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Lorna Turner

@smallchop_shop

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Hi👋 If you know me, sharing this ‘about me’ article feels awkward. But here we go…Voyage LA celebrates people in Los Angeles and their vibe, style, and culture who call LA home. I appreciate their mission to foster collaboration and support for small businesses and independent artists who make Los Angeles intriguing. There are so many unique people on their website - check them out. If you want to read the entire article, ‘Life & Work with Lorna Turner,’ follow the link in my bio. Thank you to the support team from all areas of my life that helped me arrive to where I am now and the unknown ahead.#thankyou #voyagelamagazine #voyagelamag #losangeles #lornaturner #letterpress #typography #aĺwayslearning by @smallchop_shop

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2 years ago

Contents of a Printer’s Apron. Thanks to my support team — Melissa, Thea and International Printing Museum. Always learning. This will be included as an APA keepsake.Printed on a Heidelberg Windmill and a Vandercook #4. by @smallchop_shop

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7 days ago

A huge thank you to Melissa Salazar—a friend and a total bad-ass Heidelberg Windmill printer—for spending the day helping me continue to learn this amazing (and often intimidating) press.Over the years, many generous people have shared their knowledge of the Heidelberg Windmill with me. For some reason, the setup has always been the part that does not quite click. I understood the theory, but bringing together the form, the makeready, and the setup on press has always felt like a puzzle I cannot solved.I showed Melissa what I wanted to print, and she immediately saw the challenge. The design was made up of many individual cuts, which meant they could easily shift once the press reached speed. Instead of saying, “That won’t work,” she simply started asking questions, offering ideas, and working through the problem with me.There was a moment when she asked, “Do you have another idea?” I did... but I also really wanted to see if we could make this one happen.So we kept at it.We tightened the lockup in the chase, did some press maintenance and made one small adjustment after another. It wasn’t about finding one magic solution—it was about patiently working through the process together.Then we pulled the first print.Everything stayed in place.We both smiled.Of course, our designer eyes immediately noticed a few things we wanted to improve, so we unlocked the form, adjusted the spacing, tightened everything again, and went back on press.And it worked.What you’re seeing is just the first color pass—the text is still to come—but I wanted to celebrate the experience more than the final print itself.One of the things I love most about letterpress is that there is always something new to learn. The presses have a way of keeping you humble, and the best lessons often come from people who generously share what they know.Thank you, Melissa, for your patience, your encouragement, and your willingness to explore an unconventional Windmill lockup. Days like this remind me that this community is built one shared lesson, one conversation, and one print at a time.#windmill #heidelbergwindmill #alwayslearning #letterpress #letterpresscommunity by @smallchop_shop

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23 days ago

Learn to Hand-Set Metal TypeSunday, August 910:00 AM – 4:00 PMat the International Printing MuseumBook Arts InstituteCompose, Ink & Print Your Favorite QuoteThere is something magical about composing every letter by hand. One piece of metal type at a time, you’ll build a favorite quote in a composing stick, lock it into the press, roll out the ink, and let the inked cylinder gently kiss the paper to leave an impression. It is a slow process that asks you to pause, pay attention, and enjoy the rhythm of making.In this one-day workshop, you’ll learn the traditional art of hand-setting metal type while printing your favorite quote as a set of uniquely printed letterpress cards. Along the way, you’ll become aware of how composed books, posters, and printed materials have been for centuries before the digital age.During the workshop, you’ll:—> Choose a favorite quote, saying, or short phrase.—> Select one or two metal typefaces from the museum’s collection.—> Hand-set your type in a composing stick.—> Lock up your composition and prepare it for printing.—> Ink the press and print your own set of one-sided letterpress cards.—> Leave with your finished prints and a deeper appreciation for the craft of letterpress.Whether you’re completely new to letterpress or looking to expand your printing experience, this workshop is designed to be hands-on, welcoming, and fun. Expect ink on your hands, conversations around the press, and the satisfaction of turning words into something tactile, lasting, and uniquely your own.All materials are provided.Click on the museum 🔗 to sign up @printmuseum Age 18+ by @smallchop_shop

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a month ago

Wood Type PostersSunday, August 2 • 12–4 PMBig type. Bold ink. Your message.Printing Your Message on a Broadside with meat the International Printing Museums Book Arts InstituteJoin me for an afternoon of printing a broadside (poster) using the museum’s incredible collection of antique wood type. Whether your message is inspiring, humorous, poetic, or thought-provoking, you’ll compose it by hand and bring it to life through letterpress printing on a Vandercook cylinder press. During the workshop, you will:—> Explore a variety of rare wood typefaces—> Compose your own phrase by hand—> Mix and roll ink onto the press—> Print a series of your own broadsides to take homeNo previous letterpress experience is needed. Beginners are welcome, and those with printing experience will enjoy the opportunity to work with the museum’s historic collection. Expect an active afternoon of printing, inky hands, good conversation, and plenty of time around the press.To wrap up the workshop, we’ll hold a print exchange, so everyone leaves with a portfolio of original broadsides created by fellow participants.Look to see you there!!#letterpress #vandercook #printing #losangeles woodtyp by @smallchop_shop

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a month ago

I’ve got to give a huge thank you to the incredible museum volunteers who have helped transform the Book Arts Institute letterpress lab. From hanging signage and organizing equipment to helping repair presses—and teaching me what I don’t yet know about keeping the presses running—your generosity of time, deep knowledge, and hard work have made all the difference.Each of the people shown here, along with so many others behind the scenes, has played an important role in making this teaching lab a success. What we’ve built is truly a community effort, and I am deeply grateful for every one of you for helping me.Thank you for sharing your time, skills, patience, and enthusiasm. The Book Arts Institute is a better place because of you. by @smallchop_shop

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a month ago

Ya know, there are some very special folks in this big ol’ letterpress community, and last week while in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of working alongside one of the real gems—Bryan Baker of Stukenborg Press!With experience spanning Knoxville, Detroit, New York City (and I’m sure plenty of other places in between), Bryan brings a wealth of knowledge, craftsmanship, and enthusiasm wherever he goes. These days, he’s based just outside Atlanta, creating dynamic posters for clients while also teaching through Atlanta Printmakers Studio and other locations lucky to have his upbeat energy.As the International Printing Museum continues working toward bringing Bruce and Kathy McDonald’s generous donation of the Thumbs Up Press collection to Carson, spending time with folks like Bryan helps put the bigger picture into focus—community. Sure, we’re moving presses, type cabinets, and all sorts of heavy stuff, but what we’re really building are connections with the people who keep this craft alive.Thanks, Bryan, for sweating it out in the muggy Atlanta heat, moving heavy equipment, sharing tall tales from the printing road, introducing me to some new music, and enjoying a well-earned beer at the end of the day.See you again soon... by @smallchop_shop

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a month ago

It was an honor to gather with the family, friends and clients to celebrate the life of Brooks Ocon, Master Printer, Aardvark Letterpress. Much love to the crew at Aardvark. by @smallchop_shop

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2 months ago

Being an Ohio girl means I get to visit the good inky folk there quite often, and one of my favorite things is seeing the continued evolution of The Type Farm and Moore Wood Type.Over the past two years, I’ve watched the space shift and reconfigure as more cabinets, presses, wood type, and rescued treasures find their way into the collection. This visit was no different—another round of making room for new machines, cabinets, and possibilities. Printer people always seem to believe there is room for “just one more thing.”The conversations rolled easily through stories from the letterpress community, summer projects, problem-solving suggestions, and all the wonderfully nerdy print talk that makes printer friendships so special. As an added bonus, Brea, Alyse, and I joined forces to help Erin print her APA bundle—always satisfying to gather around a press and make the work happen together.Brea and I worked on my “Lornaments” for a future MWT drop, while Scott buzzed around the shop preparing wood slabs. The energy was very exciting.As I was preparing to leave, I got my favorite Ohio gift—the blue sky and big puffy white clouds. Those enormous clouds stretching across the horizon never gets old. For this corn-fed Midwestern flatlander, that wide-open sky still feels like home.#moorewoodtype #thetypefarm #inkyfriendship #letterpress #goseedo by @smallchop_shop

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2 months ago

School break began with a visit to the Philadelphia area and time spent with letterpress printers Denise El-Hoss at Figgy Press, Frank Baseman at Base Press, and Marisha Simons at Printadelphia.It was such a gift to see printer friends beaming in their own spaces and to hear how each person navigates a collection of presses, equipment, and materials arranged in often wonderfully cramped rooms, garages, and basements. Every studio had its own rhythm, its own way of working, and its own stories built into the walls. Of course, everyone dreams of just a little more room—to rescue or collect one more piece of letterpress equipment.The conversations moved easily through listening, sharing, and offering suggestions about the current realities of building efficient studios. We admired each other’s tools, traded printing solutions, talked through recent projects, and imagined future ideas. There is something especially meaningful about having another printer beside you when so much of this work often happens in solitude.We learned from Denise about honeycomb bases, took a look at the underbelly of Frank’s press and talked through a few possibilities, and shared in the excitement of Marisha’s floor plan for the new community space.This visit was made possible through Denise’s generosity—opening her home and organizing time with printer friends in the Philadelphia area and in Baltimore. Since leaving Los Angeles a year ago, I have missed being able to pop into Denise’s studio, ask questions, and learn how she might solve a printing idea on press.Thank you, Denise.And truly - I am lucky to know and celebrate each of you. by @smallchop_shop

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2 months ago

Today I met a legend—Bob Cicero of the famed Globe Poster in Baltimore.When we arrived at MICA to visit the studios (we = Denise El-Hoss and I), with no idea this might even be possible. I wasn’t sure if it was his day to teach, so when I found out, I lingered a bit like a fan girl, hoping I might at least get to say hello.And then—luck. I had a dreamy thirty minutes with Bob.I packed in as many questions as I could: What was his favorite job? How did they store all that type? How did the shop move so quickly? Did they know, at that time, of other poster shops, such as Colby Poster Printing Company in Los Angeles? And what does it feel like now to teach at MICA?To help illustrate some of his answers, we peeked into the archives. Flat files held pencil comps for posters, and Bob generously shared how projects moved through the shop, how work was organized, all the talented people involved, and the real sense of urgency behind getting each job out the door.If you know me, you know I could have kept asking questions for hours.A big thank you to Allison and Kyle at MICA for making the extended visit possible. (More about that studio visit in a later post—including a hug from Sarah Matthews)#letterpresscommunity #globeposters #mica #baltimore #micaglobe by @smallchop_shop

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3 months ago

Printer palsHeart ❤️ full, fun times with printer pals and studio visits. Whole lotta fun with @dfiggy3232 @smallchop_shop @marishasimonsdesigns @printadelphiastudio Thanks 🙏 for everything and until the next time, take good care. Azaleas 🌺 and orchestra too.#letterpress #letterpressprinting #letterpressstudio #letterpresslove #basementprintshop by @smallchop_shop

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3 months ago