daily miscellany

Strange landscapes

2011-09-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

mustachio

2011-09-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

These are broom handle cover, apparently. I'm not really sure what that means.

2011-09-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

holiday fun

2011-09-13T08:16:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T08:04:00.000-07:00

mountains

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

I came here on a plane...

2011-09-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

Victorian postcard

2011-09-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

not quite sure what is going on here...

2011-09-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

hello my name is...

2011-09-13T07:34:00.001-07:00

I have wanted one of these for a while!

wish you were here?

2011-09-13T07:32:00.000-07:00

postcard of a prison. Nice.

2011-09-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

found a lot of postcards oh hotels. Bizarre.

2011-09-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

i love the aesthetic of these old postcards.

abode

2011-09-13T07:05:00.000-07:00

aviation

2011-09-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

the first of many posts with postcards I'm afraid. But I got so many and they're so good I feel obliged to post them all.

New York

2011-09-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well I'm back from a rather long trip to New York. I picked up an astonishing amount of goodies which I will post shortly. I got a whole stack of these envelopes, which I think are pretty amazing.

Skinny Ships

2011-04-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

Lovely fun type from Richars Perez's photostream.

Stereo Stack

2011-04-23T09:40:00.001-07:00

This is a bit silly, but a lovely source of lovely warm fuzzy '50s & 60's & '70s type and colour.
http://www.stereostack.com/

Things magazine

2011-03-06T03:56:00.000-08:00

Found these lovely animal playing cards via things magazine.

2011-03-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

Penguin does it again

2011-03-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Lovely Victorian Type over load!

Tandem

2011-03-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

Long time no post. Sorry. This was something rather lovely I saw at the Reverting to Type Exhibition. Yummy.

2010-11-30T04:41:00.000-08:00

Trading stamps

2010-11-30T04:39:00.000-08:00

yum

2010-09-03T04:35:00.000-07:00

Not only did they look good, they tasted great! I am slightly ashamed of myself for buying these just for the packet.

New Writing

2010-08-27T12:45:00.000-07:00

Heroes

2010-08-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Lovely Spanish Stamps.

2010-08-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

I found out that WH Smiths sells packs of stamps. I could not have been more of a geek if I tried when I rocked up to the tills with an armful of stamp packs! I have decided to start scanning them all properly and posting them here and on flickr. I do have some rather cool ones in my now massive collection. I am even toying with the idea of having ANOTHER blog dedicated to stamps? Although I think that might make me a little bit too much of a geek...

For the love of Pearson

2010-08-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

David Pearson of Penguin, that is. Some of the most depressingly awesome book covers I have ever seen. Visit his website here.

I'm back!

2010-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus because of the Brighton and London degree shows, Graduation, leaving Brighton and going to Spain. I will try to catch up!

2010-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood to draw some type the other day, and when that failed miserably, I decided to cut some out of patterned paper. I think they look pretty cool.

BEAUTIFUL

2010-06-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

I think these are book plates or end pages. I wish people still made things like this.

Taschen

2010-06-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

I've just bought the second book in the 'Type' series by Taschen. They are the most incredible books, and a new favourite of mine. The best part (apart from the gold printing?) is that each book comes with a code for a website that allows you to download high quality pdfs of most of the images from the books. A dream come true!

What to do...

2010-06-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm free to do what I like I find myself doing boring things like cleaning and sorting the recycling, cooking and mending clothes. Perhaps I was always destined for a life of domesticity. I should just pack in this design malarkey and just focus on marrying well.

Symmetry

2010-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

You've got to love a bit of symmetry. I love all these new penguin books series that have been coming out of late. David Pearson and Phil Baines are my heroes.

more bus tickets

2010-05-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bus tickets

2010-05-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

At the Sunday Market there was the most epic new stall, full of crazy things like this. These were reels and reels of old bus tickets, ticket machines, even a bus conductor uniform and the machine for punching holes in tickets. I fell in love with it all, but was dismayed at the price (£30 for a reel of tickets? I don't think so! Anyway, I already have a whole load of old bus tickets like this (which I'll post more of), but what a cool thing to have? I wonder if the machine still works? It's also a little bit sad when things like this turn up in markets and car boot sales. I can just imagine some old bus conductor holding on to all this for years and years until he had to give it up for some reason and it ends up here.

bus tickets

2010-05-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

2010-05-03T03:40:00.001-07:00

2010-05-03T03:39:00.000-07:00

Regret...

2010-05-02T15:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit cheeky when it comes to the sunday market. I'm forever photographing things I like the look of but don't have the funds to buy. Mainly to put in my archives and on here. Although I wish I'd got that book 'Queer animals and why'. It's worth £2.50 for the title alone.

More stamps

2010-05-02T15:08:00.000-07:00

I had another successful haul at the Sunday Market last week. I have no idea when I will find the time to scan all these in and post them properly. Perhaps after I graduate and I'm unemployed but have all the time in the world to blog...

Busy busy busy

2010-04-26T02:41:00.001-07:00

i know I have been awful at posting recently, but this is a month of madness before my degree show and I really need one less thing to think about! As soon as everything is handed in I will be posting like mad, in part to distract myself from the fact that I don't know what to do after I graduate....

ANYWAY, here's a great typeface.

2010-04-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Speaking of random, cheaply made and functional type (last post) I also have a thing for receipts from old cash registers like this. The numbers make no sense!

Bus Tickets

2010-04-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

I bought a whole load of old bus tickets a few weeks ago. I love all these old bits of ephemera because of all the clashing typefaces, all the information and grids and because I love the cheapness of it. There's something about cheaply made tickets and the like, the numbers printed on badly and wonky, things like that. I love the randomness of it. And also because of the fact that they were once just everyday items, and now we see them as something beautiful. I wonder what everyday items we have now will one day be looked at in the same way?

letraset

2010-04-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

The back of this pack of letraset is amazing.

a penguin book

2010-04-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

This cover is so awful that it's actually great. I am working on my submission for the penguin brief at the moment. I will be relived to get it done!

summer?

2010-04-09T05:23:00.000-07:00

Could it be that summer is almost here? I haven't had to wear a coat for days...

apologies for lax posting. Easter holidays and all...

Stamps Stamps Stamps

2010-04-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

It'll take me months to scan all of these in properly.

Charterhouse

2010-04-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a long weekend at home. I went for a walk around Charterhouse before I left, it's this old private school near our house, which is really atmospheric and full of strange architecture and beautiful grounds. I love all these mad old halls and dorm houses, very Harry Potter. I never used to think much of it, seeing as it was always there throughout my childhood, but after leaving home and not seeing it for months at a time I have appreciated it again.

found photo

2010-04-01T04:22:00.001-07:00

Something else I found on the floor in the darkroom

2010-03-31T02:56:00.000-07:00

How great is this beer mat?

2010-03-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

Letterpress Albhabet

2010-03-30T09:12:00.000-07:00

Last year, as part of a project, I printed about 4 complete alphabets made up mostly of the contents of the 'odds and ends' drawer in the letterpress room, where all the orphaned and damaged wood type ended up. I made them into books, and scanned them and you can find them on my flickr site here. I did all the prints on the proofing machine, so no two copies of the book are the same. I will post pictures of the book soon, but I just thought that people might be interested to know that they can get at least one set of 4 alphabets on flickr for their own amusement.

food stamps

2010-03-30T09:01:00.001-07:00

photo test

2010-03-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

I found this on the floor of the dark room. Some of these test strips are gorgeous, and this one of central park is one of my best finds.

Mustard

2010-03-30T02:01:00.001-07:00

This is probably cheating because I don't actually own either of these things, but I wish I had bought them! I am loving mustard yellow at the moment.

2010-03-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

Spain

2010-03-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

the view outside my window

2010-03-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

girls

2010-03-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

2010-03-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

2010-03-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

Roses

2010-03-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Charlie Harper

2010-03-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

This is one of the full page illustrations from a book I bought today at the Sunday Market. Each illustration is just stunning. I am al most tempted to take the book apart and frame each illustration but I don't think I could do it.

Biology book

2010-03-14T09:18:00.001-07:00

This was the BEST thing ever. Only 50p and illustrated by none other than Charlie Harper (only one of my favourite illustrators ever). When I get the chance I will scan all of these illustrations and post them properly at full size because they are gorgeous. The book is pretty knackered but I don't really mind.

Moon Flight Atlas

2010-03-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

This is such a cool book! And only 50p. Lots of nice old photos of space and astronauts and diagrams and things, but you've got to love the naff type the most.

Books Books Books

2010-03-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

These were the bain of my life to carry back. The two green books are 1897 editions of Nicholas Nickelby and David Copperfield and a nice illustrated copy of the Jungle Book. Easter reading sorted.

Scarves

2010-03-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

I also got my hands on various lovely silk scarves (Ok, so the top photo is actually a tablecloth), one was free, the rest were less than one good British Pound.

More stamps

2010-03-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

The top photo shows some serious stamp collection. There were several albums, plus a huge chest full of these envelopes. All addressed to the same 2 people. I think they must have been avid stamp collectors, The special envelopes are made to go with the set of stamps, in each one is a card of info about the stamps and the stamp states that they are sent on the first day of issue. I like the idea of these two guys sending each other stamps and no letter! These were a little bit expensive, but I would have bought the whole lot if I could have afforded it, they're all beautiful! I will post them in more detail another day. The second photo shows the box of stamps that someone gave me for free when I bought a stamp album (I think he was seriously trying to get rid of all his stuff).

Stamps

2010-03-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

Part of the best haul from a market ever! I got this cute little album literally full of stamps, and another box full of stamps for only £5. I literally don't know what to do with them all, I've been sitting looking at them all for hours! There's such a random mix of things in here, all from the 1960s and 1970s I think. I was happiest about this find, seeing as they were hidden in a stack of boxes. I am awfully thrifty.

photogram

2010-03-11T13:01:00.001-08:00

This is a very old photogram that I did when I just started university. I think it was a project that had something to do with the environment, but it involved me making type out of the shapes made here, and then tracing it on a huge poster. I certainly didn't make life easy for myself!

P T Barnum

2010-03-08T08:34:00.001-08:00

Working on the final exam project at the moment. I chose to do it on the theme of silence. I wanted to do P.T Barnum, but I was worried that I would get sucked into the whole circus aesthetic. I will keep it as a side project I feel, for I do love it.

2010-03-08T08:33:00.000-08:00

Alcatraz

2010-03-05T03:58:00.000-08:00

2010-03-04T08:56:00.000-08:00

Brrr

2010-03-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

More lovely maps, of the poles no less, for the cold weather. Click on the image to see it large, they're gorgeous.

millie

2010-03-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

a little birthday post for millie (sorry it's a day late, I was tired for bowling yesterday!)

home james

2010-02-26T01:40:00.001-08:00

Button

2010-02-24T05:45:00.000-08:00

A very old and very dirty button that I found on the floor at a market.

Love

2010-02-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

I love this Hippie stamp.

West Pier

2010-02-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

I was quite upset to hear that Brighton and Hove council are tearing down the West Pier. They are going to replace it with some sort of statue, or something to commemorate the pier. What could commemorate it more than it's burnt out shell? I think one of the most interesting icons of Brighton seafront is going to be lost forever. I have rarely been so tempted to write a letter to my local MP, but then I saw that the cranes are already there. I will have to go and take some photos before it's gone forever. These are some of the many photos I have of the pier from my first year at Uni, when most days consisted of sitting around on the beach watching the sun go down through the skeleton of the pier.

Home

2010-02-23T04:23:00.000-08:00

I'm going home next weekend! I am very excited because I'm seeing some friends I haven't seen in ages, including one of my oldest friends who's been sunning herself in Australia for 3 years so I am desperate to see her! And on saturday I'm doing a knitting course with my mum, which will be fun. Very excited indeed.

Keep it simple

2010-02-22T14:38:00.001-08:00

Traveling

2010-02-19T13:03:00.001-08:00

Last year I bought a box of maps from a 1902 atlas for £10 in a junk shop. They're one of the best things I've ever bought. I absolutely love looking at them, especially maps of places that have changed. All the maps of the middle east, Africa and parts of Europe are different to how they look now. All of them were torn in half unfortunately. One day when I have the time I will scan them all in as whole maps on an a3 scanner. Until then they will have to remain in bits I'm afraid. I have about 50 in total, and I'm starting to upload them to flickr, which you can see here. I'm posting them because I've been talking about going traveling for a year after I graduate and I'm getting pretty excited about it. I've got the travel bug badly!

Lewes

2010-02-17T02:04:00.000-08:00

OAP

2010-02-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Part of this weekends festivities included an epic OAP (Old age pensioners) party to celebrate me & my friend claire's belated birthdays. It was epic to say the least, lots of tweed and long hemlines, glasses, cake and knitwear. And wine. Thus today's hangover.

Letterpress Proof

2010-02-14T14:39:00.000-08:00

I salvaged this from my batch production project last year. I have boxes full of letterpress proofs. I haven't been in the letterpress room all year : (

I'm afraid 3rd year has made me a bit scared of using letterpress, it's too time consuming. I am desperate to get in again before I graduate though.

Hungover

2010-02-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a write off what with all the post dissertation celebration. I will get my self sorted out for tomorrow though: back to work.

Quilt

2010-02-10T02:51:00.000-08:00

My lovely sister sent me this quilt from America a while ago, but I only got my hands on it this last weekend when my parents bought it here. I'm so excited! Especially now it's started snowing again, no chance of freezing to death with this on my bed : )

Penguin

2010-02-08T06:50:00.001-08:00

Another great series, the 4th series of Penguin Great Ideas. This cover is great, it's all debossed. Lovely!