The Story of a Coaster, Business Card and Holiday Card.

Milk Jar Cookies – A perfect pairing for letterpress

I walked into Milk Jar Cookies on the day of their soft open. Their store told a wonderful story. So much effort was put into the store that I knew the cookies were going to be incredible. The cookies were like no other. They are soft and luscious with great taste combinations. I worked on a card to house their gift card, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to work on three new projects!

The story begins with the coaster set. They wanted a set of coasters that included the Milk Jar Cookies logo, their iconic Milk Jar and Spatula illustration, and “Life’s Short Eat Cookies.” I printed them on double thick cotton stock and gave them rounded corners. They included the coasters in the cookie of the month mailing this past fall. Plus they selling them as a set of six at the store.

Then I got to design and print their holiday card. Their storefront is so charming with the window displays changing for each season and holiday. It welcomes you from the street and I felt it would be perfect vignette for their holiday card. A loose and hand drawn style helped to convey their warmth and friendliness. I love that we printed it in red

The last chapter of this story is about the business card. The store has a business card, but Courtney the owner wanted letterpress cards for herself. I knew that I wanted to create a double-sided card to give it more substance. The back was designed with a pinstripe design and their tagline. It gave the cards a great textural feel that made you want to turn them over. For an extra visual impact, there is a layer of aqua between the front and back of the card. 

If you haven't had a Milk Jar Cookie, check them out. www.milkjarcookies.com.

Kickstarter Reward - What A Great Project!

California Four O'Clock - A Novel

I had the opportunity to print 4 illustrations as part of a reward for a Kickstarter project. Martin McClellan (@hellbox) wrote the novel California Four O’Clock and crowd funded it through kickstarter. He commisioned Vicki Nerino to create illustrations for each chapter head. Four were selected by the backers and then I got to have some printing fun! Martin is not only a novelist is a letterpress enthusiast. When we began the project, it was going to be black only with a half-tone screen. When I saw the artwork, I suggested doing two colors. I thought black and silver would be a great compliment for the illustrations. Each print was 5” x 7” and printed on 100 percent cotton stock. They were sent off to Vicki in Canada to sign and number. Martin included them with the case bound books he signed for those who backed the project.

“Pin-ups, photographers, painters and models collide in mid-century Los Angeles.” Find out more about the book at http://californiafouroclock.com/

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. 

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!

Retro Contemporary Holidays

Holiday Cards to Match Your Style

If you have a flair for Mid Century Styling. Are Mad about Mad Men. Love that you can find contemporary versions of those retro classics, then these holiday cards are for you. 

The flames of the candles and the Star of David depict a Menorah on this modern Hanukkah card. Like real snowflakes, all the snowflake designs are unique and have a modern twist. The colors are muted, but contemporary and maybe a little unexpected. The wine and white circle pattern isn't a fabric from a slipper chair, but a graphic representation of glass ornaments on a silver tinsel tree.