visualchemist

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to print up press kit covers for a friend and former coworker, Jennifer Hohner, of D’Lischka, Petite German Pastries. This print run consisted of black ink on Sundance Felt Natural White card stock. Jen supplied the logo and I had a magnesium letterpress die created. The results were simple and sweet, like the cookies themselves. These cookies are actually hand-crafted petite pastries based on a well-kept German family recipe, passed on to her by her Grandma Lischka. Though petite, they sure are mighty D’Lischka!

Photo credits: t-l Hartono Tai, Long Beach Magazine // b-r Jennifer Hohner.

Earlier this year, I had designed and letterpress printed a set of business cards and gift certificates for Ed and Karen, of San Diego wedding photography studio Atrero Photography, an International Award Winning Wedding Duo.

The front of Ed and Karen’s print collateral required two hits of color and a blind deboss. Their business cards passed through the press a total of 5 times (once for each color/impression, front and back), and they were also printed on 220lb. flourescent white Crane Lettra 100% cotton stock… the thick stuff. Though the Atrero brand features invisible bamboo trees, it feels good to know that no actual trees were harmed in the creation of these business cards and gift certificates.

Speaking of invisible, Ed and Karen pride themselves on taking a ninja like approach to wedding photography: working in the shadows unobtrusively to capture that killer shot. Next time you find yourself wondering if ninjas carried business cards, wonder no more. They do, and they are 100% cotton!

After participating in Paper Stories’ Print Swap and then the Blackbird Letterpress Old Maid Swap, I decided to host a letterpress swap… COASTERS!

I have a handful of participants on the list already, but if you are interested in participating, send an email to info@visualchemist.com with the subject “LOVE & LETTERPRESS.” This will be the best way for me to gather and sort all the emails that come my way.

WHO // Participants must use a letterpress to reproduce their art. This swap is open to all those interested in printing and swapping an original set of luscious cushy letterpress printed coasters.

WHAT // Coasters as art… The coasters must be 4″ square with rounded corners. The theme is “Love and Letterpress.” I will leave the theme of “Love & Letterpress” open to interpretation. Quantity is still TBD.

It’s not necessarily about red hearts and frilly pretty stuff, but more about what your passions, loves and favorite things are. For example, I love typography, so my coaster design will most likely have something to do with being a typophile.

WHEN // In honor of one of my favorite holidays and a trade so near and dear to my heart, I am looking to collect and redistribute these in time for Valentine’s Day 2010. So you have a little less than 2 months to get things going. The mail-in deadline for your printed pieces and shipping fee will be January 31st. This will give me about a week to sort and send out so that all participants receive a nice little Valentine’s Day package to hang or you could use them at your next soiree.

WHERE // I have resources of places where coasters can be purchased, and I will also order and distribute coasters as well. I just need to calculate cost + shipping.

WHY // Because life is like a box of swapped letterpress coasters… you never know what you’re gonna get. And because you love letterpress.

I probably missed a few things, so again, send me an email and I will be sure to get a interest list going to keep everyone updated. I need to work payment details out, but if you add yourself to the interest list, I will make sure to share this information with the swap participants. Please pass the word along to people who may be interested and may not have access to this info. I’ll be posting updates to my blog (http://blog.visualchemist.com) as we go along, or you can follow me on twitter (@visualchemist) for updates as they happen.

Back in March, I attended the first official meeting for the Seattle Freelance Designer Co-Op. Being new to Seattle, it was the perfect opportunity to meet local creatives and take the temperature of the current design/freelance market in the Pacific Northwest. Several creative events had been held by the Co-Op since that first meeting, but today’s studio tour was one meet up I didn’t want to pass up. Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Becki Mullins of West Seattle’s Myrtle Alley Press. She opened up her letterpress studio to Co-Op members and we were given a tour of her space. This is where her magic happens.

Her studio walls were covered with a growing collection of letterpress prints including some original Hatch prints. It was awesome to hear her story and goals for her shop. She did a quick demo on her 8×12 C&P NS named “Jack,” and her Vandercook 219 OS “Ray,” (formerly owned by the late Chris Stern of Stern & Faye, Printers). Co-Op members were welcome to crank out a type poster to take home. With my days in Seattle coming to a close, it was great to have the opportunity to visit another local letterpress studio. Long live letterpress!

We didn’t want to show up at yesterday’s birthday party empty handed so we decided to bring a dozen donuts from Frost, the hand-crafted gourmet doughnut shop/boutique in Mill Creek, WA. We are temporarily living just two blocks away from this fancy place. My top 5 flavors are Red Velvet, Pink Lady, Wedding Cake, White Chocolate Truffle, and Banana Split fritter. Yum. Oh, and the birthday girl loved them so much, she kept them all to herself.

So is it donut or doughnut? However it’s spelled, these perfect little sugar-coated calorie bombs are the bomb.

A dear friend from high school moved up to the Seattle area and it had been years (years!) since we last saw each other. Being the socialite and foodie that she is, she invited my family to her last minute birthday party. I needed a last minute gift, so I quickly hand set some lead type I had laying around and pressed a set of notecards for her. I hope she likes them! Happy Birthday, Miss Almie!

*If you are interested in a similar or custom letterpress set like this, get in touch!

While in Seattle, I made it a point to visit as many local design and letterpress studios as I could. Last month, (08/29) the School of Visual Concepts hosted their 8th annual Letterpress Wayzgoose and Steam Roller Smackdown.

Along with the Smackdown, I also took the dollar tour of SVC. I visited their event vendor/exhibit hall and checked out their letterpress facilities. I also had the pleasure of meeting Carl Montford, wood engraver/printer at ‘The Montford Press.’ I printed up my own souvy on his tiny Sigwalt, Carl’s hand carved commemorative SVC 2009 steam engine. (BTW, that’s his hand in the photo.)

It was a quickie visit to SVC, but totally worth it!