Small beginnings

After all of that effort moving things from the public studio space, there is a sense of lightness. There is still a clean to be done; an inspection to happen; and then hopefully all shall be well and we can hand back the keys.

It is a nice feeling getting used to the notion that all my art stuff is here - almost at my fingertips (if I had particularly long arms!).

I need to do some more rainbow daily words, or is that daily rainbow words???

I thought I would start small and just get two sets done, testing out the new desk and space at home. I have begun, but have not quite finished.

I found two completely different sets of paper word cards already cut - so am doing one set of each. One is a brighter white than the other.

Red.

The view from above.

Red, orange, yellow and green are done, but I clearly got distracted writing gentleness. It's an easy trap to fall into as a calligrapher. You look up at the word you are copying and in this instance I clearly looked at the second 'e' and completed the word without having written 'n' and the 'e' that are missing.

Still, after all that work and effort in the past wee while if that's the biggest mistake I make this week I am doing OK!

After green comes blue, indigo and purple. I looked at my notes and my palette and I did the blue no worries, but the indigo I think I tricked myself. Purple worked out OK mixing a couple of primaries; but the indigo does look rather a bit too dark and more like the purple that I would like. I dabbled in a dried up colour in the palette and I think in reality, it had nothing to do with the rainbow! All the other remnant colours did - but I really have my doubts about my indigo choice.

This is where I was at the end of that, with a couple of blanks ready as well for the two sets. I can already tell I'm going to have to be so much more disciplined than I have been of recent years.  Things will have to be tidied and put away after use when one only has one desk instead of five!! 

And things will not be able to be simply dumped on the table for me to do something with later...like polishing cloths, embossing tools, gold leaf and gold size and post it flags (as evidenced below).

So my executive decision was to re-do the indigo words. I set about chopping up some extra paper to do the two sets and am ready to go when I next get a minute.

It felt good to begin to put the new places and items and work jobs together and see how it all flows. I will have to do some printing soon - I was asked for nine grief cards and only had five, so there is job to be done. It will be good to test out that side of things as well.

But the first steps have been taken.

Going, going, gone...

 Well it has been quite the process. We began thinking our way through how to downsize the studio space at least 18 months ago; and in January last year really began to focus.

We knew that moving some of our precious letterpress items on was going to be very challenging. We so very much wanted them to go to the right homes; and I admit to being scared witless at times that the beautiful Lightning Jobber press could end up as scrap metal if we couldn't re-home it safely.  It was tough to think about and did keep me awake on occasions.

But slowly and steadily we refined which metal type we wanted to keep. We worked out which wood type we would continue to use and which of the type cabinets would serve us best in the future, and began the very slow and steady process of transferring the type we wanted to the trays in the cabinet we were keeping. It took months.

We had three cabinets of metal type to find new homes for; as well as a few presses; some gorgeous wood type; and the beautiful Lightning Jobber.  We also had heaps of art supplies, lots of art works and lots of fittings and furnishings. We sent out feelers for the letterpress gear and were fortunate to find it all new homes where it will be loved and looked after and used.

We went about it all slowly and systematically. On return from Scotland in July last year  we held our first art supplies sale. In November we had an artworks sale; and this weekend we had our fittings and furnishing and other bits garage sale.

In between I sorted all the paper; all the art supplies, all the art projects working papers; all the teaching materials we had ever kept. A big job, and we are both weary. But oh so satisfied. Here are some images from the past year and from the weekend.

The Lightning Jobber being moved.

Art supply sale July 2025. Look at how full that studio space is!!!

Me trying to sort all the paper into its new drawers; and working out what is for sale

My final tray of type being transferred

The artworks sale in November.

Moving type trays in a unique way! Metal type is heavy and when there are 25 trays in the cabinet, you need to spread and share the load.

The sale yesterday went brilliantly. We moved pretty much everything, and it was a sellout. We didn't open today to sell, as there was nothing left really; instead we made arrangements for items to be picked up and/or delivered.

Saturday afternoon, not much left at all.

Sunday morning and we removed the signage on the front door.

High humidity hair!!!

And we have emptied the studio.

Wow. We have had the best time in that studio space. It has been a shop; we have taught; had play days; sold things; held exhibitions; hosted opening events; held community meetings; and had drinks on some Friday evenings.

We have worked hard to create new spaces at home which will allow us both to continue to create and make. I will still be making and selling my jewellery; my grief cards will still be hand printed and illustrated; my women's work will continue; and there will be calligraphy and artists' books made as well.

We are re-vamping our newsletters and will send them more regularly; and our websites and shops will also get new looks. We are busy and excited to see what happens next. We will keep you posted.

Thank you to everyone who visited the DEP studio; who purchased art; who talked art; and who explored and loved the letterpress printing we did there. We look forward to continuing our artistic endeavours with you.

Our newsletter will keep you up to date with sales; deals, and teaching and we hope you might subscribe. 

There is a form on the right hand side of the blog where you can sign up. We promise we won't annoy you or your inbox too often!

This blog will continue to capture the ins and outs and ups and downs of a making life, and Instagram will be like a mini blog maybe. Facebook will be a place to hopefully share information; but it all depends on ye olde algorithms...

Muddling along and Memories

 It has been a task that is for sure. I am edging closer to the complete emptying of the Deckled Edge Press studio, with all that remains being the items for sale at the Garage Sale next weekend. Quite the achievement.

As I have gone along, I have been examining and clearing out 20 years of my art making and my teaching. 20 years of commissions and projects, and exhibitions and general stuff and experimental forays. Perhaps it has been long and tough because I was a person who kept a lot of things and filed them in case I needed them, or needed to refer to them? I don't know but my memory was frequently jogged as I went through the project and teaching boxes.

All my practice layouts for the Book about Silence that Susan and I made for our Pas de Deux collaboration back in 2015....

I threw out all the cut out letters and counters from my work Lost for Words made back in 2016.  After my mum died suddenly, I lost my words. I had nothing to say, and so I went very slowly and just explored how many ways could I make words disappears??? Who knew that here in 2026 I would find another way!

Testing and trialling binding possibilities for Fragile Gains  (2014). I ended up using aluminium shim for the binding, but did end up using one of these stitching variations I created to hold the fragile paper and allow the pages to turn without tearing. But yep, these too went in the bin.

As did these trial covers; but the brass rods were saved!

This goes right back to a commission in Tasmania in 2004 (5 years BB - before blogging). I made the artwork for each of the bedrooms in a boutique hotel. Each room had a name and I also did the name signs for the doors. Lots of test, trials and swatches! Gone.

And this is in part how I have spent my days. Asking myself big questions about why? Why would you keep this? Why does it matter to you? Why do you think you might need it? Why has this never sold? Why do you think it might sell in the future?

So many whys.

Ahhh, and one hopes along the way one has also been wise.

The studio tables have gradually shrunk in terms of the volume of items upon them. Book cases, tables, chairs, storage tubs, storage units, sets of drawers, trolleys, and the fridge have all gone and found new homes. The vintage and collectables man bought ALL the collectable items which was marvellous, as well as some books. Lots of scheduling catch ups and pick ups, but all is progressing well.

Sunday

Wednesday

Sunday

And a Sunday panorama shot

All that remains is for sale. We have the final sale next weekend; ad then its finalising things, cleaning and signing off...

The new space awaits!

The hard yards and chaos

 I really hate this part of moving. Having done all the thinking, the planning and the first cull, the time has arrived for the hard yards.

On Boxing Day we built some new IKEA cabinets. Given we are moving to such a small space, we have had to re-think what we can have; but also how and where we can store it. All told there were 4 cabinets with 14 drawers to build - and drawers are fiddly, especially making sure you have the slide runners aligning in the right direction. Luckily we have made many IKEA drawers in our time. It was a long day, but this is the remnant packaging, which a friend has said she will take for mulching her garden so that was a a win.

Each day I spend time at the studio sorting and sifting. We are only just beginning to do the shifting.

The categories are throw, give away, sell, keep in studio, keep in storeroom, keep in office. And so the desks are now covered in all sorts of thing which are going in all sorts of directions...

The book shelves are nearly empty - deciding what to do with treasured books is one of the hardest things.

I have also worked my way through many of the drawers and cabinets and cupboards. I leave the drawers open to remind me what is done and what isn't yet done. 

Both of these sets of drawers already have new owners. Along the way, and behind the green drawers, I am collecting remnant papers to share with a papermaker friend so she can pulp them down and renew them.

The crockery and cutlery that was in these drawers and behind these doors is going to our Neighbourhood Centre. As are the microwave and kettle, some art and some more cupboards.

Nothing like sorting out under a sink! Still, there is a lot less stuff in there now. Most of it will be used for cleaning when we reach that stage...

The pile in the corner for the FINAL GARAGE SALE (17 & 18 JANUARY) is growing...

We think the stash for the local vintage and collectables guy is just about ready for his perusal. Lots done, and lots still to do.  Each and every day has us down there working and moving.

And to finish on a nice note, here is a shot of our Christmas Day table - with the runners and coasters I made here! They worked really, well providing a table setting for four people and were lovely, lively and bright. The bowl was filled with multi coloured baubles and three candles in crystal star holders. With twinkle lights!

It was all a joyous delight to behold.

I am thinking I would like to make some hot pink  or red or orange coasters to add even more colour. We shall see...

A miscellany of making

 The bits and pieces nature of the end of the year continues. Barry posted about a post he had made for a friend here and here (an action shot of me at work and all!). In the lead up to it he had asked me to write the lettering on it so that he could rout it.

I always print out a computer font at about the right size so I have something to guide my handwriting. Here it is with possible tools for transferring to the log.

Lead pencil on the timber, quite hard to photograph!

Gone over with a permanent marker so Barry could see the paths he needed to follow.

In some spare moments I have been putting together a couple of pairs of earrings - here's one set.

The other work fits more into preparation for making, than making per se.  In preparation for transitioning from the studio I have been trying to get my things in order. I am trying to make sure I only take with me things I will need and use; and not just grab everything because we run out of time and it's there. I am also trying to make sure that what we take is in good working order. 

So over to the tins of ink we use for letterpress printing.  Four of the tins really needed a good clean up. For whatever reason the sealing surface had not worked and the top of the tins had hardened and become unusable. There were several 'interesting' moments as I tried to remove the hardened ink and scrape the still usable ink off and back into the tin!

In terms of making I also sometimes like to think of decorating as making, and here we have a bowl full of twinkle lights and baubles which graces our table....

Hopefully I will get a good run at proper making in the next wee while...

Elements of this and of that...

 It's the time the year where demands seem to stretch you and pull you this way and that; and there is not often a steady run at anything. Life as a maker creator becomes about grabbing small moments; following up small things; taking a chance on a spare half hour; and doing things in small stages and with small steps.

This post reflects just that.

I handed over the wee book I stitched during the week; and was fortunate enough to view and handle the original. What a delight and special thing that was.

You can see how it would not have survived a new generation of regular interaction, so what a wonderful heirloom kind of thing to do, to re-imagine it as a new book, with lots of love.

I also started to play around with thoughts of my 2026 card. 

I pondered wood type; in a couple of ways, but am yet to land on exactly the design and layout I am after. And also yet to decide what colour I want to print with. But I have begun...

And the studio clean up and tidy up continues with decisions being made every which way (decision-making is exhausting may I say...). 

We have a bunch of collectable type things in the studio so we are in touch with our local vintage guy and are putting together a bundle of items for him to consider. I went through my calligraphy nibs and decided he could have a lot of them, but that I  would save the ones I use the most.

Which sent me looking through all the little packets of nibs I have and sorting and re-packing them. 

Starting afresh with full sets; buying new nib holder so they are clean and shiny (not stained and rusty...). 

And don't they look fine!

A full set of William Mitchells, 

and the spares below...

 

A full set of Brause nibs, with the spares above.

It's funny how good a clean and tidy up can make you feel!

Finding moments at the moment is gold; achieving small things feels medal-worthy.