"Action Shots" of Big Fat Press

Well, it feels weird and wrong to make art at a time like this, and it also feels self-indulgent to sit in front of the TV and cry over a situation I am not in and people I don't personally know. And yet I am doing both. I have decided to limit my ranting here because I have absolutely nothing articulate to say about the disaster. I am angry, distracted, sad, helpless. There are plenty out there who are blogging thoroughly on the subject.

Here's how I've been keeping my hands busy in front of the TV, exercising freedom of press in my own way, I suppose. Mostly I am just keeping my hands busy.

Here's the choco-print cover, front and back. I didn't photograph the printing press, I realize, it's a little clamshell-like thing, the paper goes on a foamy surface, and the plate against a steel surface. (The printing press is not necessary, if you want to try it yourself. A big kitchen spoon on the paper side does the job well.)



Since I use water based ink (not real chocolate...), I spray the covers with polyurethane before binding.

I dry them on a plastic laundry rack. If it's not windy, it takes about 10 minutes outside in the sun.

I print the guts on an ordinary laser printer. I trim them on a self-healing cutting mat, which is a good $15 investment, saves tables and floors.




My fabulous trophy husband made me this groovy "V" rack from scraps at his jobsite. I assemble the pieces in it, and punch three awl holes.

I generally stitch in contrasting thread, button-carpet, waxed. It's a figure eight, through the 3 holes, knotted outside the middle one.




Ta Da!

The books won't lie flat for a couple weeks, I'll put them under something heavy. Here you can see the contrast endpaper, which is another area for creativity in home-publishing. Sometimes I use vellum or recycled maps or what have you. This time I stuck with basic black.

OK, time to get off this computer and get back to work.