Things are better with a Parrott

Friday Film

I think I will share some film on here from time to time on Fridays.  I was quite pleased with the photos I took on a recent trip to Vermont & I have taking a few film snaps each day. 

Prepare to frolic in the wildflower fields.

{taken with my nikon em}

{taken with my diana+}

I think this is my favorite photo.  The little butterfly had a hurt wing & was on the side of the road where we were walking on.  Rich picked it up & placed him on a leaf out of harms way. 

If you are in the Providence area I will be at the IndieArts Fest tomorrow.  It starts at 1pm and goes until 11pm.  I will probably be there until 7pm or so.  Then Sunday...relaxation.  Perhaps more printing. 

Until then...Happy weekend! 

Shimmer Shimmer

 

Oh!  I really love these.  It was so fun to get fancy with the shimmery paper, shimmery pink & chocolate inks, a swirly font, & a really lovely lace image.  The bride simply told me her colors & said she wanted the invitation to be formal & sent in a box.  She sent me a few inspiration images & I was off.  Sometimes brides know exactly what they want tell me exactly what they would like to see & others give me a few words to go by.  Either way, it always leads to a design that makes the bride happy.  Which makes me happy.

 

Here is a detail of the map I created of downtown Seattle.  You may see the full version here.  Again, that PG-11 works wonders with alignment. 

Tomorrow - those summery invitations.  Then perhaps I will talk about something other than wedding invitations.  I am supposed to be getting that film back from my new nikon & diana+ this week...

Many Things

There are many things I could say about the following wedding invitation.

But mom always said, if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say it all. 

I could say it was sunshine & caramels when printing this multi-layered, multi-sided wedding invitation - 250 of them to be exact, with matching envelopes.  I could say red ink never smudges & silver ink is pretty classy when printing swirls.  What I will say is sleep was missed, meals were not had, a tear {or two} was shed, sanity was questioned, my business was re-evaluated, & new polices were made. 

This project was  i n c r e d i a b l y  rushed & it came on the heels of another project that was in a terrible rush as well.  Mind you - I am not in a rush, nor can I ever be again after the 3 projects.  Yes, another rush project came right after this rose invitation.

I work slowly.  Thoughtfully.  Deliberately.  Because I enjoy the process.  That is why I gocco.  That is why I letterpress.  That is why I make things with my hands.  For the process.  Yes, the end result is usually very lovely, but there is so much to learn in the process.  About the process itself.  About yourself.  Hand-printed one by one, invitations or anything on paper, cannot & should not be rushed.  I never will rush again.  If that means turning someone away, with a heavy heart I will do it. 

Tomorrow I will be back, with a more light-hearted post I hope!  I will share the two other invitations I design & printed.  One is very fancy & shimmery.  The other is a perfect breezy summer day. 

Only a few more hours until...nap! 

Found

Or rather..."What I need to Find" & that is the beach!  Hopefully I will find it this weekend.

Speaking of the beach, I printed a set of thank you notes for my parents, to match the anniversary party invitations I printed.  I have a few extra & just put them in the shop. 

To continue with the beach, I also printed some new coasters for a show next weekend & I listed a few in the shop as well. 

Cheers to the weekend!  I am looking forward to more printing, some painting, drinks with friends, & then...the beach! 

Still Here

Just off on adventures.  This time to Vermont.

Making faces.  Most likely at the bees swirling around my head.  Indeed I have two cameras in this shot, taken by Rich - a Diana+, which I have had since Christmas, yet I have not developed any of the photos I have taken, & a new {to me} Nikon EM 35mm with a 50mm lens.  It is film all around for me at this moment.  Since booking our trip to Amsterdam & Paris, I decide I really wanted the option of film.  So now I must practice. 

I thought this was an indian paintbrush, but it is not.  Any thoughts on what this wildflower is?

After a short, but very vertical hike we made another stop at a gorgeous little waterfall.  I will be developing my rolls of Diana+ film & the first roll I took on the camera & hopefully I will have something to share next week.

I have three orders waiting to be printed, two of which are international!  I suppose they will not be printing themselves...!  Perhaps I will be back this week...perhaps. 

Printing by Sunlight

After many cloudy, rainy days last week it is nice to see the sun in the studio again.  I am currently designing & printing the most simultaneous wedding invitations than ever before. Each set is so different & unique.  I look forward to sharing them all with you over the next few weeks.  Below is a peek of what I am currently printing {with the new gocco}. 

Back tomorrow with a bit more to share, then Rich & are off to Vermont for a wedding & a much neede getaway.

Found

This is a very late Friday post for me, but I am taking a break from finally catching up on shop orders & getting ready for the Providence Open Market tomorrow.  I did not have a chance to be on the press yesterday, nor did I actually have time to print anything new for my shop's pre-birthday week.  Oh well.  Post-birthday celebration?  I think so.

Today I have tape on the mind for a Friday Find.  I recieved two new rolls from Fred Flare today & it is so much fun!

 

graphic tape :: love tape. 

All the orders I sent out today have love tape on them!  The brand is Pop tape & you can buy different designs here. 

 

The lace tape is a favorite of mine & I use the white lace on most of my packages I send out.  I love how it looks on kraft paper. 

 

Cram cream also has adorable tape!  You can find a lot of it on ebay.  I found these cute ones here.

I am hoping for a nice day tomorrow followed by a super productive printing day on Sunday.  Here's to a working weekend!

Preparing & Partying

Hi!  I have been busy preparing for the my first Providence Open Market this Saturday which also happens to be my shop's first birthday.  Party! 

As a little present to my...um...shop, I purchased the PG-11 a.k.a. the middle child in my gocco family. 

Okay.  So the present is for me.  I am already in love.  The adjustable registration plate & platen make everything SO easy.  Oh!  Why did I wait so long?  I almost waited too long.  My trusty B-6 has been acting very strange lately.  Sometimes the bulbs flash, sometimes they do not.  It is also eating batteries like never before.  I had the same batteries for months & months & now I keep putting new ones in there. 

I ordered my new gocco Thursday & it arrived on Monday.  From Japan.  Now that is some fast shipping.  I put the registration plate to use last night with these super cute program covers & backs for a California Wedding in September.

I have been working on these for awhile now because the project involved alignment in three different places.  I must admit I am no registration wizard & I believe B-6 & I would not be friends anymore if we tried to print the text around the back tire.  But PG-11 came along with its registration plate & just like that.  Done! 

I also created table markers for the couple's wedding which are named after their favorite bike trials.  You can check them out here. 

Tomorrow afternoon I have plans of printing on the press to work on some new coasters & goods for this weekend's festivities.  Meet you back here Friday!   

Things Parrotts Do

1.  Make things better.
2.  Bake!

Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott is the creative cake & cupcake business of my sister, Jessica.  She bakes & decorates the cakes out of her apartment in Portland, Maine.  She makes cakes for any occasion from weddings & anniversaries to birthdays & holidays.  They range from elegant & classy to silly & wacky.  Below are some of my favorite picks!

autumn wedding cake :: 30th wedding anniversary cake

spring flowers cake & cupcakes

Red Sox 30th birthday cake :: pug 50th birthday cake {this one is hilarious!}

So, if you are in the Portland/Southern Maine area & are in need of a cake, contact my sister.  She can take any idea in your head & make it into a cake. 

Packing my Bags

Well...not quite yet.  But when I do pack my bags, Rich & I are going to

Words cannot describe... It will be my first time too.

Is it September yet?

{photos: Polaroid - Summer in Amsterdam & agreyday}