Speaker 1: 0:32

So I am a calligrapher and artist. I started, I really fell in love with calligraphy and art as a young girl and have been a hobbyist for many, many years. I was a professional nail technician for 25 years until COVID hit and that kind of put the brakes on that business. So it seemed like the perfect opportunity to turn to doing my art and calligraphy professionally, although I will say COVID is probably not an ideal time to start that business either, since a lot of my work is in the wedding industry. But that's when I started. So I've only been a professional calligrapher and artist since 2020.

Speaker 2: 1:06

I've seen your work, though. That's pretty impressive, thank you. And what about?

Speaker 3: 1:09

you. So I own Curious Fox Press. I guess I would describe my business as sort of a boutique printer and stationer. So I'm a paper lover, I have a menagerie of antique printing equipment so it's a very kind of artisan handcrafted process, true labor of love. But I love to just create beautiful tactile stationary pieces. I love design, I love the materials, I love basically the art of letterpress.

Speaker 2: 1:42

Okay, and now tell me how you both came to work together. How did you guys meet? How did that come about?

Speaker 1: 1:48

I'll tell the story. You can tell the story.

Speaker 3: 1:53

As it usually happens with us, it starts with I have an idea.

Speaker 2: 1:57

Yes, that's how it starts.

Speaker 3: 1:59

So I had an idea and I didn't have all of the skills personally to pull off my idea, as frequently kind of happens in life. So that led me. I had an opportunity to participate in an editorial for the wedding industry and I had an idea for some stationery and I really needed some artistic calligraphy talents and I had some friends but it was a pretty short turnaround time and they were unfortunately weren't available and just serendipitously I just kind of, you know, did a little Googling and I found Lisa and I was like wow, she's just like down the road for me. How have our paths not crossed?

Speaker 1: 2:36

Destiny Exactly.

Speaker 3: 2:38

Even while Destiny was Kismet. So I called her up, I sent her an email and you know, sort of like icebreaker, like you don't know if this person is gonna think you're crazy, but I think she responded pretty quickly and we hopped on the phone and it was probably a lengthier conversation than either of us wants to admit, that's so funny.

Speaker 3: 2:57

We kind of. You know, like you said, it was sort of Destiny. We found a little bit of just synergy in that and it's just kind of evolved from there. So that was our first project together and I have lost count as to how many we've done at this point.

Speaker 1: 3:09

Yeah, it was amazing. It was a really fun editorial. I remember she invited me to come out and visit Curious Box Press and I was just so amazed looking at all of her equipment. I had never seen ladder pressing done, so that was really fun to see. And we ended up with that editorial landing in Southern Bride.

Speaker 2: 3:26

So that's big and for your first to meet, you can see like that collaborative connection that you guys had to make it like, hey, we didn't know each other, but look what we did.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Right, it was pretty cool, you know. I mean I just felt like from the get go we just really had great creative energy together.

Speaker 3: 3:40

And yeah, yeah, it's sort of funny how much our skills sort of complement each other. It's really over the years that we've gotten to work together and know each other. It's just sort of like it's the yin to the yang.

Speaker 1: 3:52

Yeah, it really is.

Speaker 3: 3:54

And you know, I don't know, I seem to have the, we both have it. But I'm usually the kind of driver of like, well, I have an idea and you know we just she has sort of never failed to, you know come right along and add to the process and talent, and you know, it's just. I feel like sometimes I throw her so many curveballs.

Speaker 2: 4:19

Please wait one at a time, please.

Speaker 3: 4:21

I love the idea and she's like, well, I've never done that before and I'm like, yeah, that just seems to be the way we operate.

Speaker 2: 4:26

I love that. It's so complimenting though. I love that.

Speaker 3: 4:29

And a lot of what it is too is, you know, you have ideas when you're creative, and you know I'm one of those people that I really I just it has to be something different, right, and I just I don't like to create the same things over and over and over again and I need that little bit of creative spark. And then, once that hits, it's just sort of snowballed from there and I really, you know, I think you know, I'm always trying, I'm always experimenting, I'm always trying something new and I'm always trying to kind of, you know, just come up with something that's fresh and unique and fun. And you know, a lot of what we do is being so involved in the wedding industry. Obviously, it's about celebrations and it's about, you know, obviously when you go to an event, a wedding or something such as that, you know there's a lot of beautiful things that you're looking at. And you know, I always kind of say, you know, one of my favorite quotes is from Walt Disney and he said there's no magic in magic, it's all in the details.

Speaker 1: 5:21

And we're the details girls right.

Speaker 3: 5:23

So I love finding those unique ways and special, you know, special opportunities to just really kind of infuse, just experiences for people, Whether it's paper or a little bit of signage or you know. I really just enjoy our collaborative efforts and kind of, you know, manifesting that to the world.

Speaker 2: 5:42

I saw some of the work online. You both do really well together. It seems like what is your style, like that you guys lean towards. For those of us listening, what is your style?

Speaker 1: 5:53

I would say we lean towards something that's a little bit more on the sophisticated side. I think one of the words that both of us cringe a little bit at is the whimsical.

Speaker 2: 6:01

No, I love that.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Which we, you know I mean, there's a time and place for whimsy, of course, but as far as doing, you know, a lot of the wedding industry type work, we really do gravitate more towards, you know, something that's very refined, elegant, luxury, sophisticated, yeah.

Speaker 2: 6:17

So and I saw that you guys are very in tune with your clients when they request stuff. You like to listen to the details and make things very special for them. You put like little special characters paper, all of that. Tell me about that process. What are other things that you are looking for when clients are talking to you guys about what they're wanting?

Speaker 3: 6:37

So a lot of the clients that come to us, I think you know they don't usually know what they want, right. I mean they have a need. You know some sort of paper and invitation. You know at least this case you know it could be. You know they want a certificate or some beautiful piece of artwork to commemorate something that they've done. You know, I think we both, depending on who's sort of where the sales funnel kind of comes through and who they're talking to. And you know, sometimes people come to me and I'm like you need to talk to Lisa, or vice versa.

Speaker 3: 7:07

Yeah, but I think that you know it's really just about getting to know people. You kind of have that discovery process. I often say to my clients that I call my process collaborative, not because I expect them to do any of the work right, but it's really about providing that spark of, you know, creativity that you know getting to understand them kind of you know understanding. Again, using wedding examples, wedding invitations as an example, you know it's really about where do they meet? You know what, what do they do for jobs, what you know. Where do they like to go on dates? What's your favorite coffee shop? I mean, you just find these little like nuggets just during the course of a conversation. I'm thinking of a client, you know he a recent groom. He worked in the commercial hemp industry.

Speaker 1: 7:53

So which was?

Speaker 3: 7:55

interesting. I mean you know there's a lot of. I've actually have a family friend who built a house out of hemp materials like total aside, but it's really interesting. I mean it's used for. There's a lot of practical opportunities for it for like industrial purposes.

Speaker 2: 8:08

Yes.

Speaker 3: 8:08

We're not talking about you know, got that yeah.

Speaker 2: 8:11

Okay, that's where my mind was going.

Speaker 3: 8:12

I'm sorry this particular groom is a lawyer. You know, okay, this is the, this is the like industrial, commercial application of like hemp products in our society. Yes, but that led me to finding some hemp paper. Look at that, that we could infuse. You know just that aspect of his, his kind of career and what he did for a living. So some of the paper that was in their stationery suite was made of hemp paper.

Speaker 2: 8:39

That is awesome. Those little details are so like, wow, you went all in.

Speaker 3: 8:42

It's about finding those again those little opportunities to really make something that's special, unique and really personal to each person that we're working with.

Speaker 1: 8:50

And oftentimes those little details really kind of fall away from you know the guests may not really understand, but it's very personal to the bride at a groom or like. I remember the story where we infuse the strawberries into the wreath and that was a special thing for the bride. Is that a Her?

Speaker 3: 9:07

grandmother, lisa, created this beautiful custom crest like a wreath and in we used a lot of inspiration we drew from, kind of I'll never forget the mother of the bride saying to me imagine an honest Virginia countryside meets Jackson Hole Wilde. This is very specific. I know it was great, I loved it. I mean I will never forget that. You know I'll send this to a net Shout out to me.

Speaker 3: 9:39

But you know she really, you know, just captured the essence of what she was trying to, and so we, we, they, got married in this beautiful top of a mountain out in Dela Plain and you know, we really just kind of dug deep and we just I just kept thinking of these old Virginia stately oak trees. So oak kind of oak tree kind of became, you know, an element of their invitation suite. Lisa painted an amazing watercolor and she actually painted it in two seasons. So we used like, we use like the green of it in the spring and then kind of as it was blooming, and then we transitioned it towards where their wedding was in the fall, and you know so it, it basically over that the course of our stationary experience.

Speaker 3: 10:22

But when we came down to drawing their crest we used some oak leaves. But the mother of the bride shared a really beautiful story that the grandmother so her mother and obviously the bride's grandmother had passed away and when she, when the bride was little, the grandmother, her grandmother, used to make all of these beautiful dresses for her and she always embroidered a little strawberry so cute On to all the dresses that she made for her. So Lisa was illustrating the wreath. You know there was beautiful oak leaves but she peppered little strawberries and I think if you, if you had blown it up in, you know, something like your wall here next to us.

Speaker 3: 10:56

You might have been able to notice that it was a strawberry, yes, but at the scale that we used it in, it probably looked a little more like an acorn. So, again, it was that sentimental touch that meant something to them. And again, I also think that I want, I'm all about experience like. Experience to me is, you know, is such a crucial element of just, you know, sharing the world and and how guests, you know I'm always thinking about when I'm creating. You know, how are they going to experience? So what layers are they going to see? How is it going to be presented to them? And I'm also, you know, it's, it's. I'm just completely lost in the truth.

Speaker 2: 11:31

No, no, you're good, experience is everything we can cut and edit, but experience is everything to you, because it's what people take away from what you're providing for them. And it sounds like you guys are really so like close to your clients, like look at the details that you remember and the stories and like embroidering the strawberries, like it's not just the job that you show up to and like, okay, the job's done Bye. You share that moment with them and that experience means so much to them, it seems.

Speaker 3: 11:58

And I think now I recall what I was going to say, which is, you know, I look at it when I, when I I don't want to sell anybody on my services, ever right, you have to under, you have to appreciate the value of this experience that we can offer, both in creating it, and also what you're offering to your friends and family, when you're able to share it with them Absolutely. And you know, I always sort of explain that I think that you know the difference between just a generic invitation, which can be pretty, versus what we do is, you know, if you think about the period of time between when a guest receives an invitation and your actual event occurs, there's a pretty sizable window in there, and I just look at that as an opportunity for you know, I want to say, and I want to say, when that invitation lands in their mailbox, it's intriguing, it's interesting, this is a party I can't miss. What is this all about?

Speaker 2: 12:46

Like what is this? Wow? Where did I invite it to?

Speaker 3: 12:48

Exactly, and I think that that just gives the opportunity for that period of time to really just be in, just you know, have be full of anticipation right and to have every exchange that this, this couple or client or whomever you know, has with their friends and family. It really just elevates the whole experience.

Speaker 2: 13:07

They're entrusting you with that.

Speaker 3: 13:09

Yeah, and I just, I think it's really important, you know that that again, that that people are like, well, what, what is in this crest? And you, you know it's an opportunity for discussion and and, and you know again, just building that you know, building that anticipation and building that you know, experience for everybody that when they really come for that day, they're you know they're they're excited to celebrate with the couple and they're also excited for what they're going to experience while they're there, yeah, and it's just a kind of a little peek to what's to come.

Speaker 1: 13:37

I feel like that's just kind of setting the tone for the day just by what they receive in the mail. So there's a lot of different directions you can go and you can really just kind of set expectations with the paper early on and with the save the date yeah.

Speaker 2: 13:50

And I saw that you also do with your illustri not only do you do calligraphy, but you do illustrations and you do like tattoos, pet portraits. Tell me about that, that's so interesting.

Speaker 1: 13:59

Yeah Well, I could probably blame some of that on Kathleen.

Speaker 2: 14:03

Shame on you.

Speaker 1: 14:03

Kathleen Because, truly, when I started my business, I named it Scribble Savvy Calligraphy, and it was really because I felt the most comfortable with my calligraphy skill. That said, when I started pairing up with Kathleen and that was very early in my career with my, with my new business, while she didn't use me for calligraphy needs, she also had a lot of customers that were asking for illustrative work, and so, while I've always enjoyed art, it was my favorite subject in school since kindergarten.

Speaker 1: 14:32

And I've always loved to draw and paint. It's just really hard. I didn't go to art school and so I feel like there's kind of that, that little bit of imposter syndrome, like I'm not formally trained in art. So am I an artist? You know, I think anybody has the ability to create, and so, you know, kathleen just did a little nudging out of my comfort zone. Well, I need a pet portrait. You know, can you do something? And I'm like, um, I don't know, I'll try.

Speaker 3: 14:57

You absolutely can yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:59

So I mean it really has built my confidence over this time because she has just presented me with idea after idea and I really you know I love to try and push myself creatively. It's scary, but you're not alone.

Speaker 2: 15:12

You got a friend here.

Speaker 1: 15:13

Yes, yes, and she's been my biggest encourager. So, yeah, I mean I don't friendship. It has been an amazing friendship, yeah, yeah, it's so much deeper than just being work colleagues.

Speaker 2: 15:23

Yeah no, I actually like her. Okay, that's quite important, so I'm glad that you do. Okay, what do you think about her? Not bad right Some days now no.

Speaker 3: 15:35

I mean, she really is just the kind of soul you'd ever want to meet, and I think that you know her talent. You know, I think when you're in the creative industry, it is really, really hard to look at all of these things around you and not have some amount of just kind of like an inferiority complex.

Speaker 3: 15:53

You're just like am I that good? I'm not that good, right? I mean, you know, and you just, it is. Sometimes your mind plays this head game because it really is, it's art, right? And I always say to people beauty is in the eye of the beholder, that's right. I have clients sometimes that make selections and look at things, you know, when I'm preparing projects for them and they're like well, I really want to do this and I'm thinking to myself I don't really love that, but you know they do, and that's, you know, at the end of the day sometimes, you know, we have to kind of keep that in mind in the sense of you know we're serving our clients and maybe something that doesn't seem to our souls quite a good fit, it really resonates with them and that's, you know, that's what's art. I mean. I there's been plenty of times I've been somewhere where I've seen a painting and I'm like, oh, I really never hang that in my house, right, but somebody will.

Speaker 2: 16:35

Somebody will, exactly, you know there truly is.

Speaker 3: 16:38

You know, Everybody has a different eye, Yep, and really it just comes down to we just we sync up in such a way that it's just so hilarious to me that I just I'm always astounded how it just sort of all kind of fits together in this puzzle piece and, like I said, I drag her kicking and screaming sometimes.

Speaker 1: 16:58

It does, I never know. But isn't it going to be fun? I just don't think I would have grown as much as an artist in a professional had I not crossed paths with Kat Winslow.

Speaker 2: 17:07

It really was destiny then. And look at the type of work you guys do Like what were the chances of that? And you guys live close.

Speaker 3: 17:12

Come on, that's so awesome it has worked out. I mean enormous. I mean, again, I often have ideas that sometimes outstrip my skills and she has just been kind of the perfect complement to really bring some of my crazy ideas to life. And again, I've certainly pushed her out of her comfort zone and I think that has led to more opportunities in projects that I'm not involved in, that she's creating custom art pieces for people that are just amazing. I'm still thinking of some of those wedding certificates that you do. That just astound me.

Speaker 1: 17:49

Tell me about that. Yeah, I actually had somebody that contacted me and they wanted a Quaker style wedding certificate and I was thinking, ok, let me.

Speaker 2: 17:57

Google that I was going to ask you. For those of us who don't know, can you tell me what's so Quaker on the field?

Speaker 1: 18:03

So it's really more. It's not like a binding contract, but it just talks a little bit about the union together and it's not really so much their valves, but it's actually a certificate, and they give me the words that they want penned. Usually you can add an illustration this couple, they wanted two little fevers on it and there was a really cute backstory to that and then you leave a space at the bottom where all your guests that are attending the wedding can sign it, just as witnesses, and so that was just a really fun. Again, one of those things where I was like, well, I've never done one before, but I kind of always feel like I've got my hair on fire trying to figure things out as I'm going. But at the end of the day, if it's something that I just feel like is above my pay scale, I will graciously decline on a job.

Speaker 1: 18:48

But I think one of the things that both Kat and I can own. While we may not know how to do everything, we are really good at figuring things out, and so I think you do have to take some level of risk, not to where obviously somebody's putting their trust in you and you don't think you can do it. There's a time to just refer them to somebody who has more experience, but I do find that there are times that I just feel like I need to and Kathleen does the same just push ourselves out of our comfort zone. It helps us grow and become more creative. So, anyways, that was an experience for me. I loved doing it. I was super happy with the result, but a little stressed out while I was in the process.

Speaker 2: 19:28

That happened right. But I'm sure when you finish you're like, oh my gosh, this is awesome. I got through this. They're happy.

Speaker 1: 19:32

I'm happy, Woo yeah, whenever they come and pick up in the studio and you see their faces and they're delighted with your work. It's just there's nothing that tops that.

Speaker 3: 19:42

And I think something that really is kind of a foundational. I mean, lisa and I are the type of people that we really invest ourselves. I mean we're thinking about ideas driving in the car, when we're washing dishes. I mean I wake up at night and I'm like, oh my gosh, that is such an area.

Speaker 2: 20:02

I could be in town already.

Speaker 3: 20:04

I mean, we touch each other regularly at six in the morning. I was thinking about this last night and I couldn't sleep and I've been like waiting till it's like 5.50.

Speaker 2: 20:12

I'm so like next year. Hold on. Is she awake? I think 5.50 is good. Let's send it.

Speaker 3: 20:17

But I mean we really invest ourselves and I think one word that I would really kind of seek to embody is I consider myself a craftsman. It's not just about which is why I have my own studio and I do all of my own production, because sometimes I explain myself as you used to use that phrase a lot with restaurants like farm to fork. I'm kind of the farm to fork of paper. It's from the inception of the idea, comes out of usually my brain or a combination of ours, and I take it all the way to completion. I bring it to life through my skills and my machinery and my talent and it gives me a lot of control. Hello type A. You know what you want, you know what you like and it really I think that we both have a super fine attention to detail. I mean we belabor things sometimes that even we have to roll our eyes at ourselves.

Speaker 1: 21:17

Efficiency is not always our strong point.

Speaker 3: 21:19

We're literally seeing that. We're seeing at least this calligraphy, something. We're looking at 12 different T crossbars and we spend an hour and a half debating which one looks better. And you're just like, oh for crying out loud, pick one, just pick one. Yeah, so we really get into the minutiae and we really want to make sure that what we're putting out there for our clients and to the world is just the best that it can be.

Speaker 2: 21:44

And it sounds like very. You both have this passion and love for it shows through even just talking to you right now, and I've seen your work and I've seen the little details. I just picture one of you with a magnifying glass.

Speaker 1: 21:56

She has one of those jewelry.

Speaker 3: 21:57

I have jewelry lenses.

Speaker 1: 22:00

I mean, I have this headset thing that flips down with a light on it.

Speaker 2: 22:04

Like the Toy Story guy when he's painting.

Speaker 1: 22:06

Yes, I literally have one of those. Yes, I love that.

Speaker 3: 22:12

We really invest ourselves in making sure that we put the highest quality and that everything goes smoothly and while there are times behind the scenes, sometimes we're like hair on fire. I mean obviously.

Speaker 2: 22:27

That happens here too, don't worry, it happens everywhere.

Speaker 3: 22:29

I mean in terms of most of the time, our clients are oblivious to it. I mean, if there's a problem with something, every example is I had some photos that were developed that were going to go on a save the date and I ordered them through a professional quality lab and there were some issues with the production and it just sort of snowballed and it was like a back and forth. Again, every project has things that kind of go sideways or don't turn out quite like you want. But that's how you learn. Well, you learn and you solve it, you find a way, and again all of that client had no knowledge of it. Behind the scenes I am pulling my hair out, going like I need to put these things in the mail in a week and my timeline has just blown up in my face.

Speaker 1: 23:15

She is famous for getting to the post office about three minutes before it closes.

Speaker 2: 23:19

But she always does it. She always makes it. Divine timing right there.

Speaker 3: 23:26

I have never missed a mailing deadline, not a minute Exactly.

Speaker 1: 23:30

Yes, exactly, exactly. I just sent myself. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2: 23:34

And now tell me. I know you said since you were in kindergarten, you love drawing, painting, all the art stuff. What about you? What's your history with like screen printing paper? How did that come to be?

Speaker 3: 23:46

That's an odyssey. So actually I didn't start out at all to be an artist. I have always loved paper. I still have bins. My grandmother, when I was little used to, was very big into sending greeting cards. So back in the day when I'm old so I mean they were literally in the greeting cards. I remember Hallmark cards. You used to be able to put dimes in quarters. There was little slots that you could see, you don't remember that.

Speaker 1: 24:16

I remember Bring those back.

Speaker 3: 24:21

I mean, I have bins of them my grandmother sent me. I just, I always just loved the. You know, I just truly loved the experience of receiving something in the mail and you know just the beautiful artwork that was on there and the sentiments that came with it. You know, I just I've always appreciated it. But my life went in a different direction.

Speaker 3: 24:41

You went to school and you know, really most of my plans were to kind of exist and I worked for a long time in the corporate and corporate accounting and finance world. And then when my first daughter not first daughter, my only daughter was born 16 years ago with very significant special needs and complex medical needs, I really couldn't continue to be a good employee in the corporate world and take care of her. So I stepped, you know, stepped away from the corporate world and for a couple of years taking care of her was a full time job. But you know, as things sort of settled out and we understood what, you know, her, her life was going to be about and what her needs were, it opened up this idea of, okay, well, I want an outlet and I'd like to do something, but what is it? Because I still need to be able to manage her care. It all started with that. My little sister got married and she let me plan her wedding.

Speaker 3: 25:40

Yay, but you love that I've always just done crazy things when it comes to, I just love special moments, I love experiences, I love helping people and taking care of people and showing people a great time, anyway. So she let me plan her wedding and when it came to the stationery I was like, well, we have to have these beautiful letterpress invitations. She said, oh my gosh, kathleen, we can't afford that.

Speaker 3: 26:04

I'm like okay, little sister, I know what your budget is and I know you can, but that just led me down this rabbit hole of well, I'm going to figure out how to do this. My husband is a mechanical engineer and he is MacGyver.

Speaker 1: 26:21

He really is Anybody who knows what MacGyver is?

Speaker 2: 26:24

I was just going to say can you explain that to the listeners? Aka me, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Speaker 3: 26:29

I was a TV show back in the 80s.

Speaker 1: 26:32

I think right, you just need.

Speaker 3: 26:34

He may have slid into the 90s a little bit, but it was a TV show and I don't even remember the.

Speaker 1: 26:39

He just needed a piece of gum and what like a paperclip to fix pretty much anything. Well, that's where he did that. My husband did that. Yeah, no, I know, but MacGyver he was.

Speaker 3: 26:47

Was he like a private investigator? I don't even remember. I don't know.

Speaker 1: 26:51

I don't feel bad anymore or build or anything, anything with like minimal, like every day, things that you could just find.

Speaker 3: 26:59

Yeah, my husband and I, on time we were, when we were in high school. We were, we were high school sweethearts. We were in Bush Gardens down in Williamsburg and his truck keys flew out of his pocket on one of the rides.

Speaker 2: 27:11

Oh, do you ever going to find that? No?

Speaker 3: 27:14

So we're like, well, how do we get home now? And he's like so, we get back to the car. And he's like I got this, so he breaks into the car. However, actually I think it was his land cruiser, so I think the doors and stuff were off of it so you could get inside of it and he just literally like looked around and there was like a silver bubblegum wrapper and a paperclip. He took a pen knife and he hot-wired the car.

Speaker 2: 27:34

Okay, yeah, that's insane. Paperclip and bubblegum. Let that sink, because for me I don't do it much.

Speaker 3: 27:42

A paperclip and a bubblegum wrapper and he hot-wired the car.

Speaker 2: 27:44

That's a man right there.

Speaker 3: 27:45

My husband really is. I mean, he can just, you know, he puts up with me and he can build and fix, or you know. So it really just went. You know, looking at the machinery and I just, you know, I was like I'm going to figure out how to do this, and it was really funny because he supported me and I had this idea of you know, let me get a letter press. I'm going to DIY these invitations, maybe I'll set up a little like, and I was looking for like a little tabletop press, and one came up. This was probably before Facebook Marketplace was what it was and used to look for stuff on Craigslist. So this like little tabletop letter press came up on Craigslist, but then the ad was taken down, like within a couple of hours.

Speaker 3: 28:24

Oh it was like a go and I'm like, but I had grabbed a screenshot of it and he's like, well, it's out in this little town, like you know, west of Middleburg. He's like it's going to be a small town, maybe it's in an antique store, so he takes the ad and he drives out there oh my goodness. And he just like literally starts like he goes to every business, excuse me.

Speaker 2: 28:41

Have you seen his letter?

Speaker 3: 28:42

But I'm sure a lot of homes out in Millwood, virginia, just for you, looking for a letter press for me, and it just it all sort of snowballed from there and we wound up the next thing. You know, you know there's a 2000 pound press. I didn't get a little tabletop press, I had a big press and they just keep multiplying. They're like little gremlin.

Speaker 1: 29:00

It's like a little museum down there.

Speaker 3: 29:03

I have to say, you know, there's, there's, there's the, there's crazy cat. Ladies, I'm a crazy press lady, I'm a crazy cat lady. So it's all right, it's all good, yeah, so I have a whole menagerie. I think there's 12 presses in the studio right now and the age they date from like the mid 1800s until the 1960s.

Speaker 1: 29:22

I mean they look like they shouldn't even be running. It's really.

Speaker 2: 29:24

But this girl got it somehow going Anyway, so it's a natural compliment of my husband's talents.

Speaker 3: 29:29

He's the one that fixes them when they break. I don't really know what to do, but you know it's. And again, I love, I'm a huge love history and I mean sometimes even I just I wish they could tell their stories, these presses, because you just, you know, you think about the arc of history that I just, you know, mid 1800s, you know the industrial revolution which is, I mean when all this machinery really, like you know, I mean the advent of a lot. I mean these things didn't operate when electricity was not.

Speaker 3: 29:55

It blows your mind it blows your mind to sit there and think like this thing has been in production.

Speaker 2: 30:01

And you're still using in 2024 still running.

Speaker 3: 30:03

Yeah, so it's, it's, you know, I, just I, I can only imagine some of the things that they've printed. And I, you know, I, just I love, I love keeping that history alive. I love, you know, I love that it's still, to your point, applicable in 2024. And it's just again, this machinery is just fascinating. It's like it's just it's so, it's just so beautiful to watch and I think you know a lot of that artistry. You know we've become the society of just you know fast, and you know it was on five yeah.

Speaker 3: 30:33

And you know, somebody handed me a business card earlier today and you know, you know we're talking. We're talking about the paper that it was on and she's like oh, I really loved this paper. It looks kind of like a metallic paper, it looks a little bit like aluminum and she's like, but I couldn't find anybody, I had to get him printed in. I think she said Korea.

Speaker 3: 30:53

Wow I mean you know again, not that that you know again this technology, it's just I just really feel like it's just something that should be celebrated. It should be, you know, it is because it is such an involved process and you know it is all hand done. You know there's a cost that's associated with that, so, but there are just certain times in life where you know it's worth it to make that investment for something that's really special, you know.

Speaker 3: 31:17

I have in my house.

Speaker 3: 31:20

I was gifted, when I was married, this beautiful framed version of my invitation and you know, I just think that you know, the flowers die, the food gets eaten and at the end of the day, right when you have these sorts of life moments, you're left with your left with the memories, you're left with the beautiful photos, you're left with the memories and I just sort of feel like the invitation is a tangible kind of keepsake.

Speaker 3: 31:41

That sort of lives on and you know, I may walk by that invitation that's hanging on the wall, you know, 10 times a day and I may not notice that it's even there for a few weeks, but that that nanosecond that I happened to catch it out of my eye and I register what it is, all of that comes flooding back to me, all of those happy memories, you know all of that. You know just that joy from the day you know hits me for a minute and you know it, just it, just that's where the experience to me is kind of. You know comes into all of it. So I do think that there are times where you know, in this disposable world, that you know paper can be important.

Speaker 1: 32:15

It is, it can be an art piece and I love the fact that, like we both really appreciate things that are just kind of old world. You know, I mean even calligraphy, with technology today and the computer, and you know I mean there are people who still really appreciate hand pen and the fact that calligraphy is still around today is, you know, I think it's very unique to it adds to that experience, like you guys were talking about, yeah, but no, and the unique projects that you guys get to do too.

Speaker 2: 32:41

I think that's where the magic can be found in your work, because it's not something you just go to Michaels and get it's you literally like from your brains. You're putting this into physical form and you're bringing it to life. It's not just like it's one of a kind right, yeah.

Speaker 3: 32:57

Each person's experience.

Speaker 2: 32:58

Yeah, Each piece of paper is its own, you know piece of art and history, now for people when it's done, like they'll save that for a keepsake, and then for you. I saw that you have a pup that's quite famous around this part.

Speaker 1: 33:12

She is more than I am. Yeah, annie, so she, we got her when she was four. She, she's a lab. She is a white English lab and she just wasn't ever able to have puppies and so she got retired from the program and she was just a good fit for us. I mean, puppies are really cute, but they're very high maintenance.

Speaker 1: 33:32

So, careful, yeah. So my husband and I decided to. I mean, we're kind of empty nesters now so we just decided let's get a doll. I guess it's kind of a replacement for our children, but she's, she's great to have around and you know, she usually sits right by me in the studio, which is a lot of fun.

Speaker 2: 33:47

So my buddy, yeah. And how are you guys online with like marketing, or how are clients finding you? How are you finding clients who maybe are interested in what you guys do? Tell me about that.

Speaker 3: 33:59

Well, I think over the course you know, I've been in business now since 2012,. I want to say I don't know I lose track. So you know, over the course of the 10, 12, whatever years that I have been doing this, you know I really have just kind of built out a pretty big local network of you know wedding vendors and wedding frienders and that sort of a thing. So a lot of it's just word of mouth and just kind of that network that I've built. Obviously, you know, you know there's we both have our websites. Lisa's got way better SEO than I do.

Speaker 2: 34:43

I'm gonna get some more into the house funnel there.

Speaker 3: 34:45

I'm gonna work on that. That's been on the list for a while. We'll see how that goes.

Speaker 1: 34:50

A lot of word mouth in social media.

Speaker 3: 34:52

Yeah, a little bit of social media. I think that's kind of probably one of our biggest struggles is, both of us are we're not great marketers.

Speaker 1: 35:00

Okay, that consistency of like really taking the time to like document process and get that out yes you've got to document.

Speaker 2: 35:07

Just post it. Yeah, I mean people are really fascinated.

Speaker 1: 35:10

I mean the first time I ever went to her studio and I watched her print for the first time. I mean she sees it all day long and I'm looking at these cover plates, you know that press into the paper. I mean I'm so obsessed with them to this day. Every time like so, the very first time my work has ever been letter pressed was with Kathleen and I just can't even I'm gonna tear up telling this story, oh my goodness. But like I was so excited to see that happen before my eyes, I mean that's just kind of like for a calligrapher, that is like it was a big deal to me. I don't know, I can only speak for myself.

Speaker 1: 35:43

But yeah, just watching something that I penned, and then, you know, she, we digitize it and vectorize it and then it gets made into a copper plate. And if you don't, you know, if people don't know what letter press is, that copper plate, there's pressure that's applied to the paper and it is pressed into the paper and it's just a beautiful process and it's a beautiful result. And anyways, getting to see it was a little thank you. I literally just wrote the word thank you and it was a little thank you tag for a bridal shower and it was just really special to see that happen.

Speaker 1: 36:14

But yeah, just being in her studio and being around all that is so fascinating to me. She's in there day in, day out. It's all like old stuff, Like she's no big deal, you know. But people really love to have the curtain pulled, you know, so they can peek into that world because it's new and it's different. And same with calligraphy, I think people are fascinated to see my process of how I come up with things and how I lay things out, or just people like to watch you write too.

Speaker 2: 36:35

So yeah, it's kind of satisfying when you watch those. They were just like wait, let me keep watching. Oh, the way she did that curve. They're so perfect.

Speaker 3: 36:42

I think I've heard feedback that people love to watch me mix ink. Yeah, mix ink the ink mixing process with colors.

Speaker 2: 36:48

You know what I think? I've seen videos like that, where they just get a color and even listening to this sound. I don't know if it's similar, but maybe it's paint and yours is like ink.

Speaker 3: 36:56

Well, it's probably very similar. Yeah, I mix it on glass with an ink knife, but yeah, I mean just watching that like all of the colors kind of blend together and like there's just something that's just kind of like you know, it just hits all the right nerves.

Speaker 1: 37:10

You watch it. It's very satisfying.

Speaker 2: 37:13

I love that. For any listeners who are listening and interested about like the work that you do. Where can they find you and find more information? Give us your handles for Insta, your website.

Speaker 1: 37:24

Yeah, I'm scribblesavvycom and my Instagram handle is scribble, underscore savvy, and savvy has two fees and I do have a Facebook account, scribblesavvy calligraphy. So emails lisa at scribblesavvycom, but definitely website or social media is a great way to reach out.

Speaker 3: 37:45

Pretty much the same for me Curious Soxpress, so it's curioussoxpresscom. Instagram is just Curious Soxpress and my email is Kathleen, with the C at CuriousSoxpresscom.

Speaker 2: 38:00

I love that. And then have you guys gone through a challenge, whether it's separate or together, during this journey that you would like to share with our listeners, of how you overcame, or something that stood out in your mind where you're like you know what? That was one of the hardest things ever, but I came out learning this, and now for next time, I got this.

Speaker 3: 38:15

Holy moly, I think that's pretty much it.

Speaker 1: 38:17

I think every project that's so weird.

Speaker 3: 38:22

So, we're working on an annual event that is happening next week. It's within the wedding industry. A lot of times there are these sorts of annual type gatherings to where all of the vendors will kind of get together Off season from the wedding, Off season from the actual weddings, and just really kind of celebrate each other, hang out a bit. It's an opportunity to kind of network. It's an opportunity to kind of, if you're helping put the event on, to kind of showcase some of your work and kind of push some boundaries and do some things that again, you can only go so far out on a limb when you're doing something with a client and you can push a few more boundaries.

Speaker 3: 39:08

So we're working on this event next week and I think that we're trying some new things. In fact, we just had a conversation earlier because last year I acquired, in addition to all of this it's sort of funny in addition to all of this antique printing equipment, I did buy a laser cutter last year. Okay, so I have a really wide range now We've got a little factory over there.

Speaker 3: 39:34

But I'm playing around now with kind of pushing some boundaries with that laser cutter. And we had a funny story because she was talking about just recently about how her watching her calligraphy be letter pressed for the first time letter pressed, printed. Now we're gonna laser cut some.

Speaker 1: 39:51

Okay, I was literally just texting her because I saw the mock-up. She does a lot of the design work and so she sent me the design of the bar. It's a bar signage, yeah, and I saw my spot calligraphy that she was gonna like cut it out with the globe fortune. I'm like you have to video that. I wanna put it on line. Yes, yes, I've never had anything that I've scripted before.

Speaker 3: 40:10

I've been pushing some boundaries with just you know the techniques and some of the things that I mean. I really, I mean again, I'm such a person that I'm just like I always, just I'm constantly trying something new, I'm constantly trying to find, you know, an interesting way to present something. And you know, I think, that every project we have truly is just, you know, involves some level of problem solving. You know there's so many layers to it that I don't think you know, the average bear sort of can really appreciate unless you're in the trenches with us. But I mean, between the design of it, understanding the materials, what materials are available, what materials are gonna be the best application, you know limitations of scale of certain things and who the best partners are, where you can source things from. You know, just bringing that all together, it's really there's a lot of moving pieces to it and I think that you know, in every project there's some level of problem solving and you know just sort of figuring it out and learning like we're like okay, never doing that again, chuck yeah.

Speaker 3: 41:14

Yeah, so I think you know again, I think we're just, we're constantly, we're just constantly learning, we're constantly probably. Pushing the bounds, and we're just constantly having a lot of fun along the way.

Speaker 2: 41:24

I love that. I love that you both have each other too, Thank goodness what about.

Speaker 1: 41:28

For you, nothing really specific is jumping out, but you know just so many projects that I've taken on and you know you're just a little scared to let people know that. Oh, I've never really tried this before. But again, you know I'm very self-aware, so I know you can tell when something's just a little bit above your pay grade, you know. But I do want to push myself and so there is a level of confidence in myself when I take on something. Now it may be taking me three weeks to figure out something, rather than maybe an experience clear for being able to figuring it out in a day or maybe even a matter of hours. But you better believe, if I've taken on the job I will get it done and it will be done well, I was just telling Kathleen that I have a little you know, a dup chocolate. Yes, I do. Okay.

Speaker 1: 42:12

So the little wrappers, they have the message. They have the message and I have one of the messages and it's sitting on my drafting table and it says don't stop until you're proud. And that's just kind of like one of the things that I've tried to live by. You know what I mean. Sometimes I'll do something and I'm like that is just not to my standard and I will just go over and over and over again until I'm proud. Yeah, so, anyways, just everything that I do. I feel like it's a learning process, and this girl right here has to spend my number one cheerleader. She has believed in me from the get go and, yeah, I'm just so blessed to have this partnership with her.

Speaker 3: 42:43

Yeah, I think you I mean, I think you saw yourself short. There's really nothing above your pay grade. It's just whether or not you, you know, have tried it before and you know a lot of the things you know, because we're dealing with unique, special details. Like it doesn't all you know. It's not a one size fits all model, right, it's not about having the confidence well, I've done that a hundred times. Right, it's about understanding the process and knowing where your skills lie and sometimes, maybe, where you know you're just not going to be a good fit. You know, because of that, and you know, I was thinking of, you know, your chocolate bars. Oh, yeah, so she did. Over the Christmas holiday, someone contracted her to hand illustrate these amazing, basically wrappers for chocolate bars, wow, that were going to be gifted to special clients of Lisa's client and the particular client wanted every one of them hand penned.

Speaker 2: 43:41

Oh, my, and it was very elaborate.

Speaker 3: 43:43

I mean, I, you know, I think each one took you should. When you get into a rhythm of something you know, the first few are usually like okay, and then you figure it out. I think you got it down to where they were like 30 something minutes apiece.

Speaker 1: 43:56

Probably. Yeah, I mean. So the first few were in the hour range. Yeah, I don't think that's okay.

Speaker 3: 44:00

Yeah, you know, and I mean again, you know there was a little bit of, you know, try it like we had that she had to have the chocolate bar sent to her so that we could figure out what you know, how they were going to fold around them. And then, you know, our initial plan didn't work because they were these coated chocolate bars that had, like big nuts and dried strawberries. So they weren't flat on the top Right.

Speaker 3: 44:23

So then it was sort of like, well, I can't fit something around that, and they're all unique, right. So the problem solving that went through it was, I mean, it seems, it seems simple, right, like you're just putting a wrapper around a candy bar, exactly Okay. But oh no, it's all the time. Well, wait a second, you know. Well, then they wanted to get two candy bars, so then we had to put them back to back.

Speaker 3: 44:40

So, that was not flat top and bottom. So there you know, all of those little nuances. If you want the, if you want the idea to come to life in a beautiful way that's functional, right, you have to think through each of those little steps and you know there's a lot of prototyping and trial. Yeah, proof of concept. Yeah, proof of concept. I was up at five AM this morning, proofing of concept for this bar sign. We were just talking about, because I was a little nervous, because I'm like, okay, all week long.

Speaker 3: 45:07

I'm like I've been working on all the other stuff and I'm like I have no idea what I'm doing for this bar sign. This event is next week Again, not a client, you know, but you know I'm, you know, pushing some boundaries here and I have faith in you, both of you.

Speaker 3: 45:19

Thank you, I've got the good idea now right. But you know, again I had the idea late yesterday. I was like I'm just going to get up early tomorrow, I'm going to, I'm going to make a proof concept. I cut some things in the laser cutter, I printed a few things and I'm like okay, I think this is going to work. You know, but again, so much of what we do is learning and problem solving and just thinking through each variable along the way.

Speaker 1: 45:38

So everything's unique. It's just like nothing's cookie cutter in our world.

Speaker 2: 45:42

Everything's custom and unique. One of a kind I feel like, or one of a kind project right, definitely.

Speaker 3: 45:48

And then we love, you know, interesting materials and just you know, again trying new ways.

Speaker 1: 45:54

And then when you're trying new stuff, you just don't really know what to expect until you're actually in the weeds of it, and then you're like, oh well, that doesn't work well with this you know and you don't know until you try it. So yeah, a lot of problem solving.

Speaker 2: 46:06

But it sounds like you guys are handling it well yeah.

Speaker 3: 46:08

I know, let's go here.

Speaker 2: 46:10

I know that there's parts that are like how are we going to do this? But I feel like you guys always pull through and you guys have each other again. It's not like you're by yourself, right, Like sometimes we're like no, that has been a huge blessing, stationary partner in crime.

Speaker 1: 46:23

That's what we call each other.

Speaker 2: 46:24

And then, just to wrap things up here, if you could leave one message to our listeners, what would that be In relation to calligraphy, screen printing paper, anything at all like doggies, weddings anything.

Speaker 1: 46:38

I would just say, you know, for me, I fear and perfectionism. Those are two things that really hamper my creativity most, and I'm really aware of that. I'm really trying to push through that. I think a lot of people like I feel like we're all made in the image of God and God is a creative God. He created everything. And so I feel like every person, even if you're not in a creative industry because I mean, it kind of blows my mind sometimes when I think that she was in accounting, finance, because she's like it blows my mind too, so different oh my gosh, she's just bursting through with creativity.

Speaker 1: 47:10

I'm like, well, are you just bored to tears when you were doing that? You know, I'm like how could you live doing that? But you know, I don't think it matters what kind of job you're in. I think that we all have this kind of inclination to want to create, and so my encouragement to people is to just like. It doesn't have to be good, it doesn't have to be perfect, just let go and have fun and be creative in whatever. It doesn't have to be art per se, you know, but just find something and be creative. Yeah, it's beautiful.

Speaker 3: 47:36

I love that. I think for me my sort of mantra, if you will, is just to celebrate everything. You know I shared, obviously, that I started in this because when my daughter was born and you know, sadly but in a positive way, my daughter actually passed away last August oh I'm so sorry, thank you. So it was sudden, but you know, again, with the conditions that she had, you know we knew that her life was always going to be shorter than we wanted it. So you know that's been a big shift in terms of, you know, just my head space and understanding, you know. But you know, one of the things along the way is we again knowing that you know she was likely not going to live as long as we any parent wants their child we'll say you know we had.

Speaker 3: 48:26

And given the conditions that she had, you know, medical complexities, physical disabilities, you know she didn't achieve a lot in terms of milestones. That you know most people would sort of check the box and we really had to start kind of appreciating all of the little things that she did do. In fact it was sort of funny she went to her first day of high school the day before she died, which is just really crazy. But you know, I just again, it's about appreciating all of those little moments and just celebrating it. You know, you know, I just really feel like life is about appreciating the experiences that were given, you know, and I just feel like we all just need to take, stop and take the time and if all you can appreciate today that your coffee was really good, right.

Speaker 3: 49:11

Like you know, when you make that perfect cup of coffee, I mean again, that's what I'm saying just find time and space in your world to just appreciate the small things and celebrate those things too, because they're just as important as the big ones.

Speaker 2: 49:21

You're absolutely right about that. I find myself sometimes like okay, this cup of coffee was really good, but I don't. And then people ask me, like what are you really grateful for? Because I'm like I don't know and like that's it. You gotta stop and like realize that those little things make the big things all come together and absolutely. But thank you both so much for sharing your story. It was beautiful to hear and I love this dynamic duo thing you guys got going on.

Speaker 1: 49:45

Thank you so much. Thank you for having us. Yeah, it's been a lot of fun.