craftland

I went to the opening party for Craftland's perpetual store opening in Providence last night. It's a super fun space filled with colorful crafty goodness, a gallery area, and space for classes.

I also received an email this week that my designs have been accepted into the 2009 Craftland Holiday Sale! So, for all of you in the Providence area that don't want to venture out into the snow to my studio/store in Warren this winter, you can buy my paper goods at Craftland. Yay!

gocco calendar?

Since many people have asked if I am still going to release a gocco printed desk calendar this year, I thought I would give you all an update. Yes, it is true that my beloved gocco printer is being discontinued and now the supplies are hard to find and more than twice as expensive as they once were. And yes (sigh)...there are many people ink jet printing similar style calendars all over Etsy now for the same price as my hand printed calendars. But...I AM going to design and print one last gocco calendar for 2010. I love the process from photography, to computer design, to hand printing the final product. I don't want to discontinue it until I absolutely have to. So, I'm busy working on it now, and I plan on releasing it sometime late September/early October. Check back soon!

grand reopening!

the new studio store is finally open & yesterday's opening went off without a hitch. many thanks to everyone that stopped in! you can view more photos of the space here.

finley and oliver

I'm expecting my first child (a boy) in November, and have had the toughest time finding simple baby clothes. Why does everything have to have an obnoxious pattern and cartoony graphics? I've been trying to expand my baby section in the shop, and was excited to find Finley and Oliver on etsy. I love the simplicity of the the critter appliques and hand stitched details. Grace, the creative sewer behind the operation, just finished making up an order for me (the bottom picture). All of this adorable goodness will be available at the new store location in September.

moving up to main street!

A wonderful space just opened up on Main Street, and we've decided to take the plunge. It's twice the storefront/studio space, and that means twice the wonderful independent designer goods we'll be selling! We've had a nice run here on Miller Street, but we're excited to expand and gain more visibility and traffic. Stay tuned for more info coming soon...

my new toy + new card line preview

I recently acquired an expensive computerized sewing machine. My mother received it as a gift, but didn't think she would have time to figure it out and use it. So, she gave it to me. You rock mom! As soon as i started using it, it was ADDICTING. There are so many fun stitches and features to play with. Soon I'll be releasing a new line of cards featuring sewn fabric swatches that have been printed with my designs. Here's a little preview of the collection. They are handmade and eco-friendly - 100% recycled paper and envelopes, fabric is 100% cotton and printed with eco-friendly non-toxic inks. They will be available at wholesale from my sales reps, online, and in my shop in the fall.

RAGGEDedge gear

I love designers that create products out of unusual materials. RAGGEDedge Gear is a family run business based in Florida that creates accessories out of heavy duty sail cloth laminate (both new and recycled). The fabric is durable, waterproof, and has a really cool texture. We just received our first order from RAGGEDedge at the shop - a nice selection of wallets, pouches, portfolios, and folders. I'm absolutely loving the white x-ply sail cloth!

nervous system

One of my favorite lines I carry in the shop is nervous system. The company is a collaboration between two MIT grads, Jessica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, who explore algorithmic design to create intricate jewelry pieces. Their designs are laser cut from stainless steel and industrial wool felt. Their newest edition shown above (upper right, subdivision bracelet) is built up layer by layer in durable nylon plastic using Selective Laser Sintering, a kind of 3D printing. The results are absolutely gorgeous.

summersville

I've had Summersville on my favorite list on etsy for a long time. Lucie Summers is a UK based designer that creates beautiful hand drawn patterns that she screen prints onto fabric. I'm excited to finally be carrying a colorful selection of her wrapping paper (eco friendly) and fabric covered journals, magnets, and pins in the shop. I'm having a hard time not hoarding all of these pretty journals for myself!

you heard it here first

Exciting things are happening at the studio & store!
More details coming soon...

the bright side project giveaway!

If you are looking for a little sunshine to brighten your day, I highly recommend a daily visit to The Bright Side Project. They feature a daily giveaway of wonderful goodies such as designer sweets, paper, art, and accessories. Each featured designer posts a fun thought provoking question and gives a prize to the person with the best answer.

I was picked for Saturday's featured designer, and I'm offering 3 free note sets of the winner's choice. It's free to participate, so quick - run over and post your response here! The contest closes Aug 2nd.

best in rhode island award!

I'm excited to announce that the Modern Printed Matter store has won a 2009 Best in Rhode Island Award from Rhode Island Monthly Magazine! You can read the article here. Yay!

new prints

I've been working on a new line of fabric cards for my wholesale business. I just posted a few of the new designs as art prints in my online shop. I love the flexibility of working in full color after working for so long with my gocco printer.

I just ordered the custom printed fabric, and I'll post the results when it arrives.

decoylab

Decoylab makes lovely printed paper clocks. They only require a AA battery and are ready to hang. We just got a nice selection of designs and colors in the shop. I'm loving this cuckoo inspired print - too cute.

the mincing mockingbird

L.A. based artist, The Mincing Mockingbird, creates colorful bird paintings - each one with more personality than the next. We're happy to offer a large selection of 8"x10" signed prints of his paintings in the shop. Our second shipment just arrived (the first batch sold out), so come by and meet the birds!