Blog Feature!

Hop on over to hapahale.com ( h|h ) to check out the latest press about Uncommon Envelope. A HUGE mahalo to Leigh for liking our work enough to feature on her ultra cool island style blog. Her site is the place to stop if you're looking for the hottest island shopping finds. We're smitten with your work, too, Leigh!

Daily Paper: Secondhand Rose

Wallpaper is paper. Thinking about it in those terms makes me wonder why I have been so anti-wallpaper all these years. Maybe it is scarring from the exposure to ugly wallpaper in the wallpaper-crazy '80s. This wallpaper, though, via Secondhand Rose, has me rethinking things in a serious way. If it weren't so spendy, it would already be hanging in my office. I might think to for-go a vacation so I can look at this all day every day...

(image on left via C&R Blog)

Daily Paper: Lisa Hasegawa

Here is where I get to brag a little bit. This artist is not only my friend, but the woman who taught me the way of the letterpress. Ilfant Press' Lisa Hasegawa's Awkward book has always been a favorite of mine. She is not afraid to admit that she is not polished and sometimes lacks confidence - something most of us can relate to but try ever so hard to hide. Come on, don't deny it.

Did I mention Lisa has an Etsy shop?

Daily Paper: The Bungaloo

Silkscreen is one of my favorite printing techniques so when I come across a silkscreen artist that I believe is ultra talented, I need to share... I stumbled upon The Bungaloo shop on Etsy. Gotta love Etsy. Although I just realized I have been sitting at my desk for half an hour just sifting through this shop and ignoring my body's need for coffee. Now that's good art.
UPDATE: I am now the proud owner of House No.20 (the print on the right). Thanks for the lovely gift, John!

Daily Paper: Andrew Jeffery Wright

Prints that make me laugh AND push the boundaries of it's materials and process are ones I can't pass up on. "Lab with Abs" is a new fave by artist Andrew Jeffery Wright is available here.

Daily Paper: Craftsman Art

In honor of Memorial Day, a print by Craftsman Arts. This poster is a hand drawn rendition of vintage war bond art. Available here.

Daily Paper: Anagram Press & Springtide Press

Hello, neighbors! I am big fans of two local artists - Chandler O'Leary of Anagram Press and Jessica Spring of Springtide Press. Hailing from my beloved hometown of Tacoma, I am please to be within arm's reach of such talent. Both are forever inspiring, and I hope to one day make them friends... perhaps some of that talent will rub off on me...

This is their latest collaboration, and one that I particularly relate to - a broadside depicting a quote by feminist Thea Foss, also a one-time Tacoma resident. We breed our women with a certain kind of independence and strength here.

Buy your broadside here, or become a subscriber to the Feminist Broadsides for a discount, and read all about the process on Chandler's blog - really inspiring!

Baby Announcements

OK, I promised pictures of these a LONG time ago! Sorry for the delay. It's been busy around here. These are the announcements I designed in honor of our little girl, Naomi, born January 1st. I adore designing baby announcements - it is such a delightful occasion! Keep your eyes peeled in the future for a signature line of announcements. They're coming soon!

Daily Paper: Yulia Brodskaya

Paper Quilling is kind of a lost art... probably because it is one that most people, in our instant gratification oriented world, would not have patience for. So when we find a quiller as talented as Yulia Brodskaya, we need to let her know we appreciate it. Immensly.

Daily Paper: Nava Lubelski

I really don't think it is necessary to talk up the genius we see here from Nava Lubelski. All I can say is that life will not be complete until I see these paper sculptures in person.

Daily Paper: Happy Tape

New Rule: Awesome tape counts as paper. Example #1: The selection at Happy Tape. Check it out and I dare you to argue the point. Owning this 20 pack would make me so ridiculously happy... It is no wonder my parents called me "The Mad Tapist" growing up.

Daily Paper: Kari Herer

These images have been making their way through the blogosphere, and rightfully so. Recipe: Take a) beautiful illustration, and add b) fresh flowers. What do you get? Kari Herer's soft, feminine photographs. You can buy her stuff here.... just another reason to heart Etsy. Or, if you are in the Milwaukee area and have kids, her children's photography is just charming. Makes me want to get a group of families together and sponsor a trip for her out to Seattle so I can get some KH photographs of Naomi!

Kiva Loan - Issa Kamara's Group

Come on, who wouldn't be interested supporting a group that teaches orphans?

Details from Kiva:

Group Name: Issa Kamara's Group
Group Members: Issa Kamara, Isatu Turay, Alimany Conteh, Osman Kamara, Fatmata Y. Sesay, Mohamed C. Conteh, Fatmata S. Kargbo, Elsie Kamara, Edwin J. Mansaray, Ballie Sesay, Alpha Bangura, Alie Sankoh, Fuad U. Kargbo, Alpha M. Tarawalie, Sulaiman . Kamara, Frank L. Kamara, John R. Tholley, Joseph Conteh, Mohamed D. Sesay,
Location: Makeni, Sierra Leone
Primary Activity: School Fees
Loan Amount: $4,100
Repayment Term: 12 months
Loan Use: To pay school fees for his children.

"The photo shows teachers of one of Makeni’s primary schools, built in 1991 by missionaries to help educate orphans in and around the city. The school has a total of 18 staff and 255 pupils.

Issa Kamara (first row right), 48, is the headmaster of the facility. Born in Makeni city, in northern Sierra Leone, he is the married father of six children – four in secondary schools and two in primary schools. Mr. Kamara has been a teacher for over 20 years now. He is requesting a loan to pay school fees for his children.

Teachers are amongst the lowest paid groups in Sierra Leone. Consequently, many find additional means of earning a living, some engaging in businesses, agriculture, or organized extra classes for the pupils (the latter of which the government is trying to abolish). Teachers therefore seek loans to embark on meaningful projects and then gradually repay the loans out of their monthly salaries."

Please join Kiva and our Kiva Lending Team

Daily Paper: Simplesong Designs

A beautiful congratulations or birthday card by Simplesong. The perfect name for this designer - their cards reflect the clarity and quiet I so admire and strive for. Bravo.

Daily Paper: Lizzie Thomas

Hello, gorgeous... Check out this book by Lizzie Thomas. Anyone who know me knows about my affinity for the book arts. The UK is lucky to have this artist on that side of the pond. Sure would like to see this one in person.

Daily Paper: Royal Buffet

I am feeling whimsical today! Wishing this lovely garland by Royal Buffet was hanging in Naomi's nursery.

Daily Paper: Jaq Belcher

Talk about pushing material to it's limit! This paper cut by Jac Belcher is just a sampling of his capabilities... so simple and gorgeous.

Daily Paper: Spawn Studio

I wanted to share the card my 4 month old daughter (with the help of her father) got me for my first mother's day as today's daily paper. It was adorable, and perfect since we are always joking that we are going to eat her because of how delicious she is.

Spawn Studio stuff is available on Etsy. Especially funny is the story behind this card. You can read that here.

Blog Feature!

One of our most recent projects - a business card for Cheryl Griffin, freelance television producer - was picked up as a feature on a favorite blog of ours, Card Observer. We turn to Card Observer for inspiration frequently so we are proud to be part of the mix there!

Daily Paper: Made by Julene

More paper cuts, this time Made by Julene... are you sensing a trend here?

Bring That Beat Back, 2009

Daily Paper: Yeehaw Industries

A giant of the letterpress industry, Yeehaw has been a longtime favorite. This poster is particularly interesting to me as it channels the Dada movement of the 1910-1920's.

Societe Anonyme Museum Exhibition Print

Daily Paper: Nikki McClure

A fellow Washington artist, hailing from Olympia. Nikki McClure has made quite a name for herself in the local scene with her wholesome paper cuts. I feel like my life relates to her work so much... Or at least what I would like my life to be like.

Daily Paper: Hammerpress

Hammerpress seems to churn our genius at every turn, and with this poster maybe we can all learn a little something.

Civility Art Print

PROcess: Letterpress

Letterpress has gone through such an incredible rebirth over the past decade. What is they say? Everything old is new again.

Letterpress is by far the most requested printing method for our invitations, and it is the default for most of our lifestyle stationery. Because of it's popularity, I thought I would share a little something about what Letterpress is. But I don't want to reinvent the wheel, either. There is a short documentary below - about 6 minutes - that is worth the watch.



Now, granted, I don't go into as much detail as Firefly press - there is no casting my own type. I admit to being more of a modern letterpress girl, meaning that when working on a client job, I use a program like Adobe Illustrator to create my layout and set my type, then send it off to have a custom cut made. This is what makes letterpress affordable, otherwise I'd be charging hours and hours to make ready for a single job, and imagery would be a lot more limited, too!

For art prints, I tend to set type the old fashioned way. You can see my handiwork in the technique here and here, with more art prints soon to come.

I am a studio renter at Pratt in Seattle so this is where all my magic happens. More specifically, I usually work on Franklin. Say hello! Franklin is a Chandler & Price Platen Job Press. No motor on this guy so you get a bit of a workout making him go. He's a clankity little bugger, but fast so we forgive him!

Daily Paper: Hunter Stabler

The Daily Paper is a new blog feature that will take the place of Wednesday's G&T post. What can I say, you come up with a plan and then you think of something better!

With the Daily Paper, every day we will share a paper product we are just drooling over. It is a chance for us not only to explore inspiration for our own line, but to give props to the amazing designers and artists creating beautiful work out there in the world.

For the inaugural Daily Paper post, here is a paper cut by Hunter Stabler... OK, this much talent makes me just a little bit nauseous, to be honest. Hunter is sure to be a mainstay here at the Daily Paper. This is HAND CUT, people.

Aeronautical Battle, 2006

Regrouping: May

As per our commitment to Modish Biz Tips Monthly Goal Meetup, I am ready to make my list for May. But first, let's re-cap how we did last month:

My TO DO LIST for APRIL 2009:

1. Create a blog editorial schedule;
2. Create an image template for blog posts;
3. Start going to the studio every Monday to print (starting next week!);
4. Create an annual product release schedule
5. Flush out six new wedding suite designs.

Not bad, actually! My only regret is No.5. Truth be told, I didn't even start on this one, although the main reason behind that is because my corporate workload is on the upswing - not a bad thing! I'll share some of that soon. We also participated in our first craft fair so I spent a fair amount of time prepping for that.

But I think that I will just pick up where I left off and re-list No.5 as my No.1 on My TO DO List for MAY 2009:

1. Flush out six new wedding suite designs;
2. Complete 1st of series of Silkscreen/Letterpress Art Prints;
3. Start designs for my May and June releases;
4. Complete new product photography for our Etsy Shop.

And I think that is it for May. I hesitate putting too much on my plate, and I have other client projects, friend projects and non-profit projects in the works.

See you back here in June for follow-up!