A new package

Here is the packaging that I'll be using for my holiday card sets. (you can click on the image to see it larger) I'm calling them "Presslings Parcels." I liked the idea of marrying a crafty/vintage look with modern labels. I'm using brown paper lunch bags and wrapping the cards in them. The flap of the lunch bag is held down with a long sticker made from patterned Florentine paper. It goes across the back and wraps around to peek into the front. There is also a label sticker on the front giving the name of the card set. I also decided to stay away from a red and green color scheme just because I wanted the packaging to be different than the expected. So, here I'm using a wintry blue with a gold.
This is my last post for a few weeks as Chris and I are off to Florence, Italy and then to the island of Curacao (next to Aruba). We decided life is short so we figured we'd use his sabbatical time for travel (and also our last big travels alone before we have children). My card sets will be for sale on November 10th and ready to ring in the holidays. I have lots of plans for my work in the future, so stay tuned! I'll post a few favorite pictures of our travels when we return. Thanks to Lynn for house-sitting for us, we appreciate it so much! Have a great couple of weeks and I'll be seeing you in this space soon! Ciao!

The Gifts of Giving

One of three designs from my letterpressed holiday cards for 2007 on sale in my shop on November 10. These are to come in sets of 10 cards with coordinating red envelopes. Pressed on Crane's Lettra: soft cotton thick paper. Size folded: 3.5" wide x 4.875" high.

Joy!

One of three designs from my letterpressed holiday cards for 2007 on sale in my shop on November 10. These are to come in sets of 10 cards with coordinating green envelopes. Pressed on Crane's Lettra: soft cotton thick paper. Size folded: 3.5" wide x 4.875" high.

Season's Sweetings

Front of card (envelope in background)
Image shows front of card on the right and back of card on the left
Message on the inside of card:
Detail of the candy cane on front of card:
One of three designs from my letterpressed holiday cards for 2007 on sale in my shop on November 10. These are to come in sets of 10 cards with coordinating green envelopes. Pressed on Crane's Lettra: soft cotton thick paper. Size folded: 3.5" wide x 4.875" high.

Camden, Maine

Hi all! Sorry I've been M.I.A. We took a few days to hang out in Maine...we drove up Route 1 and stopped in Wiscasset for lunch. We went to an amazing store called "Smitten" there...it had the best home decor items...I bought a few treats which I'll have to share in mid November when we return home. (We are going to Florence, Italy the day after tomorrow and then off to Curacao for beach time...but I digress) We then finished our trip in Camden where we stayed at a favorite Inn called the Whitehall Inn. The beds there are to die for. After some wandering and sight-seeing we then made our way back home (first stopping in Port Clyde for some photo ops). As always, it was fun to be back in my home state! Until tomorrow! Here are some photos from the gazillion I took:
Smitten: The store I loved!
Wallpaper in our room:

Corners of the studio: Tour

Just wanted to share some a few more details of the new studio space:
First is the area where I cut stacks of paper and the storage holder for some of my finished stationery and invitation samples.
Here's the little cafe table and chairs that now serve as my desk area where I can sit and brainstorm, paint, sketch, and draw. I like a clean desk surface for that and this fits the bill...especially when the mood seems to strike in an unplanned manner.
A collection of things on the window ledge...a chicken figure with a head that bobbles when you tap it (my friend Jim gave it to me as a souvenir from Cozumel, Mexico) ...an orange i-pod case...my favorite packaging which happens to be for a gourmet chocolate bar...a weird piece of wood where I practiced carving flowers with a wood burner...
A pulled-out version of the above picture. So far there's just a photo on the bulletin board...of my second-grade class in 1985. If you see the large version of the photo, you might be able to make out that board behind us says "Handsome Turkeys" since it was almost Thanksgiving at that time. My print apron is to the right. The yellow paper is Paper-Source solid wrapping paper. The white silk paper is flocked...I liked the fuzzy yellow pattern. (mentioned in an earlier post)
Here's where the edge of my studio meets the rest of the basement. The weather man is on the tv back there. The cabinet in the left/front holds all my letterpress materials.
This is a vintage drafting table with a built-in light box I got from a man nearby who is retiring from printing in his late 70s. He's incredibly interesting and so nice. I bought my wood type from him.
Here's the view of the covered insulation...it used to be ugly metal and now this is how it looks. The black/purple item to the left of the window is a Mardis Gras mask given to me by my grandmother many years ago. The left cabinet holds all of my oil painting and watercolor supplies.
Here's the green vintage chair I got almost 6 years ago at the Salvation Army for 8 bucks. It was perfectly clean and brand-new looking and I liked the color. I finally have somewhere for it to live now! The ottoman is a touch my husband added...it goes with his grandfather's leather chair (which is upstairs in the office) The clock above the doors is from Ikea...it looks like the classic schoolhouse clock. The bookcases aren't finished being filled...my old license plate from Maine is on the bottom left bookcase. It was a surprise from my Dad...but that's a story for another day.

Done! (pretty much)

The art studio is pretty much completed! I still have to finish decorating and moving in, but all my supplies and materials are put away and I'm ready to get back to it. Thought I would post some before and after photos to show the difference. The studio is in a part of our basement...and it would be huge money to have it finished by adding walls, ceiling, etc. since it's so huge and all kinds of other issues...so we decided to fix it up as best we could despite all that. We sealed/primed and painted the cement walls and I covered up the insulation with pretty wrapping paper (as noted in the earlier post). We got all new furniture (thanks Ikea!!) and I'm so thrilled with the outcome. We decided we were sick of "making do" in an ugly basement and realized we could do something about it. It's not perfect, but much better than the pit of destruction that was once there. I have to make it my own now. Next... to print all my holiday cards! I'll post more photos of the studio tomorrow here and on my flickr site. Have a great night!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

My flock

Well, it's hard finding the exact paper I wanted to cover the insulation panels in my studio. Everything was either over the moon expensive or out of stock. ARG! I was in Paper-Source last night and found this silk paper that is flocked with this curry yellow pattern. I didn't see it on the online shop though. I bought a sheet to test it out and see if it could be seen through when placed on our silver insulation (and you can't...Yay!) so I think I will go ahead and buy several sheets. Since we aren't putting up walls (i.e. "finishing" the basement) I need a way to make it look more inviting and cozy in my work space down there. We need one more coat of paint and then I'll install the sheets of paper over the silver panels on either side of the window...the silver reflective surface is not my idea of inviting. I also bought some curry-colored solid wrapping paper to layer in if needed...which I think it will. Well, off to get back to work! Have a great day!
P.S. The show "Wicked" was really good! It got a little too shmaltzy during some parts which made me want to poke my eye out, but other than that I enjoyed it.

mmmmmMilk

We went to the farmstand near our house over the weekend to get fresh corn and I grabbed this glass bottle of coffee milk. I'm sad it's gone, but I can just bring the bottle back and have it refilled recycled/reused. I love having coffee milk and love the syrup...it's so tasty. Friends tell me that it's a New England thing and that you can't get the coffee milk syrup just anywhere. But I don't know; it seems hard to believe that. The basement studio area is cleaned out, primed, and my husband put on the first coat of paint this morning. Tomorrow will see the second coat of paint. Who knows when our furniture will arrive; I'm guessing it will be next week...in the meantime I will be printing my holiday cards down there amongst the mayhem. I'm also looking for decorative papers and accessories for the space and all the little things that will make it "mine." Maybe I will post some fun things I find on this blog and share the discoveries. I'm off for now, we are going into Boston to see the show "Wicked" this evening. Have a great day!

Inspiration

Today as a little inspiration bit: a favorite photo I found on flickr belonging to wikstenmade. Her photos are very inspirational for me: lots of colors and textures to see. This photo is a favorite of mine...I just love the colors in it. We all have favorite photos that call out at us, and this one grabbed me right away. She has a great blog too! Check it out. She's very talented and her clothes are just gorgeous; featured in her etsy shop too.

Am working today to clear up the basement studio area because it is actually being furnished and redone. We spent yesterday at Ikea (our first time!) rounding up the elements from the kitchen section that I want in my studio. Everything needs to be counter height...and today I picked out a robin's egg blue to go on the cement walls. We are going for a more industrial look down there since we aren't putting in walls right now. Anyway, I'll post before and after photos when applicable. Off to clean the walls and get going on the primer!

cool shop

By the time we found this cool shop on the Vineyard it was closed for the evening. Darn! And since we were only there for the day I never got to see it. It's called "Mix". I'll have to go back and make sure to see this shop first! I loved the great set in the window and the amazing blanket...you'll have to click to view the image larger...such a great pattern!!
Mix
6 Main Street
Vineyard Haven
Martha's Vineyard
02568
Tel: 508 693 8240