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Hi, it’s Vee again! Sunday, March 20th is the first day of Spring, and that means it’s definitely time for some spring cleaning. Throw open the windows, let in the fresh (and hopefully warmer) air, and grab a garbage bag. Or eight. Personally, my room is in desperate need of some reorganizing. I have a bad habit of just sort of tossing papers and pens all over the place and leaving them to waste away, leaving me totally lost when the time comes for me to find anything.

Luckily, we’ve found a couple tutorials on how to upcycle old cereal boxes, cans, and pieces of cardboard into ways to organize your desk. On top of it we’ve used Smudge Ink wrapping paper to brighten it up and make it look pretty rad. There are great patterns to choose from but I ended up sticking with just two I really loved together to keep it simple!

I followed this tutorial to make the magazine/paper holder, and April donated an old tin for tea to use as a pencil cup. No more losing papers or pens for me!

There’s also this beautiful tutorial for how to make a fabric desk pad, though mine is made from an old box and decorated with Smudge Ink gift wrap to match the other organizational pieces I’d already made.

I still have to scour my room and throw out and donate things I don’t need or want anymore, but as far as organizing goes I’ve got a great headstart here! I’m positive that this spring cleaning will be super successful and super stylish!

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This month, the good and the bad are one in the same. Truthfully, it's mostly good, but with the good can come some challenges. This month’s behind-the-scenes post has all to do with our Father's Day order from Paperchase.

THE GOOD. Paperchase is a store based in London with almost 200 locations in the UK, Europe, and Canada. It's a great account: the buyers are nice people and very easy to work with, and they send good orders on a regular basis. Especially great is their Father's Day order, which is quite large for a small business like ours. We spend the majority of January to February printing, trimming, scoring, folding, enveloping and sleeving the cards in anticipation of their trip "across the pond." Pretty much everyone in our studio stops what they're doing to to get the order out the door. It’s a lot of work but the camaraderie of working together makes up for it. It also means a nice chunk of revenue comes in just as we approach our spring/summer cash crunch, and what's even better is that our cards are distributed internationally!

THE BAD. Like I said, it's a great order from a great store. However, as a small business, orders such as these have the potential to throw the shop into a bit of a tizzy for a short period. The bad is mostly figuring out logistics and mainly handled by our shop manager Sarah. Have we mentioned how awesome she is? Routing and shipping guidelines for large accounts can be daunting, and the fear is that if you do something ever so slightly incorrectly, you're at risk of losing a bunch of that aforementioned revenue, not to mention your reputation. It's a huge exercise in patience, but as they say, you gotta take the bad with the good, and this bad is well worth it considering! The logistics include getting the barcodes approved, arranging to have the order picked up on time, and completing the paperwork, to name a few. Sarah handles it like a champ, a smiling one no less.

THE (NOT SO?) UGLY. Fuller House on Netflix … "Cut! It! Out!”

(image source: Paperchase)

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Jenny Milwid is the creative force behind Leveret & Hare. We've been an admirer of her calligraphy and lettering from the moment we caught a glimpse of her Instagram feed. And lucky us, she was all on board when we approached her about collaborating on a new wedding invitation suite!

Pairing Jenny's modern style with letterpress was a dream come true. We are thrilled to introduce Jenny’s hand lettered suite—an invitation and a save the date—to our wedding line. As part of this exciting reveal, we asked Jenny to tell us a little more about herself.

Can you tell us a little about how you got started in calligraphy and lettering? What first got you interested?
I’ve always been interested in letterforms, but the first time I tried calligraphy was to create invitations for my wedding. I enjoyed it so much that I started practicing regularly. I then met Erin + Rose of Forêt and I told them that I wanted to pursue it more in a professional context. They were kind enough to give me a chance with one of their projects, and the rest is history! Without the inspiration and encouragement from these talented ladies, I would not be doing what I love today.

(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)

How would you describe your style?
I have a few different styles that I use depending on aesthetic of the project. I generally lean towards modern calligraphy, but take cues from classical calligraphy, especially Copperplate, in my line weights and rhythm.

(photo by White Loft Studio)

What is the most memorable or challenging project you’ve taken on?
This past December I worked with the award winning online shop, Eat Boutique, to create signage for their 2015 holiday market. They wanted to integrate my lettering in a variety of ways throughout the market, and the trickiest piece was creating the window signage. There were 10 windows (and 3 doors), approximately 5’x4’ in size, each. This was the first time I’ve designed and hand-lettered on such a large scale (and on a short timeline!), as the majority of my projects are 8.5”x11” or smaller. It was a great learning experience in terms of thinking through the design and application process (such as hand painting letters on windows backwards). You can watch this video to really get a sense for the space and environment we created.

(photo by Ruth Eileen Photography)

What are some creative tools/aides you cannot work without?
A pen holder, nibs (I love the Brause 361 Steno Nib aka Blue Pumpkin and Zebra G), a light table, Rhodia blank and grid paper, and Sumi ink. On the technology side, it is my Macbook Air and recent addition iPad Pro + Pencil.

(photo by First Mate)

Which calligraphers and/or artists have inspired you the most?
There are many inspirational calligraphers out there. Here are a few that have been particularly influential: Seb Lester, master penman Jake Weidman, Written Word Calligraphy, Mon Voir, Molly Jacques, Jessica Hische, and Dana Tanamachi.

Still can’t get enough? You can find more recent work by Leveret & Hare in Style Me Pretty and Boston Weddings. Thanks, Jenny!

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Growing up, my mother always lovingly forced me to write thank you's. It has now become a good habit, but as I've gotten older, I've noticed the selection of cards that I am drawn towards has gotten slimmer and slimmer. The desire to find a card that was simple, sincere, and handsome to the eye was the inspiration behind The Modern Gentleman's Note Cards. 

You can check out my Pinterest board for more of what I was inspired by when designing the line. I wanted the note cards to appeal to any guy who appreciates the handcrafted and handwritten (like me!) and finds joy in rediscovering an old classic. 

For most of us, we form strong sentimental attachments to certain objects. Old oil cans will forever remind me of Papa (my grandfather) who worked constantly on restoring old Model-T cars. When it came to finding appropriate imagery, I looked for objects that would hold similar nostalgic associations. The illustrations feel almost playful tempered by a minimal color palette of black and white.

That's pretty much it. Really, just a guy looking for a good solid note card.

(top image credits: Sarah Jayne Photography and The Little Things)

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Last Thursday, the art class from the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston came over for a tour and printing demonstration. From the moment they walked through the door, their grade-school excitement permeated the entire studio. They looked around with wide eyes, and I could tell they were immediately intrigued with the sight, smells, and sounds of this place. As we moved through the tour (which included a hopscotch detour, of course) their questions and comments suggested that they were beginning to grasp the concepts of production, inventory, and fulfillment. Needless to say, they are all fun-loving and bright kids, and it was great to witness their enthusiasm for Smudge Ink.

The printing demonstration was the highlight of the afternoon. Emily had set up the Vandercook so they could take turns printing a Smudge Ink Valentine’s card set. The children loved cranking the press and learning how the ink is pressed into the paper. They were so enthralled that they kept asking to print again and again, and with each passing roll of the cylinder they became more adept at positioning the paper and cranking the press in just the right way. To bring the process full circle, they took home the Valentines they printed to use for friends and family. They were beyond thrilled!

While they were printing on the Vandercook, Margaret was printing on Heidi, one of our Heidelbergs, and the kids quickly gravitated towards the rhythmic hissing of this press in action. Not only were they in awe of how she functions (cards are fed by air suction), they were equally obsessed with every single make ready she’s ever produced (make readies are pieces of paper used to make the press ready for printing, thus the name).

This visit was such a joy for us, and we were so happy to share our love of letterpress printing with children in the community. Thanks to the Boys & Girls Club art class who trekked over Bunker Hill on a cold winter afternoon. Happy Valentine's Day!

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