Paper Quilt Contest: Winners!

Let me start off by thanking everyone who participated in the Paper Quilt Contest. I was so surprised by how many people signed up & have loved seeing all the quilts come in over the past week. This has been one of most fun things I've ever done at L&H, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. Each of you inspires me. 

Choosing winners was not easy, let me tell you. I consider all of these to be works of art, so it seems a little strange to be judging them. But, this is a contest, so there have to be winners, even if they are chosen by me, without any real barometer of qualifications. Just one person's gut.

So without further ado: the grand prize winner is... Shannon! (quilt above & below) I love her selective use of color & well thought-out pattern. In using triangles to create the square shapes, she was able to gain more surface area of color, and therefore a more obvious pattern comes through. Well done & congrats, Shannon! 

Next, I chose three amazing paper quilts as Runner Ups in the contest, of which the creators will each receive the choice of a Birthday Calendar or the 2013 Letterpress Calendar.

Jen's quilt (above) is gorgeous & adds a three dimensional element with the folded edges. She punched the provided card stock to create a tactile lace effect. I love that she kept the colors minimal, allowing the texture to really shine. 

I love the graphic quality in Esther's quilt (above). I applaud her for only using one card colorway and allowing the white card stock to take the lead as the main graphic.

I love the simplicity and color of Jennifer's quilt (above). The lone star is a traditional quilt design, but done in these colors & tones keeps it feeling current, which I love.

And because there were a handful of quilts that deserved a shout out, we have the following Honorable Mention Picks, of which the creators will each receive a pack of our new quilt note cards.

I love Jamaica's minimal use of color & pop of neon,

that Marisol used the back of the post cards,

and Nancy's unique patterning & layering.

I am impressed by Sarah's cutting technique & folksy feeling quilt,

  

and was blown away with the sewing detail in Ann's quilt.

And in no particular order, all the pretty (and pretty intricate) paper quilts:

Quilts, above, by:

(from top to bottom, left to right)

Beth, SL, Lauren

Diana, Ilene (and her adorable daughter), Meaghan

J.R. White, Kaitlin, Katie

Amy, Andrea, Janice

Anna, Ariel, Julie

Ashby, Barbara, Kathy

Marcantonio, Nuri, Sarah 

Molly, Natalie Navales, Stephanie

Jessica, Cassandra, Rosemary

Thank you again to everyone who submitted a paper quilt! This was too much fun to only do once. So stay tuned!

Weekend Down South

I was at a wedding this weekend at the Greenbrier in West Virginia - a hotel with rich history and distinct decor thanks to Dorothy Draper. The look is pretty dense (patterns on nearly every surface), but I can't help but be attracted to the bold color choices & layering of patterns. My older sister wore a dress that matched the carpet so much we joked that we'd never find her if she passed out. The place is a feast for the eyes and for me, was a nice breather after a busy week at the show.

NSS 2012: The Booth

The Stationery Show is now over - phew!

It was so nice to see my favorite stationery friends and meet some news ones - including two big names in art & design, Rena Tom and Lisa Congdon. Love these women & felt super nerdy-excited to meet them. That's got to be the best part of this big expensive production - the friendships, camaraderie and connections surrounding it. 

Above & below are a few Instagram shots from the booth. Immediately below is the brand new Pony Bob Card Carrier, named after the most famous rider of the Pony Express. I had the idea for a stationery carrier after my son was born & I found myself writing thank you notes in the doctor's office, pulling them out of my purse in a ziplock bag. Handy, but not pretty. I wanted to create something nicer and a bit more thank-you-note-inspiring than a plastic sandwich bag.

I hope to put both the Pony Bob and the Quilt Calendar online in the next couple weeks as coming soon products. I expect both to be available for purchase by mid to late summer.

Stay tuned next week for some more NSS follow up, as well as the announcement of the big winner in the Paper Quilt Contest! 

NSS 2012: Best Honor Ever

Yesterday, Grace of design*sponge wrote up her first post on the National Stationery Show and said our 2013 oversized Quilt Calendar was her favorite piece of the entire show. Pardon the toot toot of my own horn here, but TOOT TOOT!

This calendar has been in my head for over a year, but I knew that not everyone would get it. (You have no idea how many people asked if this was the real size or just the size we were showing at the show. Wha???) It was a bit risky, and I wasn't exactly sure (as I never am) how people would respond. So Grace, a design blogger I love & respect, saying that it was her favorite piece at the show is the biggest honor I could ever hope for because it means that my audience gets it & likes it as much as I do.

Big big big thanks to Grace at design*sponge for getting it & loving it!

I'll post more pics from the show tomorrow, but check out Grace's first day's coverage here.

NSS 2012: Quilt Cal Debut / Day 1

Here it is! The 2013 Quilt Calendar. A beast of a calendar at 26" x 40". It's hand screenprinted on 100# cover, 100% recycled stock, and hangs from two oak bars clamped together by two brass bolts & wing nuts. It's a statement piece that turns into frameable art print after the month has passed. I love this calendar so much & am so excited that it was so well-received on the first day. 

The highlight of the day was Lotta Jansdotter visiting our booth, pointing to the calendar & asking if she can get it. I was starstruck. I could barely answer. Luckily, I pulled myself together enough to mutter an obvious yes! I was so bummed that she left no more than 1 minute before my Swedish speaking husband (and child, sort of) arrived! I love when he can speak Swedish to people & I would have died for him to speak to Lotta! Like I said, starstruck.

But back to the show. John and Griffin came to visit, play with the calculator, and chase all the balloon animals around. It was a great day seeing all my favorite stationery friends! More to come tomorrow. 

NSS 2012: Booth Sneak Peek

Phew! It's been a busy week. And the show hasn't even started! We moved in on Thursday, tweaked a few things today, and head back for the show's start on Sunday. 

I was all about changing up the booth display this year. Each year, we use the same foam core boards, fabric covering, rug & table. It has saved us a lot of money, but it was time for a change. Same foam core boards, new covering. And all new furniture - some bought, some rented, some hand made by a certain handy friend. With two brand new exciting products to show, this booth display feels like a perfect fit. 

Come by & say hi. We're in booth # 2070.

Bellboy

 

My good friend Mat is one talented guy. He left his art director position at arguably the best ad agency for highly creative work to do what really drives him: making beautiful things with his hands. Bellboy is his company name & this is its latest stunner - a low lying lounge chair made from reclaimed timbers of a New York City Water Tower. I've watched this being made over the past 2+ months & can attest to its intricate detail. Can you see that each piece is a mirror image of the one opposite it? Blows my mind. 

The chair is being auctioned off this weekend as part of the 12 x 12 show - 12 woodworkers chosen to create a piece from one of 12 New York City sites - to benefit woodworking education for the non-profit Brooklyn Woods. Go check it out at Wanted Design. 

Big big congrats, Mat!