Gift Tags - The Unsung Hero

Teal and Persimmon Star Gift Tag

We spend time choosing just the right gift for a birthday or holiday... We choose just the right bottle of wine when going to a cocktail or dinner party... We make or buy cookies when just going to hang out with a friend - but often times we forget to finish it all off with a gift tag. So we might even slap on a post-it note. Don't get me wrong I love post-it notes, but they should not be used on a gift... unless of course you did an amazing job of using post-its to wrap/cover your gift. Even if your message just says to and from or you are someone who can write a lovely sentiment in a few words, a gift tag adds that little extra that shows you care. Like the sprinkles on a homemade cupcake or that cherry in the Shirley Temple you got to drink at your cousin's wedding when your were six. So don't forget the gift tag! Plus you get to show a little extra style. 

This gift tag was letterpress printed on a 10x15 vintage C&P oldstyle press. The persimmon and teal are a contemporary turn on the aqua and red of Mid Century look that inspired me. They come in a set of six designs. 

Raven Note Cards

A custom notecard set for artist, Stephanie Miller

Stephanie did a series of quick brush and ink sketches she refers to as, 2 minute sketches. This was a series of 4 ravens that she commissioned me to print a set of note cards. The jet black of the letterpress ink made a striking contrast to the white of the lettra stock. She sells them on her website, StephanieMillerArtist.com. The crows were printed on the Vandercook 4 and the indicia on the back on a C&P Pilot Press. I decided to print them on two separate presses. This gave me the ability to make the ravens a super dense black and give detail to the indicia. Although this added time to the project I was quite happy with the end result.

You can read about Stephanie’s 2 Minute Sketches on her blog. http://www.stephaniemillerartist.com/blog/2014/8/22/the-two-minute-sketch

Buckslips, Buckslips Everywhere!

Personalized Buckslips

One of my personal favorite stationery items is a buckslip. What a wonderful casual note. And it is the perfect size to fit into a No. 10 envelope - policy style of course. Not everyone has works at a place where this is part of the standard business stationery. I was fortunate to have learned about these handy note cards.

For those of you wondering the origin of the name. It was a small vertical note that was the size of a dollar bill - a buck. Our dollars are smaller now and for my designs, I have made it larger.

These buckslips were commissioned as a gift for a friend's wife. She has a love of paper and an appreciation for buckslips. Instead of getting one design I recommended that we do a personalized variety pack. This way she can use a different design depending on her mood or the person receiving it. Since I love buckslips, this was a great project for me!

Duplexed Holiday Card

The Refinery Creative Holiday Card - 2013

This is the third year I have had the opportunity to print the holiday card for The Refinery. They are a creative agency located in Los Angeles working primarily for entertainment clients. Each year a different designer works on the design... and since their print work is motion picture and television, designing in two color line art is a little different for them. 

I always look forward to printing their cards. Each year we do a flat card duplexed with a color stock. This year the back was Aspire Juniper Berry with Lettra on the front. It is a nice contrast between the smooth hard finish of the Aspire and the soft cotton feel of the Lettra.  The shimmer always gives me a challenge when mixing the ink to match. But isn't that part of the fun! It is for me. The second color was a red-orange which complimented the winter aqua nicely.

I hope all of those receiving these cards enjoyed them as much as I did printing them.