New in Store: Letterpress Coasters

Drum roll please...They're finally here!  Letterpress coasters are available for purchase here or here.  These coasters are great as a hostess gift for all the holiday parties you will be attending.  Right now they are available in blue, but if you had a specific color in mind contact me and let me know!

Hiccups and Headaches: Holiday Cards on the Showcard Press

I've finished my first set of letterpress holiday cards using the Showcard Press!!! As I expected there were some hiccups and headaches along the way. Initially I though the most difficult part of the printing process would be the registration, boy was I wrong. The most difficult part for me, was the mixing of the ink and consistent inking of the plate (some times there's too much ink and other times not enough). I haven't figured out how to solve the issue of inking the plate, but for mixing I think I may try using opaque white instead of transparent white for my lighter colours. If anyone has suggestions please let me know.

new in studio: Showcard Press

I'm really excited to share with everyone, what I've been working on in the studio!

On Saturday, October 2nd, I went a long with Akemi of Kozo studio for a group trip to Don Black Linecasting. What a great adventure! For those of you who don't know, Don Black Linecasting is a mecca for all things letterpress. There were a bunch of C&P table top platen's in various stages of repair, I saw a Heidelberg and Vandercook's and a ton of other things that I had never seen before (but are really impressive like the Linotype and Ludlow Machines). At the end of the 4 hour trip I went home the proud owner of a Showcard Press! The Showcard press is a flat bed press, and not what I had initially envisioned as my first press but I couldn't be more excited! In addition to the press, I left the outing with an increased knowledge and a feeling of kinship with the other group members...Not bad for a Saturday morning!

Since that trip I've been busy getting the materials I needed to start printing. I've started with the basics, black ink, blue ink, a Speedball brayer and one custom die. These are the results...

A 5x7 print of a rose

And a coaster printed with the same rose

Stay tuned, these letterpress goodies, plus much more, will soon be available for purchase at my Etsy shop!

New in Store: thank you note cards

Just posted in my Etsy shop are these great thank you cards! They are flat note cards printed on 110lbs cotton paper. Anyone and everyone would be thrilled to receive these gorgeous cards as gift or of course with a heartfelt hand written thank you. Different colors are available, so email me if you have a request!

Is it that time of year already?

Although it's 22 degrees outside, the grass is green and the leaves are still on the trees, 'tis the season I like to start working on holiday cards! In the spirit of the upcoming season I thought I would share these vintage holiday ads. My oh my have things changed!

letterpress curiosity workshop

While I write this post, out of the corner of my eye I see the perfect spot to but my letterpress machine… no I don’t own one, not yet anyways, but any successful person will agree that the first step to achievement is visualization. Although I’ve been infatuated with letterpress printed stationery for some time, I never really thought seriously about owning my own press. Well, that changed after my wonderful Letterpress Curiosity Workshop with Tanya @ Snap and Tumble. I signed up for the workshop hoping to gain a more complete understanding of the technique and process. I loved everything about the workshop. Mixing colours setting type by hand (I enjoyed that more than I thought I would) I even enjoyed the repetitive motion of running the press. I was so consumed by the process that I didn’t touch my homemade white chocolate macadamia nut cookie (courtesy of Tanya) until mt drive home.

Yes, I made a few mistakes, but I never once felt defeated or frustrated. I LOVE letterpress printing and I’m grateful to Tanya for the experience and her willingness to share her expertise. I only wish the workshop lasted longer!

This is what I made at the workshop!

Colour your world } Green, a neutral?!

I say yes!!! Green goes so well with so many different colours, that it can easily be considered a neutral. Try pairing it with a deep purple, or hot pink for a fun summer wedding. Getting married in September, October or November? Try brown and green for a fall themed wedding.

Real Weddings } Krista and Alex

I can't say enough about how great it was to work with Krista and Alex through out the planning of their wedding stationery. From the high five they gave each other at our very first meeting, I knew they were a special couple!

The images are courtesy of Calla Evans photography. Krista and Alex are also featured on Lustre Events blog. They were married at the gorgeous Knox College Chapel at the University of Toronto with their reception at the Palais Royale in Toronto.

Organizing your guests } Seating Charts

We all remember the school cafeteria on the first day of class, looking around asking ourselves ‘where should I sit?’ Seating charts are a great way to help your guests navigate at the wedding reception. Remember these are the family and friends you have invited to share in your day, make it as organized as possible for them, and not only will your guests appreciate it, but the reception itself will run that much smother. Framed or unframed it's a great functional piece of your wedding day stationery.