Shop Local: St. Louis

April 23, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Full of little shops and restaurants and seemingly very supportive of the handmade scene, St. Louis is on my short list of cities to explore. In the meantime, here are a few of the talented folks who make the city their home.

Wallpaper Patterned Scarf from the Bungaloo

The Bungaloo is a screenprinting studio plastering everything from tee shirts to journals with its intricate and beautiful designs. Each piece is screenprinted by hand and totally fantastic!

Bella Luna‘s etsy shop boasts a bevy of pampering goods — from candles to lotion and soaps. Owner Shannon began making soap as a gentle cleansing alternative for her children who suffer from eczema and has branched out from there!

Mr Owlie - Brass Owl Pendant Wearing Monocle Steampunk Necklace by INdosteam

INdosteam is full of jewelry made from bits and pieces found at flea markets and vintage shops. The designs are inspired by the steampunk movement with an asian influence. I love this little owl!

Fireworks wedding invitations

April 22, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 4 Comments

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I just finished up these gorgeous invitations for a couple who are renewing their vows on July 3rd. While they wanted to aknowledge the proximity of the holiday, they didn’t want their invitations to be kitchy or overly patriotic. I came up with a design that was abstract yet recognizable while being fun, modern and elegant. Printed with a deep impression and silver ink on a rich red textured paper, they are absolutely stunning!

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Cocktails & Crafts

April 3, 2009April 3, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

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I don’t have much time today, but I wanted to let you all know about a fabulous show happening this weekend that will feature etsy sellers from the Madison area. Here are just a few of the crafters involved:

Bare Tree Apparels Tasty Fish T-shirt — Owner and creator Sauls screenprints are the perfect combination of innovative design and superb craftsmanship. — Bare Tree Apparel's Tasty Fish T-shirt — Owner and creator Saul's screenprints are the perfect combination of innovative design and superb craftsmanship.

Bare Tree Apparel’s etsy shop

Little Dandelion Studios Little Bushel — Jess baskets are perfect for easter and upcoming summer picnics! — Little Dandelion Studio's Little Bushel — Jess' various styles of baskets are perfect for Easter or upcoming summer picnics!

Little Dandelion Studio’s etsy shop

Whimsey Houses Sunshine and Blue Skies — — Whimsey House's Sunshine and Blue Skies — Whimsey House is chock full of jewelry made from vintage buttons, beads and findings. Every piece is so intricate, you could get lost!

Whimsey House’s etsy shop

A de-stash of sorts

March 31, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ Leave a comment

In an effort to make the second bedroom in our apartment less of a storage facility and more of a usable space, I need to part with some of my stuff. I’m going to start listing myriad handmade items and supplies in my other etsy shop. First up: ceramics from college (click on the image to go directly to the etsy listing).

I created a series of thrown and altered pieces decorated with dipped and dripped underglazes and this was one of the first and one of my favorites! — I created a series of thrown and altered pieces decorated with dipped and dripped underglazes and this was one of the first.

From the same series, once I had moved on to using a process of finishing the pieces with layers of different glazes — Two more pieces from the same series, once I had moved on to using a process of finishing the pieces with layers of different glazes.

In my opinion, the best of the series, this piece has two oversized bottle necks attached and is finished with many different glazes and pure minerals fired directly onto the piece.

Ring me

March 26, 2009March 26, 2009 ~ Bess Paper Goods & Gifts ~ 1 Comment

Internet, I’ve been keeping a secret from you. The boyfriend asked me to marry him a couple months ago. Now that we’ve finally set a date and booked the location, a good part of the stress is over and I get to move on to the fun parts like the dress and invitations!

Anyway, for Valentine’s day, Mike enlisted his brother to make something to replace the store’s ring box that I keep my ring in each night. David is a bit of a Jack of all artistic trades — ceramicist, woodworker, blacksmith, photographer — and he turned this lovely piece on his lathe.

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