We're extending our hours on Friday, December 1st, until 9pm to take part in Shopping Under the Stars! Many downtown shops, restaurants and services will be offering in-store promotions, entertainment and contests. Select Spring Garden and Downtown Halifax parkades are offering free parking (including nearby Park Lane Mall, Paramount Management, and Halifax Central Library)!

Enjoy 10% off your purchase of over $40* 
between 5pm-9pm on 12/1

There will also be a holiday pop-up market inside Park Lane Mall AND your visit downtown should include the Halifax Public Gardens Holiday Lights after dusk!

Hope to see you out!

*Not valid on previous purchases. Cannot be combined with a coupon code. Valid 5pm-9pm (AST) on 12/1/23 in-store only.

🎁 Handmade Stocking Stuffers

🎁 Handmade Gifts under $25

🎁 Handmade Gifts under $50

🎁 Handmade Gifts under $75

🎁 Handmade Gifts under $100

🎁 Handmade Gifts over $100

🎁 Handmade Ornaments

🎁 Gift Wrap & Tags

🎁 Calendars

Shop online or in-store - 1453 South Park Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Don't forget we also have gift cards available, if you can't decide!

Gifts are available while quantities last.

Hair Metal or Synth Pop, Hip Hop or New Wave, come print your own mix tape art print using our century-old letterpress, this Saturday night!

With nostalgia in the air, the movement of cast iron and paper will result in a blank cassette for you to keep or share. The print is a blank cassette, but what you put on it is up to you. More importantly, who are you giving it to? We hope "I Made You a Mix Tape" brings back memories for some and makes new memories for everyone.

Please note the temporary adjustment in our hours on Saturday, Oct 14th: open noon-midnight.

The FREE art print will be available to make during the hours of 6pm-midnight TONIGHT - Saturday, Oct 14, 2023!

Can't make it? A limited number of mix tape art prints will be available online for the cost of shipping and handling, while quantity lasts. Order a Nocturne Keepsake!

Check out the Nocturne guide to explore all of the projects and events taking place in Halifax/Dartmouth!

Are you ready for Stationery Store Day tomorrow?! We are! Here are the exciting in-store specials we have planned for Saturday, August 5th:

✏️ Free stationery-themed letterpress print (no purchase necessary)

✏️ Stationery Goodie Bag (valued at more than $65!)  with purchase over $40* 

💌 BIG thanks to the amazing makers that contributed to these outstanding hauls! Visit the link above for a shout out! 💌 

✏️ Stationery Store Day tote bag + treats inside with purchase over $75*

*In-store only. Total before tax. While quantities last.

💌  Online orders on 8/5/23 will receive a free stationery-themed print!

We’ve teamed up with our paper pals - Duly Noted Stationery, Paper Hearts Halifax and The Trainyard! Make a day of it and visit all 4 of our businesses on the paper trail, for awesome papery stickery freebies, sales and special activities!

And if you're elsewhere in the country (or the world!), visit one of the 100's of participating shops and spread the paper love.

Do you make work you'd like to see featured at Inkwell?
Or maybe you know a maker who creates great handmade items?

CONSIGNMENT DETAILS + APPLICATION

Before, and after.

The above photos clearly show the restoration work done to our Golding Pearl No. 11 Improved Press serial #1918 built c. 1920 in Massachusetts, USA.

When I decided to open Inkwell, one of my goals was to have at least one working floor model letterpress in the shop. Finding an old piece of equipment such as this, in working order can be a costly and time consuming quest. So with some patience and hard work we can now introduce our working floor model press that we affectionately named Isabella aka "Pretty Izzy".



We first found Isabella for sale on the letterpress classifieds at Briar Press. She was located in Connecticut. After negotiations with the owner, we agreed on a purchase price and pick-up date. This happened in December 2010, just as winter was beginning in Atlantic Canada and the New England states. Not an ideal time to plan a road trip, but with a clear forecast, and borrowed new van (thanks Mom & Dad!) my partner Daniel and I began the 2800 km (roundtrip) journey.



Weather was fantastic during our travels and we found our way around easily. We disassembled Isabella (would we remember how it all goes back together!?) and with the help of some local movers to do the heavy lifting, loaded Isabella into the van for her journey to Canada.

As you can see she was a colourful beast. Previous owners had really botched her surfaces with poorly applied paint. She was pretty beat up, but still in working order, so we were excited to have her and knew her potential.



The next few months were spent stripping and sanding her various cast iron parts. Working in an un-heated garage during a Canadian winter makes cast iron VERY cold to work with.



Work continued into the spring when weather allowed for more outdoor work, including painting and varnishing. So many parts, so many screws and bolts collected. Fingers were crossed through the whole process that we'd know how she went together.



Parts we painted, gears were oiled and everything fit together. Every part has its own specific function which made assembly quite easy. Everything fit into place nicely.



Here she is today. Our 90 year old black beauty - Isabella. On a warm Saturday in August we ran our first prints on her. With very little adjustment she was printing great. It was us, as press operators that needed more work. We ran about 100 Inkwell Boutique business cards and cleaned her up.

Stop by soon and see her in person!

Originally posted: Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Saturday, August 6th is the first ever Stationery Store Day - it's not to be missed! Inkwell is excited to be a participating location!

We've got exciting in-store specials planned:

✏️ Free stationery themed letterpress print (no purchase necessary)

✏️ Stationery Goodie Bag (valued at more than $65!) with purchases over $40*

✏️ Stationery Store Day shopping bag with purchases over $75*
*In-store only. Total before tax. While quantities last.

💌 All online orders on 8/6/22 will receive the free stationery themed print! 

Our paper pals, Paper Hearts Halifax and Duly Noted are also participating! Stationery addicts, be sure to make a day of it and visit all 3 stores for treats and specials!

And if you're elsewhere in the country (or the world!), visit one of over 100 participating shops and spread the paper love.