I love my shop. I love that I feel at home here. It's my happy place. It's where I can be Chelsey, not mom, not wife, not daughter, just me...doing my thing. 

That's me (Hi!) at my 1923 Chandler and Price platen press. She's my baby. We've had her in our family since the 1940's when my grandfather bought another newspaper. I have pictures that have this press in it from the time, which I love. She's the first press we refurbished and the one that I started this business with. 

I was so excited in the beginning to order my first supplies. I love all the little pieces it takes to do letterpress printing. We have had hoards of wood type in our collection for decades and it was so rewarding to practice printing with them. 

I have a couple of sets of wood furniture and a collection of ink that stand in front of one of my favorite features in the shop...my navy blue brick wall. 

Well, that's a quick tour of little parts of the shop. I'll share more soon, only for the fact that I LOVE to see other peopel's shop spaces, and hope that other people will like these. 

Now..back to work!

Chelsey

Home from Josh Brine on Vimeo.

I was sent this video recently and it really struck me. I don't normally share things like this, but this piece seemed to make sense. I've been doing a lot of reflection lately on what I do, and where I find my inspiration. It's not an easy task with so many blogs and Pinterest drawing my attention. I think my angst ridden teenage self had an easier go at it. This video by Josh Brine is so simple, and you really get a sense of what's important to him. I can use more inspiration right now, and was grateful to see the home I love protrayed this way. 

I hope you like it, I bet Josh does too.

Have a great week,

Chelsey

I think I picked this career at the right time. I am always amazed...excited...stoked when I get new custom orders for personalized stationery. I appreciate so much that people still want to express themselves in writing (on paper!). 

One of my clients, Kinfolk Magazine, embodies this movement back towards more personalized correspondance. Their brand is all about the value of connecting with people. I printed a set of flat notecards and subscription cards for them recently. If you have seen their magazine or visited their website you will get a sense of simplicity and beauty in that simplicity. These cards represent that. 

For this project we used an extra thick bamboo paper. I hadn't used bamboo paper until now, so it was fun to see the differences in printing on it. It is a super meaty paper. It is sturdy and substatial. If you receive a notecard on this paper you will know that whoever sent it to you has an appreciation of the texture and feel of the card. It makes you stop and feel it, and look at it a little closer. 

The printing was straight to the point. No ink on the notecard, and black ink on the subscription card. The paper is a slightly off white color which makes it feel very rich. 

The magazine is a great one to keep on your coffee table. The images are so beautiful you will want to keep flipping back through. A subscription would make the perfect gift!

I really love when they incorporate a quote on their printed pieces. This one reads "It isn't so much on the table that matters, as what's in the chairs." Cheers to that. 

Chelsey

This year Kinfolk Magazine is hosting a series of workshops. They describe them as "The Kinfolk community gatherings are an invitation to engagement: engaging with new skills, new relationships, and a refreshed understanding of the physical world around us. We'll focus on cooking, gardening, the culture of the table, and other hands-on practices we find life-enriching." Doesn't that sound great?

Last year I helped them with menus for their dinner series. This year they reached out to me to help with the workshops. The first event was a baking workshop and the pantry guide I printed is such a great addition to any kitchen.

Folks gathered in different cities around the world on the same day to share baking tips and enjoy each others company. I received a very sweet email from the team in Madrid, Spain thanking me for sending the pieces. I can't take the credit, it was the Kinfolk team's idea, but it was so nice to see my work enjoyed by others. Here are a few of the photos taking in the different cities.

From the Portland, Oregon workshop.

Photos from the Madrid, Spain event sent to me by Ana & Elena Martínez.

Photo from the Fukuoka, Japan baking workshop.

April's workshop is on flower arranging. I'm excited for the September workshop teaching canning and preserving, I will have to get a ticket for that one!

I love fresh ideas, and these workshops hold a ton of inspiration for me. I'm thankful to be a part of these events in this little way. 

Chelsey

At the first of the year I had a chance to work with Carissa Gallo on some promotional photos for our Fox + Anchor card line. I had never met her before but was instantly taken with her warmth and kind heart. Carissa and her husband Andrew have Sea Chant, a production company. It worked out that they were in need of some new business cards I was happy to help. 

The couple already had their design and I was so happy when I saw it. I love that their style plays so well with letterpress printing. These cards could have been hand typeset 100 years ago and look the same as they do today. Their card is another great example of letting the medium do the talking for you rather than filling your card with a lot of information. Get people's attention and take them where you want them to go. Tell them who you are without having to say a word (or use someone else's words). 

Such a great project. 

Have a great week,

Chelsey

PS - For cards with printing on both sides I recommend using a thick stock so the design doesn't show through to the other side. I used Crane's 220# Lettra stock for these cards.