Tag: Mississippi

Slow and Steady

Block Printing is a tactile experience. My hands not only hold and maneuver blocks, cutting tools, rollers, inks, and press parts, they also gauge the pressure. A certain amount of force determines the width of a cut and the depth. The V and U blades remove wider strips from the block with more pressure and finer strips come away with less pressure.

Too much force upon a block to the printing surface can cause unwanted smudges, halos, or other changes to the image transfer. Some blocks only require hand painting. Some patterns are most easily achieved with hand printing. My Llama project bags are one of my favorite hand printing tasks. It can be a bit slower than others to complete yet I enjoy the opportunity to slow down and still accomplish my task.

What do you enjoy doing slowly?

Leafing Out

Around here we joke that Spring is all pollen and tornados. Mississippi does have the most active tornado season and parts of Mississippi have held pollen records for the country. Yet there are pleasant things about Spring. Walls of azalea bloom and oaks leaf out lacily, filtering increased hours of sunlight. I feel reenergized and spend a lot more time outside.

One of my favorite things to do is to go on nature walks around the yard. I get to see all kinds of critters and plant life! I also get to see them all interacting. What fun and what creative fodder!

What are your favorite Spring activities?

Getting Festive

December, the final month of the year is upon us and it is already full of lights, festive garlands, bedecked trees, advent calendars, candles, bells, and, of course, shopping guides.

Giving gifts can simultaneously be a joyous occasion and one filled with stress. We think through so many aspects: the price, the size, the color, and most importantly, will the receiver like it??? After all, if our gift pleases then we are triumphant and known as good gift-givers. We reap the rewards of praise and affection.

With that in mind I’ve put together a few suggestions below. No matter what you give this holiday season I hope you are rewarded for the effort and thought with much praise and affection.

Enamel Owl Pin

Little Dinosaur Print

Kelpie Print

A Herd of Dalas

I’ve been printing up Dala Horse cards for the Mississippi Craftsman Guild shop! Though if you can’t make it to the shop to pick up a pack you can order them from the website shop. Chimneyville Craft Show is next weekend and I will not have a booth, but I will be around assisting my fellow craftsmen as a volunteer.

I’m starting to put together a list of shows to consider for 2022. If there’s a craftshow or market you particularly enjoy and would like to see me there, please let me know on Instagram! You can direct message me @hardpressedstudio with your suggestions. I look forward to reading them!