Art Hop - Spring 2010

This week at Simple Ink is all about finishing up some lovely wedding invitations and prepping for this Friday's Art Hop event in downtown Bend. My lovely, lovely friends at Silverado Jewelry Gallery have invited me again to be their in-house artist for the evening. If you're a local Bendite, please come out and join us! (Art Hop = Free wine, snacks, and local artists to entertain you all along the downtown strip.)

Silverado was the first retailer to ever sell a Simple Ink product (way back in 2005).

I *heart* them forever.

Moving Mondays

This room (in the new nest) will likely be Simple Ink's main office. The wall color, well, it has to go. And so does Aerosmith. (Although I found this interesting, considering the Simple Ink slogan is "Dream Big." Spooky.)

I'm taking suggestions on wall colors. Any ideas? At this point, the office has a yellow/grey theme, based on some great Amy Butler fabric I scored on Etsy last year. Should I stick with that? And isn't that little window box cute? Makes me happy.

Stick To It

I'm making up a batch of new magnets for a really fun store that carries an awesome mix of home wares, gifts and clothing. This photo doesn't really do justice to the vibrant colors in the magnets... but I liked how their pretty glass domes looked in the sunshine.

Putting some sets of these in the online store soon. Get a set of 7 handmade, ultra-strong magnets for $8. Your fridge will thank you for it.

Good, Cheap Fun

I spend a lot of time pouring over which ink color to mix, which paper weight to choose, how many replications to print. But this afternoon was a great reminder that sometimes there shouldn't be any pouring over any of these things. Colors should just be picked, used and enjoyed. And who cares if it's never duplicated. It's fun. And lovely. And cheap.

Hello, Spring.

Moving Mondays

This week starts the official moving process; thanks so much for all of the good wishes on the new nest. It seems to be coming together. So for the next month or so, let's devote Mondays to moving updates.

First and foremost, hooray for garage windows. Someday soon my Heidelberg press will sit right there, below the one on the far right. I can see it already.

Risk

It has been a week of risks around here. Big ones. Look out over the edge, take a deep breath, and just jump, kind of risks.

So here's a shout-out to the optimists of the world. You remind me that the lump in my throat could turn out to be a golden egg. And that sailing to an uncharted land is never easy.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Let's be optimistic.

Ribbon Organizer

I love this little ribbon organizer featured in last month's Better Homes and Gardens magazine. All of our wholesale orders of greeting cards and gift enclosures get wrapped in bundles with satin ribbon before shipping, so there's quite an array of ribbon to be organized. This mesh idea would keep everything so tidy! Love!

Books.

I'm looking at all of these books on my windowsill and wondering when I'll find time to read them. Before the library comes knocking for them back. But I want to. I really do.

Ship orders first. Taxes second. (Ug.) Books third. Might not get to third today.

Giveaway!

My new blogger friend, Melissa, is offering a giveaway of Simple Ink goodies today over on her inspiring blog, So about what I said....

Melissa is a freelance writer and newspaper columnist, in addition to being a very popular blogger. If you haven't already read her work, I'll think you'll enjoy her fresh, open commentary on life, love, and dating with disabilities. All that and she has a great eye for design.

Leaving a comment on her blog today can win you a free set of Simple Ink boxed notes ($20 value!) and/or a huge discount in my online store. Check out So about what I said... for details.

Spring Dreaming

These dresses from Garnet Hill have been pinned up on my bulletin board for a few weeks. They make me happy. Hurry, spring. I can't wait.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom! Not only do you keep Simple Ink going, but you keep me going! Thank you for all of your love and support. I don't know what I'd do without you.

Save the Date Magnets

I burned the midnight oil to make up a bunch of these sweet Save the Dates. We went for flat printing on these to save on cost, but they're backed with a magnet to add a special touch. Hopefully they'll become fixtures on many fridges. My favorite touch is the bride and groom's monogram carved on the tree... to be reprised on the formal letterpress invitation soon. More on that to come.

P.S. Super sweet with kraft envelopes.

A Little Grammar... a Little Fun.

This grammar poster I discovered yesterday by The Oatmeal kind of made my day. Maybe I thought it was so funny because, well, I've never been great with the darned semicolon. Or maybe it's because, if I didn't run Simple Ink, I'd like to be an English teacher.

There is more to the poster beyond what I've shown above and there are many more great ones -- some grammar related, some just plain funny. (Like 10 Things You Need to Stop Tweeting About and How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You.) Buy the semicolon poster here.

Also important to note is that I discovered The Oatmeal via a great piece of advice (given my awsome blogger Melissa of ISLY) as part of a very cool Blog and Business Workshop being hosted by the lovely Marta, of martawrites.

If you're a blogger... or a small business owner... or both... seriously check out all of the wonderful information Marta is offering as part of her workshop. It has become my little guilty pleasure checking on her updates every day this week.

{images courtesy of The Oatmeal}

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! Oh how I love you. Thanks for all you are and all you do. And for always, always being there, believing.

{Dad holding our Ben, October 2006}

Wishin' & Hopin'

For more than a year now, we've been looking for a new home for our little family and for Simple Ink. It feels like a long search. A few times I've gotten my hopes up... but things haven't quite fallen into place.

Then, on my birthday last Friday, the most perfectest place of all came up. In need of love (cleaning, painting, hole-filling, water damage fixing... oh, and some appliances), but on a nice quiet street where Ben can learn to ride a bike. And, ah, those three lovely windows in the garage. So perfect for a printing studio.

The catch is that we're not the only ones who thought it was the perfectest place ever. Someone else did too. Two someones. We won't know until the end of the week who is the lucky winner. A week of pins and needles... in a race where I'm pretty sure we're the underdogs.

I don't like to ask things of you, dear readers. But if you'd say a little prayer for me and my little nest, well, I'd truly appreciate it.

Update, 3-2-10: Thanks, everyone, for all of the lovely calls and messages. No news yet -- hopefully we'll know by Friday. I so appreciate the good thoughts!

Update, 3-5-10: Things are looking good! Won't know for sure until next week, but things are looking good. :)

Update, 3-9-10: Thanks to all of your good thoughts and wishes, it looks like Simple Ink may have a new home soon. I SO appreciate the outpouring of happy thoughts. Will keep you posted.