Carrot & Stick Press

I love letterpress, but I knew that it would be expensive. Therefore, being on a tight budget, I researched extensively how to make my own invitations as well as contacted a few stationary stores. After some poor customer service from the stores and after being overwhelmed on-​line, I decided to contact Susie at Carrot and Stick Press. I was quite familiar with Susie’s letterpress work before I needed wedding invitations for my May 2014 wedding, so I knew the end result would be amazing stationary. The question was always going to be cost (an understandable cost when you actually watch the time and detail that goes into the process). I was ecstatic when Susie said that she could totally work within my budget! She was an absolute pleasure to work with and, of course, her invitations, RSVP postcards, and thank you notes were stunning! She helped in converting our wedding «logo» (a pencil drawing done by my future-​husband) to be suitable for letterpress and was able to use the font that I wanted. I highly recommend Carrot and Stick Press the next time that you need customized stationary or even to check out her on-​line store for ready made stationary!

brief history: several months ago i started looking for wedding papers (save-​the-​dates, invitations, cards, etc.) and knew that my fiancée and i wanted to stay local and be as green as you can be while using paper and mailing things. we also insisted that this planning time be fun and that we only work with people we really liked… why spend time with and give your $ to people you don’t enjoy working with?
so, in researching i found carrot & stick press… they specialize in letterpress printing, which they do on site and they are amazing! not only is their work incredible, they are fun, eager to answer questions and help navigate the sometimes tricky situations around choosing what will suit you best. it is obvious that they love what the do and they excel at it. i can’t recommend susie and her business more highly. she was generous with her time, materials, and really helped us stick to our budget while producing really perfect save-​the-​dates and invitations!
we’re looking forward to another reason to need susie and her work!

Gorgeous cards. Great quality. Designs range from classic to quirky. I am addicted. I just ordered a ton for my holiday cards. The trees on the station wagon roof, candy canes, snow flakes. .. LOVE them! I also love the taxi cab ones.

I visited their studio during the open studio sale. It’s in a warehouse area of Oakland, a somewhat scary part of town. Inside the studio is brimming with elegant stationery, repeated patterns in one color on thick ecru paper. During the open studio sales, items are 50% off.
Folded note cards come in different patterns: stripes, polka dots, fruit (e.g., apples, cherries), hearts, bows, animals, flowers, and some seasonal motifs (candy canes, snowflakes, reindeer, gingerbread men). The overall look reminds me of wallpaper (in a good way).
I bought the skull & cross bones note cards ($ 16 for 8 or 50% off at the studio sale). The paper is fairly heavy and smooth to the touch. The images are raised slightly. Each item is hand-​printed on antique letterpresses. Envelopes are unadorned.
The same designs also appear on place cards, gift enclosures, notebooks, and placemats. My favorite designs are the skull & crossbones, Versailles, and the bows. They could use some more playful designs. Daggers? Cupcakes? Bowls of ramen?
They also offer custom work (hand-​drawn maps, announcements, invitations) and the examples look stunning: