Hiccups and Headaches: Holiday Cards on the Showcard Press

I've finished my first set of letterpress holiday cards using the Showcard Press!!!  As I expected there were some hiccups and headaches along the way.  Initially I though the most difficult part of the printing process would be the registration, boy was I wrong.  The most difficult part for me, was the mixing of the ink and consistent inking of the plate (some times there's too much ink and other times not enough).  I haven't figured out how to solve the issue of inking the plate, but for mixing I think I may try using opaque white instead of transparent white for my lighter colours.  If anyone has suggestions please let me know.

I love a good trade!

For many years I've said 'if I could do it all again I would go back to school and learn a trade'. Well the time has come, and although I was thinking something more along the lines of an electrician, I have fallen head over heals for letterpress printing! Decades ago letterpress printing was definitely considered a trade. You went to school to learn the theory and history and then apprenticed with an expert in the field. It's a little different now. To find formal instruction on letterpress printing is difficult. There are some great 1 and 2 day workshops out there (check out Kozo Studio, Snap and Tumble and Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild) but I have no illusions that the majority of my eduction, triumphs, hiccups and headaches in letterpress will come through my own trial and error. That can be a scary prospect when handling machines, some of which are centuries old, but heck, I'm up for it!