blackbird letterpress
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Letterpress stationery, handmade notebook & paper novelties
09/13/2026
Dispatch from WNC
• first Vandercook printing in the new printshop!
• sweet web in the pencil cactus
• same
• wingstem
• lespedeza
• Ava in the pond
• our lil nature trail (Muddy on leash of shame 🤪🐾)
• the view
• view from the Beauty Spot on the App trail
• the pond
• first rock show in NC
• new security watch point
• anybody know what this beauty is? Can’t find our mushroom book yet
Settling in, finding our way, finally printing, enjoying the clean air as we slowly march towards Fall 💚🧡❤️
09/07/2026
Our most beloved large notebooks are retiring. For over 16 years, this size of our handmade notebook series has been a best seller and we’ve loved it. I’m actually sad to take away the hours of gluing the covers to the textblock. Thousands and thousands of hours.
We’re working on a new size, something between the large and XLarge notebooks. We’ll bring the best seller designs (large & XL) to the new size. If you have a favorite please let us know. The new version will have a sewn stitched binding so it will open flat. Way better for sketching etc.
Stock limited and when they’re gone they’re gone. Very soon, this size will not be available for custom notebooks.
End of a special era. I really love the way the large notebooks look. And I have used many through the years. But onward!
More on the move: we made it to WNC and so did the 18 wheeler. It was parked down by the Toe River (because it can’t get up our driveway). And it took 7 trailer loads to get everything up here. But the printshop made it! Here’s some shots of things getting moved around. Thanks to Dave’s bro and nephews for the extra muscle. We needed it and they were unstoppable. Christopher Payne was here for a day before our christina penland workshop and he helped put the bins of product in place.
It’s been over a month now and we’re settling in. Blackbird is open for business. Finding a few new staff members. And looking forward to what’s next. With mornings in the 60s, well… that’s a big plus.
Dave’s bro said he wished he had gotten a pic of my face as I videoed the Vandercook being moved in the air, and what felt like, over the river, 😬😬😬😅 but it is in place. Hoping to print on it soon.
08/12/2026
Online shop is back open! This one is for all of us. If you look at or listen to the news, well you know what we’ve got is each other.
We’re settling into the new printshop in North Carolina. And dang I’ll take high 70s over high 90s any day.
More moving pics to come.
08/10/2026
This guy! You probably know him from our newsletter and packing orders, printing, and our collabs, Chris Christopher Payne , he also was my studio assistant christina penland last month. He’s an all around awesome dude and really helped get Blackbird ready for the move to NC. He “inherited” a couple of presses and couple paper cutters from me and now has gone out on his own in Baton Rouge. If you haven’t seen his work and what he makes, do yourself a favor and check it out. You won’t be disappointed. Good luck Chris in this next phase of making art and stuff. Thanks for all your help, ideas, and support over the last couple years. When can you move to North Carolina?
Go follow along Christopher Payne
Part 2: move from Baton Rouge (earlier in July). I can’t keep up with sharing all of this. It is a lot and It was hard! Tetris and puzzling and heavy moving. Couldn’t have done any of it without irondesignllc , the best press / equipment mover ever. The dogs had a hard time especially Ava 🐕. Thanks to Dawn Black for taking in Muddy and Charlie during the day as things moved out. Two presses and two paper cutters stayed in BR and are in a new home with Christopher Payne . The 18 wheeler was packed and not everything in the house moved in this round, but the printshop made it to NC and all is getting settled. More soon.
Sitting on the porch with the dogs, they’re settling in well, and watching the hummingbirds 💚❤️
The first pic says it all with Christopher Payne
All I really can say is these folks are amazing. And they made incredible spinners. I loved every minute even when we were all exhausted by day 3. I’m so happy to know these folks and can’t wait to see what they do next. I mean, Lynda brought us homemade gelato that she made in Denver! The fireball blazing sour apple things I’m not so sure about! ❤️❤️ I hope everyone gets to go make things at Penland.
Thank you especially to Christopher Payne who came to be my studio assistant. He is one of a kind and is incredibly talented and generous with all the time he spent in the darkroom making plates. Thanks Chris! It was so much fun partnering in this workshop.
Penland School of Craft
Part 1: the big move. There may be several of these. We have successfully moved the printshop from Louisiana to North Carolina. It’s a mess in these pics and it’s still a mess. We packed the first week of July. Moved out on 7/7. More on the moving equipment next.
I had an incredible team packing me up. I miss them so much already. But they really helped set me up as we physically moved. I will miss this printshop so so much. Next to a 19th century cemetery and was everything I could have ever dreamed for. But the new shop ain’t so bad…
Round two of pics from Penland School of Craft - didn’t take enough photos as usual. I miss these folks already 😭❤️💙 more pics to come- thanks to Christopher Payne for being the best studio assistant ever.
Week two Penland School of Craft so many fun things on the press. What a great group of students. The last few days are going to fly by.
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1607 Main Street
Baton Rouge, LA
70802