Goings On

Well, it's pretty cold. Like 40 degrees in October cold. That's one thing. Also, I have a new item to share!


It's yet another note set. I had a hard time naming this one because the design is kind of abstract, and usually I'm dealing with very specific, recognizable objects- buttons, feathers, you know. This time around I was doodling and thinking about parasols and flowers and those paper rosettes you see used as party decorations, and this is what I ended up with. So Floral Burst Note Set it is.


And a funny thing about the color: they're printed in a deep orange color which I would describe as burnt orange. And apparently, according to Wikipedia, this shade "ranks in the bottom 10% of preferred colors according to a Newsweek poll." Yikes. That's pretty bad! Have I made a mistake here? We'll find out, I guess. But for now I'm sticking to my guns.

I should also mention that the trunk show at Topaz in Cambridge that was planned to happen last week on October 9th was postponed and is now set for November 13th, from 6-9pm. I also should have probably mentioned this before October 9th. But I didn't. Sorry! The trunk show is actually part of an event called An Autumn Affair in Harvard Square, which also includes some other boutiques and restaurants in the neighborhood. Here's the flyer:


A classy crawl, of sorts. I will not be crawling, though, as I'll be stationed with my goods at Topaz, along with jewelry designers Amy Casher and Sara Danielle Designs. If you're in the area come on down. There'll be snacks!

And my last piece of business! As we speak there is a box full of goodies on its way down to Young Blood Gallery and Boutique in Atlanta, Georgia. They'll be carrying some of my note sets, notepads, and notebooks. So what that means is that in just a few days you can buy The Paper Apartment goods in Atlanta. Hooray!

More and More

And more. A few new items to share...


Seashells! Just in time for...fall? Yes, unfortunately. It took me longer than I had hoped to get these guys on the street so here they are in late September. But it's warm and beach-like somewhere, right? These are the same concept as the Ruffles Note Set- 6 folded cards with kraft envelopes, and hand-cut edges that are stupidly time-consuming to produce, but pretty.


And birds! Another note set, this time a set of 6 A6-size folded cards with rounded corners and kraft envelopes.


And an Aflutter greeting card. A single folded card, blank inside, with the Aflutter image printed on the front.

Also, October really snuck up on me so I never got the chance to mention until now that next week, on October 9th, I'll be part of a trunk show at prettypretty shop Topaz in Harvard Square, Cambridge. Fun fun! I'll be there along with a couple of jewelry designers for a few hours in the evening. I'm actually not sure exactly what time it starts, but from what I've been told Topaz's trunk shows are a fun, kinda partytime event with music, etc. So if you're in the area please do stop by because I'll be there selling my wares and I think it should be a good time. When I get more details I will most definitely share them.

Also, if you happen to be in Canada- Hamilton, Ontario, specifically- you can now find The Paper Apartment at White Elephant Vintage. Excitement! A box of goodies is on the way up there right now, so technically it might be a few days before you can really find them. But then! Then, you can totally find them. I'm really excited to be working with the White Elephant ladies, Jane and Hollie, because besides their various online endeavors all being really great, they just seem so sweet and cute! Have a look at their blog- they're just adorable. So thanks to them, and to Canada.

That's all for now.

Hey!

You! There are a couple of new notebooks in the shop. As of about 10 minutes ago. And more are on the way, too.


And I'm also very pleased to announce that I'll again be selling my wares at the Bazaar Bizarre in Boston this year! How fun. I've got a lot of new stuff planned and I hope you stop by and say hi. The festivities are back at the Cyclorama this year on December 6th. So you should probably go.

Let's Catch Up

So again, it's been a long, long time since I've updated so here is some stuff that has happened/is happening/will happen soon. Also, I've been very busy so this time I'm not going to apologize for not stopping in here sooner. Things needed to be done and I did them!

First off, I never got to mention that Daily Candy Boston did a little feature on me about a month ago, and that was pretty sweet. You can read it here, if you please.

Also, I'm way excited to share that The Paper Apartment goods are now available at the newly opened Flock in Boston's South End. Flock is a really lovely little boutique with amazing clothing and accessories and I'm absolutely thrilled for my stuff to be sold there alongside such beautiful things. So thanks again to Danielle and Maegen for the opportunity, and if you're in the area you should definitely pay them a visit at 274 Shawmut Ave. in Boston.

I've also got some new paper goods to share today. I've been building a pretty solid inventory of notebooks for the last couple of weeks (as well as new arm muscles, I'm pretty sure, from hours of cutting, scoring, and folding paper!) and here are a few of the designs:


They are all soft-cover, staple-stitch notebooks with 24 unlined pages. The larger versions are 5.5" x 8.5" and the smaller ones are 4.25" x 5.5" and come in a pack of 3. I have a couple of these already available on Etsy but the rest are on the way just as soon as I can photograph them. Also keep an eye out for a few new prints and note sets in the next couple of weeks. Bye for now!

Back So Soon?

Why yes, I am. It's only been 5 days since my last visit and look at me- here again. Who would've thunk? I have two important pieces of business to discuss, the first being another new piece:


Once again, I am title-less. I'm having some trouble naming this batch. And these photos are definitely less than stellar, but you get the idea. But as for the stats- more colored pencil on paper, acrylic paint on board, and some cut paper bits. This one measures 11" x 14". Prints coming very soon.


And the second item of the day is my free pdf download now available over at Indiefixx.


It's of an original colored pencil drawing with some cut paper flowers thrown in there for good measure. If you like it you could totally download it and just look at it on your computer or even print it out. Cuz it's a pdf! A free one. I spoke a little bit about Feed Your Soul: The Free Art Project before but I'd just like to reiterate what a great idea this is and how happy I am to have contributed. So thanks again to Jen for doing it and asking me to take part.

I think that's it for now. I could be back in 4 days or 4 weeks. You just never know.

Hello Again

So I'm pretty sure I'm the worst ever at keeping to a regular schedule around here. But I try, I really do. Like, I think about how I never update on an almost daily basis. And I want to post more, but for some reason I can just never make it happen. That counts for something, doesn't it? Like an A for effort. Right?

But while I am here I might as well show you a little bit of what I've been up to. I'd love to say I've been lying on the beach and lounging around pools drinking cocktails for the past few weeks but the weather here has been shit, so I've been working. I've got a new series of illustrations going on and here's a peek at the first fully completed piece.


I haven't titled it yet but the collection as a whole is called "At Sea". It's a series of water/beach/under-the-sea sort of images and so far, so good. I'm actually really enjoying using some COLOR! Things were getting a little beige for awhile, and while I do love my neutrals this is a nice little change of pace.


So this piece is a colored pencil drawing on paper adhered to a painted acrylic ground with a few cut paper pieces here and there. It measures about 9 1/4" x 12 1/2" on illustration board. The plan is to have prints of this, and at least 3 of the other new illustrations by the end of next week. There, I said it out loud so now it has to happen. Fingers crossed.

And in other news, our TV kicked it a couple months back and we finally got a new one! Isn't it amazing?!


Unfortunately it's not HD, but we're making the best of it.

Thursday Things

Sooo, I'm working on a new item for the shop and I feel equally excited and frustrated by it. It's a journal, see! I've been wanting to do these for a while now but kind of put it off, because while I have a bit of bookbinding experience, I haven't done any in a while and definitely wouldn't call myself an expert. So I've been practicing and playing around with it and I'm just very, very impatient to get a perfect finished product. My first try was better than I expected, though. Good enough for me to carry around in my bag, or for like, my mom. Who is great! And more about her in a minute.


But for now: the journal. It measures about 4.75" x 6.5" and has 144 soft white, unlined pages. The cover will feature the Nesting illustration and the bookcloth is a yummy chocolate brown. I also designed a pattern of the hairbirds from Nesting to use as the endpapers. I'm pretty into the paper, actually, and am devising more ways to use it. Wrapping paper, perhaps? I dunno. But hopefully there will be one or two perfectly perfect journals in the shop very soon.

On to my cute and nice mom. As a faithful reader of my interviews she noticed I keep mentioning my love of illustrator Maxfield Parrish. And it's true, I love him. And growing up my grandfather had a first-edition copy of Eugene Field's Poems of Childhood, which was illustrated by our friend Maxfield, and that I was pretty obsessed with. Somehow, though, the book mysteriously disappeared(!) and it was sad. So my mom, being cute and all, recently went and found me a copy.


So great! I just love it. And, it features one of my very favoritest images of all time, The Dinky-Bird. My dad actually had a poster of this made for me which I had all through high school and in my first couple of apartments in college until (!) it mysteriously disappeared as well. Something's going on here. Seriously.


But anyway, the best thing about this illustration is that in the poem it accompanies (which you can read here, if you like) the Dinky-Bird is described as a bird, basically; a bird, with feathers, who sings in a tree. But! The illustration is definitely not of a bird. It's instead a eunuch, of sorts, with really frizzy hair. On a swing. In the clouds. Amazing.

Oh, All Sorts of Stuff

First off, I'm way excited to have one of my illustrations doing some actual good old-fashioned illustrating in the current issue of N.E.E.T. Magazine.


Check out our old friend Lengthening in a feature on natural beauty products:


A perfect fit, I think. I didn't know exactly how my piece was going to be used until the issue came out and I'm quite delighted with it. So thank you and thumbs way up to Stephanie for putting together another great issue. Go read the whole thing here.

I'm also pretty excited about a little package I found hanging on my door this morning. I'm working on some Day of the Dead-themed wedding invitations and my very awesome friend and neighbor, Raquel, left me a little goody bag of amazing items to reference for my work. She is the best, and this stuff is sooo great! Look, look:


I'm obviously most enamored with the mariachi band in the little box (that whole small thing again) but it's all exactly what I was looking for in terms of inspiration and I'm gonna start drawing the second I stop typing this. Right now!

Tiny Stuff

It's Saturday and I'm doing worky/internet stuff, which I normally don't do on the weekend, but I'm trying to catch up on all my businesslike duties that I've been neglecting lately. Soooo, here are a couple things I made recently.


They are small! 2" x 2.75", in fact. I came across these tiny stretched canvases at Pearl in Cambridge, my very favorite art supply store in the universe, and I just couldn't resist them. I think that might be a girl thing- just being really, inexplicably drawn to things that are super small. I don't know what it is, but there is something about tiny-ness that I just find very satisfying.


But anyway, the first is an original drawing done in ink and colored pencil that I then collaged onto acrylic.


The second is cut paper flowers also over acrylic. And both are available for purchase in my Etsy shop! Have a look, won't you?

Party Time

Now I like a party as much as the next person but I might just like the invitations for the party even more! Is that bad? Or sad? We're in the process of planning a major backyard celebration with our neighbors for next month and the part I've been most excited about so far is the paper part. Here's a peek at the invite:


I hand-drew and partially hand-lettered the original in ink and popped in that block font on ye old computer. It was fun! I wanted the invite to be kind of nostalgic, (a little bit 90's maybe?) and just full of summery things. I haven't drawn a cheeseburger or an ice cream cone since childhood, I'm pretty sure, so I really enjoyed it. I also never draw boobs or scantily clad women so I was kind of pleased with myself for doing both of those on my first try!


And I couldn't resist this stamp for the envelope- I'm hoping that it makes its recipient think, "Hmm... Yum! What-oh-what could be in this magical little envelope?" I dunno. We'll see.

And in news about things that I should be working on because they have the potential to generate actual income and not just entertain me and take up lots of precious time: I am finishing up a piece for Indie Fixx's Feed Your Soul Free Art Project. Jen was kind enough to ask me to participate in this a couple of months ago and as I never fail to procrastinate, I am only finishing it now- just in time for my deadline. I believe my pdf will be available in July sometime. So keep a look out. This project is such a great idea and I'm really psyched to be contributing.

I think that might be it for now. I'm off to address some envelopes!

Hey May

Hellooo! It's a whole new month around here. So far I'm really into May. Liking it a lot. For one, there's my interview in the new issue of Mankind Mag! Veerryy exciting. I am totally psyched to be a part of "The Pretty Issue" and thanks a bunch to Emily Perry for asking me such nice questions. I was already a big fan of Mankind so when they contacted me for the interview I actually bounced up and down and did a little hand-clappy thing. For real! The issue can be downloaded here for a mere $1.99 and please trust me- it's totally worth it. It's a steal, really. I haven't even had a chance to read through the whole thing yet cuz it is just so chock-full of awesome stuff.

And in other May goodness, Johnny and I celebrated our one year anniversary of being married folks. Here we are a year ago, before everything changed:


Ha. Just kidding- not that much has changed. Although it has been quite a while since we talked on phones and kissed in a fake photobooth! Something to work on. Anyway, our day of celebration involved a Zipcar, a beach, climbing around on some rocks, a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, and some drinks at a fancypants bar with a piano player. Fun!

Back to work I go. More later.

A Quick Note!

Happy Sunday! Hope everyone is having an amazing weekend. It is 86 degrees in Boston at the moment and absolutely beautiful so even though I really don't want to be inside at a computer right now I have just one thing I need to mention. Tina over at Luphia Loves... was sweet enough to ask me to be her giveaway sponsor this week, so that means that anyone who leaves a comment on one of her posts through this coming Saturday has the chance to win a giveaway! From me! Tina will choose the winner at random and that person will have their choice of any of my paper goods items- single cards, note sets or notepads, (there are a few rules and regulations so please see the post right here). I will then send you the item and will probably even write a little note and throw in an extra something something. Because I'm nice. So go, leave a comment! I don't even care if it's not about me.

Hihi

And hi. Today is a day where I drank too much coffee and am trying to do too many things so I feel scared (from the coffee) and a little stressed (from the things) but I'm trying to make it all work. I'm currently working on a little freelance job, which is fun and kind of different from what I usually do, so that's cool. But that also means I haven't had much time to work on the new illustration I introduced to you a few weeks back. In fact this is as far as I've gotten:


Ha. Pretty sad. But you see where I'm going, right? And what else? I also wanted to thank and mention Lisa for her lovely post about my stuff a couple weeks ago on her newborn blog Olivejuice, dedicated to all things artsy/designy/fashiony here in Boston. I'm not sure we have anything like this here already so I'm very excited to see what Lisa does with it! Please go have a look and if you're an artist/designer/craftsperson in the area I know Lisa would love to hear from you.

Other than that I just finished up an interview that I'm veeerrryy excited about which I will share more details on when it comes out, for fear that the publication in question will think my answers are superboring and decide not to use it! Well, not really, but you never know. So more on that in May.

And last but not least because I feel bad that this post is so lacking in visual aids, here is a small but impressive picture of an amazing kitten.


I will regret that when the caffeine wears off later, I'm sure, but enjoy! Happy Wednesday.

There's a New Print in Town

Almost! I should say that it's not quite here, but super close- like you just heard it pull into the driveway and right now its keys are jangling at the front door. Both an 8.5 x 11 and a 12x15ish version of We Grew Together will be in the shop tomorrow afternoon. You remember this, right? From way back? The scanning issues, all that? Took me awhile to get it to print but I did it!

I have nothing else of real interest to report. I am, however, hoping to find a good home for a 12x15 print of Lengthening I made a few days ago that has a very small defect. Sometimes even my beloved printer makes a mistake and in this case the image area is perfectly fine but there are some grayish smudges in the white border. If it was matted you would never know the difference, so I'd hate for this to get tossed. I'm hoping someone out there might like to snatch it up for a cool 15 bones, versus the regular 28. If that someone might be you please let me know and I'll totally post it in the shop for you.


Thanks kids.