Stationery Show - part 2

It's taken some time to sort through the Stationery Show experience, fill orders, catch up on custom work, and let life get back to normal. But here we are.

Although it seemed slower than last year, the show was a success for us. We took orders from many new stores, partnered with some fine folks who'll be selling on our behalf in places far flung (well, far from Boston, anyway), met wonderful people from stores, magazines, and more.

Letterpress was all over the place. Designers who once turned to offset printing to outsource their printing are now jumping right onto the letterpress bandwagon. My best estimate is over 80 different mostly small stationery studios are using letterpress printing for at least some of their work. Now, the number of us who are both design AND print shops is still in the minority. I think it entitles us to an extra merit badge.



Case in point - in our little bay of eight booths, six of us sold letterpress goods. Of course, getting to know our "neighbors" was an integral part of the experience. We had live trees (at Tallu-lah) which a stray, live, bluebird happily nested upon; also our favorite aisle mascots, baby Celeste (of Jackie Paper) and little Jessie (of Two Piglets).



While I held down the fort and got to know the neighbors, Angela of Carta, Inc. (with whom I was sharing the booth) was a little social butterfly, flitting here and there all around the show to visit other exhibitors. During my few escapes, I mostly revisited my collaborators in the Walrus and the Carpenter promotion:



Carrie (shown) & Laurie of Two Trick Pony;



Melissa & Dana (not shown) at Spruce Avenue;



and Liz & John (also not shown) of Linda & Harriett.

Two other booths that I loved were the delightful candy counter display at Pie Bird Press (aka Wetfoot Publications) and the charming frame arrangements at Orange Beautiful.





All in all I'm super satisfied with everything show related. I'm still knee deep in follow up and order filling, but slowly and surely everything is coming together. Thanks to everyone who visited our booth (including our favorite surprise guest, John Barrett from Letterpress Things), pitched in putting together information packets (long-suffering friends Rachel & Erin), and generally helped drag us to and through the show and beyond.

Until next year!