Studio Shots

It's been a while since we've shared some snapshots of what's been going on in the studio on the blog. As you can see we are having a lot of fun watching our printers mix ink and we're printing many new designs in preparation for the National Stationery Show in May. If you're on Instagram be sure to follow us there for daily shots of what's happening around the studio!

Inspired by the success of our Going Strong card Eunice is hard at work drawing new designs for an entire series of circus themed greeting cards. This is the start of one of five new circus designs.

Almost as fun as the colors are the names that our printers give some of the inks in our studio.

Another brand new design on press. Jon just finished printing one color here so the full design isn't revealed. Can you tell what it is?

We're so excited about our new gold foil collection and we love seeing the shiny samples laying around the studio.

A pretty blue press.

Studio Visit from Happy Morning

We very much enjoyed the recent studio visit by the lovely Sandra of Happy Morning. She toured our studio, met the crew, and took some beautiful photos of our space. We love to see photos of our studio taken through the eyes of someone else. She captured all the colors and [somewhat] organized paper products in our pressroom.

This is our ever deep and never ending shelf of custom order envelopes. Thank goodness for color-coding!

On the day of her visit Jon was working on Julia Rothman's design Tres Chic, which is always a fan favorite.

Not even our office spaces were forgotten! Magic happens at the desks of our designers, and there are always inspirational materials laying around.

Our Visit Series save the dates are a huge hit among our future brides and grooms. We love to display them all together.

Thanks Sandra for coming to our studio and for sharing all the lovely photos! For more and to read a Q & A with Eunice, click here!

Valentine's Cards for Meals on Wheels

Our employees love to get together after hours for holiday craft nights, especially if they benefit a good cause. Meals on Wheels has been providing meals to seniors since 1940 and has evolved into an extraordinary foundation for fighting hunger. For holidays the good people like to deliver cards to the seniors as a gift of love, and this year we decided to join in. All of our cards were handmade with love for the people supported by Meals on Wheels, and to know they were going to a good home was a beautiful thought.

As stationers, paper is our primary medium, so coming up with materials was a cinch. We try to save as many scraps as we can, knowing that they could come in handy for a card-making craft night.

Our team is the best at coming up with witty one-liners. We loved this "I a door you" card.

To support the Meals on Wheels Association of America, visit their website!

Open Studio Event & Holiday Sale

This past weekend we opened our doors on a sunny Sunday for our Open Studio Event and Holiday Sale! We had a terrific turnout and want to say thank you to everyone who came by. Our guests experienced hands-on letterpress tutorials by our temporary printer, Lillian! She graciously showed visitors simple letterpress techniques and those who gave it a go went home with their own hand-cranked holiday cards (pictured below). The spectacular Lisa Congdon paid us a visit, and also got to experience the letterpress magic. She just designed a brand new collection of cards exclusive for Hello!Lucky - soon to be released in early 2013!

These are the limited edition prints we created just for the occasion. We'll be putting them on our site and on Etsy soon! Below Eunice and Sabrina are busy mingling with all the visitors. You can see pressman Jon back there running the windmill press. It was quite the production but with all the helping hands it was a great success!

Just a snapshot of some of the holiday cards we had on sale. What a deal! We still have some left over so be sure to visit our studio from Monday-Friday, 9:00 - 5:00 for excellent deals on holiday cards.

Thanks again for everyone who visited the studio! We are definitely planning more events in the future so stay tuned, and be sure to order your holiday cards today!

Hello!Lucky loves Italy

We received a super sweet email from Italian couple Lorenzo and Camilla asking if they could come visit the Hello!Lucky studio and learn a bit about letterpress printing. Little did we know they were huge fans of ours and both graphic designers. They came to the US and San Francisco for their honeymoon and they couldn't have been more gracious. We had a blast showing them around our space, and James provided an informative explanation of letterpress printing which they said is hard to come by in Italy. Thanks Camilla and Lorenzo for coming to see us! And congratulations on your new marriage!

Employee Spotlight: Jonathan

Next under the heat of the Hello!Lucky Employee Spotlight is Jonathan. Jonathan is our handy pressroom assistant, which requires that he wear multiple hats. Among all his lovable characteristics, our favorites might be his enthusiasm for printmaking and willingness to help others (especially in the trade department!). His musical talents are as impressive as his homebrewing, which we openly welcome during H!L staff meetings. We asked Jon a few questions about himself...

My role at Hello!Lucky is...

urgent care.

I can't get through the day without....

gnartapes, homebrew podcasts, and a big cup of coffee, black as midnight on a moonless night....with lots of cream.

My ideal weekend activities include....

shredding the freedom.

My favorite pressroom activity is....

yeah, printing.

Secret insider info you might not know about Hello!Lucky.....

Crocs are the new Chuck Taylors.

Featured: Wedding Row California

This week Wedding Row California wrote a wonderful post about letterpress printing at Hello!Lucky. With specific details about the creative process and gorgeous photography by Josh Gruetzmacher. We feel touched when people show such interest in the age-old printmaking method of letterpress, especially when they spend a whole afternoon learning the ins-and-outs.

Printmaker James is a fabulous tour guide, and showed Abigail (the author) and Josh the steps of creating a New York City Skyline letterpress wedding invitation from beginning to end.

To read the entire feature and to view more amazing photos, click here!

Employee Spotlight: Lia

Lia is our next lovely employee under the spotlight! She knows all there is to know about putting together a stellar wedding suite. If you are looking for something custom, Lia has the answers to your questions. We love Lia because of her graciousness when working with brides, and for her extraordinary ability to find the best items at local thrift shops. Plus, she occasionally brings our favorite furry friend Charlie to the office for a visit! We asked her a few questions:

My role at Hello!Lucky is....

To oversee the little elves that keep our brides and grooms happy!

I can't get through the day without....

Pandora Hip Hop radio in the morning and a box of Lemon-Head & Friends in the afternoon.

My ideal weekend activities include....

Thrift shopping, reading books, eating snacks and training my puppy to behave like a person (standing on hind legs, sitting in chairs, closing doors and the like).

Most memorable bride-zilla moment you've encountered....

Bride-zilla? Never heard of it ; )

Secret insider info you might not know about Hello!Lucky.....

We have a very attractive water delivery man.

What's your best advice for brides? Or what do you wish you could tell all brides?

Be organized, plan ahead but also accept that something will always go awry and the most awkward bloopers can become the best memories.  And if all else fails, make sure to serve strong cocktails at the reception.

Hello!Lucky Open Studio

We're just loving these photos by Rikki Ward Photography taken of our open studio event on SFMade Day! She captured the day perfectly - from the letterpress printing tutorials to our furry little visitors. If you missed out on the fun, on May 12th we opened our doors on a sunny Saturday to all of our San Francisco friends and offered first hand printing techniques, discounts on our cards and gifts, and even invited super stylish Leslie Yang - owner and designer of Feistyelle - to come and sell her killer accessories. We had such a good time that we are already planning the next event!

The original Vandercook press.

Handmade accessories by Feistyelle.

The spread!

We're thankful for such an amazing turnout.

Here's James giving a lesson about letterpress printing.

Even our curious customers got a chance to crank the press and make their own birthday card!

Leslie Yang looking fabulous.

Our favorite customer! Sending a big thanks to everyone who came and supported us. If you missed out last time don't be sad - we're planning on opening our studio for days like this more often, so stay tuned for details!

Photos by Rikki Ward Photography

Featured: Brides Magazine

We always feel honored whenever our name is featured throughout the growing realm of wedding magazines, blogs, and resource websites. We also love to cater to our community by offering one-on-one consultations with brides when making the big decision to buy wedding stationery. It truly is a joy to be listed in Brides Magazine as one of the "people and places you need to know to plan a wedding in San Francisco!"

The issue highlights all of the places throughout the city that offer helpful advice and inspiration for your wedding. Our beloved Faye even made her way into the spotlight!

The current issue of Brides Magazine is available now!

The Adventures of Charlie

It's been a busy day for our studio dog Charlie. Here he is working hard at his desk.

On his way to ship some orders.

Picking out some wedding samples for a client.

And taking a break to enjoy some of James's delicious Irish Soda Bread.

Have a Happy St.Patrick's Day everyone!

Studio Snapshots!

Here's Jon working our vintage Vandercook press. This is the press that started it all, originally manufactured in 1947, it lived in Eunice's garage when Hello!Lucky was just beginning.

We strive to stay organized, and being the visual people we are, color coding and alphabetizing envelopes make assembly much more efficient! Above is just a portion of our envelope collection. We're really loving the Clover (kelly green) color right now.

Another way to stay organized with ribbon storage. We are always looking for a particluar shade or pattern, so it's helpful to have them side by side!

Our designers Anna H. and Shauna looking sharp and stylish!

Faye was created by a talented employee years ago. If you look closely, she's made up of Cherry Blossom wedding invitations! She likes to keep watch atop our studio stairs and greet all of our visitors. Can you say pretty in pink?!

On Press: Broadside

This week James is operating the Vandercook and pressing a large broadside for a custom print job. The press is a No. 4 proof press from 1947. This video shows him setting up his guides and adjusting the furniture around the base for a perfectly positioned print. Next, he applies ink to the rollers and inks the polymer plates. Finally, after printing, he carefully cleans all the rollers.

How to Assemble your Wedding Invitations Video

How to Assemble Your Wedding Invitations from Hello!Lucky on Vimeo.

And now for a feature presentation! We're over the moon about this next installment of DIY videos and the first to debut is "How to Assemble Your Wedding Invitations." This short film gives detailed instructions about how to put your paper materials together tastefully and efficiently. You'll know just what to do once you receive your pretty blue boxes in the mail. Check out all of our feature films on Vimeo and stay tuned for more DIY to come!

On Press: Midsummer

This week On Press is the two-color Midsummer wedding invitation design on white duplex paper with rounded corners (yes, we offer corner rounding!).

After their first color run, the invitations on the feed table are ready for their second color.

The invite rests securely in the guides to be pressed into the polymer plate.

 ...on the delivery table after the second color run.

Look at the beautiful impression! Duplex paper (220lb) is double the thickness of our standard 110lb paper and leaves a much deeper impression. We do offer duplex paper for all letterpress invitations for an extra cost, just be sure to ask!

 Anna meticulously rounds each corner.

 And here is the finished product! If you are interested in corner rounding or duplex paper for your invitations, just give us a call at (415) 355-0008, we'd love to hear from you!

Studio Snapshots

We admit it, one of our latest obsessions is Instagram. We're having a lot of fun taking little breaks in our day and posting some studio shots to this highly addictive app. Do you use Instagram? We'd love to see what you're posting so follow us or tell us your account name in the comments! We're @helloluckycards - nice and simple!

Eunice at work designing a custom wedding invite.

Rainy day gear.

James at the press.

We're anxiously awaiting the android version so more of our friends and studio mates can join in on the fun.

Studio Valentine's Day Craft Night

We love crafting up a storm around here and Valentine's Day offers a great excuse for us to pull out all of the paper, washi tape, heart stamps, and other craft supplies we have laying around the studio. We were joined by the fabulous ladies from Alison Events and our new friend, wedding photographer Allan Zepeda. Here are a few shots from the crafting extravaganza!

Lia's valentine matched her outfit.

Anna B.'s sweet dog silhouette valentine.

Alyssa from Alison Events made a sweet paper couple.

Lyndsey's adorable banner.

We hope you have a sweet Valentine's Day!!

The Hello!Lucky Video

Hello!Lucky Studio from Hello!Lucky on Vimeo.

It's finally here! We've always wanted to give our fans and friends an inside peek into the daily lives of the Hello!Lucky team. This video has been in the making for awhile now, and after all the finishing touches were set in place, it's ready for opening day! The super talented Ryan Khavari of Arkaypix spent a few days with us at the San Francisco studio and captured all the right vibes. The cheerful tunes written just for us are by the amazing bay area musician Roger Riedlbauer. We're just thrilled with the way it turned out! Stay tuned on our Vimeo site for more videos to come. Enjoy!

Studio Snapshot: The Lab Event + Giveaway!

We've been having so much fun designing new stationery as part of The Lab Event and with the festivities approaching this weekend, we're finally able to see our handiwork come to life on press!

We've been lucky enough to collaborate with a few of Northern California's most fabulous event companies, A Savvy Event and Bustle Events to create wedding vignettes based on various themes.  These mini wedding mock ups will showcase gorgeous linens, china, florals, desserts and of course - stationery.

This is just a sneak peek, to see more grab some tickets and hop up to Sonoma on Saturday, January 14th for an event that's sure to inspire!  We'd love to see you there, so we're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky reader.  Leave a comment telling us why you would like, love, or absolutely NEED to be in attendance and we'll pick a winner on Thursday!

Happy Holidays from all of us!

You may think that because we're a stationery company that we never face any uncertainty when choosing our own holiday cards. It actually takes lots of consideration to be sure we send the perfect card to our friends and colleagues. But we must admit, it was a seamless decision when we chose the design for our own holiday cards this year. Inspired by Susy Jack's Amazing New Year card, we transformed the digital version into a four color two-sided letterpress stunner.

For our special friends, we slipped in a package of digital/letterpress hybrid gift tags! They're suitable for any occasion, but think they'd be fabulous wrapped up with a festive bow or around a bottle of spirits or wine.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Hello!Lucky! We are so thankful for all of your support and friendship, and are looking forward to a bright and bustling 2012!