Lashing Out.

Interior designer Corina Lash has a special gift for employing natural, organic materials, and turning them into modern feats of design. But we're also impressed by her Stevie Nicks-obsession, which was our first major clue that we would be creating a logo for a kindred, witchy soul.

For her logo (shown above), we took inspiration from her interior design projects, as well as her blog, where she muses on things like the delicate lines of Cacharel frocks, the magic of the 1982 film The Dark Crystal, prisms, pastel hair, and pierrots. We filtered all this mysticism through a more serious lens, considering her many accomplishments as a designer, and the final result is a simple-yet-powerful logotype, with a hint of geometry, and lot of magic.

We also created business cards for Corina, printed on 100% cotton paper, off-white with a bit of texture, in a rich metallic gold foil that catches the light beautifully. It's a classic and minimal layout, but the materials feel like bars of gold laying on a sheepskin rug. We know we've designed something resonant for a client when we feel pangs of jealously over their cards. With these, we feel a bit like . . . why didn't we think of that for us? Lucky for Lash, we don't have an A in our name, so dreams of Giza would've been impossible anyway. Plus, Corina is the loveliest of ladies, not to mention gifted at what she does, so we're delighted to have made her happy.

Garance Doré visits Thunderwing HQ.

We were given the dream task of designing and producing personal stationery for fashion photographer, blogger, illustrator and CFDA award recipient, Garance Doré, who also happens to be the loveliest of people (and if all that weren't enough . . . naturally gorgeous too). After having a blast conceptualizing and oohing-and-aahing over various handmade papers in the NYC flat she shares with her guy, Scott Schuman (aka; The Sartorialist), we went with a soft cotton paper in warm white, to be paired with a recycled kraft envelope, each one foil-stamped in rich gold, the cherry-on-top being that every card is accompanied by a vellum print featuring one of her inimitable fashion illustrations.

After completing the stationary suite, her curiosity about our creative process was still sparked, so one perfect Summer afternoon she, along with her team, came up to Thunderwing HQ in Garrison for a studio visit, to capture the letterpress process though her trusty, magical lens, which she lovingly wrote about here, on her gorgeous site (click the arrows to view all the wonderful photos).

What was only scheduled to be a brief tour, turned into a full day of lively conversation over tea and locally baked gluten-free French macarons, and we set off on a gorgeous nature walk around Russel Wright's modernist woodland home, Manitoga, browsed for vintage in historic Cold Spring, and visited local artistic friends whose stunning custom-built homes we knew she'd adore. She even conducted an impromptu shoot and interview with our stylish and inspiring neighbor Doris! We were just so jazzed to share our special enclave in the Hudson Valley with Garance, which was even more illuminated by her beaming, inquisitive, positive energy. 

 

Photo captions, from top: Our look at the stationery suite we created for Ms. Doré; A peek at our archive of vintage letterpress blocks, which she featured as the Weekend Inspiration on her site, along with our now famous letterpressed sandwich card; Garance's image of us working in the studio . . . Nic printing on our beloved turn-of-the-century Chandler & Price printing press, Aka: Grandpa; Pretty Garance exploring Cold Spring's Main St., after lunch on the porch at our local hang, Hudson Hil's.

Letterpress love and hugs to our PR wiz Delinlee Delovely for making this awesome collab happen, as well as Garance's sweet dream team . . . Emily & Alex. Thunderwing vous aime!

Colby + Anna.

We're elated to see that Martha Stewart Weddings has lovingly featured the Santa Monica, California nuptials of our clients and friends, Anna + Colby (view the entire gorgeous gallery here). We had an especially inspired time designing the couple’s elaborate invitation suite, as well as the custom typography, as their desired look was dear to our hearts . . . a boho-mid-century mix of Native American symbology, early-California craft, indigo textiles, Scandinavian design and vintage Ralph Lauren vibes. Another aesthetic muse for the project was Anna’s parents’ historically-preserved Craftsman home, where the reception took place. 

Each completely custom invitation featured: a 3-page booklet letterpressed on soft cotton paper and hand-bound with hemp twine using an old Japanese technique, a map of Santa Monica, and a laser-cut RSVP card in a floral shape featured throughout the design. Each bundle was wrapped in a metallic gold kraft paper obi and hemp jute, then sent to guests in a kraft paper envelope with a letterpressed flap and screen-printed floral pattern. The final touch was a custom-designed stamp featuring Anna + Colby's '70s surf-inspired monogram.

After their vows were exchanged overlooking the Pacific in scenic Hotchkiss Park, the wedding party paraded though the grass, singing, waving flags, blowing bubbles and shaking tambourines, on the journey to the reception banquet, where the beautiful table settings included laser-cut and letterpressed place cards. 

The event's wedding planners, Bash, Please, creatively applied the custom monogram and typography we designed . . . for banners, menus, escort cards, embroidered table numbers, and a chuppah, all of which are featured in the Weddings story. We also outfitted the duo with letterpressed “Thank You” cards that they can use forever & ever. 

So Stoned.

If the fifteen year old Nic had been told that one day he'd be designing personal stationery as a birthday gift for Pearl Jam's, Stone Gossard, he wouldn't have believed his luck. So essentially, in Nic's rock 'n roll soul, this design project is the fulfillment of a longtime dream.

Stone's stationery suite was a gift from his lovely lady, and we were inspired by photos she'd shared with us of the beautiful nature surrounding his lake-side home, as well as his collection of classic mid-century decor. She also told us a story about how Stone had become enamored with a gnarled piece of driftwood that had washed up near the house, which now sits atop a rustic table. So, using a turn-of-the-century woodcut as inspiration, we designed a custom driftwood icon, that we paired with a strong and classic serif typeface, for an elegantly minimal vibe.


It was very important to Stone that each element be crafted using sustainable materials, so we hand-letterpressed the deckle edged cream stock, stone grey note cards, and the kraft envelopes bearing his return address, on 100% Recycled papers, in deep brown ink. We also created custom gift wrapping for the suite, using natural hand-made papers embedded with dried ferns and leaves, and then tied each package with jute, using stones we found around our cottage as fasteners.

Off to re-live the idealistic '90s, while watching all the rare footage in Cameron Crowe's new documentary, Pearl Jam Twenty, which, from what we hear, is awesome.

Fair Share.

Last weekend, after returning from a month-long European inspiration-vacation, we flew into DC to pick-up our beloved Pug (who was staying with family), and on the drive home to NY, we pulled-over for snacks on the New Jersey Turnpike, and I was surprised to see the October issue of Vanity Fair on the magazine rack, alongside pine-tree scented air-fresheners and Garden State souvenirs.

Even more surprising was flipping through the Fanfair section, and reading our name listed as stationer of choice to über-chic blogger/fashion photographer duo, Garance Doré and Scott Schuman = zut alors! And to be listed alongside Smythson of Bond Street truly made our hearts skip a beat.

So, merci, Garance & Scott! We're beyond honored to be admired by such discerning (and lovely) eyes.

Hickoree Smoked.

We were honored when the founders of Hickoree's Hard Goods asked us to create a special limited-edition Thunderwing box-set representing "the spirit of letterpress printing", for their carefully curated online shop.

We decided to create a set of correspondence cards hand-letterpressed on fine Italian paper, paying homage to the beauty of lead typography and its original packaging (which those not in the printing realm rarely get to see), as well as the classic typeface Dante Roman in 10pt. (seen in its original lock-up above, and letterpressed below). And to further satisfy the souls of the type obsessed, we included a colophon on the back of each Collezione Dante card describing the history of its creation and a bit about its designer, Giovanni Mardersteig.

To read more about the creation of these limited edition cards, as well as to view additional photos from our studio, journey HERE to Hickoree's mailer.

Curio.

Letterpressed business correspondence for the Brooklyn based company, Curio Wallcoverings (note the beautiful rounded edge-details on the letterhead). Thunderwing also designed the look of Curio's website, using graphic elements culled from our vast library of antique books and ephemera:

The French Collection.

Greeting cards a' la Français, letterpressed using large antique wooden type. Each set of "Oui." notecards, folded "Merci!" thank you cards, and whimsically oversized "Bonjour!" stationery, are accompanied by matching envelopes marked "Moi" and "Vous". Cards are available in sets of 6, each set encased in a hand-built wooden Thunderwing keepsake box:

Miss. Lizzie.

Detail of purple personal stationery letterpressed on G. Lalo Paris paper, using antique foundry type, for L.A. based designer/photographer, Miss. Lizzie (inspired by Biba, the music of Prince, and The Madonna Inn):

To whom it may concern . . .

Peeks at two personal stationery sets we printed as wedding gifts for the groom's mother and aunt: