17 - Idea (from Ikea)

Well well well...what fun we had this week...a trip to Ikea. A rushed trip to Ikea. An "impromptu" trip to Ikea, you get the idea.... and this trip gave us an idea for the typeface for this week.

It seems that Claypots is seeping into everything we touch (rightly so...it will be our new home once we make it!) - and Friday's mission - was to purchase a Kitchen.

We've been looking for a while, B&Q, Magnet, Homebase etc...all nice, all more expensive (and probably the same quality) as our good friends in Ikea.


There's always a sense of cheating or "joining the masses" when you say you've bought something from the Swedish Box... I will not be Jack's silent scream...

One wonderful thing that Ikea provide a "home maker" is the ability to create a 3d impression of your room / home with this neat little free program (http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/rooms_ideas/splashplanners.html ) not only can you drag and drop Ikea things onto a blank canvas, you can save the model and open it in Ikea for an assistant to point out that you need 8 more bits (that cost at least £100) - bit's you won't see - but are essential... Anyway - this wonderful tool gave me the opportunity to make our first typeface for May.

It's a simpleton - a restricted set of characters. Read into that what you will (and 'scuse the pun).

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

16 - pocket saw

Claypots haul again... we'd found a "survival saw" - folded away, rusting in a leather pocket...and a large spider to boot! Needless to say, as this odd looking coil of metal and teeth unfurled we had an idea that it might work as a typeface constructor. There is one slight problem, it only bends one way...

Being Experimental - we've decided not to "cheat" - photoshopping bends that the saw can't do...so some letters are more "obscure" than their traditional brothers and sisters in the real alphabet!

If you are a nasty, rusty saw - built for survival - of course you are going to be rugged and uncompromising...honest.

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

15 - late!

Ahhh! Is it just me – or are things speeding up? Becoming more hectic? I think the theme of this week undoubtedly is “being late” – deadlines, meetings, places to be in general.



I’d decided to create a typeface that embraces the art of running late – not quite getting there in time – zipping in and apologising in sort to present itself as best it can! I am not painting an accurate picture here, I’m not always late – not always rushed – perhaps I am too rushed to post this blog to “explain fully”…ho ho…Phil.

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by."
Douglas Adams

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

14 - Feathers

And they are off!…. the geese are heading home – this means one thing…summer is round the corner!

Gabi’s new font (Feathers) is inspired by the flocks of Geese that rested in the fields surrounding Claypots and the migration they embark upon.

It’s a delicate font – it’s rather illegible on smaller scales, so go BIG! GO BOLD! When using it…

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

13 - Christopher Smith

We now have the keys to our new home (Claypots)...but it's in a bad state of repair - and full of the previous owners "junk" - gold dust to us! We are currently wading through boxes of 70's & 80's toys and zines...so much inspiration!

As a mark of respect & "homage" to their owner, a young "Christopher Smith" - we thought it would be fitting to kick off the Claypots inspired work with the handwritten typeface, created from scanning Christopher's old school books...we hope he likes them! (if he ever finds this randomness on the interweb!)

We will no doubt be creating new work for a long time - based on our finds!...We should probably start another blog just for the rummaging!...nahhhhh....

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

12 - applestalk

We know it's spring...and the apples are still the brushings of a bees legs - but we're excited...about growth - change - new possibilities... so as a tribute to our new found energy and sense of growth - Gabi has created a rather cool typeface based on apples...

This typeface has no uppercase - but as you can see - looks rather good as a spindly, Tim Burton-esque tribute. We'll be using it in the Small Stories range....

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!

11 - birds

In conjunction with our new exhibition - "Avian Constructs" (at Limousine Bull - March 20 - 29th) Gabi has prepared 26 illustrations to be used as a "typeface" for the typefaceaweek project.

We thought it would be good to let everyone see that a typeface, doesn't need to be "A B C"...and hopefully this will inspire and open the ideas up from our potential collaborators. We are still looking for creative people join in with out project - so if you want to get involved, or know of someone that you might want to get involved, please send us an email! (or leave a comment below!)


During the production of the work for the show, we had also filmed this rather wonderful snippet of footage -


Isn't it wonderful how everything appears to be related...I swear that crow is pinching a bit from January's "twigtype"...

This typeface is now unavailable for download - but will be included in the limited edition CD Rom of all 52 Typefaces at the beginning of 2010. To secure a CD Rom, please email us (Phil & Gabi) at info@g-r-a.co.uk.If you would like to get involved in making a typeface for the project, please email us at : info@g-r-a.co.uk or leave a comment below!