Letterpress calendars

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For a daily dose of handcrafted coolness, how about a letterpress calendar for the new year? As a new generation of artisans gives traditional crafts a contemporary spin, the old-fashioned technique is an increasingly popular way to create cards, coasters and, as shown here, 2009 calendars with a thoroughly modern touch. A bonus: All of the following are made in L.A.

Calendar menagerie

( Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times )

For a daily dose of handcrafted coolness, how about a letterpress calendar for the new year? As a new generation of artisans gives traditional crafts a contemporary spin, the old-fashioned technique is an increasingly popular way to create cards, coasters and, as shown here, 2009 calendars with a thoroughly modern touch. A bonus: All of the following are made in L.A.

Joie Studios Menagerie calendar comes in a CD-size acrylic case that flips back to display a different animal each month. The cards are beautifully colored (Februarys peacock), cute (Junes fox), cool (Octobers octopus) and impressively detailed (Novembers owl). $18, www.joieletterpress.com (click on Holiday 2008).