❝November Knows❞

❣ For Friday ❣

For Friday has come around again and as somebody said to me this morning, it's only five weeks until Christmas.

This troubles me a little.

This week I have been running 'on the spot'. There's a lot of movement, a lot of arm flailing but I'm not getting anywhere. My mind is going overtime and a half

I woke up in the night and wrote this:-

The doubting begins & I don't know what I need to do anymore. Could I twirl into an about turn and become another creature? But the same glum one stares back at me in the unforgiving mirror. I want to learn to write in Japanese and become as unflinching as a cat. Become a discoverer, a tightrope walker, an astronomer, a chef, a poet, a soother of wounds there is no medicine for. Become a fairy on a Christmas tree, I'll be a bauble that dangles and leaves a cloud trail in the night. A scarecrow in a field might have more warmth than me so I shall become a student of garden gates and solid fridge air.

I dunno?

Just sharing. That's what blogging is for...

Actually I am filled with a giddy excitement about a new project I have dreamed of for years. It's starting to become a  more tangible shape now, I can actually put my finger on thoughts and hold them like struggling beetles so it's closer to realising and I have much much work to do. I wish I could tell you more but for now it's a shushy thing. All will be revealed in 2010. I suppose my night ramblings are the twinkles of self doubt but my dad always said "you can do anything you want" so I'm going to believe in my bigger picture. For him, if not for myself.

Have a lovely weekend my treasures. You are the jewels in my inbox.

〖jumping through the week〗

Thanks to all you lovely dreamy people for sending me your festive lusts, I mean lists. 

It was fun reading them all and the one that I thought would make a 

grand design was this one which I have typeset and am preparing 
to have made into a printing plate. 

The only thing is...it was sent by 'anonymous'. 

Please, please contact me anonymous. 

I want to thank you properly for 80% of designing my card.

Obviously I will share the making process, the swearing and thrashing of my Adana as it happens live from

behind the hedge.

It's been a couple of really busy weeks and looks like it's about to explode with busyness again. 

I am flying to India on 1st January so the blog will be going very "beyond" for a while.

I aim to keep you updated with tales from there which will predictably contain yogic anecdotes

and lots of talk of food and heat and my funny landlady. You are going to love her kitchen.

More on that soon.

I had a great time teaching rubber stamp making at The Make Lounge  

We've been making stamps like this and turning them into labels, tags and cards. 

Tremendous fun and I keep forgetting my camera to show you the amazing things people have been making. 

Will try to remember for the other workshops.

Tagged by Suzie {who seems to live an idyllic existence in France taking photographs (proper ones) visiting 

gorgeous places and no doubt drinking vats of red wine} to choose a 

song that makes me happy and I have chosen

"Lovely Day" by Bill Withers 

because it made me happy when I was a kid and I remember my dad 

singing along with it trying to hold all the long notes. 

I still smile when I hear it now and it's almost always a lovely day. 

I don't usually choose songs that make me happy, 

I usually listen to dark things that make me feel a bit melancholic, 

which must be why I am so bursting with sunshine!

Can't find a video link to Bill Withers, 
probably because the song is as ancient as me.

But, I wanted to leave you with this video I found that makes my head 
feel funny and happy in a sad way?

Look, it's not easy being me.

┉ one page wonders ┉

Last week I had the pleasure of running artist's books workshops at The Southbank Centre for half-term. I was holding court outside The Saison Poetry Library which was word heaven for me.  All those books and publications to drool over.

The Poetry Library is a wonderful free resource in London and it is an oasis of calm on the fifth floor of The Southbank Centre. The workshops were great fun and I met some really lovely families joining in the creative jollities.

We were making books from one sheet of paper which is really simple and very effective with a smattering of applied creativity. And best of all, it was free to drop in and make.

I had a splendid time.

Pictured is one of our creations. "Motheaten"

I'm still collecting your Christmassy lists and hope to make some decisions by the end of the week. It's not far away is it? 

Gulp. I'm planning a proper family time and I am decorating my lounge in anticipation of my new couch which is scarily gorgeous and filling me with fizz. Please note that I get about an hour a day to proceed with said renovations which means I am living in a total chaotic slump. But it's nice to let it all go.  Shrug. 

Mess schmess...

✢ ✣ ✤ list for halloween ✢ ✣ ✤

ʚ lend me your lists ʚ

It's coming around to that time of year. I want to make my winter greetings cards and I am asking for your help...As you are all creative intelligent and generous bloggers would you mind taking part in a little task?
I have been completely inspired by 'Shopping Losts'  I have been in touch with Simon the creative genius behind the blog and he has given us his blessing. 

Wonderful shopping list finds transformed into typographical creations. 
I am well jell of this brilliant idea. 


So here's the thing. What is on your seasonal list?
Is it a list of presents you'd secretly like to receive?
Things you want to accomplish/make/resolve by Christmas?
A shopping list for the big cook in?
Presents to buy?
A new years resolution list?
If you send me your list either by email (if you are shy) louise@louloulovesbooks.com or add it to the comments.
If you are in possession of a working scanner you could scan your hand written list in and send it to me. {forever humbly grateful for this kind of activity}


I will have the list I love made into a zinc plate for printing and it will be letterpressed by me as this years Christmas card, for me to send out to all my contacts and loved ones. I may typographically arrange it depending on the list.
You will of course get a set of cards yourself and I will add you as my co-artist.
How brilliant will that be?
Please please help, it will be so much fun and remember, it can be as ordinary as you like. I'm gonna love them all.


Here is a list circa 2004 by a young lady who will undoubtedly mash me if she ever reads this blog.
But it's good. Sshhhhhh. Mum's the Word.

⤷⤷⤷ Somewhere Softly Sleeping

I'm going to pop a couple of my hand painted postcards in the shop

I was going to sell them as prints but I just don't feel good about it for various reasons.

Some things have to stay original.

The colours are very warm and soft and they 

don't translate to print at all well.

The reverse is blank apart from the postcard markings incase anyone wants to send a real painting through the post or write a personal greeting. 

They were inspired by my visits to the exhibition Garden and Cosmos at The British Museum earlier this year. And of course, my ongoing love affair with India. Painting them makes me feel simply serene. I've got a few to finish but I see no serenity in the near future. It's crazy over here behind the hedge.

◌○ diary pages ○◌

Not much to tell, got a new zippy scanner that makes my old one look and feel like a dinosaur. 

I do hate that pile of packaging to dispose of, leaflets and discs to file and the crawling around rearranging leads and wires business. Tis all done now so here's some diary pages that I scanned...

I do love artist's sketch books/journals...much of my recent weeks have consisted of long lists of 'to dos' which isn't half so interesting as balmy summer evenings spent doodling.

I'm heading for my busiest weeks and I'm a flurry of emails, proposals and work.

Having spent ages sorting through my letterpress and Adana stuff I'm longing for a few days practise but it will have to wait...

▼ pot/kettle/black ▼

It's not going to be easy to blog about my letterpress experiments. 

It's impossible to see the sumptiousness (is that even a word?)

of the image or type pressed ever so slightly into the paper. 

I'll have to get my super zoomy lens out to prove it when the sun comes out~

oooo ~ about next march.

Ever so many ages ago I bought for half a crown or thereabouts a box of copper plates,

I couldn't see how beautiful they were til I got around to print them

& I love them so.

I have no idea what to do with them, I'm too busy cooing over them like 

a louloulovesbooks in a stationary shop.

But the best bit was finding an unused tin of flouro pink ink

to print with, which isn't showing up too well either on this image.

You'll just all have to come around and have a look for yourselves.

Some other exciting news is that among the many workshops and teaching things I've got coming up I'm teaching 'make your own rubber stamps' at The Make Lounge  for a few dates in October and November, 

concentrating on holiday gift tags and cards. Remember these? 

I'm excited to be working at such a lively venue with so many creative classes being offered.

Sadly, my workshops sold out within a day, you've got to be quick to get on these courses at The Make Lounge .

Sign up for the newsletter and be the early bird that catches the worm.

♁ lessons in letterpress ♁

Last week I had a great day with Vicky and Chrissie at 
Harrington & Squires.  
Once upon a time, a long time ago, far away in another land etc etc I bought, for a ridiculously small sum, a whole load of letterpress furniture, type in cases and two Adana presses. And it has so far languished in every available space in my shed/ house/under the stairs. I nearly gave it away, I stubbed my toe on it all, I cursed it,  I tried to print with it a couple of times and failed miserably. I had forgotten what all the things were for and needed a refresher. 
I noticed that Harrington & Squires did day courses and with much excitement I put myself in their very capable hands. 
It was a lovely, inspirational and educational day. 

I relearned all the basics, some technical terms (albeit all forgotten already as demonstrated yesterday whilst attempting to print with Simon Goode "can you pass me one of those thingummys please?") and came away with a set of business cards all handprinted by me and a new found desire to letterpress my life away. Of course, there is much left to learn but I am so happy to realise that it's a wonderful addition to my skills and I want to do more.

I know these pictures don't do letterpress much justice, 

the letters are debossed into the card with ink and feel really really good.

{I've blurred my phone number since I became a member of the witness protection programme}

Chrissie and Vicky were great teachers, patient and very knowledgeable about their subject. The studio itself is a dream to work in, it's called The Corridor for good reason, spread over three floors it's delightfully laid out with inspiration everywhere. I highly recommend a day there. Have an idea about something you would like to print...I was hopelessly unprepared.

I learned the basics of type and how to put it in a chase, lots of useful stuff about inking up and registration. After lunch I had a whole afternoon of printing my heart out, the day whizzed by and was over before I could draw breath. I left filled up with enthusiasm and another new skill. 

I'm so excited about printing up all the old printing plates I found with my Adana booty. 

Invitation to a South Seas Dance anyone?