The Asheville Post wanted to talk to me...

Ryan Ashley-Anderson and Meherdil Irani of The Asheville Post came by my shop a few weeks ago and interviewed me about my life as a letterpress printer. I am very happy with how the article and photos came out, and perhaps you will be to! Click here to read the full article, and maybe you'll be able to hear me blushing all the way from Asheville.

Hello, Asheville!

It has been an absolute whirlwind these last few weeks, but I have finally moved myself, my dog, and Hand Deliver Press down south into the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina, to Asheville. There have been few other times in my life where I have been so immediately happy with such a big decision. I feel as if I have lived here for years already. Everyone I meet is so kind, interested in my story, where I moved from, why I moved, and graciously helpful. The city itself offers so much to do it can be overwhelming, but it's still small and enveloping. I certainly miss my friends and Scranton, but this is proving to be one of the best choices I have ever made.

As for Hand Deliver, I have set up shop in West Asheville, in the house I rent with my friend, April. The dining room-turned-printshop is full of light, opens onto the deck and backyard, and surrounded by trees. The Vandy, Pilot, and my new (quite old) type cabinet fit perfectly. So, I'm all set up to roll out some new prints, cards, and anything else that comes my way in this lovely southern town.

Fiddle Lake Farm

This past Labor Day, I had the pleasure of being included in the grand opening celebration of Fiddle Lake Farm Bed & Breakfast's Barn Venue. The space was absolutely gorgeous. The barn-turned-venue was decorated with beautiful antiques from a local vendor, artwork, and distinctive little touches that would make any bride looking for a rustic, yet lovely, venue swoon.

The event was open to the public, and many brides and grooms-to-be stopped by to check out the barn, and of course, all of the wedding vendors like myself. There were a couple of women I had met before, including wedding planner, Danielle Pasternak, and photographer, Kim Winey. I also met some fantastic people, like Maggie from Maggpie Vintage Rentals (so many beautiful things to choose from!) and Kristy Rice of Momental Designs, who does beautiful hand-painted stationery. To top it off, there were accessories for the bride made by Kiss Me Awake, and delicious looking cakes by Just Frosted.

I am so happy to have met those women, and wish them all luck in their businesses. I hope to foster the same kind of community feeling when I head to North Carolina in ten days (!). Congratulations to all of the engaged couples who came out, and to Fiddle Lake, for opening what is sure to be an incredibly successful wedding venue!

And now, a cavalcade of photos:

My table at the vendor fair.

The ceiling of the barn, complete with chandelier.  

Outside of barn, and I'm assuming that gorgeous car is available for rental.

Sitting area in the barn. I asked a friend if we could subtly steal that cabinet and painting. 

A local band provided some nice old-timey music for the event,  and it sounded great!

Momental Designs

Danielle Pasternak 

Maggpie Vintage Rentals

Kim Winey Photography

More ceiling + canoes.

Oh! And they had these sweet kids in bow-ties serving root beer floats  all afternoon.  It was perfect.

Platen Press Workshop at ArtWorks Gallery

Attention Scrantonites: Before I head south to North Carolina, I will be teaching a little workshop at ArtWorks Gallery in Scranton on September 1st, from 10 - 1. This series of classes featuring local artists is a collaboration between the great Cristin Powers of GreenBeing, and one of my best friends, Nicole Sawicki of ArtWorks and AFA Gallery fame. The two teamed up to bring NEPA artists together to share their crafts and skill with anyone in the area who is curious about screenprinting with Tomlynn Biondo, book binding with Samantha Nardelli, letterpress with me, or crochet with Anny Cadden.

My workshop will have me hauling my tabletop Pilot press down to ArtWorks and teaching the basics of letterpress printing. For a mere $20, students will have the chance to learn how the press works, how to set and lock up type, and will be able to print a small set of cards on recycled paper. I am really looking forward to sharing my skills with students, and equally happy that I'll be rounding out my time in Scranton with such a great event.

You can sign up for the workshops through GreenBeing's website. Space is limited, so sign up soon!

The Weekender was kind enough to write up a little story about the series this week, and you can check it out here: http://www.theweekender.com/stories/Get-busy-going-green,191407

LoLP Con Recap & Big News!

It's been a little less than a week since I returned up north from the Ladies of Letterpress Conference, 2012. Asheville was wonderful...so wonderful that I am moving there next month! Yes, this has been in the works for some time, now, but this trip absolutely confirmed that it's time for me to move from Scranton - though I do love it here - it is time for a change. Myself, my great friend April, Hand Deliver Press, my dog Arrow, and I will all be making the move down there September 16th. I can't wait to get everything set up and be surrounded by artists and printers. 

The sense of artistic community down there is very strong, and this was quite evident on the first day of LoLP Con, when we traveled around the city visiting various letterpress printers. Everyone seemed happy for me that i was moving there, and offered help left and right. I remember feeling like this after returning from the conference last year - that the letterpress community is like a big family. Yes, we are all competing with each other, but it never feels that way. Everyone I have met in my line of work has always been kind, helpful, and willing to help a new printer. We all understand that our craft is an old one, and we need to keep it flourishing. The only way to do so is to encourage other people to print as well. 

I am so grateful for Ladies of Letterpress for allowing me to grow so much in a short amount of time. The support and friendships I have gained from our organization is absolutely invaluable. Last year I had produced only one small print, and a handful of cards. This year my work was included in two exchanges, including the Expanding Communities Portfolio Exchange, in which dozens of women that I have admired over the years were part of as well. When I saw my work in that portfolio, and up on the screen during the panel, I was so overwhelmed with where I have gotten in a year, and so incredibly happy. Thanks, ladies!

My badge! Which I actually, sadly lost one night. 

At Mink studio. I love this organizational setup!

Some nice type and cuts at Innerer Klang

Swooning over 7 Ton Letterpress Collective

Truth.

More 7 Ton.

At Bookworks Gallery

Me and Judith Berliner of Full Circle Press in front of my Expanding Communities Print hanging at Bookworks. Love that lady.

At Hand Cranked Letterpress. They had the nicest home! 60s mod styled everything. They even had champagne for us!

And cheese type!

Mohawk Exchange table. My print is toward the end there.

Letterpress Things table. I bought some dingbats from them.

Expanding Communities Portfolio. Beautifully bound.

There was a screening of the documentary about Amos Kennedy, "Proceed and Be Bold", and a Q&A with him and the directory afterward. Such a great film, I highly recommend it to any printer.

Amos Kennedy sold his prints after the screening, it was a madhouse. I bought four!

I'm in Asheville, North Carolina for second annual The Ladies of Letterpress Conference! I've been here since Saturday, exploring Asheville and the surrounding areas. This city is perfect for the conference, as it is absolutely brimming with artists and designers.

I am so excited to see the wonderful lady-printers that I am only able to tweet at/Instagram-like/Facebook-like throughout the year. It's going to be four full days of nerdy paper-talk, story swapping, and catching up. This conference is the embodiment of why I adore my career.

I'll have much more to post during and after the weekend is through!

The Weinberg Memorial Library Visits Hand Deliver Press!

The University of Scranton Weinberg Memorial Library's Kristen Yarmey stopped by my shop yesterday to photograph and film me printing a project for them. The U has a collection of penmanship journals and samples called the Zaner-Bloser Collection, and it is beyond impressive. What is more exciting for me, though, is that they have many of the original printing blocks that they have allowed me to print from.

Yesterday I was working on a Christmas card (I know, it's June!) that they will send out to patrons of the school and library come the holiday season. I had a great time showing Kristen around and showing her how letterpress printing works. I am so thrilled about this projects, and there is much more than just Christmas cards involved, so stay posted to see what comes next!


In the meantime, check out the Library's Flikr page to see what Kristen got yesterday.