Tag: etsy

On blogging

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 2 Comments

Happy New Year! 622 press has had some exciting developments that I’m so excited to share with you this morning!

First of all, I owe you a big thank you! On December 29, this blog had 216 page views—our biggest day yet! Thanks to everyone who stopped by and checked out 622 press. And welcome to any new readers!

Next up: While I took a break from blogging last week, I of course didn’t really take the week off. I’m happy to announce that Bess (my letterpress) now has her very own fan page on facebook. Follow her for up-to-the-minute updates on what we’re printing and even more photos and content… all from Bess’s point of view!

And finally, if you’re a comment reader, you noticed that Spin. Sew. Sketch. nominated me for a Leibster blog award in December. Honestly, I’ve never heard of this award, so while I was honored to be nominated, it took me a little while to get a grasp of what exactly it is. In the best way possible, Leibster kind of reminds me of a chain letter you used to send as a kid. Passed from blogger to blogger, it’s simply a way to share the love for small blogs just doing their best to create great content. Without further adieu, here are my nominations for Leibster awards!

I know I said I wouldn’t write about Mollie for a while, but if I’m being honest, hers is the only blog I read with any consistency these days. She lives in Utah, she has a cool life, funny dogs, beautiful insights and great adventures. What more could you want from a lifestyle blog?

Second, Fashion at Liberty—hub of all things fashion, fair trade and fabulous. Stephanie Carnes was an intern at BRAVA many semesters ago, where we were all impressed with her interview skills as well as her home decor aesthetic. She’s extended that taste level beyond the home to bring light to designers, manufacturers and retail outlets with a conscience.

While I’m certainly not getting married again any time soon, I do love the idea of throwing a beautifully decorated party. I follow the Perfect Palatte on Pinterest like nobody’s business and I love all the inspiration she lends!

One Fine Day is a production company based here in Wisconsin. Their blog isn’t exactly a blog for blog’s sake, but if you are seeking inspiration (or are in the mood for a good cry—seriously, these videos choke me up every time), just hit play!

And finally, Peach Farm Studio’s blog. A letterpress-photo-poetry studio, I appreciate the organic nature of their blogging and navigation, it encourages getting lost in their world!

New Work & Old Favorites

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

This Christmas, I gave myself a gift. The first part was to really, truly take four full days away from work. No email, no phone calls, barely a thought of the office. Sure two of those days were a weekend, but if I’m being honest, it’s rare that I even go a whole weekend without doing a little something for the magazine, so this really felt indulgent for me.

The second part of that gift was to spend much of that time printing. I had a few things I had to get done for Driftless Studio—a beautiful store on State Street in Madison owned by a talented photographer, writer and wonderful person named Anne. Her favorite design is my “Gone to Seed” dandelion print, so I printed up a bunch of those in light blue, plus some Happy Birthday bike cards, some blue and green grasses, love you. cards for Valentine’s and more.

Since the process of inking up, setting the plate and cleaning up is so labor intensive, I tend to print several different designs while I have a color on press. So while I was at blue and yellow, I also did a reprint of one of my fastest-selling designs that I’ve been out of for a while, “you are my sunshine.” I also did a run of a new “congrats” card that would work perfectly for a wedding or new home, plus started lots of recipe cards, limited edition prints and more.

Christmas 101: Colorful Mod Décor

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 3 Comments

The simplicity and clean lines of minimalist décor can certainly make a statement, but for the holidays why not turn up the volume with a little color? I love creating a palette beyond the expected red and green to include light blues, jewel tones and lots of metallics.

There’s something wonderful about being greeted by a wreath on a friend’s front door. This one is available here, or make your own with shatter-proof plastic ornaments and a hot glue gun.

These three-dimensional felt ornaments—which could also certainly be made from colorful paper—are interesting from every angle and look incredibly complicated. However, with a few simple cuts and a couple dots of glue, they seem to simply pop up from a flat pane! Instructions are available here.

I love the idea of hanging ornaments off the tree: In front of a window, from a light fixture, from the ceiling over your dining room table. The paper option above is super easy to make, instructions available here or here!

Easily worked into any theme, these laser-cut coasters are the latest addition to my own Christmas list! Love the phrase, love typography, love the felt!

Beyond stringing up a row of lights, it’s easy to forget about decorating the exterior of your home. These colored “glass” balls—dreamed up by Hurrayic—make for a fun pop against white snow and a great project to get your kids off the couch.

Gift guide: For the birds

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Hello, my name is Kristin and I am addicted to bird-themed accessories. There’s a 12 step program for this, right? First step, admitting you have a problem. Truth be told, I have no less than two feather necklaces, one bird necklace, two pairs of feather earrings, a feather ring and a feather bracelet sitting on my dresser right now. Oh, and a feather-print dress in my closet. So anyway, I see no reason not to continue the theme!

We’ll start with something practical. This transparent resin bracelet by Rosella Resin features a polka dot feather from a spotted guinea fowl. It’s graphic enough to spice up any simple, modern ensemble, yet earthy enough to appeal to a granola girl as well.

Now for something a little more fanciful—amazing feather headpieces by Arturo Rios. I know hats are just starting to catch on over here in the U.S., but these are really just too beautiful to pass up. If you can’t imagine placing them on your head, what about on a table as your centerpiece or affixed to a light fixture in your home?

Feather hair extensions were very trendy this summer, but I think they’ll stick around for a couple more months. Many shops on etsy offer them, including this set from futska. I love the look, but I’m still trying to decide if they’re worth it! Luckily, these are so affordable it’s worth the gamble.

Plum crazy

~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

Happy Cyber Monday! Yeah, apparently that’s a thing. I know I should be more enthusiastic about the retail surge this weekend but I just can’t bring myself to do it! If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s that “it’s just stuff.” (And definitely not worth pepper spraying your fellow shopper over! Seriously lady?!?)

However, I was excited about being given the opportunity to put together a beautiful little gift set for a fellow etsian. She wanted two of each of my botanically themed cards in different colors. I had most of the designs already printed in a couple different colors, but I did get to put in several hours on my press this weekend. The results are quite lovely if I do say so myself!

It seems that whenever I work on a custom project these days, the stars align, the humidity and ink consistency and pressure are all just right and I can’t help but print everything in sight. This weekend was no different, so while I was all inked up, I worked on a couple projects I’ve had swirling around in my head for a while. Turns out, they all looked good in purple!