2008?

Is it really just a few days away? Boy this year went by fast, but it was a good one. Thanks to all that popped by ye olde blog and helped to make my Etsy shop a busy one:) I look forward to introducing new items in 2008 as well as doing more arts/craft shows.

One newly listed item is my modern social stationery with a vintage flair. It very simply features a name and address. I really adore them. I was inspired by some 50's era stationery that I recently came across. The font was so dainty and elegant, I just had to recreate them adding a more modern touch.

On another note, I recently submitted my cards for consideration for the upcoming publication of 1000 Handmade Greeting Cards by Rockport Publishers. My "Peace on Earth" bird card was accepted! So, I guess I am going to be published! I am very excited.

Anywho, I wish you all a very happy new year! Enjoy the rest of 2007...see you in 2008.

Cheers,

Noelle

The holidays are in full swing!

And are seemingly flying by! We got our tree last night and a few poinsettias to spruce the place up before a family party we are throwing this weekend. So in between Etsy and custom orders, I am trying to get stuff done around the house. (The bonus to having a home studio!)

And on the topic of it's super fun to find that someone unbeknownst to you has blogged about you, I came across this nice posting on the Indie Collective blog about my goods. Thanks IC! Also my holiday kits were mentioned on the Print & Pattern blog the other day. If you've never visited P&P, it's a must check-out! You can't help but be inspired by a vast array of colors, bold images and of course pattern!

New Holiday Kits!

I sold a bunch of these at the show, so thought I should whip up a few for my Etsy shop. They include 4 note cards, 5 gift cards and 6 gift tags. $20, all packaged in a cello sleeve.

The holidays are upon us!

I can't believe how fast this year has gone by and now Thanksgiving is over (hope everyone had a really nice one). Things have been quite busy around the ol' PB studio, which is currently an embarrassing mess. Last week I finally completed my large wholesale order which I received at Handmade Arcade. It was my largest, money-wise, ever! What a relief when I delivered it Wednesday and she was thrilled! If you are in the Pittsburgh area, the store is Divertido in Lawerenceville. It is a fabulous store!

More orders to crank out this week, including one for Greenwich Letterpress in Greenwich Village! Take a peek at their website, what a great store!

Handmade Arcade November 10 & 11, 2007 - Pittsburgh

What a fantastic show! I exceeded my sales goal, met some wonderful people and picked up a large wholesale order from a fabulous local shop. Despite sore feet, some dirt (due to being in a building materials warehouse) and being located right under the very loud speaker, we had such a great time. My sister and trusty sidekick (pic below) came up from Nashville to help me out...I couldn't have done it without her!


Note: the photos aren't great, but wanted you all to see the table. We had quite a spread of goodies. And, yes, I desperately need a new sign!

Gocco Sunday

<<< What a freakin' mess!


Sunday should have been about getting organized and making products for my upcoming show, Handmade Arcade, here in Pittsburgh next weekend. But what did I do instead? I pulled out the Gocco printer (which I have had for a year or so) and decided to start using it. I have only used it one other time to mixed results. I guess I was thinking that it would be great to have some prints to sell at the show. This all goes back to my need to make something that doesn't get tossed out, like greeting cards.

This time around was much more fruitful than my previous attempt. So, introducing my first limited edition Gocco prints: "funky trees with bird in green"...ooh, such a clever name...

I had tons of fun with the Gocco, but what a mess I made! I was trying to limit myself to just two prints but did three...and was not happy with the third. I admit that I am still getting used to the whole process...like, how many prints can I make? what do I do with the used screens? and how long do the prints have to dry? I have read that you can clean the screens and/or freeze them and reuse. I also feel like I wasted a lot of ink. And the used light bulbs...what to do with those? I hate to throw them out. Anyway, it was quite a fun and creative Sunday!

Tip: Old CD racks make great drying racks!

Happy Halloween!

Have a happy Halloween!



Happy Halloween!
Originally uploaded by pinkbathtub

Happy Friday.

Chilly Autumn day here in the 'Burgh. It's the kind of day where you just want to curl up in bed with a good book and a cup of piping hot tea. Speaking of good books, I just started Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and so far, so good.

Have a great weekend everyone!

New stationery.

New stationery.
Originally uploaded by pinkbathtub

Featuring my brand new "groovy tree" and bird designs. Available in my Etsy shop. I also just posted a fun new collage pack in my Pink Pantry shop.

Taking the day off today to clean, get my new driver's license, grocery shop and get ready for guests this evening.
Have a great day all!

What's on your kitchen windowsill?

I love my vintage Ball Mason jars and the one sitting on my kitchen windowsill just called out to be drawn, carved and turned into gift tags!

Part of my new line of cards and tags for Winter '07/'08.

Monday, 10/15, I will introduce another new product and design.

Tags available here.

Inspired.

If you are in or around Pittsburgh, a trip to the Phipps Conservatory to see Dale Chihuly's "Gardens & Glass" exhibit is a must! His fantastic pieces set among the beautiful gardens of the conservatory are quite an extraordinary sight. One can not help but be inspired.

You can see more of these photos here.

Sneak peak

My first ACEO
Originally uploaded by pinkbathtub

I recently discovered the world of ACEO's aka Art Cards, Editions & Originals. They are small pieces of art with one stipulation, they must measure 2.5" x 3.5." There are so many varieties out there...paintings, prints, collages, etc.

I love making cards, but ultimately they'll get tossed out. I've been wanting to create pieces that will be kept.

So, here it is, my first ACEO. It is made using heavy, acid-free card stock, a page from an old Los Angeles Thomas Guide map book and of course my hand printed designs. I think it is quite fun. I whipped up a bunch of them today (they are kind of addictive)...now available in my Etsy shop.

Ginkgo on Wood #1

New! Ginkgo on wood #1
Originally uploaded by pinkbathtub

New flat note stationery available in my Etsy shop.

Lately, I've been interested in combining elements and using different colors. I usually employ bright and dark colors, but feel I'd like to dabble with some more subtle shades, like the celery green of the ginkgo leaves. I love the zen-like quality of these notes.

Have a great weekend!

New bookmarks!

I was inspired to come up with these after completing a custom bookmark order. While working on some wholesale orders featuring these designs, I decided that they would translate well to bookmarks.

The original designs were inspired by the beautiful ponds we've had in the past.

Available in my Etsy shop, but of course...

Etsy Seller: Appetite

My Friday morning was pleasantly greeted with a package on the doorstep. For a brief moment I had forgotten what I had purchased. Ah yes, my Etsy order from Appetite!

I am so impressed with the quality of my items as well as the delicate detailing of the prints. The super-well-made pillow features a gorgeous fern design which is printed on both sides, in a two-tone green color. The wonderfully sturdy dishtowels have a beautiful yellow mertlemarx design. I just adore them!

Appetite is run by Portland, OR based artist, Erin Albin, who specializes in hand printed textiles and accessories. She has a lovely Etsy shop filled with all kinds of handmade goodies. And check out her flickr site with photos of her very cool studio and products. And if you are in Portland, you can also visit her at the Portland Saturday Market.

Have a great weekend!

Places I've Been: Iceland '99 & '00

Mav at port2port (wonderful blog!) mentioned Iceland in a recent post and thus inspired me to reflect upon my own travels to the fascinating country. I then decided that I would dig up my old travel photos and scan them in and share.

So, my first "Places I've Been" posting is Iceland. My husband and I along with some friends took our first trip in February of 1999. At the time, we were living in Washington, DC and could get a screaming deal out of BWI airport. Back then, Iceland was kind of an "exotic" place to go.

The landscape was like nothing I'd ever seen, you almost felt like you were on the moon with it's rocky topography. The people were very friendly and Reykjavik was very cosmopolitan. And of course we ate some interesting food...one item on the menu was puffin!

I will be posting more of my photos on my flickr site.

photo 1: View of Reykjavik.

photo 2: Parliament Square in Reykjavik, the Capital of Iceland.

photo 3: Somewhere out on the road outside of Reykjavik.

photo 4: Gulfoss, ("Golden Falls") on the Hvítá river in southern Iceland. The river is fueled by Glacial runoff

Etc.

New "hot pepper" gift tags, available here. I think they'd be cool on a food gift basket especially a Mexican themed one. There are five in a set for 3 bucks.

What else? Oh yes, I am doing Handmade Arcade again this year. I am really excited. It's Pittsburgh's indie craft show and was a total blast last year. Despite the horrid weather, throngs of people turned out and sales weren't bad. This year it is a two-day show...oh my aching feet! Luckily my sister will be here to help.

Tag, I am it.

Fun. I was recently "tagged" by Tara of Project Felt. I am now going to divulge 7 random facts about myself. Hmm...here goes...

1. I am DEATHLY afraid of snakes. No, I mean really afraid. Once I had a panic attack while hiking up through Fairy Falls in Oregon because I saw some little green garder snake. It's really quite ridiculous.

2. I own 7 parakeets and 1 very loud love bird named Inez.

3. I am a huge football fan and even have a fantasy team. (Go USC Trojans and Pittsburgh Steelers!!)

4. I am completely self-taught. I went to business school, not art school. To be honest, I did do one quarter at art school well after I had graduated from college.

5. I have driven across the country 3 times. One of the times was right after 9/11. We were supposed to fly out that day. We were in Pittsburgh and at the time lived in Portland, Oregon. We drove home. It was a very interesting experience, as we met many people along the way who were doing the same thing. I believe we made it back in 5 days.

6. I have been to 47 states. I only have N. Dakota, S. Carolina and Louisiana left on the list.

7. I love wine! Give me a full-bodied, oaky chardonnay and you've made a friend:)

OK, so there you have it. Now I am supposed to tag 7 peeps. Here are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about you: some random, some weird...all devastatingly interesting.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names, linking to them.
4. Let them know they've been tagged by posting a comment on their blog.

I'm tagging:

Young and With It
Moontea Artwork
Tori Higa
Operation Papercut
Sugarloop
Lala Dex Press
Daisycakes Soap

Gift Tag O'rama!

This is what one can accomplish when one watches an embarrassing amount of football on a Sunday...

360 pieces of ribbon were cut and attached then packaged in 72 cello sleeves and labeled.

Nothing like being a productive couch potato!

Etsy Seller: Tori Higa Stationery

Part of owning a business is conducting marketing research, right? So, when I came across Tori Higa's amazing cards, I had to buy some...to see what the competition is doing, of course. (I have a whole, wonderful drawer full of research!)

Well, really I had to have them because they are truly creative and unique. Tori is a Southern California stationery designer who incorporates vintage fabric into her card designs. I love the elegant simplicity of her line drawings with the added punch of color from the fabric.

I can't help but notice that so many card lines look alike. With her distinctive style, Tori's cards are a breath of fresh air!

You can read more about her line here: Tori Higa Stationery and peruse her Etsy shop.

Where did August go?

Whoa, I guess I missed the whole month of August! Summer has just flown by, but I am happy to usher in Autumn. It's been a hot one here in Pittsburgh. And, I admit, I look forward to football season!

So, I've been quite busy lately with custom orders. It's funny, my Etsy shop has been pretty quiet, but I've had so many custom requests. A couple of cool orders are seen here.

The Hundred Grasses cards were for a Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture business. The lemon cards are pretty self-explanatory:) I love how they turned out.

New.

Our trusty wheelbarrow has seen a lot of use lately as we recently built a patio out in the backyard. As I was taking a break from installing pavers, I decided to sketch it.

Set of 5, $7.50.

Available here.

Where inspiration comes from...

Etsy Seller: Sugarloop

I just adore my limited edition prints from sugarloop! I am immediately drawn to her choice of color, playfulness and, of course, the birds!

One of her inspirations is mid-century kitchenware print designs. I love that.

If you are not familiar with Bernadette's work, do check out her Etsy shop and her blog.

Haiku for today.

Raining and dreary.
But so good for the garden.
Can't seem to focus.









What's your haiku for today?

Etsy Sellers Recipe Cards

Recently I invited Etsy sellers to submit recipes which would then be turned into their very own, custom recipe card. I had so much fun working with my fellow Etsians on this project. I created two sets of cards. The first set includes recipes from:
glasshousejewelry.etsy.com
ignafruit.etsy.com
onama.etsy.com
bayousalvage.etsy.com
ambientdesignjewels.etsy.com
serendipity06.etsy.com

The second set is vegetarian and includes recipes from:

supastarr.etsy.com
aubreyhyde.etsy.com
pravinastudio.etsy.com
meringueshop.etsy.com
bauerdesigns.etsy.com
mamaziel.etsy.com

They are all fabulous recipes! They are available in my Etsy shop. And thanks again to all who submitted a recipe. I hope to make the next set soon!

Tag crazy and Flickr obsessed.

For some reason I have been gift tag crazy the past two days. They are quick and fun to make. A few new designs shown are the coffee beans, below, and the pink spatulas above. The fruit tags aren't new, but now available as a variety called "fruit salad." All are in my Etsy shop.













Also, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and opened up a Flickr account. I have to say it's been really fun, I might even go so far as to say that I am slightly obsessed with it! Just what I don't need, but it is fun to connect with others and share photos. Check me out here.

New Block Letter Cards!

Yesterday I printed up a whole slew of block letter cards. I just really love their simplicity and the fact that they are quite gender neutral! I have started listing them in sets of three. I figure it is always good to have a few on hand.

The second photo is a set I have listed on Etsy.

Price: $9/set of 3

I will be listing other sets with varied greetings.

Etsy Seller: Pottery by Tasha McKelvey

I absolutely love my ginkgo leaf earrings from Tasha McKelvey! She is a super talented potter based in Richmond, VA.

These delicate earrings are so unique, well crafted and very light on the earlobes. The long earwires make losing them difficult, which unfortunately seems to be an issue for me lately.

You can find similar earrings among other fabulous goodies (ooh, check out her sushi sets!) here.

Portland Rose Garden

My husband and I lived in Portland, Oregon for three years. One of our favorite spots in the city was (and still is) the Portland Rose Garden. It is a spectacular place.

Within the park is the International Rose Test Garden, which is the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States. The primary purpose of the garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties.

A few months before we moved, I spent a some time roaming the beautiful gardens and snapped a few pictures. Portland has been on my mind lately, so I thought I would resurrect my old photos from that day in September of 2003.

Design-a-week: May 13

I know this is not a new concept, but I am implementing design-a-week. My intent is to come up with a new design every week. I think this will help keep my creative juices flowing as well as keep my catalog current and fresh.

So, for the week of May 13, I offer my brand new birdcage flat notes. I do so many bird related designs, but have never done a birdcage. This set is available (guess where??) in my Etsy shop and comes in three colors as a set of six. I can also do custom colors and at some point will make them into folded note cards. What do you think would be a good greeting? Perhaps a hello or thank you note? I would absolutely love your feedback!

Etsy Seller: Rock Paper Scissors Art

My latest Etsy purchase arrived the other day and I just had to share. These crazy adorable floursack kitchen towels are from Rock Paper Scissors Art. They are hand printed and are so unique and whimsical. I love them so much, I don't even want to use them!

Anywho, check out their Etsy shop, there is also a set of jellyfish towels that I have my eye on among other awesome goodies!

New Letter Flat Notes

I love my old printer's letters and the simplicity of a bold initial on a bright white card. I recently whipped up a new batch of flat notes. I will be listing more throughout the week.

Another batch of magnets.

I loved how my owl magnets turned out, so I thought I would try another batch. They are available in my Etsy shop.

You'll get limeade, orangeade, lemonade and pink lemonade all for six bucks.