what's been going on

Exciting things are happening in the world of Dahlia Press...so many in fact, I just haven't had time to post about them. But here's a just a few things we've been up to...

1. You can now buy Dahlia Press '2010 Happy New Years' cards at the very fun Capers Home. They have all sorts of wonderful things for the holiday season so definitely stop by! And if you can't make it to Capers, pick up your cards at my Etsy shop.
   
2. Yesterday we received a lovely mention from Miss Alexandra Hedin on her blog. She added us to her listing of 'gifts to buy'! Check it out here.
3. Holiday, Holiday, Holiday...soon to be posted are photos of holiday cards we've printed for Offices, Families & even a Baby Announcement, all with a holiday theme! Stay tuned!

chalk art

When was the last time you used a chalk board? Probably when you were in elementary school right? Well, let me tell you my friends, it's not easy work. After completing the holiday party invitations (shown in the prior post), the next step was to recreate the work of art on a 4'x3' chalk board. I will confess, my previous experience as a chalk artist was rather limited to say the least...but I was up for the challenge, and I honestly had the best time attempting to recreate this design. Such a good time in fact, that I'm noodling the idea of putting a large chalk board in my own home for spontaneous works of art. Could be fun, yes?!

Here's a couple tricks I received from more 'seasoned' chalk artists, and which I found to be particularly helpful during this endeavor...
1. Prep your chalk board...clean it, prime it with chalk, then wipe down.
2. Tape! Masking tape was my absolute best friend.
3. Keep a rag nearby for clean up.
4. Who needs chalk? Pastels come in a variety of colors and are just as easy to use.
5. Want your work to last? Use a cheap can of hairspray as fixative. Then when you're ready to change out your design, just clean with household cleaner.

eat, drink & be merry

I know I disappeared there for a bit...but as much as we'd like it not to be true, sometimes life just gets in the way of blogging. I apologize for that. To make it up to you I thought I'd share some pictures from one of my favorite pieces this holiday season. These holiday party invitations are my pride & joy this year...although they're super simple, I just love everything about them. It's not too often that I get to play with typography like this, but I think that the lack of images really pushes this design forward. I just love it, I hope you do too!

Oh, I almost forgot...stay tuned tomorrow to see this same design converted to chalkboard art!

P.S: Yes, I did Photoshop the address & email, so as much as we'd like to, it's not worth trying to crash next years party :)

happy new year...almost

Yes, I do realize that it's not quite time to celebrate the new year...but no reason not to be prepared right? Perfect for wishing your friends and family a very happy 2010 (or an excellent backup if you find yourself behind in sending out your holiday cards) pick up your very own 2010 Happy New Year card in the Dahlia Press Esty shop. They are currently available as singles or in packs of 8. Printed on 110lb Crane Lettra in warm grey and vibrant blue ink, the card is blank inside for your personal message.

Act fast, these will only be available until the first of the year!

photo shoot

I thought it was time for a little update on my self taught 'photo lessons'. In general, much improvement is being made. I finally understand what the word 'aperture' means and the little buttons and gadgets on the back of my camera aren't quite so foreign. In truth, I'm still just playing, but I've been having a lot of fun with my new Nifty Fifty Canon lens. Now if only I could find something to entertain Chloe during my photo lessons. Every time I try to focus on the task at hand, she jumps in the way. She's a decent model, but it would be easier if she didn't have to shove her nose in the camera.

hmmm....

I don’t know how I feel about this. The other day I ran across an advertisement from Paper Source introducing their new ‘Letterpress Machine’ made by Lifestyle Crafts sold in stores and online. I’m not entirely sure what to say when it comes to this little tool…or better yet, how to say it. Here were my initial thoughts upon seeing the advertisement…

#1. Oh no.

#2. This doesn’t look like any letterpress I’ve ever seen. Yes, I suppose the principle is the same…ink applied to a raised image, pressed onto paper, but come on, couldn’t they have named it something other than a ‘letterpress machine’?!

#3. I suppose it’s nice that they are trying to broaden the letterpress printing fan base, and I suppose it’s thoughtful to provide the masses with the opportunity to purchase their very own so-called ‘letterpress’, but really?! Not to mention it's not cheap as it's sells for $150 a pop.

#4. Stop being a snob Stephanie.

#5. Is this going to complicate explaining letterpress printing to my clients, as now some of them might begin to think that their wedding invitations and stationery are being printed on a plastic scrap-booking machine versus a cast-iron antique printing press?

#6. Letterpress printing is a beautiful printing process…does this cheapen it?

#7. No one is actually going to buy this plastic thing and expect to print out their wedding invites…right?

#8. I’m confused, can you make custom plates? Are you limited to printing the handful of designs that come with it?

#9. How in the world can this piece of plastic actually make a real impression? Come on.

#10. Again...stop being such a snob Stephanie.

Then I took a breath. I decided that before I continued to rant and rave, I should probably do a little research. Luckily I found this particular posting on Paper Crave that I think sums up the little machine, it's pitfalls and advantages, with a more open perspective. In the end, no, this little machine is not going to replicate Letterpress printing in it's true form, but it might give crafters and scrapbookers an opportunity to play with new techniques and expand their repertoire. I'll be honest, I'm still not a big fan of the idea of it...but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

an outing

It's important to take breaks...unfortunately it's often easier said then done. As of late I've realized if I'm always 'on the go'...I eventually poop out. So this weekend I decided to have one day of play, and one day of work...a nice balance for a relatively free weekend. Yesterday was the Play day. We decided to take a little trip to one of our favorite places...the Woodland Park Zoo.

When I first moved to Seattle, Joe and I lived in an apartment directly across the street from the zoo. I used to love the fact that the zoo was our neighbor; we were literally so close that on hot summer nights we could hear the lions and the monkeys commiserate with us over the heat. We were zoo members and rather than take a walk around the block, we'd walk the zoo. It was fun. Sadly, now that we live on the other side of town, we just don't make it back as often as we'd like. So, we decided to make one trip before the year was out. Here are a few pictures I snapped along the way...


I loved the new Penguin exhibit...such an improvement over the old one. And we couldn't leave without saying hello to our favorite ladies, the hippos. This one pictured here is the youngest named Lupe.