Stationery Saturday on November 26 will be unlike any we’ve done before. Our cards this week are a collaborative effort between Lunalux and St. Paul-ite Lee Anne Swanson-Peet. This talented artist and seamstress has created two unique designs that we’re offering for personalization during this event. The retro Hotel Holiday design, printed in dark green and bright orange inks, has room in the marquee for two short lines of text. The more abstract Flight Map design, printed in red and dark aqua, can be personalized with a name, city, destination or other brief phrase. Cards will be imprinted using charcoal gray ink and 24-point open-faced lead type. Customers will have their choice of orange, sage, yellow or turquoise open-end envelopes. We love that these cards are so different from the styles we normally offer, and are thrilled to share them with our customers. We hope that this will be the first of many forays into collaboration with friends and colleagues whose work we admire.

Swanson-Peet will also be on hand with the fruits of her sewing studio too. For sale: totes and bags in a variety of sizes, and aprons and mittens for kids; all are crafted from her hoard of incredible design-driven fabrics (some vintage, some brand new). Between the Stationery Saturday cards and the one-of-a-kind textile creations, you ought to be able to knock a few names of that holiday shopping list of yours!

As always, Stationery Saturday will run from 11a.m. to 6p.m. Guests can shadow printer Jenni as she sets type and runs the Heidelberg Windmill, or enjoy complimentary coffee and homemade sweets in the shoppe while we make our printing magic happen. It’s a great day to check out our selection of holiday cards and 2012 calendars and datebooks, or stock up on papery treats for yourself and everyone on your Nice list.

Visit the Stationery Saturday page for more details about this weekend’s festivities plus future Stationery Saturday dates. You can also use the event listing on the Lunalux facebook page to RSVP to the event and tell your stationery-loving friends about this.

Our collection of wood type has been a great source of inspiration for us lately, and it shows in this week’s Stationery Saturday designs. We filled a press with a bunch of orphan characters, and printed this mismatched pattern on folded cards. Saturday November 12, from 11a.m. to 6p.m., guests in our Minneapolis studio can get these woodtype cards personalized on the spot, for just $29. For the first time in Stationery Saturday history, two unique customization options will be offered: a monogram in bold aqua letters or a name/phrase in orange type. Here’s how this will work: first select tan or gray pre-printed cards. If the monogram design is calling your name, you’ll head to the Vandercook proof press where Morgan will be printing with aqua ink and sleek wood characters. If you need more than three letters to get your point across, Jenni will take care of you at the Heidelberg Windmill, with orange ink and a couple different 30-point lead fonts. You can tag along as we set type and bring your cards to life, or check out the holiday cards and 2012 calendars in our shoppe while we work the presses. And if you’re too busy to stay, you can place an order on Saturday and pick up your cards at a later date.

Can’t make it to our studio on November 12? You can still get in on this action! We will continue to accept orders (while supplies last) from customers in our shoppe, through November 18. Far-away friends can order online through the Lunalux storefront at feltandwireshop.com.

You’ll find details about this week’s designs, along with our plans for the November 26 and December 3 events, on our Stationery Saturday page. If you’re a facebook user, we hope you’ll connect with us there too. That’s often the first place we reveal Stationery Saturday designs, and we always create events listings so our friends can help spread the word. Visit the events tab on our facebook page if you’d like to RSVP to one of our upcoming events!

We get Twin Cities Business magazine each month, and always find interesting stories in here about developments in the broader community. We’re thrilled that a few of our letterpress stationery products were included in the November 2011 issue, in a story about holiday gifts in the work place. The story includes a brief Q&A with Daniel Post, the great-grandson of manners maven Emily Post. Mr. Post gives this advice regarding the best gift for a colleague or employee: “Stick to items that can be used in the office like stationery, paperweights, et cetera.” That being said, we’re pretty sure we’re ground zero for all your office gifts this year! Look for Twin Cities Business on newsstands near you, or check out the mag in digital format. Lunalux products are on page 26. Other recommended reading in this issue: there’s a story on page 16 about our pal Barry Rubin, who’s now both a pen seller AND a pen DESIGNER. Way to go, Barry!

Our call for interns this summer garnered a lot of compelling inquiries from interested parties. We were most thrilled to hear from Ritalee, who is no stranger to these parts. She is, in fact, a former client! She had fond memories of the wedding announcement we created for her in 2009, and her interest in letterpress was further fueled by taking a class at Minnesota Center for Book Arts. One brief interview later, and she was hired! She instantly fit right in. Since her internship began this fall, she’s been rocking the bottom spot on the Lunalux totem pole, attacking each task we give her with enthusiasm and creativity. Just before Halloween, she blurted out a great idea for a card and we said “Let’s make that happen. Today.” So a few hours later, her Crappy Halloweiners card was born. If you haven’t had a chance to meet this newest member of the Lunalux team, do look for her next time you visit. Tuesdays and Thursdays you’ll often find her manning the shop.