Ooh, baby, baby!

October 6, 2015October 6, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

I’m to the age where everyone around me seems to be having babies. A few weeks ago, I somehow I ended up taking charge of the décor for a friend’s baby shower (no idea how that happened…). I found the cutest marquis letters at Target, added in some Martha Stewart party decor and handmade bunting and flags. I also made a diaper cake—from scratch!

My etsy customers must be in the same life stage as I am, because recently I had a woman buy all the remaining “Holy Crap you made a tiny human” cards. At one of my wholesalers’ request, I reprinted them in pink and blue—for her shop and mine! I love these cards so much and I’m overjoyed to see them flying off the shelves.

I finally got around to printing my icon congrats cards in light pink and blue as well—plus the gender-neutral yellow at the top of this post.

Don’t worry, though, we’ve got more than cards! Of course you should pick up an everlasting bouquet for the new mama, but what about a little art for when she gets home? I just love these ABC and 123 prints in a nursery!

And of course, if you’re running behind or the baby was early, just grab one of these digital downloads, send it over to your local photo center and have a print in hand this afternoon!

New Digital Prints and the Cure for Wanderlust

September 30, 2015September 20, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Well, I’ve been back from the big trip home for just over a month and I’ve already gotten a case of island fever. It’s amazing how quickly it sets in, isn’t it? Luckily, I was able to get away last weekend to visit a longtime friend out west. Breaking out of our routine for a few days is all I really needed to hit the refresh button, and once again I find myself glad to be home.

Inspired by my recent travels, or perhaps more accurately, by my return to this little island paradise, I added some new digital prints to my etsy shop! The “ocean” print above is completely hand-lettered and then vectored and placed over an image of Bahamian turquoise water. I actually couldn’t decide which I liked best though—so I’m also offering it in a watercolor version (in the small frame below).

The “Beach” print below is actually one of the first digital prints I ever made—it just took me six months to get in it up in the shop! It’s something a little different for me, as it has no illustrations and offers a much cleaner look (and a fabulous shot of a Bermuda beach, if I do say so myself!).

As you know, I’ve been painting a lot lately, and in addition to the finished paintings I recently listed, I usually work on a few little nature-inspired bits and bobs each time I sit down to paint. Since I often have to wait for paint to dry between colors, it’s nice to have several in the works at once. I combined a bunch of those flowers and leaves into what might be my new favorite print—with a hand-painted quote that will motivate you to get shit done to boot! You can find all of these and a few more here!

Watercolor Works: Fruit & Flowers

September 16, 2015September 12, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

I find that that inspiration comes in waves—for a week or two I’m all about new letterpress projects, the next it’s sewing, and the next it’s drawing. Recently, I’ve felt inspired to work with watercolors again. I’ve got some top secret ideas for a new product line (stay tuned!) but in the mean time, new original paintings are available in my shop!

As always, these lovely vignettes were styled and shot by the incredibly talented Laurels & Stars Photography. I’ve also been super busy with design work and have had the opportunity to work some watercolor into a recent logo project! The client hasn’t picked one yet, but I’m rooting for the watercolor!

Floral Initials

July 2, 2015June 27, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

This project has been on my mind since I first started experimenting with paper flowers. I love letters and I love flowers, so why not combine them? Can’t think of one good reason, huh? Knew it.

Anyway, I started with a template of the letter, cut it out of chipboard, then added 2.5″ tall strips around the edges to make it three-dimensional. I filled the “box” with my handmade crepe-paper flowers, then added some extras and a bit of foliage to fill it out. I’m absolutely in love with the results!

I made this “H” for a friend, who displays it on her nightstand (her photo is below), but I can also see these initials hanging on a gallery wall, or as the centerpiece of the front table at a wedding! An ampersand is also available! Check them all out here.

622 Studio is here!

June 30, 2015June 29, 2015 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

While I was away, 622 press turned seven! This year to celebrate our birthday, I’ve launched 622 Studio: the digital version of the brick-and-mortar shop I want to have someday. Now, instead of just printed goods and stationery, I’ll be selling everything I create—textiles, art, crochet accessories, paper flowers and more—in my etsy shop!

The first new product line I launched last week are my new paper flowers! Each one is made from sheet of crepe paper that I’ve cut and molded into individual petals, then assembled around a wire stem. I add a sepal and wrap the stem with floral tape, sculpt the petals a bit more, and voila! A gorgeous flower that remains fresh all year long.

I loved figuring out the structure of each different bloom and shaping the petals to be as lifelike as possible. In the shop you’ll find individual blooms (perfect for home decor and craft projects!), ready-to-go bouquets and home decor. I’ll also be offering wedding services soon!

The other new product line I’ve launched thus far is digital art prints! I’ve shared a little bit of my watercolor work and hand-lettering here, and this is what it’s all been working toward. I scan the artwork from my sketchbook, do some photoshop and vector work and then combine them into a design I’d love to hang on my wall.

The best part about these prints is that they’re inexpensive and instantaneous: All you have to do is purchase them in my etsy shop and either print the jpg that arrives in your inbox on your home photo printer or send them over to Kinko’s, Walgreens, etc., then pop them in a frame!