Letterpress, Design, and Steamrollers

The much anticipated Letterpress Wayzgoose and steamroller smackdown happened this past weekend and it was a very visual as well as interactive event. Hosted by the School of Visual Concepts, Seattle, where they offer various design and printmaking classes that teach the trade and preserve the art. Blushing Pearl had our first booth set up in the "marketplace" along side many talented letterpress printers. Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress, Tutta Lou, Visualchemist, and Keegan Meegan to name a few. All wonderful, inspiring artists!

One of the coolest activities I've seen is the steamroller smackdown, where large scale prints (designed by SVC design students and sold through a silent auction) are printed using a steamroller. The prints were later hung from the outside of the building, showing off a wide variety of talent! Throughout the day, there were food vendors, including an ice cream truck (yum!) and a life folk band. If you had equipment you wanted to sell, there were tables set up for that as well. I wish I had a chance to walk around and browse the sale... I could use another press or some shop equipment.

 The overall turnout was amazing! There were 3 classrooms filled with letterpress printers and paper stockists (such as Reich and Mohawk) with tons of sample swatch books. I was able to meet a few fellow bloggers, local printers, and designers...many with their own shops and tricks of the trade.

For more pictures from Wayzgoose, be sure to check out my Flickr as well as the Letterpress @ SVC group.

And for the record, this guy had one fabulous sushi costume!

*all photos by Blushing Pearl

Countdown to Wayzgoose

With the studio's first show coming up this weekend, we've been preparing like crazy for this opportunity! We are curious to see the turn out and absorb in letterpress frenzy at the School of Visual Concepts, Seattle. Here's a look at the studio in pre-show action...

*business cards galore!

 

 *promos, promos!

*booth prep

If you're in the local Seattle area, please stop by!

{Real Business} Mary Tap

Mary approached me with her ideas of creating a product tag using one of her hand drawings she has for sale in her Etsy shop. She has plans to add more product to her shop, so be ready for this up coming, "hairlarious" artist!

If you are interested in having letterpress printed product tags or business cards to compliment your indie business, contact Blushing Pearl with your ideas!

Design from Dubai

I am not sure exactly how I came across the intense design work of Natoof. I believe it was on Twitter? I became intrigued by Natoof design because of their uniqueness and use of Arabic script. Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Natoof is a full fledged design studio specializing in web, print, and wedding invitations. I was lucky to have won one of their giveaways- a beautiful, intricate Ramadan Greeting printed on flat birch wood. Shipped all the way from Dubai too!

You can find these Ramadan Greetings in Natoof's Etsy Shop, along with other unique listings such as Custom Arabic calligraphy. Here are a few of their wedding invitations that caught my eye...

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Dolls and Oddities

I have this fascination with miniatures and dolls. I am not sure why, but it may have something to do with the fact that they can be other worldly. This summer, I volunteered at the Urban Craft Uprising show in Seattle,  where I absolutely fell in love with Sara Lanzillotta's dolls and oddities. I grabbed one of her business cards and checked out her Etsy shop. All of her doll creations are 100% custom, including hand-painted faces and hand-sewn clothing. She has a couple of Blythe Dolls added to her portfolio as well. I had a chance to chat with Sara at the craft show- she is such a sweet person! A few of her pieces were on display at her booth. It was here where I was able to truly appreciate the intricacy and details of her work. I've picked out a few of my favorites!

 *forest friends

 *madame butterfly

 *alice and victoria

 
*snow white

 *violet baudelaire 

 *hawaiian tinies and paperdolls

*all photos: sara lanzillotta

{Visual Delights}

As I am catching up with posts, I've realized how much I am drawn to Graham & Green's UK site. In a previous post, I fell in love with Graham & Green's use of Pop color.

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 Anthropologie never fails in the creative inspiration department.

 

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I came across the textile and wood work of Sanna Annukka and fell in love with her  graphic patterns and intricacy.

Be Inspired!

Sofia's Baby Shower

This weekend I flew back to Los Angeles to celebrate my sister Carissa's baby shower. It was a very colorful, fun, summery event put together with love by her good friend Fatimah and our 2 other sisters, Alyssa and Raquel. I was surprised Carissa stuck with her theme of safari animals and monkeys, at first using gender neutral colors such as chocolate brown, chartreuse. She later added fuchsia when she found out she was having a girl. 

I letterpress printed her invitations and thank you notes. From there the girls played off of the colors and theme for the rest of the baby shower decorations!

I was the designated photographer for the day! I had loads of fun catching guests in the moment. We had tables set up with various activities for guests to participate in... including a onesie decorating table, scrapbooking table for the celebrants, and a few guessing games. 

Instead of a traditional cake, Fatimah made a diaper cake, made solely out of baby diapers. We also had cake sticks- in the shape of monkey and tiger heads. They were divine! Made of moist red velvet cake and chocolate these cake sticks were a must have.

Carissa has been craving strawberries throughout her pregnancy- a favorite fruit of hers since we were kids. I found this adorable knitted hat at Seattle's Pike's Place. If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop by Little Hat Shop's booth. They are all handmade knitted/crocheted items and are very unique. I also knitted a sweater and baby booties for little Sofia!

I can't believe in a few more months I will have a little neice! I can't wait to see her in all the cute little outfits. Speaking of outfits, Missy, my sister's chihuahua/mini pincsher was all dressed up in her aloha dress for the baby shower. She's so festive :)