A sweet commission

 Just before we headed away, I took a call from somebody asking for a commission. I had only a week or so before leaving, so wasn't planning on doing any complicated work. But because it turned out to be a memorial card following the death of this person's dear friend, I found my way to get it done.

The initial brief was to simply letterpress set and print her name and dates. The card was to accompany the person's ashes which were to be scattered by friends in different places.

She also wanted a heart, and she wanted it in red. This is impossible to do on the best option for fine type, the Adana, so I thought I would try it on the proofing press, where you ink up by hand, allowing for two or more colours. The proofing press involves having a cylinder roll over the type. Fine for chunky wood type; but oftentimes with metal type, and in particular small, fine, metal type the cylinder hits the type bock and judders.

Which is exactly what happened.

I tried a few times, but one of the tricks was, I had offered to use some cards I had printed previously, with John O'Donohue's words On the Death of the Beloved on them which were perfect. But... I had a limited supply and not much room for error, so I really felt I couldn't keep trying and making a mess. So, it was over to the Adana and working out some way to get the red heart.

With my limited supplies off I went, and my brain must have melted, because I went and printed over the top of the words!!!

I was now down to NO spares.

But the rest of them printed beautifully and they looked lovely. I did a few extra with just the name and date and included them as well.

Those deckled edges just look so beautiful all together.

I printed the heart by hand, using the heart piece of metal type like a stamp; and where necessary going back in and touching it up with a bit of the same red ink.

And then of course I went to town with my lovely red hearts all over some lovely scraps and that was a happy way to finish the day.