hmmm....

I don’t know how I feel about this. The other day I ran across an advertisement from Paper Source introducing their new ‘Letterpress Machine’ made by Lifestyle Crafts sold in stores and online. I’m not entirely sure what to say when it comes to this little tool…or better yet, how to say it. Here were my initial thoughts upon seeing the advertisement…

#1. Oh no.

#2. This doesn’t look like any letterpress I’ve ever seen. Yes, I suppose the principle is the same…ink applied to a raised image, pressed onto paper, but come on, couldn’t they have named it something other than a ‘letterpress machine’?!

#3. I suppose it’s nice that they are trying to broaden the letterpress printing fan base, and I suppose it’s thoughtful to provide the masses with the opportunity to purchase their very own so-called ‘letterpress’, but really?! Not to mention it's not cheap as it's sells for $150 a pop.

#4. Stop being a snob Stephanie.

#5. Is this going to complicate explaining letterpress printing to my clients, as now some of them might begin to think that their wedding invitations and stationery are being printed on a plastic scrap-booking machine versus a cast-iron antique printing press?

#6. Letterpress printing is a beautiful printing process…does this cheapen it?

#7. No one is actually going to buy this plastic thing and expect to print out their wedding invites…right?

#8. I’m confused, can you make custom plates? Are you limited to printing the handful of designs that come with it?

#9. How in the world can this piece of plastic actually make a real impression? Come on.

#10. Again...stop being such a snob Stephanie.

Then I took a breath. I decided that before I continued to rant and rave, I should probably do a little research. Luckily I found this particular posting on Paper Crave that I think sums up the little machine, it's pitfalls and advantages, with a more open perspective. In the end, no, this little machine is not going to replicate Letterpress printing in it's true form, but it might give crafters and scrapbookers an opportunity to play with new techniques and expand their repertoire. I'll be honest, I'm still not a big fan of the idea of it...but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

an outing

It's important to take breaks...unfortunately it's often easier said then done. As of late I've realized if I'm always 'on the go'...I eventually poop out. So this weekend I decided to have one day of play, and one day of work...a nice balance for a relatively free weekend. Yesterday was the Play day. We decided to take a little trip to one of our favorite places...the Woodland Park Zoo.

When I first moved to Seattle, Joe and I lived in an apartment directly across the street from the zoo. I used to love the fact that the zoo was our neighbor; we were literally so close that on hot summer nights we could hear the lions and the monkeys commiserate with us over the heat. We were zoo members and rather than take a walk around the block, we'd walk the zoo. It was fun. Sadly, now that we live on the other side of town, we just don't make it back as often as we'd like. So, we decided to make one trip before the year was out. Here are a few pictures I snapped along the way...


I loved the new Penguin exhibit...such an improvement over the old one. And we couldn't leave without saying hello to our favorite ladies, the hippos. This one pictured here is the youngest named Lupe.

wish list

Dear Santa,
For Christmas this year I would be ever so happy if you brought me this perpetual calendar. I'm not entirely sure where I would put it, but for something this cool, I'm sure I could find the perfect place. I've been perfectly nice this year...wont you grant me my wish?

Love, Stephanie

P.S: I still believe.

If you'd like your very own, very cool calendar, check out Little Brown Pen on Etsy

save the date

Wouldn't you love to get an invite to this wedding? For the past month I've been hard at work on the design for Rachel & Jonathan's wedding invitations. Though we've never met (they are practically on the other side of the country making it a little difficult to meet up for coffee), they've quickly become two of my favorite clients. Thanks to the power of technology, distance has yet to be a problem and we've made great strides in their design. Their wedding is not until July of next year (so you will see more of the completed pieces after the new year) but for now, we wanted to focus on completing their Save the Dates before the holiday mailing rush. They are working with the very talented Lisa Ridgely currently on the calligraphy for the envelopes and I can't wait to see how they turn out. Enjoy!

musical goodness

I had to get my flu shot yesterday...major bummer for a girl who doesn't like needles. Luckily, it wasn't anything an evening with Miss Regina Spektor couldn't fix. Joe and I celebrated a friends birthday at the fabulous Black Bottle, followed by the Regina Spektor concert at the Paramount. She was so fantastic I can't even begin to describe how incredible the show was. I'm still floating on a little Regina Spektor cloud this morning.

P.S: Happy Birthday Staci! Hope you loved the concert as much as I did!

pretty little things

There's nothing better than receiving a package in the mail...especially when it comes from the very talented Ashley! I'll admit, when I decided to sign up for 'Shop, Swap & Blog', I did a little detective work on who some of the other participants where. As luck would have it, one of the first shops I perused was Sweet Averie, an Etsy shop featuring all sorts of lovely trinkets and treasures. I was immediately taken by the gorgeous yellow carnation broach/hair pin, and I knew I had to have it one way or another. Little did I know, Ashley (the proud owner of said shop) and I would become Shop, Swap & Blog partners, and not only would have the opportunity to be the proud owner of one of Ashley's beautiful designs, but I would also get the chance to learn all about this super cool lady.

A lover of arts, crafts, cooking & style, Ashley creates practical and beautiful pieces to fit your accessorizing needs. Her shop, Sweet Averie, features a collage of handcrafted pieces in a variety of materials. My personal favorites are her delicate broaches and hair pins with hand singed edges. Located in North Carolina, Ashley's blog 'Ashley's Busy' features all sorts of interesting tidbits on life, her creative endeavors, recipes, and even her adorable pets (and can I just mention that I'm completely jealous of her incredible photography skills).

So, like I mentioned before, I was lucky enough to receive my own little package of Sweet Averie goods in the mail....you've probably guessed what it contained, but let's check it all out!


A collection of little packages all neatly bundled together in this adorable personalized handkerchief. So, so cute. Nothing makes you feel more special than having something made especially for you. And remember that gorgeous yellow broach I mentioned...check it out! Could it be more perfect? Ashley was kind enough to let me pick anything I wanted out of her shop, and I just couldn't resist. Love, love, love it! But wait...there's more.


She also gave me this beautiful handcrafted pendant sculpted out of clay. Such a talented gal.


Thank you Ashley for all of your wonderful gifts! I'll be checking in on your blog regularly to see what else you've got in the works!

for the love of colour

It's been a few days since I've had a chance to post anything new and exciting. As of late, I've been battling between a busy schedule and feeling a bit under the weather. Everyone in the greater Seattle area seems to have caught a cold, and as much as I try to avoid it, I'm afraid it may be inevitable. Anyways, a new client of mine introduced me to this fabulous website, and after playing on it for a bit, it may not have cured my cold, but it did make me feel a wee bit better.

COLOURlovers is an international site that tracks color trends as well as provides you with the ability to create your own color palettes & patterns. Best of all, you can easily see what other members are creating and share your own creations. It's actually pretty fantastic, and is a great source for inspiration and communication. Granted, you can easily create the same sort of patterns with a little time on Photoshop, but I think you'll find colourlovers.com to be a lot more fun. Check it out!