Category: POST

This weekend was our first 3 day show ever. And we’re very happy we decided to go to the Handmade Market at Honsberger Estate winery with over 80 other artisans.

The organization by Mark, Jennifer and their team was amazing. And our host winery was the perfect setting. Featuring the Sip and Savour Barn, a great outdoor wood burning pizza oven, the heated patio and fire pit seating to keep folks warm and cozy – all allowed for a huge number of people to move around easily, eat, drink, shop and enjoy the day.

A big thanks to all who organized and worked behind the scenes.

And of course a very big thanks to all who made it out and supported us and all the local artisans.

 

 

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The Handmade Market is an artisan market experience featuring products created and promoted by local artisans as well as delectable food and wine. The HandMade Market seeks to promotes the arts and offer a local shopping alternative in an upscale atmosphere.

In a world where every dollar you spend could be a vote in favour of local business and against the oppression of workers in developing nations, the HandMade Market offers you an important opportunity to shop with a clear conscience and support local business and the arts at the same time! No homogenous, androgynous, thoughtless, big-box items here!

We’ve been thinking about hosting letterpress workshops for a while now. So many of you are curious about learning more about letterpress printing, so why not come to our studio for a letterpress workshop? But doesn’t a workshop sound like we’re going to put you to work? We think learning about letterpress and tinkering with type should be fun. And that’s why we decided to host Pome Playshops instead. We’re kicking off our series with:

“Note cards on the Showcard”

In this 3-hour introduction to letterpress playshop you’ll design and print a note card with matching envelope on the Showcard Mini proof press. We’ll start by learning a little bit about the letterpress process and then dive right in to designing your cards using vintage wood and metal type, cuts and illustrations. At the end of it you’ll take home 10 note cards with matching envelopes to send to all your friends. Put them in a cool frame and you’ll have your very own original art print! (If you do that, don’t forget to sign and number them for when you become a famous artist.)

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DATES:

To be announced. Send us a note if you’re interested, and you’ll be the first to know when we announce the next dates.

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COST:

$125 + HST per person, limited to 2 participants per workshop. All supplies are included.

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LOCATION:

Oakville, Ontario just off the Third Line exit of the QEW/403. If you’re taking the GO Train, we can make arrangements to pick you up from Bronte station.

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HOW TO REGISTER:

Send an email to inkyhands[at]pomegranateletterpress.com to let us know which class you would like to take. After you receive confirmation from us, we will bill you via paypal and send you directions to our studio.

 

Other Playshops we offer

Real typesetting with real type
Lino carving and print-making
Street life poster
Word cloud posters

Or better yet, do you have an idea for a playshop? Send us an email and we’ll talk.

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The web is a wonderful thing. It means we can connect with people from all over the world and produce work for clients as far away as Scotland (Hi Terrence!). What we miss when working long distance is the personal connection, the human touch and the building of strong relationships through mutual respect and support.

Jay Perry is a photographer from Stoney Creek, just outside of Hamilton, Ontario. He believes in supporting local artists, tradespeople and community. (Take a look at his side project Friends with Hearts to see how a few people can change the lives of many in their own community). When he decided it was time to bring his letterpress printing north of the border and work with a local company, he found us on the world wide web, and sent us a note.

His request was simple. He wanted one-colour note cards with his logo. That’s it, that’s all. Now normally we’re not a trade printer because of our kooky schedules and our love of the design portion of the process, but much like Jay, we try to support and shop local as much as we can. And look how good his logo looks on scrumptious Crane’s Lettra. A match made in heaven.

Thanks to the world wide web, we’ve made another great, local connection. If your match made in heaven is looking for a wedding photographer, check out his amazing work at Hilmer & Himson (the adorable pups in his logo).

 

Not into schmaltzy, gooey, sickly sweet Valentine Day cards? Are you a person of few words? Here are the cards for you. A simple declaration of how you feel, with nary a speck of red or pink in sight. All cards are hand-set using metal type and hand-printed in very limited quantities. Cards are 4.25″x4.25″, blank inside and printed on pure-as-the driven-snow white Strathmore. Available now in our store.

 

Maybe you’re a little shy and want to express your sentiment quietly with 12pt Century Schoolbook.

Or, you’re sure of yourself and want to make a simple, bold statement in 24pt Univers Bold

For those with a little flair and confidence, how about 36pt Huxley Vertical?

 

People often compile lists as a way to remember the past year and to highlight special moments. Tanya created a special list and contacted us just before Christmas to help her create the perfect gift for her husband. They were coming up on their first year anniversary and she wanted something that was one-of-a-kind, personal, meaningful and reflected how much she loved her husband.

The traditional gift for a first year wedding anniversary is paper. Tanya’s idea was to create a custom designed and printed poster to celebrate 52 Ways she loved her husband – one for every week of their marriage. Lucky for us she decided on letterpress and found us online.

We are so thrilled and honoured to be part of this very touching project. Helping her create her own piece of art is very rewarding for us. And we hope she and her husband enjoy compiling a new list for the years to come. Thanks, Tanya for the picture of the framed piece and so glad to hear your husband loved it.

Who says romance or print is dead?

A few years back I came across this really cool Design Competition. For what ever reason life got in the way of design. That and the fact that we’re starting the Letterpress thing. I can’t complain too much, I was able to get my “design rocks off ” in other ways. But this year when the email came about submitting, I just decided to do it.

And so I did. The process started by researching what Francisco Mantecon Poster Design Competition was all about. Then a little research on the winery itself. To me part of the interest was the location of Vigo and the Winery. I’m not Spanish, but my family roots do come from northern Portugal and the Porto region. Vigo is also one of the largest fishing ports in the world which I didn’t know before this. So it was all coming together in my mind. And with a little bit of time in there, the ideas started to mix around. With some sketching the ideas then started to come out.

My concept was to create a map of the Vigo region and northern Portugal. While connecting the winery to Vigo’s main industry – the fisheries. As well as incorporating the Terras Gauda logo creatively.

The entire poster is a conceptual map – although subtle. At first glance the bottles of wine are just fish being caught in a net. But look a little closer and you’ll find that the netting is the shape of the Portuguese/Spanish border. The logo is the compass. And the three locations on the map are Vigo, Terras Gauda and of course Porto, which tie back to the three flourish icons in the logo.

I designed something that is relevant, impactful, simple and creative. And that to me is what the design process should be about. Too often we just rush around executing designs, instead of creating design – and having fun along the way.

This was also a chance to please no one but myself. A piece of design and art that meets the contest brief, or at least my interpretation of it.

Yesterday, I received this email:

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Hello,

We inform you that your  poster will be part of the exhibition of the 11th International Poster Design Competition Francisco Mantecon at Estación Marítima in Vigo (Galicia, Spain).

The jury meeting will take place on Friday, November 29th. We will contact all finalists the first week on December.

The jury’s decision will be announced on Friday, December 13, during the ceremony the awards.

Thank you very much for your participation.

Best regards,

Mª José
Dpt. Communication
Bodegas TERRAS GAUDA

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Thank you to Bodegas Terras Gauda and the 11th Francisco Mantecon International Poster Design Competition. Win, Lose or Draw – I’m happy with getting something created, entered and excepted. The process was well worth it.

Good luck to all the entrants.