn more. We're going to post everything here first in the hopes that you invite your friends. We're also going to be posting more often. Promise. Like as soon as I find the right cable, pictures coming from the latests Sheehy designed Vogel & French printed Oneiris series broadside.

Melissa Jay Craig's work will be featured in a show at Vespine Gallery (www.vespine.org) beginning November 6th, 2009. She'll be here talking about her work on November 15th, and teaching for us as well. Check out the "Workshops" section, and sign up today!

Holiday shopping anyone? We have hot off the presses gift certificates for someone special. And yes, we think you're very special. Find a way to leave this post lying around your computer screen to drop a very tasteful hint.

New tables in the silkscreen studio

Thanks to Robert & Robert of Positive Tangents. Months and months and months ago, we need to get a very dangerous, very heavy guillotine cutter out of our shop. It had a broken safety, and people kept sticking their hands in it. Anyhow, we posted it free to a good home on Craigslist. Robert Kriesgen wanted it for art unlike all the scrap metal dealers who contacted us. He said if we ever needed some carpentry work in trade - let him know. We called last week, and he and his partner Robert showed up with an entire wood shop today. I hear the nail gun next door right now. We found these doors in the alley behind my house, and now they're tables. They even brought us a book - The Complete Guide to Wood Finishes - to show us how to use epoxy to flatten out the surface of the table. Went to a salvage store to find interesting newel posts for legs for the table. Really amazing - Robert K. said he believes what goes around comes around. In their case I hope it's true. Actually, in several cases I hope it's true, but in their case it would be good things : ). rkiesg@positivetangents.com Good stuff.

This is a snapshot of our new brochure. We printed it for the Printer's Ball, but it didn't dry in time. Coated paper + humidity + no time = messy fingers. Anyhow, we hope you can see one of these in person some time soon. If you'd like to come by and grab one at the shop, feel free. They're dry now. Two days after the event they were made for. So it goes.