get thee to the paper studio

Last week I had the pleasure of working at Longwood University in Farmville, VA (or “FarmVegas” as my art peeps call it). Not only is the studio state of the art and filled with light, but it has my pal Kerri Cushman, who is an uber-talented book artist...
Flat Stanley Comes to Visit

Flat Stanley Comes to Visit

Yesterday I had a special visitor. He could only stay for a day, since he had a tight schedule, but we packed a lot into his visit. Flat Stanley was curious about letterpress printing and book binding, so I taught him a few tricks.We went over the basics. Then Stanley...
Rediscovering Western North Carolina…Part One

Rediscovering Western North Carolina…Part One

Sometimes we get so comfortable in our home territory that we forget that we don’t have to travel far to find adventure. I’m guilty of this too, of course, and it usually takes a visit from a friend to remind me to go poking around in my own neighborhoods....
What, This Old Thing?

What, This Old Thing?

we should have broken the bottle on the press’s cheek This story begins with a 130 year-old orphan (at right, in back). What does one do with a 2,000-pound printing press when one no longer has space for it? This particular press (a Washington hand press) stands...
Like the Cicada, She is Reluctant to Emerge…

Like the Cicada, She is Reluctant to Emerge…

Well, I’m back. After a long hiatus of many days (let’s not talk numbers) through the frigid winter months, I am emerging from my den. This might make me a little like the groundhog who has been living under my house all winter, chewing on the floor joists...
Who Needs a Spark When You Can Have a Bite?

Who Needs a Spark When You Can Have a Bite?

People sometimes ask me if nature inspires my work. Sometimes it does. Sometimes not in the way you’d think. I’m gearing up to go to a miniature book conference in August, and I’m pretty excited about it–mainly because this is way out of my...