Lucky Friday # 51, Nuts for You Valentine's Card

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 51st edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway.  Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Katie, Samantha and Christina! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Spring Chicken card.

Design: Nuts for You Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We all get a little nutty when it comes to Valentine design! Who to send it to: Someone you makes you feel a little squirrely, or someone who's cute and fuzzy and knows that squirrels just want to have fun. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The chipmunk version's cheeks were a little unflattering, the mouse version was a little mousy, the vole was too vole-uptuous and the mole was, well, you know. Favorite detail: Love the handmade heart turtleneck. Why letterpress? How else could that sweater look so neatly pressed?

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

On Press: Cross Stitch

This week on press is the new Susy Jack* design for Hello!Lucky: Cross Stitch. Here is a video of Hello!Lucky's printer, James, positioning the polymer plate, setting up the press, and printing samples of the new design.

This design will be available on the site soon!

Eunice's Pinterest Picks

This week on Pinterest I've been mooning over Kris Knight's paintings - the palette, the ethereal clarity - so mesmerizing! I have been generally loving delicate, organic details like this amazing mushroom cake by Erica O'Brien (gorgeous photo by Elizabeth Messina) and the muted creamy colors blended with neutrals in this Parisian rooftop. Also loving florals by Saipua, so painterly, loose and natural! This ring by Eldel Precious, delicate champagne flutes from Joy de Vivre, gorgeous Emannuelle Junqueira dress and, apropos of nothing, Strictly No Elephants which amuses me.

Are you on Pinterest? Find us there or leave your link in the comments- we'd love to see what you're pinning too.

Valentine's Day Craft Round Up

Whether you’re a fan of Valentine’s Day or not, there’s no denying it presents a great excuse to get crafting. Every year at Hello!Lucky we gather for a craft night in the studio a few days before Valentine's Day. We have found a few fabulous projects we've got our eyes on for this years craft night, and can't wait to get our hands on some paper and glue!

Valentine Love Boats (above) Fill the boat with some conversation hearts and let it set sail to your loved ones! Found via Green Jello

Heart Votive We love that this candle holder is made with pages from an old book. It doesn’t scream Valentine’s Day but would definitely set the mood for a romantic evening. You can even use it all year round! Found via i love this

DIY Yarn Font Spell it out with pipe cleaners and yarn. Seems simple enough for kids and those of us less craft-inclined. Found via The Journals of Giddy Giddy

Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies Surely these sugar conversation heart cookies are tastier than the classic candies, and who wouldn't love a homemade "Kiss Me?" These bite sized valentines are little more involved but we always love trying out new recipes! Found via Food For Thought

Do you have a go-to craft project for Valentine’s Day or a suggestion for our studio craft night? Leave a link or let us know your faves in the comments! 

Lucky Friday #50, Spring Chicken Birthday Card

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 50th (!) edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway.  Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Stephy-Lou, Phoebe and Lauren C! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Biggest Fan card!

Design: Spring Chicken Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We trimmed our quills and made a lot of chicken scratch before we hatched this one. Who to send it to: Even though Punxsutawney Phil disagreed yesterday— send it to the wise bird who knows spring is just around the corner, and that we're all in the full bloom of our youth. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: Another poultry card featuring a turkey— "Wattle I Do Without You?"— we agreed was little too wistful and weird. And the "I'm Too Chicken to Say I Love You," was a bit too heavy to get off the ground. Favorite detail: Chickens always look surprised, don't they? Why letterpress? All the better for the fine feathers and flourishes.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

On Press: Best Mate!

This week for on press we made a video giving you a behind-the-scenes look at our Heidelberg windmills in operation. Our talented printer, Max, is printing the platonic love greeting: "Best Mate." It was designed by Esther Aarts for Hello!Lucky.

Lucky Friday # 49, Biggest Fan

 

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 49th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Shana, Chef Andrea and Dave! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your We Belong card!

Design: Biggest Fan Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: This idea was so easy and breezy, it felt like it wafted in through the window. Who to send it to: Someone who puts the wind in your sails and makes your day fresh and light. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The "Space Heater" metaphor left us a little cold. And air-conditioners are simply not romantic. Favorite detail: The little bit of lift in the hearts gives our hearts a big lift. Why letterpress? For vintage fans, only vintage presses will do.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

On Press: In the Jungle

So much time and care goes into every letterpress job at Hello!Lucky and we want to share what goes on behind the scenes.  This is the first in an ongoing series of posts detailing the unique process that combines paper and ink to create a handcrafted keepsake sure to make... an impression (oh yes we said it!).  This wild three-color invitation was taken on as job printing for one of our clients.

Registration is the alignment of different inks when printing and the crop marks on each edge act as guides for keeping those colors in the right place.

A stack of sheets on the feed table

A polymer plate is freshly inked and ready to add the third color, black.

"In the Jungle" was printed by James, and this week he is sporting his forest green teamster apron. Sharp!

Lucky Friday # 48, We Belong

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 48th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Cindy, Stacy and Terri! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your You're Striking card!

Design: We Belong Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: Our salty tongues pepper our design dialogue with pithy one-liners, and somehow the perfect balance of savor and spice emerged. Who to send it to: Your better half, your perfect match or perfect opposite. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The alternate text for the card read: "Come in for two shakes and I'll show you what I keep in my cellar." Favorite detail: The simplicity, really. Sweet and simple. Or salty, rather. Why Letterpress? The subtle and simple design calls for the restraint of a limited palette.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday # 47, You're Striking!

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 47th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Marlys, Sherry Lykins and Marti Schrock! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Let's Be Frank card!

Design: You're Striking Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We couldn't quite visually pin down the feeling of being bowled over, or dumbstruck by someone's charms. So we had this spare design on hand and we let it roll. Who to send it to: Any fine fellow who might be casually referred to as "The Dude." Also, anyone you feel might be on your team or even a little out of your league. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The "Slam Dunk" card lacked the necessary romance and the baseball Valentine's implications of "bases" didn't exactly hit one out of the park. Favorite detail: Love the sports jersey typeface. Why letterpress? Letterpress lets the third shadow color shine through with the overprinting of pink and blue.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

The Lab Event: ticket winner!

A winner has been selected for tickets to The Lab event this weekend and we're so excited for them to join the party!  Drinks and bites will be served in one of Cline Cellars working barrel rooms - how's that for authentic?  Some of the Bay Area's top fashion bloggers will be modeling the latest trends in wedding wear while guests browse custom vignettes.  Tickets can still be purchased here.  Grab some soon, as the event is sure to be a fun and inspirational night!

See you there!

In the bag!

We are loving these oh-so-chic messenger bags from Ulster Weavers that we found whilst looking for tea-towels for the London office. Having images of London, New York and Paris, they coordinate rather well with our own invitations and we can think of no better way of keeping all ones' wedding paraphernalia together than in one of these beauties! Of course, for all those readers in a non-wedding frame of mind, they are equally good for popping to the supermarket whilst retaining ones' street cred! We are also rather taken by some of their aprons in wonderful retro designs; perfect for releasing your inner Doris Day for a spot of afternoon cake baking!

Lucky Friday # 46, Let's Be Frank

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 46th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Ruth, Lisa and Heather! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Warm Things card!

Design: Let's Be Frank Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We mustard up all our creative juices while playing ketchup on a deadline. Feeling saucy, we wanted a red-hot Valentine's card that everyone would relish. Who to send it to:  Anyone named Frank, Oscar or Mayer, or any adorable little brat. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: Though we don't want to knock the knock-knock knackwurst joke card, writing chorizo jokes was a chore, brat jokes are the wurst, and the mortadella jokes left us mortified. Favorite detail: We're still snickering at the little casing end. Why letterpress? Our list of links between fine pressmanship and fine sausage is more than a foot long.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2012!  I love New Year's, personally - the start of a new year is so full of hope and promise, feels like starting fresh! I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but I do find it's a good time to reflect on what matters. For me, this year, those things are:

1) Appreciate something every day

A person, a flower, a moment, something funny or beautiful.  Good time to do it?  On the drive to work, waiting in line at the grocery store, or while falling asleep...

2.) Embrace change

Having toddlers is a constant reminder of how difficult change can be (like a first meal!). This year, our grandmother died, another good reminder. Nothing's permanent, whether it be a job, a person, or a situation. Change is natural and inevitable, so we might as well embrace it!

3.) Share a special time with someone

Whether old friends or new, share a meal, have a conversation, or send a hand-written card or letter (it really does let people know they're special!).

Happy New Year!

Lucky Friday # 45, Warm Things

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 45th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Linda, Michael and Heather! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Happy New Year card!

Design: Warm Things Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We were skating on thin ice fishing for ideas, scraping by on a slippery slope, but after we thought of warm things it was all downhill from there. Who to send it to: Someone who's a little wild and wooly, seasonably squirrelly or just a real deer. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The words "sock it to me" repeated in a dense pattern with a myriad of mismatched socks. Favorite detail: Don't we all want a squirrel patch scarf? Why letterpress? The ice-be-gone scraper is a lovely and homely little reality check— another crisp detail made possible through letterpress.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday #44, Esther Aarts' Happy New Year

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 44th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Mirabelle, Jo and Agata! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Cozy Gifts card!

Now for this week’s timely card:

Design: Happy New Year Artist: Esther Aarts Inspiration: It was about time for Esther Aarts to do something really Cuckoo! Who to send it to: A fine fräulein with time on her side or a handsome herr with just a minute to spare. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: Perhaps it's a sign of the times, but the grandfather clock design felt little old and tired. Favorite detail: How fun to ring in the new year swinging on a pendulum! Why letterpress? Like other handiwork from German engineers, our Heidelberg presses run like clockwork for years and years!

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday # 43 Cozy Gifts Thank You Card

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 43rd edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Wolfie, Leah and Lisa! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Dancing Dreidels card!

Now for this week’s cozy card:

Design: Cozy Gifts Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: We wool-gathered about it a while and when it came down to keeping warm and giving thanks, we needed a card that covered a cornucopia of comfort. Who to send it to: Maybe someone who's wise to your size and style and has been gifting you long johns and long socks for a long while. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The "Snuggie Calisthenics" card lacked the necessary je ne sais quois. Favorite detail: We love anything and anyone with long johns on. Why letterpress? Letterpress makes those snowflakes extra crisp.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday #42, Dancing Dreidels

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 42nd edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Jana, Amanda P and Ann! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Caroling Creatures card!

Now for this week’s edition:

Design: Dancing Dreidels Artist: Shauna Leytus Inspiration: Gotta dig the idea of dancing dreidels under a dome of stars of David. Who to send it to: A certain Semite who's got a soft spot for silly & sweet seasonal stationery. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one:  We were thinking of a plate of potato pancakes leaping into a pan of olive oil and calling it Hello!Latke-- but that dimly lit candle got "shamashed" out in a jiffy. Favorite detail: Definitely the enigmatic "Yea!" on the flag. Why letterpress? Wait'll you see how great those dreidels look-- letterpress is the tops!

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday # 41, Caroling Creatures

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 41st edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Danyun, Theo and Jaime! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Christmastime card!

Now for this week’s edition:

Design: Caroling Creatures Artist: Eunice Moyle Inspiration: The creatures were inspired by the spirit animals of a handful of the Hello!Lucky cohort who went Caroling around SOMA one season— we'll never say hoo is hoo! Who to send it to: Some seasonal songbirds, an alto owl, a soprano sparrow, a mezzo mouse, or a baritone bear. Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: "Troll the Ancient Yuletide Carol" with a bunch of trolls in holiday garb was a little too Charles Addams-y. Favorite detail: The songbooks are in British English. Shout out to H!L UK! Why letterpress? All our woodland friends (and spirit animals) appreciate the sustainable papers and print methods we use in our letterpress cards.

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!

Lucky Friday # 40, Esther Aarts Christmastime

Hello all you lucky folks out there! This is the 40th edition of our Lucky Friday Giveaway! Each Friday we feature one of our letterpress greeting cards. We’ll choose THREE LUCKY WINNERS to get a free card.  Post a comment by 12 p.m. PST the following Thursday, and we’ll announce the winners on the following Friday!

The three winners from last week are (drum roll, please): Margaret, Scarlett and Linda! We’ll contact you next week to arrange sending your Woodland Cheer card!

Now for this week’s wintry edition:

Design: Christmastime Artist: Esther Aarts Inspiration: Everything old, new, red, white, icy blue and beautiful about Christmas. Who to send it to: Anyone— everyone on your list! Ideas we scrapped in favor of this one: The festivus version's feats of strength were funny, but it was a little tricky to illustrate the airing of grievances. Favorite detail: The sinuous snow covered branch on which the sparrows sit. Why letterpress: The color on the little birds heads are pressed with 2 translucent inks, creating a 3rd color. Nifty, huh?

Don’t forget to post your comment and tune in next week, same time, different stationery, to see if you’ve won!