Cup Match Party!

July 30, 2015July 14, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

It’s Cup Match weekend here in Bermuda! Though technically the holiday commemorates the day of emancipation for Bermuda slaves (surely something to celebrate!), it’s better known for the two-day cricket match between opposite ends of the island. Since everyone has Thursday and Friday off from work, that means lots of boating, drinking and parties!

Andrew has hosted a cup match party every year since he moved, and this year I helped him up his game with a fancy invitation. It’s funny how even though it was a digital project, the old school letterpress aesthetic I’ve been using for some recent 622 press projects comes through!

Christmas in July

July 27, 2015July 23, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I haven’t created many cards for the holiday season in recent years. New designs need to be printed months in advance in order to get them to wholesalers by fall and my brain just wasn’t good at coming up with Christmas ideas in the middle of a busy summer.

This year, however, is different. This is the first year where 622 press gets the lion’s share of my attention, which means I’ve spent the last few weeks adding to my holiday card collection! I’ve got them printed, folded, and photographed even—and my winter catalog is going out to wholesalers this week. Please leave a comment if you have a favorite local shop that should stock 622 press goods!

I won’t be listing the cards in my etsy shop for a few months, but if you’re feeling super Type A, get in touch to order yours! Here’s a sneak peek, just in case :)

Modern Love

July 22, 2015July 20, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I love the idea of juxtaposing the modern way we make connections—Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, Tinder—with one of the oldest printing methods there is: letterpress. I’ve employed hashtags in my letterpress work a few times over the last few years, but recently I came up with a new design that I love even more!

The font is a Craigslist purchase from about a year and a half ago that is just starting to see regular use. I love that it’s a perfect fit with a tiny heart cut I ordered for a custom project years ago!

This was one of the designs I proposed to Anne at Driftless Studio a few weeks back, and her reaction to it is one I’ll never forget: “I’m old, so I don’t really understand Tinder, but I’ll take 20.” Did you meet someone wonderful on Tinder? Or someone horrible that gave you a great story? I’d love to hear it, so leave a comment below, and I promise to share with dear “old” Anne!

Studio Update & a Sale!

July 18, 2015July 15, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

One of my favorite stockists got in touch just days after the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling a few weeks back. As we had many times before, she wanted to brainstorm some new card ideas to celebrate the wedding boom she saw in the near future, and I was all too happy to oblige!

I offered several ideas and she added a few of her own and as always, let me run away with the design. Some were simply variations on designs that already existed in the 622 press collection. Others were brand new and allowed me to show off my ever-growing collection of wood and lead type! I’m most excited about the congratulations cards below: I love the way they evoke the old-school letterpress style of shops like Hatch Show Print.

She also needed to restock on a fair number of best-sellers, and the result is my biggest wholesale order to date! I’ve been printing almost every day for weeks, and it feels great to be so busy.

This week is all about folding and packaging her order and photographing new designs to list in my etsy shop. Now I have to find a home for all these new designs! To help me clear some space in my stockroom, I’m offering 25% off purchases of in-stock merchandise through the end of the month! Just enter the code “622BLOGFOLLOWER” at checkout. Enjoy!

Christina & Micheal’s Villa Terrace Wedding

July 13, 2015June 29, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Christina and Micheal got married at the end of June at Villa Terrace in Milwaukee. I love the design the couple’s brother/brother-in-law came up with: It’s modern while paying homage to their chosen venue and its current function as a decorative arts museum.We had to make a few tweaks to make them more letterpress-friendly, but overall they’re exactly as they envisioned.

I finished these several months ago (I like to keep invites under wraps until after the nuptials unless the couple says it’s ok!), and looking at them again has me excited to start printing next summer’s invitations! Getting married next summer? It’s not to early to get in touch! Visit the wedding stationery section of my etsy shop or get in touch for a custom design!