Sycamore Street Press

SEND MORE LOVE

2012-02-01T07:04:00.000-07:00

Finding a handwritten letter or card in the mailbox is one of my favorite things in the world. Valentine's day is such a lovely excuse to send more mail to the people I love.

If you need of some letterpress Valentine's day cards, you can find some ~~here in our Big Cartel shop~~
here in our shop.

(~~The shop on our website is temporarily down while we switch to a different server. Sorry about that. But the site/shop is going to be so much faster when we're done. Which will be awesome.~~ ) The shop on our website is back up... and it's so much faster than before!

ON BEING YOU. (WHAT HIT HOME AT ALT)

2012-01-26T06:07:00.000-07:00

As I was sharing my notes from the Altitude Design Summit with Kirk, I realized that there was one big idea being discussed again and again in different ways and by a variety of speakers: BE YOU.

I want to talk about 3 different ways the speakers approached that idea:

1) Find your niche
2) Do what you love. Delegate the rest.
3) Design your life.

In order to stand out in today's blogging world (or paper goods or graphic design or whatever it is that you do) you need to specialize. You need to find out what you are good at, what you are passionate about, what is truly "you" and go for it. This doesn't mean that you have to narrow your focus so tightly that you are decide you can only blog about "vintage owl salt and pepper shakers", for example. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But everything you do must be a part of your distinct vision.

Gretchen Rubin, author of the Happiness Project and a keynote speaker at Alt, told a great anecdote about this. Her whole life, she kept trying to listen to music. She tried classical, she tried jazz, she tried pop... but none of it seemed to be doing anything for her. Finally, she came to the realization that she just doesn't like music! Once she figured that out, she was able to let it go and focus on things she really does enjoy. (She's a big children's literature fan, for one.)

Realizations like this are sometimes a little sad, but they're empowering at the same time, don't you think? Rubin told us it doesn't matter what we wish is true about ourselves. It matters what is true and who we really are. For example, if you're a jewelry designer, but the current trend of incorporating triangles into your work isn't you, don't do it!

Jasmine Star, who was on the Building a Personal Brand panel, had a great little exercise to help you figure out and focus on who you really are. She said you just need to list 3 words. But there are a couple of rules to listing those words:

1) The words must focus on you, not your business.

2) The words must be who you are, not who you aspire to be.

What would your 3 words be?

I think that if we all spent enough time honing the skills and qualities that make each of us uniquely us, we would be surprised at how our creative projects, businesses, etc... would grow. There would be less copy-catting and more exciting ideas. Because each of us has a unique perspective.

So don't forget to find your niche, if you haven't already. And if you have, keep working on it.

Sarah of Sarah Jane Studios clearly stated this idea in the Work Life Balance panel. She said that in the beginning stages of a new venture, you won't have this luxury. But as soon as you are able, you should start hiring help. Sarah made this decision a year ago, and since then she told us she is making more money and spending more time doing what she loves. How wonderful is that?!

Tasks to delegate:

1) Your weaknesses (aka someone else's strengths)

2) Things you don't like doing

3) Stuff you simply don't have time for

For one person this might mean shipping and assembling, for another it may mean graphic design, marketing, and photography. You get the idea.

Not only that, but you should even get help a little before you think you can afford it. Sometimes by waiting too long, you are actually hindering your business. By freeing yourselves up to be creative and do what you do best, you can help your business evolve and grow more quickly and efficiently.

This brings me to the question I asked Ben Silberman (founder of Pinterest) after his keynote speech on Friday. A couple of years ago he personally emailed me back after I contacted Pinterest's customer service. At the time (and even now) I was struck by how deeply involved he was in every level of his company. But in reality, as a company grows, the founder won't be able to continue doing this type of thing. So I asked Ben how he is able to stay personally involved and maintain a high level of quality as his company evolves. He replied simply that he hires people who are better than him. "In fact," he said, "if I applied for a job today at Pinterest, I probably wouldn't hire myself." Ha! Such a humble guy. But he has a point. Building a wonderful team is just as important as building a product. Because in the long run, you won't have a great product without a great team. Which brings us back to the point:

Do what you love (and are best at) and delegate the rest.

Susan Petersen (from the Blog to Shop panel) articulated this sentiment so well in a beautiful little video about her over on Big Cartel. She says: "Get clear about the life you want... re-focus your priorities until you can see that life, and then run like hell at it." Amen, sister.

I've been rolling this idea around in my head, getting used to it. That's what we are all trying to do in our lives, but she stated it so simply and matter-of-factly. And why not?! So I've been envisioning what my perfect life is like. I'm not talking about some pie-in-the-sky kind of fantasy, but a wonderfully realistic version of my dream life. It's fun to think about, right? For me, it means spending quality time with my family and friends in beautiful surroundings, finding ways to show kindness and give back, and focusing my work life on the creative side of Sycamore Street Press.

What does it mean for you?

And just to make sure that these words won't be quickly forgotten as soon as I click "publish", I promise to check back from time to time and give you a little progress report. I'd love it if you want to do the same!

PAR - TAY

2012-01-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

These photos give you a pretty good idea of how the Alt Design Summit felt this year. Fun. Exciting. Crazy. And as much as I loved the panel discussions and keynote speakers, I have to say that I loved meeting and talking with the people there even more. Everyone was so friendly, creative, and motivated. I was inspired just being surrounded by them.

From left to right: Rebecca of Permanently Disco, Amy of Sycamore Street Press, Kristin of Sycamore Street Press, Annie of Annilygreen, Alison of the Alison Show, Susan of Freshly Picked, Danyelle of Dandee Designs, and me.

These three ladies threw the really fun dancing / Smilebooth party where all these photos were taken.

From left to right: Susan of Freshly Picked, Danyelle of Dandee Designs, and Melanie of You Are My Fave.

And here I am with two of my good friends / other members of the Sycamore team, Amy Shaffer and Kristin Mills. We had a blast hitting all the mini parties on Friday night and teaching the printmaking workshop on Saturday.

More pics and a few things I learned at the Summit coming up...

Hens, Eggs, and a Toddler

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

We've been hanging out with these girls quite a bit lately. They belong to our neighbors, who are out of town.

In the afternoon, we let the chickens out to scratch and get some exercise. That bit's easy. Gathering them in at dusk is the tricky part. Try to bring them in too early, and they run and scatter and stubbornly refuse to obey. But let them run around too long after dark, and the local raccoons, foxes and other roaming night-time bullies might gobble them up.

Three have already fallen prey to neighborhood dogs. But we're not naming names.

It's been fun learning a little more about these birds. Having neighbors with hens is pretty much the perfect situation. They generously give us fresh eggs all the time, and in return, we chicken-sit (ba dum bum) once in a while.

And aren't the eggs pretty?! Even Kirk, a lifelong egg-hater, recently started succumbing to their loveliness.

Another item of note in this household: Ingrid is walking. She took her first steps just before her birthday in mid-November, but seemed uninterested afterwards. And then, the day after Christmas, she just took off! I love the way she wobbles around with her arms outstretched.

A few more things:

+ Today is the last day to enter our letterpress arrows art print giveaway on Facebook. Click here to find out more.

+ I'll be teaching a printmaking workshop at the Alt Design Summit next weekend, and going to the panels and parties throughout the week, too. I hope to see some of you there! It will be my third time attending, but my first time teaching at Alt, so I am both excited and a bit nervous. Wish me luck!

+ Which reminds me... If you'd like to get a live, inside look at Alt, I'll be tweeting and posting to Instagr.am throughout the conference. My Twitter handle is @sycamorestpress, and on Instagr.am, I'm sycamorestreetpress.

NEW PRINT & GIVEAWAY

2012-01-12T16:14:00.001-07:00

Hello there! Let me introduce you to our newest letterpress print.

It's black and white and covered in arrows. For those of you who follow me on Instagram, it might look a little familiar. (I posted a detail shot of my drawing back in September.)

In any case, I think you might have to have it.
I know I do -- that's why I drew it!

We're giving away one of these away over on the Sycamore Street Press Facebook page. To enter, just head on over there, "like" our page, and leave a comment on the giveaway post. We'll pick a winner at random next Wednesday, January 18th.

They're also available to purchase in our Etsy shop.

p.s. Please excuse the iPhone photos. Our next real photo shoot isn't until March.

FINALLY

2012-01-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

I finally got rid of the last lingering baby weight a couple of months ago. (It took me an entire year.) And I finally put away all my maternity clothes and men's shirts. What a relief.

Since Ingrid's birth, it's been easier to focus on dressing her, but I've hit a point where I'm ready to work on my own style again. To start, I went through my closet and donated or tossed quite a few things. Now I'm starting to slowly build it back up. I want to be more thoughtful with my purchases... instead of buying lots of cheap things, I'd like to collect a smaller amount of items that I really love, that reflect my personality, and that fit me well.

I've really been loving the look and versatility of booties lately, so I decided to do a little round-up of some I had bookmarked. These would all work nicely with a variety of outfits and could be dressed up or down. They have a heel to give my legs a little length, but a manageable one. (No crazy stilettos for the mother of a toddler, thank you.)

Do you like any of these?

1) Swathed Canvas Booties 2) Ollie Open Toe Booties 3) Betty Suede Wedge Booties 4) Short Excursion Booties 5) Jodhpur Classic Booties 6) Knotted Buckle Booties

SALE

2012-01-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

We're having our big annual New Year sale in our online shops this week. Here are the details:

- 25% off of everything
- Ends Tuesday, January 10th
- In our Etsy shop, use code NEWYEAR2012
- In our Big Cartel shop, use code NEWYEAR2012
- In the SSP website shop, use code 12012

On a side note, we'll be closing up our Big Cartel shop when the sale is over. We love Big Cartel & highly recommend it, but since we now have our own website, we no longer need it.

Hope you are all having a Happy New Year!!!

WE HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON

2011-12-27T14:02:00.002-07:00

There are many letterpress and paper goods companies out there, not to mention other handmade vendors and stores in general. Add to that all the blogs, websites, etc... and the options of where to spend our time and money are seemingly infinite. But because these economic times aren't the best, and everyone's lives have become so busy, we all have to limit our choices. Which makes the fact that you choose to check in here, and maybe even purchase something once in a while from our shop, so meaningful to me, and to Kirk, and to the rest of the Sycamore team. Because of you, we are able to make a living doing something we love, with people that we love. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So when we say that we hope you are having a wonderful holiday season, and that we hope the year to come is filled with hope, joy, and love for you and yours, please know that we mean it. From the very bottom of our hearts.

xoxo,
Eva, Kirk, Ingrid,
& the rest of the Sycamore team

JINGLE ALL THE WAY

2011-12-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video of the holiday social at the Write Image. It's worth watching just to see the adorable vintage decorations around the shop. It was a lovely party and I'm already looking forward to next year! -E

Video by Lost Childe Productions

CRANBERRY LEMON BREAD

2011-12-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

I love cranberries. Love them!

But I hardly ever eat them.

Aside from the dried, sweetened variety and the sauce you eat at Thanksgiving, they've been a rare occurrence in my life. I decided that needed to change. So the next time I saw a big bag of fresh cranberries at the grocery store, I grabbed them. Time to experiment.

I tried eating them plain (not good), I made them into a smoothie (okay), and I made a pumpkin cranberry bread (pretty good). Finally, I made a lemon cranberry bread, and that was it.

Like any quick bread, this recipe is super fast and easy. It keeps well for several days, and makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert. Because of the cranberries, it also seems festive and would make a lovely handmade gift, don't you think? Maybe wrapped up in waxed paper and one of these ribbons?

Cranberry Lemon Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups picked over fresh or frozen cranberries

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan. (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches)

In a large bowl, beat together the yogurt, sugar, water, eggs, oil, and lemon juice. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and stir until batter is smooth (no need for overkill, though). Fold in cranberries and lemon zest. Pour batter into loaf pan and smooth out the top.

Bake bread in middle of oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (I would recommend putting a cookie sheet under the pan in case it overflows. It hasn't happened to me, but it came close.) Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely. Stores covered for several days. (Although I doubt it will last that long.)

Do you have any favorite cranberry recipes? I'd love to hear!

I also wanted to say thank you for all the nice things you've said about our new website. We put so much work into it that we've been thrilled with the warm response.

Also, since the blog url changed, I think you will need to update your feed. Just click here and subscribe in the sidebar. Thank you! - E

NEW WEBSITE!

2011-12-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

I feel so fancy.

After over 4 years of being in business, we finally have a website complete with a retail & wholesale shop! We've taken pride in making well designed, high quality goods since the beginning... but in this day and age, it seems like most companies need a nice website to really shine, doesn't it?

Oh -- and while we were at it, we also decided to re-brand. Like I said -- feeling fancy!

In case you are thinking about creating a website for your own company, and are curious about how we went about making ours:

Although I've been scheming about this website for a couple of years now, I really started researching it this spring. I figured out what I did and did not want in a site. Kristin Mills & Amy Shaffer (the creative team behind our Lark line) took that information and came up with the main concept for the site. Kristin then went ahead and designed it (along with the new logo!), Amy wrote the copy, and their friend Alfredo Nava coded it. Nicole Hill Gerulat took the product photos, and Kristin, Amy, and I styled the shots for the images on the homepage. I did some drawings and lettering, and each member of the SSP team contributed images and links for a mood board. (Get a glimpse of Kirk's below.) I also need to acknowledge our intern Kandyce, who was a great sounding board, and helped out with other stuff in the shop so I'd have time to work on this. And of course, Kirk's mom, my mom, and my granny, who frequently help take care of our little one.

A huge thanks to everyone who helped out!

I'm so happy with how it turned out, and am especially grateful to Kristin, Amy, and Alfredo for being so committed and doing such an amazing job!

Please click here to have a look... I'd love to hear what you think!

(Next up: a blog redesign.)

HOLIDAY PAPER WORKSHOP

2011-12-05T13:07:00.001-07:00

Stephanie and I will be folding, cutting, and gluing paper into festive little forms at The Write Image in Salt Lake City this Thursday. If you're local, please come and joins us.... we'd love to see you!

2011-11-28T10:46:00.001-07:00

You can find the sale in our Etsy shop here, and in our Big Cartel shop here. Thanks! And have a great day!

*** The sale is over! (As stated above, the sale was a cyber Monday sale, and was only 24 hours.) Thank you so much to everyone who participated!***

YOU ARE WHERE YOU LIVE. YES OR NO?

2011-11-22T16:10:00.001-07:00

As I've grown older, I've started gravitating towards slightly different styles in home & fashion depending on where I am. In general, the city calls for a cleaner, shinier look, while a natural, casual approach seems a better fit for the country.

Of course, this is not a hard & fast rule. Because that would be boring. And I do realize you have to be careful, because if you go to far with the whole decorating-to-suit-your-locale idea, your home could start resembling a kitschy, themed amusement park. Ha!

That being said, I'm feeling so inspired by the organic, homey, undone aesthetic from the UK-based clothing & home shop, Toast. If you read my recent post about our decision to settle down in a small mountain town, then you'll know I've been really inspired by the surrounding countryside in the past couple of years. The style depicted in these images seems like a nice compliment to that, doesn't it?

I'm curious, what's your style? Is it influenced by where you live?

images by Toast (which was recently brought back to my attention by Kandyce)

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT...

2011-11-17T07:11:00.001-07:00

We celebrated little miss Ingrid's very first birthday yesterday. We decided to spoil her for the day and cram as many of the things she loves into one day. (Eating cheese, playing with her "babies", going on outings, reading books, etc...) Turns out it wasn't that different from one of her normal days. Ha!

In the last little while, she's started to seem so much older. She'll soon be crossing the line from baby to toddler. I simultaneously want to keep her just the way she is right now and fast forward to see what she's like as a kid, teen, & adult...

Happy Birthday, Sweetie! I feel like the luckiest person on earth to get to be your mama.

I'd been hauling this vintage fabric around from apartment to apartment for forever, until I finally unloaded it on Kirk's mom a few months ago. She decided to make it into this jumper for Ingrid. I love how it turned out!

SSP Holiday at Tiny Prints

2011-11-09T06:42:00.004-07:00

Sycamore Street Press holiday photo cards and birth announcements are up at Tiny Prints! See all of them here.

Design credits, from top to bottom: 2) Kristin Mills (lettering by Eva Jorgensen); 1) & 4) Amy Shaffer & Kristin Mills; 3) Stephanie Ford.

On Settling Down

2011-11-06T07:13:00.010-07:00

Every morning, I'm greeted by the sight of Mt. Timpanogas standing guard over our little valley. It has so many different personalities depending on the weather, time of year, etc... I never get tired of looking at it. I'm not alone. Many people say its profile looks like that of a sleeping woman. Local farmers determine spring plantings by looking at its face -- when the snow melts to the point that it forms the shape of a horse's head on the far right side of the mountain, it's safe to put seeds in the earth.

When settling down into our life and business, Kirk and I had the luxury of being able to call almost anywhere home. For day-to-day SSP affairs, we just need access to a post office and the internet. So the real question came down to where we'd want to raise our future family. We considered some bigger cities in various parts of the country, but it ultimately came down to grandparents. Given the choice, we wanted our kids to be close to them. And so, we moved back to the adopted home state of both of our families: Utah, and the small town up where my parents live: Heber.

Every once in a while, though, I start to feel a little antsy. As someone who's moved every few years her entire life, I'm not used to staying put. And I miss the city. I miss my friends. I miss having more than 3 good restaurants around town.

But then I look at this view, and I know I'd be crazy to give it up. I'm so used to it now, I'd quickly grow claustrophobic in a bigger city. In fact, that is exactly what happened when we spent a month in Brooklyn last year. I quickly began to miss the clean air, the horses & the baby foxes, the wide open spaces, the low crime rate & low rent, the morning walks down our dirt road, the traffic-free streets, the quiet, the bright stars in the dark night sky...

We figure that with the money we save by living in a place like this (rather than a place like Brooklyn) we'll be able to travel to places like Brooklyn (and Tokyo and Melbourne and Stockholm and Machu Picchu... oh, the list of places we want to go is long!) But the day to day living -- the building of our business and the growing of our family -- will take place here. In this lovely little corner of the world -- under the gaze of Timpanogas. To us, that's the best of both worlds.

If you could be or have been in our kind of work/life situation, where would you choose to settle down?

p.s. For a glimpse at how living here has influenced SSP's color palette, see my guest post over at the Color Issue.

All images by Eva Jorgensen on the SSP Instagram feed.

New Holiday Collection

2011-11-03T06:29:00.002-06:00

Ready or not, here come the holidays!

First off, I'd like to welcome any new readers who found us through Daily Candy's feature of our Joyeux Noel card.

Second, I'd like to show you this fabulous new mini holiday collection designed & written by Kristin & Amy for SSP's Lark line. They did a great job, didn't they? Cards, party invites, and even a holiday art print ("It's getting jolly all up in here.")

I love the idea of having some ready made frames that you can pop prints in and out of depending on the season or your mood. And since all of our art prints come in a standard 11x14" size, we make it easy for you. (I'll even let you in on where I get one of my favorite ready made frames: here.)

Also, *cough cough* please don't forget about our Folk holiday collection and our letterpress garland kits.

This weekend Kirk is finally taking me out to dinner for my birthday (which was about a month ago). It's not his fault that it's so late... neither of us had the time until now! Between 2 family weddings with their accompanying activities and out-of-town visitors, along with a bunch of design deadlines for the new website and our 2012 spring collection, we haven't had much time.

So this Friday, I'm going to get dressed up smart, leave Ingrid with my parents, and go to a restaurant I've been wanting to try for ages. Better late than never.

I hope you have a lovely week. -e

Photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat for Sycamore Street Press

Adventures with Kandyce

2011-10-28T16:09:00.000-06:00

Not only is she darling, Kandyce (our fall intern) is incredibly stylish, kind, and smart. She's been helping us out a couple of days a week with packaging, the Etsy shop, picking orders, and brainstorming our new website & branding. She studies printmaking at a local university and spent last summer in the English countryside... a girl after my own heart.

Kandyce was nice enough to answer a few questions and share a few photos from her fabulous trip:

You got to live abroad this summer... I want to hear all about it!

This past summer was brilliant! I was able to go to the U.K. with my sister and volunteer on organic gardens and a bakery through the organization WWOOF. The first family we stayed with has an organic sourdough bakery called Tracebridge Sourdough. It's the best sourdough bread I have ever had, there is nothing like homemade bread in a wood-fired masonry oven, its divine. We helped bake and sell the bread to local shops and farmers markets and we also helped with the weekly community pizza night. I lived with English families all summer, so I really picked up on their traditions and slang like "bits and bobs", "bung it in there", "groggy", "posh", and "bob's your uncle"! I love the English culture and way of life, I have never drank so much tea, ever! We were also able to work at an estate home called Penpont, that has been in the family since 1666. I felt like I was living in Pride and Prejudice for two weeks, it was magical. We worked in their Victorian walled gardens, they grow everything you could imagine, we harvested the vege once a week, to sell in their farm shop. I have never felt so connected to food, their is something so enchanting about pulling beets out of the ground and then preparing a beetroot cake! WWOOF is the way to go -- ask Kirk and Eva -- they've done it!

You and your sister have some exciting plans in the works. Can you tell us about it?

My sister is a chef by trade and has dreamt of opening a seed to table garden cafe. Through our experiences this summer, we decided to make this a joint venture (we do everything together anyways.) Food is her passion, she makes you love food even more than you thought possible, just by cooking with her. My passion is design so we are going to put the two together and what have you got? A retreat, an escape, a place to sip tea by the roaring fire in the heath. A place to savor thoughtful and seasonal food. Everything will remind you of home, homemade sourdough bread from our masonry oven, homemade jams and chutneys from the summer harvest, and hearty soups during the long winter months. We plan on buying some land in the Pacific Northwest, for our Neverland, and build our cafe surrounded by lush woodlands. Our cafe will be vegetarian and open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch! We would love to eventually hold private parties or events for dinner, where my love for floral design and letterpress printing would come into play. It's a thrill to realize your dreams, just talking about it makes me giddy!

What do you find inspiring?

Blast from the past, I am very nostalgic, and I find simple old fashioned life so idyllic. It seems everything was made with great thought of design and aesthetic and was built to last. My favorite era is the 1950s, the cars, clothes, and oh and that hair!

Off the top of your head, what's your favorite...

Song: Rave On by Buddy Holly

Book: Peter Pan

Destination: London

Color: black

Food: CAKE

Movie: Across the Universe

Shop: I love deals, so Charity shops in England!

Although we're going to miss her a lot, Kandyce's internship ends at the end of the semester (in December). We're looking for a new intern or two for Jan - May, so if you're interested, email your resume to me: eva@sycamorestreetpress.com. Thanks!

What Kind of Kitchen Would You Choose?

2011-10-11T14:40:00.000-06:00

If I was putting together my dream kitchen, it wouldn't need to have fancy cabinets or top of the line appliances. But I do picture it with lots of light, storage, counter space, and a homey feeling. Maybe some kind of combination of all of the Scandinavian kitchens pictured above. Yes, that would do. ;)

How about you? In a dream world -- where you bake bread, can fruit & veg from your garden, make delicious, healthy food from scratch every day, and there's always enough for visitors -- what does your kitchen look like?

Photos: (from top to bottom) Tia Borgsmidt, Sveinung Brathem, Tia Borgsmidt, Linnea Preu, Tia Borgsmidt (All images from Bonytt, and hand lettering by Eva Jorgensen.)

Letterpress for Halloween

2011-10-07T14:22:00.000-06:00

You can find our Halloween party invite at Tiny Prints,
and our letterpress Halloween greeting card in our online shop, as well as select boutiques.

I can't believe it's this time of year again! Are you dressing up? I'm not sure if I am, but Ingrid is going to be Sookie, the Saggy Baggy Elephant, courtesy of her Grandma Jorgensen. As for Kirk, he never wears costumes. Not since our first Halloween as a married couple when I convinced him that we should be zombie cops. Oh well.

We Took 5

2011-09-27T16:44:00.000-06:00

I used to think that going on a vacation so close to home was a really lame idea. I was wrong.

Traveling to far-flung places is still something I would love to do. But with most of our time, energy, and money being funneled into our company & baby (not that we're complaining!), a weekend trip to a nearby town was the perfect vacation for us right now. Park City is only a 30 minute drive from our house. (And it's actually the first place I lived after moving to Utah with my family when I was 15.) But even though it's so close, we rarely get over there to explore. Now that I've been reminded of what a nice place it is, though, I want to start taking little day trips over there as often as possible!

Some of the things we did:

+ Ate ham & cheese croissants for breakfast at the Bakery at Windy Ridge. (So delicious, we decided to go back the next day!)

+ Stayed up way too late hanging out with our friends Kristin & Craig, who were also in town staying at their aunt's condo. (Kristin designs our Lark line.)

+ Walked down a lovely path alongside the most picturesque barn.

+ Went to El Chubasco for sopes and the salsa bar.

+ Stopped by some shops on Main Street, including Olive & Tweed, Prospect & Prospect Youth, Cake Boutique, the Crosby Collection, Davies-Reid, and Dolly's Bookstore.

+ Went out to a movie for the first time in months.

+ Fed the ducks and ate lovely salads on the back deck of the Deer Valley Grocery-Café.

+ Figured out that we could put Ingrid down to sleep in the same room as another kid (as long as they couldn't see each other).

+ Relaxed in the shade on the Windy Ridge Café patio, while eating a yummy dinner of tuna and local vegetables.

We had such a great time! And it was so nice to spend an entire Saturday just relaxing and having fun rather than working, running errands, or cleaning the house as is our usual routine. Especially since we've had an especially crazy schedule at work lately with new collections, a new website in the works, and the holidays just around the corner... We felt so much more refreshed coming back to work on Monday.

New French Pastry Collection & 2012 Calendar

2011-09-20T06:39:00.004-06:00

Des Pâtisseries -- our newest collection -- is now available! Click here to see it in our shop, or email Kirk (kirk at sycamorestreetpress dot com) to place wholesale orders.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

My mom lived in Paris for 9 years with her parents and siblings, so they were all very opinionated about which pastries I should draw for this project. My mom loves macarons, my granny's favorite is the religieuse, my aunt (and I) chose the pain au chocolat, etc... But top honors go to the tarte aux framboises, which made it onto everyone's list.

FYI: The most unusual treats I included -- des calissons -- aren't really pastries. They're an almond & melon based sweet my mom and I fell in love with one day while exploring the town of Aix-en-Provence in the South of France. That was over 10 years ago, but I can still remember them so distinctly!

I hope I get to go back to France one day... and not just for dessert. :)

Photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat for Sycamore Street Press. Pastries courtesy of Les Madeleines.

Our Letterpress No. 2

2011-09-15T15:54:00.000-06:00

4 years ago, Kirk and I moved our first letterpress into our dining room on Sycamore Street in Columbus, Ohio. I already had the name "Sycamore Street Press" picked out, and went right to work on designing, sourcing materials, etc... Although I knew I was starting a letterpress paper goods company, I didn't think it would ever be larger than just me and my press. That all changed, of course. It just sucked me in more and more... and I let it. But that's a good thing.

Here's why:

1) I love it.
2) It's a wonderful & practical way to use my degrees in studio art and printmaking.
3) Kirk ended up loving it, too, and now we are able to work together every day.

So for the past 4 years, our business has grown and our goods are now carried in hundreds of shops all over the world. (Crazy!) We've continued printing every single thing on our trusty Vandercook: our first and only press up until this point. It doesn't have a motor of any sort, and it's probably the slowest way possible of letterpress printing (which is already much slower than more contemporary methods). But it's solid and lovely to work with. And most importantly -- it produces beautifully textured results.

For the past couple of years, though, we've felt the need to get another press. Kirk has stayed up late night after night cranking the press back and forth, and still we've had to turn down more and more requests for custom work. We've simply maxed out the amount of work that can be done on one flatbed letterpress.

But getting a press is a little more complicated than a trip to the mall. They haven't been manufactured since the 1960's or 70's, so there's a finite amount left in the world. Even finding one for sale can be a chore. Especially if you are looking for a very specific kind, want it to be in good working condition, nearby, and reasonably priced. It took us 2 years to find our second press, and I consider that lucky!

We weren't looking for just any letterpress -- we wanted a Heidelberg Windmill. These presses are the true workhorses of the letterpress industry. They're still much slower, hands-on, and deliberate than digital or offset presses, but compared to our Vandercook, the Windmill is a dream of efficiency. And the resulting color and impression are equal to, if not better, than what we can do with the Vandercook. We still love the Vandie and will still use it to print large scale projects such as our 11x14" art prints. But we're hoping the Windmill will take over greeting card duty.

Now, I may be getting ahead of myself with all this talk. We still have to finish cleaning and setting up the press. And learning to print well on it will be a challenge...

In any case, it's here, and we're excited.

/////

A few things I've been enjoying lately:

Dreamy sounds & visuals on this new album.

I'd love a distressed mirrored wall in my home. Would you?

This might be just the thing to finish off my living room. (via d*s)

I could move right in to this charming place.

Simple. Easy. Delicious. My favorite kind of recipe.

Currently reading this and this. Both are amazing.

Ingrid is about to start walking, but still wears size 3-6 month shoes. I'm having a hard time finding some that will work for her (and for my aesthetics), but these might do the trick.

/////

Have a lovely week!

Eva

A Peek At Our Pastries... & A Sea Change

2011-09-07T10:00:00.002-06:00

Just a little peek at our upcoming Pâtisseries collection!

This is a detail from the calendar, but there's more... It'll be up in the shop by next week. Our loyal newsletter subscribers will be the first to know! (You can sign up in the blog sidebar, if you're feeling so inclined.)

Another thing.

Maybe you noticed that my posts have been sparse lately? That's partly because I've had so much extra work on my plate: two new collections, a huge photoshoot, and a completely new website to launch this fall. They're all exciting, but all very time-consuming. I've been really busy in the past, though, and still usually managed to keep up. But I'm not really feeling the need for daily posting anymore, and I don't think I'm the only one.

It feels like a sea change has begun in the world of blogging.

You see, between Twitter, Facebook, Svpply, Insta.gram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Flickr, Etsy, Google Plus, Digg, Kirtsy, etc... is there really the need to blog daily? I don't participate in all of these. I definitely think you have to pick and choose. But I still find myself involved in a lot.

Here's the list of my daily social media fixes:

+ Taking photos of my everyday on my Insta.gram.

+ Posting questions, comments, and photos to our Facebook page.

+ Pinning design finds to my Pinterest boards.

+ Carrying on a dialogue over at my Twitter feed.

To me, these are fun, interactive, and not very time-consuming activities. But my involvement in them has begun to make me want to treat this blog a bit differently.

I feel a need to pare down, simplify --
to make each post thoughtful & beautiful.

I'm not completely sure how to go about that. But I do know that this blog is special to me. I love creating posts, and I love interacting with you. I don't want to stop. Hopefully you can be a little patient with me while I get things sorted out.

What do you think about all of this? I know from conversations I've had on Twitter and elsewhere that I'm not the only one feeling this pull. For those of you who blog, how do you use social media and how has it affected your blogging?

p.s. Here's an interesting post I read, if you'd like to read more on the subject.

On the Road //// Chicago

2011-08-24T19:55:00.000-06:00

Hello! We're in the midst of cramming for a big photo shoot next week, which is why I haven't had time to spend on the blog. But I did want to show you a few pics from our quick trip to Chicago last weekend.

My little brother's wedding was beautiful (so was his bride!) and it was great having some concentrated family time. We ate some Chicago-style pizza pie, walked around downtown, took the architectural boat tour, and piled into my parents' hotel room for some (not so) late night hang out sessions. Thanks for all of your suggestions! Wish we could have done more, but you might know (or can imagine) how it is when you're traveling in a group of 9 adults and 2 small children. Nothing is quick and easy. Ha ha.

I have to say that I was very worried about traveling with a baby, but Ingrid was a champ. She loved seeing new things, trying new foods, and staying up late. But flying with a baby -- even a good natured one -- has made it onto my least favorite things list.

p.s. Kristin taught me how to put my hand lettering and drawing on photos. I can tell I'm going to have a lot of fun with this!

On the Road ///// Chicago Tips?

2011-08-17T06:53:00.005-06:00

My little brother is getting married in Chicago this weekend, so we're taking a quick trip to the windy city. I think we'll have a little bit of time for exploring and I'd love to hear your tips!

p.s. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of my favorite movies. Wouldn't it be great to spend a day doing everything he did?

images ///// via tmdb

Sycamore Street Press ///// Seeking Intern!

2011-08-16T06:24:00.007-06:00

Pretty Projects ///// Embroidered Felt Garland

2011-08-15T06:52:00.001-06:00

I hope you don't mind I have another handmade gift to share this morning. :)

Ingrid's aunt Kirsten made her this pretty banner of felt doves and leaves. It hangs from a shelf in the nook. The colors fit perfectly in the room, and I love how she embroidered a slightly different design on each dove.

Wrapped Up In Books ///// Les Petites Filles Modèles and others

2011-08-12T06:53:00.000-06:00

When I was in high school, I received a set of vintage French books as a gift. I was studying the language in school and although my reading comprehension wasn't yet up to the task, I fell in love with the books anyway. I still love their pretty yellow spines and charming watercolor illustrations. Has anyone read them? I think I should try again...

Author /// La Comtesse de Ségur ///// Illustrator /// André Pécoud

We Go Together ///// Goldenrod & White

2011-08-11T06:20:00.000-06:00

I'm really into white kitchens with yellow, black, and natural accents right now, so I'm loving this collage that Caroline put together. What is your dream kitchen?

Un Citron by cw2389 Slideshow - Room Finder | PointClickHome, $1"Easy Breakfast & Brunch" Cookbook, $20 Le Creuset Almond traditional stove whistle kettle, £52 Mango Wood Bread Board, £35 Fiesta Dinnerware, Jam Jar, $17 Set of 4 Porcelain Yellow Measuring Spoons, $2.50 Mario Batali Polenta 3-Quart Soup Pot, $80 Chilewich® Dahlia Gold Placemat, $7.95 Michael Aram 'Apple' Honey Pot with Spoon Goldplate One Size, $72 Cake Stand Jadeite 12", Glassware, American Glassware at..., $75

Our Place ///// Ingrid's Nook

2011-08-10T06:38:00.000-06:00

Ingrid sleeps in a little nook in our room. As you can see, her crib is only a couple of steps away from our bed. This poses an interesting dilemma while decorating the room (and at other times, I'll admit!) I want her space to blend well with ours, but also be distinctive.

We decided to stick with the same color scheme, but bump it up a bit. We painted the walls in the nook robin's egg blue, and added pops of warm, faded pink and orange. (Our side of the room is mainly warm white with soft shades of blue, green, and brown.) My grandparents gave me the hand loomed Polish wall hanging. My grandmother made the quilt, Kirk's mom made the crib sheet, and Ingrid's friend Blythe gave her the mobile. At night or during naps we simply pull the striped blackout curtain across the nook.

We like our set up for now. Eventually, I'd like Ingrid to have a room of her own. But that will require adding on.... yikes.

(To see this room before, click here.)

Looking Lovely ///// Daniel Everett

2011-08-09T13:29:00.000-06:00

My friend Daniel Everett never ceases to amaze me with his ever-expanding body of work. I love that it's highly conceptual and seems clinical at times, but is also very personal and can be quite playful. See more of his work here, and read an interview with him at Mossless Magazine here.

Pretty Projects ///// Cloud Quilt

2011-08-08T06:25:00.001-06:00

I think it's about time to get back to documenting our little lady's handmade gifts.

This photo of Ingrid is one of my favorites. Her little pursed lips, that tight cuddly bundle of a baby, the beautiful handmade hat and quilt...

My friend Claire made the quilt, and we've used it countless times. It was the perfect size for swaddling Ingrid as a newborn, and later, for draping over her in the crib or car seat. Claire sews exclusively with quality vintage and secondhand fabrics in her line of goods, my favourite dress. Because of that, the blanket felt soft and buttery from the first time we used it.

I didn't notice at first glance is that Claire had hand-quilted this piece. Not only that -- the quilting is in the shape of clouds! What a charming detail, don't you think?

Ingrid is one lucky girl. See her other handmade quilts here and here.

At The Table ///// Summer Spoils

2011-08-05T06:30:00.001-06:00

It's easier to eat quickly and healthfully during the summer, don't you think? There are so many delicious, fresh things to choose from. My mom has a huge patch of lettuce growing that I can clip from whenever I want. And I've been adding basil from the big clay pot near our front door to nearly everything. Yum.

Do you have any favorite cookbooks that feature simple, seasonal cooking? Although Kirk and I usually just throw things together rather than following a recipe, I love finding new combinations and ideas in cookbooks. We've been enjoying Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast, but I'd love to hear your suggestions. Thanks!

Elsewhere ///// Hither & Thither Guest Post

2011-08-04T14:45:00.000-06:00

While in California, we took Ingrid to the beach for the first time, and it did not turn out as we expected!

See more photos and hear the whole little story on my guest post at Hither & Thither, the blog of NYC based traveling couple Ashley and Aron Bruhn.

p.s. If you're not familiar with their blog already, and you like good food and traveling (2 of my favorite things), you should really check it out!

Sound & Vision ///// Dream In Pink

2011-08-04T06:32:00.011-06:00

I made a mix for July. Sorry it's a little bit late! Things have been crazy. (It seems like I say that every week, though.)
But this mix is a cure for the craziness. Enjoy!

Click here to listen.

///// Dream In Pink /////

1 / Shadow ///// Blouse
2 / Hysteric ///// Yeah Yeah Yeahs
3 / Hyper-Ballad ///// Bjork
4 / Anthonio (Fred Falke Remix) ///// Annie
5 / Keep You ///// Class Actress
6 / Remember ///// Air
7 / Scrambled ///// Ok Ikumi
8 / Just Like Honey ///// The Jesus and Mary Chain

Looking Lovely ///// Clean, Bright, Beautiful

2011-08-03T06:56:00.004-06:00

Their names are Jóel Pálsson and Bergthora Gudnadottir, they design an organic line of clothing, and have an amazing home. Could these two get any cooler? Yes, actually. Because they happen to live in Iceland -- home of Björk, Sigur Rós, and some might say the most wildly beautiful landscape in the world.

All images ///// Emily Anderson for Rue Magazine

We Go Together ///// Aqua & Goldenrod

2011-08-02T06:36:00.016-06:00

I love this mood board that Caroline put together. A baby girl's nursery decorated along these lines would transition so well as the girl grew older, don't you think?

Sometimes I wonder if Ingrid will be interested in these kinds of things. I can remember loving fabrics, furniture, and tile as far back as when I was 4 years old. Do many kids notice the way the colors, style, etc... of the interiors around them? Or just those who go on to be interested in design and interiors later in life? I'd love to hear your insight!

So Happy Together by cw2389. Time to Deco-rate Clock in Sun, $40 Canary Print Slipper Chair - Yellow : Target, $75 Thomas Paul Banner Coral Cotton Pillow, $70 GiGi Nightstand, $149 Simply Striped Linen Pillow - Kidney | Pillows & Cushions | Wisteria, $69 Bungalow 5 Ceylon Table Lamp In Yellow - Bungalow-5-ceyl-lmp-yel |..., $463 Sherbet Blue Fabric Throw, £28 Bone Photo Frame - Rectangle | Decorative | Wisteria, $29

Style Snapshot ///// Madewell

2011-07-29T06:00:00.006-06:00

I'm feeling inspired by these looks for fall by Madewell.

And have you seen the "My Madewell" section of their website? The latest incarnation features Eleanor Friedberger (of the Fiery Furnaces). Very fun.

Welcome to Black*Eiffel readers, and a great weekend to all!

Elsewhere ///// Black Eiffel Interview

2011-07-28T14:28:00.002-06:00

Rachel from Black* Eiffel interviewed me for her Mother of Beauty series back in May, and she posted it on her blog today! I've loved reading Black*Eiffel for years now, so I was really happy to participate. I can't wait to see who else Rachel is featuring...

Click here to read the interview.

Sycamore Classes ///// Thank You Cards on September 17th

2011-07-28T06:06:00.003-06:00

We've scheduled a couple more letterpress workshops for Saturday September 17th! Click here to get more info.

Also, we can arrange private classes if you have a group of 6-10 people who would like to take a class together. We've had people do this before, and it's a lot of fun!

On the Road ///// The Beach

2011-07-27T06:34:00.001-06:00

What's a trip to the coast without a day (or two, or three...) at the beach? Luckily for us, our family in California lives about 10 minutes away from a beautiful beach. We spent an afternoon there, but I could have stayed for a week. Easily.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Oh well. We do have some exciting things brewing here in the printshop, though... For starters, a new letterpress! Can you believe I started Sycamore Street Press almost 4 years ago, and we're still printing on one little non-motorized press? Our "little" Vandercook no. 3 is like The Little Engine That Could... it's done a tremendous job. But we've maxed out our workload. In order to grow, we need another machine. Luckily, we found a beauty! I'll post pics when I can.

We Go Together ///// Goldenrod & Graphite

2011-07-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

Another pretty pairing put together by Caroline. I think this is my favorite yet!

This is the Start by cw2389 featuring floral rings Print dress, $100 High heel shoes, $90 Zara messenger bag, $40 Kate Spade floral ring, $44 Madewell metal jewelry, $28 Bow hat, $13 Linda Farrow Luxe glass shades, $425

On The Road ///// A Bit of Earth

2011-07-22T06:23:00.006-06:00

We took a quick trip last weekend to visit family in California. They have a spot in this community garden which had such a wild, wonderful beauty. Kirk said it reminded him of Russian dachas.

I love that places like this exist.

Do you have a garden?

Looking Lovely ///// A Little Green House

2011-07-21T06:19:00.001-06:00

I spotted this house the other day while on a walk with Kirk. Isn't it lovely?

Our Little Life ///// The National Pastime

2011-07-20T17:18:00.000-06:00

Cracker Jacks and hot dogs.
A League of Their Own and The Sandlot.
My brothers' little league games and the Dodgers.
Jose Canseco and Orel Hershiser.

We went to a game for the first time in years, and it still felt like magic.

Sound & Vision ////// The Boy Who Could Fly

2011-07-18T06:07:00.000-06:00

The Boy Who Could Fly - Future Nun from If You Make It on Vimeo.

My friend Kari* makes music under the name The Boy Who Could Fly. (I've featured her here before -- maybe you remember?). Anyways, she was recently featured on the very cool Pink Couch Sessions playing a live acoustic version of her song Future Nun. I love when she gets into the chorus and really starts singing it out. So infectious! And I just love this song.

* Kari also happens to be my sister in law, but we were friends before I even met Kirk. In fact, she introduced us.

On The Road ///// The Golden State

2011-07-15T07:07:00.007-06:00

Hello there! My parents are holding down the fort while Ingrid, Kirk, and I are off visiting family in sunny Southern California. I've been looking forward to lounging on the beach with our family for months!

This film still is from the original Gidget. I love that movie. Sandra Dee's character lived my teenage dream. Seriously -- I would have loved to be a teenage surfer in 50's/60's era California. Do you ever think about things like that? Alternative eras and scenes you'd like to experience?

I M A G E ///// via Sarcastathon 3000

Sycamore Q & A {no. 72} ///// Caroline Woods of Sycamore Street Press

2011-07-14T06:42:00.008-06:00

Meet Caroline Woods, one of our summer interns! Caroline grew up in Baltimore and now lives with her husband in Provo, Utah. She studies English at Brigham Young University. We are so glad to have her here at Sycamore Street Press!

List 5 of your current inspirations

urbaneelements.com is a great source for inspiring photos of interiors, fashion, aesthetics, and happens to be totally dude-centered.

ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars. It is completely embarrassing to admit, but the fashion, hair, makeup, and interior design far outweigh the less-than-stimulating plot line.

Alice Lane. I wish I could live in their showroom. Nuff said.

theburninghouse.com This is a great blog where readers can submit photos of the things they would snag if their house was up in flames...it is surprisingly artistic.

Real Simple Magazine. I love this pared-down and modern version of a lifestyle publication.

List 5 of your favorite artists

Chloé. Specifically the brand's designs for the fall. There is a gorgeous mixture of prints, knits, and leather...not to mention a seriously 70's vibe which I love.

Brian Doyle. His prose is amazing. My writing style completely changed after reading it.

Two Door Cinema Club. I love their mix of indie rock and techno elements. I tune into their pandora station whenever I have to get some serious work done. It's fast-paced and not insufferably poppy. Juuuust right.

Brian Kershisnik. He is a phenomenal and funny artist. His work is surprisingly sentimental, moving, and simultaneously existential and spiritual.

Jamie Oliver and his jaw-dropping 20-minute meals app for iphone. His recipes are a delicious blend of rustic and gourmet.

Dream living situation

Anywhere with an incredible kitchen and a ton of windows for light. That could mean a cottage in the woods or an industrial loft with exposed brick walls...as long as the aesthetic is there I don't really have a preference.

List 5 of your goals for the next year

Finish my English degree (FINALLY!)

Take more pictures.

Work on my Spanish.

Be outgoing and friendly.

Be positive.

//////////////////////////

Thanks Caroline!

Caroline is also the stylish whiz behind the We Go Together series. Find her personal blog here.

I M A G E S (from top to bottom) ///// Sycamore Street Press ///// Alice Lane ///// Chloé ///// Styled by Aaron Homm via Desire to Inspire ///// The Sartorialist /////

We Go Together ///// Teal & Graphite

2011-07-13T06:49:00.026-06:00

Feeling fancy...

You're Really Good at Doing Stuff For Me to Thank You For, $4.50 ///// H m, £15 ///// Octangonal, Mirrors, italian, Antique, Mirror, wall, art | Wisteria ///// Haley Table Lamp, $249 ///// Can Can Cinched Decorative Pillow, $20 ///// Bark Diamond Throw Pillow

Sycamore Street Press ///// Ingrid's Birth Announcements

2011-07-12T05:50:00.000-06:00

Better late than never, right?

These have been in the works for months, but we just sent them out in the past few weeks. In fact, I still have more I need to send out!* But at least I'm happy with how they turned out! And they were so much fun to do... especially because they were in honor of our little girl.

I knew that I wanted the design to be pretty, feminine, and cheerful without being too cutesy. (Hopefully I achieved that.) I didn't look far for inspiration. I looked to Ingrid's nook of our family bedroom for the colors, and to a couple of my own cards for the design inspiration. (This one and this one.) I've been making folk art inspired work for almost 10 years, so at this point, I often take older drawings as a starting point. But of course the original inspiration always comes from somewhere else. For my Scandinavian florals and wreaths like these, as well as my hand lettered script -- it's from the art of my Swedish great-grandmother for whom Ingrid and I are both named.

It's funny -- the design for the announcement came together in one afternoon. But all the other little details took forever to decide upon and finish. Like the stamps I had made for the front of the envelope and the ribbon I ordered from Angela Liguori. (I've been using her ribbon for a couple of years now and it makes everything it touches feel special!)

In the end, almost everyone on the Sycamore team had a hand in pulling these together. (Otherwise, I may have been sending these out in time for her fifth birthday.) Thanks guys!

As a side note, this is reminding me that I have so much custom work that we've done over the years and has yet to be documented! We actually don't have time to take on any custom work at the moment, but we are working on a portfolio of invitations and announcements that will hopefully debut some time at the end of this year or the beginning of the next... stay tuned for more details.

*If you are a friend, family member, or Sycamore stockist, and did not receive one but would like to, please let me know. My computer crashed while I was in the middle of compiling addresses, and I'm sure that I lost some. I just haven't had the time to meticulously go through the list.

Pretty Projects ////// Handmade Soft Blocks

2011-07-11T06:40:00.002-06:00

If you saw the sneak peek of our old home in Ohio on Design*Sponge a few years back, these blocks might look familiar. They're made from our old pillowcases! Although we changed up the look of our bedroom, I still love the pretty patterns of these vintage linens and wanted to find another use for them. I ended up sending them to Little1Fun on Etsy who turned them into these lovely blocks and a set of bean bags for Ingrid to use when she's a bit older.

And these aren't one of those pretty toys that the baby doesn't actually want to play with. She loves to shake them (they jingle), pick them up, throw them, and -- of course -- put them in her mouth.

I just realized that I never finished blogging about the lovely handmade gifts Ingrid received when she was born! I'll try my best to take some photos to show you... they really are lovely.

Looking Lovely ///// New Bohemia Signs

2011-07-08T06:46:00.000-06:00

Apparently there's a big revival of hand painted signs in San Francisco and other parts of the country. I love it! Like letterpress, I think this is the kind of skilled craftsmanship that needs to be preserved. It's just so beautiful -- vinyl lettering and other more modern techniques just can't measure up.

These lovely examples are all the work of New Bohemia Signs. I'd like to save up my pennies and have them paint a sign for Sycamore Street Press.

Faythe Levine -- director of Handmade Nation -- is making a new film about sign painters. I can't wait to see it. You can follow her progress here.

I M A G E S ///// New Bohemia Signs

We Go Together ///// Black & White

2011-07-07T06:34:00.001-06:00

Yes, please.

I M A G E S ///// Click Click Click, $35 Striped top, $76 J Brand zip jeans, $189 Steve madden shoes, $64 Leather handbag, £110 Citrine ByThe Stones 18k bracelet, $175 Wool hat, $45 Alexander Wang gold shades

Sycamore Q & A {no. 71} ///// Alyson Sharette of Sycamore Street Press

2011-07-06T16:10:00.001-06:00

Meet Alyson Sharette, summer intern for Sycamore Street Press! Aly hails from Salt Lake City, Utah and studies Graphic Design at Utah Valley University. She now lives in Sandy, Utah with her husband, David and their dog Lucy Lou. She's been such a great addition to the Sycamore team!

Aly kindly agreed to sharing some of her inspirations and goals with us:

5 Current Inspirations

My husband David. He has more faith in me and my abilities to be successful than anyone else, even myself. Every day he challenges me to be a better version of myself, yet at the same time loves me for who I am now and who I dream of becoming. That is inspiring.

Nourished Kitchen. Finally an easier way to have a truly raw, healthy and organic diet.

Brandy Winfield. She was the 2011 bikram yoga champion. See her here.

My new found love of pinterest. Especially my dream home board.

The House Home. Oh the possibilities....

5 favorite artists (as of right now)

Jessica Hische. She knows her type.

Amanda Jones.I just recently found her. She is involved with all sorts of amazing projects.

Krista Schrock Amazing designer. In all aspects.

Gustav Klimt I could stare at his work for hours.

Katie Vernon Love what she does with flowers.

Dream Living Situation

Living in a saltbox/craftsman/shingle/new england style house my husband and I built with a good amount of land to have a horse, chickens and a garden full of good food to eat. Complete with a beautiful patio garden area where I can throw parties for no reason. Of course I will need a workspace so I can work from home and raise my kids.

5 goals for next year

Graduate as a Graphic Designer

Begin on my own business as graphic designer

Learn Dreamweaver and create my website

Complete my portfolio

And maybe not next year, but soon, own a letterpress.

Thanks Aly!

You can download a larger version of her desktop calendar (featured above) if you visit her blog.

I M A G E S (from top to bottom) ///// Eva Jorgensen for Sycamore Street Press ///// Cape 27 via Aly's Pinterest ///// Katie Vernon ///// Stephen Ellwood and Todd Carr's home on Apartment Therapy ///// Alyson Sharette ///// Alyson Sharette

Hand Lettered ///// John Lennon

2011-07-05T07:15:00.001-06:00

Wrapped Up In Books ///// Treehouses by Peter Nelson

2011-07-01T06:10:00.002-06:00

I don't think I was the only kid who saw Swiss Family Robinson and wished that I, too, could shipwreck in the South Pacific just so I could live in a tree house. I still think it would be pretty amazing to live among the limbs of a big old tree. Which is why I had such a hard time editing down the images I wanted to show you from this book. It's just full of awesomeness.

Images ///// Treehouses by Peter Nelson ///// Photos by Paul Rocheleau

We Go Together ///// Persimmon & Aqua

2011-06-30T06:10:00.002-06:00

For the first time ever, Sycamore Street Press has interns! I'll be highlighting these lovely ladies in another post or two, but first I'd like to show you what one of them has been up to. In addition to helping us with tasks around the printshop, Caroline Woods is creating pretty little mood boards like this for a new blog column: We Go Together.

TopShop nude t shirt, $130Cotton skirt, $20 Zara woven shoes, $80 Marc jacobs shoulder bag, $462 ASOS watch, $52 Isharya brass bangle bracelet, £65 Sandra Dini 18k gold jewelry, $1,160 Illamasqua S/S 11 Toxic Nature Collection Nail Polish, $23 Who Love You?, $35

Looking Lovely ///// The Big Blue Sea

2011-06-29T06:04:00.003-06:00

Well, it looks like I'm in a summery mood this week. And nothing says "summer" to me more than the ocean. I miss it.

Images ///// Wolfgang Uhlig at Lumas Editions.

Style Snapshot ///// Summer Nostalgia

2011-06-28T06:08:00.002-06:00

Summer is finally here!

Thinking about this season always makes me nostalgic. Lanyard bracelets, It Must Have Been Love, green hair, fresh watermelon, Zinka sunscreen, Salt Water Sandals, The Beach Boys, and boogie boards were a few of my summer staples growing up.

What reminds you of summer?

Images ///// Noir Jewelery via Style.com ///// Miami Opti Moms

Sycamore Street Press //// Sycamore Tattoos No. 2 & 3

2011-06-27T06:51:00.002-06:00

Friends and photographers Brooke Marie and Ashley Norquist just got matching tattoos. Aren't they cute?! The tattoos are based on an illustration from the Click Click Click letterpress art print designed by our girl Steph.

Remember the first Sycamore tattoo? If anyone else has one or is thinking of getting a tattoo based on one of our designs, we'd love to see it!

Our Little Life ///// To All The Dads

2011-06-26T06:41:00.001-06:00

I'm sorry this is so incredibly late, but I still wanted to wish you a Happy Father's Day!

(This is me and my dad circa 1985.)

Our Little Life ///// Don't Mess With Her

2011-06-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

Ingrid has quite the stubborn streak. I wonder where she got it? :)

Looking Lovely ///// Kidnected World

2011-06-23T06:40:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of the new non-profit, Kidnected World? Here's what they have to say:

We were founded with the thought that if you can erase the difference between fun and learning, introduce kids to places and people they've never seen and show them that there are things that connect us all, you can help them to create a world that we all would want to live in.

Sounds pretty great, right? So I was thrilled when my friend and collaborator, Kristin Mills, asked if I'd do some hand lettering for them. I think she did a great job on the logo and website. It's bright, cheerful, and whimsical -- perfect for a non-profit focused on children -- without being too sweet and cloying. She also pulled in the über clever Amy Shaffer (her Lark co-conspirator) to do some writing for them. (Hiring someone to write your website copy is something small business owners tend to overlook, but it can really make ALL the difference... I'm planning on hiring Amy to write ours the next time around.)

Anyways, I loved doing the lettering. I always do. This was my first time working for a corporate-type client (as opposed to a bride, mama-to-be, etc...) Although I was a bit nervous at first, I ended up having a blast!

If anyone is interested in hiring any of us, here's our contact info:

Kristin Mills (graphic design): mills.kristin(at)gmail(dot)com
Amy Shaffer (writing): amy.e.shaffer(at)gmail(dot)com
Eva Jorgensen (hand lettering & illustration): eva(at)sycamorestreetpress(dot)com

At The Table ///// Peas, Pears, Prunes...

2011-06-22T06:06:00.016-06:00

Call me crazy, but I'm making Ingrid's baby food.

So far, so good.

The peas are my favorite, simply because they look and taste so much better than the bottled version. Some of the others -- apples for example -- don't seem that much different, and I wonder why I bother. But it is quite a bit less expensive overall, especially if you're going the organic route.

When Kirk's mom found out I wanted to make Ingrid's food, she gave me this book. It's been really great. In addition to baby food recipes, it's been a handy reference for feeding timelines, safety tips, etc... which is nice for a somewhat nervous, first-time mom like me. If anything, it errs on the side of giving too many recipes and information. (A recipe for apple oatmeal tells you to mix together one spoonful of apple puree and one spoonful of cooked oatmeal... Ha ha. Really?)

Who knows if I'll keep this up for Ingrid's entire babyhood, or if her future younger sibling will get the same treatment? For now, I just know that I enjoy making Ingrid's food, and she seems to like eating it... well, most of the time, anyways. - Eva

Giveaway ///// Shabby Apple

2011-06-21T07:06:00.002-06:00

I've noticed that Shabby Apple has some cute vintage-inspired dresses, bathing suits, and skirts lately. So I'm happy to say that they're giving away the Adelaide skirt (pictured above) to one of my readers! Just leave a comment below to enter, and be sure to check back on Monday, June 27th for the winner. If you like, you can also use the code: sycamore10off to get 10% off in the Shabby Apple shop.

p.s. I love how they shoot their collections on location. That polka dot bathing suit was shot in Cinque Terra... a place I've wanted to visit for so long! One day, right?)

U P D A T E D : 6.27.11 Ashley (Mrs. Marcus) is the lucky winner! Thanks to everyone who commented.

Sound & Vision ////// New Animated Video from Belle & Sebastian

2011-06-20T06:50:00.002-06:00

I Didn't See it Coming is my favorite song off of Belle & Sebastian's most recent album. So I was happy to hear that a video and remix of that particular track just came out. I love all the brightly colored patterns and folk art inspired animations in the video -- and the new beats and synths in the remix are great. Dare I say that I like it even more than the original?(Although, Stuart's dancing in the original video is awfully cute.)

p. s. I know I'm a bit predictable when it comes to posting Belle & Sebastian news, but I just can't help myself.

Our Little Life ///// Two Birds With One Stone

2011-06-17T11:19:00.001-06:00

As a mother, and a somewhat type A personality, I love finding ways to effectively multitask. It's great to be able to spend quality time with Ingrid while also getting stuff done.

I don't mean juggling her on my knee while I send an email or write a blog post. I mean things like going on walks, taking a bath, and gardening. We both enjoy all of these things, I'm able to accomplish some sort of task by doing them, and we can do them together.

Gardening is something I just figured out that she likes. She happily hung out -- strapped to my back -- while I re-potted these succulents and cleaned up the front porch. (I think it helped that there was a kitty near by for her to make eyes at.)

Our next "mommy & me" project: planting a kitchen garden with her grandma. I'm pretty sure Ingrid will love hanging out in the dirt and picking tomatoes off the vine.

Sycamore Classes ///// Intro to Letterpress Summer Workshops

2011-06-15T07:11:00.011-06:00

I've had so many emails over the last several months wondering when we'll be teaching classes again. So I'm very happy to say that we scheduled some for this summer!

We'll be teaching a morning and afternoon workshop on both Saturday July 9th, and Saturday, August 20th.

Bring a friend and come hang out with us! You'll learn the basics of printing and you'll walk away with 25 pretty letterpress cards made with your own hands! Added bonus: We give a 25% discount on all Sycamore goods to students on the day of.

For more details, click here.

Image ///// Eva Jorgensen for Sycamore Street Press

Our Place ///// Let's Get This Party Started

2011-06-14T06:18:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted about our place in a long time, and it's for a good reason. We simply haven't made much progress. Between work and family, there isn't much time left in the day. Luckily, I love my work and I love my family, so that distracts me from my half-finished home & studio most of the time.

But I do love living in an organized, eye-pleasing space. So when I let it, this in-limbo state drives me C-R-A-Z-Y. I decided I've got to set goals for myself and make time to finish the nesting process. (And I realize that I'll never really be finished... but for now that just means no more boxes and piles of things waiting to be put away. And no more bare walls and windows...)

My first goal: to "finish" the living room by July 9th. You may remember what it looked like before. You may remember some images I posted of what I'd like to feel like after. And just for good measure, I decided to throw in another mood board today. No more excuses.

Images (Clockwise from top left) ///// String garden DIY by Design*Sponge ///// Leran Pendant at Ikea ///// Underground Clock at Terrain ///// Cobble Hill Martha Sectional Sofa at ABC Home ///// Kenitra Rug at Anthropologie ///// Mudcloth Pillow at John Robshaw ///// Large Woven Seagrass Basket at Wisteria ///// Unit Buiding Blocks from Plan Toys at Oompa ///// Ranunculas Poster by Debbie Carlos /////

Looking Lovely ///// FriendsWithYou

2011-06-13T05:41:00.001-06:00

Oh. My. Goodness.

I didn't think it possible for the High Line in NYC to get any better! But when an inflatable sculpture installation called "Rainbow City" pays a visit, you know it will.

Images ///// FriendsWithYou via I Heart Guts

Looking Lovely ///// Alphabet Round-Up

2011-06-10T06:59:00.000-06:00

How Now Design

Beauchamping

Sycamore Street Press

There can never be too many alphabet prints.

Sycamore Street Press ///// Be a Collaborator

2011-06-09T13:53:00.000-06:00

Hello Utah friends!

I know it's last minute, but I'd love to invite you all to a Creative Collaborative get together tonight.
I will be speaking along with Sarah Jane and Justin Hackworth. We'll all be talking about "The Road to Success". Ha ha. I feel funny telling you the topic. But I suppose I am proud (and grateful) of the progress our little letterpress company has made in the last 3 1/2 years.

So please come and join us if you can! Bring a friend and a chair. And if you can't make it tonight, find out about future meet-ups here.

Hope to see you there!

When ///// Tonight, Thursday June 9th at 7PM
Where ///// 1 East Center Street #214 / Provo, UT
(same building as Gondolfo's)
Please bring your own chair.

Sound & Vision ///// Oh! Darling

2011-06-09T06:56:00.060-06:00

I've been having a crap day.

My computer has been on the fritz for awhile -- making me feel like I'm working with one arm tied behind my back. After refusing to turn on yesterday, Kirk took it in (for the second time in 3 weeks) and it turns out that the hard drive is toast. Luckily we had backed everything up with Time Machine, right? But oh wait -- for some reason, my iPhoto library didn't back up. That's about 9 years worth of photos.

So I had my crying fit (complete with a dive onto the bed for dramatic effect).

Then I took a hot shower to clear my head. I still felt sick to my stomach, though.

But when Ingrid woke up from her nap, I only had to see her funny, smiling face to feel better. (Okay, maybe not 100%, but I'd say at least 85% better.) I'm still amazed by how happy she makes me. ~~Even on~~ Especially on days like this. After all, I'd only lost some photos. I looked at Kirk holding her and realized that as long as I have the two of them, I have no right to complain.

It's fitting that I had already started working on a mix of songs that I like to sing to her. The songs for those moments when I swoop her up, squish her cheek against mine and sway back and forth. The songs for the kind of moment when I feel like I'll burst with happiness because of her. I might change a word here or there, but overall the lyrics are pretty spot on.

Click here to listen.

Oh! Darling Mix

1 ///// Oh! Darling - The Beatles
2 ///// Do I Love You? (Indeed, I do) - Chris Clarke
3 ///// Isn't She Lovely? - Stevie Wonder
4 ///// I'll Be There - The Jackson 5
5 ///// Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon
6 ///// God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
7 ///// I'm a Believer - The Monkees
8 ///// Be My Baby - The Ronettes
9 ///// For Once In My Life - Smokey Robinson
10 ///// That's How Strong My Love Is - Otis Redding

p.s. I've been on the phone with the Apple Care people, and they've helped me go in and manually recover a few files. It's slow going, but it looks like I'll be able to get back at least some of my photos.

Sycamore Q & A {no.70} ///// Michéle Brummer-Everett

2011-06-08T07:28:00.004-06:00

My dear friend, Michéle Brummer-Everett, has a knack for making amazing things. Drawings, books, prints, and now textiles. She just finished designing a collection for Cloud 9 Fabrics (joining other talented designers like Julia Rothman and Heather Moore from Skinny laMinx). It's called Monsterz, and it is so lovely. I'm picturing my little Ingrid in a romper made from the above fabric combo. Too cute!

1 ///// How did your time at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago influence the kind of artist you've become?

First of all, I have to say that I absolutely LOVED going to school. I dreaded graduating and had a little baby breakdown when I finally did.

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago has an interdisciplinary philosophy. This means you are not stuck in one particular department, you can take whatever classes you like. I took classes in drawing, printmaking, animation, art and technology, fibers, mold making, textile design, social sciences and history to name just a few. In the beginning that was difficult because I felt a little bit lost and unfocused. Once I sorted myself out I was able to use all these different avenues/skills to create a body of work that was varied but worked together as a whole.

I suppose my time there taught me not to be pigeon-holed into one particular discipline. I like the idea of working on lots of different kinds of projects and hope I'll get the chance to do so.

2 ///// How did you dream up Monsterz?

Well, Monsterz actually started out as a very different project. My friend, Sarah, was having a baby and I said I'd do the decorations for her baby shower (I was doing loads of party decorating in Chicago on the side at the time). She was having a little boy and thought monsters would be a fun theme. My husband, Daniel, always forcing me to try new things against my will brought a wacom tablet home from work for me to play with. As usual I resisted, but as I was fiddling around I drew the simple blobs that became the monsters. I made them into invitations, giant posters, patterns for table cloths etc for the party.

(I now have my own tablet and could kiss it good night I love it so much)

Fast forward a few months later. We moved from Chicago to Utah and Daniel set up a studio for me saying that I should just work from home on my own stuff full time. (yep, he's a goodie) I sent out some pattern portfolios to different fabric houses and heard back from Cloud 9. After lots of emails back and forth with Michelle Engel Besco, I was asked to design a children's line. Michelle loved the monsters and wanted them to be the main focus. I then wrote and illustrated a little story about the monsters to help guide me and give me ideas. This gave me a clear direction and made the design process a lot easier.

3 ///// What have you learned from your experience of collaborating with Cloud 9 Fabrics?

I must say that working with Michelle and Gina from Cloud 9 has been a really fantastic experience. I truly feel very lucky to have had the chance to work with such wonderful ladies. They always respected my opinions and ideas and made me feel comfortable doing something that seemed so daunting at first.

This project really was a collaboration. I have always been a bit wary of working with others (enter childhood memories of disastrous group projects) but this was an absolute dream! I loved being able to bounce ideas off each other and watching all these different parts come together as a whole.

4 ///// List 5 of your current inspirations:

1. This video

2. Big, colourful African baskets. I want all of these please.

3. This album

4. Tinsel door decorations for the holidays from the dollar store. I am trying to collect these against my husband's will. So far I have a giant jack-o-lantern and a bright pink chick.

5. This book

5 ///// List 5 of your goals for the next year:

1. Visit a real life ghost town.

2. Get published.

3. Have a little vegetable/herb garden that survives despite my plant murdering expertise.

4. Make a cherpumple and have a little party to celebrate.

5. Finally watch the original Star Wars movies.

Thanks Michéle!

Visit her Tumblr ///// Website

All images (except for last ) ///// Michéle Brummer-Everett for Cloud 9 Fabrics
Last image ///// Michéle Brummer-Everett

On the Road ///// La Bastide de Moustiers

2011-06-07T18:54:00.000-06:00

Tucked away in a less traveled corner of Provence is a little town called Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. It's built into the side of a cliff, with a waterfall spilling out below. Hanging on a wire between the two peaks above the town hangs a golden star.

It's a magical place.

One summer day, over a decade ago, my mom and I were lucky enough to visit. Moustiers is known for its earthenware pottery... which was beautiful, but we had another prize in mind...

La Bastide de Moustiers. A beautiful little country inn with an unbelievable farm to table restaurant. We spent an evening on that terrace eating course after delicious course. The one that stands out in my memory after all these years was a truffle risotto.

It was quite a splurge for us, so we only spent one night, and we only ate one meal.

It was so worth it.

Have you ever saved up your pennies for one crazy decadent thing? What was it? Was it worth it?

images //// 1 Jialang Gao ///// 2-6 David Bordes & Bernard Giani at La Bastide de Moustiers ///// 7 Nepomuk

Style Snapshot ///// Maxi + Neon

2011-06-03T07:22:00.011-06:00


Image by GOOP

Did you see that GOOP did another fashion post a little while back? I'm glad, because that first one she did was fantastic and what really drew me to GOOP in the first place. Are you listening, Ms. Paltrow? :) I'd love to see a fresh one every season... and see less of the new age wisdom about addiction, parenting, and other heavy topics. Not that those aren't important things to talk about, but I suppose I just prefer to get advice on such topics elsewhere. (And after a recent twitter chat, I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.)

Upper right image via My Fashion Life ///// Other images from J. Crew

Anyways, I liked her idea of pairing an easy, neutral maxi dress with a neon accent or two. It just seems comfy and fresh for summer. So, inspired by that, I came up with a couple of less spendy alternatives. These dresses and accessories are from J.Crew, but I've also seen things at Old Navy, American Apparel, etc... and if you're lucky, a 70's/80's saturated thrift shop.

Image on left via Josiebean! ///// Other images from J. Crew

p.s. When Maxi dresses first came back a few years ago, I wasn't that into them. Maybe because they all seemed to be the exact same style. But now there are so many choices out there. What do you think? Would you wear one out and about? Or would you only consider it as a poolside cover-up?

Our Little Life ///// All The Pretty Horses

2011-06-02T06:50:00.003-06:00

I'd like you to meet a few of our neighbors.

For the past week or so, some horses have been put out to pasture alongside our road. Each morning, I take the dog and the little one on a walk, and we get to see them. What a treat.

I've always loved horses. As a kid, I loved Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, and watched The Black Stallion and National Velvet over. And over. And over. One lucky winter break, my parents enrolled me in a horse camp. The camp consisted of more grooming and memorizing than it did riding, but I still thought I had died and gone to heaven.

That doesn't mean that I wish I was a jockey, horse trainer, or any such thing. But it does sound lovely to befriend a nice Quarter Horse, take it on rambling rides around the countryside, and feed it apples from my hand.

For more lovely horses, see this post.

all images ///// Eva Jorgensen for Sycamore Street Press

Little Things ///// Seed

2011-06-01T06:51:00.003-06:00

My friend Michéle pointed me to the online shop called Seed. They have such sweet little things for babies. This is the outfit I would love to get my little one from top to bottom.

And this would be for me. I think it's the most fabulous diaper bag ever.

images ///// Seed

Giveaway ///// A Baker's Dozen Letterpress Cards

2011-05-31T06:48:00.003-06:00

The Month of Paper is coming to an end, so I though I'd finish with a giveaway. It's the least I can do for all of you lovely people who stop by our little corner of the internet. Thank you.

To enter, please leave a comment below. I'll draw a winner at random and post it here on Monday, June 6th. Good luck!

Update 6.7.11 ///// ACP is the winner! Please email me with your choice of cards and mailing address. Thanks to everyone who participated and thanks so much for reading!

Looking Lovely ///// Watercolor & Calligraphy

2011-05-30T11:00:00.000-06:00

What a lovely combination...

Invitations by Swiss Cottage Designs ///// Calligraphy by Love, Jenna ///// via Ashley Inzer

p.s. Happy Memorial Day! My grandparents are out decorating the graves. They do it every year, and I'm sorry to say that I've never been with them. Maybe next year when Ingrid doesn't need so many naps... Do you do anything special on this day each year? Is it just a day off work? Or -- if you're like me -- do you treat it like any other day?

Quote of the Week

2011-05-27T07:41:00.002-06:00

I suppose that the same could be said for emailing, texting, tweeting, facebooking, etc... And I do enjoy all of those things. But there's something so much more magical about actually putting pen to paper... a tangible object that you send off into the world.

~~I decided to try out taking a photo of my hand lettering of the quote this time instead of scanning it in. I think I prefer the scan. How about you?~~ I decided to go back in and scan it.

Looking Lovely ///// Display at the National Stationery Show

2011-05-26T07:22:00.003-06:00

Since we didn't go to the National Stationery Show this year, I've been eating up the posts at Oh So Beautiful Paper, Design*Sponge, and Poppytalk. Something that especially struck me this year was booth design. So many inspiring ideas that could be applied to the home, craft show booth, or retail shop... with your own twist, of course! I've rounded up a few of my favorites:

1 ///// Spray painting bulldog clips to match your wall and then using them in the place of frames.
Carolyn Suzuki via Poppytalk

2 ///// Hang a cluster of prints in white frames against a bold hued wall. Banquet via Oh So Beautiful Paper

3 ///// Start with an all white palette and then add tiny pops of color. Stripes and pretty molding don't hurt, either. Donald Graham Hershey for Mr. Boddington's Studio via Oh So Beautiful Paper

4 ///// Cover an entire wall with silver or gold leaf. Dingbat Press via Oh So Beautiful Paper

5 ///// Perch artwork on little wooden knobs drilled into the wall. You could use vintage glass drawer pulls, too... Maginating via Oh So Beautiful Paper

6 ///// Use string and nails or pins to create geometric patterns on your walls. Fine Day Press via Oh So Beautiful Paper

You can see more of my National Stationery Show display picks over here.

looking lovely ///// Letter Writing Pouch

2011-05-25T15:20:00.000-06:00

When Margaret of Paper Pastries couldn't find the perfect traveling case for her letter writing supplies, she decided to design one. She asked Polly Danger to put it together, and this pretty & practical envelope is the result. Wouldn't it make a great gift for someone who loves to send and receive real mail?

Out of curiosity, how many of you send letters or cards on a regular basis?

sycamore q + a {no.69} ///// Karis & Sarah of Tabletop Made

2011-05-24T06:07:00.016-06:00

Karis & Sarah of Tabletop Made just burst onto the scene with their fresh letterpress cards & invitations. They've created some really great paper goods on their little press, and I'm especially loving the simple aesthetic of their greeting cards.

Keep reading to find out more about this talented duo from Santa Barbara.

1 ///// How did you become artists?

I think we've both been what my dad calls artsy-fartsy for a while now. We love creating and making things pretty. After college, I really wanted to start a letterpress card company. I used to make my own cards using my sewing machine or just paper and glue, but printing captured my interest. To make our plates, I started teaching myself how to use Illustrator with Sarah's help. She not only majored in art and studied graphic design but has collected stationary since she was little, buying crazy amounts of it wherever she went. She was the perfect partner to start Tabletop Made! We found beginner classes at a community center from an amazing printer, Madeleine Zygarewicz of Panorama Press, and bam! Over a year and an exhaustive press and parts search later, here we are.

2 ///// What's been inspiring you lately?

Mexican pottery, textiles, paper cuts, and Spanish architecture. Santa Barbara has such strong Spanish traditions that it's hard not to soak up some of these influences in our own work. We're trying to tie that in in our next line more by using bold colors and florals. One of my favorite spots here is the Presidio's Chapel. The wall murals are bright, cheery, and geometric - everything we love.

3 ///// Tell us about a recent project.

We're juggling a couple of things at the moment. Most exciting is our website! We are so lucky to be surrounded by talented people, and our friend Leo Basica, creative director of Basic, put the finishing touches on our site this week. He's amazingly intuitive as to what we like and don't like. Somehow he just gets us.

We also just finished invites for the summer weddings coming up, and one of our favorites was created for a bride with serious tattoo love. She searched for tattoos in her local tattooer's books, and we were able to do a simple two-color invite with designs she found and traced for us. I had no ideas tattoos could be so sweet and charming.

4 ///// Is there anything else we should know about you?

We letterpress in Sarah's parents' garage! PJ and Firth are the best for letting us set up shop! Getting creative doesn't have to be fancy, as long as you're proud of your work. In the winter months we double up on sweatshirts and scarves and print until our fingers are too frozen to keep going. While we daydream of a warm, brightly lit studio close to downtown and our homes, a rent free space is pretty insane. Ok, and Santa Barbara's winters are not exactly winters.

Thanks Karis & Sarah!

///// Visit their WEBSITE ///// SHOP ///// BLOG ///// TWITTER ///// FACEBOOK

looking lovely ///// Wallpapered Rooms

2011-05-20T06:54:00.011-06:00

Underwerket via Design*Sponge

Once we get a bit more settled, I'd love to add wallpaper to one of our rooms. I tend to like it in cozy spaces like the bedroom or a library, but it can look beautiful anywhere. Here are a few spaces I pulled from my Pinterest boards...

via Pearls and Tea via Girard312

House & Home via Poppytalk

The Conran Shop via Bright.Bazaar

House of Brinson via Design*Sponge via Remodelista

Makelike via Design*Sponge

via Pearls and Tea via Girard312

Fine Little Day

Dos Family

on the road ///// The International Printing Museum

2011-05-19T07:25:00.001-06:00

Is it just me, or are is each one of these old printing presses a thing of beauty?

You can see them all on display at the International Museum of Printing in Carson, California.
Next time I'm down in SoCal, I'd love to pay a visit.

images ///// The International Printing Museum

sycamore street press ///// Our 2011 Collection is Here!

2011-05-18T06:45:00.002-06:00

After months & months of hard work, I'm so happy to share the Sycamore Street Press 2011 collection with you! These images are just a peek... there are many more in our shop. Click here to see.

p.s. This was our first time using a professional photographer, and I think Nicole Hill Gerulat did a fantastic job. Our shop looks so much more clean, organized, & bright, don't you think?

Designs ///// Sycamore Street Press (See shop listings for names of individual designers)

Photos ///// Nicole Hill Gerulat for Sycamore Street Press

sycamore q + a {no.68} ///// Brittany Watson Jepson

2011-05-17T10:20:00.001-06:00

Don't you just love this illustration? I don't care if you've got royal wedding fever or not... this print by the House That Lars Built is just so pretty! I've got one half of the responsible design duo here for a little Q & A.

1 ///// How did you become an artist?

Oh, that's a flattering question. I don't think I've ever used that term before, but I aspire to be one. As a child I was mighty influenced by my mom who could make anything. I like to think of our house as a studio because we were always making something. I was either painting wood boxes or my sister's dresser, or making fabric roses for hairbows. I was heavily influenced by the uber cute illustrator Mary Englebreit. And by "heavily influenced" I mean obsessed. I had her night shirt, iron-on decals that I affixed to sweatshirts, t-shirts, bags etc., Christmas stocking, you get the picture. In fact, the only time I ever missed a class in middle school was when I found out she was signing her book at the mall and I begged to go get her autograph. Deciding my career path was a bit harder because it never even occurred to me that I could make a living in art. I studied art history and planned on becoming a curator until I finally realized while working in a museum that I'd much rather be the creator rather than study the creations. I applied to design school and got my master's in interior design last year. With a few life-changing internships in NYC I realized that this is what I want to do. It's been a very natural career path. I eat, drink, sleep colors and forms and my work is an extension of what consumes my thoughts.

2 ///// What's been inspiring you lately?

Well, most recently, London! I visited last weekend to sell my products that my design partner, Caryn Cramer, and I had designed for the royal wedding. I hadn't visited London in so so long and was overwhelmed by too many things: flower pots, greenery, lush gardens, gold leaf on everything, red buses, red phone booths, people talking to strangers, super preppy style, cacophonous markets, illustrative shop signs. I contrast London with where I currently live, Copenhagen. Where London is quaint, Denmark is clean-lined. There's a lot of new building going on in Copenhagen...it's an architect's paradise. In both countries, I'm inspired by royal imagery: the crests, the banners, the typography. I'd love to do a line of all royal-inspired products.

3 ///// Tell us about a recent project.

The royal wedding souvenirs is my main project right now. The origins of the project? I thought I was going to marry Prince William. HOWEVER, I got married 7 months ago to my Danish prince and I'm pretty sure Wills was so distraught that he finally proposed to Kate. At least, I'd like to think so. We originally decided to visit friends in London for the wedding and I casually mentioned that I'd like to make a tacky souvenir as joke. My friend jumped on the idea and said, do it! So 2 months later we were in business designing commemorative dinner plates, dessert plates, mugs, totes, keychains, and a beautiful letterpress/giclee print by Rowley Press. The project has turned into a much larger project than any of us intended, but I've learned invaluable things. I've been wanting to start my own home products business and this has helped me plunge into it without by usual indecisive manner attached. I haven't had the luxury of being cautious or safe since time has been of essence. Last minute I made a paper flower for my head for the day of the wedding while we intended to watch from Green Park and because of it it turned up on CNN and Vogue. Pretty unexpected since I assumed everyone would have a crazy headpiece. I also made huge paper flowers for our booth at Portobello Road as an extension of the wedding decorations I did for my own wedding. I quite enjoy using paper because it keeps fresh and it's unexpected. I'd love to do more art installations with paper, much like what I did for a project at the Danish Embassy a couple of years ago. I've started selling more paper flower pins, rings, and fascinators on my Etsy shop because of the requests I received while in London.

4 ///// Is there anything else we should know about you?

I lose everything. The search for my keys/planner/wallet is not only daily but hourly. Sometimes I think I should be diagnosed. But, if I had to trade creativity for not losing things, I'd pick creativity.

Thanks Brittany!

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images ///// The House That Lars Built

looking lovely ///// Vintage Stamps

2011-05-15T07:04:00.001-06:00

I love when vintage stamps are put to good use. If you want to give this a try, but don't know where to find all those pretty little things, read this post.

Or, if you're Canadian, you can buy pre-assembled packs from Send More Mail.

image 1 ///// Ashley & Todd
image 2 ///// Send More Mail via Deadweight