Letterpress with love
Having been in the invitation business for the past 15 years, I have printed a lot of invitations, ehem, wedding invitations (with a sprinkle of baby announcements and various other items). Each time I would go to the press with an invitation I would spend the better part of a weekend hand crafting, what I would consider the most important part of an event, the invitation that arrives in the mail. A sweet package of carefully selected papers, typography and embellishments that make the event belong to the hosts. All too often I would find myself lining up text just to have it shift half way through the job and have to start over. Or I would pain stakingly analyze each of 400- 3 color invitations with registration nightmares.
Over the years, I became better at working with my presses, finding the right papers and suppliers, so all would go smoothly. It wasn't until a few years ago when I found out that a couple whose invitations I had made got divorced. Divorced?! I understand that this is something that happens, and that it happens quite often. I also understand that just because "I" made their wedding invitations there was no guarantee that they would remain in love, but the time and care that I poured into these pieces of paper felt like it was for nothing. Ok, so I am being a bit dramatic, but it is the harsh truth behind the love that we as makers put into our work.
It wasn't until this past weekend that I had the joy of making invitations for a 50th wedding anniversary party. I found myself loving my craft again and knowing that this marriage was not going to fade into the wood work. The love that went into the invitations is one that is exemplary of the family that was created from the 50 years of marriage and ultimately I didn't mind that I would have ink on my hands for the coming days (including Easter Sunday) because this is truly something to celebrate. This time the invitations, I was able to make, were in place for a celebration of an event that did last.
The note that I am making to myself today is that perhaps the invitations are not the most important part of an event (smile) but that they are, even if just a small part, of something that can last. Congratulations Mary and Joseph!
Recent Articles
Tags
- 57th street book fair (0)
- 57th street childrens book fair chicago (0)
- activity book (0)
- activity sheets (0)
- alysia (0)
- alysia kaplan (0)
- alyson (0)
- alyson beaton (0)
- anniversary (1)
- avondale (0)
- beaton (0)
- being connected (0)
- blank wall (0)
- Blow (0)
- blow wind blow (0)
- board books (0)
- book signing (0)
- books (0)
- bruce ray (0)
- Burton (0)
- butterfiles (0)
- chicago (0)
- chicago doll house (0)
- Chicago kids (0)
- chicago made (0)
- city (0)
- collection (0)
- composting (0)
- consolidated printing (0)
- creative play (0)
- crewcuts (0)
- day off (0)
- decor (0)
- design (0)
- doll house (0)
- Draw (0)
- ebay (0)
- eco-friendly (0)
- exploration (0)
- forts (0)
- foxes (0)
- girl room (0)
- green (0)
- grow books press (0)
- Grow: An environmentally friendly book (0)
- houses (0)
- Imagine Your Wold (0)
- imagine your world (0)
- Jr. (0)
- Justyna (0)
- kaplan (0)
- kids (0)
- kids book (0)
- kids books (0)
- kids rooms (0)
- labor day (0)
- letterpress (1)
- littlegoodall (0)
- logan square (0)
- made in usa (0)
- magazines (0)
- making decisions (0)
- march 1 (0)
- maud lavin (0)
- Melissa and Doug (0)
- modern society (0)
- paper house (0)
- Peggy Notebaert (0)
- petra probstner (0)
- plan toys (0)
- play (0)
- play mobile (0)
- printing (1)
- Pushie (0)
- pushie jr (0)
- rachel coulter (0)
- renegade craft fair (0)
- resources (0)
- sarah mallin (0)
- screen printed (0)
- street art (0)
- symbol (0)
- The Little House (0)
- uppercase magazine (0)
- urban (0)
- urban kids (0)
- wedding invitations (1)
- Wind (0)
- winter activities (0)
- wooden toys (0)
