Good news! Pastel letter sets and symbol letter sets for size A4 (three rows) and size A5 (two rows) lightboxes have now been restocked! We also have some new sets such as celebrations, script letters, and ABC animal alphabet in both pastel and black!
Shipping worldwide available or free in-store pick up. Shop online here, in-person or send us a message to place one on hold!
“There was a time, as recently as the 1980s, when storefronts, murals, banners, barn signs, billboards, and even street signs were all hand-lettered with brush and paint. But, like many skilled trades, the sign industry has been overrun by the techno-fueled promise of quicker and cheaper. The resulting proliferation of computer-designed, die-cut vinyl lettering and inkjet printers has ushered a creeping sameness into our landscape. Fortunately, there is a growing trend to seek out traditional sign painters and a renaissance in the trade.”
In 2009, we brought Faythe Levine to Vancouver for Western Canada’s premiere of Handmade Nation and we are thrilled to bring her back, along with filmmaker and co-director Sam Macon to screen their new documentary, The Sign Painter Movie!
Faythe Levine and Sam Macon began documenting these dedicated practitioners, their time-honoured methods, and their appreciation for quality and craftsmanship back in 2010. Sign Painters, the first anecdotal history of the craft, features the stories of more than two dozen sign painters working in cities throughout the United States.
Did you catch our interview with Faythe Levine and Sam Macon in the new Got Craft? 2013 spring look book? Check out pages 36+37 here!
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What: The Sign Painter Movie
When: two screenings – Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th, 2013
Doors at 6:30pm | Screening at 7:30pm | Director’s Q+A to follow
Where: Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway @ Commercial Drive, Vancouver (BC)
Tickets: $20.00 in advance | $25.00 at the door – limited seating | buy tickets here
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A companion book, Sign Painters, features 24 artists, their work, their process, and discussions of how they got started in this field as well as a foreword by legendary artist (and former sign painter) Ed Ruscha.
Hope you had a good weekend. I’m feeling a bit off with the time change, but this DIY project using gold glitter is sure to help! We made this handmade sign for our Indie I Do booth last January using paper, some fishing line, glue, and glitter! Customize your message for parties or booth displays!
things you need: cardstock, computer, printer, scissors, fishing line, glitter, glue, tape.
Step one:
Choose what you wish to say!
Step two:
Determine the size you wish your banner to be and print out the letters using your computer.
Step three:
I’m sure there are plenty of fancy tools that can help you, but I just hand cut the letters on to card stock. The banner pictured above took me about 1-2 Gossip Girl episodes to complete (don’t judge me!).
Step four:
Cover your table with newspaper to keep the glitter mess to a minimum. Using spray glue (I bought this at Michaels) or a glue stick, spread the glue on one side of the letter and dip it in the glitter. Make sure that your letters are the right side up to ensure that your letter is orientated correctly (The letter ‘p’ and the letter ‘d’ can be tricky!).
Step five:
Shake off excess glitter and let dry.
Step six:
Here comes the difficult part! Line up your letters from right to left with the non-glitter side facing up. Measure a long piece of fishing line across the entire banner section making sure you give yourself extra string on both sides of the banner for tying. Use tape to secure the fishing line and lift the banner up gently to make sure that everything is secure (you may need more tape). For a lower case ‘i’, we used a toothpick to hold the dot in place.
->> For a simpler method, you can also hole punch each letter prior to glittering and string up each letter individually instead of using the fishing line! <<-
