So I had a major letterpress setback about six weeks ago when a crucial piece of my press blew to smithereens. It was really just three smithereens but that was enough to halt Valentine’s Day card production. I am going out on a limb to suggest that you may have never seen a mistreated roller saddle from a 1928 Chandler & Price letterpress. Well, now’s your chance! Here you can see the worn and torn 80+ year old roller saddles (these are supposed to hold the rollers which ink the plate, which is connected to the knee bone.) Below the old pieces you can see the runway models of roller saddles…these sexy pieces of metal have restored the press to working order. A local machinist, The Freewheeling Tony Smith, masterminded the new design and implemented it to perfection.
I still spend quite a bit of time with this expression on my face when I’m working with the press. But, I do know at least two things 1) I have the best roller saddles on the planet 2) I will make a great letterpress card if I make that face enough.
For the first run in its new and improved status, I made monogrammed cards for my mom while she and my dad watched. I inked up the plate with a pretty steel blue and pressed on. My parents and the new cards are back in Michigan now but hanging out in the studio the other day was a birthday treat.
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