EXPRESSING SINCERITY
As I grow older, I find that many of my friends have everything they need or want. More often, I am drawn to hand writing a personal note or even a letter that expresses the sincerity of our friendship or an act of appreciation, as opposed to a trinket that has little importance with the exception of recognition. Heartfelt words written with a pen and paper are timeless and invaluable. Philip Hensher summed my feelings perfectly in the Wall Street Journal, “Many people have, in a box somewhere, their grandparents' letters and postcards, and they think of them as treasured possessions. They are. But these days, to tell other people about these possessions, we reach for electronic media. We write something that, in five years, will have completely vanished—and will never mean as much as a pen, and a choice of ink, and some well-chosen words on paper.”
Letterpress: Skilled Artisans
As an individual that appreciates artisans and quality, I prefer to use hand chosen letterpress typeset notes as the medium of my words.
“Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type, which creates an impression on the paper.
The process requires a high degree of craftsmanship, but in the right hands, letterpress excels at fine typography. It is used by many small presses that produce fine, handmade, limited-edition books, artists' books, and high-end ephemera such as greeting cards and broadsides. Setting type by hand has become less common with the invention of the photopolymer plate.
However, a letterpress provides the option of a wider range of paper, including handmade, organic, and tree-free. Letterpress printing provides a wide range of production choices. The classic feel and finish of letterpress papers takes printing back to an era of quality and craftsmanship. “ – Wikipedia
Impressed by DuCoeur- Inspired by Horse Sport
Caroline Johnson creates impeccable letterpress pieces. She resides in the heart of horse country in Kildare, Ireland. She lives in the country and is neighbors with Kildangan Stud, home to 1500 acres of prime equine real estate and impressive champions. She is also minutes from the Curragh plains, where the great racecourse is situated. She is completely surrounded by the horse world, which inspires pieces of her work.
An Artisan in the Purest Form
Caroline’s work is anything but mass-produced. I would call it pure meta-luxury. In her words, “The level of personal involvement, of physical interaction, of emotion is huge. Every piece created is unique, albeit subtly, and each has a story to tell and, as the 'author' I am personally woven into the very fabric of my product. That level of personal investment ensures that I produce a product of note (excuse the pun) and one that is truly desirable for many and different reasons. My products are a very long way from the sanitized, impersonal world of mass production. My clients talk about my products and I like the fact that they do. It shows that my products are more than just another card on a shelf, and that they are capable of stimulating a genuine and lasting response.”
She continues, “I am a bit of a dreamer, if the truth be known and a lot of my work begins its life in fantasy. For the most part my ideas are none starters, but every now and then one will grow, take shape, change (sometimes a lot) and finally emerge as having real potential. Personal design and creation is very self-indulgent. It's what 'I' like, and in that I trust and believe others will like it too, not only for the way it looks but because it is so much more than just a design. I believe the process conveys passion, individual creativity, and spirit. It is thought provoking, tactile, and experiential. Until now I have worked away on an old table top platen press but, recently I got an Original Heidelberg Windmill press and I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am at the potential this offers me.”
{Purchasing & Contacting}
ORDERING IS SIMPLE. Order’s ship worldwide from Kildare, Ireland. Shop Impressed by DuCoeur’s online store at ETSY. To visit, CLICK HERE.
CUSTOM ORDERS: These can range from customizing stock pieces already developed, to a complete, from the ground up commission including monograms to names, signs and symbols, quotes. Anything is possible, within the limitations of the letterpress process. Caroline mixes inks from a standard palette, which gives her a great deal of flexibility.
{CURATED LETTERPRESS NOTES BY K.M. THORNTON}
DETAILS
• Handmade
• $19 USD for 8 folded noted carts with brown kraft paper envelopes (100% recycled paper)
• 4.1 x 5.8 inches
• Printed on 300gsm 100% cotton Crane's Lettra
Helmet & Crop
Spurs
Saddle {EDITOR'S FAVORITE}
Boots
Two Tone
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