Inspiration

Yesterday brought a new found realization of the sheer number of artists and graphic designers who have just very recently taken up letterpress and founded their own printshops. While I'm, of course, excited at the enormous enthusiasm that the art has generated, I'm also feeling just a wee bit territorial.

Then I got an email notification of the feature of our "Postmark" save the date card as "New and Noteworthy" in the early summer issue of Home Companion Magazine. Just the pick-me-up the doctor ordered!



I topped off the day with some printing - it was the cover for a memorial keepsake book, and accompanying bookmark. I'm especially partial to the boat that went onto the back cover. The font was originally a Black Adder, very pirate-like, but in the end the clients decided on something more traditional.

sponge-licious

This week I made my way to New York for a meeting of biz ladies, orchestrated by Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge. Though I'll take just about any excuse to come into the city, this was a truly tremendous meeting - about 150 self-starting crafty ladies piled into Design Within Reach in Brooklyn Heights in order to pick the brains of store owners, Etsy folks, legal experts and Grace's own pr and marketing expertise.

What did I take away from it?
- take good product photographs
- keep original sketches
- make stores come to you

Hear that stores? Come to me!

But in all seriousness, thanks to Grace (who is quite possibly the cutest, sweetest person I've met recently) for her dedication to fostering new design, and more importantly, designers.

The Poem

It took a long time to find just the right love poem - romantic for the holiday, but not dwelling on unrequited love, long-distances, or death - dark themes far too prevalent in "love" poetry.
I'll have to start searching now for a Mother's Day poem for Open Studios in May...

Love's Philosophy

A giant thanks goes out to everyone who made it to the first of what I hope will be many Paper & Chocolate celebrations! Well over 150 people showed up and were able to print their own valentine, a poem by Percy Shelley (my namesake... stay tuned for the scan), taste freshly ground chocolate and have a generally grand ole' time. Sadly, I was too busy helping with the printing to take pictures of all of the fabulous people who visited, but here are some photots of the shop before we got swamped!



Jacob in front of the wall of fame (some of my favorite projects, and pictures of my great-grandfather's printshop/bindery).



Ducks and Hot Tamales were the biggest hits of the afternoon.



The three sisters all decked out for the holiday!



Check out the new accordion cards, many bound with paper I marbled last year. Looking forward to more marbling in the near future.



Making last minute adjustments to the type (deleting that extra "the").



Mmmmm.... goodies.



Big thanks to Erin Gardner of Wild Orchid Baking Co. who made these absolutely adorable chocolate "Albertines"! Not only were they a hit, but I didn't even get to try one!!! In fact, my stepdad, who took one home, is sending it back to me to rectify that.

So, once again, thanks to everyone, from the littlest printers (9 months old) to John Barrett of Letterpress Things, who helped out with his 40+ years of letterpress knowledge and wisdom; Taza Chocolate and La Tene Chocolatier, for collaborating on the event; Erin for the chocolates and expert display skills; Mike for the photographs; Daphne for superior postering skills; and most of all to friends, family, letterpress afficianados, future collaborators, neighbors and chocolate lovers who came out to celebrate the best parts of Valentine's Day - paper & chocolate.