Raise Your Glasses, Everyone!

…And see who can find

all 8 classic styles of beer or 8 varietals of wine

hidden in these coasters' word puzzles!

St Brigid being the patron saint of both poets and brewmasters, we here at St Brigid Press enjoy a good pint of porter or glass of cabernet with good friends after the workday is done. In honor of this, we've designed an old-fashioned word puzzle to share over your next round!

These puzzles are one-of-a-kind, designed here by Emily Hancock (a long-time fan of word puzzles) and letterpress printed from hand-set metal type on thick coaster stock. They are durable, reusable, and colorfast. And when the last stain of stout or Merlot has finally obscured the letters, these coasters are fully recyclable and biodegradable.

$12 per set-of-6. Order direct from St Brigid Press HERE. Or if you are in the Waynesboro, Virginia, area, pick these up at Stone Soup Books. (And for a list of the hidden beer styles and wine varietals, click HERE ~ don't peek!!!).

CHEERS, Friends!

St Brigid Press

Winter Notecards

Greetings All,

Inspired by the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround us and the deep starry skies that glisten above us, we are glad to offer our new series of greeting cards for the winter season: "Peace Be."

Originally commissioned by Blue Ridge Life Magazine, these cards were designed and letterpress printed in our shop from vintage wood type, metal type, and a hand-carved linoleum block. Cardstock is thick, 110lb, 100% cotton paper, in Pearl White with matching envelopes. Printed in rich blue ink on the 1914 Chandler and Price foot-powered press.

Limited edition. $4 each, or $12 per set-of-four.

Only available online, order direct from our STORE.

Autumn blessings,

St Brigid Press

"Podcasts from the Press" ~ Interviews With Authors and Artists

Warm greetings from St Brigid Press!

We are happy to announce today the launch of a new production from our studio:

“Podcasts from the Press.”

As the print shop and bindery have gotten under way here, we have had the pleasure to connect with many artists and authors in our region. To further honor, engage, and share with this growing community, St Brigid Press has begun recording live interviews with some of these creative voices. Hosted by the Press’s resident printer and poet, Emily Hancock, these lively conversations will be offered here on the website as podcasts and as transcripts.

Our next post will be the first interview, with Blue Ridge poet and painter Nancy Maxson. You'll be able to listen in to our fun talk about her art and poetry, and read along with the transcript, illuminated with images of her watercolors and excerpts from her haiku.

Thanks so much for joining us as we chat with some of the authors and artists who gift our days with beauty, challenge, and vision.

All the best,

St Brigid Press

"Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku"

Warm Greetings from St Brigid Press!

We are delighted to announce the publication of artist and author Nancy Maxson's second collection of poetry ~ Tasting the Wild Strawberry: Blue Ridge Haiku.

Nearly sixty new haiku evoke the beauty and surprises of a life lived in these Virginia mountains. With humor and deep insight, Maxson gives us a poem's-eye-view of her journey through the seasons of a year; in the Introduction, she elaborates upon the artful and spirited aesthetic which inspired this work.

The book's design and hand-crafted execution seek to reflect the nature of the poetic form, as well as Maxson's mindful sensibility. Each edition is 6-inches square, with black covers of Nepalese Lokta paper, decorative interior papers of red Thai Unryu, and a warm-white text block of bamboo paper. Binding is in the traditional Japanese style of 4-hole stab binding, with red linen thread. Cover and interior art is from Maxson's original watercolor, "The Strawberry Seeker." Produced in a limited edition of 100 numbered books.

Available now in the St Brigid Press Store, and, for those of you near Waynesboro, Va, at Stone Soup Books and Cafe. For more information, contact us at stbrigidpress[AT]gmail.com.

Best wishes to all for a lovely summer!

St Brigid Press

Letterpress Coasters from St Brigid Press

Hello and Memorial Holiday Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Summer is just around the corner, and we're celebrating two of our very favorite things here -- warm weather and great literature -- with today's launch of "LETTERPRESS COASTER CLASSICS: American Novelists Series." In time to adorn your deck, home library, or to gift the bibliophiles in your life, we are now offering one-of-a-kind coaster sets. Each package includes 6 different designs printed on the 1914 Chandler and Price press, using vintage wood type and featuring the names of some of our most beloved American authors: "Mark Twain," "Willa Cather," "Richard Wright," "Harper Lee," "Ray Bradbury," and "Louisa May Alcott" are hand-set and printed with elegant fun on extra-thick coasters that are durable, reusable, and color-fast.

If you are in the Waynesboro, Virginia, area, these coasters can be purchased at Stone Soup Books. Otherwise, head over to the St Brigid Press Online STORE and order direct.

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Whatever you're sipping this summer, slip a little literary history under your glass with these handmade Letterpress Coasters!

All best to all,

St Brigid Press

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"A Commonplace Book" journals now available

Warm Spring Greetings from St Brigid Press!

Hope this post finds you all well and enjoying the Beauty of the Season. In honor of April's designation as National Poetry Month, St Brigid Press has collaborated with Blue Ridge Mountain artist Nancy Maxson in the creation of "A Commonplace Book" journals. These lovely blank books are part of the tradition of personal notebooks that date back to the Renaissance -- providing a place to write down and remember the quotes, poems, recipes, insights, and inklings that we come across in our reading life. It's like creating a portable treasury of favorite literary pieces, something folks have done for centuries.

The St Brigid Press editions of "A Commonplace Book" are hand-bound with fine papers and linen thread. Each book includes a hand-set, letterpressed cover and an introduction to the history and usage of commonplace books, 4 reproductions of Maxson's exquisite original watercolors, a colophon signed by the printer and the artist, and approximately 84 open pages. Book size: about 7 inches by 5 inches. Book colors: choice of gold cover with blue thread, or green cover with gold thread (interior pages are light cream). (Cover artwork may vary; all pieces will be watercolors by Maxson.) Available now in the St Brigid Press Store!

Below is an excerpt from the lovely introduction in "A Commonplace Book" --

From John Locke to Virginia Woolf to Lemony Snicket, folks have collected favored sayings, sonnets, recipes, and whatnot in handy companion books. Emerson encouraged people to "make their own Bible" of words that mattered to them, and Thomas Jefferson began his first Commonplace Book when he was fifteen years old. A Commonplace Book celebrates the lasting effect a piece of writing has on us, and is a way to remember and curate the wisdom, humor, and beauty we find in the world. May this little book help you honor the threads of your own life, show you what is important to you, and keep it all in one place!

~Nancy Maxson

   along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

   April 2013

First book published by St Brigid Press

Warm greetings from the Blue Ridge of Virginia!

The New Year has already brought much work and excitement here at St Brigid Press. On New Year's Day itself, I moved into the little room at the Penland School of Crafts (in the mountains of North Carolina) that would be my home-away-from-home for the next two weeks. I had been notified last autumn of my acceptance to Penland's 2013 Winter Residency in Letterpress Printing. At their wonderfully equipped printing studio, I had the honor of studying letterpress and hand bookbinding with Master Printer Rory Sparks of Em Space Book Arts Center in Portland, Oregon. My three fellow residents and I spent an intense fortnight bringing to fruition the project-proposals we had submitted with our applications. We had very little sleep, but a whole lot of fun! The experience was tremendous, and I came home with new skills and confidence in this art.

I also came home having published a book -- "The Poplar Tree." It is a small, limited edition volume, the centerpiece of which is a poetic meditation upon trees. I had been working on this short essay for some time, and it seemed a good fit for the letterpress process. All of the text is set by hand using historic typefaces and printed on a cylinder proof press. The binding is hand-sewn with linen thread. It was a joy to create, and I hope it may bring joy to those who experience it.

Of an edition of forty books, twenty are now for sale at $12 each. "The Poplar Tree" is available in the St Brigid Press Store (with additional pictures). If you are in the greater Augusta/Nelson County area of Virginia, please contact Emily directly for purchase.

Photos from my time at Penland School of Crafts may be seen <here>.

Blessings and best wishes to all in 2013!

Emily