Lovely Letters Pressed with Allison Bozeman
September 11 - 13, 2026
Black Cat Farm | Boulder, Colorado
15 Students
No Experience Necessary
The heart of this retreat is timelessness – a letterpress printing experience celebrating the simple pleasure of ink on paper, thoughtful words on the page, and the small handcrafted rituals that keep us connected.
Enter the magic of ink, paper, and press. Lovely Letters Pressed is an invitation to slow down and rediscover the art of meaningful correspondence through the tactile beauty of letterpress printing. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore the timeless craft of printing custom stationery using moveable type, patterned plates, and thoughtfully composed layouts.
We’ll learn the fascinating history and fundamentals of letterpress printing while creating a small collection of personally curated letterpress goods designed to be shared and treasured — along with a few inky surprises along the way. Together we’ll experiment with pattern, texture, and type to design and print a series of charming greeting cards. Individually, you’ll have the opportunity to curate and produce a set of playful little love notes and personal stationery reflecting your own unique style. Working both independently and collaboratively, we’ll layer patterns and typography to create something joyful and unexpected — letterpressed relief prints that carry the touch of our own hands and written words.
This workshop is perfect for beginners and stationery enthusiasts alike. No prior printing experience is needed. Just bring your curiosity, your creativity, and perhaps an inkling of a few special people you’d love to surprise.
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The rare chance to experience the timeless art letterpress printing
Designing and printing your own custom monogram stationery set
A take home set of collaboratively printed greeting cards from the retreat
A bundle of sweet little love notes ready for mini messages to someone special
An opportunity to submit your own pattern for printing
A rekindled appreciation for the gift of slow correspondence
Fresh farm-to-table organic meals
Handcrafted tea blends each day
The energy of growth and renewal of being on a working farm
Gentle body movement session
About the Artist | Allison Bozeman
Back before my trusty Chandler & Price Platen press was unloaded into the studio with a heavy iron thud, a serious penchant for pen and paper was already a part of me. I started a little design studio in the digital age, yet a more tactile experience grew from attending design school in Tennessee from which the famous Hatch Show Print hails.
BirdDog Press began spreading its wings into letterpress printing in 2006. Letterpress is a labor of love and a hands-on intensive process. Each piece is hand-fed individually, one at a time and is considered by us to be a unique work of art. While I incorporate some modern technologies in producing my work, there is a fierce dedication to the perpetuation of a 500-year old relief printing process and honoring the historical craft of letterpress printing, keeping these traditions alive and integrated into the overall process. Now with over 27 years of design and creative experience on projects ranging from a collaborative pop-up market in Boulder, called Firefly Handmade to creative director at a Fortune 500 company, Whole Foods – and my own graphic design freelance business and adjacent letterpress printshop.
Canadian-born, Southern-raised, Wild-West transplant from a family of over-achieving, academic adventurers. Married 22 years to a southern gentleman tree-hugger and raising an exceptional only-child, plus two bearded spirit animals of the wire-haired kind – Miss Julep the Bearded Lady and a boy named Sioux! I’m known to seek out the scenic route, sew up handmade frocks, dance in the kitchen and throw a mean theme-party.
About the Venue: Black Cat Organic Farm
Black Cat Farm ~ a place where all are welcome and the seeds of hope surround you. Nestled among the rolling fields just outside Boulder, Colorado, this rustic working farm is home to our Black Cat Makerie retreats. Tucked away from the rush of the world, time stands still. The beauty here isn’t curated, but rather defined by the ever-changing seasons and the pulse of growth and possibility at every turn. No matter where you are coming from or which season of life you find yourself in, you’ll feel the embrace of something so grounding and deeply authentic you might not ever forget it.
Using Black Cat’s Certified Organic farm as a source of creativity, Chef Eric Skokan creates an award-winning cuisine vibrant with seasonality. The kitchen draws heavily from the farm’s more than 250 varieties of organic vegetables, legumes, grains, herbs and flowers, as well as its large flock of heritage sheep and its robust population of heritage pigs, paving the way for a limitless palette of flavors, colors, and textures from which to build each food experience. The farm team devotes hours every day to harvesting ingredients, and then crafting them into outstanding dishes that mirror what is thriving in the fields. We can’t wait for you to experience it all for yourself!
Retreat Schedule
Friday, September 11th
8:30am to 4pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
4pm to 8pm Open Studio
Saturday, September 12th
9am to 4pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
4pm to 6:15pm Open Studio
6:15 pm to 9pm *Optional Black Cat Farmstead Dinner
Sunday, September 13th
9am to 3:30pm Workshop, Snacks and Lunch
3:30pm to 8pm Open Studio
Retreat Experience Pricing
$2,295
includes
3 full creative workshop days
(18 hours of instruction)
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open studio time
(10 hours)
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all workshop materials
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handcrafted herbal tea
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three morning snacks
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three farm-to-table lunches
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three afternoon snacks
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online class page with all the details and inspiration about this retreat
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special gift
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* optional Black Cat Farmstead dinner + $200
Questions? See our FAQs. We’re happy to work with you on a custom payment plan; email ali@themakerie.com.