USPS and Mail Delivery Problems

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Isn’t there something in the stars that upsets the balance of things? Is there some post office God that ensures the mail goes though? Well it seems I have a couple snags. Yesterday I learned that a first class package sent to Australia on January 3rd, just arrived this week, 4 weeks to delivery. Today I learned that a big print portfolio of 30 prints slated to be shown at the Southern Graphics International Conference in TN has gone missing. This was a very complicated print:pegasus From_VictroliaI became worried and checked my international shipments. Good, the order sent out January 27th to Toronto arrived on February 3, but then Oh No! the order sent to Vancouver on January 19th has not show up. I checked the order to Samoa sent on January 23rd and as of February 3rd it only made it to Honolulu, HI.

Good grief, how can it be that it takes 3 days to get to Long Island, NY, but then 12 days to get to San Francisco which is only two states away.  I sure am glad I have tracking numbers. But if your package it taking too long, it should be 2-5 days in the Continental US, up to 2 weeks Internationally. I read in Etsy that at times it can take up to 6 weeks send first class, that is unacceptable.  So if you need your prints by a certain date let me know. I will send them priority, 6-10 business days international. But no matter where you are, if you feel it is taking too long. Please contact me, I will send you a new order the next day. Postage on me.

Pregnant Gerbil, Print of the Day, February 4

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store
Pregnant Gerbil on Olive Green background

Pregnant Gerbil on Olive Green background

Isn’t it cute? A pregnant gerbil on an olive green background. I really don’t know if the gerbil is pregnant, but in the 4th grade when Mrs. Seaver offered her students,  “gerbil couples” to take home, I got mine and soon my two gerbils populated into about 200 in record time.

Pregnant Gerbil now on Etsy, $20 each, just click here.
Each linoleum block print image is 4″ x 6″ printed onto Rives BFK paper 8″ x 10″ in an edition of 10 for only $20.

Full size paper of the Gerbil 10" x 8"

Full size paper of the Gerbil 10″ x 8″

It was very entertaining for a while having all these gerbils. Luckily I always worked, even in 4th grade, so that I could get new aquariums keep my expanding family in. It was really fun at first, then after 100 or so, it was not so fun. But I am still fond of the little critters.

Table of Olive Green Gerbils

Table of Olive Green Gerbils

You will find 10 of these prints available on Stonetrigger Press Etsy along with two pages of additional prints. Each weekend I made a new print, always on 8″ x 10″ Rives BFK, and always ready by 8pm EST.

King of the Cats, February’s daily print #2, Linocut

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linocut, lion, kind of the jungle,

King of the Cats

The King of the Cats – now on Etsy, $20 each, just click here.
Each linoleum block print image is 4″ x 6″ printed onto Rives BFK paper 8″ x 10″ in an edition of 10 for only $20.

4" x 6" linocut on 8" x 10" Paper

4″ x 6″ linocut on 8″ x 10″ Paper

If you read this far I am going to admit something mildly embarrassing. I read my horoscope, in fact I subscribe to one by Susan Blair-Hunt, I have admitted this before, I started last summer, but I still feel a little sheepish. But can something so seemingly innocuous as a horoscope change one’s life? Here is the short version of that story.

Susan’s Monday edition of her daily horoscope gives you an a spirit animal, a color and a number. I had no experience with these, but I liked the weekly animal. Beginning in July 2014, I made it my Monday practice to carve and print my animal of the week, I am a Libra. I collages many of those animals into drawings which were exhibited at the Gallery at Pioneer Bluff in Kansas. Here are 6 of those drawings:

I continue to carve my spirit animal of the week, along with all kinds of other animals, birds and fish during the week. The habit of printing and carving on Mondays, spilled over into every day of the week and I created a small business of selling the prints.  This week my animal is the Lion. The edition of 10 is currently on Etsy and available until the 10 sell out.  If you want to see more of the 11″ x 14″ watercolor collage drawings you can click here: 

T-shirt Test for Linocut Printing

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Stonetrigger Press Linocut Wolf T-shirt

Stonetrigger Press Linocut Wolf T-shirt

Having this weekend off was great for spending a very long day carving. I carved my first t-shirt block, a wolf. I tested the block out on two of my own shirts and they printed great!

I placed an order with a t-shirt supplier for women’s 100% preshrunk ringspun cotton, tri-blend crew neck short sleeves shirts in four different colors. They will be here on Friday for this weeks printing. I will send out a few free samples to get your opinion on the feel of the shirt, the washability of the print. Last summer I printed a shirt last in the same manner and it is just as strong now was it was then, and it stays soft.

I am planning on having shirts available in in two weeks, with at least two different images. I will also take orders for different color shirts, short or long sleeve, men’s or women’s cut. I also got a suggestion for a summer dress. There are just so many options.

This is a fun learning process getting this all down. In the meantime I am finishing up carving today’s print. It will be out at 8pm EST.

Free Willy! February Print of the Day Project, #1, $20

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store
linoleum cut, whale, killer whale

Free Willy, Orca Linocut Print

10 Orca Whale Prints now on Etsy, $20 each, just click here. 

January 1, I began the 30 prints in 30 days project with a jumping Dolphin, it sold out. With February here, my print of the day project will begin with a jumping Orca “Killer Whale” affectionately known as “Free Willy.

Table of prints drying

Table of prints drying

“Free Willy” is a two color linocut with blue water and a black Orca.
The two linoleum blocks are hand printed, the image is 5″ wide and 6.5″ tall printed onto 8″ x 10″ Rives BFK Paper in an edition of 10. Once the 10 are gone, no more Orca’s are available.

Full paper 10" x 8" paper with linocut

Full paper 10″ x 8″ paper with linocut

Just click over to Etsy and get your very limited edition Free Willy Linocut today.  And as always I love your comments and requests!

What will happen on Day 31?

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store

Thirty prints in thirty days has been an amazing challenge, a huge amount of fun, and a project that just took off. I will stop it now. What is going to happen next?

I have given this a lot of thought. Those thoughts include, “I would really like to have Saturday and Sunday to work on longer projects, drawings, larger prints, or a “play day” out in the snow. I also want to print linoleum blocks onto soft cotton t-shirts and offer t-shirts.

For the month of February the project will look like this:

1. A new print Monday through Friday, still 8″ x 10″ still $20. 5 prints per week instead of 7.
2. No prints, no posts on Saturday and Sunday
3. I will use the weekend to carve larger blocks for t-shirts and offer 1-shirt a week. I will also offer your choice of color on the t-shirt. This will be a different image from the art prints.

See you on Monday!

Please send me your ideas and thoughts. I love hearing them.

Be Mine! Print 30 in 30 Days!

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store
Be Mine! Linocut

Be Mine! Linocut

On the last day of 30 prints in 30 days, we are only 2 weeks away from Valentines Day. What could be more fitting than a Be Mine! Linocut. This 6″ x 4″ image on 10″ x 8″ Rives BFK. On Etsy

I know it is a bit hard to see as the print looks black at the top, but it is dark magenta! There is a rainbow roll from red to magenta and each one is slightly different. You can see in the table of prints.

Table of Valentines

Table of Valentines

Also I made a narrower print, still BFK paper but it is 10″ x 6″ and blank at the bottom so you can write in your own message to that special person.

BeMine Print along side Write in Valentine Print

BeMine Print along side Write in Valentine Print

BIG SPECIAL – If you buy the 10″ x 8″ print which you can see here  you can add the write in print for only $5.00 (50% off!) by using the code, “BeMine” I printed 50 of the narrow write in prints, order as many as you like. On Etsy

10" x 6" write in print

10″ x 6″ write in print

Wow 30 prints in 30 days concluding with a lot of love for all of you. Your support has been overwhelming! This is what the whole month looks like:

30 prints in 30 days!

30 prints in 30 days!

Don’t worry, I will not stop here. Tomorrow’s post will outline just how this daily print project will continue. That’s right, it will continue!

Day 29 – What will day 30 bring?

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30_prints_30_days

Day 29, print 29, Panda Linocut

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store
Panda

Panda

It is Pandaemonium! Now on Etsy, An 8″ x 10″ linocut in an edition of 10. The image size is 5″ x 7″ a little bigger than my usual 4″ x 6″ because I wanted to get a lot of Panda details.

Panda_linocut
Check out this whole table of panda’s. You probably know that panda’s are from China, but did you know that they grow as large as 250 pounds and eat bamboo almost exclusively? I wonder if that could happen to me, if I ate enough kale?
table_of_panda_linocutsIn planning the future of these daily prints, I did a little printing experiment. What do you think?

Linocut Printed T-shirt

Linocut Printed T-shirt

I am thinking a small line of t-shirts might be very interesting. Let me know.

Damselfly for the Dragonfly, Print #28 of 30

30 prints 30 days, Prints, Small Print Store
Damselfly

Damselfly

I have a damselfly for your dragonfly.  These two beautiful linoleum block prints would look great together. The image is 6″ x 4″ printed on 10″ x 8″ Rives BFK, in an edition of 10 is now on Etsy.

There was gorgeous light coming into my studio today when I photographed the whole edition of damselflies.

Table of DamselFlies

Table of DamselFlies

Did you know that Dragonflies and Damselflies are prehistoric insects, older than the dinosaur. It is true, you can read about it on the San Diego Zoo website.

The damselfly, like the dragonfly is also a rainbow roll color but the damselfly  is yellow to green to blue.
Damsel_fly

This is day 28 of making one print a day for 30 days. Three of the editions are sold out and there is incredible support to keep going. I never dreamt this would take off like it did, but all of you are amazing to keep coming back, checking out the prints, and giving them great homes. I love the stories you send me and please you are welcome to post photos of your displayed prints on my FB page. On January 30th I will let you know how the project will continue to unfold.

Here are detail thumbnails of all the prints, which you can also see and collect on Etsy.

30 prints in 30 days

30 prints in 30 days