this year's holiday Wandawega holiday gift...

we're making two versions of this.
one fancy.
one not-so-fancy.
(this is the latter, as it was easier to assemble)

this is the first of two... (check back for the 2nd)

here is the work in progress- next post will be the full-on "afters"

(my fingers are bleeding at the moment from assembling these things)

the gift:

 a short-run batch of local maple syrup, served up prohibition style in a  vintage italian style glass flask with a flip top wire cap. each bottle (1/60) is  hand- lettered with its batch and bottle number, then wrapped in 1920s era newspapers. a leather-cord letterpress hang tag drapes the neck, accompanied by and offset book telling the story of "Little Orphan Annie's" bar. (which was the original saloon at Camp Wandwega during the bootlegging days) 

shown here: the Wandawega locals bellied up to the bar.

logo design: eric ellis

the booklet features the story of the original proprietor at camp ("annie"-- also known as the local madame)

the book also includes a handful of recipes to make with the maple syrup.

accucolor press (on division in chicago) cut the notecards that we used for the custom rubber stamp...

(the hangtags are made of a super heavy board, letterpressed) and the booklets themselves are saddlestitched French paper in an antique white linen finish.

the lettering was done with enamel markers

each bottle was wrapped 'headline out'

check next post for the finished product...

sources:

letterpress printing: accucolor

design: eric ellis & I

bottles: inspired by the old school beer type. prohibition era design

newspaper: original 1925 wisconsin papers

hand tag tie: leather cord

syrup: locally made in teensy batches by the thelan family in elkhorn

(the only other place to get it is up the road from camp sold by non other than Grandpa Thelan himself)