chicago chicago

hello! long long time, no post. apologies for the lapse! as promised, i'm excited to share some of the letterpress finds that i collected on a recent trip to the windy city. (i went with my best friend to see her idol OPRAH at a live taping at harpo studios!). a couple of my favourite stationery shops on my trip were paper doll and an.je.nu both in the wicker park 'hood.

pictured above are some of my faves among the dozens of cards that i brought back! yep, i went a little letterpress-crazy in chicago...the first couple cards are from a.favorite letterpress, the next one is dee & lala, the one that mixes letterpress and wood is night owl paper goods, and the last three are from the delectable motormouthpress. another favourite which you must check out is pikku for its delightful simple but gorgeous patterns and prints.

other letterpress gems which i brought back can be found amongst these great studios and companies (see below). check them all out! :)

hammerpress

snow & graham

little tree press

egg press

maginating letterpress and design

that sky blue

lucky star press

letterform

elum design

shimmer studio

images: a.favorite letterpress, dee & lala, night owl paper goods, motormouthpress

boo!

happy halloween! with the spooky holiday coming up i couldn't pass up the opportunity to share these fun adorable new halloween cards from egg press. candy corn, spiders, witches and goblins are sure signs that the trick-or-treaters will be out in full force soon! i just hope my little guy will wear his costume this year... :)

oh and happy thanksgiving to my friends and family. stay tuned for some fab letterpress finds from my recent girls trip to chicago where we saw ms. oprah in person and ate and shopped well!

images: egg press

on fire

studio on fire is a design and letterpress studio in minneapolis. their blog beast pieces showcases their incredible printing and fun, original design style. pictured here are some samples of their custom work including their own business cards, wedding invitations, a photographer's business card on blotter paper and a smartly designed card printed on tongue depressors for "design that talks."

images: beast pieces

sf center for the book

san francisco is one of my favourite cities. when i was there on a family trip in 2005 i ventured off on my own to find the san francisco center for the book. it's a great studio/museum type place where letterpress and the book arts thrive. they describe themselves as a place "devoted to teaching the many arts and crafts that go into making books by hand. We introduce and foster the joys of books and bookmaking—their history, artistry, continuing presence in our culture and their enduring importance as a medium of self-expression". i felt in awe of all the great resources available there and was happy that i had a chance for even a short visit.

pictured above are a selection of books produced by artists-in-residence and are limited edition works published by their publishing arm imprint. more details about these books are on their etsy shop.

images: san francisco center for the book

so simple

design studio simplesong creates perfectly simple and beautiful cards and other stationery. pictured above are some of my favourite selections from her etsy shop. i think i'm going to order some of the gorgeous blind impression notecards for my friend (and maybe myself)! i love the hello notecards with the camera design and the confetti notecard too!

designer suann song also has a wonderful blog where she posts about fresh and modern products, photography, stationery, and more. be sure to check out the simplesong blog when you have a minute to spare.

images: simplesong design

lucky lucky lucky!

hello! lucky is one of my all-time favourite letterpress studios, founded by two creative sisters in san francisco. their designs are always fun and stylish often with a vintagey feel and a bit of humour. pictured above are some of my faves.

images: hello! lucky

luscious liners

oooh, how luxurious are hand-lined envelopes! with electronic mail and online social networks taking over the world, hand-written notes should be cherished more than ever.

i love the work of black pearl press and especially their amazing lined envelopes that accompany their custom cards. i love their patterns and the styling of the photographs too. their website is being revamped but check it out to see some examples of their fabulous letterpress printed work.

images: black pearl press