We've slowed down on business cards in the studio lately, but recently we helped create some unique business cards that we can't help but share. Aiming for business cards that felt like an extension of herself, watercolor artist Satsuki Shibuya came to the studio looking for a solution to combine her artisty in her business cards.

We first thought of maybe painting on each card but that's too painstakingly time consuming. We also wanted to be mindful of the function of the card being careful to not obstruct contact information. The solution was to letterpress print her contact info and have the backside with her watercolor. A blind deboss of her name was the perfect mark with her watercolor.

We came up with the solution of creating large sheets of her watercolor and then cutting it down for letterpress printing. 

A large sheet of her watercolor before cutting

cut to smaller sheets

We mounted sheets of the watercolor painted sheets with GMUND's cotton stock in 111# and blind debossed on the watercolor side and letterpressed in black ink her information. The best part was yet to come. As we trimmed the card, each card created a special vignette of her watercolor. No two cards are completely alike and each one, in the end, was hand painted by Satsuki. These are worth framing!! 

I've been lurking around Littlemeats LA since Robin + Johanna, the husband and wife team behind it all, hosted their first dinner. It started as a "let's try and see" experiment to a full on incubator for chefs. Every Sunday 30 guests arrive to a loft where chefs who work at well-established LA restaurants (we're talking Melisse, Lukshon, etc.) get to experiment and try other recipes on their off day. These guys are passionate about food.

The first Littlemeats LA + Presshaus LA menu

While at one of their events, I couldn't remember what I was eating so I suggested a menu and since then, Littlemeats LA has given me creative freedom! No clients but ok, these menus are also a labor of love as a pro-bono for the amazing meal they provide for me every Sunday evening. 

As a letterpress printer + designer,  I constantly design within 1 or 2 colors. Designing for digital printing felt awkward. Creating these menus was a design exercise outside the norm but it also meant having turn around prints within 2-3 days on top of the usual workload.

Now, Littlemeats LA is on Sunday Supper 24 or 25 and I barely learned that the name comes from the Spanish word "carnitas."  Carne means meat, the ending "-itas" makes it little so it means "little meats." I had no idea all this time!

Littlemeats LA
Get on their list here
See their food pics on IG

Special thanks to Brian Feinzimer for sharing his images!

Menu from a Yuna dinner hosted by Grand Performances at Littlemeats.
Photo by: Brian Feinzimer

Photo by: Brian Feinzimer

Update: Feb 9,2015

You can see more about these prints on Oh Joy's site and her process of how she put them together from photography, styling, to print. Click through to her site below.

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This is quite late but I waited to post this until after the holidays.

We were tapped to print a striking print for Oh Joy announcing the birth of her second daughter Coco Grace. Joy provided the layout and the idea to print an ombre split fountain of fluorescent red to fluorscent purple over a photograph of little Coco. We digitally printed the photos on 130# stock , not too thick to resist those refridgerator magnets, and then ran the prints through the letterpress machine for name and birth details.  

It was so fun to have Joy and her mini Ruby come by the studio for visits. Ruby with hands-on ink tests definitely approved of the colors for her new baby sister!

Take a look at our Challenge press with the split fountain. It was the perfect press for the job with the hand cranked inking system to help retain the color separation.

A closeup of the neon purple to neon red gradient

It's always a pleasure to print for Paper & Type.

Not only does Victoria create beautifully designed paper goods, but her thoughtful approach to creating a special keepsake for a special day ensures that every detail goes unnoticed. Piece by piece, it's been an honor to see this wedding suite come together.

I had the opportunity to letterpress print the announcement and the RSVP, a beautiful pair in itself with hand-drawn cherry blossoms complementing her signature type design. Usually once you get the main invitation done that's it, right? Not in this case.

The mix of papers, the cherry blossom postage stamp, the custom pattern on the envelope liner, the custom return address stamp and her calligraphy were all reflective touches that highlighted the delicate beauty in the wedding suite.

There'll be one more Paper & Type wedding in the next few days with more hand-drawn florals in the pipeline. 
 

It's now way past the holiday season but I promise Individual Medley, a boutique store filled with curated designer goods in Atwater Village, got these gift certificated before the rush. I just forgot to make space for them here online.

Here they are. Just like that.

If you're in the area, take the time to drop in and check out their stuff. They have something for everyone even kids!

Individual Medley
3176 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles 90039