The texture. The depth. Taking the letterforms I adore and transforming them into a treasured object.

Hello letterpress.

I fell in love as an undergraduate with a worn, creaky letterpress machine and the beauty it created. I made some extra projects that semester so I could be alone in the studio, setting my own type by hand and adding in each piece of leading.

I'm always on the hunt for wonderful works on letterpress. The works that are affordable - and very easy for me to talk myself into - are greeting cards. And, I know I'm biased, but I feel like letterpress cards are always a little snarkier or punny-ier than your average card, and that is right up my alley.

You'll find these greeting cards all over my home and office. I never put my letterpress behind glass because I want to be able to gawk at the embossing even while it hangs on the wall or sits on a desk.

I've been holding on to two designs with some wonderful blue ink to frame together. To showcase the cards, I grabbed my very old pack of Color-aid papers from art school to find a shade to use for mounting.

Erika from Foxtrot Press gave me this whimsical greeting that makes me smile every time I look at it. It's totally my personality to get really excited with someone before I even know what it is that we're celebrating! I'm easily convinced for the sake of a party.

This card I purhcased many years ago and fits my sense of humor (you know me and my lunchbox note punnies, right?). The layers of embossing won me over - the beautiful, delicate pattern with crisp, line image on top.

I let the cards breathe a bit by putting a small amount of sticky putty in the top open corner.

Do you have any letterpress art hanging around your spaces?

Wishing you all a beautiful Easter. We have some wonderful Church services ahead with family and friends as well as a child and adult Easter egg hunt in our backyard.

xoxo, MJ