Quest for a letterpress

Let me start with this:

The last few weeks have been busy. Alongside a full-time job, I have been filling my days with online letterpress research, gathering a ton of information and reaching out to fellow printers. I'm on a quest for my own letterpress!

When I first discovered, and in turn, became obsessed with letterpress printing (which was shortly after my wedding), I made a secret pact with myself. I promised myself that I'll trade my wedding dress for a letterpress! I thought to myself, what a marvelous idea to exchange something as precious and lovely as my own wedding gown for something that my soul desires so deeply. And let's be honest, since purchasing a letterpress is a significant expense (as was purchasing a wedding gown), the idea of exchanging one for the other seemed ideal to me. It still does today, however the process of selling the dress is not as quick as I thought it would be. But I haven't given up yet!

And then there is the predicament of purchasing the right press. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there, yet the process is still confusing for an inexperienced printer like myself. I have reached out to the one and only letterpress equipment supplier in Canada, Don Black Linecasting, and placed a hold on a 5x7.5 Sigwalt. I have read so many wonderful things about Sigwalt presses, however the size of the press is a concern. For the amount of money to be spent, the return is questionable as the size introduces various limitations. All along, I have come across numerous ads on Briar Press (an invaluable source of information for letterpress printers, by the way). However, all of the presses listed on there are located in the US, which again becomes tricky in terms of transportation and additional expenses. I also found an ad for a 6x10 Kelsey located only few hours away from where I live. Perfect, I thought! The press however requires new rollers and some cleaning. I have also read enough about Kelseys to know that they are not the best of the best. Again, whether it's the right investment....I'm not convinced. And to top it all off, today I routinely checked Ladies of Letterpress (another wonderful letterpress community), and spotted an ad for a C&P Pilot! This the press I fell in love with during my first ever letterpress workshop and I was so excited to find this ad. The price is right, yet the press is missing rollers, has a crack in the frame, and is located in the US. Not a simple decision yet again...

Decisions are hard indeed, but I'm determined to keep going on my quest for a letterpress! I have invested so much into this process already. And I like to believe that the more time I spend on researching and asking questions, the better decision I'll make in the end.

Life is short

Today has been difficult...I received news about a family member's health concerns via a phone call. My family is not just in a different city or country, they are on a different continent. The physical distance is difficult on a daily basis, but especially when there are problems or health issues on either end. It is tough to be away from the family network, and it seems unfair at times, especially during those difficult moments. But such is life... And then we received shocking news at work about sudden death of a certain politician. He stepped down from a public office just a month ago, ready to enjoy life after retirement. And look what happened. Such is life?

After the string of bad news today, I remembered the quote I saw on Holstee's Instagram page not too long ago:

“Chase your passion, not your pension.

- Denis Waitley -”

It pulled on my heart strings the first time I read it and it did the same today. This is my strong belief put into most perfect words I could never come up with myself. It talks about the internal struggle of heart and reason. It is the internal struggle that my heart and my reason seem to be involved in these days, which is way more pronounced now than ever before in my life. It might be the fact that I'm getting older and finding out for myself what is truly important in life. And it might simply be the certainty of knowing that life is short and that we should never take it for granted.

4:06 minutes of happiness

Pharrell's Happy is my recent obsession, that is for sure. I love this song! And I'm happy to see that it took over the world. There are a number of videos on YouTube of people from all over the world dancing to this gem of a tune. Regardless of where we are in this world, happiness is present, and that is lovely to see!

Happy Friday

Here is a little weekend inspiration. I think Ella got it right:

“Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong.

- Ella Fitzgerald -”

Dreams

I just stumbled upon this quote on Instagram. Beautiful words that needed to be read today.

“Own your dreams. There is no better way to make them happen.

- Seth Godin -”

Adventures in letterpress printing

As mentioned in my last post, I attended my first ever letterpress workshop at Snap + Tumble few Saturdays ago now. It was wonderful to finally experience first-hand the beauty of letterpress printing, and as predicted, I fell in love! I got to use both wood and metal type and two different presses. 

The wood type was used on a small proofing press called Showcard. I chose to print an uplifting word using an energizing shade of red. Here is the final product.

The rest of my paper goods were printed on a Chandler & Price 6 1/2 x 10 platen press. I found this press surprisingly easy to operate, although a step-by-step instruction was invaluable. I really enjoyed printing on the C&P and if I had to choose between the two presses I got to use, I would definitely pick this one!

Here are few pieces of stationery I printed on this press. The impression was tactile and quite lovely.

And how great is this little note?

I'm very happy I was able to take this workshop and finally get my hands dirty actually printing, as opposed to reading and daydreaming about it. And now the urge to get my own press is even stronger!

Polka dots and letterpress workshops

I'm obsessed with polka dots these days. Any colour combination will do, but the classic black on white is still my favourite. This is probably why I was so attracted to this desktop wallpaper made by A Pair of Pears. I was thrilled to stumble upon their website as it is truly fantastic!

The image itself is great, but the message is just perfect. It's something I need to remind myself of every day. "Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle" has become my daily mantra. And this phrase will be of particular importance to me a week and a bit from now when I'll be taking my first ever letterpress workshop. I couldn't be more excited!

I had signed up for an Intro to Letterpress workshop on a Vandercook press a long time ago and only found out this week that it's cancelled due to low enrollment. Felling awfully disappointed I was committed to find another class...somewhere, somehow. And luckily enough I did! So in less than two weeks I'll be taking the Tabletop Letterpress workshop offered by Snap + Tumble. Another wonderful printer with an amazing website. I can't wait to learn the basics of letterpress printing and finally lay my hands on a tabletop press. Of course, I'll be sure to write all about my experience!