When a journey begins, we can’t always see where it’s going to lead us. And that certainly rings true for letter-press printmaker, Lindsay. Hailing from upstate New York, she moved to the UK and took a job that paid the bills. But it wasn’t long before she set up Tpel, a paper and press business that produces stunning, sustainable stationery. She’s an artist, a businesswoman, a wife, and a mother – in her own words, ‘the juggle is real’. But whatever hat she’s wearing, she’s committed to working at her tasks with all her heart and for the Lord.

‘I’m a creative at heart’, she says. ‘I’ve always enjoyed exploring and experimenting with different mediums. I was an art major at university, and that’s where I first discovered letter-pressing. I decided to design and hand press the invites for my own wedding. I was in that season of life where everyone’s getting married, so I also did stationery for friends, and friends of friends, and the ripple effect just kept going!’

It was from this small beginning that Lindsay’s business started to grow, both organically and exponentially. Having fallen in love at Houghton University, Lindsay married her now-husband and moved to the UK. At first, she worked in visual merchandising. It wasn’t her dream, but her earnings allowed her to buy letter-pressing equipment. Her spare bedroom became a studio space, and before long her creative hobby became a side hustle and then a full-time business endeavour.

‘A few years back, I took a leap of faith and took part in a big trade fair. It was a significant investment of time and money, but so worth it – off the back of the fair, I connected with The White Company. They commissioned me to design and print bespoke greetings cards. It was an amazing opportunity! At that time, I was still working from home and so there were literally thousands of sheets of paper scattered across the dining room table that needed to be packaged and sent. And it was at that point my husband suggested I started to look for a proper studio.’

Lindsay continues to design and print bespoke wedding invites, luxury greetings cards, and wholesale stationery for small boutique businesses and big-name clients, including Daylesford Organic and the Royal Academy of Arts. Her style is graceful and classic, but with a twist – and in every task she’s committed to making good work, using her hands to create beautiful designs that reflect the creativity of the Lord God.

‘I strive for elegance and timelessness in my designs, but I enjoy pushing the boundaries of letterpress through composition, materials, and colour. I strive to create designs that are like pieces of artwork: information. And my designs are often inspired by natural forms, be that the whimsical lines of wildflowers or the silhouettes of pressed foliage. They’re an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of creation and to reflect the creativity of my creator God.’

This is creation care in action. And, what’s more, Lindsay’s also committed to sustainable practices:

‘I print with vegetable-based inks and on paper that’s FSC certified, use UK-based suppliers wherever possible, package my stationery in biodegradable sleeves, clean my equipment using natural ingredients, and repurpose packaging from suppliers. My business is pretty much plastic free!’

Over the years, her approach has remained the same, but the location and scale of her pressing and packing has changed big time. Lindsay’s now based in a beautiful studio-shop in the historic centre of Chester. And she’s committed to using this space to bless and inspire others, taking on work experience students and advising fellow creatives looking to build businesses.

‘God is kind, generous, and wise. And he’s been so very good to me. This compels me to extend kindness to others and to share my experiences and knowledge with them, too. If someone walks into the studio and wants to find out more, I always take time to share my insights into the technical side of letter-pressing and running a small business.’

But Lindsay’s not only a businesswoman. She’s also a wife and a mother – she’s got three kids under four, so life’s pretty busy! And she admits that juggling these different callings is a challenge.

‘Some women want to stop work when they have children. And that’s wonderful. But as an artist, I feel called to bless others through my creative outputs. What’s more, I feel recharged and recentred when I’m able to set aside a few hours to draw, design, and dream.

‘But my family always comes first. Sometimes this is really hard, because I have to drop everything and literally down tools to go and care for my babies. It’s easy to worry that I’ll fall behind and not meet client deadlines. And these worries spiral further… what if I can’t pay the overhead on this space? It’s a journey, but I’m learning to lean into the Lord, to manage my time and prioritise tasks to make it manageable. Because I believe running a business is like gardening. There are different seasons – times to plant, propagate, water, trim, and wait. And I’m content that this is a season of maintenance not growth.’

Stunning stationery. Creation care. Generosity with time. Sacrificial motherhood. This is how Lindsay works with the Lord, right where she is. May he continue to bless her endeavours to make her more like Jesus and her little patch of Chester more like heaven.

Lindsay was speaking to Sophie Sanders, Marketing & Communications Executive, LICC