…the stationery show was a lot of fun. i really enjoyed walking around and seeing all the booths…especially letterpress shops! Some letterpress vendors seemed a little nervous when i told them i was a letterpress printer…?? i don’t know what that was about..maybe they thought i was there to spawn an evil plan to steal their designs or maybe they thought i was there to size up the competition and cackle an evil laugh!? Seriously, i’m just looking at your beautiful work….so eventually i stopped introducing myself. it’s too bad though…i really wanted to make some new contacts within the industry. we are such a rare group of artist and printers and we should be able to communicate with each other more and be friends…i seriously need to give my regular friends a break from listening to my shop talk all the time.

the highlight of my trip BY FAR was meeting everyone over at the smock booth!! i was afraid to say hello. i was little intimidated because I have been a huge admirer of Bella Figura for years!! they are the reason i fell in love with letterpress in the first place and gave up my accounting career. i read their blog and know all kinds of things about them but they have no idea who i am…so i felt as though i was meeting super rock stars! ….but Debbie is so open and sweet she came right up to me and shook my hand. Debbie and Harold are the nicest people on the planet. they were really fun to chat with. it was super cool meeting Kathy and Anthony too…. after so many phone conversations over the years it was great to put a face to the voice. they were all so kind and helpful and I think I finally met the letterpress printing friends I have been looking for! i can’t wait to go up to Syracuse and visit their shop….and maybe the hubby and I can do something fun and check out the finger lakes and maybe a winery or two.