Tag, I'm It...

I was recently tagged by Whitney and Jonathan at Brown Sugar Design (fellow invitation/graphic designers from Kirkland, WA - beautiful work) to post eight random facts or habits about myself, and then pass the fun along to eight other bloggers. Hmm, as I track back to everyone that has done this before me, I see that most of my other fave bloggers have already been tagged… :)

Nevertheless, here’s my bit:

• I am a dental hygiene nazi of the highest order. I cannot, CANNOT, go to bed without flossing and brushing. Sometimes I floss twice a day. I keep Crest and Oral-B in business. I have floss on my person at all times, in case a flossing emergency occurs.

• I met my husband in a bar, and I hate to admit it. I actually lied to my parents and told them I met him at a party, because I didn’t want them to think I picked up a random stranger in a drinking establishment. When he asked for my number I refused to write it down, so he memorized it and called me the next day for a date.

• I have a major weakness for candy and chocolate (hmm, perhaps this explains my dental OCD). See’s Candies, Marabou (Swedish), and Harry and David Chocolate Covered Strawberries are my vices of choice.

• I was born in Pointe Claire, Montreal, and speak French and Spanish.

• I come up with my best design ideas when I am away from the computer - usually while on the elliptical trainer at the gym.

• I have traveled extensively and have had numerous awe-inspiring, life-changing moments along the way. Waking up to a Tuscan sunrise at a vineyard in San Gimignano, sleeping in a thatch-roof hut (bure) in Fiji with no electricity, sailing in the Whitsundays in Australia, swimming with sharks in Belize…A trip to Asia is up next...

• My great grandfather was a pressman. He even wrote a printing encyclopedia. Perhaps this printing thing is genetic?
  

• I can't sing to save my life - I've always admired those who can do it well.

I will round up some bloggers to tag...stay tuned.


Update on the C&P

I finally found a mover to help me - good old Atlas (Salmon's). I've used them before for household moving, and they have a commercial division for heavy/awkward items. August 11 is the moving date! Wohoo! I'll take lots of photos of the move/reassembly (did I mention we're taking it apart a bit? Yeah - otherwise she won't fit).

Moving will be between $450-650. Yuck. But, I'd rather let the professionals lug 1,000 lbs down the stairs instead of me!

Happy letterpressing!

My Etsy Store...and a New Press for the Studio...

Today I went on an adventure to Coquitlam (a suburb of Vancouver) with my hubby to check out the C&P 8x12 I found on Briarpress. So, this lovely press will be coming home to my basement soon - as soon as I can confirm that the mover I have lined up will help me.

The gentleman I am buying the press from (Dave) is clearing out his huge and wonderful collection of presses, type, and random bits (and oh boy does he have a lot of treasures!!!). I was in a letterpress wonderland! My poor husband's eyes were glazing over as we talked shop, but I think he was impressed to see the press in action - and by golly, it comes with a motor! No more bending over a lever! And brand new rollers! Wohoo!

Here she is (with the old rollers on):


I saw the press in action, and it looks good and runs well. But there is a downside, I gotta get the beast into the basement... But, I am told it can be done, and the press can be taken apart. So, like Dave told me today - "where there's a will, there's a way"!

Dave's son posted an ad on Briarpress on a whim to help his Dad sell some of his presses and type, etc. Well, needless to say, I don't think they expected the response they are getting. Luckily I saw the ad for the press and jumped on it right away. There is someone from New York wanting the Golding jobber he has, and others from around Canada and the states calling about his other paraphernalia and tabletops. I'm sure he'll have an easy time selling everything. If anyone wants information, please email me and I'll forward on Dave's contact information.

I have never seen so many type cases - even in a commercial shop. These photos are only part of the collection, there is much more. (By the way, that's floor to ceiling...). In the second photo, the cabinets you see cover 2-3 more in behind.


In other news, I have joined the Etsy army and created my online store: http://sunlitletterpress.etsy.com
Right now, I only have the "Bun in the Oven" card listed, but more will be up soon. I have a request for the "I Heart You" card, so that will go up a.s.a.p. If you buy a card, drop me an email saying you are an AIL blog reader, and I'll include a free birthday greeting card with your order (while supplies last).



Happy letterpressing!

Got Craft - The Results Are In...

(photo above: crowd waiting to get in to the fair)


I apologize for taking so long for posting about the Got Craft? fair I participated in this past weekend (July 21st) - I know lots of readers have been wanting to know how I did, so thank you for your emails :)

Overall, the craft fair was a success, especially as a first-timer. I managed to sell about half of my inventory, and when I worked out the ratio of sales to the number of people that attended, I made a dollar per person (which happens to be also what the organizers made, as each person was charged $1 to get in). So, considering that I had low expectations (of maybe selling one card the whole day!) - I was pleased.

I had lots of friends and colleagues stop by to check out my work and say hi - so thanks to you all! It was great to have your support!

It's hard to think of anything bad about the day...The only minor downsides were these:

1. The location of the fair was not what I expected. I thought the hall was closer to the main drag in Kitsilano (a part of Vancouver) - when it was in fact in more of a residential area. Not sure if this made a difference...

2. The weather stunk. Rain, rain, rain. So yeah, that might have made people stay in.

3. This was my first fair, and I learned from some of the other vendors that there are more "high end" fairs out there, for which I may be better suited...not sure though...just what they told me.

Here are some photos...

Me at my table, with my lovely Kinkos banner :)



My dear friend and volunteer assistant, Nikki Scott. She was great - and what a help! Having her there allowed me to chat up the product and talk letterpress with fellow printers, while she helped others waiting. Nikki was very good at doing the math and receipts while I blabbed away. I bagged product and talked, and she handled the money. What a match we are! Luckily, Nikki had fun and did some shopping while at the fair, so I am hoping she will join me again at my next event :)

Here is another shot of the table...Note the free Mentos for shoppers :)

A frame with info about letterpress and what I do...

Product for sale...

Baby congrats card and my business cards (I had about 5 left by the end)...

One of the most fun aspects of the day was when the artist from Photies (a metal working studio that makes custom photo holders out of wire) came over to tell me he had fashioned a bird photo holder based on my bird illustration he had seen in photos of my work before the show! I was honoured. We put the bird card in the photo holder and took a photo. I think it looks great!

I had a great time at the show (6 hours) and met some wonderful fellow designers, including Allison from StudioTwo13. Allison is a jewelry designer and she gave me some tips for where to find good shows to be in, how to get product into stores, and other tidbits. Thanks Allison!!!

All in all it was a great day, and people told me how much they loved my work - even when they didn't buy anything.

So what's next? Well, I'm planning to do a few more shows, and may participate in Portobello West - another local art/craft market for young designers. It gets more foot traffic and is the last Sunday of every month, so something to definitely look into.

I am also going to open an Etsy store very soon, as soon as I can find the time. I will also have a new website dedicated to my letterpress work. My studio website (http://www.sunlit-media.com/) is really for my "real job" - graphic & web design - so I'd like to have a home just for my letterpress work.

On the press front, I may have located a C&P 8x12 in my area...so cross your fingers that I can find a way to get it into my basement :)

Happy letterpressing...

How much to bring to sell...

Megan Carty, a fellow letterpress printer, recently asked me how much product I am bringing to the Got Craft craft show to sell. To be honest, I've been kind of winging it on this aspect of my first foray into the craft fair industry. I have probably printed between 300-400 cards, and I have no clue whether this is way too much, or way too little. The craft fair organizers had about 500-600 people at their previous show, so I sort of used that figure in my estimate of how many cards to bring, but God knows I'm probably way off.

The other factor is that I have packaged some cards and stationery into packs of four, so that people can purchase sets. This means that there are less "singles" available for sale. But, as my hubby pointed out, if the singles are selling more, I can just take the packs apart and sell the cards individually.

But, I may not sell a thing of course - and I need to keep that in mind so I'm not disappointed with my first craft fair attempt. I really am going for the networking opportunity, and the chance to meet young women in my target market that are interested in wedding invitations, birth announcements, and the like.

If I sell one card, I will be happy :)

If anyone has any craft fair advice or tips for me or AIL readers who are entering their first craft fair, please post a comment.

Happy letterpressing...

Less than a week left...

I have less than a week until the Got Craft? show...I still have so much to do! I still need to figure out my table set-up, finish up some more printing, run off a set of business cards, and so on...I need to find time to get it all done. Since I don't have a lot of time for posting, here are some photos of recent work.



Cover of a congrats card for new babies.



Another view.


I like this card, so here's another view... :)

Cards drying on the "drying rack" (a.k.a. ladder hanging on the wall).

Did I mention I like cherry blossoms?

Some birthday cards that need to be reprinted because my plate had lifted a bit with ink on it and it got on the card...oops!

Khaki flowers.

Elephant notecards.

Cards sets ready and packaged for the show.

Happy letterpressing...

I want a Pearl...

(image from Briarpress.org Press Museum)


I'm starting to think about getting a bigger press. As much as I love my Kelsey, and want to continue using it, I am starting to feel restricted by the size (5X8) and effort needed to print larger runs. I need a press that can be moved into my basement by people, not forklifts. Our basement can be accessed by stairs on the inside of the house, and a door and stairs below ground on the outside of the house. There is not a lot of room on either staircase, so my options are limited.

So, I am on the lookout for an Improved Pearl No.11 or No. 8 in good shape. I am willing to travel to pick up. I am hoping there is one out there that is in working order and ready to print. I'd consider driving as far as California if need be...

If you know of someone selling a Golding Pearl, or someone who wants to get rid of one, shoot me an email at info at sunlit-media.com. Or, if you know of someone selling any kind of press that can be moved into a basement without machinery, let me know...

Also curious to know if any of you have moved a larger press into your basement and how your experience was.

Happy letterpressing!

Busy, busy, busy...

Well, it's July 5th today...meaning I have 15 more days until the launch of my letterpress line at Got Craft. There is still sooooo much to do. The weekend did not yield many results as I goofed off at my friend's lovely lakeside cabin on Shuswap lake, here in BC. But, after printing nearly every day for weeks, I needed a break :)

So in this post, I will answer some of the questions people have left in the comments, and post some more photos of the goods that will be for sale at the Got Craft show...

Q. What weight of Crane Lettra do you use?
A. 110 # Cover. You can get a much heavier weight (I got some in my samples) but I haven't bought any yet...

Q. Do I illustrate my own designs?
A. Mostly yes. I (and you) can't print other people's designs without their permission or license to reproduce their artwork for sale. So yes, I illustrate my own designs. Luckily for me, I love type, so often my designs do not require too much illustration. I have two flower designs that I am currently using that I purchased licenses to reproduce and sell as greeting cards, framed art, etc. One is a vintage illustration of a rose - which I couldn't do myself without spending hours, and hours on.

Generally letterpress works best with type and line art - both of which I am comfortable with.

Q. What size Boxcar Base do you use with the Kelsey 5x8?
A. Visit this page for more info. You will need a Deep Relief base cut to 3.5" x 6.5" - you cannot order this size online, you'll need to call or email the kind, friendly staff at Boxcar. By the way, Boxcar staff are extremely helpful, so don't be afraid to call them with questions. The plates you will use with the Deep Relief base are KF 152.

Q. How do you print the two-color cards when using plates?
A. Well, there are two options...Get two plates made, one with each color (which is the more expensive method). Or, have one plate made with both colors, and cut them up and print with the pieces for each color. Boxcar Press has a webpage that explains exactly how to do this (the "Jigsaw Jamboree"). It's a great technique. This is why I love the Boxcar system - you can cut your plates up and move the pieces around and pretty much do what you wish.

Q. Will you sell your work online?
A. Yep! I will be opening an Etsy store a.s.a.p., and a new website specifically for my letterpress work. My studio website is more of a showcase for my graphic and web design work.

And finally, some recent work...


My banner for my table at the craft fair - printed at Kinko's. I am pleased.



A navy set of notecards paired with really cool envelopes made with lunchbag-style paper, and a lunchbag-style flap.



A card for the newly engaged, newly wed, for a daughter from a mother, or a bride seeking a bridesmaid or maid of honour. Anything goes with this wedding card.



Here is one of the goodies being given away if you are in the first 25 visitors at Got Craft...I heard people came early to the May Got Craft so they could get their swag bags. Sounds like they are highly coveted - so come early!