STARTED THE CHRISTMAS CARD FOR 2014

I got out my sketchbook with every intention of drawing an owl for this year's Christmas card.  As I was flipping through the sketchbook, looking for a blank page, I spotted this cute little tree that I had sketched several years ago.  I fell in love with it and decided it needed to be this year's image.

I got out a linoleum plate, 4.5" by 6" and drew the tree on it and started carving.

I then realized I didn't have a jig for this size plate and card.  So, I got out a piece of mat board and drew the registration lines and cut a hole for the plate, then covered it with clear plastic Contact paper.  I learned this trick in some class I took years ago, great idea.  It's inevitable that while printing I will get ink on the registration jig, and wrapping it in plastic Contact paper makes it very easy to keep clean.

Cut out enough Contact paper to wrap the front and the back.  This makes the mat board jig wipe-able, in case you get a little ink on it.

Cutting the plastic Contact paper from the plate hole.  I cut it corner to corner, forming triangles.  Then I fold it onto the back.

Finished jig, with registration lines and notes so I don't get confused about what goes where.

I noticed the linoleum plate had fuzzies around the edges from the backing.  I trimmed it off as best I could with scissors.  It will probably keep fraying, so I coated it with acrylic gel medium.

I also got all the paper cut for the cards, too, but I forgot to take pictures.

I'm ready to start printing tomorrow.