The Milkfed Press Blog

Come One, Come All!

2012-02-17T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hello, Hello!

I hope you are gearing up for a fun weekend!

I'm looking forward to finishing up a few projects, hanging out with my family, and putting together some items for a super fun, local Trunk Show that I'll be participating in next weekend, at Lilac Dress Boutique (click), right here in Alameda, California.

If you are planning your Wedding in the Bay Area, please come and see what myself and others have to offer. Lilac's owner, Pilar, is so very nice, in addition to knowing all-things-bridal-gown. Read what nice things people have to say about her right here (click). Alameda locals have known about her for years—in addition to her beautiful gowns, she sells really great clothes, Hobo (brand) bags, and other unique, hard-to-find accessories for everyday wear. Plus, her shop smells divine and she is genuinely awesome to talk to.

I'm really excited that she will be offering up her beautiful boutique to myself and others next Saturday, the 25th of February, from 1-4 pm. Please come by and say hello!

Here is a list of participating folks (I'll link when possible): Susan Bell Florals, Anne Kohler Photography, Malia May, Alive Events & Entertainment, Bird and Whale Design, Tucker's Ice Cream (but this day they will have their amazing cakes), The Wedding Coach, and Milkfed Press.

Hot Off the Press, Part Deux

2012-02-10T12:42:00.001-08:00

Hello All! It's been a busy month, and I'm happy to tell you that in between working on projects, that I have managed to produce the latest offering from my new line of cards. True to the nature of Letterpress, these are happening slowly, but surely. For now, they can be purchased by clicking here (click).

Other projects include a new design in shades of blue for the good folks at Martha Stewart Weddings. Look for it in the Summer issue. This is off to a great year so far, and soon I'll have some pieces to show off from my latest collaborations. xo

Hot Off the Press

2012-02-03T07:13:00.001-08:00

(click picture to see up close)

It must be February! Love it or hate it, Valentine's Day is upon us. I have always had mixed feelings about this one, but I think a little humor is always welcome, no matter the holiday. My latest offering truly covers all bases: I'm thinking of you... I'm not a jerk... I didn't forget... this St. Valentine was actually pretty interesting... doesn't this paper feel amazing?... et cetera.

This is the first of many in a new line of greeting/everyday cards that I'm working on. Do you have a favorite shop where you like to purchase your cards? Let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen. For now, you can find this online right here (click). xo Victoria

New Cards!

2012-01-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

Hello All!

Well, even The Shoemaker eventually gets some new shoes.

After many years, I've come up with a new design for my cards, and here they are!

Ever wonder about the Accordion player? Here's how it all began:

A friend of mine (knowing I love all-things-Accordion) found this fantastic photograph at a Flea Market. I loved it and held on to it for years.

Years later, I was hired to create a show poster for an Accordion-based band, and I started with the artwork. Using this picture as inspiration, I created the linoleum cut shown below (it's not right-reading, because everything in printing is backwards). I decided that I loved this so much, that I would have to make another something for the band. Proving that inspiration can come from anywhere, Milkfed Press was born. xo

This Is My Brain On Press

2012-01-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hello, Hello! I hope you are all enjoying the New Year, and that it's off to a wonderful start!

Mine has started off well. I made some new friends—the fabulous Pilar at Lilac Dress Boutique (click), Sanford Marshall (click) as well as the very kind Saskia and Ben Winter (click), all at Lilac Dress Boutique's Trunk Show this past weekend. Pilar was hosting her annual Bridal Gown Trunk Show (she truly is fantastic, if you need to find something amazing), and was kind enough to open up her doors to Milkfed Press so I could join in the fun. Samples were shown off, paper packages handed out, and the Mimosas were flowing. Not bad for the first weekend into 2012.

The timing could not have been more perfect—I have just completed a new collection of Wedding Invitations. We all know that with the making, comes the hustle-part. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's one thing to create things—this part I get and am good at. But the veryimportant part of being in business, is that you need to reach people that may be interested in what you have to offer. Here lies the rub for me. I make, I talk, but the photography? It's killing me. And the photography is the new handshake, right? In my fluster, I took this snap and thought it was the perfect example of the state of my brain these days. Enjoy! xo

Happy New Year

2011-12-28T09:19:00.001-08:00

(I have always loved this picture of my Husband's Grandpa Louie. I finally worked it into Letterpress Printing.)

Greetings and Salutations.

While 2011 was important to me in so many ways, I'm still pretty happy to ring in a shiny, new year. I always feel so inspired with the end of one year and the upcoming potential with the next. I'm not sure why this is—the turning of a calendar page really does feel symbolic to me.

Here's what's new:

I've been working on some new Invitation Suites which I'll be offering in the beginning of the New Year. The picture above is part of it (Letterpress + Photography). Some of my custom work is going to be featured in the upcoming Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, which I'm thrilled about. I'm making new friends all of the time and am happy to be here, writing this. Thank you all and I wish you a happy, and peaceful New Year! xo

Letterpress Printing 101

2011-11-17T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'm so familiar with the hows and whys of what I do, but it's occurred to me that I don't really talk much about this here. It was my original intention, but as you know—I get distracted.

So, back on point, I present to you The Sounds and Sights of My Printing Press, part deux.

This beautiful press is not as old as the previous post's (Chandler & Price), but what it lacks in age, it makes up for in sheer weight. This is my Vandercook Printing Press (click). Originally designed to be a 'proof press', it has become the workhorse of what I'll call the Letterpress Revival. At a smooth 2,500 pounds, this is not for the weak of heart.

For those that have never seen this process in action, you can see here that I don't exactly click on, "print". Each color requires a separate plate, therefore set-up and its own ink. Above is a quick look at a second color/image being added to this simple, two-color poster that I've created. By hand. While the inking drum is motorized (it spreads the ink out evenly throughout the rollers), it is my right arm that drives this baby. You can see here how each sheet of paper is fed (by my left hand) into the press, and my right arm rolls up, and then rolls down to simultaneous ink/press. Voilá! Magic. So, for say, an edition of 100, if this is to be 2 colors, I would feed my paper through the press 200 times. The speed and accuracy is determined by me (and as you can see, I'm not that fast) and my feeding skills. This is, what I call, the human touch. This latest sentiment can be yours for a song by clicking here. xo Victoria

(ps. sorry if the movie doesn't play on your phone)

What 120+ Years Sounds Like:

2011-11-10T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hey—I Know You: Memories of a Memory Box

2011-11-09T09:26:00.001-08:00

The thing about being a Maker, is that I tend to make things and then move on. The process of making—the planning and design, the gathering of materials, and then the actual creating and putting things together is such a long process that by the time I've finished, my brain has almost moved on to the next thing. I've been thinking about this quite a bit lately. You see, the more things I make, the more times this process is repeated. Design in-mind, create, give away. I used to sit with the things I made for a few days, before they'd find their new home.

In my fantasy work-life, I am super organized about the post-project stuff: I take fantastic photographs of my work, hang out with it, and then send it on its way. In reality, this isn't always the case. Deadlines, shipping times and eager collaborators sometimes make it so we (my stuff and I) need to be brief with each other—say our goodbyes and not look back.

This lovely box was one of these kinds of pieces. It didn't quite make it into my camera, but lucky for me, this is another reason I love the internets. I was looking at behind-the-scenes stuff and found—Hello there!—the link to this (click). The good folks at Martha Stewart Weddings *do* photograph everything! I'd made this Memory Box a few years ago. I remember it well—the couple had sent this special fabric to me so I could prepare it, and use it as bookbinding cloth. They had an idea of the size, and from that, I created this. I loved how I was able to line the paper up to match perfectly. The fuschia ribbon was their idea, and today, I get to have a moment (again) with it, to see how it all worked out. Here's to the happy couple!

José Guadalupe Posada

2011-11-02T09:26:00.001-07:00

This being November 2—Dia(s) de los Muertos—I thought it only proper to celebrate the work of one of my all-time, very favorite artists, printermakers and general smarty-pants/clever guy—Señor José Guadalupe Posada (click). I've been writing this post in my brain for a week, but alas, this one will be painfully brief.

I think everyone is familiar with his work—whether they know it or not. Known as, The Father of Mexican Printmaking, he was born in 1852. At the age of 16, he begain his apprenticeship with local printer, José Trinidad Pedroza. It is here where he learned to create his first lithographic prints. He later moved on to specialize in engravings, and finished his career/life working with his publisher, Antonio Vanegas Arroyo, (click to see images of Posada's work used on his Galería de Teatro Infantil pamphlets) until his death in 1913.

Aside from his technique, what drew me to his work was the fact that he really was the first one to create such imagery. The ubiquitous Calaveras (skulls) that I remember from my super-early days in Southern California, were all created by him. His imagery was political, smart and flat-out cheeky. I'm citing this web page (click) with this blurb:

Posada's prints cover an amazing range of imagery. National events, disasters, miracles, abnormalities, executions, illustrations to popular songs (corridos), broadsides and street gazettes (gaceta callejera) cover a large portion of his artistic oeuvre. As well, his notorious 'Calaveras' have permanently been placed at the summit of Mexican artistic expression. By means of the Calaveras (Spanish for skulls or skeletons), Posada mimed practically every human folly. In a very strong way, Posada is to Mexico what Daumier, Goya and Hogarth are to their countries. Masters of the succeeding generation, such as Rivera and Orozco, were deeply influenced and indebted to Posada's art.

Diego who? I know—not cool as without Diego, I would not have learned about Frida Kahlo (click).

I have been thinking a lot about Posada's work, lately. I think all citizens can admit that the current political climate is both exciting, and maddening—all rolled-up into one. I think that We as a people have made so much progress, and then I look at this man's work brilliant work, and I consider that perhaps we have not:

Here is an image of the Don Quixote Calavera engraving done around 1905. The tireless Calavera represents the poor while storming through the minority of the wealthy. Sound familiar?

So, tonight, Sr. Posada, I will light a candle in your honor. Respectfully yours, Victoria

Repost: A Thousand Words, Right?

2011-10-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have always been a huge fan of the posters from President Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA), and frankly, the scope of the project itself. The largest, and most important of The New Deal Cultural Works—The Works Progress Administration—launched on May 6, 1935—seventy-six years ago—with the simple philosophy of "Putting Unemployed Americans back to work in jobs which would serve the public good and conserve the skills and the self-esteem of workers throughout the United States." FDR himself says this, in regards to our need for change:

"...We find our population suffering from the old inequalities, little changed by our past sporadic remedies. In spite of our effort and in spite of our talk, we have not weeded out the overprivileged and we have not effectively lifted up the underprivileged....We have... a clear mandate from the people, that Americans must forswear the conception of the acquisition of wealth which, through excessive profits, creates undue private power over private affairs and, to our misfortune, over public affairs as well. In building toward this end we do not destroy ambition, nor do we seek to divide our wealth into equal shares on stated occasions. We continue to recognize the greater ability of some to earn more than others. But we do assert that the ambition of the individual to obtain for him and his a proper security, a reasonable leisure, and a decent living throughout life is an ambition to be preferred to the appetite for great wealth and great power."

Persistent unemployment was a continuing concern, and Roosevelt felt that simply doling out relief payments would mean, "spiritual and moral disintegration destructive to the national fibre."

Work began immediately on the WPA's Federal Project Number One (simply known as "Federal One"). The project covered Five Cultural Arenas: the Federal Art Project, the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theatre Project, the Federal Writers Project and the Historical Records Survey, each headed by a National Director. Just one year after the five national directors first met in Washington, some 40,000 WPA Artists and other cultural workers were employed in projects throughout the United States. The cultural impact of this simple fact was far-reaching, summed up by Holger Cahill, director of the Federal Art Project, in a 1939 speech:

"... The Project has discovered that such a simple matter as finding employment for the artist in his [sic] hometown has been of the greatest importance. It has, for one thing, helped to stem the cultural erosion which in the past two decades has drawn most of America's art talent to a few large cities. It has brought the artist closer to the interests of a public which needs him, and which is now learning to understand him. And it has made the artist more responsive to the inspiration of the country, and through this the artist is bringing every aspect of American life into the currency of art."

I'll spare you the history, but long story short, roads were built, parks were cultivated and our Nation's infrastructure was both created and made stronger. A perfect example of that (if we work together),
"The Whole is Greater than the Sum of Its Parts"- Philosophy that Aristotle spoke of.

The poster above was created by Ms. Vera Bock (click)—one of the two noted women creating these works. Created sometime between 1936 and 1941, it is a great example of the WPA's original intent: encouraging laborers to work for America. And perhaps I'm sitting here, listening to the latest happenings in New York, and feeling restless. Perhaps you have been feeling the same way? The economy and the overall state of our Nation has been up in arms, or so it feels. I am counting my blessings Every. Single. Day. I am grateful for health, happiness, a roof over my head and an incredible job. But what more can be done? Moving along, perhaps this next segue may help to guide me:

While puttering around on here and looking at the WPA Posters (click), I started reading about Anthony Velonis (click). He was a schooled artist who joined the New York City WPA Poster Division as a Designer in 1935. In the beginning, the posters were hand-painted or (though, rarely) letterpress printed. Velonis had worked in his brother's sign shop (prior to his time at the College of Fine Arts) and it was he who brought silkscreening into the Poster Division. Through his efforts, silkscreen prints were turned into a fine art medium (serigraphy). He wrote a book called, "Technical Problems of the Artist: Technique of the Silkscreen Process", which can be read in its entirety here (click). Because of his work and contributions in regards to silkscreening, his Dept. was able to produce their posters at a much greater volume. Even still, while creating each one by hand. Enter the concept of an Edition. While I have yet to silkscreen a poster myself, I can say that I know it takes great skill—especially considering the amount of colors that they were using and the separations necessary to recreate the art in multiples. The ink is applied with a squeegee and pulled (using your hands on said-squeegee) with pressure across the sheet of paper/posterboard for each stencil. The ink dries on the paper, so the quality is much closer to the originals than the type of digital printing we'd see today. In a word, simply gorgeous. They were soon producing up to 600 prints a day. Not easy, and I can guess that most printers working in this department probably looked more like linebackers than artists.

In the end, the Works Progress Administration gave way to the Work Projects Administration and then, go figure—government and politics and censorship all reared their special heads (and this is my simplifying at its worst). There were problems too complicated to go into, and most State Units started to assign employees to non-cultural work. Finally the War put an end to all subsidized-artwork. It was formally ended in 1942 and here we are.

I would be lying if I didn't say that these posters are a big source of inspiration for me—artistically and spiritually. It was more a of 'band together' motion rather than a 'stand alone' posture. And maybe this is what I'm getting at? I'm curious—how are you dealing with these times? Are you coping? Are you angry or simply relieved? I understand all of those positions, and I would love to propose a project:
I am thinking as I type, but what about a Collective Poster? Here. If you simply think about these times (and please spend some time on the links in this post), is there a word or words or a sentiment that comes up for you? I'd love to hear it. Perhaps I could take my ramblings and turn them into a Something. Let's see what we can come up with. In the meantime, I am going to go back to my printing press. xo Victoria

Google+: A Cautionary Tale

2011-10-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

I am not having a great love affair with the new social media today. In a moment of ohit'sjustonebighugoutthere, I started a Google+ account. But... I learned the hard way that if you do this, and you decide to 'clean up' the crazy photos from years ago that show up in your profile, that you will soon regret this. There was no prompt, and I did not realize that everything somehow is connected to the mighty Google web. So I deleted and didn't look back. No prompt to let me know that I'm about to make a grave social networking mistake.

Long story short, I checked on my blog to see that all of my previous photos are gone. "Sorry, Vic.!" I have to manually restore this, as there's no recovery and naturally I did not click on the "Data Liberation" tab before deleting. Sigh. Really—Data Liberation?!

Since I am whining, I may as well mention that the new Blogger interface is whacked with double-spacing, previews that look fine, and posts that look crazy. I think today I will stick to hand-setting lead type; it's a lot more manageable.

Monogram vs. Initials

2011-10-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

With my work, I often get requests for "a personal monogram", when perhaps what is desired is a simple set of initials (or visa-versa). So—what's the difference? I'm going to go out on a slippery slope here, and see if I can explain.

Simply speaking, a monogram is a motif, made by overlapping or combining two or more letters (typically one's initials) to form one symbol/decorative design. Sort of like a ligature, except with a clean separation of the 2 or 3 separate letters. The earliest examples appeared on Ancient Greek coins and represent the names of the Greek cities who issued the coins

The picture above is the Artemis Tetradrachm (click). It features Artemis's bust on the front and above Macedonia, on the back, you can see the small monogram at the top. Monograms have also been used as signatures by artists and

craftspeople, especially when guilds enforced measures against unauthorized participation in a trade.

Here is a great example of one by Master Genius, Albrecht Dürer (click):

Though this latter example is not to be confused with, a Maker's Mark (click), which I'll leave for another post.

With all of this being said, it's only natural that they would be adopted for one's personal stationery. In contemporary use, a traditional, 3-letter monogram has the initial of the last name (set larger, or with some special treatment) in the center. If it's an individual, the letter of their first name would go on the left, and their middle initial, on the right. My name would appear like this — VHD (first initial, surname's-initial, middle-initial). If it is a boy/girl married couple with the same last name, the last-name initial would also go in the center, with the woman's first-name initial on the left, and the man's first-name initial on the right.

Initials appear as just that. My name could simply appear as, "VH" — without my middle initial, or it would be, "VDH"—with. That's it.

Lastly, I have seen a trend these past few years in wedding stationery, which involves using a traditional, married monogram on the Invitation itself. I may not win any popularity points with this, but I need to mention that this is a big, fat, etiquette No-No. Incorporating a couple's first-name initials is great, but otherwise, keep the traditional monograms for the reception or any time after,

"I do". Your Grandmother thanks me. xo Victoria

Thank You For Smoking

2011-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Say what you will about smoking (personally not for me), but typographically-speaking, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about my absolute love of packaging when it comes to all-things-smoking. What? You don't know what I'm talking about? I know people tend to simply liken cigarette rolling papers to potheads, but there is a rich history in regards to design, packaging and frankly—fantastic marketing. Perhaps its the addictive qualities of cigarettes themselves that keeps one coming back, but why do we choose the brands we do? For me, it would be simple. I would choose the prettiest package and go from there. And I know what some of you may be thinking— that's why it's wrong that the companies produce such pretty packaging. But for me, the lure is also a hallmark (no pun intended) of great design and marketing. I myself wouldn't blame the tobacco companies for this. Great Art simply cannot go along without Politics, right?

All of that aside, I'm approaching this from more of a crafts/design perspective. Years ago I had a friend who would send me Cigarette (Trading/Advertising) Cards—a perfect example of conscious, clever marketing. And fun. The W.D. and H.O. Wills Company (later to found Britain's Imperial Tobacco Company) were one of the first companies to include these sets of cards with their cigarettes. Six years later, in 1893, John Player and Sons produced one of the first general interest sets: "Castles and Abbeys". Like a cracker-jack prize for Adults, or perhaps the children that live with them. I cannot deny the fact that I would probably would have bought a pack of cigarettes, just to get the card:

I'm reminded as I type this that John Player and Sons also produced my Dear Friend's very favorite cigarettes—Player's Navy Cut. I still, to this day, want the box every time he finishes them. I fully admit here to a sentimental and nostalgic, warmfuzzy-feeling every time I see their logo:

I'm not alone in this; there are quite a few articles online about who exactly the man on the box may have been. From what I can gather, more fingers point towards a Sailor named Thomas Huntley, but without confirmation, I can just adore the lore (click) that goes along with this. Certainly not all packaging provides this type of contemplation. I think part of my sentiment stems from a time where creative spirit relied on one's imagination. An image on a box now becomes the simple embodiment of adventure and spirit. Tangible. Something one hopes for, but for now or until then, can simply be held in the palm of your hand. Back to the Advertising Cards—Wills Co. followed up a year or so later with their, "Ships and Sailors", followed by "Cricketers" and so on. Popular themes were "Beauties" (what my friend used to send), "Sporters" (uniforms, team colors, etc.), "Heraldry" (very popular) and "Air Raid Precautions" (in 1938 Great Britain—what I'm guessing to be a more sobering/educational series geared to help the citizens cope with the war).

Below is an example of what is called, "The Holy Grail" of Cigarette Trading Cards—The Honus Wagner Card (from the American Tobacco Company's Minor League/T206 Set):

The example above sold for over $2 Million. Theories as to the rarity of the card are tied. It was produced in a fairly small edition and my favorite story as to why is that the plate used in the printing process simply broke, and the printer did not make another. This doesn't make any sense, but I appreciate that Historians give Printers such power (!). Some claim a copyright dispute between the original artist and the American Tobacco Company turned sour, and the thought being than Wagner didn't want to be associated with cigarette smoking (though he loved chewing tobacco and his image was depicted on cigar boxes). Most likely is that he wanted better $ compensation. And now the card is worth millions. Oh, irony, you never cease to amuse me.

Perhaps you've seen them around, but have you ever opened up a package of Zig Zag (click) rolling papers? The design, die-cutting and attention to detail is impeccable. A perfect use of materials, in my opinion. Having just written this, I popped around the internet and would be an absolute jerk if I didn't mention Zig Zag's (seriously fantastic) website (click). Have a look to learn more about the process and history of their papers. See? I know what I speak of! As a bookbinder and printer, I can't help but love the the cross-overs in both of our crafts (just turn down the music—it's not helping that jazzy-pot-thing). Worlds Collide, indeed.

On that note, I will leave you this last website to swoon over: the Catalogue of Cigarette Rolling Papers (click). I could honestly spend hours poring over the beauty, detail and craft that is used to create such simple, everyday items. Happy Friday! xo Victoria

Be @ Home: Best of the Web

2011-10-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

I just heard from the darling Jennifer at the Be@Home blog, and they have kindly selected my blog to be part of their weekly, Best of the Web series. I was sincerely flummoxed when she reached out to me, and visions of 7th Grade Oral Report Day came flooding back into my consciousness. What? People actually read this blog? Well yes, apparently, you do.

Above are some samples of the fruits of my labor—from my garden (carrot seeds were from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds (click) and raspberry shoots were from Bob Hattich, in Napa) and eventually to my press (click). I thought that these would be fitting photographs for such a blurb. The intention of this blog is to offer a behind the scenes look at my work, and this does it well. My confidence in my craft and at the press is pretty high, but I am still learning to trust my voice here, on the not-page. I think that the picture above illustrates a process; knowledge, some hard work, skill, faith and (hopefully) some little victories. I find myself in the middle of these states at any given time, which makes it a little hard to recognize. But if I'm going to be honest, right now it feels wonderful to sit here and feel a little, well, victorious.

To see the Jennifer's post, please have a look here (click). Thank you again! xo Victoria

Insanely Great

2011-10-06T07:24:00.000-07:00

Below is a citation by Steve Jobs that I'd added to a post written (click) about a year ago. I used it to illustrate a point I was making about Letterforms, and ways we land where we do (simply put):

"... Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand-calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

Next is my favorite part:

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.

Did you notice the typography used in his computer? Oh, beautiful serif! He truly was sincere…

What can I say? It really comes down to this:

Dear Steve Jobs,
You changed my world. Thank you for your open mind, your quest for learning (traditional or not), your willingness to take risks, and your ingenuity. May you rest in peace.
Respectfully yours, Victoria

Nothing Comes From Nothing

2011-09-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

This Party Blows

One of my favorite things about life, is that you pretty much just have to walk out your door to find something interesting. I grew up in a small agricultural town, and one of the nicest things I can mention about this fact, is the ability one gets to entertain; to entertain yourself, others, and time itself. I digress.
Above is a picture taken in June 2010, when, on a whim, I decided to walk out my door and see what was going on at the then very popular Art Murmur, in Oakland. My friend has a studio centered in the hub of this, so I thought I'd go and see what the fuss was about.
Artists and craftspeople were set up around the block, musicians were playing on the street, and bacon was being sold hand over fist. The few galleries were fairly packed. All was pretty much living up to the hype of the time. Cutting through the alley behind my friend's studio, I found this Magic. I saw the lettering on the side of the truck/gallery and was immediately charmed by the cheeky sentiment. The simple genius of making a moving gallery piqued my curiosity, and I couldn't wait to see more. Up the stairs and inside the gallery-space were paintings that seemed both familar and unique. I still kick myself for not buying one. There was an organic fun and energy buzzing around this scene. I noted that this was the best thing I'd seen all night, and took a snap (shown above).
The next day, I showed my friend, Dan this picture, and he immediately said, "J. Otto!". And that's why the work seemed familiar to me; it was the moving Gallery of one J. Otto Seibold, a well-known Artist, Author and Illustrator, who was also living in Oakland. Having a few mutual friends, I reached out to him and long story short, we are putting together a book. It will will be awesome, and available in a fairly limited edition.
Tomorrow night, J. Otto will be debuting his latest Party at the Oakland Museum. For more information, please click on the link here. Be there or be square. xo

Hurray!

2011-09-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, World! I'd like to introduce to you my shiny, brand new website:

Pull up a chair; have a look right here at Milkfed Press (click on).

Many, many, many (yes, 3) thanks to the amazing Josh Coolman at GoFolio. Josh was the mastermind behind my last website, many years ago. And while he's been out of the web-design business for a few years now, it is because he is so brilliant that he has spent his time masterminding a new web platform for people like me—the ones who aren't web-savvy (and are okay with this fact), but would like to create and maintain a website themselves. Oh he's brilliant!

I am very excited to be typing this right now. That is all! Thanks for reading. xo Victoria

Out on the Town, I Bring You... The Album Cover (with links & links)

2011-09-16T11:58:00.000-07:00

Album covers from top L to R:

1. S. Neil Fujita 2. Jim Flora 3. William Eggleston

4. R. Crumb 5. Josef Kalousek 6. Andy Warhol

7. Salvador Dalí 8. Saul Bass 9. Saul Bass

The other night I had the pleasure of catching up with my dear friend and date, Richard Seibert, while attending a talk for The Colophon Club.

A Colophon is an inscription at the end of a book which states the name of the printer, bookbinder, foundry, publishing information as well as the typeface(s) used and the edition size (amongst other things and not necessarily all or in that order).

In this case, the Colophon Club is a group of Bookbinders, Printers, Typographers, Designers, Calligraphers, Rare Book Dealers, Artists and general Book Lovers here in the Bay Area. It's an organization dating back to the late 1970's, whose main objective was to curate a monthly discussion (along with cocktails and dinner) and to provide a meeting place for like-minded enthusiasts to get together and share ideas. A traditional Salon, if you will. I have not attended for quite awhile, so when I saw the Invitation saying that Milo Miles was giving a talk on Record Album Art, I knew it was time to get back in.

Milo Miles is a music critic and a lively speaker, harking back to his Montana Days with his old friend, Peter Koch (former Colophon Club President/whose Print Shop/Studio is where I learned to print). His presentation was short, but very sweet. There were some kitschy (I know this is subjective) offerings as well as some striking and straightforward graphic design. I was well aware of Andy Warhol's iconic album cover (the banana) for The Velvet Underground & Nico, but I had never seen the Kenny Burrell or Johnny Griffin album covers that he did for Blue Note. Lovely and simple, much like his earlier/Andy Paperbag drawings. Miles offered a Jackie Gleason (presents) album, Music to Make You Misty, and I have since found a copy of his infamous Lonesome Echo (cover art by Salvador Dalí) which sounds equally schmaltzy.

Personally, I have always been interested in music. For me, the album covers and liner notes were a giant part of the listening experience. It wasn't until I started consciously learning about typography and graphic design, that I started seeing these pieces with a new perspective. Much like the sign painters of the last Century, this type of graphic design was part of a trade. A skill, where larger Record Labels (Decca, Columbia and RCA to name a few) employed real artists—in house—to create their packaging. Most of the artists were uncredited but these unsung heroes helped to create a large part of the American landscape and pop culture as we've come to know it. Listeners like myself would sit and listen to an album for hours, with the sole purpose of just experiencing it. The album cover and liner notes were there to teach, and to entertain. I wasn't already sitting at a computer, listening to music while I was also doing a bunch of other things at the same time. It was a different pace and bird all-together.

And I'm also the first to admit that I see parallels between the craft of letterpress printing and vinyl records. Both were pushed aside by the shinier, faster 'improvements' (offset/digital printing for letterpress printers and compact/digital downloading for the vinyl industry). While letterpress printing has certainly enjoyed a renaissance, the record industry has been almost completely wiped out; the entire business has changed. It warmed my heart to hear Miles saying that he believes (vinyl) records are going to make a (perhaps small) comeback. People are realizing that these too, are tactile objects. Like books. Like print. You can sit with it, feel it and experience it.

Of course the days of high-end production for said-albums are waning/gone, but there is a new movement of self-produced albums and smaller record labels, offering well-crafted album covers and cds. The art of the album is coming back. Bloodshot Records, Arhoolie and Bear Family Records are all coming to mind as I type this. Jon Langford is a fantastic artist/musician and his work is (to me) becoming as iconic as others mentioned. While they mostly put out cds, Winter and Winter's Editions offerings are just lovely.

In the spirit of this week's talk, I have been compiling a collection of album covers and I thought I would put something together. But forget about the unsung heroes-portion of this writing. In this sampling, I am showing off some now-famous (again with that subjective part) artists' offerings to the world of Album Covers. And oh, I know; the irony is not lost on me that I am putting all of this together on that greatbighug known as the internets, but I digress. I will leave you with this lovely earworm (click on "earworm") while I sit here and continue to mourn the loss of the little red string in the band-aid wrapper... Happy Friday! xo

Eva and Logan

2011-09-07T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hello World.!

I am writing to mention that I have just finished some of my favorite work to date.

It has occurred to me that the very reason that I started this blog was to give a peak into behind-the-scenes. I see that I rarely do this.

In the spirit of getting back on track—please have a look at some of my latest. It was created for one of the sweetest couples that I've ever worked with. And yes, if you look at it closely, that is not a typo, but a picture of a Zedonk. I'd never heard of one prior to this, but now I am excited to meet Cate myself one day.

So, now what? If you, too, are a sweetheart and would like to have me help you to create your stationery or an interesting project, please do not hesitate to contact me. xo

Capital-F Friend, Part II (links, links, links)

2011-08-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Dear World,

I know I've mentioned this a gazillion times, but I could not be more proud of Dan for being such a Magic Man. I think his and Margaret's mutual love and respect for each other and for each other's crafts shines through. I might add one little-known fact that people may not know, which is that Margaret was also a pretty great Banjo player. In fact, I'd guess this was her playing in the opening music. And Dan is a 1930's True Bluesman walking around in the 21st Century. Their appreciation for early Americana is another thread that I believe runs through the very core of them. They truly 'got' each other and it was so cool to witness their parallel interests trying to make their way(s) around Civic Center (where SFPL was). That's really all I can say about it.

Rough segue, but necessary nonetheless:

It's been a full Summer of work and play over here. The Printer's Devil has turned 4, and is beyond lovely. My Dad passed away earlier this year, and I feel like I'm getting my landlegs back from this. I am working and approaching each of my projects with an appreciation that only a personal loss can bring. I am grateful for my lovely clients, and am also feeling inspired to create a new, personal project. More on that to come, for sure.

Lastly, I've also been working—gasp—on a new website. I love, love my old one, and thankfully in these past 7 years since my friend, Josh designed it, he has gone on to discover his true genius in developing a Website Platform/Fancyness for folks like me (see definition #1). In other words, he developed a very usable web service and platform for those Creative types who want to have a fancy new website with all the current technological bells and whistles (the ipad/iphone/ican'tkeepup-necessary viewing-stuff). And down the road, us Creatives can actually edit it. While it was years of work for him to develop, with his help, it won't take years for me to create. I feel like I'm starting over. Or back to school shopping. Will keep you all posted.

Enough of that. Enjoy the inspiration and brilliance of both Margaret and Dan. xo

Friends, Both Close and Far Away.

2011-06-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with my dear Friend (yes, capital "F"), Dan, to see a showing of some of Margaret's work, in San Francisco. The gallery, Ratio 3, was ﬁttingly located in the middle of The Mission (district). Margaret, along with a handful of others, were considered to be a part of San Francisco's contribution to the Art World, The Mission School. I had the pleasure of working with both she and Dan at the San Francisco Public Library, where the 3 of us spent hours mending books, talking and scheming. Dan was our ringleader, I suppose, so it was bittersweet to be with him last night to see part of Margaret's remaining collection. It's always been clear that she is/was a very gifted Artist—her legacy and her talents supersede her. I'm so grateful to have known that in addition to all that, she was an incredibly lovely person. This Sunday will mark the ten years since she died, and it was nice to see that people are still celebrating her accomplishments and her life. We should all be so lucky.

Love Is All Around

2011-04-14T11:02:00.001-07:00

The good thing about having an imagination, is that you don't have to go too far to ﬁnd inspiration for art and design. These photos were snapped from my phone within a block of my home.

Personally, I've always gone for big, bright and showy flowers in my garden, but lately, I've really come to appreciate the more sublime offerings from the humble Succulent. The shapes are so interesting and the touches of color (a perfect example of 'complementary color' on the bottom left—the green leaves with the red outline) constantly remind me how perfect nature really is.

I had the pleasure of working with a lovely, lovely couple to create an Invitation Suite for their Wedding Weekend. They wanted something clean and modern, so I sat down with pen and paper and thought this sweet little succulent would be the perfect touch. Nothing sharp, nothing gushy, just a no-nonsense sense of life. Solid, like them.

Love It or Hate It… Today is the Day

2011-02-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

Well My Friends, today is the day — St. Valentine's Day (see my Ode, above).

In my travels I've found that there are generally two schools of thought regarding this strange-but-here-we-are Holiday. People either adore it and look forward to it, or they despise it. It seems to draw a hard line between the camps and while I don't consider myself a wishy-washy person in general, I have to admit it: I'm a waffler on this one.

In my late teens and early twenties, I would not have been caught dead admitting that it is a fun, playful holiday. Long-stemmed, red roses and baby's breath would have had me running in the other direction. Admittedly, I'm still a little arrested regarding that poor baby's breath in the bouquet.

Of course later in life, I came to love Love. Heartfelt sentiment—no matter what the date—is always appreciated. Having spent the weekend helping my daughter with her Valentine's Day cards, it's sent me back to a time when Valentine's Day (in the States) was, for me, all cut-out paper doilies, red construction-paper hearts and glue. My husband and I were reminiscing about how as kids, we'd make these veryimportant decisions as to who gets what, and spend great amounts of energy and time choosing the perfect Valentine for your favorite people and friends. The Heart-Pockets hanging along the wall with your

classmates' names, and your own bounty at the end of the day was pure joy. And as I deep-down have always felt, it's always more fun as a "Friends Day". And personally, that seems to be where I am at today.

I was somewhat (darkly) amused to look into who Saint Valentine was, and it's remarkable that we've come to this current place. A quick search on Wikipedia pulls up this:

"... The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner—until Valentinus tried to convert the Emporer—whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdoms. The official Roman Martyrology for February 14 mentions only one Saint Valentine."

I'm sorry—beheaded? Just an early example of religion, politics and love, I suppose.

One legend says, while awaiting his execution, "Valentinus restored the sight of his jailer's blind daughter." Another legend says, "On the eve of his death, he penned a farewell note to the jailer's daughter, signing it, "From your Valentine"." Okay, now we're getting a little closer to the "Be Mine" sentiments.

It was also found that in England and France of the Middle Ages, February 14 was believed to be the beginning of birds' mating season. This led to a tradition that romance should be celebrated in the middle of February. Valentine's Day began to flourish in England to the point where, by the 1700s, it was commonplace for people of all classes to exchange small gifts or handwritten notes to each other. During the Victorian era, mass-produced cards were popular forms of expressing love as direct expressions of one's feelings were discouraged.

Aha! Now it's coming together for me. The part about the feelings from the Fabulous Necco Candy Co.:

One of America's oldest candy companies, Necco, was founded in 1847 in Boston by Englishman Oliver Chase, who got the business off to a good start by inventing devices that cut candy lozenges and pulverized sugar. Necco ﬁrst sold confections similar to Sweethearts, but in the shape of a scallop. Messages written on colored paper were tucked inside the fortune cookie-style candy. The lengthy, old-fashioned sayings included such wistful thoughts as, "Please send a lock of your hair by return mail.". Can you imagine that little message today?

Fourteen years later, Oliver's brother, Daniel, designed a machine that stamped words directly on to the candies with red vegetable dye. Hey! It's sort of like letterpress printing only in this case, the genius-that-is-Daniel designed a machine that can print and die-cut at the same time.

So, I'm not sure if all of the above helps or hurts your position but I will say that I hope that wherever you are and whomever you are with, that you have a lovely, heartfelt day.

xo Victoria

Lexicos

2011-02-08T11:15:00.001-08:00

Scrabble (verb): to scratch, claw or grope about clumsily or frantically.

I have a confession—I love Scrabble. Worse yet is to confess that I haven't played the board game with real life friends for quite a while now. I have been playing it—gasp—on my phone. It's so not cool to admit, but there you have it.

Growing up, we always had the standard Scrabble game in our house. The intriguing tile letters, the game board with the center-star and random-seeming colors in the squares. Even the silver bag (where you'd reach in to pick your tiles) seemed exciting. I am easy like that. Currently, I've been bringing the (real) game out for my daughter. She's not quite four yet and has a great time recognizing the letters and making up her own games with it.

I did some research and learned about the original inventor, Mr. Albert Butts. It's a perfect combination of vocabulary, math and strategy, and it's no wonder that the game has stood the test of time. More about the history right here.

I was interested to read that the original letters were silkscreened onto the wooden tiles. While there's a plethora (see?) of information regarding how to play Scrabble, how to make Scrabble-tile art (which, like glued-wood-type collage and typewriter key jewelry, kind of disturbs me), the best two-letter words, strategy, etc., I didn't really find much on the actual making and manufacturing of the game. A "What the font?" question posted (in regards to the san serif tiles) on some type forums popped up, with, "A narrow version News Gothic" as the closest match on the letters, fyi.

One charming anecdote reads, "Mrs. Butts was better at the game than her inventor spouse. Once she scored 234 for 'quixotic'." He admitted that she, "beat me at my own game", literally.

Another letter game that visually struck me as a kid was the Talking Board Game. If you've ever been to a Junior High slumber party, perhaps you've tried it before? Shown above is the first 'modern' version of the Ouija Board. Never before has a simp

le looking game evoked so much opinion and passion from people—still. Ask someone about it, and note their reaction. The origins of the game date back further than I can care to write, but this version was patented in 1891 to Mr. Elijah Bond. Some interesting history regarding the use of the planchette (click here for great pictures) led me to read about the ancient practice of Fuji/Automatic Writing. It was in use during the Ming Dynasty and required a planchette (usually made of willow or peach branch) to receive mysterious messages. There's something about the very-Victorian Design that still makes me oh so happy. Another sidenote was the fact that in 1907 (pre-war), Mr. Bond moved his toy production company to West Virginia, and produced another version of the game called, Nirvana. Similar to the Ouija, this version featured the word, Nirvana placed on top of a swastika (oh the power of symbols) and he even called his company, The Swastika Novelty Company. Of course back then it was still considered a symbol of luck, but coincidence? It never took off…

Year of the Rabbit!

2011-02-04T11:44:00.000-08:00

Gung Hay Fat Choy (!) and Welcome to The Year of the [Metal] Rabbit in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. A quick internet search tells me that, "The Rabbit is divided into subcategories: metal (this year's), fire, water, wood and earth. The Color is white and the Rabbit is the fourth animal in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It is a symbol of elegance, mercy and peace. People born in The Year of the Rabbit tend to be financially lucky yet careful with money." Lastly, "The Rabbit Year is said to be fortunate and that almost everything will come more easily in 2011. Metal Rabbit promises to bring peace, joy, calmness and many happy moments." All sounds very good to me. So where am I going with this? you wonder. Well, back to Miffy (above). I've seen her mug for years and was curious to know where she came from. I feel so happy to discover that her creator is the Dutch Designer (and author), Mr. Dick Bruna. Not just a one-trick pony, he is a fantastic graphic designer and having a look at the montage below, I feel like I just met an old pen-pal. I've seen his other work for years, but never ever would have connected him to the little x-mouthed Rabbit above. Lucky Me is right!

And I wouldn't be me without a plug. If you are considering the perfect New Year's Gift for your budding artists and writers, then please have a look at my Field Guide To Fun here (scroll down a bit). xo Victoria

Wow! Is Right.

2011-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

For such a former Luddite, I have to admit—I love the internet. For a solo-craftsperson, I can't tell you how lovely it is to open up my computer-box and find a little link to something that I made being talked about by veryfancypeople, 3,000 miles away from my own two hands.

I was sent a link this morning to the very lovely Lauren Richel Kelly's (from Martha Stewart Weddings) blog. Lauren is a true champion of paper and stationery, and I'm so happy to see Ms. Wells' fabulous lettering right there in front of me. Thank you, Lauren!

As a self-taught Worker Bee, I have to thank you the Universe and the *Powers-That-Be for such accolades. I have more ideas and scheming to come and I think this new year is off to a great start. xo

(*Inside joke for the curious)

Concrete Poetry

2011-01-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

Being a Letterpress printer, I really do find the act of printing to be a tactile, sensual and beautiful thing. The way the letter or art forms are set up, the mixing of the ink, and the paper (in my case) hand-fed into the press is all just part of the process. There are so many factors that lead in to learning to print and THEN taking the next giant leap and deciding that youmustdothis for the rest of your life. I can certainly attest that it's not for the faint of heart— running such a business can certainly build some character (politely put on a rough day). Ideas, design, caring for your equipment, knowing your equipment like a part of your family are all another part of this everyday equation. A minor part, really. You can't really have a business at all without your clients.

With all of this being said, it's impossible for me to turn this part of my brain off in my down-time. Texture, letters, graphics and now, "hey—couldn't these sidewalk stamps be considered 'relief' printing?"— can all swim through my thoughts while I'm out and about.

While I'm certainly not the first person to consider the existence of Sidewalk Contractor Stamps, I do want to share a little of my daily environment with you. The above images were taken on a regular two-block walk in my neighborhood. We moved to Alameda, Calif. about a year ago, and I have to say, I have never, ever seen so many sidewalk stamps in my life. I absolutely love the one by L. J. Lorenzetti. While a quick google search told me that this business doesn't exist anymore, I love the fact that their business card lives on. I took a few liberties and added some of the civic stamps as well. My friend, Hannah, has a great blog featuring the stamps she has come across in and around Albany. She was recently contacted by a family member of one of the stampers and they sent her picture of the actual stamp here.

I poked around a little bit and found a company that still sells the current (polyurethane) stamps. About $150 here. I might just have to get one.

Take a look around. I'd love to see some pictures of stamps in your neck of the woods. xo Victoria

They Grow 'Em Cheap Around Here

2011-01-23T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm back from an entire week spent indoors. While I sometimes fantasize about the idea of a self-imposed-indoor-exile, the reality is never as fun. The Printer's Devil was pretty sick this week and even this Mom was no match for antibiotics. I closed the curtains and pretended it was snowy out. And while my East Coast/anywhere-but-California-Friends will hate to read this, it's about 70º out right now and just gorgeous. I now have a serious bout of Spring Fever and am trying to get outsdoors as much as possible this weekend. More Winter vegetables are getting planted, but I do have a few blog posts to come this week. I hope you're enjoying your Sunday, wherever you are.

Ladies of Cannes

2011-01-13T11:55:00.000-08:00

{Okay, so I'm corny but you get the joke.}

You know how some people like to go to Museums for inspiration and beauty? I am not particularly one of those people Yes, I suppose it's great to see art that is interesting and inspiring but for me, my money's on the everyday objects found in the grocery store. Truly the original art installations, right? And really, while it's not so sexy to admit it, any old any grocery store will do. Above is a montage of some of my favorite cans out there. I've been cataloguing these for years, and thought I'd periodically share some of my finds.

Dolores, Queen of the Pigs Feet is gorgeous and Pica Pica features the best Mermaid in the whole canned sardine world. While Challenge Butter has a permanent place in my Creatures series, this Land O' Lakes Maiden has stood the test of time. Some interesting trivia, I just learned that the ofﬁcial word for the image-within-an-image featured in her logo is the Droste Effect. Thank you, Supermarket! And I'm certainly not the first person to recognize what a Babe this Maiden is. For those looking for some cheap thrills, click on this link to see how to make a Land O' Lakes peep show. Serious. What? You've never heard of Lamb Flaps? Okay, that's a cheeky card I printed myself about 11 years ago, using one of Peter's amazing cuts and wood type. But you can see the inspiration and I'm hoping that this little post will open your eyes to some of the greatest, everyday graphic design offered today.

PS. Link credit for the Grocery Store Installation goes to this blogger. Thank you!

Milkfed + Wells Sittin' in a Tree

2011-01-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

M-a-k-i-n-g. Or something like that.

Hello, Hello! I am happy to share some quick snaps from a new project that I created with the Fabulous Leigh Wells. I have been a longtime fan of Leigh's work and ﬁnally one day when the market collapsed (remember that day?), I decided to reach out to her and try and be friends. I mean, if we're all going to go down, we may as well go down making cool work, right? That's sort of been my motto and thankfully, I'm still standing. Leigh has been working as a successful illustrator and ﬁne artist for years. Her lettering skills are an integral part of her illustration work and naturally, I was really attracted to her distinct style of typography. I found myself wondering what her work would look like pressed on to the page.

We talked and found a lot of common ground in working as a (solo) self-employed artist and craftsperson/people. Plus she's super clever. In the past few years, we've seen our businesses grow and evolve but I'm always happy to ﬁnd an excuse to print her gorgeous work. So, without further ado, I bring you our new collection of note cards. For those intrepid connoisseurs who know they just have to have a package of these (six cards in all, with phrases like Wow!, Love you! and my very favorite—Oops!), please have a look here.

If anyone is interested working with Leigh for your own special occasion, she is now offering her lettering services on her InkWells site. Please go and hire her now.

Happy note-sending. xo Victoria

Well, Well, Well... Look Who Decided to Show Up.

2011-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

{The top image is from Snippet and Ink and the bottom is from Style Me Pretty.}

Hello, New Year. Here we are. I feel a little sheepish seeing that my last entry was 5 months ago, but alas—here I am.

Last year was a very good year for my business. I took on some exciting new projects and created some frankly really cool pieces. That's really all I can tell you or show you at this point, because I'd have to kill you. BUT, I will keep you posted when they make theirverybigdebut in the Wedding Magazine World.

On a personal level, the last few months were fairly tough. My Father (who raised me), has been in declining health for well, it seems like a very long time now. He entered the hospital in late September and we truly did not think he would leave. But he did. Words like, "Miracle" and "Incredible Will" have been bandied about and the cheery part is that he is one tough cookie. For how long, I do not know. I won't go too much further into this because he's of a finer generation and frankly, we just don't talk about these things publicly. Certainly not on the internet-machine. I think the reason for mentioning this is that this has certainly provided me with the proverbial Spiritual Growth that perhaps all decent people must go through. And downtime. And most importantly—gratitude.

I'm very very grateful for the work I do, the work I have and the lovely people that support me. This is not lost on me every. single. day. of my life. Having had a few months of contemplation and time away, I feel rested. I feel inspired. Strange how the creativity finds a way to grow, even when I don't feed it much.

So here I am. New Year. Newer Me. I feel recharged. I have pictures to post. Maybe of work, maybe of things that simply interest me. It warmed my heart to see that when I poked my head out of my little world this morning, I found a piece of my work on the very lovely Snippet and Ink, as well as Style Me Pretty. What are the odds of that? The Style Me Pretty blog was featuring a gorgeous wedding created by the couple along with Custom Event Group. Rebecca and I have worked closely for years now and she has become my friend. If you are considering a special event (not just wedding) in the Napa Valley Region, she is your gal. On the shallow end of the pool... that IS Brad Wollack! I am now just four degrees from Chelsea Handler. It feels like the Universe is saying to me, "It's okay. I know you've been busy and we still think about you. Come back!". Or that's how I'm going to view it.

So, here goes. Blogger, you may or may not be coming with me, or I might move on to another format. I'll keep you all posted, whichever way I land.

I hope the New Year brings you all health, happiness and prosperity. Drop me a line sometime. xo Victoria

Sights And Smells

2010-07-06T00:06:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first started apprenticing at Peter's shop. I would walk in and take in the veryspecificsmell that only a true working print shop has. It's ink and oil and centuries-old equipment and yes—I'm not going to lie—press cleaner. Your senses take in the smells and the sounds—each press speaking its own language, as it were. The sucker-sound of the Windmill, the churning sound of the Cylinder press, and the quick, snappy sound of the C & P. This is all part of the printing experience.

I was tidying up today and had a nice thought about how when I visit a friend's shop, I tend to look in their recycling bin to see what they've been up to. Always the finished product is so lovely, but as a fellow printer it's fun to see how they arrived to this point. An archeological dig, of sorts. I thought about my own studio and if you were to look in my recycling bin, you'd see a few versions of a raspberry ink color, printed on paper until it was just right. You'll see a few misses, where the registration was not quite right. There are off-cuts of papers and envelope liners and layers of all that goes into what my clients eventually get to see.

When I was a beginner, I was always dazzled by every single piece that came off of the press. There's so much that goes into printing before the paper is fed; careful design and platemaking or linoleum-cut making or hand-setting of the type. This is a very deliberate craft and I don't want to forget this feeling. In trying to recapture this, I took a snap of my dirty press and my waste bin (as of this morning). While I can't offer the sounds and smells through the web, please enjoy these quiet stills. It's all part of the process.

The I in Independence

2010-07-04T09:18:00.001-07:00

Happy Independence Day! I was going to post some beautiful vintage firecracker graphics, but decided to take a risk and swim to the deeper end of the pool with this one. It's an interview by Peter Samuelson with the actor, Stephen Fry titled, "What I Wish I'd Known When I Was 18." Click on this title and it will take you to the original post.

I know this post isn't so Milkfed-Press-Works-In-Progress related in the physical sense, but I thought it was worth a listen. And yes—the irony is not lost on my that I am posting this on a me-me-me blog. But it's the best thing I've seen on the internets for a long time.

In kindness, xo Victoria

So Happy!

2010-06-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ooh la la... I opened up my computer to the nicest news this morning! The wonderful Lauren Richel Kelly from Martha Stewart Weddings had contacted me about a month ago to ask me a few questions. She put together a very kind interview with me about my work and it went up on her blog today. Fancy me! I've had the pleasure of working with many of their editors—both past and present, and I can honestly say that for such a high profile, trendsetting magazine, they have the kindest people working there. Truly. I feel so lucky that my work has received their attention and accolades. Happy Day! xo Victoria

Happy Bloomsday/It's All About Me!

2010-06-16T10:57:00.001-07:00

Leopold Bloom is the fictional protagonist and antihero of James Joyce's Ulysses. His peregrinations and encounters in Dublin on 16 June 1904 mirror, on a more mundane and intimate scale, those of Ulysses/Odysseus in The Odyssey.

Bloom is introduced to the reader as a man of appetites:

Mr Leopold Bloom ate with relish the inner organs of beasts and fowls. He liked thick giblet soup, nutty gizzards, a stuffed roast heart, liverslices fried with crustcrumbs, fried hencods' roes. Most of all he liked grilled mutton kidneys which gave to his palate a fine tang of faintly scented urine.

.........................

The above is taken from Wikipedia, talking about one of The Greatest Stories Ever Written.

Full disclaimer here: while I used to be an avid reader (then a bookbinder), I hardly read at all these days. My husband studied literature and poetry, and it's truly his contributions to the family bookshelves that make us seem so clever. Where am I going with this you ask?

It's one of those rambly-bambly days where I start thinking of one thing (James Joyce) and then my mind wanders off into others. This is probably going to end up as one of those posts where people scratch their heads and say, "So, everybody's a blogger now?". But I digress even further. I was looking for our copy to post as the Happy Bloomsday! picture, but I couldn't find it.

When I look through all of our books, it occurs to me that these books that we have—from the guilty pleasures (mine) to the classic works—all make up a tiny, tiny portion of who we've become. Do others consider this sentiment as well? In life, we're sort of jumping from book-to-book, author-to-author, subject-to-subject, etc. and here I am now, with a patchwork piece of a bookshelf. Am I putting too much into this?

The above picture isn't a posey-picture. I just took a quick snapshot and to look at it, you can see all of our interests combined in a 3 inch photo. Obviously there's more to us, but I know that when I look at others' pictures of their homes—could be strangers on blogs or backgrounds of snapshots—I go right to their bookshelves. I strain my eyes and try and make out the titles. Who are they? What do they like? Am I shallow here? With blogs today it's hard, because there's something called "styling", where the picture is basically posed and the people living in the posed pictures seem oh-so-fabulous. Granted, I took liberties—I didn't take a snapshot of the poetry shelves or the fiction shelves or even the self-help. This shot is mostly art books of sorts, but each book tells a (not-so-obvious) story.

The book on the top left (horizontal) was a book of Mechanical Drawings owned by my Grandfather (a machinist). I see a title called, The Strip—a beautiful photography book about a gas station-lined highway in Coralville, Iowa (by my husband's hometown of Iowa City). I see my friend Margaret's book, published after her death. The blank book (no title) is one of my most cherished possessions; it's a blank book that I hand-bound for our wedding day. Our friends and family wrote amazing things to us in their own handwriting, which we can keep and pass on to our daughter. There's a book on Songwriting that's my husband's. He's an amazing musician—a true talent with a poet's soul. Hatch Show Print was the first print shop that truly inspired me and made me want to learn letterpress. The book next to it is by Peter Koch—printed at his shop where I took my love of Hatch and learned to print beautifully. Everybody loves knives, right? And if you read the book to the right, you can learn how to maintain them (Sharpening is a dry but fascinating text on hand-sharpening your tools; important for bookbinding!). Next mention is my husband's Eggleston book. I first knew about his work through the Big Star album cover. A great record and a big influence for so many musicians. Last glance, I'm wandering on to the Art book and am thinking of a photograph of Robert Bechtle's famous painting (one of) that's in it. You know—the one with the station wagon? Now that I write this I am amused to see that now I too live in Alameda, California. And I'm hopeful that my own personal odyssey may just come together. xo Victoria

National Buy A Book Day!

2010-06-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, it's not really but it should be. Like many small businesses, book stores are suffering in this crazy economy. It's hard to believe, but bookstores in Berkeley (California) cannot keep their doors open. Big chain stores have closed down and I don't even want to go into what's happening to the fine press community. On a cheerier note, I want to talk about Rakestraw Books, in Danville, California. Touted as "The Bookstore In Danville" (even with the little registered trademark), they truly are that cool bookstore we love to go to. Rakestraw's Ambassador, Mr. Michael Barnard, does a wonderful job of bringing in writers and events which make Rakestraw Books a go-to destination for folks in the Bay Area.

A patron of the arts, Michael is also so very supportive of the letterpress community here. Following a rich, Bay Area Tradition, he often hires us designers and printers to create a commemorative broadside for some of his events. Above is a snapshot of a broadside that I printed this week. It's for Robert Hass—a Pulitzer-Prize winning Poet reading at Rakestraw Books at 7 pm tonight. If you can't make it then, please be sure and get yourself there sometime soon. Buy a book and tell them I said, "Hello!" (and thank you). xo Victoria

Word of the Week

2010-06-14T12:21:00.000-07:00

Another print this week from the Printer's Devil. We seem to be on a roll, here. She is very excited about figuring out the perfect word and picking out the letters for it. I obviously don't mind and decide I will enjoy this for as long as she feels like doing it. Another added benefit of hanging out with little people; they live in an irony-free zone. This is her word, and it's truly from the heart. Contact me if you want one. xo Victoria

Lucky Us!

2010-06-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've said this a million times here, but it truly, truly is the little things in life that I adore. The other night I went out to dinner with my family to celebrate my birthday. I know, A Lady doesn't really say, but I'm A Printer; I've just turned 43 and I had a great day with my loved ones. My daughter (3) has just mastered the art of "X's" and "O's" (kisses and hugs for the uninitiated) and adorned me with her fabulous artwork and new-found typography. We went out for dinner and drinks and when we left the restaurant, the owner handed my daughter a basket of tootsie pops to choose from (we're classy like that). We all picked one out and as we unwrapped them, my husband said, "Don't forget to check for the Indian (Native American)!". He told me that if you got a wrapper with this particular graphic, you could turn it in for a free lollipop. I've been eating Tootsie Pops my whole life and had never heard of this. I checked mine and there was nothing but alas!—my daughter scored the elusive image.

Amused by this, we came home to check the internets and found the story of the Indian Graphic. To me, it was a quiet little gift and my daughter is putting it in her treasure box. Never underestimate the power of printed material!

(Type)-A Craftmanship

2010-06-09T10:38:00.001-07:00

I just heard about the passing of Mr. Jim Rimmer. He was a type designer and printer of the tallest order. Letterpress printing has surely had a Renaissance in the past 15 years, mostly due to the later technologies (MAC computers, Adobe type) and has become way more accessible due to polymer platemaking (taking a digital file and creating a polymer plate for it—thus having access to however many fonts your computer can store, and images from so many sources).

What most people don't realize is not so far 'back in the day' typesetting was truly a craft and it involved setting lead type letter-by-letter, blank-space-by-blank-space. This is how I (gratefully) started to print. I learned the craft of typesetting.

Let's take it a step further now. I've (luckily due to my proximity to M & H Type Foundry) always had access to lead type and have always enjoyed the meditative process of hand-setting my designs. But who creates the fonts for lead type? If I thought hand-setting type was a painstaking process, creating the punches to make the type is a thousand times that.

For the curious and the true type-lovers, here is a trailer for a movie which displays just that.

Enjoy and Thank you, Mr. Rimmer.

The Printer's Devil Learns Fake French

2010-06-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a new print that the (much older now) Printer's Devil and I set up and she mostly printed. We used my Vandercook press and she was delighted.

Ex-quis-ite, no?! Please contact me if you'd like to buy one and of course the money goes into her piggy bank. Size is 8 1/2 x 11 and they are $5.00 a piece. xo Victoria

Ddoge Veg-O-Matic

2010-05-28T07:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I need to warn you that I absolutely live for this stuff. While I'm not really the Motorhead I'd love to be, I am a great editor and *I think I found the typo*! This car has been parked by my friend's house for awhile. I keep looking at the logo—it's not right, is it? Does the owner realize this? Is there a Ddoge brand that I don't know about? Would it be wrong for me to buy this car simply because of a typo? I feel like I've just found the rare coin here. Bonus points for those who can fill me in on this!

Lastly, today is the last day to vote for Milkfed Press in the 2010 Best of the Bay Contest! I've been nominated for "Best Wedding Invitations". Help me win and I'll love you forever. xo Victoria

I'm A Printer!

2010-05-26T17:22:00.001-07:00

I love this guy. I love his sentiment and I love that we both have a Vandercook.

My Baby, She Wrote Me A Letter

2010-04-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have been musing in my head a lot lately. Sometimes this turns into something productive, sometimes not. But there it is.

One thing I've been considering is the written letter. Not the object, but the letterform itself.

Some people have beautiful handwriting, some do not. It is a true craft that some work on their whole lives. Personally speaking, my own handwriting is terrible. I have stared at paper, pen in hand and tried to will it to make pretty shapes. My hands just don't do this and well, I'm a printer. I can print other people's beautiful handwriting just beautifully. I've found my place in this. But more than just another pretty letter, I've always appreciated how letterforms are everywhere. Sometimes people ask what inspires, and from me, it's easy: signs, grocery stores, labels, books and hand-made things. No secret that this is part of how I've found myself in the work I am doing today and eventually, I'm hoping it will all make perfect sense in the 'big scheme' of things. But I'm digressing a bit.

I used to work at the SFPL with the very talented Daniel Flanagan and Margaret Kilgallen. They understand lettering and typography so deeply that it rocked my traditional world. They lived it. We worked on old books, so we were always coming across amazing samples of true working typography. Not designed for design's sake, but honest design. There was one book—I can't remember the title but it was a history of sign making and lettering. Men (typically) would go to school to learn this very important and very noble trade.

Today, we have computer software and programs to help us put together our thoughts (and yes, I also love this fact). I'm truly thinking out loud here, but it also has me thinking about an article I once ready about averyfamousperson and he was talking about 'his journey to success', etc. etc. I'll share an excerpt here:

... Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating. None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.

This was Steve Jobs. Yes, a very rough introduction by me but it's a start. This rainy day has me thinking about people's journeys, their work, the work of so many craftsmen and women that has been passed down through so many hands, and basically, how we all land where we are. An introduction of things to come. So go hug a Calligrapher and let me know what inspires you.

Happy Weekend

2010-04-09T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's going to be sunny here for the next day or so before the rain comes back. I'll let the printer's devil speak for both of us today. See you next week! xo Victoria

Best of the Bay Contest!

2010-04-08T07:20:00.001-07:00

Wow, I have to say that I am truly humbled to have been nominated for the "Best Wedding Invitations" category in the annual "Best of the Bay" Contest.

I know that for me and many of my artist-type friends, we work. We work on our craft and we put ourselves out there and we try and keep those little inner-editors at bay. Running one's business is a crazy balance of being true to oneself, and hoping that other people like what you do, too. I am in the incredibly lucky position in that I really do love working with people and my clients have great (and enthusiastic) taste. Collaborating with them creates a new energy that comes to life with each project. I never feel like either of us are compromising or frankly, doing weird work (this is all inner-editor speak, but I think you know what I mean).

So, it's with doubley-great pride that I see that people have enjoyed working with me, and they seem to enjoy my work and aesthetic. I am humbled.

Hello Darkness My Old Friend

2010-04-07T06:54:00.001-07:00

Good grief, Winter has come and gone and I'm just checking in with my blog. People keep telling me the importance of online social networking yet I resist. I have been thinking about this a lot lately and while it's no secret that I prefer tactile, handwritten notes sent in the mail, I do get excited at seeing an email from an old friend in my inbox. Everything in balance, I suppose.

So I'm back.

It's been busy at the press and I'm currently working on some really great projects. I will dust off my camera and post some pictures soon.

Until then, here is a logo and card that I designed for the completely charming Wendy Hoffmann Productions.

End of Summer

2009-09-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a lovely summer at Milkfed Press and I want to keep the sweetness going. I'm offering one set of my Artemis wedding suite to a lucky couple for 50% off! Printed on my favorite sexy French paper, it is made up of 4 delicate press runs/colors. Please contact me if you are interested. xo Victoria

Ye Olde Twitter

2009-08-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was driving out in the countryside yesterday and couldn't believe my eyes when I came across this old barn. Painted barns are a rare breed these days, and it completely made my day to see this one in the world of websites, blogs (yes), Facebook and Twitter.

I've never seen a Bodoni Party Bus.

2009-08-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

I saw this on the freeway yesterday, and had to share.

Aside from its size, what caught my eye was the fact that it falls under my, "Hey—let's name our business after the font we use" category. Hobo font? Meet Hobo Limo!

Laura and Ben

2009-08-03T09:14:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

It's been one heck of a Summer and here I am—2 months later. It's been crazy-busy at the shop and for this I am grateful. So much to post about but I thought I'd open up with some photos that my lovely client, Laura, sent to me. Laura and her now-husband, Ben, had a peacock-themed wedding and chose my Peacock invitation to set the tone. These are just a few of her photos, and her photographer from Love Life Images did such an amazing job! I love the attention to detail, and the pinata that Laura and her friend made is almost too sweet to hit.

It's always a treat to see everyone on their big day!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-05-21T15:49:00.001-07:00

I know it's late in the day, but I wanted to post a Happy Anniversary to the amazing Suppenküche, in San Francisco. Celebrating their 16th year tonight, their parties are always magical.

I know I've mentioned before, but they truly have the. best. split. pea. soup. Period.

OK!

2009-05-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

OK! Magazine sent over a copy of my "Leigh" save the date card featured in their latest issue.

Here's to working internationally!

Postage Rate Increase

2009-05-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, while I may be a day late and a dollar short on this Cinco De Mayo thing, I won't be fooled by the Postage rate increase happening on Monday. Rates will increase from 42¢ to 44¢, so be sure use up all of those soon-to-be old stamps this weekends. Why not send out a little note to a loved one?

Lost and Found | Postcard Series

2009-05-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

My husband found this copy in a used book store. Along with the great story, he found this lovely and touching inscription inside the front cover. I would love to receive such a note. This will be the first in a series of Lost and Found Postcards. If you have found any yourselves that you'd like to contribute to the series, please contact me! Read the inscription here:

There is nothing significant about giving you this now except that it is one of my all time favorite, that it is about a pure soul encountering new people, that it is long and you might have time before too many new friends sweep you away to read it. And just because I love you so dearly and had to give you something the nearest to the weight of a heart. I love you, D.

Slo-Baked!

2009-05-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

This is a snippet of a counter-top which extends about 12 feet long that currently sits in my shop. My studio is housed in a building rich in history. Part of it had been a grocery store from the 1950's, and at some point during the 1980's, the owners of the building just left. Everything sat as it had from 1950 on, until people started breaking in. Apparently, the owners did not believe in storing their money in a bank, so chose to store it in the walls, etc.. This didn't last long and the building was soon discovered as a free atm. The man who bought the building after all of this happened (gutting, fire, etc.) lovingly restored the building and put it back into shape.

When I moved in, he said, "Victoria, you like old stuff, right?". And he gave me this counter, along with some other really cool pieces.

The Flashdance

2009-05-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to post about The Flashdance for awhile now. I met Michael through the talented Michelle at Mint Julep a month or so ago. The minute I clicked on their website I knew they were on to something. Myself, I'm a total music lover, so all disclaimers aside, I have to say that this guy has impeccable taste in music. Truly. And I'm picky. Aside from playing music at cool weddings everywhere, he also puts together a monthly list of music which he will send to you. For real. Shown here is a cd cover that he designed and I printed for him which will house said-cds and will also contain some swag from his partners, Our Labor of Love as well as Max Wanger. These guys have definitely been making the blog rounds but I can also add that not only are they talented, they are kind. If I weren't already married I know who I would hire.

Giving Props

2009-05-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

My friend, Nat told me about the work of Jim Flora a few years ago, and I'm constantly reminded of his inspiration and his work as I pop around the blogs today. This piece at the top, titled, "Manhattan" was originally created in the 1950's. It was a woodblock that had been hand-carved and then painstakingly hand-colored.

He worked as an illustrator for RCA and if you see some of the comments on his website, you'll find that he wasn't always well-received. I'd still love to find one of his albums.

Milkfed Press + Leigh Wells on Design*Sponge Today

2009-04-14T06:50:00.000-07:00

A very big thank you to Design*Sponge for featuring my new collaboration on her amazing site!

This must be my lucky week.

I also want to give a big Thank You to Daily Candy SF for their sweet mention of Milkfed Press on their blog today. If anybody reaches this via today's postings, please shoot me a message and I will reward you greatly. xo Victoria

Hurrah!

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness it's been a while. After a full week of printing and updating, I'm ready to pop my head back in and say "hello". I have a few new designs that I very recently (today) added to my Weddings Collection on my website. More to come soon! xo Victoria

PS. Thank you to Abby at Style Me Pretty and for everyone who has emailed me with kind words about my work!

Grain Edit Comes to the Press!

2009-02-18T09:54:00.000-08:00

A big thank you to Grace and Dave from the fabulous Grain Edit for coming to my studio a few weeks ago.They posted a little story and some pictures about their visit on today's blog.

I have been lurking Grain Edit for months, so it was nice to finally meet the faces behind it.

Leigh Wells + Milkfed Press = LOVE!

2009-02-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

This year is off to an interesting start for me and I'm super excited (shouting! from rafters!) to show off the latest suite in my new line of Wedding Stationery.

I've enlisted the help of the incredibly talented Leigh Wells, and she has created this very versatile suite exclusively for Milkfed Press. Shown above are her traditional bride/groom icons, as well as her groom/groom and bride/bride options. I think that Leigh's artwork and hand-lettering combined with the simple typography offer a fresh new option for the truly modern couple.

In addition, Leigh has graciously offered to pen the couple's names on their invitations (like the Invitation shown above) for an additional $150 fee (otherwise, names will be typeset by Milkfed Press, still using Leigh's artwork and hand-lettering where noted), and she may be coerced into hand-lettering your guests' names and addresses on the outer envelopes for an additional fee.

If you like what you see and think that this may be just the Suite to say, "We do!" please send me a note at victoria@milkfedpress.com to let me know. Please include the number of sets that you'd like to have, and let me know if you'd like to have Leigh pen your names on the invitations. ! xo Victoria

Silly Word Series

2009-01-30T16:46:00.001-08:00

I'm admittedly in a silly mood today, but did I miss something? When did this become a word? I've heard it being bandied about for awhile now, and I think it's funny.

Like most designers I'm sure, I like to imagine the best font for a word (s). I think this is what it should look like (but I hesitate to put it out there, thus driving the word further into our collective lexicon).

Style Me Pretty Inspiration

2009-01-26T16:44:00.000-08:00

Abby at Style Me Pretty hosted a contest for her readers to come up with an inspiration board for a bride-to-be who is getting married next year. The palette is raspberry and I was happy to see that my little escort cards and envelopes showed up not once, but twice (I couldn't load up the second board, but go to her site.)! Thank you!

Resolution #1

2009-01-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

We are well into the new year, and I thought I'd share a possibly incriminating New Year's Resolution. You see, I grew up writing letters. I love writing letters. One of the major reasons that I got into design and letterpress printing was because I absolutely love making (and receiving) great stationery. I love the USPS, I love shopping for stamps—the whole she-bang. But in the last year I've absolutely slipped with any personal hand-written correspondence.

I know—the shoemaker's shoes and all that. But here it is. SO, I'm outing myself and I've started a new campaign to encourage you, Dear Reader, to also start the year fresh with some hand-written notes.

How can you benefit? Simply send a 42 cent stamp to me at the above address and you too can join in on the fun. Make sure you send along your address, too!

New Directions

2008-12-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

This is the back-side of some business cards which I created for San Francisco artist, Kelly DeFayette. The front-side has all of her information, and you can see here that the back has four different 'mini prints' which were created by Kelly. I had a great time working with her and her artwork (in my opinion) just begs to be printed letterpress.

SO... today we are going to meet and begin a new project which will be a collaboration of prints created by both of us. I love love Kelly's vibrant work, so I'm really excited to be working with her in this capacity. This is the first time I've done anything like this and again—I think it will be so fun. Look for more on this early next year!

'Tis the Season

2008-12-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

This is a menu that I just finished this week. It's for a super-festive Christmas party, and it involves three separate colors/press runs. Typesetting menus is inspiring, for sure. I love adding the appropriate accents and learning exactly what it is they'll be serving.

Hey, I Know You.

2008-12-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

I was browsing the webs and found this picture yesterday. It's a book that I custom-bound well- over a year ago, and it's so nice to see the handsome couple that I did it for.

It was the first project I'd worked on after having my baby, and it was deceptively complicated.

It's actually a square book (harder than you'd know) and I custom-backed both the outer cloth

and the hard-t0-see lining on the inside of the covers. And it's striped. Horizontally. In the end, it came out flawlessly and I wish I had a photo of it other than this! I'm happy to see it in 'real life', being used.

Series

2008-12-13T12:48:00.001-08:00

Here is the second piece in the series I seem to be working on inspired by orange crate art.

This was created for the sweetest couple ever, who are getting married on a small farm in Winters, California. The bride-to-be really loved my Willa suite, and this little floral sprig is an offering of things to come with the invitations. The farm grows lavender, amongst other things, so this worked out really well.

Memory Lane

2008-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

I recently found a box filled with some things my Dad had saved for me. In it were a few odds and ends and alas—some items from our family's desk! I had completely forgotten about this box of rubber letters, and am completely amused to find that I've not strayed too far from the 5- year-old kid who loved to stamp stars (exhibit B) and decorate envelopes. Along with the box of rubber letters, was a box containing wax sticks and a seal. I lit up the probably-30-year-old wax stick and enjoyed stamping the big "D" (my maiden name). Letter-writing was serious business in my family. My Grandmother had a typewriter that would type in script and it was always so exciting when her letters showed up. I think that has always stuck with me and I am grateful for the inspiration.

Self-Explanatory.

2008-11-04T11:02:00.001-08:00

Buy This Book!

2008-10-22T08:17:00.001-07:00

A few months ago, I'd printed some cards for the lovely Karima at Castle in the Air, in Berkeley.

They were lovely illustrations from a book that she and her husband had created—THIS book (!) which has been finished. There are two versions—a hardcover book and a softcover book. Both have been letterpress printed by my friend, Richard, and handbound by yours truly.

A true collaboration and they are now available on Castle in the Air's new website!

Keep Calm and Carry On

2008-10-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

I love these posters that Victoria at sfgirlbybay creates.

They are reproductions of a popular poster used during World War II, in England.

I feel like the past few weeks have been pretty heavy for many people—the economic ups and downs coupled with the upcoming Presidential election make for a stressful time.

How are you all coping with it?

All is well here, but I have found myself doing a constant laundry list of friends and family and even slight acquaintances, worried about how they're all faring right now. I've been saying the above in my head, so I guess it's only fitting that I go to her shop and buy one.

{And thank you to my sweet friends who responded to my previous post!}

Hear Me

2008-10-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Just a little experiment here. In my pull between work and blog-time (we know what wins), my current, probably not so original thinking is, "Hmmm... does anyone read this?".

I get notes from people in reference to things I've written, but not so much on the comments-part. Shall I sweeten the pot a bit? I know keeping up with it is helpful, but could you be so kind as to leave a note here? I'll make it worth your while. Happy Monday.

It Feels Like Fall

2008-09-29T15:07:00.001-07:00

Hello All,

It's one of those perfect Mondays where you wake up to crisp air and it occurs to you that the season is changing, and then you sort of look around and see that indeed, the leaves are changing and it's starting to feel like Fall. This is hands-down my favorite time of year. I'm from California, so I'm used to the *ahem* sublime changes that we get with our seasons.

It's been a big regrouping week for me. I am still recovering from the big show in L.A. last week, and have been quietly working away over here. I've just finished a beautiful Save the Date card for the sweetest couple and am packing them up and am about to send them on their way.

More to come soon, and thanks for checking in. xo Victoria

Beverly Hills

2008-09-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my whirlwind trip to Los Angeles! I had a really fun time at the Wedding Salon event and a big thank you to all who came to see me. It was really great to meet so many people and I hope everyone had a great time.

Here is a little picture of my booth.

I like how everything came together—and simply.

I'd never participated in an event like this and I was humbled to see how much work goes into this kind of thing. The entire process from planning (starting a few months ago) to creating pieces to show, to actually getting your stuff to the event and setting up. My hat's off to those who do this all the time—and so many seem to do this so well. I'll try and post more pictures later but some of the participants completely blew me away. There was an entire room filled with hand-sewn real flowers hanging from the ceilings. It was amazing. We all had the bones and backdrop of the Beverly Hills Hotel to work with so it was all pretty stunning.

Non-show related, my friend (and I mean this—she's a total champ and helped me with this entire process and then some), B, and I had the most amazing meal at the Hotel Palimor afterwards. It was pretty late by the time we got down from our room to eat and we luckily fell into the hands of the fabulous Michael, who kept bringing us the best food and drinks ever. I didn't expect to have such a fun, full experience on top of such a fun, full day.

Remember the Fake Wood Post?

2008-09-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted a big linoleum cut of my 'fake wood' that I had used for a poster. Here is a new piece that I've created from that cut.

I think it's cool, and surprisingly, I've not seen coasters like this before. Now available right here. Also now included with my Ilsa suite.

Color Me Addicted

2008-09-16T23:15:00.003-07:00

Chris just showed me this link and I have been doing this for at least an hour now. I might add that this might be my hidden thing. You know—that secret thing that one is really good at, that doesn't really do much for you in life? Between you and me, I have been doing this with color (organizing) since I was a wee sprig of a lass. I would start at one end of the crayon box (the big one, with the built-in sharpener) and I would start at white and end at black. Every day. Suffice it say, I got a great score but I still am addicted.

Try it and let me know what your score is!

The Book

2008-09-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hello!

I've had a very productive weekend, and am posting a picture of my brand new book of wedding invitations.

My friend, B, brilliantly titled this book, "The Permanent Collection" and I ran with it.

I've found that to some, the idea of creating from-scratch invitations is overwhelming, so included in this are invitation suites that are already designed, and readily available to Brides-to-be. Also perfect for those on a tight time-line.

Hurrah for Sample Packs!

2008-09-09T10:33:00.000-07:00

The fruits of my labor are now paying off.

In getting ready for the Beverly Hills Event, I have created "Sample Packs" which are now offered for sale on my website. Created with custom-clients in mind, they offer ideas and possibilities for your wedding stationery. They are also printed on some of my more popular papers, which I find helpful with my long-distance clients. The $25.00 fee is fully-credited to your order should you decide to work with me.

At the end of the day, it's some of my favorite printed ephemera.

This Is the Sound of Crickets Chirping

2008-09-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, Dear Readers. Where to start? I feel like the past 8 weeks have been a bit of a blur and this blog is the first thing to get dropped. How do people do it?

I've been working many days and many hours, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. These days I am printing after-hours (after the Printer's Devil goes to bed), and if you've ever driven by my studio at night you might actually catch me there with the lights on.

I've already mentioned that I'm participating in my first big fancy event at the Beverly Hills Hotel this month. I've also been in charge of their invitations for the event as well as the programs, so needless to say, I've been a little caught up in that. Right now I'm also creating a bunch of new things (swag) to bring down there on behalf of Milkfed, and I'm having a good time thinking about my booth space and the like. While it's been a lot of work and preparation, it feels fun to be branching out of my studio, and I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of new faces.

If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area on the 22nd (it's a Monday), please let me know and I'll see if I can get you some tickets.

Soon I'll be catching up with some of my other meaning-to-post-posts. I've been working with some really amazing people and I'm excited to show you what I've been up to. xo Victoria

Heavy Metal

2008-08-20T08:16:00.001-07:00

I think it's safe to say that if you are moving 3 1/2 tons of metal through a window, you are a totally committed printer.

My friend, Richard, is just that. He taught me how to print and he has just purchased the Rolls-Royce of letterpress printing machines—The Cylinder Press! I am so so happy and excited for him. Oh the things he can print on this press… the printing, the scoring, the large-sizes… I am really so excited to see what he creates with this beautiful piece of equipment. Yay, Richard!

Going To Hollywood

2008-08-15T12:16:00.001-07:00

About a month ago I was contacted by the Wedding Salon, in New York. They are hosting a big, fancy bridal event in Los Angeles next month (the 22nd) and I have decided to participate. I've never done anything like this, but it promises to be a completely lavish event at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

If you are in the Los Angeles area, please stop by between 4 and 9 pm and say "hello"!

The First Rule of Blogging

2008-08-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, the obvious first rule of creating a blog is to please please keep up with it. I know this but alas, here I am. I came out of the gate with this, posting, posting posting and then what happened? I just finished up a few really amazing projects. And I guess I'm regrouping.

Self-Explanatory

2008-08-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not really that superstitious of a person, but I'm also a fan of covering all of my bases.

Above is a table number from a set that I printed this week for the sweetest bride-to-be.

I think the wood will add a really nice, organic texture to the deep red roses and dahlias that she'll be using for her table settings.

Happy 8-8-8!

Calling Cards

2008-08-05T08:23:00.001-07:00

Chris just sent me an article that says, "Calling Cards are the new Business Cards".

I told you so!

Cotton Paper

2008-08-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

This is a close up of color-one of a large program which I'm printing right now.

I get a lot of requests for enviromentally-friendly papers and my cotton/rag paper is perfect.

Not only is it tree-free and lasts for Centuries, but it prints beautifully

Still a work-in-progress and I'll show the final piece when I'm done!

Sunday Check-In

2008-08-03T10:12:00.001-07:00

It's Sunday morning and Astrid (my daughter) is taking a nap while Chris (my husband) is at his music lesson. We've had a busy week with Grandma and our niece in town, and I'm keeping up with so many projects at the press. I have a lot of big and exciting changes up ahead and more on that later, as things start to unfold. I think it's been a really great Summer and I'm grateful for the time I get with A. and the ability to run my business.

I guess I have the Sunday-morning reflecting going on and I will typically make a big fat list for myself for things to do in the upcoming week.

I was making my Monday-list, and found this fun (distracting!) website which make my list of things-to-do (from the fun—printing(!) to the boring/necessary: reconcile checking account) tomorrow look really pretty.

Menus and Programs and Napkins—Oh My!

2008-07-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been really busy this past week at the press—hence the light postings.

Please enjoy the booksmarks above—I've been working on some fun pieces for parties and wedding receptions and will bring my camera in for some pictures soon!

Vintage Stamps

2008-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

I love finding Vintage stamps. If they're not already cancelled, you can still send them through (but you just need to have their value add up to whatever the current postal rate is).

Here's a creepy clown that I'm sure scared kids everywhere when they received their birthday wishes.

Remember the Wall o' Paper?

2008-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

Here it is—the big reveal.

This is a boxed-set of cards illustrated by the über-talented Karima. They are available in a very limited edition, and they are fabulous.

Work-In-Progress

2008-07-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

My intention when I started this blog was to show some works-in-progress. I seem to forget this step and tend to give the tv-cooking-show-view of "tada—all done!". So, here is a fine example of a halfway-bound Guest Book that I'm creating for the sweetest couple who will be getting married next month. I've also included a piece from their invitation suite in the photo (the reply card with the peach—yes—it will be a fabulous Southern wedding in Georgia), and will be sure to post the final piece when I'm finished!

Wood Type Heaven

2008-07-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, I should be standing at my press right now, and not in front of my computer, but (ironically) I have just stumbled into Wood Type Heaven.

I just got off the phone with a very kind man who has over 370 sets of wood type for sale. Pre-Civil War to the Twentieth Century. Sigh. I was so impressed with not only his collection, but the attention in which he lovingly cared for these pieces. He said that some were so dirty when he bought them that he didn't even know what he had. He cleaned them and polished them (with felt, no doubt) and loved them. He has been archiving them for the past year and it's just so interesting to me to have stumbled into his world.

While of course I'd love to be considered in receiving/buying such a collection, I know he will find exactly the right home for these amazing pieces of history and art.

Cooper Black

2008-07-21T07:21:00.001-07:00

My friend Hannah sent this picture over to me. It's another fine example of a business who went the distance, and incorporated the font into their business name (in this case, "Cooper Tires" is using the fine Cooper Black as their font). I can't get enough of this and thanks, Hannah (ps. please start blogging again because I love yours), for adding this to my collection!

The Printer's Devil

2008-07-18T08:35:00.003-07:00

Printer's Devil n: an apprentice in a printing establishment.

When I learned to print, it was with lead type and everything was hand-set. It was here, at Peter's shop that I learned the term, "Printer's Devil". The Printer's Devil could be counted on to do such mundane tasks as distributing (sorting and putting away—letter-by-letter) 6 pt. (tiny) type, cutting paper and keeping the shop clean. In the earlier traditions of printing, one didn't get a computer, buy a press and set up shop. It was a many-years-learned process in the true craft tradition.

So much for keeping my family out of my work. Above is a picture of my little Printer's Devil at her happiest. No need to call OSHA—she's not handling any lead type (yet) but she does come to the shop with me. I'm a working Mom and I'm really grateful for the fact that I can take park breaks with my kid.

It used to be called "Fake Wood".

2008-07-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I did a poster for Maybelle at Stumasa. It was to commemorate the store's then 2 year anniversary, and it was really fun. Being that they sell hand-made furniture (amongst other things), I thought it was only appropriate that the poster reflected this fact. Here's an image of how I did it: I took a large sheet of linoleum, some carving tools along with half a glass of wine and ta-da—instant faux bois! Shown here in black ink (though the poster was done in a light "pine" color), I am about to resurrect this tired old linoleum and bring it into some new pieces. Stay tuned.

New Work

2008-07-16T07:46:00.000-07:00

full piece (with brown kraft envelope)

This is the latest piece from a new collection that I'm working on.

Inspired by orange-crate art, I thought it was perfectly appropriate for this sweet couple's country-themed wedding.

I love it. It is comprised of 3 colors (the outline of the berry is a deep plum) and is now available to all. Please pass this along to anyone you think might be interested!

Here Comes the Bride

2008-07-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

This is a vintage pattern that I've come across via the webs. I've done some cards inspired by patterns and I thought this was a good sampling of some of the patterns I'm drawn to; I love the simple design of this—the white dress on yellow paper, the blue dress in the back, and the Rosewood (fill) font used for Butterick.

Happy Bastille Day!

2008-07-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is an image from a crazy cut that I have. It's a triptych that features the eiffel tower (above), a man at a beach and the strangest one—a vacuum cleaner and various electrical home appliances. Qu'est-ce que c'est? Probably done in the '50s, I really love the way they created the clouds.

Signs

2008-07-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to find as I'm out and about is the sometimes clever use of fonts in a sign. Not only is "Park Avenue" the name of this restaurant, but it's also the name of the font that they used. Brilliant.