Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrena Burnett.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I fell in love with the process of letterpress printing in 2009 after I took an intro to letterpress printing course at Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles, CA. I was working a full-time job in fashion marketing but wanted to explore other opportunities and figure out what was next because my career wasn’t fulfilling me. After taking the class, I felt like I found something I could be excited to do every day. I was not the best printer back then, and I obviously had a lot to learn and a long way to grow. But I saw and felt that I could create a business from this mostly because of the joy it brought me. I knew I could become a great printer and was up for the challenge to learn and build a business.
I decided to fully immerse myself into the printing and design world. I took a few more classes at Otis. I signed up for classes and workshops at The Museum of Printing which is also in LA. I made friends with all my printmaking teachers and one of them helped me source Big Red from an old school in Nevada. In the meantime, I started dreaming up company names and designs while still working a full-time job in marketing. Finally, all the stars aligned for me and 10 days before I was going to quit to work on Dear Lola full-time, I was laid off from my job. So I went to work full time, set up a shop on Etsy, set up a website and started working! I’ll never forget the excitement (and fear!) over my first few orders.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was pretty smooth, I just kept working step by step to build my business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Letterpress is a type of relief printing that uses a block or plate which is inked and then impressed directly onto the paper being printed. It gives a very textured feel to the paper. I specialize in this printing method and have fun making pretty things with paper! I make greeting cards, custom stationery and wedding invitations mostly. I also do custom branding work.
I’m proud that I grew this skill and then grew this business from the ground up.
Letterpress is such a tactile and unique form of printing. Anyone can click print on a printer, anyone can send an email or a text. But there is something so personal about receiving a card in the good old snail mail. I like to know that people are sending all the cards they order out into the world. It truly feels like I’m creating a medium for people to spread love and joy. Who doesn’t love to receive a handwritten card or note in the mail? I recently had a client who was turning 50. She wanted to send 50 notes to people that have touched her life. This is why I do this. It’s more than just a business to me, I truly love the thoughtful aspect of letter writing and people connecting with one another. It’s vital for our world, especially nowadays with how prevalent technology is.
What are your plans for the future?
I am going to launch an inspirational card deck for people going through breakups and divorce in 2023. I’m very excited about this project. Other than that, I plan to keep on printing and keep designing.
Pricing:
- $90 for a set of 40 custom notecards
- Wedding invitation packages starting at $500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dearlolaletterpress.com
- Instagram: @dearlolaletterpress
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dearlolaletterpress/
Image Credits
Kelly Sweda Photography
