Back to Work

I... um... have some glittering & assembling to do.

In addition to these reprints there are some exciting new designs coming soon too!

Shades of the Ritz

Those of you who know me well know that I'm not a Ritzy kinda girl.

Seriously.

But this week's stay at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel - thanks to Jeff' conference - was one I'd happily repeat. Some of the opulence bordered on the ridiculous (see photo of gilded fire hydrant above), but hidden within the extravagance ran a clean line of simplicity. I particularly loved the bunched lilies repeated down every hallway. The tangerine-colored flowers were all bound with tangerine-colored wire and stood at an interesting angles.

Simple. Elegant. Creative.

It was a good reminder that beauty - and good design - is so often in the details.

A (Not) Real Housewife of Orange County

We're in Laguna Beach today and everything could not be more beautiful. Thanks to the business conference Jeff is attending, we're staying at a lovely hotel here and, well, we've been joking about going from dancing hippies in Golden Gate Park one day to circling among The Real Housewives of Orange County the next.

In places like this my gut often screams, "I don't fit in!" (if Laguna Beach is a Mercedes convertible, Bend Oregon is a Subaru Outback; yesterday's dancing hippies were more my speed), but thanks to all the sweet smiles of passersby and the restful beat of the waves, I've muffled my gut reaction to something closer to, "Just relax."

Off to meet with some new retailers... and sneak in a little more beach time. Home tomorrow (and friends tell me there has been snow already); better make the most of today.

Hardly Strictly SF

On our way south, we stopped off for a short time in San Francisco to hit the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

Free Show + Beautiful Weather + Golden Gate Park = Lots of Folks.

But, despite the crowds that at times brought me too close for comfort with my fellow bluegrass fans (in Ben's words, "Mama, I can't see you under all the people!"), it was seriously good fun. More than anything, it reminded me how I love and miss the Bay Area. If only I could box up the Eucalyptus trees and bring them home. Then I'd miss them less.

Maybe I'll have to settle for sending that stationery design of Eucalyptus leaves to press sometime soon.

Yes, that'll have to do.

California Dreamin'

We're headed to southern California today for about a week. I'll be trying to mix in as much family time as I can during a mostly-work kind of trip. We stayed at this same stunning location two years ago... the above is a photo from our hotel room during that visit, which seems like yesterday. How time flies.

Beautiful beach, here I come!

She's Here!

Yay, she's here! I'm smitten with my new little table top Kelsey press. I certainly won't be cranking out thousands of greeting cards with her help, but I sure will be able to have some fun. The project ideas are welling up in my brain more quickly than I can write them down...

Top on the list, some little custom thank you cards for Ben. His 3rd birthday is next week and, with the way his grandparents dote on him, he'll have some serious thank yous to write. Happy October, everyone!

Bringing Home Baby

Today is an exciting day here in Simple Ink Land... we're bringing home a new press! A local studio is liquidating some of their presses and, thanks to my beloved mentor, I'm thrilled to be the new owner of one.

I'm off to pick up baby this evening... more photos tomorrow!

Winter Wedding

This wedding invitation for a winter ceremony here in Bend just came off the press. I love how it came together. Printed in silver and cranberry inks, it makes me feel ready for the holidays on this cold, blustery day. And the thick Somerset paper makes me happy no matter what is printed on it...

...The branch image is actually from a photo I took last winter while I was sitting in the car waiting for my husband to run an errand -- goes to show that you never know when inspiration will strike!

American Craft Retailer's Expo (ACRE) 2009

Even though a few months have passed, I'd be remiss if I never mentioned ACRE. My first-ever foray into the huge world of wholesale trade shows, I admit to being a ball of nerves in the final days before the show opened.

However, despite any anticipatory jitters, it was a wonderful experience. The organizers were top-notch, the other artisans were way fun, and the retailers who came to shop exceeded my expectations. I'm already looking forward to next year.

There's a lot of doom-and-gloom spread about the economy these days and not enough talk about the talented store owners not just staying afloat in these times, but thriving. There may not have been the volume of shoppers seen in previous years, but the ones present were the cream of the crop.

So, if you're an artist considering participating in a wholesale show or a retailer thinking of attending, my advice is to go for it. There may not be the masses you're used to seeing, but there's a silver lining to everything.

Happy Birthday, Isaac!

On a personal note, today the youngest of my seven (yes, seven!) nieces and nephews turns two. Very exciting. Happy Birthday, Isaac Henry. We love you.

Retailer Spotlight: Bartleby's Letterpress Emporium

Attending my first-ever trade show this summer was... well, it was many things. (More on that coming soon.) But one of the absolute highlights was meeting fellow letterpress printer, Marty Brown, the brain behind Letterary Press. I'd been a fan of Marty's work for some time (having first seen it on Etsy), and meeting her in person did not disappoint. Funny, smart, creative, personable. I could go on.

A few months ago, Marty shared that she would soon be opening her own retail space in Portland, Oregon as a complement to her work at Letterary Press. And, as of this month, the doors for Bartleby's Letterpress Emporium are officially open! And this is no average stationery store; Marty has her beautiful Chandler & Price presses on display along with all of the fabulous paper goods. Run, don't walk, letterpress fans!

This may be the perfect excuse for a jaunt to Portland soon...

Congratulations, Marty! It's an honor for Simple Ink to be a part of Bartleby's.

Library Pick: Half the Sky

My resolution of the month has been to turn off the TV. (Okay, okay, I'm still watching the Grey's Anatomy premiere tonight.) But, most evenings, in lieu of an hour or two of spaced-out viewing time, I'm plugging into our wonderful local library.

My pick for this week is Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, just out this month.

The authors argue that the key to worldwide social and economic progress sits cupped in the hands of women. They offer ways we all can help draw out this powerful potential. Among them is a personal favorite: support a woman in business. With loans as low as $50, women in many countries can start businesses of their own, leading to a cascade of improvements in their own lives, the lives of their children, the status of the communities, and so on.

To make your own loan, go to Mercy Corps, BRAC, or Kiva.

Holiday Cards

It has been hot, hot, hot here in Bend this week, but my mind is on snow-covered branches.

I'm just itching to unveil the new boxed sets of holiday cards I've printed for this year; I've wanted to produce boxed sets like these for a long time, and the feedback I received at ACRE finally put me over the edge. They're going to look so pretty all boxed up and ready to go... I can hardly wait!

Here's a tiny sneak peek...

Central Oregon Day

It's easy to become blase about the place you live. At first you see the beauty, all it has to offer, but after a time the rudimentary details take over. What's the quickest route to the grocery store? Could the bike lanes not be just the tiniest bit wider? Why is that one street always flooded...?

But on Saturday a simple walk (a stone's throw from my home) reminded me of Bend. The real Bend. The Bend that makes living here more than rudimentary. What makes it exceptional.

Glad to see you, Friend.

Inspiration

Over the last year I have enjoyed tremendous design inspiration from books we acquire for our son. I have an affinity for Japanese design, so it's no wonder I've been smitten with Japanese illustrators.

I am especially taken with this new pick, Emily's Balloon, by author/illustrator Komako Sakai. The images are elegant and tell a heartfelt story with very few words. A perfect combination. I love the hand-lettered look of the book's title, too.

Perhaps I also enjoy Emily's Balloon because it's the tale of a toddler who receives the gift of a balloon at the grocery store... falls deeply in love... only to have the balloon float away. (Despite Mommy's best efforts to keep it grounded.)

A common tale of woe in our household.

Check out this darling spread of Emily playing house with her balloon before it leaves her.

Does life get any sweeter?

Thrilling.

As many of you know, I'm currently designing, assembling and promoting my line of greeting cards and boxed stationery. However, the majority of the press work is being done by a (very talented) collaborator.

But last night I took my first thrilling step toward becoming the letterpress printer I hope to be. I have been researching, studying, watching instructional video after video about letterpress for several years now... and last night I finally did a little "doing."

It was a small step -- setting a my first lead type in order to print a little custom project -- but it was thrilling. Breathing in the studio... the smell of the presses, the ink, the quiet... the wonderful company of my new found mentor. Well, it was like being home.

Suffice it to say, it was a good day. Thanks, Ezma.

More to come.

{Photo courtesy of Vanderblog.}

ACRE - Coming out of the Closet

I made a big decision this week.

I'll be showing my little line of stationery products to the world at my first-ever trade show... in just about two months. Right now Simple Ink feels like a small, secret outpost known well in my hometown and by an intimate (and beloved) circle of retailers around the country but not beyond that network.

So this show feels like a big leap -- especially in these economic times -- but I think it's time for Simple Ink to come out of the closet.

Wish me luck.

Loving Two

Even though this blog will be primarily about letterpress printing, stationery design and running a small business, I surely won't be able to resist periodically blogging about my two year-old son who keeps me in stitches every day.

Last night he bounced happily down the stairs dragging one of his (newly) favorite books behind him. It contains the most beautiful illustrations of animal families all bedding down for the night.

Lately Ben has a knack for memorizing the titles of his books, so when his father asked him what the title of this book was, it cracked me up when Ben replied, "I dunno. Chickens Go To Sleep?"

Yeah, Buddy. Chickens Go To Sleep.

Loving Two.

Hello, Friend.

This first post feels a bit like that moment when you jump into the deep end, not knowing if how deep your dive will take you. But I have been enjoying the web logs of so many artists for so long now, I've decided to throw my hat into the ring.

. . . .

My almost-two-year-old son has a favorite television show: Little Bill. We try to limit his exposure to the TV, but I find this little show so charming that it's on the very short list of What Ben Is Allowed To Watch.

Anyway, I mention this here, in my opening post, because I love (Bill Cosby's) Little Bill because the tiny cartoon incarnation greets everyone he meets with the salutation, "Hello, Friend."

How different would the world be if we all greeted each other that way?

So, here I go, greeting you, my treasured reader, the way I think we all should say hello for the first time: Hello, friend.

Glad to meet you. More to come soon.