Shameless self promotion alert: our Introduction to Offset Printing workshop starts in just about two weeks – sign up here!)!

Suzanne from Luna & Stella, a Providence-based family-run business producing hand-set, made to order, “modern birthstone jewelry”, recently posted on Instagram about a great interaction she had with the AS220 Community Printshop! Check it out below (note: this has been slightly modified to make sense off of an Instagram post)!

This is Jacque, and the offset printing press at the AS220 Community Print Shop in Providence, Rhode Island. Jacque is a master printer (literally, I was told “Go to Jacque, he’s The Master”), who left a 30+ career in commercial printing to share his love of traditional offset printing with artists. To call AS220 an arts organization sounds too bland for what it is, an amazing hotbed of creativity and community within “The Creative Capital” of Providence.

It’s National Small Business Week. Here’s a behind-the-scenes story of my small business.

We got a call from a customer who had seen our ad in The New York Times (yes! At least one person saw it!) and purchased our sun, moon and stars bracelets for his step-daughter, wife and her mother for Mother’s Day.

“Do you have a grandma + mama + me card for that?” He asked.

“Hmmm, no…but that is a good idea.” I said.

So, I called up Jacque at AS220, and within 2 days he had printed the new cards on the offset press, on 100% recycled paper from Paperworks in neighboring Pawtucket, RI.

The photo is a little wobbly, and my framing isn’t great, because I had a 17 month old in my other arm trying to grab the phone from my hand. That’s what small business looks like.

The final product:

Thanks to Suzanne for sharing, and for working with a member of the AS220 Community Printshop!