I'm not dead…

…I just don’t really have time for my blog any more. Nor anything much that is post-worthy!

I’m still writing for the Art of Punk series on Colin’s Punk Rock World (a post about logo designs was published today). I also write reviews sometimes, such as the lengthy gig review for Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls at Alexandra Palace that was posted last week.

In more visually creative news, I linoprint-ed some Christmas cards the other weekend. You may or may not remember my designs from last year – check them out here too. I think I like this year’s little reindeer more than last year’s design.

Happy Year of the Sheep!

In Japan, people don’t really send Christmas cards. They do, however, send cards or postcards for the New Year.

The end of December and the beginning of January are the busiest times for the Japanese post offices. The Japanese have a custom of sending New Year’s Day postcards (年賀状 nengajō) to their friends and relatives, similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards. Their original purpose was to give your faraway friends and relatives tidings of yourself and your immediate family. In other words, this custom existed for people to tell others whom they did not often meet that they were alive and well. – via good ol’ Wikipedia

These cards often feature the Zodiac sign for that particular year, despite the Zodiac originating in China rather than Japan. And this year is the year of the sheep.

I came across this blog post this evening, which is a collection of some of this years nengajō – mostly created digitally. I wanted to share my single favourite postcard (although the postcard from Nintendo is pretty cool too).

Year of the Sheep by Eiko Tamura

This Year (2015) is called ‘Sheep Year 未年’.

so I made the shape of the S (use Futura) with a flock of sheep.

Some common nengajō greetings include:

• kotoshi mo yoroshiku o-negai-shimasu
  (今年もよろしくお願いします)
  (I hope for your favour again in the coming year)
• (shinnen) akemashite o-medetō-gozaimasu
  ((新年)あけましておめでとうございます)
  (Happiness to you on the dawn [of a New Year])
• kinga shinnen
  (謹賀新年)
  (Happy New Year)
• shoshun/hatsuharu
  (初春)
  (‘early spring’ – in the traditional lunar calendar a year begins in early spring)
• geishun
  (迎春)
  (to welcome spring)

Christmas Cards 2014

As you may have realised from my previous blog post, I have been crafting my own Christmas cards this year – although, to be honest, I do most years. But this year I have done something a little different. I made my cards by carving a small Christmas tree design (a bit smaller than A6) into a piece of lino and printing onto various papers in black ink. So the paper shows through where the design is rather than the blank ink.

Red paper, brown paper, Japanese newspaper

Shiny gold paper, crinkly white paper

I have only written 4 so far, this is the rest…

These cards were inspired by the linocutting workshop I took part in at work, back in November (see the blog post here!). I even re-printed my wintery tree design, that I created at that workshop, to have a more limited edition and larger (A5) card. Not that these cards are actually for sale at all anyway.

Red and gold

This isn’t the only Christmas card I’ve worked on this year. I also contributed to the emc design ‘12 days of Christmas’ card – read the emc blog here – with nine ladies dancing. Although this was digitally created, not handmade.

Back to the Future Birthday

I made this birthday card for my favourite Back to the Future fan person. When I say made I mean I drew the letters several times, referencing the BtF logo, then re-drew them once more on the computer and added a gradient. I think I did a fairly good job of making it look like the original logo lettering? It was well received by the birthday boy at least.

This is the most creative thing I've done outside of work for ages. Life is busy. But Christmas is coming.

Gnome

It was my 22nd birthday on Thursday, Alice sent me this illustration. It's rather good.

Hoppy Christmas

Now that this Australian Christmas card has been received way over on the other side of the world, I can share it with the Internet. I had never sent anything to Australia before this; I didn't know anyone in Australia, or the whole Southern Hemisphere, until Richard moved out there this year. People leaving is sad but making this card was fun.

Christmas Trees

I designed some simple wintery tree cards. Coming through a letterbox near you… soon.

Comic book cards

I actually made these cards over two weeks when I was at home and decided to cut up some old comic books of mine. But now that both cards have been received by their respective recipients I am able to blog them. Also I really want to see Avengers Assemble soon, so these are appropriate.

Earlybirthdayday

Ellinor gave me my birthday card and gifts early, as she won't be around on the actual day. And I must say, she has won the award for the best birthday card I've ever received.

A super birthday

Not mine. But Joel's. It was super because it was superhero themed. And here's the birthday card I made him. We are both comic (Watchmen in particular) fans.

The Wolverine is because I am Wolverine (although not from Watchmen, of course),
and Joel is the Comedian.

I am aware neither of them are entirely accurate...

Valentines

So apparently it's valentines day. I wouldn't have known (aside from reading things on the internet) if Ellinor hadn't given me this lovely card. Hehe.

Yes, I do love bubble wrap.

EDIT: Also, browsing my blog feed, this is quite cute.

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