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We’re making 2014 A Year of Community with our letterpress community calendar illustrated, designed & printed entirely by our diverse crew of makers! We’ve worked together for over 6 months in our forums to create 12 months of art around the theme of community to share with you. This is part 2 of our contributor’s stories behind their designs, for part 1 and more details about our project click here.
Our contributors are:
January – Dorkys Ramos | February – Darice Pauselius | March – Tiffany Smith | April – Jenelle Montilone | May – Kimberly Kling | June – Sara DiMantova | July – Karen Jansen | August – Sam Osborne | September – Lix Hewett | October – Emily Poe-Crawford | November – Shauna Lynn Panczyszyn | December – Jessika Hepburn
March: Tif Smith, Stubborn Press & Company (our inspiring printer of letterpress goodness)
My husband and I have been in the process of launching this letterpress business (Stubborn Press & Company) since August of 2011. It’s been a long, difficult process, but one neither of us have given up on. I’ve always been trusting of the timing of things, though, that all things will work out when the time is right. That’s the spirit behind my saying, and the imagery used are cherry blossoms. They’re the quintessential symbol of life, and I’ve come to recognize that the seasons of life are things to be enjoyed, difficult or not. It’s through the support of the creative community that I’ve been able to keep this little letterpress flame in my heart burning, patiently waiting and nurturing my dream so that it grows strong.
April: Jenelle Montilone (design by Jessika), TrashN2Tees
April showers promise the fresh green sprouts of Mays flowers. As the drops of rain effortlessly nurture the seeds just below the soiled ground- so simple yet powerful. My design was inspired by the storms we weather, seeds we sow, and the beauty that grows when we allow ourselves to let things be. Baby snuggles, kitty cat kisses, chunks of chocolate and the OMHG community make me happy when skies are gray. What about you?
July: Karen Jansen, Ink And Dirt Designs
I have a ‘day’ job; I sit in a cubicle all day working on tasks completely unrelated to design in anyway. However, when I am not in a cubicle or with my little family, I do what I love, which is to paint, design prints and just plain create. I am small in this grand creative world but I love that I am a part of it and this inspired my design.
I started with a single circle. A circle, no matter its size is great in its own way but when you bring several circles together, from tiny ones to big ones, you can create something really grand. I consider myself a tiny circle here but I sure am glad that I can be part of something grand like this.
September: Lix Hewett, Lix Hewett Photography
This year has been a real whirlwind for me — I went from not doing much at all to launching a business and running an crowdfunding campaign to replace my laptop so I could launch another two branches of my business. It was very much worth it, but it pushed me beyond the limits of my anxiety, and that became noticeable early on. Summer in particular was really difficult — I had to wait a lot, and the heat was stifling. I’ve always looked forward to autumn, but this year, the arrival of September was like coming alive again. I think that’s one of the many roles community plays in our lives; it encourages us to reach for our dreams, but it also keeps a careful eye on our well-being and assures us it’s okay to step back for a moment and make sure we’re not overwhelmed. That’s what I wanted my design to represent: the importance of taking a deep breath and touching base with the essentials again.
December: Jessika (me!), OMHG
Every day when I step out of my little pink house the loveliness of our town makes me smile. It isn’t just the pretty views and gorgeous buildings that make me treasure our new community – it is the friendly waves, developing friendships with our neighbours and a growing sense of belonging that are helping us make this house into a home. In this same way OMHG has become a community where many of us find connection + a friendly face and a cheerful hello whenever we stop by. A house can be nothing more than a place to lay our heads and a community just somewhere we live, but when we find our own community (on or offline), we are home-and is there anything sweeter than that?
