News
Miss Pearl and Marie Antoinette..... February 04 2014
Last weekend brought some new additions to the letterpress studio. Miss Pearl- a 1913 Golding Pearl floor press and a huge guillotine paper cutter- let's call her Marie Antoinette (we all know her fate). Both of which are still on the ground level of our barn. The first order of business is to do a little restoration project on the press. She needs to be taken apart, cleaned, painted and gotten upstairs in pieces. There is less to do with the paper cutter but she also needs to be taken apart for the climb upstairs.
I had been searching for a Golding Pearl for a while. I love the Golding presses, they have a certain flair about them. They are also not nearly as huge and as the Chandler and Price presses a lot of people have. They certainly would not make it to the second floor. The Pearl is a dainty 600 pounds compared to the 1200+ pound C&P floor presses.
Then I need to learn how to use them! The press has a motor which is a little daunting but I am sure that I can just spin the fly wheel until I get some experience with how to use the press.
Updates from Green Grape Press.... January 22 2014
I've had a busy fall/winter with my letterpress business Green Grape Press. I did a lot of custom work for the holidays which was so much fun! I've also started doing a line of dog cards which have been very popular. It's funny a friend who was sending them out as part of her dog care business was actually getting cards back to say what great cards! Recently, my husband gave me two whale illustrations that he had done. I was able to scan them and have dies cut of the images which arrived yesterday. I rushed over to the studio to try them out and we are very pleased with the results. I hope that there will be more illustrations being turned into cards in the near future.
Here is a picture of Goldie- my Golding Official No. 4 press. She really is doing a great job with the cards and invitations.
More to come! If you like my letterpress cards- you can see all my printing on our Facebook page.
Book Press... June 02 2013
I've been looking for a book press for quite sometime now. My mom had one that was pretty neat, but unfortunately she left it in her car park at her condo, and someone helped themselves to it. I've lamented it's loss ever since. On my quest to have one of my own I was thwarted by their price. I didn't realize how collectible they were until I saw them pop up in decorating magazines and just this morning saw that Restoration Hardware had knocked one off for sale in their catalog!
This lovely press was purchased at an outdoor antiques show in CT. It was love at first sight with it's green paint and the ease with which you can turn the crank to move the plates up and down. While I have no idea how to do book binding- yet- but I am eager to learn. Until then, it will sit in my studio for me to admire and to use for small tasks in my card making.
It does look pretty good in my garden too!
-N
Letterpress- A New Window Display... May 29 2013
Since I have started to sell my cards in the shop (and online) I have realized that many people do not know what letterpress is all about. I decided that I would bring down my spare press, a 5 x 8 Kelsey, and put it into the window. That way when people ask if my cards are done with rubber stamps, I can show them the small press and describe the centuries old way of printing. Much easier than the iPhone picture and me flapping around trying to be a platen press!
-N