Notes Fom A Warmer Room and Cuttering

I'm making a later start this morning after yesterday's exertions. I finished insulating, boarding and painting the end wall of the studio and one can feel the effects upon ntering this morning. Until yesterday, I only had half an inch of plasterboard to keep out the winter's cold. Now I have several inches of insulation packed between two boards. I still have one more wall to do but, for now, my fingers are warmer.

This morning I am making drawings for forthcoming bookplates. I am still catching up with older projects and looking ahead to new. My order books are closed until July and then I need to ration these projects to one a month so that I can work on other things. I do love the design problems involved in capturing something of the essence of a person in a 2" x 3" space. This morning, I hope to finish four preparatory drawings for a client. These will be scanned and emailed. If one takes his fancy then I will work on that and make a good ink drawing for further comments. Finally, I will arrive at an agreed design with appropriate lettering and then it will take its place in the queue for engraving. I have made one recent change of policy - all bookplates will now be engraved on boxwood. I have had too many problems engraving fine lettering onto lemonwood in the past. The extra expense will be worthwhile if it makes the cutting easier.

I am also sotrting through the founts of type that I have been collecting over the years. I have printed specimens of the larger display type and am moving onto the medium sized ones. J and I are planning a series of small publications. More of that another time.

Still no news of repairs to the Arab treadle press. I don't like to nag my blacksmith - he is always busy with agricultural jobs - but I have waited months. I am keeping my eyes open for other presses; I have set my heart on a larger Albion to print the larger blocks.

There is no shortage of smaller presses. Yesterday, I spent a moment lookinhg over the small Vandercook that awaits restoration. This will be a great size for taking to demonstrations as I can lift it fairly confortably. I am going to bring the Adana 8 x 5 tabletop press back into commission to print labels and, perhaps, pages of miniature books. In a flurry of eBaying, I have just bought another Adana for spares and two tiny Adanas - a job lot. More restoration work to be done, but can one ever have too many presses? What is thge opposite of decluttering? Cluttering, I suppose. Well, I clutter - always have and always will!