When we launched the Greenhouse Series, back in January I don’t think any of us could have predicted how drastically our daily routines would shift only three months into the new year. With schools closing, restaurants and small businesses shuttering their doors, events of every type being cancelled, and tragically, many lives being lost far too soon one thing remains a shared global need:

CONNECTION.

We need one another, now more than ever. Every moment of each day is truly a gift, and maybe even an opportunity to tune in to our environments, ourselves & each other. One of the larger challenges of this moment is managing our mental and emotional well being— sorting through the noise to find out which forms of connection actually resonate with each of us. It reminds me of Gary Chapman’s Love Languages. If you know the ways in which you, and those in your inner circle, feel loved and seen than maybe we can all use that as a starting place. Remember that not all of us feel connected or comfortable being ourselves on a Zoom call, not all of us actually get joy from letter writing, not all of us are actually even missing human connection… maybe it’s connection with nature that you’re craving. I think one of my larger take aways from this experience has been a wake up call not to play into outside expectations. The rug has been pulled out from under so many of us. Let’s reach out in the ways that ring true to us… there are great ideas out there on social media but there’s also a whole lot of noise. Just know that we are all linked in this situation, and don’t be afraid to try something new during this time— you may be surprised at the activities and moments that stir something inside of you.

Also, I do want to be sure that we tell all of you just how supported we’ve felt during this time! You’ve reached out with kind emails, sharing pictures and thoughts out of the blue, and it has made what is (to be honest) a slightly scary time for our business feel MUCH more navigable. We really do create everything in our studio with the goal of putting something out in the world that speaks to others. You’ve been so generous with your time, your lives, and your homes, sharing sneak peeks that give us a glimpse into a backyard in California, a balcony in New York, a kitchen table nook in North Carolina.

As we looked through the photos you’ve shared over the last three months of the plant life around your homes, the floral arrangements you’ve created with clippings from your yard or local farmers, and the tiny glimpses into the nature that makes you feel alive… we feel in our core a deep sense of gratitude and interconnectedness. Thank you for taking the time to share pieces of your home with us and this community.

For our third Greenhouse Series print, we selected a photo submitted by Jessi of Saint Augustine, Florida. Her colorful poppy arrangement immediately drew us in with its bright cheery colors, vibrant pinks, orange, and yellow poppies (from our favorite flower farmers at 3 Porch Farm of course!), along with the perfectly appointed vase.

“The flowers are poppies from 3 Porch Farm I had mailed to me as a gift to myself for my birthday.”

-Jessi S., Florida @jkstreator

Come to find out, Jessi found the vase at her local thrift store after watching the movie Emma. She told us that the vase reminded her of a tablescape that would be in the movie, and together with the flowers it took on the vibe of an old Dutch painting. We couldn’t agree more, and are so excited to share this Greenhouse print with you. So without further ado, let us take a moment to share some thoughts about ‘The Jessi’ — the newest Greenhouse Series letterpress print. 

After selecting just one photo from the March submissions (this is the most difficult part, we promise!), Megan began drawing the poppy design and experimenting with colors to bring it to life. After the plates arrived from New York, we begin our favorite part…. mixing up our custom colors and building the print one run at a time. This print has six colors which means it was hand run through our Vandercook SP20 Letterpress a total of six times for each print! One run = one color.

This print has six colors:

1. A bright cherry orange poppy

2. Pastel pink poppy

3. Bright yellow poppy

4. Dark green stems

5. Light blue for the table vase

6. And a darker blue to accent the etchings on the glass vase

After that, the paper is carefully trimmed down to the final 10” x 8” size. Next, the first copy of the 50 limited edition letterpress print is carefully wrapped, packaged, and mailed to Jessi! We could not be more grateful for the technologies and platforms that allow us to connect especially during these times of social distancing. As the first edition of ‘The Jessi’ travels via snail mail some 318 miles from our studio to its namesake, we can’t help but wonder where we’ll be sending the next Greenhouse print to next month :)

Stay safe, stay connected, and we’ll leave you with one last thought:

Home has taken on a new meaning for many of us in the last few weeks. So have our walks, patios, or balconies. Whatever flower, tree, clippings or succulent is bringing you joy and making the corner of your lips turn up just the slightest bit right now - stop and spend some time there. We promise you won’t regret it! :)

The Brown Parcel Press Team

Enjoy a few sneak peeks of “The Jessi” print coming to life!