Paper and Piggies and Other Things

We got the colored paper I ordered. The green I ordered is very very pale, more so than I was expecting from the approximation in their utility guide book. I'd been debating buying a sample pack of almost all of their paper, both weights and colors, so on Saturday afternoon I did. I also ordered what should be a darker green, Pop-Tone "Limeade". I waffled a bit about the green, but I decided to go for it as it didn't increase the shipping, which is a consideration when buying paper. They're out for delivery today.

Going back a couple blog entries, prior to my thoughts on the Chi-Fi thing, I talked about getting some Bisley filing cabinets from The Container Store.  After googling and determining there are no other good options for small flat file drawer units, on Sunday morning Ron and I got two of the smaller 5-drawer units (in orange) for the letterpress studio. The price of the 10-drawer unit had gone up by $20, so it was cheaper to buy the two 5-drawer units than the 10-drawer. The Container Store didn't have the wheeled base unit, and the casters on the base for a larger Bisley filing cabinet were craptastic. We discussed getting a small furniture dolly from Ace Hardware, but ended up being seduced by The Container Store's annual Elfa sale. We got the parts for a small wheeled mesh drawer unit, "cabinet size" (shallower), 4 drawer units high. 

The Elfa base we created is just about a perfect size, but it has one problem - the combination of base and Bisley cabinets is too tall to sit between the big bench and the composing gate-leg table, which is where I was thinking of putting it. So we put it between the paper cutter and creaser. 

When we got home from that shopping trip, we sorted blocks and put them away. IIRC we have 1 drawer for polymer plates, 2 of Christmas blocks, 1 of chickens (Ron's) and pigs (mine), 2 of other animals,  2 of "everything else", and one empty. Which only adds up to 9 drawers.  Oh, I remember now, there was one of frames and bookplates. So, we'll probably be getting a couple more 5-drawer cabinets and a small furniture dolly to put where I'd originally thought. Because we keep buying blocks.

A little bit ago I won an eBay auction for a herd of 6 piggies grazing. I think it needs to be an invitation or some kind of card, but I'm not sure exactly what.

No, I don't know why I've got a thing for pigs, nor can Ron say what's up with his chicken thing. I'll blame my maternal grandmother, she liked pigs too.   

Saturday afternoon I updated the banner designs I'd come up with in the past to use the Parsnip font I talked about earlier this month, and ordered two new banners, one 2' x 4' long, and one 2' x 2'. Yesterday I got e-mail that the file for the square one got eaten by the printers' system, but we got home from the funeral (see the personal blog) at a reasonable time and got it sent.

Did I mention Saturday was busy?  It was. Another Saturday accomplishment was finishing up the design for the new business cards, and sending the files off to get polymer plates made. I had time after the funeral and before the luncheon started to call the company making the plates and confirm that the files I sent would work, as this time around I sent images with shading. They were made today and I should have them before the weekend, so I could have some made for Military History Fest.

I think it was Sunday that we brought the proofs (sample prints) we have for most of the letterpress blocks downstairs and Ron scanned them. I started to try to come up with a business card order form yesterday afternoon after we got home, but I was just to tired to think straight. I did get an InDesign set of paragraph styles made of the digital stand-ins for the metal type we have. Yes, that was an accomplishment, after not sleeping at all well Sunday night/Monday morning, and then getting up at 5 am to go to Michigan for a visitation and funeral. 

Hopefully I can make some progress on making a business card order form tonight. I think I've pretty much given up on getting any new leather goods done for Military History Fest. I meant to at least try to get the valise I started finished, and it isn't a completely forlorn hope, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd hoped to at least lay out some signs to print (prices, "we do custom work", etc.), but we went shopping for the filing cabinets and organized blocks instead. Oops.