Happy Mother’s Day to all the best moms ever out there, especially our awesome moms, Suzi & Gail!

This is the first mother’s day in years that i’ve gotten to spend with my mom, which is really exciting. I love having family nearby – it wasn’t something we ever thought would happen, and we are so blessed to have them! Family is awesome.

Speaking of family, I’ll be out of the office Wednesday through Friday for my cousin’s wedding. (Remember Liz & Andrew?) Andrew and I have always been close (we’re only a few months apart in age) and he was a groomsman in our wedding, so it means a lot to me to be there as a bridesmaid when he ties the knot! My mom, sister and I are making the trip to St. Louis together (and leaving the boys at home to work), so it will be a girl’s getaway. I’m definitely looking forward to the time away and seeing extended family that I haven’t seen since our wedding. Should be a great time! I’ll be back on the blog (and answering e-mails again) once i’m back on the 20th.

Here’s the scoop: Crafty Wonderland is this weekend in Portland, and we are so excited! I checked out a bunch of our fellow vendors, and blew several hours of my morning… these folks are a-maz-ing! You don’t want to miss this one. Here’s a run down of the booths i’m most excited to check out:

Things I want:
Beautiful, feminine jewelry from Amy Wing
Gorgeous textiles from Anna Joyce
Nerdy goodness from Betty Turbo (I’ve gotta get me some of those Buffy cards!)
I feel like my summer needs feather earrings from Bird Crap Featherwear
I love these cut paper shadowboxes from Bird Mafia Cut Paper Design
How amazing are these mounted trophy magnets by bishoplennonart?
The pillow pincushions by Chet & Dot are too cute for words. Makes me want to take up sewing!
Tiny felted mushrooms in bottlecaps? Yes please! Gonna have to stop by House of Moss.
I simply can’t wait to see Wee Green Spot‘s sweet terrariums in person! (Been crushing on them for awhile.)

Things Hubby’s Gonna Want:
Ultra nerdy accessories by Pixel Party
Felted Star Wars Mobiles? OMG. Sheep Creek has too many cute things for words.
I don’t know what Beard Balm is for, but my hubby’s got a beard so i’m sure we’ll find out! Looking forward to dropping by Man’s Face Stuff.

Familiar Faces:
I’ve got a Berkley Illustration print hung above my desk, and I can’t wait to see more!
We’ve got Mary Kate McDevitt’s Abe print hung up in the studio – a very sweet reminder, even on rainy days. Can’t wait to see what she’s been up to!
I totally stalked the gorgeous hats by Humperdinck His and Hers Haberdashery at the last Urban Craft Uprising, and can’t wait to see them again!

We recently had the pleasure of working with Charles from 4gency, a local video game development company. 4gency specializes in espionage-based games for mobile and tablet platforms. With the launch of their first game Node.hack, 4gency needed business cards that live up to “the world of spies and secrets.”

We scoured the web for redacted documents in the name of “research,” and had a lot of fun doing it. This is undoubtedly our favorite business card job to date. I love how the texture of the paper and printing comes through in the black card, and the stark contrast of colors on the white card. It’s eye candy, man. This is one of those jobs that exceeded my expectations. I love when I get the chance to let my printing press do her thing!

Your objective? Check out 4gency’s great new site, and play Node.hack!

We’ve been on a bit of an estate sale shopping spree lately. (Cheapest shopping spree ever, but still a spree.) In the name of Constellation & Co. Vintage, we’ve been pairing lonely antique frames with unlikely ephemera to make beautiful framed art. It’s been fun, and we’ve got more to come! The only downside is… we’re having trouble parting with our creations.

This lovely damsel is from a 1934 issue of Needlecraft Magazine we discovered at an estate sale in our neighborhood. I’m in love with her blouse. Perfect summer fashion, straight from the 30′s. I can’t get over how lovely she is. More fun framed ephemera to come – but for now, this one is ours!

If you missed the ink and newsprint version, you can read the article online here. There are also several more photos and an audio clip here.

We weren’t sure exactly what the article would be about, but were pleasantly surprised by the content when we finally got to read it. A few quotes and thoughts:

“Despite or maybe because of its shabby condition, the 619 offered affordable work space for artists both starving and successful in the bustling center of town, cheap parking and a loading dock for art projects.”

619 was exactly what we needed when starting our business. For us (and for so many artists), 619 was the only option we could afford starting out. Sure, it scared our friends and family (which everyone admitted after we moved), but it was our little slice of Seattle. It was a foothold that allowed us to grow our business. We scrubbed and painted and decorated and made it ours. It was special.

It was a lot of work and a leap of faith to find a new place, make moving arrangements, get things moved, settled, and reestablished. We lost months of client work in the shuffle, which could have been devastating without the help of the DOT. But we did have their help, and they have our gratitude.

“(Jane) Richlovsky used her (reestablishment) check to set up shop in a historic building nearby at First Avenue and Cherry Street. She renovated an entire floor’s worth of commercial spaces in a project known as the ’57 Biscayne artist studios. About a dozen of her former neighbors from 619 Western have since followed.

Have I told you lately that Jane is awesome? Our new space in ’57 Biscayne is amazing, and she’s the one to blame. It’s really wonderful to see Jane’s hard work and selfless service to our little community shown to city at large. Nothing about the ’57 Biscayne project was easy – but Jane tackled each challenge with skill and poise. We are very thankful for her, and for the opportunity to be a part of the community at ’57 Biscayne.

“In Seattle, artists have to be developers, landlords and mom-and-pop entrepreneurs, marrying a right-brain sense of creative possibility with a left-brain business savvy that’s more common in an MBA.”…It might seem nuts to think that an artist, the very definition of unconventional living, may want what bankers, engineers, teachers and corner grocers do, that they might measure their success with benchmarks embraced by the 9-to-5 cubicle crowd. But it’s not such a stretch. Serious artists struggle to find a place to work, earn a living from what they do and manage their money like everybody else. In fact, they are small businesspeople, and many, like Richlovsky, believe it’s crucial for artists to establish themselves in the same way that other professionals do.”

This idea of small business in the arts was on our minds a lot when it came time to move. “Where do we fit?” was a question often asked. We didn’t want a storefront, were too messy for an office building, and considered “too much of a business” for certain arts buildings. At ’57 Biscayne, we fit right in. We’re all “small business artists,” making a living doing what we love. It’s a great place to be.

Our craft is archaic and often inefficient, but we’ve chosen to build our business around letterpress. It’s not just another job, but an art form that allows us to work closely with the people of our city at integral parts of their life. We’re part of weddings, announcing new babies, and branding new businesses. We’re in local shops, sharing the visual arts via ephemeral cards and gifts. We chose Seattle. We live here, work here, and aren’t going anywhere. We’ve only been in Seattle for 3 years, but this city is our home. We’ll raise our kids here. And our business couldn’t exist anywhere else – it’s so inspired and supported by Seattle, I wouldn’t dare try to move it. (Plus, we physically weigh a lot in cast iron.)

Okay, okay. Time to wrap up. But first, some sappiness: it’s really exciting to be in the paper in the city we love. Once upon a time I stared at a glossy poster of the Seattle skyline, hoping for a chance to live here. A picture in the paper may not be a big deal (but come on, i’m a Newsies girl…King of New York, anyone?), but today I just feel honored to be an artist and business owner here in this city. It’s an honor, Seattle. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.

(Oh, and just in case anyone had the impression that what we do is glamorous, that photo seals the deal. It’s a dirty job. See Sara sweep! Sweep, Sara, sweep!)

Mini grapevine wreath with fabric flowers & vintage lace

Custom Yarn/Twine & Grapevine Wreaths

When she was here yesterday, Holly surprised me with a mini wreath for the shop – and I LOVE IT. It’s so happy and such a cute little lady… far too fun to just hang on the door! I’ve been moving it around the shop a million times to see where I like it best.

So, here’s the deal: You have a door, right? Your door needs a wreath.

And you know who else loves wreaths? Your mom! (It’s highly likely.) Mother’s Day is coming up, and a gorgeous handmade wreath would be just the right gift! Let’s help launch Holly’s store with a bang, friends. Everyone who orders a wreath before Mother’s Day will receive a FREE letterpress Mother’s Day card (a brand new one, printing this week!) from yours truly. Mention “Constellation & Co. Mother’s Day Card” in the notes section of your order, and Holly and I will make sure you get a card to give mom with your gift.

Visit our new stores!

Our card & gift items are available for purchase in several new stores! It’s been a great month since we launched our wholesale catalog, and we’ve enjoyed seeing orders coming in from lovely shops in fun cities.

McNally Jackson Books, NYC

The Curiosity Shoppe, San Francisco

Our friends in Seattle have shopping options in new neighborhoods, and we’re excited to make new friends in NYC, San Fran, LA, and Des Moines! (Hooray for friends!) We are honored to be a part of so many great shops. For our full list of options, check out our stores page.

Attend an event!

The Spring & Summer are shaping up to be busy and fun! We love Seattle (and have have some things planned for our local friends this summer – stay tuned), but we’re also hitting the road!

Want to shop, chat us up, and get some high fives? Come out to one of the following events near you:

Tacoma!
Wayzgoose!: Letterpress and Book Arts Extravaganza
King’s Books opens it’s doors to the local letterpress and book arts crazies for a day of creative activities, shopping, and steamroller printing!
When? Sunday, April 22, 11 am – 4 pm

Portland!
Crafty Wonderland: Super Colossal Spring Sale
The Oregon Convention Center transforms to become home to over 200 handmade vendors! The event sports free admission, and welcomes all ages. This is our first Crafty Wonderland – we’re super excited to be a vendor and we hope to see you there!
When? Saturday, May 12th, 11 am – 6 pm

Seattle!
Pioneer Square First Thursday Artwalk
See us on our home turf! 57 Biscayne (our studio’s fabulous home) throws open all it’s studio doors to the public! Our studio will be open, presses running, cards & gifts for sale, and refreshments served! Come see where we do what we do, and ask us a hundred million questions! (We’ll tell you everything we know.)
When? Thursday, June 7th, 5-9 pm

Things I’m listening to:

The Clearing by Bowerbirds and Break It Yourself by Andrew Bird

Both of these albums totally get me right now. I’m thoroughly loving them both. They’re hopeful, rustic, heartfelt…and getting lots of play in the studio.

Things I’m excited about:

The Hunger Games!
I don’t care if it’s for “young adults.” I read all the books recently, and tore through them. I absolutely loved all three. I laughed, I cried, I didn’t want them to end. If the movie is even decent (and I’ve heard some reviews that say it’s GREAT), i’m gonna love it. In honor of it’s release this weekend, here are some fun Hunger Games Etsy finds!

(Sidebar: While I spend a lot of time on Etsy selling things (here and here), I don’t do a lot of searching. And boy, was I uninspired by a lot of what I found. Regretsy man, regretsy. BUT, there are certainly good things out there too – they just take extra time to find. Here are two of the success stories.)

The Tributes of District 12 Silhouettes by Isabel Talsma – What a fun, subtle nod to Katniss and Peeta! (Modeled after the actors from the film.)

Hunger Games Block Print Sketchbook by Unicorn Empire Prints – The hand printed aesthetic works so well for this series. (Also check out the rest of their store – nerdy, artsy goodness!)

Things that make me smile:

Brad brought home some daffodils last weekend, and I’ve loved watching them bloom this week. They’re my favorite thing about spring!

I hope you have a lovely weekend full of music, excitement, and smiles. I’m planning to!

Oil cans come in a million shapes and sizes. And we’re apparently trying to collect them all – one can at a time. They have such personality, I can’t help picking them up when we find a good one.

Plus, they’re useful. Yes, there is oil in these oil cans!
Isn’t the little red one cute? (No – I haven’t named them. Yet.)

Additionally, when you use them, you can pretend to be Dorothy helping the Tin Man. Oil can!

I really like this Mini Textured Felted Wool Bundle from Purl Soho. They die several fabrics the same color for a unified palette that you can use in all kinds of fun crafty projects. I would love to make a quilt like this. (When I learn how to quilt.) I also really like this sweet terrarium by weegreenspot on Etsy. It’s inspired by the Irish landscape, and even has a “wee” felted sheep. It’s way too cute. My desk would love to have it.

If it would ever stop raining, i’d take some pictures of the Spring-y goodness that is happening all over our fair city right now. But, alas: the rain pours on. At least it’s good for all those daffodils that are blooming!