Attempting to oil all 26 holes!

Tool of the Day

This little gem is a type high gauge. It is used to check the height of a piece of type to ensure that, when tucked into the bed of the press, it will be high enough to be inked by the rollers and print onto the paper when the press is closed. Type high is .918 inches. I think it's pretty cute.  ;)

I'm enjoying the snow days out of school this winter - spending time in the print shop as well as working on my lino cut skills. This is the beautiful glimpse we get of the park when the door opens and closes quickly in order to keep the warmth in. It's been COLD!

I've had some lovely visitors.  A friend stopped by to learn how to type set her poetry with hopes of making a small book.  She kind of fell in love with the process.

There's no better way to pass the cold winter nights than to work on a project you're wild about. I've found a new love for lino carving.  This is my first two color print.  I'm not sure how the idea popped in but I do love birds in unexpected places. 

Doesn't he look handsome!?

 Valentine's Day is almost here!  A heart carved out of woodgrain is SO sweetly sentimental.

Yes!

I was happy to have a little time in the shop today. My tools feel so comfortable in my hands and the ink smells like pure ambrosia to me!  The project I'm working on is a secret for now, but I can tell you this much....

~ the Pantone Blue mixed up like a dream! 

A Sneak Peak of 2014....

I'm working on a little calendar project for next year.  I love using the old dingbats that my Dad collected around the shop. I'm selecting one design and color for each month. For January, I chose this beautiful leafy flourish. I think it is especially lovely dressed in warm gray ink. I'm printing these on Claude,  the table top Kelsey. He and I are just getting to know each other and I'm finding him to be quite agreeable.  Today was a warmish January day (40s) so the shop was toasty once we fired up the old Peerless heater. I was happy to discover that the ink plate and rollers cleaned up nicely with mineral oil from the old bottle Dad left with me years ago.  I always wondered what that was for!

Welcome!

Welcome to Little Cricket Letterpress!  This is my first post and I’m so happy that you have joined me on my journey towards printing every day.

I bought my printshop from my Dad about 15 years ago. He worked his way through Seminary on this old Chandler & Price and then bought the shop when Letterpress became the outdated mode of printing. He hauled it along with our family when we moved to Northern Indiana. We  knew we were home when, after many hours of set-up, we could hear the smooth “clank-a-clunk” of the press running in the basement.  In this photo,  you can see  my Dad running Christmas cards in 1988 at our home in Warsaw Indiana.  He has been gone for 13 years now but I can still hear him quietly coaching me as I go about the business of printing. He was an excellent teacher!

I’ve been a hobby printer over the years. I love the feel of the paper, the soft hiss of the ink as it rolls over the plate and the satisfaction of tinkering with heavy machinery to create that perfect impression.  My goal is to print full time within a year and a half.   I want to make beautiful prints, invitations, and business cards  just especially for you!

It is my privilege to work with Emilee Beeson,  a young designer – who happens to be my daughter-in-law.  She is full of ideas and has an innate sense of color, style and modern design.  I owe many thanks to my good husband whose encouragement and fix-it skills I would not want to live without!

Well…here we go!  This journey is not for the faint of heart. There will be trials and triumphs and I will shield your eyes from neither.  I hope you enjoy it all.  (Here’s where I take a deep breath and click publish)