Name That Press!

This is my etching press.  Some people treat their cars/boats/motorcycles like their babies, I feel motherly instincts toward my etching press.  Not to supercede by any stretch of the imagination the motherly instincts I feel for my sweet kiddos, but as far as inanimate objects go she's my pride and joy.

She should be, too, considering that my dad, my husband Steve, and I made her from scratch and Steve and I built the flat file cabinet that she rests on too.  We've had our ups and downs, and I came really close to selling her after neglecting her for the past 4 or 5 years because 1) It was taking up enormous amounts of space in the garage and 2)I thought with the new baby (Hazel) it would be years before I'd be able to come out and print again (it's not something that can be done bits at a time.  I need AT LEAST a 3 hour stretch to do some printing), but I just didn't have the heart to do it. 

Fortunately, everyone who was interested in buying it lived on the mainland so shipping it became a rather large obstacle.  So, I got to keep her and decided it was high time to start readjusting some of my priorities to be able to go out a print once in awhile.  I figured if I have time to make Eliza a closet full of clothes, I have time to do some monotypes.  I've pulled a couple of late nighters, but it's been great to be able to get out there and print again.  I had forgotten how much I love doing it, and now all those warm fuzzy memories of the hundreds of happy hours I've spent making prints is all coming back.

Anyway, I need your help with something.  My press doesn't have a name.  Here I am talking about her like she's one of my children (or at least a beloved pet) and she has never been named.  Almost embarrassing. 

So here's the deal:  You help me name my etching press, and I'll give away one of my monotypes.  I recently did a series of black and white ones (see post "Back in the Saddle Again"), and I'm in the middle of a color series, AND I am also working on a series of juvenile prints meant for display in kids' rooms.  So when I get them all done I'll let the winner choose. 

Here are the rules:

1) Leave a comment on my blog with your name idea(s).

2) While you are free to submit as many names as you like, your name will be entered into a drawing one time.  HOWEVER, if you pass the information about this contest to someone else, and they submit a name idea, their name AND your name will be submitted.  So for each person you get to submit a name idea, you get an additional "ticket" for the drawing.  Just make sure that the new person mentions you in their submission.

3) The contest will run for 2 weeks.  So on Tuesday, July 1st, I'll put all your tickets into a hat and select the lucky winner.  Everybody put your little thinking caps on and......NAME THAT PRESS!

This is going to be fun, I can tell.  I want to thank Lizzy House for giving me the giveaway idea...her blog is so much fun and she is a creative, clever ball of fire.  I am thrilled to be the lucky recipient of one of her handmade books, which she gave away in honor of her birthday (yes, she's giving away gifts on her own birthday).  I can't wait to get it in the mail, and I'll take lots of pictures and show everyone what a fantastic bookmaker, printmaker, and fabric designer she is.  You can read all about it here.

I've had a lot of people ask how my monotypes are made, so I thought I'd post a few photos of the process:

I have a sheet of plexiglass that I roll out the ink onto, manipulate the ink how I want it and put my big sheet of art paper on top.

Then I put the three layers of very expensive specially designed wool blankets (each one has a different weave and thickness, all with very specific jobs to do) down over the top of of the plexi+paper+newsprint (to prevent ink from ruining the blankets).  Then I spin the flywheel and the pressbed gets drawn through between two big rollers, one on top and one on the bottom. 

Finally, presto-change-o, the ink is transferred from the plexi onto the art paper.  I do this multiple times for each print, each different run having a different color and/or image.

Monotypes, as their name suggests, are unique, one-of-a-kind prints.  No two are ever alike, so in that sense they're more like a painting than a print.  I love to do monotypes because of their fresh, spontaneous, and relatively fast nature, but sometimes I wish I could recreate a really killer print.  It's nigh unto impossible to recreate a nearly identical monotype, especially the way that I do them, so whoever ends up with one of them can rest assured that it truly is an original!

Comments

[Ellie (Lani) Lash]

Shelley, you amaze me! I cannot believe you built that!!! How totally awesome is that??

I really like the name Athena for your press, since she is the goddess of handicrafts!

[Jane]

Hi Shelley!
How fun!! Lani (known online as Ellie) sent me with a link from her blog. My suggestion for a name is Dream Spinner. You are truly amazing - I wish you the time you need to pursue your dreams.

[Mellisa]

Hi Shelly, Ellie send me over here to check out your press - you are truely one talented girl!! I immediately though of Einstein(sp?) something such as this is definitely genius and unique.

[Alicia]

I wanted to get "etch" in the name - what about GrETCHen?!

[EdithSonger]

How about the Pressident? Or Elle Pressidente, since it's a she.

[Kaybee]

That baby looks like a "Gertrude" to me!

(I popped over from Ellie's blog, too!)

[Heather]

How about Joan d'Art?

By the way, Ellie Lash sent me to your bloggety blog -

[alamama]

Ellie Lash sent me here.
My name entery for Name That Press is Pricilla Pressly

Can I put a link and post about this on my blog?

Christine

[Alice]

Ellie also sent me over here! (Can you tell she wants that monogram? :P) I'm so glad she did because I'm having soooo much fun going through your blog and seeing all your wonderful crafts!

I'm really bad at names so I'll just say that I'm in awe of the creativity of all the other girls! Good luck choosing a name. I'll be popping in to see what it is. :D

[Stephnie Robertson]

I think Etchella would be a good name... Ellie Lash sent me here!!! She really wants one of your monotypes!!!

[CoconutKate]

I'm gonna say Wilma. Its what popped in my head first after looking at your pictures for a minute.
Have fun creating! I know you do!

[Heather]

I thought a french name would be best, seeing She creates art!
So I would say Gravure or Gravure Pousser

etching:
etching art nf eau-forte art
etching nf gravure

press vtr (push on) pousser

[Becky Terry]

How about Press-cious? (Precious) Since that is the relationship that you have with her, how you feel about her, and how you feel about the people who helped you make her?

I love your work!

[fooferoo]

Mona the Monoprinter.

I found your website through coconutkate.

[fooferoo]

Not sure what happened to my first comment...

Mona the monoprinter

and coconutkate sent me.

[Amysout]

Ellie sent me too ... she really admires your art!! It is gorgeous & I understand why she loves it!!

How 'bout The Empress (aka Queen of your creations)??!!

[Amysout]

Ellie sent me too ... she really admires your art!! It is gorgeous & I understand why she loves it!!

How 'bout The Empress (aka Queen of your creations)??!!

[Myxi]

I came from Ellie's blog too. I suggest calling her "Ms Press" :)

[Alyson Morrison]

Hi Shelley! Ellie sent me, too... bet she'll win on sheer numbers alone!

I came across a quote the other day that, after reading your post, made me think that the perfect name for your press is "Georgia". Specifically, for this Georgia O'Keefe quote:

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way -- things I had no words for."

When I saw some of your prints, it seemed to me that you were speaking through them.

So, my vote is for Georgia!

Peace!

[Kristy]

How fun! You know I love to name stuff =D! Someone already took my suggestion though, it's Press-lee or a variation Pressley, Presley, Preslee..... I also liked GrETCHen though. That's pretty creative!
Katie Weber told me about this, now I'll put a link on my blog =D. GOOD LUCK!

[alicia]

Wow! You built that?? Amazing!

Ellie sent me! (she really wants to win LOL)

I am going to say "Queen.P" (Queen of all Presses)

[Missy]

I say Gertie! Husky gal don't ya think? My dad always told me that he wanted to name me Gertrude. Bless my mom for saying no!

[lizzy]

i named one of my cats Pinecone... so I like to give nouns irregular names.. so if I were you I would name my press something along the lines of Envelope. Envelope is a sturdy name... not only that, it has form and function. Something we should all be looking for in our lives.

[Debbie B]

Ellie sent me too. Some of the names are really inventive! I'm going to suggest "7th Heaven" since your studio is 7 Layer Studio and you really love your press!

[grammyscraps]

What a fun idea and interesting "machine". Don't want to offend her, lol. I got the link from Ellie...for some reason the first thing that popped into my head was "Lucious Lil" !

[toriaborg]

Hi Shelley! This is Victoria - sis of Edith, Sarah, Kate, etc. I'm so glad I found your blog! So I was thinking of names, and thought of all men's names, then realized you referred to your press as "she." Oops. We (hubby and I)thought "Charming" as in Prints Charming. Maybe Charming could be a female press's name, too?

[kate]

naming things we love is always hard. here are a few idears:

belle (short and sweet and sounds good with your name: "shelley's belle")

rosebud (captures the ideal of childhood innocence and dreams we long to see come true. hee hee.)

lily (just sounds nice)

good luck! your prints are so lovely.

[Laura Gunn]

I'm terrible at naming things. But had to chime in to say how fun that whole process looks. Thanks for showing us the ins and outs of your printing process.

PS Thanks for the gardening tips. Funny that you describe your 10X10 garden as "small." Ours is 2X4