Sonya is a local bookbinder who does some absolutely stunning work. Not knowing anything about bookbinding I won’t try to describe it other than to say everything she showed me was “really cool” and “virtually flawless”. Sonya was trained under master binders in France and works in both contemporary and classic styles out of her studio in Somerville (or maybe Cambridge… I’ll claim her for Somerville).

After discussing ideas for business cards over the summer, a design was settled on and these cards were printed. Black ink on 160lb Mohawk Antique Vellum Milkweed stock. I’ve printed a few projects on this stock recently with much success, the 160lb weight takes a great impression but isn’t so thick that you need a separate fanny pack to carry your business cards in.

For examples of Sonya’s work check out www.sonyasheats.com.

Here at Fringe, our boys Bryan and Ian are making final preparations for their trip down to Philly this weekend for the bike expo, where they’ll be showcasing their handmade bike frames.

Bryan had me print up a new batch of Royal H business cards in time for the event, featuring a silhouette of one of his custom frames on thick chipboard. An email address on the reverse results in a simple, uncluttered card.

Shout out to Nao for the handcarved lug, repurposed here for a card stand.

My pieces for the show are wood type compositions printed on a special handmade paper… more to come on that as well.

Earlier this Summer, I was asked to participate in the Feedback Loop, a project put together by Mohawk Papers and Felt and Wire. The Feedback Loop enlisted 25 letterpress studios around the country to create a limited run of blank journals using Mohawk paper. The edition of 50 6×9″ books would then be sold in the Felt and Wire online shop, with all proceeds going to the Design Ignites Change youth mentoring programs.

My cover design features a pattern of wood type in blue and magenta over an army green background, with 128 cream colored pages on the interior.

The shop went live last week and contains some great work – I was really impressed by the assortment of binding techniques that were used,especially after using a simple saddle stitch on my books.

All of the notebooks are priced at just $15 – you can purchase my design here, or check out the entire collection in the shop.

Very excited to be back at Corduroy in September alongside a humbling lineup of other folks working in print. I’ll be showing two new wood type compositions (editions of 10) available exclusively through the gallery.

Chris and I will both be up in Portland for the opening on September 3rd, stoked to meet some of the other artists in the show and do some exploring over the weekend. First Friday in Portland is a blast so come on up!

A collaborative effort between minds at Open Bicycle, Fringe, and Chorus Collective, has resulted in the first release from Union Foundry, the Rotafixer. A full description of the tool can be found on the Union Foundry website but to summarize, this is a universal lockring tool for fixed gear bicycles that uses the leverage of the wheel for more torque than a hand tool could provide.

I’m proud to have been a part of the team on this release, creating the design and construction of the packaging and VIP mailers.

Packaging for the Rotafixer consists of a custom converted vellum envelope, with a die-cut chipboard insert to hold the tool. The front of the envelope is left unprinted to reveal the laser-etched surface of the tool, while the back has an impression in white displaying the Union Foundry logo, tool name, and release edition, printed using the Vandercook SP-20.

For the initial release of the tool, Union Foundry sent out VIP mailers to close friends and influential names in the cycling community. The VIP mailer was sent in a standard 6×9 manila envelope, but the contents were carefully designed and constructed for an elegant presentation upon opening. To ensure the proper presentation, a folded sheet of chipboard was used to pull the contents out of the envelope together. This sheet had rounded corners to mimic the packaging insert, and a heavy impression of the Union Foundry logo printed with transparent base using the 10×15 Heidelberg “windmill” platen press. The use of transparent base can provide a nice alternative to a blind impression as it will give a subtle change to the color and finish of the printed area, and this method was used on the bottom flap of the sheet where the name of the tool was again displayed.

Along with the tool, VIPs received a swatch of Penfield flannel to protect the bike frame during use of the tool, and a typewritten note on custom Union Foundry letterhead. The letterhead was printed in simple black ink on Neenah’s 80lb Classic Crest in Classic Natural White.

The Rotafixer is available now exclusively through Open Bicycle in Union Square, Somerville MA.

Love the classic rivalry and had to make a little something for the finals – wood type on 140lb watercolor paper, edition of 33 (natch). 10×15″, printed on the Vandercook SP-20.

Ten bucks on the etsy site – will ship quick so you have it by the end of the series.

THURSDAY 4.29 (TONIGHT) the Distillery Gallery will be hosting the opening reception for the Studio 11 Retrospective show. Studio 11 is the former home of Repeat Press, as well as dozens of other artists over the past few decades. The show will feature works from all former tennants who could be tracked down, as well as a special display of relics from the history of the space. The show will run through may but everybody knows the real fun is at the opening so get over there tonight, 6-9pm.

FRIDAY 4.30 you can relax a bit and head over to Harvard for the current showing in the “Food at 24 Frames Per Second” series - All In This Tea, a documentary following “a tea-obsessed American to the lush Chinese countryside, where he battles bureaucracy and economics to spark an interest in organic tea.”

I’ve been assured that this is a great film and tea will be provided.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY 5.1-5.2 the annual Somerville Open Studios will be happening city-wide, and we wouldn’t be left out of that. Fringe will have its doors open to the public to come check out whatever it is that we do around here, and Autumn Ahn will be painting a mural on the wall next to the studio, live throughout the weekend.

In the Repeat Press shop I’ll have the presses running demos throughout both days, and a blowout sale on old posters – stop in and pick up some prints cheap!

FRIDAY 5.7 this might be a hike for folks in the Boston area but well worth the trip. Friends Fish McGill and Evoker are teaming up for a show at the coolest surf gallery around, Portland’s Corduroy. This flyer gets an early nomination for best flyer of 2010.

Spring has sprung! Get out there and have some fun!