Seeing as it’s just a week before Valentine’s day, we think this makes a fantastic gift for your sweetheart. And it’s such a good deal, you will probably want to pick up a set for yourself as well.

You can read more about our monthly personalized-stationery-letterpress-printed-while-you-wait events, including other upcoming dates, on the Stationery Saturday page. If you want to spread the word about this unique event, you can invite your friends via the event listing we’ve created on the Lunalux Facebook page. And if you’re itching to get your paws on some of these cards but can’t make it to our Minneapolis studio this Saturday, don’t fret – you can order online through the Lunalux shop at feltandwireshop.com.

More recently, we printed similar calling cards for a client who’s on the prowl for a new job. Jenn supplied the design, we just did the heavy lifting (i.e. printing). Normally the Lunalux blog features projects we designed in-house, because that’s what we most like to do. But these cards turned out so great, and fit so perfectly into this blog post, we couldn’t resist sharing. Like the wing on the Dragonly cards, Jenn’s initials are printed without any ink. And we used Lettra cover again. Click on the image to the right to view a larger picture of the cards, along with the photopolymer plates we used to print them. If you’re thinking about getting new business cards or calling cards, you can read more about our design and printing services by clicking here.

We printed business cards to match, too. The typesetting mimics the gold and black lettering on the restaurant’s big front window. Like the gift certificates, the cards are printed on 100% cotton Lettra cover. Simple, urban and luxurious. And while we’re tooting our own horn, we’ll give some love to our neighbors too. We love Nick and Eddie because it always feels like there’s something happening there, whether we’re enjoying a raucous Saturday-night burlesque show or reading the new City Pages at the bar on a quiet Wednesday. This newest kid on the block has brought some much-needed energy to the neighborhood! And now that our favorite chef Steven Brown is working there, we love it even more.

Click here to learn more about our custom business card and business stationery offerings, or browse our blog archives to read about other recent business stationery projects.

Photographer Jess Cress came to us with a type-based logo, and a pretty clear idea of what she wanted the finished card to look like, so developing the layout was a breeze. She’s very decisive, so when we met in person to pick inks, she zeroed in on this unusual color combination real quick like. We’re tickled by the finished results; the combination of the simple, sparse design with the hefty stock is quite striking (click on the picture, above left, for a larger view). When Paul Hollis saw Jenn’s card on our sample book, he immediately knew THAT was the paper he wanted us to use for his cards. But unlike Jenn, he didn’t have a very concrete idea of how he wanted the finished piece to look. So we enjoyed developing this unique look for him! An ornate pattern is blind-embossed on the back of the cards to give it a subtle yet striking texture, and the basic contact information for his business is pressed into the front of the card with rich black ink.

It’s always fun to help clients develop printed collateral for their business, whether it’s a simple business card project or a comprehensive suite of cards, stationery, notecards, envelopes and mailing labels. Interested in learning more about our design and letterpress services for business? Check out the custom section of our website, or read about other recent business projects in the archives of our blog.

For the past few months, Carrie has been packing wholesale orders, setting type for Stationery Saturday designs, updating sample displays in our store, even making coffee on occasion. She’s also an avid knitter, and you can read about her creative exploits on her blog. Here at Lunalux, We finally put her designs skills to good use (she is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s design program, after all) on a series of modern holiday cards that we’ll be selling exclusively in our studio store this winter. They’re elegant, asymmetrical designs that make excellent use of negative space.

The snowflake card is letterpress-printed without ink on a bright white wove-finish card stock. Geometric shapes pressed deeply into the paper create striking shadows, really capturing the spirit of a brilliant white winter snowfall. My favorite is the ornaments, printed in rich black ink on a sparkling white card. The card feels very festive and wintery, without relying on traditional Christmas colors or motifs. Carrie’s most excited about the holly cards, which she printed in lime green ink on soft white wove-finish cover – it’s a fresh take on a very classic holiday icon.

We recently made some fun calling cards for Kitty. Because she’s fascinated with Tiny Things, we made the card Very Small – it measures just 1.5 by 2.5 inches. But it’s also printed on 220# 100% cotton Lettra cover, making it both one of the smallest and one of the thickest cards we’ve ever created. We bind-embossed a folksy floral image all over the card, and then imprinted her basic info in black ink. With the soft paper and dramatic texture created by the deep impression of the graphic, the card feels remarkable. So much so, I’m kinda jealous – it’s maybe even cooler than my own business card!

So when David Hale came into our store and asked me to work on personal stationery for his wife as a gift for their first anniversary, I was both happy to help and impressed that he was honoring the tradition of giving paper to his wife Meghan on their first wedding anniversary. I hand-wrote an elegant note explaining that we were at her service to create custom stationery to her liking, and David gave that card to her on their anniversary. During subsequent meetings with Meghan, we considered many different motifs, fonts and color combinations. Ultimately we decided on a design that honors her Irish heritage: a shamrock pressed, without any ink, deep into thick white paper (we sometimes refer to this as “blind embossing” even though it’s really not), with her name printed in gold ink. We also printed the same shamrock on bright green A7 envelopes. In the end, Meghan was thrilled with her personal stationery, and we give David a gold star for his thoughtfulness!