Pistachio Press

For your sweetheart

2012-01-23T11:00:00.002-05:00

We've been busy printing a bunch of new Valentine's and are excited to share them with you! Head on over to the shop to check out the full collection. We even have an anti-Valentine's Day card :)

Where we are now...Atlanta!

2012-01-15T22:51:00.000-05:00

We've been at AmericasMart for the past few days and have a few more to go. The days are long, but it's been awesome to hang with our booth-mate Blackbird Letterpress. Kathryn and I get to talk shop all day and hang colorful washi tape all over :)

Please excuse the cell phone pic :)

Where we were...

2012-01-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

At the end of December, just before Christmas, Jake and I headed to Aruba for a vacation. It was awesome! I don't think that we've ever gone on vacation without extensively planning it, but I am so glad we did. We got a great last minute deal (booked three weeks beforehand) through JetBlue that we just couldn't pass up. And the timing was perfect - just after the end of the semester and before trade show season and Christmas. So we spent six days on the beach, horseback riding and kayaking on the ocean. In short, we did nothing. I didn't research things to do, we didn't pack our days full of exploring, we only ate out once thanks to a kitchen suite. It was, thankfully, the most refreshing trip I have ever taken.

A new adventure

2012-01-04T17:38:00.000-05:00

The start of January also brings about the beginning of the new trade show season. This year we are heading to AmericasMart for the Atlanta International Gift Show. We're splitting a booth with blackbird letterpress and we couldn't be more excited! Somehow (I'll probably jinx myself for saying this) we are really prepared this time around. Aside from not knowing quite what to expect from this new location we know how to efficiently plan and set up a booth, how much product to bring and where to make catalogs and buy vinyl.I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

If you are interested in carrying the Pistachio Press line in your shop but can't make it to a tradeshow, just shoot us an email (info{at}pistachiopress{dot}com) and we can send you our wholesale info.

ps- we won't be exhibiting at NYIGF this January since we'll be at the Atlanta show.

In the shop: Interstellar Love Craft

2011-12-30T12:30:00.000-05:00

You know we carry stationery in the new shop, but did you realize we also carry some jewelry? Well, we do, and today I'd like to introduce you to Interstellar Love Craft. Marissa (the maker of these amazing pieces) works in our studio building. Actually, she works in the very first studio space I ever had in the building! We have a small collection of her work available and it's all gorgeous.

Thank you.

2011-12-29T15:44:00.000-05:00

Christmas potluck at the studio.

Dolly at the studio.

Yep, it's been a month since I posted here. That is crazy! This past month has been really wonderful. We had an awesome first holiday season in the shop and I am so beyond floored by the local support. For those of you who have followed this journey, come in to the shop, directed friends to us, or sent notes of encouragement, THANK YOU! We truly appreciate your support and we hope you had a great holiday with friends and family. We had a rejuvenating break and I can't wait to share with you what we've been doing for the past month - including a trip to the beach :)

In the shop: Shanna Murray Illustrated Decals

2011-11-30T20:33:00.001-05:00

Shanna Murray's beautiful decals are perfectly at home in almost any setting. The chalkboard is particularly awesome in the kitchen or office. I first met Shanna during the second storie indie market and we became fast friends. When we opened the shop, Shanna was one of the first people I called and I am so happy to carry her work!

Another month

2011-11-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

It's just about calendar time. Every year we produce a letterpress-printed calendar and this year we made a few! The 2012 Cross Stitch calendar was designed by our dear friend Abbey of Aesthetic Outburst. Abbey is wickedly talented and we are in love with the result of the calendar.

Our second calendar is a Perpetual calendar. There are no days of the week listed so this is perfect for listing birthdays and anniversaries and using it every year! I have been wanting to make a perpetual calendar for about four years now and it finally happened. We also have a tear-away calendar available in two colorways.

DISCOUNT ::: To celebrate the grand opening of the shop and the changing seasons, we're offering 15% off all orders placed by November 30th. Use code 'CONGRATS' at checkout.

In the shop: Blackbird Letterpress

2011-11-27T23:20:00.000-05:00

We first met Kathryn of Blackbird Letterpress at the National Stationery Show a few years ago. We immediately became friends (how couldn't we!), not to mention we fell in love with her work! These die-cut cards are perfect for just about any occasion but you might want to pick up two of them and keep one for yourself :)

In the shop: Yellow Owl Workshop

2011-11-24T01:01:00.000-05:00

Over the next few weeks I'll share with you some of the lines we carry in the new retail space. They're all so great and I'm thrilled we are carrying them!

First up is Yellow Owl Workshop. Their line of stamps is completely adorable and perfect for holiday gift giving. Actually, they're perfect for any time of the year!

*All images by Yellow Owl Workshop

Reflection

2011-11-15T23:18:00.001-05:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

My friend Lizz posted this last night and I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's such an amazing occurrence. I had something similar happen a few years ago when I was on campus. Thousands of birds flew overhead and the sky grew dark. It was so incredible.

We're been keeping a low profile since the shop opening. It was such a huge success and thank you so much to everyone who made it out and sent well wishes. I promise to post pictures soon!

Tomorrow is the big day!

2011-11-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

I've got butterflies as I write this...our Grand Opening is tomorrow! We've spent the last month really pulling the new retail space together and I am so excited and nervous for the official grand opening. The last week in particular has been nuts. We've painted the space, packaged inventory, priced the merchandise, found a vintage cash register, hung posters and moved in another new press. We've also been juggling our current printing schedule, meeting with new clients, shipping orders and teaching. We couldn't have done it without help from our amazing friends and awesome intern! Thank you all so much!!

Without further ado, here's the plan for the weekend:

Friday, November 4th, 6-10pm
First Friday opening party.
Check out the new space and paintings by Jim DeLucia in our Work in Progress Gallery. We'll also have a super cool DJ to keep it lively.

Saturday, November 5th, noon-5pm
Studio tours, hands-on printing (pull your own print on our letterpress and take it home), delicious snacks by Fig and Purl.

**Also, I have to say that the response from people in the community, especially when I was hanging posters, has been amazing. You other shop owners in Rochester are amazing and so supportive. We are SO lucky to live in such an awesome city!

Starting to look organized

2011-11-01T03:22:00.000-04:00

Alright, the new space is really starting to look good. We painted a ton this weekend and have gotten a lot of organization done. I can't believe the shop opens in just a few days!!! We might be able to sleep after this :) Sorry for the cell phone pics, that all I have time for lately!

Welcome home C&P

2011-10-27T22:56:00.000-04:00

As of last night, Pistachio press is now home to a beautiful C&P that belonged to Robert Marx. Robert is an incredible (and I don't say that lightly) printmaker who happens to have a studio in our building. He was selling this press and we knew it would fit right in with our collection. Our press-moving team (Jake, Jim, and Eric) made short work of this move - they're pros!

artist talk and round table

2011-10-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I'll be giving a round-table artist's talk with Abbey Hedrickson and Phil Hendrickson in conjunction with the alumni show at SUNY Brockport. The three of us and artist Ben Entner (who won't be able to make the talk) each have recent work in the exhibition. The talk will focus on how we each got started, how we maintain connections and how we ended up where we are now. If you're in Rochester, please stop by. Brockport really isn't that far away!

Department of Art Alumni Exhibition
October 26 - December 4

Round-table discussion
Tuesday, October 25, 3pm (Room 2203 Tower)

Opening Reception
Tuesday, October 25, 4-6pm (Tower Fine Arts Gallery)

Grand Opening: Nov 4 & 5

2011-10-24T02:30:00.000-04:00

We have been working like crazy to prepare for the grand opening of our new studio and retail space! If you're free (and in town) November 4 & 5, please stop by. We'll be hosting demos and you'll be able to pull your own print and take it home with you! For more details, click here.

***spread the word***

Printmaking Show this Friday

2011-10-06T01:17:00.000-04:00

Curious about our new studio? Come check it out in person this Friday! We're co-hosting the Print Club of Rochester member's show in our new space. You'll be able to see the work of 40+ local Rochester printmakers (with diverse technique and content). The opening is Friday, October 7 from 6-9 pm.

This is going to be a crazy month

2011-09-27T02:01:00.001-04:00

We have some big studio news...we're moving! Let's back up a bit and I'll tell you how this all came about.

During the Ladies of Letterpress conference almost all of the printers we know (and met) told us we're crazy for printing everything on our trusty Vandercook presses. In fact, we have friends who have been telling us this for years. Although the Vandy's print amazingly, they are much slower than more automated presses and are much more physically demanding. We can't produce huge editions since we have to hand crank every sheet of paper through, for every color of ink. Honestly, we've been at a tipping point for a while and we really need to be able to print more to keep up with jobs and to stock up on inventory more efficiently. So, we caved and decided to start looking for a Heidelberg Windmill.

The day after we got back from the conference I went to our local paper shop and saw a handwritten sign in the window for a Windmill. Really! I called in the parking lot. We looked at the press the next day and put down a deposit. It was in perfect condition, oiled every day and was only 30 minutes from our studio. And the seller could deliver! What can I say, we have good press karma.

So, that brings me to the studio. We have a gorgeous space on the fourth floor of an old shoe factory. It's big and sunny, but it's on the fourth floor and we have to run the presses with other artists working below us. I always feel bad about the clanking of the press while we print, so we often print at night. This just wasn't going to work for the new press, so we had to figure out what to do. Do we only ever print at night? Do we move into a new building? Well, as luck would have it, I returned from visiting the Windmill to a voicemail from Eric on the first floor of our building asking if we would be interested in splitting his space. He's a digital printer and bookmaker (perfect for us to share a space with) and there was a possibility for retail in the new space! Seriously, this all took place in the span of three days. So we talked to our current studio mates and decided to move into the new space as a group!

The new space is pristine and much larger than the old space. The only thing it's lacking is gigantic windows (and we won't get to see the sunset as easily). To let more light in Jake and Eric demoed one of the gallery walls and then we started moving. As I write this, all five of our presses are in their new home and only one of the guillotine's need to be moved. Our studio mates are almost settled in, too. It's been an exciting few weeks full of change. I know that we have some adjusting to do (like learning how to use the Windmill) but I'm trying to embrace it and I'm so excited! Now that I've rambled on about everything that's happened in the last month, I hope you'll forgive my blogging hiatus!

ps - My family is from Heidelberg, Germany. When I told my mom about the press she told me I had to get it! And it's beautiful.

Mark your calendar: Salt City

2011-09-21T20:33:00.000-04:00

Salt City Craft Market is coming up soon. Can't wait for it! Stop by, say hi, and chat letterpress with us!

Bootcamp Winner

2011-09-19T22:53:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Andrea from Paper Presence for winning the Tradeshow Bootcamp Giveaway!

Andrea said...: Tradeshow Bootcamp is already a great idea & opportunity, but a giveaway, too?! Yay! My question is "how do I know what to exhibit, i.e. what are buyers looking for?"

We're looking forward to answering this question (along with the others posted) on September 29th. Thanks so much for entering.

LofLCon recap

2011-09-19T15:23:00.000-04:00

As promised, although a bit late, here's my recap of the Ladies of Letterpress Conference this past August. We had such an amazing time meeting fellow printers, geeking out about ink and type, and learning tricks of the trade.

One of the best parts for me was meeting Judith Berliner of Full Circle Press, who also happened to be the keynote speaker. Judith is one of those people who is incredibly genuine and she's been printing since she was 14 years old. She's seen tons of changes in the industry and was also caring enough to ask everyone she could about their first press. She's completely inspiring and generous. I can't wait for the next conference!

Owego Flood Relief

2011-09-15T13:29:00.000-04:00

Can you imagine losing everything you own? Your house, your clothes, your computer, your family photos and heirlooms, your kids artwork, your new couch. Now try to imagine losing your whole town, too. The town you grew up in. The town where you are raising your family. The flooding in many upstate NY towns has done this to countless families. I can't even fathom how devastating this would be, especially for the thousands of families who don't have flood insurance. Although I didn't grow up in any of these towns, I grew up very close to them and I have friends who live there. Abbey, from Aesthetic Outburst, is organizing a fundraiser for her hometown Owego. You can read more about her story here.

If you can, please make a donation. Even $10 helps. Abbey's goal is to raise $5000 for the Tioga United Way, but I know we can do better than this. The blogging community is filled with such passionate, supportive people and I know we can spread the word of this very far. Please re-post, tweet about it, put it on facebook, tell your friends. You could also put a piece of artwork for sale in your shop and donate the money you make from selling it. Put a badge on your sidebar or website. We're creative people. We can do this. Please help Owego.

Photos by Simon Wheeler for The Ithaca Journal.

GIVEAWAY:::Tradshow Bootcamp

2011-09-13T15:28:00.001-04:00

I am super excited that Katie has asked me to speak at Tradeshow Bootcamp this fall. Even better, I have a space to giveaway for the Booth Logistics workshop!! All of your burning questions about how to set up your space, deal with union labor, shipping and more will be answered.

Amber Ellis Seguine (FlyWheel Press), Katie Hunt (Kelp Designs) and yours truly will share our experiences designing, setting-up and pre-planning booth logistics for the National Stationery Show and New York International Gift Show. Topics will include:

· Pros + cons of sharing a booth

· Setting a budget for the booth

· Shipping + schlepping

· Booth furnishings + vendor services

· Q&A

To enter the giveaway for a chance to win a seat in the workshop just leave a comment on this post with your most burning question about booth set-up. I'll announce the winner on Monday, September 19th. Even if you've already signed up for the Bootcamp you can still enter the giveaway (if you win your fee for the workshop will be refunded)!

Click here for a complete schedule of the workshops.

Designer Rolodex

2011-09-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

We are so excited to be a part of the Designer Rolodex on Oh So Beautiful Paper! This is a beautifully curated collection of wedding stationery and some of my very favorite designers are listed on here as well. Huge congrats to Nole for organizing such a well-designed and inspired directory!

Let's start at the beginning...

2011-09-07T01:36:00.000-04:00

The beginning of August. Every month that passes seems to be busier than the last. August was no exception, as I'm sure you can tell. So, what have we been up to here at Pistachio Press? We visited my sister (Lindsay) and brother-in-law in Florida, took a road trip to Asheville, NC for the Ladies of Letterpress conference, and went to a trade show in NYC. We've been gone for most of the past month and now, thanks to a great gift show, we have a ton of printing to finish up. Oh, and the semester started last week.

The top two pictures were taken at a beach near Niceville, FL where my sister lives. I haven't been in water so clear and blue and warm in a very long time. It was pretty amazing. Seriously, the water was incredible. The third pic is from our road trip to Asheville. Lindsay and Jake drove while I napped and enjoyed the scenery. And the fourth image was taken when we hit the Blue Ridge Mountains. As much as I loved the beach, the mountains were a welcome sight. We hit right at sunset and it couldn't have been better timing.

I've really missed being in this space and I'm planning to spend the week catching up. I hope you'll forgive the lapse in posting and I hope you all had a great summer!

Another trade show?!

2011-08-11T14:52:00.001-04:00

This will be our third trade show this year and we head out for the gift show in a few short hours! I thought at the beginning of the week that we had lots of time, but now we're in a big time crunch. Finishing the last round of printing and need to pack the car. Looking forward to being in NYC tomorrow afternoon for set up! Hope you have a great weekend :)

loflcon 2011

2011-08-06T00:23:00.000-04:00

This we we're away at the Ladies of Letterpress Conference and we couldn't be more excited!

Keuka Lake

2011-07-26T21:25:00.000-04:00

Do you like your in-laws? I completely adore mine. Jake's family feels like my family and his cousin and aunt just sent us these great pictures of our trip. I look forward to this every year and I think this was the best trip we've had. The weather was 90-100 degrees every day with beautiful blue skies, a nice breeze and an almost entirely private pebble beach. If we had been in Rochester I would have been suffocating from the heat, but luckily we were 20-feet from the beach! We played euchre most nights after making smores by the fire. Every night a different group cooked dinner. We lounged the day away reading, swimming, canoeing, biking and hiking. It was heaven.

New projects

2011-07-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

A week off was just what we needed. I feel like a totally different person. Even though we have another big to-do list, I still felt great coming back to the studio today. I didn't take many pictures this trip - Jake's family did a lot of that and will hopefully send some along so I can post a few.

I've been waiting to post some photos of recent work but I still have to photograph a lot of it. For now, here's a teaser. Two-color hand-cut folders, three-color invitations, and a really fun new design. More to follow shortly!

A week at the lake

2011-07-21T10:56:00.000-04:00

The last few weeks (maybe even months) have been rough. We've been working non-stop and printing around the clock. I thought that after the stationery show things would slow down and the wedding jobs would thin out. I was wrong! We've been reprinting cards to fill orders from NSS and prep for the gift show in August and the wedding jobs have been flowing steadily for the fall wedding season. I am so grateful that we have such great clients and that business is booming, but 12-18 hour days take their toll no matter how much you love what you do.

So, last week Jake and I made the final push to print everything on our plate, package it up and take it to FedEx before leaving for a week-long family vacation at the lake. We ended up leaving a day late, but I can tell you that it was so worth it. Knowing that we were caught up when I stepped out of the car at the lake was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. This is the most relaxed I've been in at least three years.

The boxes above are from about four days worth of work before we left. I've never dropped off packages for FedEx on a Sunday, but this felt great :)

Flocked envelope liners

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our Classic invitation suite has been on press quite a bit the past few months. Here's an awesome pairing of warm gray ink, rounded corners, and pink flocked envelopes. Love how they came together and the subtle vintage feel.

Recycling hound

2011-07-13T13:57:00.000-04:00

Dolly found the recycling bin at the studio and wore herself out chewing bottles. Notice all of the Mountain Dew? We've been pulling some late nights lately.

Ending the week

2011-07-09T18:37:00.002-04:00

Last night we hung out on the studio fire escape with friends and drinks and watched the sun go down. It was gorgeous weather and the perfect way to end the week. Today Jake's family came up and we spend the day at the market and hanging out on the front porch and just generally relaxing. I hope we can take this feeling into next week as we finish a bunch of jobs.

Custom work

2011-07-06T10:30:00.001-04:00

Print Craft from Visual Inclination on Vimeo.

I just saw this video on A Fine Press's blog and thought I should share. No custom piece could be made without a lot of experience and a ton of steps.

Sure, it gets easier as you go, but that's only because you've made mistakes and learned a lot along the way. I feel like I'm constantly learning and trouble-shooting. And, as I try to impart on my students, the more strenuously we plan and meticulously organize for the actual production, the less likely it is that a mistake is made.

This is our general work flow for any given project. Obviously, each project is different and the amount of work in each step can vary.

*Meet with client (via email, phone or in person) to better understand the project.
*Send samples and discuss paper options and any limitations.
*Start the proofing process digitally, which can take anywhere from one to ten proofs (or more).
*Prepare files and send to the plate maker. The set-up here is key. An incorrect plate can ruin and certainly delay a job. This is even more important with multiple color files.
*Mix custom ink colors and trim paper to initial size.
*Register the plates, ink the press and print. Repeat for every piece in the suite and every color.
*Trim the pieces to their final size.
*Do any non-standard finishing work (like lining envelopes).
*Count each piece and package the job.
*Prepare shipping labels (and customs forms) and take package to FedEx.

It's odd, but I don't think that I've every written down how we do things around here. And we've been doing a lot of it lately!

ps-I think it's about time we watch this video again!

A steamer is worth it's weight in gold

2011-07-01T00:11:00.000-04:00

We've been more than a little busy lately. Months of working non-stop has led to a messy house and an even messier studio. After four years of working from home and studio we are finally trying to move everything over to the studio and reclaim our house. Honestly, all of it has been overwhelming me (hence the lack of blogging and tweeting).

In the midst of my dis-organizational crisis my mom and sister just came up and helped us strip the wallpaper in our hallway and the last of the ugly border in our guest room. A border, by the way, which was installed over another border that was pained over. Thanks a lot previous owners. Finally, after six years, our house is wallpaper-free! Jake picked an awesome semi-dark gray for the guest room and a much lighter and really beautiful gray for the hallway. We have someone lined up to paint for us (I'm trying to let go) and we've moved almost all of our inventory from the dining room to the studio. The studio is starting to come together, too. My sister laid out her vision for the space before heading back to Florida and my interns have been making it come true. Pictures and sporadic blogging to follow :)

Camping 2011

2011-06-27T13:00:00.000-04:00

We just returned from our yearly camping trip with friends on my family's land. Had a great time, but it was sadly overcast and rainy the entire time. Today, of course, is beautifully sunny and we're spending it in the studio printing. At least our windows are big!

You may notice the sweet couch set up at the pond in the middle picture. Our camping trips are more plush every year.

Two new collection

2011-06-13T11:39:00.000-04:00

Yes! I'm excited to officially launch two new collections. Our Mid-Century Modern designs are now available as cards and we teamed up with Abbey from Aesthetic Outburst on an entire collection of cross-stitch-inspired stationery. Both collections are also available as notebooks, which you've probably seen already.

To celebrate the new collection and the fourth birthday of Pistachio Press (yep, it's been 4 whole years already) we're offering a 15% discount for all orders placed during the month of June. Just enter code "summer11" during checkout.

On Monday

2011-06-10T14:41:00.000-04:00

It's taken quite a while, but I'm almost done editing photos from all of our new products. There will be a shop update on Monday!! I know, I know...Finally

We'll be introducing close to 40 new products. And I'll be sending out a newsletter, which has been a long time coming. If you haven't yet signed up, here's the form if you want to be added to our mailing list. I don't often send newsletters (a few times a year) but they almost always have promo codes when I do :)

The studio is hot

2011-06-08T12:04:00.000-04:00

And I mean CRAZY hot. Like over 100. Last week we bought an AC unit, but it didn't have enough power to cool the room even one-degree. I guess that's what 15' ceilings will do! So, now we have to get a 220v outlet installed and a massive 25000btu air conditioner. We've been bringing the dogs to the studio (not in this heat, though) and most days they just lay around. Wish we could, too :)

A little bit at a time

2011-05-23T15:44:00.000-04:00

Well, we're back from the stationery show and it feels great to be home! I thought that this time I'd be able to blog during the show. Yeah right. By the end of the day we'd get dinner and then collapse for the rest of the night. It's completely exhausting talking to people all day, no matter how much fun we're having. And believe me, we had a blast. For now, here are a few shots of the final prep - picking envelope colors, driving to the Javits, and part of the set up. I'll be back soon with a bigger post of the experience.

Best New Product

2011-05-18T08:11:00.000-04:00

Hello from NYC! It's been a crazy week and I have barely been able to pick up my computer! I wish I had been able to post more about the stationery show so far, but I'll do a full recap once we get back. For now you can check out my daily coverage of the show on Aesthetic Outburst (Day 1, Day 2). A huge thank you to Grace at Design Sponge for featuring our cross stitch calendar (designed by Abbey). Our other piece of most awesome news is that our Telegram invitation won Best New Product for All Things Wedding! I can't tell you how excited this made us :)

On related note, thank you so much to everyone who stopped by so far - I can't believe that so many of you read this blog. I am totally floored!!

NSS 2011 opens Sunday!

2011-05-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

Jake and I have been functioning on very limited sleep these past few weeks as we prep for the stationery show and it opens Sunday! We're in booth no. 1664 and are just about all set up. We have a few more finishing touches to make tomorrow and then it's go time! I'll try to keep you posted. If you're attending the show, we'd love to see you. Stop by and say hi!

Also, we're participating in a recipe card exchange (kind of like a booth scavenger hunt) with 14 other letterpress companies. The exchange was organized by my good friend Amber of Flywheel Press and sponsored by Legion Paper. I LOVE everything about it and I can't wait to pick up the other cards!

ps-I won't be at the show on Sunday, but Jake will be there along with one of my fantastic former interns! I'll be at our University graduation saying goodbye to our senior art majors.

Cross Stitch Notebooks

2011-05-09T11:17:00.000-04:00

Thank you all for such an amazing response to our new notebooks!! Today I wanted to share the Cross Stitch Collection of notebooks, designed by my awesomely talented friend Abbey, of Aesthetic Outburst. I am planning to launch these at the National Stationery Show next week, we're in booth number 1664, but I also have them available for pre-order right now.

Introducing...notebooks

2011-05-05T17:43:00.000-04:00

The Stationery Show is such great incentive to finish projects. I've been wanting to make a small line of notebooks forever and we will finally be debuting some in just a week! We have two different sets and this one is based on our Mid-Century Modern designs. I'm in love with them! I'm going to do my best to post new product shots on the blog. If the sun holds out tomorrow I'll get some shots of the other notebook line!

Wistful

2011-05-04T11:53:00.001-04:00

Once again, these bright colors rule! Up to this point we haven't done many envelope liners for clients, but over the last few weeks we've been inserting plenty. This suite, based on our Wistful collection, includes the most gorgeous envelope liners. I love how the orange really pops.

And...we're so excited that this suite was included in the new invitation lookbook from Invitation Crush!

Bloom invitation

2011-05-03T11:20:00.000-04:00

I love that so many of our clients lately are opting for bright cheery colors for their wedding invitations. It's also been fun to print square invitations.

Dream Cabin

2011-04-29T01:23:00.001-04:00

The end of the semester is always crazy, but paired with prep for the stationery show and some very sick puppies I have been fantasizing about a vacation. A real vacation. With no phone, no internet, few people and several books. I also have a longtime dream of owning a small cottage or cabin. So, when my boss showed me his friend Michael's cabin I fell in love. LOVE. Such a quiet, perfect space to get away. I really think Jake and I might book as stay here - once in the summer to enjoy the creek and hiking and once in the winter because I've never gotten to vacation in snow. You can check out the rental listing here.

Copper and Cyan

2011-04-25T00:13:00.000-04:00

We got to print this gorgeous suite a few weeks ago. The bride's sister designed everything and we printed them with cyan and copper ink. They turned out amazing and I just love how the pattern carried through to all elements.

And more wall progress

2011-04-20T08:00:00.001-04:00

Yep, we're still working on those walls for the show. They've been patched, primed and painted. Jake and our intern Tracy worked hard to get each panel looking great. Now we just have to figure out how we're displaying everything and do a test run. Hoping to do that next week.

Custom calligraphy invitations

2011-04-18T23:02:00.001-04:00

We printed these gorgeous invitations a few weeks ago. Black ink on ecru paper and calligraphy by Grace Edmands. I love how they turned out!

Damask in sunny yellow

2011-04-15T00:05:00.000-04:00

It's been exciting to print such beautiful bright colors recently. Here's Pantone 116 looking super hot paired with a warm gray. One of my very favorite color combinations. We printed this design on super thick 220# lettra and it turned out pretty amazing.

tangerine

2011-04-14T01:57:00.000-04:00

Mixing the perfect orange ink while the sun sets. Hello spring. Finally!

Seafoam green

2011-04-11T12:45:00.001-04:00

We made so much progress this past weekend with prep for the stationery show, printing, and even managed to have a bit of fun with friends (and not feel guilty about taking time off work!). I can't tell you what a difference it makes to have done a few shows already and know what my limits are. I'm trying a new zen-like approach to trade show prep - it gets done if it gets done. There will be things that I won't have time to finish and I'm ok with that.

In the midst of planning, we're still crazy busy on the press and sending proofs to our great clients! Our Mexican Tile design has been quite popular lately and was super fun to print with this beautiful shade of green.

*ps - It's in the low 70s here today and my house windows are open for the first time in 2011. I can't wait for spring to stay!!!

Building walls for NSS

2011-04-09T17:36:00.001-04:00

After much deliberation (mostly me internalizing and annoying Jake), we decided to go with hard walls for our booth this time at the Stationery Show. This is a bigger decision that it probably should have been, but since we're doing three shows every year we figured it would be worth it financially and more than worth is aesthetically and functionally. We used paper "walls" for the last two shows which limited how we could arrange our cards and prints.

We picked up sheets of plywood and Jake has been busy assembling everything. We aren't allowed to use power tools at the show, so everything has to be planned out beforehand and bolted together. I'm really looking forward to figuring out shelving and to having a reusable booth. The best part is that we can set it up in the studio and troubleshoot beforehand, I hope!

Countdown to NSS, 4 weeks to go

2011-04-07T00:04:00.000-04:00

We have exactly four weeks until we leave for the National Stationery Show. We just ordered four cases of paper and tons of new envelopes. No room for it all in the studio, but we've been printing so much I hope we have enough for the next few weeks.

Wall Update: My friend Sara has agreed to let us borrow her van for the show, which means we're going to have hard walls, providing 4x8' sheets of plywood will fit in! I think we'll probably try to see if we can pick it up this weekend and start making a mock booth in the studio.

Random related info: I still don't have a to-do list for the show, so I guess I should make one! I know I'll forget something if I don't put one together. But I'm also afraid to see everything in one spot.

*We printed these invitations a few weeks ago and I love how they turned out! The blind deboss is so perfect with the rich black ink.

NSS 2011, here we come

2011-04-06T00:52:00.000-04:00

Perhaps you remember last year, when we exhibited at the National Stationery Show for the first time. Well, it's almost time to head back to NYC for this year's show! I am so excited about this show. Unlike the gift show, I know a lot of other exhibitors and I'm looking forward to catching up with them and meeting new retail shops! We have been super hard at work (aka, not sleeping) designing and printing a few new lines of cards. I'm planning to update our progress here during the next month.

Show related things I'm thinking about today:
1. Jake had a mohawk last year for the show. He might again this year. Some of our friends have only met him during the show and might not recognize him with hair.
2. I need a haircut. Something cute. But cutting it would mean making a decision and I don't know that I'm capable of that.
3. We somehow managed to print two weddings today. They were both big. Our interns are great.
4.We have four new lines of cards and two calendars in the works. How in the world will we be able to print these in time?
5. Yes, haircuts are show-related.

Dolly is cold

2011-04-05T01:19:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted any pics of our dogs, so here are some new ones of Dolly. Yep, we still have her. It's almost been a year. Her favorite space in the entire house is curled up on the heating register in our bathroom. She has almost no fur, so I can totally understand her motivations.

SGCI Recap No. 4

2011-03-24T11:47:00.000-04:00

I think these etchings by Lucia Volker are just beautiful. The computer screen doesn't do them justice, either. They are so delicate and the subtlety is really wonderful.

Switching gears a little bit, here are some prints by Firecracker Press. We got to visit their shop and it was filled with letterpress goodness, posters, presses and a line out the door. I bought the Eat It poster for Jake. I love how they hand carve the blocks and the vintage aesthetic of each print.

SGCI Recap No. 3

2011-03-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting Nicole Hand at the SGCI open portfolio. She makes beautiful multi-plate etchings (above) and I was really drawn to the contrast between the rich black areas and the more delicately drawn areas. I even got to add one of her small etching to my collection!

These prints were made by Emma Nishimura. The top two are etching/aquatints and the bottom two are photogravures. I'm particularly interested in how abstract these landscapes feel and the softness of the imagery.

SGCI Recap No. 2

2011-03-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

As promised, more prints from the conference. The prints above are etchings from Janie Stamm. I love how awkward the creatures are and the patterning in them.

These prints by Lauren Blair Hirsch are super delicate. The jars were printed on a letterpress and the ephemeral abstract parts were hand painted afterward. I'm excited that I was able to add one of these to my collection!

SGCI Recap No. 1

2011-03-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

I spent part of the past week in St. Louis for the annual SGC International conference. SGCI is the largest printmaking organization in the country and this conferences was awesome. Imagine 1600+ printmakers in one city, packed into hotel rooms, geeking out at the bar talking about art and the best way to pull a print. Then add workshops, demos, panel discussions and art openings. I know, it's mind-blowing! Over the next week I'm planning to post images from the conference and art from printmakers I got to meet.

One of my favorite parts of the conference is the open portfolios on the last day. During this time about 500 artists are allocated table-time to show their work. I figured I would show you some of the work that inspired me.

I bought a piece from Nguyet Nguyen. She works primarily in screenprint making monoprints (one-of-a-kinds) and then altering them with drawing and collage.

Macy Chadwick from In Cahoots Press had some stunning letterpress prints and books. The books were truly incredible and I wish the photos could show just how great they really were.

I heart mischief

2011-03-15T18:28:00.001-04:00

This weekend is the annual Buffalo Small Press Book Fair. It's one of my favorite shows and sadly I often have to miss it! This year is no exception. I'll be in St. Louis for a printmaking conference and I'm so excited about that. If you happen to be near Buffalo, I suggest you take a trip to see the fair. You'll even get to see new work by my friend JoAnn, who makes gorgeous embroidered pieces from vintage ephemera. You can also see her work in her shop Vintage Refashioned.

Birthday wishes and a new project

2011-03-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the new 20 in 20 project from Aesthetic Outburst yet? Well, if you haven't, make sure you check it out. Every day Abbey makes something fabulous (like the pieces above) and then posts it as a giveaway on her blog. I love how diverse the projects are and I'm especially enamored with the embroidery pieces.

Today is Abbey's birthday, too. A little background on my dear friend. I met Abbey 12 years ago when we were freshmen in college. We took intro to drawing together and bonded over our shared hatred of the class. I think we complained about it the entire semester and then promptly enrolled in printmaking together where my first etching was a mermaid and Abbey's was a seahorse (or possibly a sandcastle). I'm happy to say that after all these years, Abbey is still one of my closest, most talented friends. Happy Birthday Abbey!

Dated Material

2011-03-08T10:50:00.000-05:00

This week is Spring Break, which means I've got the week off from teaching. That also means I'll be in the studio ALL week, proofing, printing, emailing. It's a good thing I have this week off because our inbox has exploded with new jobs! I've been sending proofs like a mad woman and later this week I'll be printing up a storm. I thought you might like to see the Telegram invitation in another color combination. The bride and groom chose to have these printed in chestnut brown and fuchsia. I love that pop of pink!

MASS MoCA: Day 5 randomness

2011-03-04T10:21:00.000-05:00

I'm just about out of work to show you from our trip to MASS MoCA, so I figured today was a good time to show you a few random shots. Icicles on the tin roof lined the buildings in the complex were beautiful. By the time we left, most had slid down and and were hanging at 45-degree angles. The entrance is lined with hanging trees, an ongoing installation by Natalie Jeremijenko. I wish we could have seen these blooming, I expect they are amazing.

Lastly, we were able to walk through Petah Coyne's beautiful exhibition. I've been in love with her work since I first saw it while helping to edit on a catalog for her work at the Albright Knox. Although the work in the show is gorgeous, I honestly thought the viewing experience was a little off-putting. Only four people at a time were allowed into the main exhibition space and there were two gallery guards watching those four people. Seriously? I get it to a certain extent - Coyne's work is incredibly delicate - mostly taxidermy birds and silk flowers covered with wax and much of it sits directly on the floor. But get close enough to actually see the intricacies and a guard reminds you to step back. Maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed about this if Material World hadn't been so hands-on and encouraged interactivity.

MASS MoCA: Day 4

2011-03-03T10:27:00.000-05:00

I've shown Katharina Grosse's work in my classes for the last few years and it was so nice to finally see it in person. The scale is just crazy and it was great to walk through the gallery. The contrast of stark white is so striking.

Sun and MASS MoCA: Day 3

2011-03-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday felt like it could be the start of spring. We finally had SUN in Rochester. It's truly amazing what waking up to a sunny bedroom can do for me (and anyone who is in contact with me in the morning)! The studio had the best light late in the afternoon, lots of long shadows.

Yesterday was also Cassie's 4-year adoption-day. I can hardly believe that we had second thoughts about keeping our sweet girl. She celebrated the day by sleeping on the couch...all day. And getting some special treats of really good cheese. She probably didn't appreciate it as much as I did :)

What better way to end this light-filled post than with this piece made by Alyson Shotz using reflective materials and wire. It created some of the most interesting shadows in the entire exhibition. I especially loved the overlap of shadows and where they moved from wall to floor.

MASS MoCA: Day 2

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite exhibition at MASS MoCA was Material World: Sculpture to Environment. The piece I showed yesterday was part of this, as are the pieces below. What I liked most was how each unique installation led into the next. The installation below is by Orly Genger and was created using 100 miles of rope. It's so intense and just looks heavy. In the third picture you can see how it's juxtaposed with the rear gallery - lightweight twisted paper dripping from the ceiling. I love this particular pairing.

The paper installation by collaborators Wade Kavanaugh and Stephen B. Nguyen continues on the second floor. In the lower (window-less) space root-like structures hang from the ceiling. In the upper space, they seem to grow out of the floor. Both Jake and I laid on the floor and looked up into the trunk, which was every bit as complex as the outside structure.

Platemakers and fishing line

2011-02-28T11:00:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was pretty exciting for us, and not because of the Oscars. On Saturday, Jake and I drove to Massachusetts to pick up a platemaker for the studio! I'm going to be buying an imagesetter from a friend who just happened to have one that wasn't being used. I'm sure there will be a bit of a learning curve, but hopefully we'll soon be able to process plates anytime we want!

I had been resistant to this for a while, but my good friend Amber finally talked me into it (and found it for me). I was worried that it would be one more thing that we'd have to do, but when I calculated the cost savings I came around to the other side. We're in the midst of prepping for our accountant and the amount I spend on plates, paper and my studio shocks me every year. Most of these costs are fixed and I'm not about to switch papers, but finding a way to cut costs seems imperative, especially when Jake's current job is only contracted to last six months.

After we loaded the platemaker into the car we drove to Mass MoCA and spent a few hours wandering the galleries. If you haven't been there before, the space is just awesome. The galleries occupy old factory buildings and are HUGE. Over the next few days I'll post pictures from some of the exhibitions. Today I wanted to show a piece by Tobias Putrih, which was made from fishing line and a spotlight. Jake and I spent a lot of time with this piece. It was disorienting when we first walked into this gallery but once we figured that there was a "notch" in the piece, we were able to walk under the piece until it lowered into the floor.

Four years

2011-02-23T23:38:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I missed my four-year blogging anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long and I have an even harder time believing that so much has happened in that span of time. In this relatively short amount of time I started Pistachio Press, we lost our old dog Tipper and then adopted Cassie and Pancake Sue, we started fostering Dolly, we've gone to weddings and funerals, we spent almost three weeks in Italy, we have painted and repainted rooms, we've met awesome new friends, we've exhibited at trade shows, we drove down the California coast, babies have been born, presses have been moved, my students have made some great work, Jake has written two novels, and mohawks have been shaved. I'm looking forward seeing what happens in the next four years!

Tradeshow Bootcamp

2011-02-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

When I started Pistachio Press I didn't know how little I knew about running a stationery business. I barely knew what wholesale was and I certainly didn't know what a trade show was. Even after I walked the National Stationery Show for the first time I didn't think I'd ever exhibit at a show myself. Well, a lot has changed since then! I've exhibited at three trade shows, I work with 50 retail shops, and I have enough work to keep myself, my husband and two interns busy. I'm proud to say that when other stationers email or call me with questions about trade shows I can actually give them useful answers.

I am quite excited that I'll be discussing booth logistics as a panelist for Tradeshow Bootcamp on March 10th. Tradeshow Bootcamp was created by Kelp Designs and I seriously wish I had the opportunity to take a workshop like this when I was first contemplating exhibiting at a trade show!

From the official website:

"Tradeshow Bootcamp is designed to give stationery manufacturers an open, honest and informative inside look at what goes into preparing for and exhibiting at large tradeshows. In addition to hearing candid feedback from stationery manufacturers about booth logistics, prepping products and marketing, we’ll also hear from retailers, press and sales reps in the industry to understand what they look for when roaming the tradeshow floors. Each workshop will consist of a one-hour teleconference call chalked full of info then finished off with an open Q&A session."

Anxiety

2011-02-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

Casteller from Mike Randolph on Vimeo.

A few nights ago I had an anxiety dream. I won't call it a nightmare because it wasn't that scary. Honestly, it wasn't scary at all, it just made me feel nervous and inadequate. I had to find a new job and I was taking a test (aka face-off) to become a hairdresser. Part of the test was for three of us to wash and cut a client's hair in the shortest time. Well, in an hour and a half I had not quite managed to wash my friend Sara's hair while she laid on a couch. Do you know how hard it is to wash someone else's hair while they are laying on a couch?! A couch that you can't get wet. Using a garden hose. A hose that you have to turn on by crawling all the way under the couch. Well, in my dream is was way hard. Obviously it's a good thing we never made it to the hair-cutting part since I think the introduction of scissors might have been a total disater.

What does the human castle video have to do with my dream? Not really anything. But the anxiety I felt watching this reminded me of my dream and I thought it was only fitting that I share both with you.

Telegram in one-color

2011-02-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Our Telegram invitation has been doing great this season. I especially love printing them when they're paired with kraft paper envelopes.

P is for...

2011-02-15T17:15:00.000-05:00

Purple on the press and plenty of packaging.

Dogs at work.

2011-02-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

I know, I know...two posts in one day?! My sister just sent this video to me and I had to share. Our dogs need to up their A-game. Pancake Sue, I'm looking at you!

Valentine's Monday

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I like holidays that are on Mondays - they generally seem like a good way to start the week. I'm so excited because I just saw that I won a beautiful hand-painted Valentine from Aesthetic Outburst's 20 in 20 project! Isn't it sweet? I think I'm going to hang it in my home office, although it may end up at the studio above my desk. Thank you, Abbey!

I also got the most beautifully calligraphed Valentine from the talanted Grace Edmands. I LOVE getting mail from Grace! Truly, I just adore the little hearts and arrow. Thanks Grace! This was the perfect pick-me-up :)

It's a full day.

2011-02-10T10:23:00.000-05:00

Partial to-do list for the day

Take new plates, envelopes, packaging supplies to the studio.
Package all of the new cards (or as many as possible).
Photograph new cards and add to the shop.
Finish rounding corners on thank you cards for client.
Print three weddings and an order of jewelry tags.
Follow up with nyigf contacts.
Get receipts and records in order for taxes, ugh!
Start grading student projects.
Order more plates.
Work on new proofs for clients.
Massage.

Amazing rings by Satomi Kawakita

2011-02-09T10:55:00.001-05:00

I have been in love with Satomi Kawakita's textured rings for quite some time. For the last 14 years I have worn the thinnest candy-store rings on my right had and after they broke a few months ago (they were 25-cents) I knew I wanted a few of Satomi's rings. Lucky for me, I got to meet Satomi and see her gorgeous rings in person at the gift show. And...I have some coming to me in the next few weeks! I'm so excited. They're a birthday present to myself (partly with birthday money from my parents). They're are so delicate and amazing. I got three tiny rings (both of the top images) and some day, when the business is booming, I'll splurge for the tourmaline ring on the bottom. Thanks Satomi!!

Business cards

2011-02-08T14:07:00.000-05:00

Looking back over my blog the last few months I realized that I haven't shown many of our printing jobs. Well, my hope is that I can start posting completed jobs more frequently, starting with these business cards that I printed for alice g At Home. Betsy and Kathleen were so awesome to work with and I love how their cards turned out. I pretty much always think blind debossing is hot.

Back from the show

2011-02-07T22:13:00.000-05:00

It was a long week, but we made it through. The booth looked great when I got to the show and we picked up some awesome new shops. I'll be adding them to our website listing this week and we'll be shipping orders as fast as we can.

I thought you'd like to see the behind-the-scene's carnage that comes with trade shows. On the last day of the show the union workers start to assemble on the edges of the show. The exact minute the show officially ends the lights dim to half and the electricians start taking down the spots. The carpets get pulled up within 20 minutes and fork-lift operators skillfully deliver empty crates. Exhibitors frantically pull out boxes from behind displays and pile product in boxes. Booths that took days to set up are dismantled in a matter of hours. I can't tell you how seriously organized the entire take-down is. Our booth is so easy to take down that I prefer to just sit around for a little while and watch the chaos. It took us about an hour to break down. And then we return the next day after everyone has left and load up the car.

Old Spice Guy, enough said

2011-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

Thank you to my amazing friends and family

2011-01-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I turned 30. Yesterday I was diagnosed with the flu. And yesterday I missed a slumber party at my amazing friend Abbey's house. It would have been so much fun. Abbey, I promise we'll make it down soon!

Today Jake left for the gift fair with our other awesome friend Sara. After my doctor told me I shouldn't travel we called Sara and she said would go with Jake and help with the show. There wasn't any hesitation, either. Sara, this means more to me than you know. Today I will spend the day in bed with my dogs and drink orange juice. When I feel better, I will join them at the show.

In the past few weeks I have cried in front of quite a few strangers (sorry USPS workers, you're the ones who lost an overnight package/rush order two days before we were supposed to leave town). Today I cried becuase I have such an incredible support system. I am grateful for a husband who brings me water at 3am and holds me while I have the chills, who reprinted the lost rush job, who is driving right now to a trade show, and who is my best friend. I am grateful for my sister who wrote me a letter telling me to slow down. I am grateful for my mom and dad who sent flowers and balloons yesterday. I am grateful for friends and colleagues who are understanding and supportive and caring. I am grateful for my online friends who send me advice at midnight. And when I say online, it is in no way meant to marginalize the friendships we have, it's just that I've not yet gotten to give you a hug in person :) Thank you all so much.

Dirty little secrets: AKA trade show prep makes your life hell

2011-01-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

**Disclaimer: This is a bit of a rant about how trying it can be to prep for a trade show. Read at your own risk and try not to judge me :)

Most of the time (design) blogs are escapist for me. They're beautiful and everything is "just so", but I can't believe anyone can live in those spaces. Not because I wouldn't love to live in a space like that, but because I can't image having enough time to actually keep a room that neat for more than five minutes. Let me give you a few examples. We haven't been able to do the laundry in weeks. Last time I did I sorted it into piles, did one load and then Dolly started using the other piles to sleep in. So I left them on the floor and now we have a carpet of laundry. And now I'm stuck wearing all of my t-shirts from undergrad.

Over the course of the past two weeks we have printed fourteen new cards designs, reprinted at least six old designs, printed and shipped business card, custom orders and nine weddings (most of which were rush jobs). My awesome interns have scored and folded thousands of cards and will have to package them when we return from the trade show. We've answered hundreds of emails and sent contracts and proofs to our new clients.

I almost went all Office Space on three different printers while trying to print on some envelopes. I probably spent five hours trying to print 90 envelopes. Now I know why I don't offer this service. I will add this to the many lessons I have learned over the past few years of Pistachio Press.

Yesterday, Time Machine popped up an accusatory little note letting me know that I haven't backed up in 40 days. "Oh yeah, Time Machine?! Really?! Like I didn't know that already." Ok, so I didn't really know it and now I'm backing up my files.

My laptop battery is just about shot. During the course of writing this post it said it was at 18% and then immediately shut down. Once again, I thought of Office Space. I opted for yelling instead, which brought three dogs running to check out the commotion. Now I have to make a trip to the Apple store to get a new one. Upsaide: I can check out Anthro and see if anything sweet is on sale.

I turn 30 on Thursday and we have to pack up the car and drive partway to NYC for the show. Upside, I get to have dinner with my parents on the way down and stay overnight with Miss Aesthetic Outburst. Oh, and I scheduled a facial for that morning. I'll probably feel behind because of it, but I need one hour of uninterrupted time to do nothing.

I've successfully procrastinated long enough by writing this post that now I don't have time to make lunch before my faculty meeting and I'll be forced to get pizza. But by now you know me well enough to realize that this was my plan all along. Pizza and Mountain Dew. Maybe two Dews. Shit, I need to get going!

same thing, different day

2011-01-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

Top image = Thursday night.
Bottom image = Friday night.
Bottom line = Rachael takes pictures while Jake works.

printing printing printing

2011-01-17T23:02:00.000-05:00

Yep, you guessed it. We're hard at work at Pistachio Press. With the Gift Show just two weeks away we've been printing like mad. Not to mention we have several great weddings in the queue that need to be printed and shipped before we leave. One that we recently printed was hand calligraphed by Grace Edmands. It always makes me so happy to print Grace's beautiful work!

Oops!

2011-01-13T01:05:00.000-05:00

Well, in the chaos of the last few weeks I must have had some serious brain fade. I left off two amazing calendars from my round up! The top image is from Leah Duncan and the bottom is from Paper Boat Studios. They're both totally incredible!

Proceed and be Bold

2011-01-12T21:38:00.000-05:00

If you're in/near Rochester this weekend you should check out the film Proceed and Be Bold. On Friday, January 14th there will be a 5pm screening of the film in the Gowan Room at U of R. The film is a documentary about Amos Kennedy and how he left his job to become a printer at age 40.

After-Party/Poster Sale/Meet and Greet with Amos
Time: 8:30 pm
Location: Boulder Coffee (Brooks Landing location, within walking distance from U of R campus)

Free Workshop
Saturday, Jan 15: Letterpress Workshop with Amos
Time: 10 am - 2 pm
Location: Printing & Book Arts Center at Genesee Center for the Arts
FREE: Call Mitchel Cohen at (585) 244-9312 to reserve your spot

Oh Rochester

2011-01-12T00:06:00.000-05:00

Rochester has the most beautiful sunsets, when we have sun that is. Every time the sun sets while we're at the studio Jake and I race over to the window. I love how the cloud barrier is moving in, but hasn't quite taken over the sky.

Joining: collaborative print

2011-01-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to announce a new collaborative print with my friend Sara Dankert. It's titled Joining and it's a three-color 6x8" print. It's always fun to work on projects with friends and I think this one turned out beautifully!

The start of the year brings many changes

2011-01-07T01:10:00.000-05:00

You may remember way back last April when my husband got laid off. I was terrified, but these past few months have really given us some time to think about our next steps. As Jake looked for a job we talked a lot about what he could do instead of engineering. And only just recently has a plan actually developed, a plan I think is pretty awesome. Jake's old employer asked him to come back as a contractor, which means that he now works part time as an engineer. And...the best part...he's going to be working with me the rest of the time! He's always been supportive of Pistachio Press and in order for the press to continue to grow we need a second person on board. See, I told you it was awesome! So now we just have to work out the logistics, like deciding who does what. My hope is that this will kind of fall into place and that he'll also have time to submit the manuscripts (yes, plural) he's been working on for the past year and a half. Hooray for change!

Calendar Roundup

2011-01-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

The start of the New Year brings about one of my favorite activities – hanging the calendar wall in my home office. For the past three years I have purchased, traded for, and been given an entire wall of calendars. And every month I’m excited to flip the page and reveal new artwork. This year I thought it would be nice to show you the beauties I have hanging – some of which are still for sale!

1. Oddball Press
2. 42 Pressed
3. Paisley Tree Press
4. Carving My Initials & Pistachio Press
5. Ink + Wit
6. Pistachio Press
7. Linda & Harriett
8. Seesaw Letterpress
9. May Day Studio
10. Albertine Press
11. Laura Macchia
12. Lori Hutchinson
13. Genesee Printing & Book Arts Center

Christmas recap (mostly through cookies)

2011-01-05T21:55:00.000-05:00

Well, Christmas came and went. And so did the new year. It flew by and somehow it doesn't seem like it should be January already! It especially doesn't seem like I've been gone from here for two weeks. I missed telling you about cookie-baking at Sara's and dog-cookie-baking at Marni's. Both humans and puppies had full bellies during the end of December! I also missed bragging about the seven dogs at my mom's house over Christmas and how well they all got along (until Pancake Sue started hoarding the bones, that is).

My intention was to take off the week between Christmas and New Year to organize my office, clean the house, sort the junk in the attic, do laundry and just generally do things that I should be doing all of the time but never have time for. Did I? Not entirely. Instead, I took a light work week (6-hour days) and spent time with family and friends. I saw a double feature movie with my husband and sister. I scrubbed under the stove and refrigerator. I tried to catch up on sleep. We hosted our annual New Year's Day brunch, which was fantastic and can now officially be called a tradition after three years :) Although I feel like I should have been working harder, I'm glad I took a little time to rest before the craziness of the new year.

Tomorrow I'm going to begin to semi-regular posting again - starting with roundup of calendars that now grace my office walls.

Christmas tree picking

2010-12-20T11:17:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we picked out Christmas trees with our friends Sara and Ben. It's become tradition for us to eat breakfast together the first weekend in December and then hunt for the perfect tree at Powers. Sara and Ben always go for the long-needles big round trees, but Jake and I almost always end up with a fraser fir, which is able to hold all of our heavy ornaments. And the best part of Powers is the animals runing around. This year we got to pet a baby goat while the snow fell!

Concepcioun Books

2010-12-15T03:59:00.001-05:00

During Second Storie I got to sit next to Christine, owner of Concepcioun, and chat about making work as indie business owners. In addition to being a great person, Christine makes the most awesome felt notepads. There are six different notepad inserts available. My favorites are the web account log (to store passwords) and the checklist (of course). She also makes gorgeous and impeccably crafted custom guest books.

{all images from concepcioun}

stamps, cards and gift wrap

2010-12-14T16:15:00.001-05:00

Christmas is fast approaching. As usual, I feel like I'm behind. I can't believe December is already half over! I've given up on getting holiday cards in the mail before the actual holiday, but I've resolved to send new year cards instead. I'm happy to see these great stamps from the Post Office, which I have to order today!

Also, a little update on calendars. We still have them in stock, but they're going quickly! If you're planning to order one as a gift you have a bit of time left and we just listed some expedited shipping and gift-wrapping options.

Hope you all had a great weekend. I'll fill you in on mine in the next day or two :)

Bust Craftacular this weekend!

2010-12-11T01:04:00.000-05:00

Hey NYC friends...Pistachio Press is coming to your neck of the woods! We're going to be at the Bust Craftacular, which is always a super fun show. We'll be on the second floor - stop by and say hi!

letterpress love going strong

2010-12-08T15:42:00.000-05:00

Letterpress has been going through a period of renewed popularity in the last few years and our local alternative newspaper has taken notice. City Newspaper created a cover story on the new wave of letterpress and we're so excited to be part of this feature!

Photo by Matt DeTurck, who is incredibly nice. Here's his blog and flicr.

Holiday ornaments, hooray!

2010-12-06T13:33:00.000-05:00

My good friend Abbey from Aesthetic Outburst created an ornament challenge for herself. She's making 20 ornaments in 20 days and they're pretty awesome! You can check them out right here. It's totally inspiring me to make some new ornaments for my tree, which we got this weekend! Oh, and we also got about eight inches of snow over the last few days. It's beautiful outside and the lights from the tree makes the inside so much more cozy.

Holiday Gala this weekend

2010-12-03T03:13:00.000-05:00

This weekend:
Anderson Alley Holiday Gala
250 N. Goodman, Rochester, NY

Friday, December 3, 5-9pm
Saturday, December 4, 11am-4pm

I'll be showing work in my studio (#4-7) with my talented studio-mates Jim and Sara and friend JoAnn. Stop by and say hi if you're in town!

mad skills

2010-12-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. I just saw this video on Pidge Pidge's blog and had to post it. So amazing to think about the work that goes into these rugs and how much skill the makers have.