So, for my Kickstarter,…

So, for my Kickstarter, I promised a variety of little items to donors, including cards and sexy bookmarks, maybe a tip-in for the hardcover. I am contemplating making those myself, for the more personalized (and limited edition) touch. I know the basics of block-printing -- I took a class in high school that covered linoleum, wood, and screenprinting. But it's been a while. I've ordered a few books to refresh my memory. I've been taking a drawing class this summer, and I think I can execute at least a simple design that will not be unpleasing.

But here's my dilemma -- there's a poem that goes with the book that I'd rather like to include. I do not want to carve out a whole poem (a dozen lines or so) from linoleum; it would not go well. I love letterpress, but I don't have big budget for this project -- about $250 total, and that includes ink, paper, and carving supplies. I thought about getting the poem letterpressed and then blockprinting a design onto the paper, but the cost seems prohibitive -- one place I checked would want $300 to do a run of 100. The price/unit gets more affordable as you go up, but I don't actually need a thousand cards; in fact, I'd rather this stay very small and limited.

Should I just give up on the poem part? It's not essential. Is there something I'm missing here?

And Jack, does it seem kosher to you if I use your beautiful artwork as inspiration for my attempts at linoleum prints? I'm thinking perhaps a bit of one of your cityscapes, for example. Or would that be weird for you? I can come up with something original if you'd rather! :-) (I am not sure how artists feel about this sort of thing. Is it perceived as theft, or homage?)