Happy Hour 2.1.12

Some photos from this week's happy hour!

Erika came by to finish up some notecards/valentines:

And Erin was there to do some proofing for her own valentines:

The next Letterpress Happy Hour will be the 15th. Hope to see you there!

Happy Hour 1.5.12

Happy New Year everyone! Just thought I'd post some photos from our very first 2012 Letterpress Happy Hour! Erik came by to set some type for some new year's cards (above).

Janine also came to set some type to make a wedding gift for some friends:

She also came bearing gifts! She brought a drawer of type (and cookies--not pictured). Here's the drawer of type in its new home:

And here's what the type looks like... it's an 8-point italic typeface:

And lastly, Lauren came by to finish up her prints:

Hope to see you next time!

Happy Hour 11.2.11

Some photos from last week's Letterpress Happy Hour!

Erika came by to set type for her second color on these cards:

The second color is going to say "You're so sweet" underneath this list of sugars. Love it!

Alyson came by to pick up her Letterpress Calendars and also to play around with setting some type for her holiday cards. Here are some proofs:

Happy Hour 10.05.11

Photos from this week's Happy Hour!

Here's Lauren helping Happy Hour first-timer Jane with getting ready to hand-ink. Jane came to get in some practice printing with photopolymer because she hopes to be able to do her wedding invitations soon.

And here's what Lauren was working on herself. She decided to print a second color over her birthday cards from last time.

The fonts she was using didn't have enough p's for all her "happy"s so she got creative and started using upside down d's! Love the effect... looks like the p's are dancing!

Erika also came by to set some type for note cards for friends. She's got a great system going of spending one happy hour setting type and then printing at the next one!

Hope to see you next time!

Happy Hour 9.21.11

Some photos from last week's Happy Hour!

Erika came to print the type she'd set at the last one. She's now done with her Christmas cards for the year!

Lauren came by to print some birthday cards:

A lot of them! (all on the Vandercook 0!)

And Chau and set some type for gift tags:

Here's her proof:

So cute! The idea is circle the giver's (or givers') roles (whether they made, found or wrapped it) and then circle the giver's name(s).

Hope to see you next time!

Happy Hour 9.7.11

I was only at last week's Happy Hour briefly but managed to take a few photos before I left everyone in Leslie's care.

Erika started setting type for her holiday cards. Every year, she does something with the phrase "Peace on Earth," which is a really great idea:

Lauren came by to play around with wood type for her April calendar design:

And Sabrina Gray came by for her first Happy Hour! She was hoping to make some personalized stationery as a gift. I hope it turned out well.

Here's a photo of (almost) everyone plugging away at their projects"

Happy Hour 8.22.11

Photos from Monday night's Happy Hour!

Chase Clement, who took one of my workshops back in March, stopped by to check out the studio. He brought a copy of his book that he'd printed on an SP-20 with all handset type at Smith College back in 1972. Here are some photos. Amazing...

Alyson Hurt came to play around with some type to get ideas for the January page of the 2012 Letterpress Calendar:

Kathryn Hoeppel set some type to print onto watercolored cards:

She didn't really get to printing but I'm sure they'll look great when she's done.

Erin Brophy played around with making a pattern of ornaments. Maybe inspired by Chase's book?

Molly Moran printed the type she'd set at the last Happy Hour:

Curious to see what she ends up doing with these? Folded cards?

Lauren Emeritz also set some type for a birthday card (also serving as a prototype for her April page of the 2012 calendar):

I love how everything is all planned out on the graph paper.

Alison Whitty also came by to play around with some type for the July page of the calendar and to share some design ideas (sadly, I didn't get photos of these!)

The next Happy Hour will also be a critique of everyone's preliminary calendar page designs. Can't wait to see everyone's ideas!

Happy Hour 08.08.11 (Featuring Handmade Photopolymer)

Fun Happy Hour last night! Erica came to print a linocut she'd carved:

Meanwhile, everyone else decided to experiment with making their own photopolymer plates. Here's everyone scratching away at their negatives:

Molly's project:

Erin hand-inking her plate (everyone inked by hand to save on clean up time):

Her negative and the print:

Laura planning out what she wanted to do for her design:

A cute heart in a speech bubble (in dusty pink):

Loved Erika's trees:

Great job everyone! See you in two weeks!