Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Your holidays—let them be letterpressed

This weekend Em Space rocked with activity, with at least three presses running—emitting all the necessary whirs, clanks, and ink hiss that come with printing. Me, I tried another round of foil stamping, more like fail stamping given all the mistakes that were made; perhaps this procedure isn't all I wanted it to be.

With any luck, I too will have all my shiny wares ready for Em Space's annual holiday soiree and sale, coming right at you December 2 and 3. Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday evening and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. We'll have all kinds of creative, well-crafted goods on hand that you won't find anywhere else.

Here's a glimpse of the photo frames I made, among the new bunch of lovelies taking shape in my studio.


As I was out to dinner this weekend eating expensive food, the memory of which would likely be fleeting, I realized perhaps I need to sell my product more like, um, a fancy entree or wine. People pay half or more as much for a few mouthfuls of succulence, but my hand-bound boxes cost little more and last lifetimes. So here goes: The picture frames (and boxes), built of dense bookboard, and enrobed in caramel-colored bookcloth and complex chiyogami, add visual crackle and pop to one's surroundings and, in protecting and packaging their contents, satisfy our cravings to savor and cherish.