Engagement invitations

Latest job.
Am really excited and pleased with the way they turned out!
A variation of the square doily save the date cards.
Printed 2 colour c6 size.
Custom text from polymer plates.
Printed on crane's lettra.
Envelopes plain white with doily pressed in blue into the corner.

The doily pattern was printed across the long edge of a5 and the cut in half to make c6, the text was then printed onto the individual c6 cards so 3 passes in total.

Things I learned...

1. Where the sweet spot is on my Pearl press.
2. Ink has an amazing colour variation depending on paper texture and colour - the blue of the small doily printed onto the envelope looks completely different to me - although husband did not think it was that different, it frustrated me slightly.
3. Printing text straight is difficult. I ended up re-cutting around 1/4 of the job to straighten the text up (ie cut around whole card so text was straight on page) this reduced the size of the invite only slightly and is much more effective than printing heaps more in an attempt to get them straight.

ETSY wedding email digest - Im there baby!

click HERE to see the full newsletter
Ok so you may have to look hard for it, but Im in the 'yellow' colour section.
enlargement below:

Moving a Chandler and Price letterpress to Perth Western Australia

http://excelsiorpress.org/reference_html/movingapresssafely.html
Some useful instructions on how to transport a press.

Am worried.

Points to note:

1. the press weighs: 2,500 lbs give or take a few hundred - make sure the tail lift is rated for this
2. forklifts jostle and bump around so try to avoid
3. cast iron is fragile
4. tie down with ratchet straps
5. close platen, fix flywheel so it doesn't spin
6. make sure trailor/cabin has tie down points to stop press from skidding around.
7. I think it needs to go on a pallet

Some of the key points were: dont use a fork lift, dont use a tail lift truck - both things that I need to use with transporting across the country.

Am going to post on Briar Press forum http://www.briarpress.org/ and ask for advice on transporting across the country rather than DIY transport as this (DIY) is what most of the information is about.

Blind faith...dont fail me now...

Merry Christmas!

Untitled from Joshua Levine on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas to me!

A new press on its way from Queensland.
Scored on Ebay.
I am terrified! Where will I put it? what will I do with Mavis Pearl? What will I have to do to it so it will print?
Gasp.
Its a Chandler & Price old style 10x15, produced around 1887 which is actually older than Mavis - Mavis was produced in 1892.
Its bigger, stronger, will allow me to print larger surface areas with even impression (I hope)
It needs a bit of cleaning up and a paint, and not sure what else yet until I lay eyes on it hopefully not much. Also not sure of its gender... will have to get to know it before I come to a decision. Roger, Joan, Francis, Norma....

On the press this weekend

After a whinge that time on the press would be limited during the school holidays, my wonderful mum and dad came to the rescue! A day and night with the grand parents is just what my kids needed (and me!) I got so much done (husband was enjoying a weekend of fishing away)

BLISS! is ordering home delivery curry for dinner, eating it in the shed with my press, sitting on my mid century settee that was rescued taken off a verge, working until late listening to the radio and getting so much work done.

Slight tinge of guilt that my bliss did not involve my loved ones but hey, it was just a once off......

PS That's not Vegimite - its ink...
PSS the 'Bah humbug' card is a custom card just for my man, using my lovely vintage wood type. And yes I know the lock up of the type is VERY POOR form.

Etsy front page collections

Front page offerings. Love these!!

Featuring my Tree of life coasters:
To view the treasury, click here.

And my yellow and grey doily save the date invitations:
To view this treasury click here