Friday's To Do List

Magic Margin illustration

Allow me to introduce you to Magic Margin: The Classroom Typewriter Project Blog. I had the pleasure of working with Ryan Adney on a new banner for Magic Margin. Ryan is a high school English teacher in Phoenix using typewriters as a learning tool in his classroom.

The typewriter project, as it says on the blog, "is designed to get children to write without distraction." With about fifteen classic machines in the classroom, Ryan encourages his student to journal using whatever method they choose. 

"As you can guess, there are not too many people who use typewriters in their 21st century classrooms," he says. "I try to keep the technology in my classroom democratic; students can use whatever they want. It just so happens that the typewriter is the best. Well, I think that there is magic to be found being outside what is normally expected for an English classroom." Wow! I think these kids are mighty lucky to have a teacher with such vision. 

Here's a look at a couple of the student typecasts:

As any of you who have visited my booth or table at a craft show may have noticed, I love typewriters and like to incorporate my grandmothers' typewriters into my display. It is always children who are most intrigued by them and I love the way they stare and hesitate. I stare, too! I just love looking at—and drawing—typewriters. Apparently Ryan has a big old Royal HH on his desk in the classroom, so that seemed the obvious choice for the banner.

The blog is very active and I encourage you to check out more of the student typecasts — and to try your hand at a little old-fashioned typing!

Nashville's Hatch Show Print

On my recent trip to Chattanooga for Chatty Crafty (more on that soon!), my traveling pals—Courtney Fischer and Laura Berger—and I decided we needed a little taste of Nashville on our trip home. One of the highlights of our stop was visiting Hatch Show Print. Now part of the Country Music Hall of Fame, this letterpress printing shop has been churning out stunning letterpress gig posters and more since 1897. The early years were country music, vaudeville, circus shows and more. Nowadays, everyone from the Beastie Boys and Andrew Bird to Ira Glass and the Trans Siberian Orchestra seek out Hatch for their unique style. You can see a great selection of their more recent posters on gigposters.

The cats of Hatch figure very heavily into some of their designs. We witnessed this little fellow live and in person (in cat?!) mowing down on a little mouse dinner the night before when we walked by the shop after hours.

P.S. Chronicle published a great book about Hatch in 2001.