The Modern Letter Project talks to Maria (aka mav) of Port2port press about learning to print, living in Portland, Maine, her inspirations and just a few of her great projects: the card society and 3191.

MLP: Hello! Tell us about yourself.
p2p: Hi. I’m Maria {also known online as mav which are my initials}. I am an artist and I have a small letterpress printing business + two online blogs. I also love to spend my time taking photographs, styling, designing, baking, taking walks, talking to other artists … I’ll leave it at that. I live in Portland, Maine and am originally from the Midwest.

MLP: What is your training? Where did you learn to print?
p2p: I went to Indiana University and graduated in Fine Arts with the focus on Graphic Design. I first printed on Vandercook presses while at IU. I could tell from the very first time I printed that I preferred that type of visual expression over working on the computer but I had no idea how I would be able to do anything about it. When I was living in Chicago I found a wonderful man {a letterpress expert to say the least} who I did some volunteer work for and he let me use his presses. That was just another taste of printing which I adored. He taught me so much … and in the end sold me my first press.

MLP: What kind of equipment do you use? Press? Inks? Favorite papers?
p2p: I have two tabletop Pilot presses. I also use my Mac and several different cameras. I prefer to shoot film. I use paper of all kinds and ink of all kinds. I can’t say that I have favorite papers but I love printing on heavy kraft board. I also love printing on white paper…colors are great but I get my biggest kick out of printing on bright, textured {and heavy} white paper.

MLP: Tell us about the inspirations for your stationery and cards.
p2p: It’s hard for me to say it as one thing. My work is heavily inspired by life; just everyday living. I keep notes while I’m in walks or while I travel and I just like to make simple designs that give the viewer room to breathe. I love nature and parts of life that are mundane but so beautiful like doing dishes or some such. I love small shifts in color and finding little treasured moments and visuals in places that one might overlook.

MLP: Port2port press is based out of Portland, Maine. Why Portland? And how does Portland inspire your art?
p2p: I really like it here in Portland. Before Portland I was in Chicago for 6 years; another tremendous city! I just need somewhere where I can walk everywhere if need be … somewhere where the food is good, the seasons are dynamic and I can be close to water and trees. This place inspires me by allowing me the opportunity to be outside and to be a part of a city that has just enough going on {I can get overwhelmed in a big city and it’s hard for me to relax}. And certainly the ocean is completely seductive in my eyes. I have dreams about it.

MLP: Why do you call yourself “port2port?”
p2p: This was the name that my blogging partner {who is a dear friend; she is not on the blog as much anymore} and her husband came up with. She lives in a small port town on the west coast and I live in my port town on the east coast so they came up with the name from there. When the press started in 2006 it just seemed to make sense that it would have that name as well…it was, after all, the blogging world that inspired me to have a business at all.

MLP:When a potential client approaches you requesting custom stationery, what can they expect?
p2p: Right now I just offer one type of custom work...my antique wood type stationery. You can either come in and know just what you want {with my recommendations given of course} OR, I can certainly give you ideas. I don’t need to have a strict level of artistic control…part of what I do is just print. Sometimes if someone comes and says, “I want this word in green and I want the word centered”, I think, "whew; an order where I can just let my brain rest."

MLP: You’ve chosen to keep your stationery out of larger stores and focus on unique designs and limited edition card sets. Why is this important to you?
p2p: It’s just important to me not to get bored. I know that may sound sort of simple or even immature but when it comes to making art, but it’s really important to me to keep ideas coming freely and not feel frustrated because I can’t see them to fruition. Port2port press built around my personality and realizing my strengths and weaknesses. There are enough stationery companies who will reprint designs for shops {many of whom are amazing!} so I will let them do that. I am the kind of person who loves to be engaged in what she is doing…I could only see that working if I always keep the work fresh and new. I have to do the printing so I don’t want to reprint designs for shops; it would make the work seem more like work. I get antsy if I can’t have some level of newness in my weekly work life.

MLP: Who else have you collaborated with?
p2p: : Natalie Tweedie of Scotland / Camilla Engman of Sweden / Lisa Congdon of the US / Stephanie Waddell of the US / Christopher Ryan of the US. I am sure I’m forgetting someone. Next year I plan to do even more collaborations. They make me so happy!

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery makers?
p2p: : I think I’ll just stick to letterpress to keep things simple--so in no order at all--

Sesame Letterpress
Peculiar Pair Press
Egg Press
Black Pearl Press
Palindrome Press
Pancake and Franks
Moontree Press

MLP: Do you have a favorite edition of all your designs?
p2p: I still really dig the set I did for the design*sponge shop called Regal Nº1-5. You can see it HERE.

I also really enjoy the sets I have done with Camilla Engman. She is such an extraordinary talent! You can see those in this set.

MLP: In June 2006 you started "the card society,” a card-of-the-month club where participants receive 2 one of-a-kind cards at every mailing. What inspired this club?
p2p: This club is so much fun. I keep notes and design each month based on what is seasonal and what the members might enjoy. Sometimes I like to include something fun like stickers or an extra card. I consider this one of my very favorite projects to work on because I get to take a bundle of mail to the post and I have the most fun daydreaming about where the cards end up…and I just like the idea so much. I hope the club goes on forever!

MLP: Tell us about 3191: A Year of Mornings and the Photographs & Prints project: what inspired them?
p2p: 3191 was inspired by a random happening – I posted a similar photograph to Stephanie Congdon Barnes early on in December of 2006 and it caused me pause. So I asked her if she wanted to do a year of diptychs and she said yes. That is how it all started. We have loved the project so much! My Photographs & Prints project is a way for me to use the different mediums which I partake in to create one project. I really enjoy mixing up mediums. It’s nice to see one idea or one set of thoughts played out in different ways … so it just hit me to have one idea and build the rest of the visual project around that. This project is very special to me; it means a lot. It will change a bit in 2008 but it will continue.

MLP: Are you a letter-writer?
p2p: I used to be a major letter-writer but not as much anymore. Now I do more package sending. I do have plans though, once I can get my studio out of my apartment, to turn my smallest room into a writing room. I want to get an old farm table as a desk and have that sit in the room alone with a chair, no computer. A place where I can write letters and do things with pen & paper. I think that writing letters requires a nice space … I will create this, hopefully, in 2008.

MLP: Anything else?
p2p: I love your project so much! Thank you for asking me to be a part of it. When I get my letter-writing room set up in 2008 I’ll let you know! :)

Photo by Nick Ut/Associated Press

For those of us sending out letters through the United States Postal Service, there may be a lot more meaning behind the ritual of posting a letter than we fully realize. When we slide our expertly decorated or consummately stylish envelopes into one of the numerous blue collection boxes conveniently placed throughout America, do we really understand how or why this elaborate system of mailing was developed? And what does it mean to us that we have access to this service? I know that I really never thought twice about it--not until we at the Modern Letter Project decided to look into the history of the U.S.P.S.

In this recurring series, starting today, we hope to explore some of the underlying concepts and philosophies behind the advent of our federal postal system, describe some of the more interesting stories and personalities behind this development, as well highlight some of the illuminating and fun historical facts that comprise this organization's history, and in turn, hopefully be able to begin to contextualize the practice of letter writing within American history.

Some topics that we'll be tackling include: the influence of the postal service on the development of the roads and transportation systems that we use today, the relationship of the U.S.P.S. to Colonial American history, evolution of the prepaid postage system, the Pony Express, the function of mail in democratic discourse, the ways that technology has changed how we send and receive mail, how exactly a letter travels all that way, mailboxes through the ages, the recent effects of rate hikes on independent media, and of course, as many curious and bizarre stories about postmasters as we can find.

If you are too impatient to wait for this discussion (the FedEx overnight crowd), the U.S.P.S. provides a wonderful and expansive summary of their history that has been a great inspiration and starting point for this series. If you see anything in there that you would like to see us look into, please let us know.

In the meantime, where do you think your letters fit into this story?

We're super excited about the new Nantaka Joy website featuring some of our favorite stationery from the 2006 line created by designer Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy! Studio. Her print and paper collection contains strong patterns and bright colors with words like "thanks," "happy," "love," and "pretty" -- joy-ous cards for special occasions. And, we're really nuts for her gold woodcut hello cards, an elegant and texture notecard created from embossed metallic foil on kraft stock.

See more cards and notebooks at the Nantaka Joy shop, which are available to buy online and at these retailers.

While we love our screenprinting and our letterpress cards--all of the bright colors, the cute animals, the vibrant polka dots and patterns, there's something special about getting an old postcard or a hand-written note on a piece of old hotel stationery that also carries the weight of history. We decided to peruse ebay--source of myriad treasures--to see what we could dig up in the paper-and-notecard department and came up with some great finds. Bid away!

Boy Scout Vintage Official Stationery Box with Paper (top left)
1983 Vintage Star Wars Stationery (top right)
1940's Huron Stationery with Locomotive (bottom right)
1970s Snoopy/Peanuts Hallmark Stationery (bottom left)

Time and time again when we google “letters,” it comes up in the context of the headline, “The Lost Art of Letter Writing.” We ask: to where has it been lost? And why is it disappearing? A recent post by “cyanide bunny” on her personal telegraph blog reveals her take on letter-writing:

“With letter writing there is some kind of ill defined link between sender and recipient which surpasses the email experience. Perhaps it’s something to do with the concerted effort that goes into writing a letter. An email can comprise a couple of hastily written sentences but letter writing always involves more work than that. Even reading a letter is different to reading an email. There is something about having a correspondence from family or friends that you can hold in your hand. Trying to decipher the sender’s spiderlike scrawl or admiring their perfect script is something you can never experience with email. Likewise, opening a thick letter and having photos or newspaper cuttings fall out can never be copied with the internet.”

We hear that sentiment again and again—email is easier, but different, than writing a hand-written letter. There is the tactility, the notion of intent, the obvious time that had to have been invested into the piece of writing.

Cyanide Bunny goes onto write,

“But upon my arrival in China, the complication of fighting the populous at the local post office just to buy an envelope and stamp and then having to queue up again to send the bloody thing dampened my enthusiasm for writing. Also, if you send a letter internally, you write the sender’s address in the top left corner of the envelope and your own address in the centre. And both addresses must be in Chinese. I found this out the hard way after painstakingly copying out both addresses and then being handed another envelope and being brusquely informed they were the wrong way around.”

Is it logistical complications that stops us from sending letters?

Earlier this year when Youngna was traveling in Bolivia, the realization that a letter would take upwards of twenty-one days to reach its destination was definitely a limiting factor. Would the words be relevant then? Would they even cross continents successfully? What does it mean to have time-delayed, unreliable correspondence when it is an option rather than a necessary form of communication?

What do you think? Is letter-writing really a lost art? Do you find yourself opting out of writing a letter and gravitating towards email instead? Why—aside from convenience? Is a letter too permanent? Too costly? Too time consuming? We’d love to hear your feedback.

[Bill Smith is a Modern Letter Project participant and reports to us monthly with news on all things letter-related from Toronto, Canada]

So, where do you go to get a decent fine writing instrument or stationary within greater Toronto? I am going to share my favorite Toronto haunts over the next few months, but first have to admit that I'm coming from a position of bias, since I am a regular customer at all of them. While shopping at some of these stores is more expensive than buying online, you will definitely receive a level of service rarely seen anymore, which makes the trip worth it.

Laywines
Founded twenty years ago, Laywines is a family owned pen and stationary store located in Toronto’s Yorkville district. Taking the philosophy of not selling something to you that is not right to you, Laywines is a true sanctuary from the electronic world we live in. Stocking brands like Rhodia, Clairfontaine, Moleskine, G. Lalo, Cavallini and Company, plus Filofax and Que Vadis agenda refills, Laywines takes stationary seriously with the staff being knowledgeable and passionate on what they sell.

For pen aficionados, Laywines has an extensive selection of pens including Aurora, Caran D’Ache, Conway Stewart, ST. Dupont, Dunhill, Faber Castel, Lamy, Omas, Parker, Pelikan, Pilot-Namiki, Sailor, Visconti and Waterman brands. The store’s specialty is ink and refills for most writing instruments on the market with the best selection in Southern Ontario.

Laywines">Laywines is open seven days a week and is located on 25 Bellair St. Toronto in the Yorkville District and is open seven days a week.

Has anyone out there NOT become totally obsessed with and engrossed by a sudden blog discovery? Lately my penchant for penning handwritten letters has been supplanted by an addiction to reading newly discovered personal blogs. And I mean READING -- the entire archives, start to finish, like a book. We're talking several years' worth of blog posts: after finding the right URL, I caught up on three years of a coworker's life and travels in two sittings. The week before, I hungrily clicked through the extensive archive on the blog of a one-time acquaintance's new girlfriend. These are personal blogs about nothing in particular, written by bloggers I barely know. But I like to think of their posts as letters to the universe; letters addressed to no one and anyone, and that includes me.

Now that I'm caught up -- up-to-date, I guess--on both of them, I'm yearning for a new blog to scour the same way you crave a new book right after finishing a good read. So I picked up Graham Greene: A Life in Letters. It's a collection of the English writer's correspondence, from his schoolboy letters home to his "Mumma" to tacky and lewd love letters to mistresses. It's also got a lot of business correspondence -- letters to his various book and newspaper editors, from the 1920s on through until Greene's death in 1991. This was a man who received, on average, 180 letters a month.

I am hopeful that reading Greene's archive of personal correspondence will be a more substantive undertaking than the obsessive blog stalking I've been doing. But I'm already noticing the comparisons: both "genres" of archived material offer access to someone else's feelings, their dreams and frustrations and the way their mind unfolds. It's crude -- but delightful -- autobiography: autobiography as it happens, without the polish of hindsight or an editor's eye shaping life events into a story arc.

Greene's letters are also as deeply personal, or insanely frivolous, or utterly mundane as what the bloggers are posting in the present-day. Greene's lovelorn and whiny letters to a girlfriend -- written when he was 20 -- are just as melodramatic as today's painfully self-conscious teen blogger: "Now I'm writing to you gloomily, worrying you, when I want more than anything else that you should be always happy. It's all so tortuous & paradoxical." And later, an existential crisis: "Don't you ever wonder, in moods, now & again, what the use of going on is?" How we obsess and how we write about ourselves -- whether you're a great literary talent or just your average, reasonably intelligent blogger -- is fairly timeless.

Really, what's the difference between opening up a box of brittle, yellowed paper letters and finding an online archive of what are essentially diary entries? I guess I'm reading a published collection -- not a bundle of letters I found in the attic -- but it's still fun to chip away at the mystery of someone else's mind, someone else's experience, through what they choose to write about themselves. It's the intersection of psychology, autobiography, and documentation. (Any English majors or librarians out there agree?)

More on Graham Greene: A Life in Letters:
+ Extract from Graham Greene: A Life in Letters edited by Richard Greene [Times Online]
+ Adventures in Greene-land [UK Guardian]

For those of you who not only love sending and receiving mail, but are also crafty and creative, we highly encourage you to race and sign up for Evlove's "Give What You Want" Holiday Swap. You can either send a gift to fulfill someone else's wishlist, or put together a creative package to send to an eagerly waiting recipient. Emily Cox (Evlove) writes,

"I LOVE getting mail and I LOVE getting presents. Especially when they come in the mail. The Holidays and all the madness that goes with them are almost upon us. I can't think of a better pick me up than a surprise in the mail. So here's the details. Come up with a package of stuff you'd like to get this holiday season, and send it to someone else. Gift giving Karma is bound to come your way, as you receive a present in return.

The details:
1. Email (emilycox at gmail dot com) with SWAP in the subject line. Please email by November 18th
2. Include your
name:
email:
shipping address:
something you want this holiday season: (include link if you've got it)
your url for blog/ flickr/ web page if you've got it.
**indicate if you'd be willing to have an international swap partner
3. Put together a package of stuff you'd be delighted to be receiving.
4. Wrap it up real nice
5. By December 1 ship out a present to your swap buddy I assign. Value of gifts should be below $30. Please include stuff you'd really enjoy receiving.
6. Mailbox Bliss awaits."

Remember, sign up ends November 18th, so sign up soon!

The Modern Letter Project talks to one of our favorite designers, Joy of Nantaka Joy, the Oh Joy! blog, and Oh Joy! Studio about her background in design, her favorite haunts in Philadelphia, artists she loves, and her inspirations.

MLP: Hi Joy. Please introduce yourself!
Joy: Hello! I am a freelance textile & graphic designer who works with a variety of clients in the fashion and home decor industries through my company Oh Joy! Studio. In May, I launched a collection of ready-made stationery called Nantaka Joy which sells at boutiques & paperies nationwide. I also run the Oh Joy! blog and have a weekly column, LifeStyle, in the Philadelphia Inquirer's Home & Design section.

MLP: Do you have a background in design? What is your training?
Joy: I do have a background in design. When I was in high school, I either wanted to be a designer or a scientist (I know, how different could they be?!). Luckily, art school won out, and I went to Syracuse University’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and majored in Communications Design (the same as Graphic Design). I took a lot of elective classes in fibers, paper-making, and print-making because enjoyed getting my hands dirty and making stuff. It was a nice contrast to sitting in front of the computer designing. I think the mix of the two really helps me to still enjoy both the technical aspect of design as well as those things that happen by accident when you’re experimenting and making things by hand.

After college, I moved to New York and worked with numerous fashion clients
at a boutique advertising agency in SoHo. Eventually, I wanted to create things that people actually kept and made them happy. So I transitioned into textile design at Cynthia Rowley designing home accessories for the Swell line at Target. The first time I saw something that I had designed in Target was one of the coolest moments of my career.

I moved back to Philadelphia (where I am from) in 2005, to be in the same city as my then-boyfriend (now husband) and found myself freelancing. The freelancing grew into a full-time career and now I couldn’t imagine working for anyone else!

MLP: Are you native to Philadelphia? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Joy: Yes, I was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. I went away to school and to work after school in the New York area, but am now back near my family. My husband and I are huge foodies having both grown up with parents in the restaurant business, so we enjoy the amazing restaurants Philadelphia has to offer. A few of my favorites are Vetri for Italian, Tinto for Tapas, Raw for Sushi, and Siam Cuisine for Thai. As for shopping, Petulia’s Folly (for the new designer clothing I love but can’t yet afford), Open House (for home goods), and Grocery 13 (for their cupcakes).

MLP: What inspired you to start Nantaka Joy, and can you tell us a bit about where the name comes from?
Joy: As a graphic designer, I’ve always designed for a client. It’s my design, but catered to a client’s needs. I wanted to do something that was completely my own. I had planned to start a home accessories line originally. But budget-wise, it was just too much to handle as we had just gotten married and anything with textiles is much more involved time and cost-wise. So I decided to start small with paper and I’m really glad I did. In a lot of ways I brought my ideas of from a textile line into my collection (thus the paper & pattern) and it helped me to ease into having a product line with materials I am already familiar with. The plan to grow my line into textiles is still in the works…so stay tuned!

I am Thai-American (Thai parents but born in the US) so the name is my Thai name and American name. Pronounced "nahn-ta-ka joy", when put together literally translates to "Happy Lady Joy".

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Joy: I think it always incorporates a mix of whimsy & elegance. I love color, texture, pattern, and the mix of hand-drawn and refined elements.

MLP: We love your use of woodcut—and integration of copper, gold, and platinum – what inspired this line?
Joy: One of the first print-making classes I took in college was linoleum & woodcut. I love the slightly imperfect look of this because no carving was ever completely smooth or perfect. The metallic woodcuts are inspired by the chunkiness and texture of a woodcut while being a bit more refined and smoothed out. The metallics add a touch of luxe to the casual and earthy nature of the kraft paper.

MLP: Describe your workspace to us. How is it organized? Any special mementos hanging above your desk?
Joy: My studio is a part of our home. It’s small, but it does the job. I’ve got a pretty big desk with my computer and printer, a large work table with tons of drawers, a bulletin board with current projects and inspirations, and there’s a large area of bookshelves that serve as a packing area for when I ship out orders for my stationery line.

MLP: What are some of your design inspirations?
Joy: That’s got to be the hardest question to answer. I’m inspired a lot, and my blog has really helped me to keep track of all those things (sometimes too much so!) Colors and textures really inspire me…whether it’s in fabric, on a building, in nature, or in food. I love seeing interiors, visual styling, photography…I enjoy seeing how a mixture of things work together to create something beautiful.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers and artists?
Joy: This is hard! There are so many, and I have since become friends or acquaintances with a lot of the people that I admire. For stationery, a small sampling of my favorites include…Binth, Paper + Cup, Egg Press, Port2Port, Whimsy Press, Millimeter/Milligram, and Uncooked. I also love the custom wedding work from Bird & Banner, Good on Paper, and Hello Lucky. My current favorites artist/designer crushes include…Julia Rothman, Elisabeth Dunker, Phillip Lim, Mina Perhonen, Stina Persson, Matthew Williamson, Madison Marcus, Ditte Isager, Artfool, Livia Cetti…and many more…

And then legends like Charles & Ray Eames, Lucienne Day and Maira Kalman will always be favorites.

MLP: We know you do design work through Oh Joy! Studio, but do you also do custom card design for special occasions? What is the process like?
Joy: Yes, I do custom designs for special occasions through my studio. While most of the work my studio does is graphic & textile design for fashion companies, I also design custom wedding invitations, baby announcements, and other event-related pieces. The custom stationery is a much smaller part of my business, but I love creating custom pieces for people who really appreciate having some unique and special to celebrate a specific occasion.

MLP: How do you select the materials you use for your collection? Any favorite materials?
Joy: I select based on the concept for each collection or project. The materials often come to me before the design does. I’ve always loved papers so whenever I get the chance to use interesting materials, I take full advantage of it.

MLP: What do you forecast for trends in paper for 2008?
Joy: Personalization has had a revival in the past couple years and I think it will continue as the idea of old-fashioned letter-writing with your own stationery seems so elegant. Also, stationery designers are experimenting more with materials…wood veneer became a new great material this year so I think we’ll continue to see more of that.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Joy: Since I just launched my line in May, I decided not to do any holiday items this year so I could stay focused on the spring line. Stay tuned in the early spring for some new items! Click HERE to see a list of stores that sell Nantaka Joy's stationery.

MLP: And last, but not least: are you a letter-writer? If so, who do you usually write to?
Joy: In college, I was lucky to have a lot of creative and thoughtful friends who enjoyed writing letters and making beautiful letters out of random things as much as I did. So that was a time when my letter-writing was at it’s best. Now, I send cards but they are not full-on letters. It’s something I’d love to do more.

+ More on Nantaka Joy stationery HERE

With Thanksgiving next week, and the holidays just around the corner, seasonal stationery is on the forefront of our letter-writing minds. We're SO excited that some of our favorite letterpresses' holiday shops are opening (a long list of our favorites coming soon), including today's new collections at the port2port holiday shop. Maria's new collections are even better than we could have expected--of course featuring her new creations with the loveliest photography-- including all sorts of beautiful new holiday-related images and colors like pine-needles letterpress cards and snow-frosted window picture postcards. We've already snagged ourselves a 2008 calendar (top 2 images), a set of her photo postcards (The Freeze, bottom right), and a set of her pine letterpress set (bottom left) -- and highly recommend you fill up your cart because these will sell out fast and there are no reprints!

+ See our recent interview with Maria of port2port press

The holidays are prime time for letter-writing and card-sending--whether it's to your best friends, or cards to those aunts you only talk to once a year. As huge fans of holiday wrap, holiday cards, holiday crafts, and holiday gifts (we think you get the idea), we're excited to share all of our finds and tips on ways to spruce up your holiday snail mail.

One great way to get started and to add a touch off personalization to your stationery is to make your own envelopes. Martha Stewart has a great tutorial on Envelope Fold Holiday letters--and you can write your letter right on the flip-side of the paper that becomes the envelope. Another idea--great for all times of the year--is to illustrate your envelope side with your favorite doodling pattern.

The Modern Letter Project talks to Rebecca of Moontree Letterpress about her brand new 2008 calendar, her Japanese influences, and a day in the life at her studio.

MLP: Hi Rebecca. Please introduce yourself!
Rebecca: Hi! My name is Rebecca Kutys. I live and work in Brooklyn, New York (Park Slope and Dumbo, respectively).

MLP: Do you have a background in printing? Why letterpress?
Rebecca: I first learned letterpress printing at the Center For Book Arts in New York City. After taking a number of classes there, I became a monthly press renter. Shortly after, I left my day job to start printing full-time. I bought my own press a year later and moved into a studio in Brooklyn where I still am today. DUMBO is a great neighborhood to have a business. You get all the benefits of staying in Brooklyn, but it’s still just one stop from Manhattan so clients seem fine with popping over for studio visits.

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Rebecca: It’s hard to be objective in describing my own style. I like nature themes, and tend to stick to very neutral and earthy ink colors. I usually try to avoid using more inks and artwork than necessary. I think you lose some of the essence of the craft when there’s too much going on visually.

MLP: You include a lot of nature these in your work—why are these forms interesting to you? What are some of your favorite designs or patterns to create?
Rebecca: I just love plants, trees and gardens, and that kind of imagery inspires me. Maybe it’s partly because I live in New York City that those things are more precious to me, but I try to surround myself with lots of green in my home and at work.

MLP: On your blog you mention you’ve been largely inspired by Japanese influences. Why is this, and what are some of your other creative inspirations?
Rebecca: I lived in Japan for a few years after college, and really fell in love with the culture. I lived in a small farming town--with no car. Usually my only source of evening entertainment was taking classes at the town community center. I studied language, ikebana, calligraphy and cooking. I also got really into origami. I had no internet back then -- which blows my mind to think about now -- but it was a really amazing experience to rely so heavily on arts and crafts to keep me sane and busy. I think it had a very big impact on me creatively.

MLP: What type of presses do you use? Tell us about your workspace.
Rebecca: Back at the Center for Book Arts I was printing on Vandercook presses (a No. 4, a Uni III and a Uni IV). After a year there I took the plunge and bought a Heidelberg Windmill Press from a retiring printer in Nashville, TN. It took me about a month of printing every day before I really got the hang of it. I’ve now owned my press for 2 1/2 years and do all my printing on it. It’s such a fantastic machine, I really lucked out with this one.

As for the space itself, I share a large studio with another Brooklyn printer, Breck from Sesame Letterpress. Having a space together allows us to share resources (for example the guillotine cutter, which is a big expense but totally essential in this line of work). Its also incredibly helpful to have another experienced printer on hand when you’ve been setting up a job for 45 minutes and can’t figure out how to get the color just right, or the text perfectly registered. No matter how much experience you have, you always need a fresh set of eyes from time to time. I also love how much fun we have at work. Aside from working hard…we listen to a lot of NPR, talk about Project Runway and obsess about our pets on a daily basis. I also really admire Breck’s talent as a designer and a printer, which keeps me inspired at work. It’s a win-win. ☺

MLP: Describe an “average” day at the studio.
Rebecca: On a typical day I arrive at my studio at around 10am. I drink coffee while answering emails, send out some estimates, read a little news, and return voicemails from the day before.

After that I write my list of things to do that day, and try to organize my desk for what I have going on. Honestly, this is the most important part of my day. As a one-person operation, staying organized is beyond critical. I have my “active” projects organized in file folders on my desk, and a clipboard of ‘pending projects/materials’ needed hanging on the wall. Samples, inks and papers are on the other side of the room near my press, and I try to keep that area as tidy as I can. As soon as my space gets messy, I just slow down.

In the afternoon I either print or do layouts, and usually go home at around 6:30pm. These days I make it a habit to leave work at work, so unless it’s a really busy time of year, I try to avoid bringing computer work home with me. Otherwise work never really stops – I learned this the hard way my first year of business.

MLP: How do you select your inks and paper? Any favorites?
Rebecca: I really like Cranes cover stock because it is 100% cotton, and comes in a 134lb and a nice 179lb weight. I also like Mohawk Superfine and Strathmore stocks. Finding good recycled stock is still a little hard, but there are new papers coming out these days to meet the increasingly high demands.

MLP: Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?
Rebecca: In October I printed the largest job I’ve had to date, 10,000 CD covers. In addition to the print work, I was responsible for some assembly, which required me to hire two assistants for the month. It was such a great experience for me because hiring employees was really hard me to contemplate before then. Clare and Malia worked so hard and were so fun to have in the studio.

MLP: Have you done collaborations with other artists?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ve done many collaborations over the past few years. I did some very cool projects with Yolande Batteau of Callidus Guild, an artist-of-the-month project for Etsy and some gorgeous invitations and identity jobs for Loeffler Randall. I’ve also done many projects with graphic designers/art directors here in New York. I love collaborating, it’s always nice to get a new perspective on the process.

MLP: Are you native New Yorker? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Rebecca: I grew up outside of Philadelphia and moved to New York City in 1999. This is tough to narrow down, but I guess my favorite places in New York City are:

Stores: ABC Home & Carpet, Takashimaya, Bird, Swallow (too many to name)
Landmarks: St. Bart’s in Midtown, Gramercy Park, Grand Central Station, Natural History Museum
Movie theater: The Ziegfeld
Venues: The Town Hall, Joe’s Pub
Food: Freeman’s, Old Town Bar, Yaffa Café, The Ear Inn, Jacques Torres, Bar Tabac

MLP: Can you tell us about your 2008 calendar?
Rebecca: Yes! The design is based on an Obi, which is the wide belt worn with a kimono. Each page has the same layout, but a different obi graphic. I’m excited about doing a calendar because its something people will actually hang up in their homes, instead of a pack of cards sitting in a desk drawer.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Rebecca: Yes, I’ll be updating my Etsy shop/online store on November 15th with calendars and holiday cards!

MLP: What do you forecast for trends in letterpress and note cards?
Rebecca: The biggest trend I’m noticing is the demand for recycled papers. West coast clients are usually more likely to request recycled materials, but my guess is that eventually it will be standard. The paper mills seem to be offering more recycled options these days, but hopefully that trend will continue to grow.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card/stationery designers?
Rebecca:
Sesame Letterpress
Paper+Cup Design
Palidrome Press
Little Tree Press
Port2Port
Modern Press
Cindy Jaswal

MLP: Last, but not least: are you a letter-writer?
Rebecca: I was a great letter-writer in college and when I lived abroad, perhaps because I had a little more time back then and lived far from my family and friends. I loved the satisfaction of finishing a nice letter, putting the stamp on it and dropping it in the mailbox. It always felt like such an accomplishment.

I do still write to a few friends, but mostly just on birthdays or special occasions. The exception is my friend Mark who now lives in Paris. We have an agreement to write letters every other month (he has even-numbered months, I have odd numbered). The rule is that if you miss your month, you have to write two letters next time around, so it works pretty well.

But at home in my closet is a box of every letter I’ve ever received - which always makes my Top 5 list in the what-would-you-save-in-a-fire game. I love to pull out old letters from time to time and walk down memory lane.

[You can see Rebecca's work at Moontree Letterpress and purchase her 2008 calendar and holiday card collection at her Etsy shop.]

[This will be our last post before a little turkey-and-cranberry sauce filled holiday break. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you are. We're so thankful for everyone participating in the Modern Letter Project thus far--you've made it so fun for us and we look forward to the months to come! We'll be back next Monday with more posts and lots of holiday letter-writing fun.]

By this point it should come as no surprise that we're total suckers for holiday cards. We love buying those pretty pretty cards with the pop-out ornaments, and the delicately hand letter-pressed gems that have become must-buys during the holiday season. We feel if there's one time a year to go nuts with snail mail, it's definitely the holidays. Here are twelve of our favorite holiday card picks to kick off this chilly season:

(Left: City Sidewalks (1); Right: Pancake & Franks (2))

1. City Sidewalks Greeting Card from Peculiar Pair Press: These gorgeous ivory cards are perfect for us city-dwellers sending our urban cheer out into the world. Letterpressed in red and pewter on ivory cards, cards are $4.00 each and available at Luxe Paperie.

2. Pancake & Franks holiday collection: As much as we love print and pattern, we also love the simplicity of clean lines. Pancake & Franks’ holiday cards offer a strong, modern pop of color – through the sparseness of antlers, winter fruits, peppermint candies, or outlines of holly. Their cards are printed on 100% recycled paper, prices vary.

(Top left: Lisa Congdon (3); Top right: Eggpress (4); Bottom left: Alice Stevenson (5); Bottom right: port2port (6))

3. Lisa Congdon’s work has long been a favorite of ours and it’s no surprise that we love her limited edition holiday cards with original drawings on vintage papers. These “happy holidays” inscribed cards come in a set of 8 for $16.00.

4. Eggpress's 2007 Holiday Collection is full of color and whimsy--another longtime favorite. This year the collection includes offset printed holiday cards screaming “joy,” “noel,” and “peace and love,” with icy blues and cheery reds and strong use of patterns. Their letterpress cards—we love the “cheersplosion!” and “candycane crosscut joy” which use cutouts to invite you right inside the card.

5. Alice Stevenson’s floral cards are great for the holidays—or really—any time of year. Intricate layers of flowers create an explosion of color that we just adore. Her cards are printed on recycled board and sold via Art Angels, a Norwich-based publisher of greeting cards featuring artwork by contemporary British artists.

6. port2port holiday cards: What can we say about Maria’s cards that haven’t already been said? We’ll quote her new collection, celebrate her pine letterpress printed card set and let it speak for itself. “On my mind this season is the daydream of slowing down time during the holidays … noticing a simple snowfall or a few branches of frosted pine while bustling about … just lingering … breathing it all in. It’s merrymaking time. Salute!” $28.00 for a set of 8 cards. [see our interview with port2port]

(Left two: Two Trick Pony (7); Right: Night Owl (8))

7. Two Trick Pony: Hand screenprinted, co-modern stationery that is just gor-geous. We’re loving the clean lines, modern fonts, and bright colors.

8. Night Owl Paper Goods: In clear reusable packaging and packed along with chartreuse envelopes, lines and motion take over these “holiday cards,” inscribed with that distinction on their fronts.

(Left two: Carrot & Stick (9); Right: Lizard Press (10))

9. Carrot & Stick Press: Dare to dream in prints and patterns. With repeating patterns of everything from candy canes and polka dots to lobsters and flamingos, Carrot & Stick Press is a perfect bit of cheer for the holidays or any other occasion. $16 for a pack of 8 cards.

10. Lizard Press, Notes to Grow On: Possibly our favorite cards this holiday season (or for any season), these “Notes to Grow on,” with peppermint seeds enclosed, perfectly blend form and function. The reds and greens scream of holidays, and a small packet of seeds (also with letterpressed packaging) are enclosed in the card featuring illustrations from Albert Schramm’s “Der Bilderschmuck der Fruhdrucke.” Available for $4.50 apiece.

(Left two: Moontree Letterpress (11); Right: Palindrome Press (12))

11. Moontree Letterpress' Brooklyn Cards are one of our favorites this year--especially if you live in this beloved borough like many of our project participants do. With the soft silhouette of the Brooklyn Bridge to behold in these hand letter-pressed cards, recipients will be reminded of a winter city skyline these holidays. $9.00 for a pack of 6 cards. [See our interview with Rebecca of Moontree Letterpress]

12. Palindrome's Holiday Card set pops with the color of bright red cardinals on a wintry day. We saw this collection and just fell in love with those birch trees. A must have! $18.00 for a pack of 6 cards.

As many of us have just traveled and returned from our various Thanksgiving adventures, it might be a good time to give thanks for something seemingly obvious: the roads on which we traveled to get to our families and friends. If you were driving on certain federal highways last week, you may need to direct some thanks to the U.S. Postal Service.

The development of many early American forms of transportation was heavily subsidized by the postal service as they expanded their delivery routes to meet the growing needs of an ever expanding population. From 1790 to 1860 America’s population grew from 3.9 million to 31.4 million people. The Post Office department grew and expanded westward right alongside America's population. Post Offices multiplied at an amazing rate-- from 75 offices in 1790 to 24,498 offices in 1860, and states and territories began to petition Congress to expand the mileage of postal routes to accommodate all of the new mail. The federal government’s Post Office Department began deciding which routes deserved to be subsidized and which routes would not benefit the nation. A mail route could easily determine which areas would be settled and which areas would remain difficult to access. The Department made a conscious effort to intelligently support national development and to institute services that would benefit all residents of the country.

Furthermore, in a New York Times' article, "History on Every Mile, and Sometimes a Stone," author Arthur Bovino takes you on a drive down America’s first official mail route. The Old Boston Post Road has many historical artifacts along her length—most notably the small stone mile markers that were installed on the orders of Benjamin Franklin, America’s first Postmaster General. Bovino notes that, “the leisurely drive between New York City and Boston can turn the typical leaf peeper into a historian-cum-archaeologist” for a day.”

Now that you know the roads you travel on weren't put in place just to deliver you home for the holidays, the next time you voyage along our nation's roads for a trip, enjoy the ride and remember that it might be a good time to show some appreciation for the United States Postal Service. Perhaps--send them a letter.

(image from Mail Call!: The History of the U.S. Postal Service by Nancy O'Keefe Bolick)

[The Modern Letter Project talks to Alisha of Palindrome Press about her 2008 calendar, her favorite spots in Portland, Oregon, and how she found her footing in letterpress.]

MLP: Hi Alisha. Please introduce yourself!
Alisha: Hello, I’m a letterpress printer and designer in Portland, Oregon. I’ve recently launched my own studio, Palindrome Press. I’m currently balancing this with my part-time job at Oblation Papers & Press as an instructor and printer. I’m in a perfect place right now doing what I really love.

MLP: Do you have a background in printing? Why letterpress?
Alisha: I started taking letterpress classes at the University of Oregon, while pursuing a major in multimedia. I first studied under Megan O’Connell of Dead Skin Press and Sandy Tilcock. I immediately fell in love with the process and craft.

After that, I delved into anything that had to do with letterpress or typography. During this time I attended typecon, took a few workshops: one with Barbara Tetenbaum, and another at the San Francisco Center for the Book. I definitely bothered lots of printers asking to see their shops and learn anything, including Stumptown Printers, the IPRC…and buying tons of books!

MLP: Are you a native Portlander? What are some of your favorite spots around town?
Alisha: I grew up all over the place: Central America, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, and Wyoming. I’ve been in Portland for the past 3 years and I can’t say enough about it. There are way too many good places to eat and shop here. A good resource is the Eat Shop Guide.

Current faves: Lovely Hula Hands, Stumptown Coffee (of course!), Canoe, and The English Dept.

MLP: And what inspired you to start Palindrome press?
Alisha: I started palindrome because I missed doing letterpress & design work for myself. I’ve worked for a few printers and shops, and now I want to do something on my own. My work has always been on the side. Recently I’ve decided to just push it a little bit further and see what happens.

MLP: How would you describe the style of your work?
Alisha: A lot of my work tends to be simple and line-based. I usually start with sketches, then scan it in, and manipulate it on the computer to get what I want. Right now, I’m working on some hand-lettering for some upcoming cards and I’m wanting to incorporate some patterns into future projects. I’m still trying to find my style. I constantly see work around me that I love and I wish I could start all over again!

MLP: What type of presses do you use? Describe your workspace to us.
Alisha: I have a Vandercook and a Chandler & Price press. I use the Vandercook for my artwork, and for projects that are big or require a bit more attention. The Chandler & Price I use to print most of my jobs or goods for palindrome. My studio is housed in a historic brick building that was once home to Ford Motors. The building has recently been renovated and houses many artists, designers, and small business owners.

MLP: What are some of your design inspirations?
Alisha: I’m inspired by simple things—it could be something I see on a walk with my dog, a store sign that catches my eye, a new and interesting word ... Lately, I’ve been loving Marian Bantjes, Ray Fenwick, and Florence Broadhurst.

MLP: Who are some of your favorite card & stationery designers?
Alisha:
pancake & franks
binth
blissen
morris essex
port2port
moontree press

MLP: When someone approaches the press and wants custom cards made, what is the design and printing process like?
Alisha: Most everyone who has come to me has been distinct in two ways: they want a truly custom design (not a template) – and they have an idea of the motifs, color and feel they want. Once I know what the customer is looking for, I mock up proofs and we start the design process. I ensure the artwork, text and all the materials chosen will work for the project, and try to make everything as cohesive as possible.

After that, it’s to the presses for a labor-intensive craft: cutting paper, mixing ink, and hand-feeding each piece of paper.

MLP: How do you select your inks and paper? Any favorites?
Alisha: I’m often looking at fashion for color inspiration and then mix my ink by hand. My favorite paper right now is anything from Twinrocker Mill, a very expensive addiction!

MLP: And we noticed you use soy inks in your printing. Are your cards eco-friendly?
Alisha: I try to be as eco-friendly as possible. I use all soy inks, the paper is pure cotton, and I clean my printing presses with vegetable oil and simple green.

MLP: Do you have any special cards and designs coming up for the holidays?
Alisha: I have a calendar that I printed on my Vandercook and 2 different holiday card sets on the way–-all are available in the shop section of my site.

MLP: Any favorite cards and designs from your own collection?
Alisha: The craft series card set

MLP: And last, but not least: are you a letter-writer?
When I was younger I would be writing constantly: in my journal, to my friends, when passing notes in class, to boyfriends, or family. Now I’m sad to say I write letters mostly for special occasions to my family and close friends: holidays and maybe birthdays. I’ve saved a few letters from the past: old boyfriends, my cousin who always did these amazing drawings on the envelopes, and a few others.

We love thinking about handwritten mail as little pieces of traveling art. Whether the art is in the stamps, your gorgeous hand-writing on the envelope, the little doodles you make along the pages of your margins, or your letter is composed out of a collage of cut-outs: the letter can appear in endless forms exposing endless amounts of creativity.

We were psyched to come across The Envelope Collective, a project about envelope art that we just love. Started by two friends, Garrett Miller and Adam Morse, this project is an ongoing experiment in collaborative art using the mail envelope as its medium. The website serves as an online gallery for pieces received and currently contains an extensive (and search-able) gallery of nearly 1,500 envelopes from all over the United States. You can also submit your own envelope art, participate in mail-art related discussions, or just browse through all these gorgeous envelopes and get inspired to make your own.

To participate, just follow these three easy steps:
1. Turn a letter into a piece of art.
2. Put a stamp (or two) on it.
3. Mail it [click HERE the address to send it to]

In between those piles of holiday cards you're stressed out sending out in time for your relatives, friends, and old college roommates, why not make your mail a bit more fun with some casual postcards to your friends about town.

Bread + Butter, a collective of three artists and designers from Brooklyn, have come out with these gorgeously simple white, blind embossed postcards (with bright aqua or orange envelopes). The postcards are imprinted with irresistible-but-stylish words for every occasion and every friend. Choose from a simple "HELLO" to "FANTASTIC," "BTW," and our personal favorite, "I HEART YOU." Cards are $3.50 apiece and available at Bread + Butter's Etsy shop.