Blockhead Press Pass

Happy Holidays!!

2011-11-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you can't believe it's that time of year again - the holiday shopping season!

I've been busy, busy, busy preparing for all the shows that abound this time of year and wanted to apprise you of a few (all of which I will be participating in)...If you're ready to get your shopping on, hope you'll join us!

First up - HOLIDAY CRAFTERINO - this Sunday November 20th at Hermann Sons Hall from 10-4.

This is evolving into THE holiday craft show in the North Bay...Why do I know this? For starters it's because I'm one of the organizers, two because I've done enough shows in the Bay Area to know that the vendors we've selected this year are among the Bay Area's FINEST artisans, and three because there's nothing like it in the North Bay, period. First 50 entrants get swag bags, gift baskets awarded in the raffle, and ALL the profits will be given to COTS. Great Fun for a great cause.

Bazaar Bizarre - December 3 & 4 at the Concourse Exhibition Center in SF

This is the granddaddy of all the craft shows in the Bay Area. From hundreds of applications each year, Bazaar Bizarre selects about 150 to create an amazing showcase of talent and shopping wonder. If you've never attended this event, it is really an experience and not to be missed!

Fabulous Women of Petaluma's Festival of Trees. December 3, 9 &10 from 5-10pm in the Theater District in Petaluma

Come stroll through 40+ trees decorated by local artisans and businesses, sip cocoa, listen to carolers, and shop. As with all of their events, The Fabulous Women will give all the profits to Mentor Me Petaluma, Local Petaluma School Art Programs, and the Rwanda School Project. Blockhead Press will be there Friday December 9th.

San Francisco Center for the Book's Annual Holiday Fair, Saturday December 10th 12-5pm at the SFCB in SF.

The San Francisco Center for the Book is one of my favorite places and if you love book arts, printing, and letterpress, this is a great place to be and a fun event to shop.

Wishing you all the best for a very happy holiday season!

The Chill of Autumn...

2011-10-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

That chill in the air means one thing...holiday shopping season is approaching! Well, it also means it's time to cook chili, wear boots, and snuggle, but for the past couple of years, it's come to be a time I say to myself, "self, it's time to get your arse in gear!"

And, following a very busy, and very satisfying September - Roadworks, as always, was a blast (thanks to my trusty assistant son who giggled with me and bought me a gift with his earned money!) - I'm getting lots of pillows, towels, and generally merry items going for the holidays! A few new holiday ideas, one of which I hope will be the basis for some new looks for next spring...

Also, as I did last year, I will be helping to plan the fabulous Petaluma "Holiday Crafterino" the most wonderful local show around with my crafting buddies - among them Nicole Vasbinder of Vinyl Frontier/Queen Puff Puff fame, Tami Lovett-Brumfield of the Felt Baron, and Melissa Abercrombie of Blue Ribbon Salvage. All our proceeds go to COTS, the local homeless service provider here in Petaluma. Good show for a great cause!!

Gearing Up!

2011-09-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

Time has really gotten away from me this year! I promised myself I'd take it easier this year, but, as they say, the best laid plans...

I've been keeping super busy printing cows, chickens and the like for Petaluma. I do love Petaluma's civic pride and devotion to these creatures - they never seem to get enough. So in between printing dozens and dozens of these, I've been developing new ideas, quips, and getting ready to head into the holiday season.

Coming up this weekend is Roadworks in San Francisco, that wonderful celebration of printmaking and the opportunity to see some large scale linoprints, one of which I'm really hoping to bring home with me. We'll see.

This Saturday, September 24, 12-5 pm at the San Francisco Center for the Book, Rhode Island Street between 16th and 17th.

A New Year!

2011-02-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's already a new year again! Wow, time flew last year. I'd like to thank everyone who supported Blockhead Press in 2010 - it was a wonderful time!

After taking about 6 weeks off, I'm feeling the creative itch again - or should I say the itch to start creating all the ideas I had during the 6 weeks off!! My mind on craft is an ever scampering, scurrying mind!

I've finished a new design for one of my biggest supporters - Knitterly here in Petaluma. Besides having what I consider to be the best knitting store around, Shelli has been a terrific patroness of local and handmade art and craft in her store. I'm so happy to be able to provide her with a special design!!

I've also got numerous designs in the works - a few more insect inspired quips along with some new beautiful beach inspired ideas for spring. Stay tuned!

Thank you, Sunset!

2010-10-28T16:27:00.001-07:00

What a treat for RooTs Collaborative to be profiled and Blockhead Press to be pictured in the November issue of Sunset Magazine! In its "Inside Bay Area" section, the article "Shops with Personality" featured a range of locally owned stores throughout the Bay Area that offer unique and special, and in many cases handmade, finds. RooTs was highlighted for its "made local," pledge - everything on sale is made within 50 miles of the shop. Blockhead Press's honeybee towels were pictured.

Roadworks Street Fair

2010-09-26T19:32:00.001-07:00

What a fantastic and inspiring day it was at The San Francisco Center for the Book's Roadworks Street Fair last weekend! It was a printmaker's dream event...lots of linoleum, ink, and a 3 ton steamroller to print it all!

SFCB had several of their resident artists create linocuts for the fair, but they also welcome linocuts from the community. There must have been about 100 "Little Linos" printed by the steamroller this year. Here's how it works!

First, SFCB volunteers and staff inked all the donated linoleum sheets...

Second, all these inked sheets are laid out on a 3 sheet by 3 sheet grid, topped with moist paper, and then finally covered with blankets...

Third, here comes the steamroller! It drives forward and backward over the sheets, and VOILA...beautiful, bold, wonderful prints!

As I said before, sheer heaven! Prints as far as the eye could see...

Hitting the Fastlane

2010-09-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already September and autumn is upon us. If you work in the gift business, as blockhead press does, that means preparations are already beginning for the holiday season (my, does this send a chill up my spine)!

I'm already feeling the pressure as I have MANY shows lined up for this fall, one of which I am helping to organize! While I love doing shows, my problem with selling is that I have to produce inventory (which I love, but..), which means I have to stop creating NEW blocks and screens for items I want to develop. This is really, really hard for me because my brain is ever-spinning with new ideas - it's really rather maddening!

At any rate, I have a few new items this fall, with more to come as I find the time. I will have all of these at the following line-up of shows:

Art in the Park, Walnut Park, Petaluma. September 11-12th. This is a two-day community event that showcases hobbyists and professionals in the Petaluma area. This is where I first started selling, so it kind of has a special place in my heart.
The Feathered Nest Barn Sale, Novato. September 18th. This is the antique and craft sale hosted by Pam Garcia of the Feathered Nest in Novato. Great items for your home!
San Francisco Center for the Book, Roadworks, San Francisco. September 19th. I have been fascinated by the steamroller prints that are produced at this street fair and am THRILLED to be a part of the fun this year. I will not only be selling at Roadworks, I will be participating in the "Little Linos" activity where my 12"x12" linoleum (shown below) will be assembled with others and run over by the steamroller!

Adobe Marketplace. I will be back at Adobe Marketplace in Petaluma for the month of October. Great place to get a jump start on gift shopping.
Whiskerino Crafterino, Walnut Park, Petaluma. October 9th. This year, in conjunction with the annual Whiskerino mustache and facial hair contest, the Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart will be producing a craft show featuring man-oriented crafts - don't worry, there's plenty of girl crafts too!

After that, we hit the holiday shows, including the following (details to follow):

SF Etsy Shawney Stone. Shawney Stone Showroom, November 11th.
Reclaimed Legacies, Petaluma Women's Club. November 13th.
Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart, November 28th.
Mill Valley Holiday Craft Fair, Mill Valley Community Center. December 4th.
Bazaar Bizarre, Fort Mason, San Francisco. December 11-12th. I am very excited to have been accepted to Bazaar Bizarre this year for the holiday show at Fort Mason it's gonna be a great show!!

In the Stores

2010-07-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've had quite a busy summer this year. Besides the fun in the sun with the family, I've started a new part-time job, added chickens to my homestead, all the while busily trying to keep up with blockhead press.
I've been reaching out to (and been reached by) more stores recently. It's been wonderful to have these venues open to me. Let me give a run-down of where you can find Blockhead Press and what's available. I'll start "at home" in Petaluma and move outwards...

Knitterly, Petaluma. This local knit shop boasts "fine yarn, finest service," which is very, very true. This is the place to buy yarn in Petaluma. Blockhead Press provides the store with project bags of all sorts - "greetings from petaluma" to "happy camper," they carry a wide assortment of my images.
Everymay Garden Center, Petaluma. You may not know this, but Evermay is not just a great locally owned nursery - Annie has a wonderful collection of local artists and carries a broad range of gifts in her front shop. She offers Blockhead Press's "greetings from petaluma" cards and tea towels, as well as my nature-inspired pillows and matted prints.
Crickets at the Beach, Stinson Beach. Cricket has been one of my biggest supporters. She has an awesome shop in Stinson Beach that carries a variety of clothing, gifts and accessories. Blockhead Press designed an image just for her, which she has on cards and t-shirts. She also carries my pillows and cards.
RooTs Collaborative, Mill Valley. Kat and John have a wonderful little shop in Mill Valley. More than 50 local artists who hand make everything in there! It's an amazing place to browse and spend. RooTs carries a complete array of Blockhead Press - pillows, stuffies, tea towels, prints, cards, and belt buckles. You can find all of it there.
Urban Bazaar, San Francisco. This recently opened store in the Inner Sunset carries both handmade and fair trade items. They carry my tea towels, pillows, and stuffies.
COMING SOON! Modern Mouse, Alameda. Eleen is famous for her very special store in Alameda. She carries all handmade gifts for "her, him, and home!" I will soon be sending her pillows and stuffies for the shop. Yay!

Thanks to all these stores for embracing my "stuff." It is truly an honor to be included!

Could it Finally Be Summer?

2010-05-29T19:59:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! It has rained so much this spring, it hasn't felt a bit like summer until today. Beautiful day with warm, sunny skies! Finally, it's beginning to feel as it should!

Today I worked my day at RooTs Collaborative. What a wonderful shop, and such a lovely stream of folks coming through. The only problem for me is that I want to shop while I'm there, which is very dangerous! If you are in the Mill Valley area, I highly recommend stopping in for look.

Tomorrow morning, Petaluma will have it's first Open Air Market from 8am to 2pm on Bodega Avenue at Thompson Lane. This is right near The Find, a local antique consignment store. The goal is to have this market once per month. It will be a combination flea, antique, craft market. Should be a good time! So come on out and help get this wonderful market off the ground.

Then next weekend Blockhead Press will be at two events:

Summer Nights in Santa Rosa's Railroad Square on Friday June 4th from 6-9pm. There will be food, wine tasting, live music, and lots of art and crafters.

Jazzy June sale at Knit-One-One in Berkeley from 10am to 4pm. Sile always has a wonderful collection of artisans at her space.

Busy Spring

2010-05-18T17:16:00.000-07:00

Since I ramped up my work on Blockhead Press last winter, I've had an amazing response, which has made for an incredibly busy spring. Some of the highlights so far have included participating in the de Young Museum's Handmade Workshop, sponsored by the East Bay Express. What a wonderful night of socializing and watching fabulous swing dancing.

The next day, the Feathered Nest's Barn Sale, was loads of fun also, with lots of beautiful things for the home and lovely vendors. Thanks to our host Pam Garcia of the Feathered Nest for opening her corral and barn to all of us.

Later that night, my family and I attended the RooTs Collaborative opening in Mill Valley. Thanks to Catherine and John for all their hard work and for putting together a beautiful shop filled with hand crafted items for him, her and home!

This weekend is Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire in San Mateo. I'm so excited and have been busily preparing! I will have mountains of pillows - a couple of new summer designs - as well as loads of flour sack towels, stuffies, and cards. Should be a wild day! Hope to see you there!

Springtime!

2010-04-04T16:59:00.001-07:00

Our house has a red japanese maple and two dwarf green japanese maples in front, and they are electric in color right now. Spring has sprung - my favorite time of year! While we still have rain here in Petaluma - el nino in action - I have been inspired by the vibrant, beautiful colors that surround me.

I have several new items for spring, all of which were received (and sold) very well at my first spring event - the Mini Marzipan Handmade Ho Down in Oakland this weekend.

So, now begins the circuit of celebrated spring and summer shopping! Upcoming events for this year include:

Butter & Egg Days in downtown Petaluma. The Petaluma Downtown Craft Mart ladies and I will be at the Mail Depot on Fifth Street on April 23rd from 9am to 5pm.
3rd Annual Feathered Nest "Barn Sale." This is the annual spring/summer barn sale hosted by the Feathered Nest in Novato. It will be at 1926 Indian Valley Road from 9am to 3pm
Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire. The BazBiz component to Maker Faire will be in San Mateo May 22nd and 23rd.

This is only the beginning - phew! Hope to see you at one or all of these great events!

Valentine's "Save Your Relationship" Shop!

2010-02-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Have you shopped for your Valentine yet? If not, come on down to E=Ethical Clothing this Valentine's weekend for a Valentine's "SAVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP" Shop!

Come in for last minute gifts and goodies including handmade jewelry, accessories, items for the home, cards, and plush loveys! Some of the vendors include Felt Baron, Crickets at the Beach, and me Blockhead Press!

Look for the hearts and sparkle at 122 Kentucky Street, Suite B on Valentine's Weekend:

Saturday, February 13th 10am to 5pm and
Sunday, February 14th 12pm to 5pm

Vinyl Frontier

Blockhead Press

felt baron

crickets at the beach

Holiday Shopping (& Selling)

2009-12-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy holiday season to date. Last up on the schedule this season is Petaluma Craft Mafia's "Running with Glitter" at the Petaluma Veteran's Hall on Saturday December 19th, from 11am to 4pm. This should be a fun one!

After this, I think I'm gonna kick back, relax and enjoy the freneticism of my household!

I'd like to thank everyone who's come out to support Blockhead Press as well as other local crafters. The crowds at the shows have definitely evidenced the appreciation many of you have for that which is handmade! It's been wonderful to hear your compliments and enthusiasm (as well as new ideas)! You have made 2009 a wonderful success! I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, full of joy and peace!

Home for the Holidays

2009-11-07T20:13:00.001-08:00

What fun we had today at Caron's for Home for the Holidays! There were seven of us there - all talented, creative women. Let me give you a run down of who was there!
We had Caron with Toujours, with her beautiful handmade jewelry created from antique watch parts, lockets, and wristbands, as well as some of her antique costume jewelry and housewares. She was our host, opening her house to the public and transforming her kitchen into a beautiful boutique. You are awesome, Caron!

There was Viveca with Viveca's Favorite Things (www.vivecasfavoritethings.com), with her broad spectrum of handmade items, including jewelry and ornaments, all of which are made from vintage photos, illustrations, fabrics, wallpapers - you name it. She sells locally at Summer Cottage here in Petaluma. If you don't already know her work, check it out.

Christy Silacci was with us. I knew of her work from Adobe Marketplace (because I bought one of her pins), but was not aware that she is one of the founders of Halloween and Vine, a very popular Halloween show, and that some people come from all over to collect her whimsical, often hilarious, and always meticulously crafted dolls. This picture does not do justice to her incredible work! You can find her work at www.christysilacci.com.

Terry Hale was there with her fantastic sock monkeys, also handmade and hilarious! My favorite had to be the roller queen!

There were also two terrific paper artists there. Cheri Williams, who decoupages everything and then finishes it off with glitter - near and dear to my heart. She had some beautiful holiday ornaments and garlands for sale. And Stephanie Sherratt, with hundreds of handcrafted greeting cards, gift cards and tags, and wonderful antique glass for sale.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and shopped. We were all thrilled with the amount of foot traffic. For me personally, I was so grateful to be introduced to such a wonderful group of talented ladies, and continue to be so delighted with the support that artists give to each other. Thank you to all of the vendors and especially to Caron for inviting me!

from left, me, Stephanie, Caron, Viveca, Christy, Cheri, and Terry. Thanks, girls. I had a great time!

Prepping for the Holiday Shopping Season

2009-10-03T20:18:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm really excited about the upcoming holiday season. I have a lot of local events lined up and new items I'm working on that will be wonderful holiday gifts - especially to all those hostesses with the mostesses! So far, I will be at the following places on the following dates:

Adobe Farms Marketplace. Daily through October 31st. Adobe Road at Washington Street. This is a new barn at Adobe Farms that holds a collection of fine art and crafts by local artists. A wonderful variety of gifts for the holidays or any occasion.
Home for the Holidays. Saturday, November 7th, 10am-5pm. 1819 Downing Street. This is going to be an in-home art/craft fair, which will feature some terrific artists. A few of these ladies sell their antique wares at Summer Cottage here in Petaluma, but they are also talented crafters. Lots of jewelry!
Downtown Petaluma Craft Mart. Sunday, November 29th, 11am-5pm. Petaluma Hotel. This the first annual Downtown Petaluma Craft Mart which will include lots of funky, modern crafts.
Grant School Shop Night. Friday, December 4th, Grant School. This will be Grant's third annual Shop Night, which offers a collection of local artists and vendors (many of whom are Grant parents) with a wonderful variety of treasures. All the proceeds this year will go toward upgrading the audio system in the multi-use room.
Petaluma Craft Mafia's "Running with Glitter." Saturday, December 19th, Petaluma Veteran's Hall. This annual event is a huge show that draws some of the Bay Area's best crafters and artists. Another place to spend all my proceeds!

Hope to see you at any or all of these events!

Kid Actors & Getting Organized

2009-09-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

First off, dedicated to my wonderful acting son (and all those kids who love to be on stage), is my newest print! Unfortunately, the photo did not do the color justice...

As it gets ever closer to shopping season (hopefully), I begin the frenetic preparation to produce and get organized - and still find time to create new things. In preparation for Petaluma's annual Art in the Park festival, which happens this weekend September 12-13, I've been printing and painting, pricing and boxing. I'm hoping this time (unlike the Art & Garden Festival) I won't run out of popular items an hour and a half into the event!

A few pictures of what that printing looks like when I'm in production mode.

Art & Garden Festival, Part 2

2009-07-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who came out to the Art & Garden Festival this weekend. It was a very well attended event - that's an understatement because it was packed!

It was a good day for Blockhead Press and could have been an even better day had I anticipated the desirability of my "Greetings from Petaluma, Ca" items - in particular the flour sack towels and shirts. These items sold within the first couple of hours. If you visited my booth and are interested in ordering a shirt or towel (or have a special request) feel free to email me and I'll get a list going. I should have these together pretty quickly. It's always surprising what sells and what doesn't and how different a day and a crowd can be.

As you can see, I had sales help again this year - my son Ethan, who always draws customers to the booth, and who sold one of his own drawings. He is great company and has lots of fun running around (and purchasing snacks).

Thank you to all who continue to come out and support my little industry! I love the work and love that people appreciate it. It's great fun to see repeat customers (even one from Sacramento) and even better when you help with ideas (a request for cherries, different items, etc.). Thanks again and hope to see you soon.

Art & Garden Festival

2009-06-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

If you happen to be local (SF Bay Area), head on up to Petaluma July 12th for the annual Art & Garden Festival. It's located in downtown Petaluma and generally has some beautiful artwork on display. If you don't like the art that's offered, downtown Petaluma has some great little boutiques and shops.

Since I'm participating in the festival this year, I am frantically printing and creating. I'm trying to stock up on those popular items. It's a tough, but familiar predicament - in order to support the habit (er, uh, business, I mean), one must produce what sells, however stale those items may be creatively. The more I produce, the more creative ideas I begin to have, but can't find the time to draft, carve, AND produce. There are only so many hours in the day - and with children, even fewer.

Nevertheless, I do have some fun new items - most notably some new screenprinted items. It's been slow going, but I'm finally getting the hang of photo emulsion, screen burning and printing. Actually, the printing is very easy, it's getting a good screen in my very amateur darkroom (which essentially amounts to a cardboard box)!!

At any rate, hope to see you in Petaluma July 12th!

From Hiatus to Hypercreative...

2009-05-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back to work with a vengeance! I have had lots of work to keep me busy - projects that were time sensitive. I finished a beautiful design for my friend Cricket's shop (see the side link). She was loving it, which makes me so happy!

Also had the baby shower for soon-to-come twins, for whom I created and printed some themed onesies - "bacon n' eggs" and "milk n honey" They turned out super cute and now thinking I need to put a little section together on my shop for such pairings! Of course, PB & J is a natural, but I'm also thinking of others...

onesie pairings (not a great photo, but you get the idea)

I've also just finished up one of my graphic paintings. I really love doing these. They are simple and fun and fulfill my love of painting! This one is for a friend of friends new baby. It will be so cute in her nursery!

So, I'm keeping very busy right now! I love being back at it - although I have a few too many ideas...

My Hands are on Hiatus...

2009-03-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy with my son's school (see related blog), I've had no time to carve or print! I'm starting to get the itch again!! That said, however, I've been in a really hyper-creative mode lately, and I have so many ideas buzzing around in my head, I think as soon as start, it's going to be non-stop!

I'm hearing about some anticipated stork visits, so I've begun a few ideas. My cousin-in-law is expecting twins (can't wait), so I'm cooking up something special for her and the babies! Hopefully, I can get my technology in place by the time they arrive!

At any rate, business has been slow on Etsy. Could be economic (tightening the belt figuratively, but not literally, so no buckle sales), seasonal (most of my images are of a springtime spirit), or maybe just stale - I hope not the last! But all the more reason to keep creating!

Toodles. Jenny

Indie Sacramento

2009-02-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

Got back from Indie Sacramento on Saturday night. It was a fun day. Very diverse group of artists. Had some good conversations with other vendors and nice chats with kindred print artists.