Baby Brown

I have had the pleasure of designing and letterpress printing baby shower invitations with matching thank you notes for mommy-to-be (and my sister) Carissa. The sex of the baby is still a mystery, as he/she kept hiding the goods from the ultra sound. Carissa is really into the safari theme for the nursery and wanted something to reiterate this theme in her baby shower invitations. This invitation was printed using 2-colors on 220#, thick paper stock. It came out beautiful on this pillowy paper! We coordinated fuchsia and chartreuse envelope colors to match.

I bought my sister a few things for the baby shower to match this safari theme...I'll be posting pictures of those once she opens the gift(s)!

*If you are interested in a customized baby shower invitation suite, contact Blushing Pearl with your ideas!

Jet Setting Jewelry

There is something about traveling that sparks some sort of excitement, curiosity, and longing for something new. When summer comes along, I get that itch to drop everything and leave to some foreign country that is begging to be explored. I have a few places I would like to visit (hopefully in the near future!) Spain, Ireland, Thailand, Cambodia, Northern Africa, Turkey...what would I do with a billion dollars? Travel the world of course!

*photo credit above images: we heart it

I came across Cindy Caraway's shop via Etsy and instantly got transported to land far away. Specializing in intricate beaded jewelry, Cindy's pieces remind me of an exotic trip to  the bazaars of Morocco, a Nubian princess from Africa, and a tall and tanned woman of Ipanema. I find myself attracted to the colors she uses, and attention to detail. These would look perfect in a photo shoot of Anthropologie or Vogue. Cindy also has a few other shops with more everyday jewelry. You can view them here.

I have just re-watched one of my favorite films Vicky Cristina Barcelona, with Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem. What attracted me to this film is the location (Spain) and how it delves into life as a Spaniard...with wine, music, art, passion, and love. Europeans know how to live life, not being hindered by the "standard". Cindy Caraway's jewelry would be the perfect fit to outfits worn by Penelope Cruz, who has striking  beauty and passion as an actress.

*photo credit: top , bottom

{Real Business} Pick Your Own Option #3

Sara contacted me for letterpress printed business cards. She is just studying for the BAR exam and wanted stellar cards to market her profession as a lawyer. Sara decided she liked Option #3 of Blushing Pearl's "Pick Your Own" business card listing. Opting for a blind deboss textural pattern with her information in lipstick red ink, these cards look stunning!

*If you missed the earlier posting with business card options, click here...or take a peek at my shop for the direct listing!

{Summer Giveaway}

*photo credit: we heart it

Summer is here! Hello white sandy beaches, turquoise tropical waters, bonfires, BBQs, overwhelming heat and summer vacation. Blushing Pearl is having a summer giveaway to celebrate!

{DETAILS}

The studio will pick 3 lucky winners at random to win the prize: a set of  6 letterpress printed Magnolia flat notes (A2 sized, 4.25 x 5.5), in summer colors, with coordinating colored envelopes. The winner will be allowed to chose from 3 different colorways of their liking.

{RULES}

*Leave a comment. One comment enters you to win.

*Tweet about the giveaway. One tweet enters you to win. Remember to RT@blushingpearl so I know you tweeted!

*check out the shop. Don't forget to add me as your favorite!

 The winner will be chosen on Friday, June 25th at 11am, PST. I will contact you for your email address/shipping info.

 {chartreuse with khaki envelopes}

{fuchsia with curry yellow envelopes}

{deep cobalt with light blue envelopes}

{UPDATE} 

The winners are picked! Thanks everyone for participating and showing some love. If you are one of the lucky ones, I will contact you for your mailing information/color preferences and ship these goodies out to you soon!

 

Experiment with Gold

Today I experimented with printing with Gold Metallic ink on new, metallic paper stock. I normally use Van Son Gold 871, which is somewhat of a flat, dirty gold. You can tell a little from this pic:

I am also printing on very absorbent 100% cotton fiber paper, white. This doesn't exactly show off the "metallic" in the gold very well. I came across another letterpress printer who used another brand of ink by Accent Ink. I was able to get a more metallic gold instead of a flat gold. Here are my results. I tested this ink on the house Crane's Lettra stock as well as Curious  #111 paper line "Metallics" in nude, red lacquer, ink, and shadow. I am pleased with the results! It's a lighter but more metallic gold that shimmers in the light. My next experiment is to see how this ink works mixed with other ink colors. AND this ink is made of vegetable oil and is environmentally friend and is easy to wipe off the press. Sweet!

Branding Your Indie Biz

The sweetest package has just listed in the shop! Geared towards independent business owners, this package is the perfect setup for branding your look.

{PACKAGE DETAILS}

*Product Tags QTY//60
1 color
1.5 x 4 or 2x2
1/4" rounded corners
3/16" hole punch with eyelet
matching satin ribbon

*Business Cards QTY//60
1-color
2 x 3.5

*Personal Stationery QTY//60
1 color
4bar (3.5 x 4.88, flat)

*A high resolution file of your logo 

(in JPEG, GIF, of TIFF format) for your personal use.

All of the above will be printed on 100% pillowy, cotton fiber paper, 110#.

Click here for direct access... or contact Blushing Pearl to get started!

{Shop Update}

Here are a few shop updates! I am in the process of printing designs that have been sitting around, waiting to be printed... so bear with me as I post some shop updates :)

Other Worldly

I love when music and art take me places... other worldly. I love reading books that are somewhat fantasy-like and overall unrealistic. It just takes me away from the real world and stimulates my creativity (which can be in a lull some days!) I admit, a few of my favorite books are children/young adult books (Harry Potter, Twilight, Lord of the Rings, Alice in Wonderland, any book by Roald Dahl). I've read them over and over again, each time is like I've read it for the first time. If any of those books were to be a reality, I would love to be in the Harry Potter world of wizardry. I would like to be on the Quidditch team, attend Hogwarts and eat in the main hall with never ending hoards of food and dessert... ( I hear now you can at the Harry Potter theme park in Florida.. Why would they put Hogwarts in a tropical environment?? England would have been a number one spot for me.)

I don't know anyone personally that owns a Blythe Doll, but  from images I've found online, people LOVE these dolls! Sewing couture outfits and dressing them up to look like miniature people... in their own little world. These dolls didn't make it big in the 70's, but after a comeback in Japan in the 2000s, Blythe Dolls are all the rage.

 *photo credit: Funny Bunny Helena

I wasn't one to play with dolls as a little girl. I think what fascinates me now as an adult, is the fact that they are miniatures and people have the power to create their own world. I am not one to work on anything  small scale, so I really appreciate artwork done by artists that are miniature. All the attention to detail and proportions, making life sized, mini . Dolls made by Makidra are ethereal, fantasy-like, and dressed in very couture fashion. I think I would wear most of their outfits :) I came across her work via Hello Little World's blog and absolutely fell in love! 

*photo credit: makidra

Flying North

My "we have moved!" cards are finally printed! These were due a while ago... about 2 months ago. Printed in retro rusted orange and slate blue. If you are interested in this particular design for your own moving cards, contact Blushing Pearl. Of course, if you had something else in mind, contact me with your ideas :)

Decorating the Home

There are a few things I have had on my home decorating wish list.  One is to finally get a terrarium. I found a vintage apothecary jar as well as a terrarium kit. All found on Etsy! It was way cheaper to build your own terrarium, and doing it yourself was kind of fun as well. My green thumb isn't so green. With MINIMAL upkeep, this terrarium really added some greenery to my living room!

Call me crazy, but I have always wanted deer antlers as a decorative piece in my home. This one came in the mail from Horsesguns817, found on Etsy as well. I think it very fitting being that I now live in a very "natural" environment, surrounded by greenery and wild animals, such as deer, rabbits, and bears. I was able to find another set of antlers about 19" wide on Craigslist. Once I get those mounted, I'll post pics!

This decorating venture is going to take a while... I think I am going to start a visual wish list of delightful must haves to keep me motivated. Monthly trips to the Fremont Market will be necessary as well... and it wouldn't hurt to find some unique vintage items too!

{Shop Update}

These sweet wedding cards have just been listed in the shop! Send your warmest wishes to the happy couple... both cards are 3.5 x 4.88, folded, and printed on 100% cotton fiber paper.

Folklife, Seattle

I was able to experience the Northwest Folklife festival in Seattle over Memorial Day weekend. It is a free event, fully funded by donors and public donation. Various bands and artists perform at this festival, which lasts 3 days. For those of you who are familiar with Coachella, in Indio/Los Angeles, I would say this is a similar event. My favorite was USK, an electronica DJ from Japan. I experienced a very different kind of crowd here in Seattle. Not sure what to call it exactly, but it was a definite experience for me...

I was also able to muse the Fremont outdoor market place, filled with odds and ends and delicious food provided by various street vendors. I scored with this very vintage,antrhopolgie-looking dinnerware set... made in England!

{Real Business} DiVaunraVeled

Margie contacted me with ideas of her logo letterpress printed. She is planning on debuting her Etsy shop soon and is in the process of branding. Margie supplied me with her logo, a ball of yarn, unraveled. We discussed proofs and came up with continuing the  unraveled ball of yarn onto the back of the business card. Her artwork consists of knitted pieces in which she tends to use a "pop" color. We decided to incorporate a bright magenta into her artwork. I love the quote by Coco Chanel that Margie decided to use on her cards, "In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different."

*If you are interested in having your own letterpress printed business or calling cards made, contact Blushing Pearl to get started!