Summer Jam and Pickles

My friend Maria inspired me to share non-letterpress experiences on my blog since I'm excited about a bunch of crafts.

This summer I've been blessed with a little extra time to nest and prepare for the school year. One of the highlights was canning. Our friend, Lisa, gave us half a bushel of delicious peaches. Then, my mom came over with oodles of apricots and offered to help me make jam. I've always made it with her so it was time to listen and learn so I can do it solo if I need to.

The jam we made turned out beautifully and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the light shining through the sugary stuff.

After such a great experience I felt motivated to make use of extra cucumbers and beets that had been left in the "share" box at my Rio Gozo CSA pick-up. Maria loaned me The Joy of Pickling, a fascinating collection of mouthwatering pickle recipes from around the world. Here is a photo of some spicy pickles.

It's certainly a proud moment when the cans come out of the bath and the lids make that little popping sound!

wedding invitations

This beautiful wedding invitation was designed by Cameron. We printed them together and it was fun keeping the ink at just the right level to get that even coverage and crisp letter forms! Creating wedding invitations is certainly a happy job.

We don't advertise this service but we do it a few times a year through word of mouth. Usually the bride to be comes over to our studio and looks at examples of past invitations and papers and inks. Sometimes we look at pictures of stationary or artwork that she likes. We may have something already designed or we might come up with something new. The process takes three to six weeks and usually costs between $400 and $900.

Spring Stationery

Last spring we made fun stationery sets to give as Mother’s Day gifts. It was fun to see which designs and colors the girls liked the best.





This year I’d like to do something with the shapes of all these great herbs and flowers growing in my garden. Their diverse personalities and their flavors and nutritional and healing properties are so exciting.

Workshops for children and adults will begin in late March!

Thankful for Happiness

This New Year is dawning for me this week in a special way as I recover from my second cold and feel the sunshine sparkling in the blue sky. I must have had a harder winter than I realized.

I’ve been blessed this year with an intense anticipation of the spring. A feeling of hope and giddiness is filling me up. I'm looking forward to creative projects. I’m so thankful, I found myself composing a new prayer this morning.

God, you are love, truth and justice.

Please raise my soul up into your divine presence and allow me to experience your almighty peace
Please allow me to use my mind, my heart and my body to experience your glorious presence in your works and to share my experience in a way that is true, just and loving, magnifying what is of you and rejecting those things in this life that could hamper my ability to offer myself freely to you.

Please allow me to take pleasure in my creative powers in a way that glorifies your divine creative power.

Saint Valentine's Day

At our Valentine workshops last month we printed an Act of Love. There were several decorative pictures to choose from including hearts, of course. I liked this little angel face. The best was when the angel face was printed on the heart, but I didn't get a picture of that. I'll have to wait till next February...

How Books Were Made

Field Trip Notes

On the 26th and 29th of January we welcomed curious friends and neighbors into our studio for a "letterpress studio field-trip." We looked at, talked about and operated all the great big presses and made a cute greeting card.


The little dogs were the perfect image to please girls and boys of all ages. Coupled with the word "hello!" it made a sweet, versatile greeting.

All the children were attentive and polite and seemed to enjoy themselves! We hope to have more field trips and classes.