CLA #2: edge-painting: I’m constantly humbled by the two huge pieces of iron that live in my basement, and I’d like to start documenting certain things i’m learning in the printing world, so I’m doing this little segment called crazy letterpress adventures (CLA).

The photos above are my first attempts at edge-painting. Edge-painting is a challenging technique for a couple of reasons: 1. Nobody tells you exactly how to do it. Edge-painting is usually kept proprietary to each printer, as perfecting the technique takes time and lots of experimentation. 2. It’s really important that everything is perfect when you do it. You need to have the right mix of paint, your edges trimmed perfectly, and everything clamped tightly. You need to know when to fan the stack, so that you don’t rip the paper etc.

Each color you see is actually a different technique I tried. They aren’t perfect, but there are definitely certain techniques I’ve found that work better than others. I found most of my information via the Ladies of Letterpress Forum, and then I experimented from there. I still have some more experimenting to do, but until then I’ll probably outsource my edge-painting until I have perfected my technique.

The business cards were designed by my dear friend, Andrea Stember. She’s a designer in Louisville, KY and you can follow her here.

Moglea Holiday 2011: This shall be the first of a few posts featuring the holiday cards I have available across the web. I’ll start with Minted today! You can receive 10% off any of the holiday cards below with the code: MOGLEA2011 Click here to order one of my cards through Minted. Be sure to check out the sweet options for envelope liners and patterned backers. I’m a huge fan of all of the fun details.

tuesday yarn typography. I need little reasons to take myself away from my computer sometimes, and when you see a ball of yarn across the room, sometimes you just need to do something with it. xoxo, m

I’m giving away some letterpress monogram stationery over on my facebook page! The giveaway ends Wednesday. (Some blind debossed faux bois may or may not be involved…) I did want to mention: The amazing ribbon that is featured in my announcement image is from Angela Liguori at Studio Carta. She has the BEST ribbon and really elegant stationery. I purchased some more ribbon for packaging and couldn’t help snapping some photos of it.

I adore the November Crewcuts catalog! They feature the best little outfits (and color combos) in a farm setting. The bright colors work so well with the muted backgrounds. You can take a peak here. 

I’ve told my husband I would complete the logo for Gleason Farms (the farm business we own with his Dad and brother) for a long time. Lucky for them, I had some time yesterday to finish it up. The first application for this logo will be onto our grain truck that we use to haul corn, soybeans or livestock. We are in the middle of harvest right now, which is a super fun time of year. I end up working a lot more because Chad is in the field late at night. I took the landscape photo a couple weeks ago. There is a point during harvest when there is a lovely combo of caramel tones and bright greens. I know most people think Iowa is boring and flat, but I think it’s gorgeous here.

I was asked to share one of my favorite dinner recipes: Thai Curry Soup by Abby Stern (my super awesome sister-in-law). It’s beyond delicious and is served over rice. So perfect for a chilly fall evening. You can download a printable recipe card here.

(Image Credit) I love this fold out poster design for Thai Airways by Lab Partners.

Moms always need sweet letterpressed business cards. I designed and printed these up for my dear mother this past weekend. She’s a classy hair stylist in Central Texas.

My new calendars just launched recently at Shutterfly! I felt completely relieved that they asked me to create some floral calendars for them, because I could draw flowers every day for the rest of my life and be a happy woman. I have one wall calendar and two desk calendars. Over the next couple weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the holiday cards I have available this coming season.

Did you know I have seven siblings? Yep. I’m the youngest of eight kids and two of my brothers have birthdays this week. Sending a card to somebody on their birthday is of utmost importance to me…i try to never miss a great opportunity to send a note to brighten somebody’s day. (Selfishly, it’s always a great chance to get out my watercolors or glue or glitter or whatever i’m craving to work with on a particular day. Making cards has always created a reason for me to step away from my computer, which is both super valuable and super fun.)