Christmas is Coming part 3

 

Another sunny day, and I did all my errands yesterday, so it seemed like a good day to go back to the Studio, and maybe do all the things I had hoped to do yesterday, but had to call off when I was needed to do a bunch of other things instead.  I brought another radio related disc with me, another thing that reflects one of the non-Christmas songs that appear on that show, a song from the then new album from the Gin Blossoms, then Kathy's favorite band of all time.  (probably a highlight of her radio broadcast career was when a station person set it up for her to do a phone/over the air interview with a band member on her weekday rock show, promoting the first small label LP)  This is a home burned disc, with mostly material from the small label "Dusted", the later major label "New Miserable Experience," (the latter included a lot of rerecorded versions of songs on the first album but my disc took some from each with no songs repeated) and some from the EPs  that filled the time in between, I think called "Up and Crumbling" and "Shut Up and Smoke".  (by the way, the songs from the Christmas radio broadcast were "Sister Cry" from the Jayhawks, and "Pieces of the Night" from the Gin Blossoms, which weren't Christmas songs, but I do now own those albums)

First task was to finish that Christmas card block, which I did.  Took about 20 minutes.  Mostly a lot of detail work near the top, producing very little wood shavings, not enough to photograph.  Put all that away and got out what I had hoped to also do yesterday, but had no time for.  I need to pull proofs for the three new blocks in the Robert Johnson series, so I can send the images to my contact and see what he wants to do about our collaboration.  I also want to print several copies of this new card, which will need to be colored as well, and I want to have one to photograph and post here on the holiday itself, now about two weeks away.  I have paper for the former, but not the latter, and then there is the question of ink- did I have any or enough for either one, or do I need to order some of that as well?   I have a large heavy tote bag in the back of my car with all my printing stuff, including whatever ink I have, so today I was seeing exactly what I had.  

The answer is I have some ink.  Two cans I had of black general purpose relief ink were just dried out scraps, and will be tossed out next time it is convenient.  Another two cans of the same ink have some bits under the dried stuff, probably enough to make my cards, so for now I will keep those and try them when I get the proper paper.  I also have a larger partial can of Outlaw Black, which does better with details, so I'll save that for the Robert Johnson series.  I have paper for that, and the blocks seem to be carved, so I may start printing those next week.  Don't have to pull editions, just one good one of each to shoot and send to my collaborator, and we'll go from there.  

While there I took care of some other business.  I asked about being paid for my fourth drawing class, which hasn't happened yet.  Their records show that a check was issued, but was never cashed, so it is not known if one was actually written, or sent or to whom.  That will be investigated further.   The large number of tables and chairs are for a breakfast thing tomorrow, but I have no connection to that group, so I am not worried about it.  Our new director, Elyse, also had a positive diagnosis for Covid last week, and also has gotten over it.  Her theory was that the infection source was that craft fair last week, which was crowded and we both were at, so maybe she's right.  We will never know.