This is going to be a crazy month

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

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

Bootcamp Winner

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

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

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

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

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...

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!