Zeichen Press – Page 16 – Design & Letterpress for the people.

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The intern packed up her carpetbag and rode away. I felt like we should hug but we didn’t – hugs are best left out of print shops. She made this before she left:

Go, my young grasshopper, go and�use the life-skills I so generously shared with you.

Fred�photographed�the new cards�- here’s my favorite:

That’s a true story.

ALSO:�Becki Iverson�at�Metro Magazine�wrote a nice thing about us. I think we’ll keep giving out that photo until we are 60 years old.

Nobody needs to see a photo of us taken in February.

August 24, 2011
Doing Unspeakable Things With Type

I regret not jumping into Lake Superior last week. I’m kidding, I don’t regret that. I regret not pushing that weird guy into Lake Superior last week. He was yelling, “the effing dog ate my pills! The effing dog ate my pills!” That poor wiener dog was trying to end its own sad life. Anyway, here’s a photo of Lucy and Jenny braving the frigid waters:

Lake Superior is the poor man’s ocean, just like my Reprex

(notice the vice grips)

is the poor man’s Vandercook.

But I must make do.

I must make do because that’s how I was programmed.�The project�du jour�is a print involving lots of words. And because I’m a daredevil, I decided to lock up the type in a vertical formation.�This is not for the faint of heart. The type and I both felt creepy when it was over and now we can’t even make eye contact.

August 14, 2011
First Things First: How To Make A Jelly Shot Blow Pop

The third instructional video is complete for�the�Jelly Shot Test Kitchen. If only children could drink alcohol these would be perfect for a Summer birthday party.

Pfft.�Rules.

July 21, 2011
Ad Lib Living

I have noticed that a lot of people around me have “plans” and “schedules.” That is something I’ve always wanted. Even my days of “working outside of the home” seemed haphazardous. I never knew if or how I’d get to work – would it be the city bus? My friend’s pick-up truck? A ride from a stranger? On foot? A police escort? Would I be able to pull-off a cup of coffee before work? Everyone talked about that – the coffee.�“Whew, I barely had time for my coffee this morning, the dog just wouldn’t do his business!”�They had coffee pots with timers – they’d wake up to the smell and sound of a fresh brewing pot. They’d fill their travel mugs and�commute�to work.

Why couldn’t I be like these people?

My snooze button (invented by the devil) would be pushed at least twice, granting me temporary amnesty – more time to dream about using inappropriately located toilets. A shower could happen but more than likely would not. Teeth brushed just in time to smoke a cigarette and tie my son’s shoes.

I know what you’re thinking: Glamorous.

A few weeks ago, I started doing the unthinkable: Waking up early and�not�forcing myself to fall back to sleep.

I actually�get out�of bed.

I get out of bed, make a smoothie filled with micro-nutrients and whole-food concentrate and go for a bike ride. It seems that other people DO THIS TOO. The paths are full of “others.”

I haven’t decided if I hate myself for being one of these people. Time will tell.

Anyway, number 7 of the Shea 8 will be getting married this Summer and she needed a program – I gladly volunteered and these were created yesterday:

They will contain a disc of music from the ceremony. Understated and cool. Just like my sister.�Notice my crummy thumbnail in the upper-left.

Okay, onto something pretty serious.

Kittens.

Watch:

July 17, 2011
Every Couple Wants Their Own Postmark

I won’t try to fight it – and why should I?

My youngest sister�

(why is she so angry all the time??) is getting married this weekend and I designed/Jen printed some invitations for the blessed event.

The event will be very celebrity-heavy. By “celebrity” I mean “family.” It will be full of family. You can crash the wedding if you want – but no pictures. Just kidding. Take pictures – I can’t stop you.

July 12, 2011
Kitchen Photo Shoot And a Guest Appearance

Pat Carney�stumbled into our dimension on Friday for the�Gute�photo shoot.

Edmund�made latte after latte while�Loretta�babbled in the background. We think she was talking about Pam the kitten/her prisoner. Anyway, I had to punch Pat in the face to get one latte away from him for a prop. He took it like a man. Except for the tears.

June 5, 2011

Merry Christmas!

As is custom in our culture,�pi�atas will be stuffed with liver sausage!

December 24, 2013
Blog Post Meridiem

Nighttime is just like daytime but with fewer socks and more Professor Blastoff.

Who is Professor Blastoff??

Professor Blastoff�is a podcast/my gateway to dreamland. Not because it’s boring!�Shut your pretty mouth.�But because these three comedians lull me me to sleep with their soothing silliness.�How can silliness be soothing??�Just listen to it�and quit judging me.

Speaking of professors, a(n) (assistant) professor�(Alicia Erian)�at Northeastern University (Department of English and Tomfoolery) took such a shine to Zeichen Press that she is our new (virtual) intern! Responsibilities include (but aren’t limited to): Telling me how awesome I am.

She didn’t love this next card but�I�still love�her.

December 17, 2013
How two women spun straw into gold at the No Coast Craft-o-Rama

In this story, the ‘straw’ is paper-and-ink and the ‘gold’ is a cash box full of cash.

If only mortgage companies and grocery stores�accepted hugs and back rubs in exchange for their products and services! Alas, they do not, and so we are forced to peddle our wares.�Normally, shops around the WORLD (that’s right) peddle our goods for us, but once a year, we come out of hiding, and on horseback, to peddle our own goods at the beloved�No Coast Craft-o-Rama.

Is it because we love laughter and the spirit of the Holiday Season? Or is it because we love money?

Oh, the reformed Scrooge inside of me says it’s not about the money. IT’S NOT.

December 10, 2013
See You There!

Where?

AT THE MIDTOWN GLOBAL MARKET FOR THE NO COAST CRAFT-O-RAMA!!

Directions:

1) Put on all of your clothes and coats.

2) Hitch sled-dogs to sled.

3)�MUSH!!

4) Do ALL of your Holiday shopping. And eating.

Is there a better way to embrace the Holiday season??

NO.

December 6, 2013
Halls (Of The Midtown Global Market) Will Be Decked With Such Goodness

There is always SO MUCH TO DO this time of year! Jen has to print and fold about a million cards and I have to sit still so my daughter can do my nails.Yes, those are adorable pandas. And yes, that is stigmata.

The No Coast Craft-o-Rama has an amazing line up this year (as usual), there is�Miss Amy Jo,�Adam Turman,�glass|wares,�Cosmo’s Collars,�Moss Love Terrariums,�Oh Dier,�Soup Hunter Guitars, and… so… much…�MORE!!

SO, bring your money and your eyeballs and get ready to check everyone off your Christmas list!�AND send a belated Chanukah card (is that a thing??)

December 3, 2013
Eight Days of Thanksgiving

Postable asked me to create a card�that celebrates a very rare occurrence: Thanksgiving and Hanukkah falling on the�same day.�I don’t know much about the�Jewish Faith but I think that means�eight�days of leftovers.This mash-up won’t happen again for another 77,000 years.

It’s true.

In other news… Jen and I will celebrate Thanksgiving the way we always do: in period costume.�Twist: Jen will be dunked in the dunking chair until she confesses to being a witch.

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2013
A Winter Cocoon

Now that the temperature has dropped to depressing lows, I’ve turned to TLC reruns for comfort. …My Strange Addiction�is the best thing on television… Why wouldn’t I gorge myself on other people’s dysfunction?

But enough about women addicted to drinking their own urine. Here’s a card about perspective.

November 26, 2013
How To Be A Supercentenarian

It’s easy!

Old folks like Misao Okawa credit their longevity to poached eggs and whiskey.

Oh, I can do that.

November 18, 2013
Norway? YESway!

We’ve had some big orders come in from�a shop in Oslo… I’ve been trying to figure out how they heard of Zeichen Press…

Here’s how:�If you take a running start, and are a good swimmer, you can get to Oslo from Denmark, and Denmark is just Germany’s top hat… And Germany, as you know, is the birthplace of Gutenberg.And�of letterpress… Right? LETTER press??�ZEICHEN�Press?? Clearly Zeichen�Press is synonymous with letterpress in that part of the world. All they had to do was google letterpress to find this:

There you have it.

Mystery solved.

Takk�Liebling.

Oh, clearly they speak English, but I don’t speak Norwegian � and that’s where the interweb comes in handy:Translator says:Class dismissed.

November 15, 2013
Alexis and Martha Stewart DO Love Zeichen Press

I knew it!

They’ve only been pretending to not see me chase them down the street! Kidders!

Alexis just ordered all of her�Holiday cards from the Zeichen Press shop… which card will she send to Martha??

November 9, 2013