Our DIY Wedding Invitation

Apologies for all the Wedding talk lately, but it seems to be always on my mind. I'm happy to say we are at the stage where we've sent out most of our invitations, and are feeling our first big sense of relief. We always knew we'd want to make our own wedding invitations, but I have to say... I'm really extra proud of how ours turned out, and I thought some of you might like to sneak a peak. I designed the "album" cover with our wonderful friend Ben Whitla.



Then I screenprinted both that and the RSVP's (which are indeed a mad lib) by hand. Each one came with a DVD printed with an original drawing of us by Phil. Wondering what was on the DVD that Phil made (almost entirely on his own. I only helped color each frame)?:



Hoorayyyy!!!!!!! If you don't know yet about our incredible barf-happy pet, the esteemed Mr. Sammy, then you wouldn't find it nearly as funny as we do that he made it into the animation. He is as much a member of our family as either of us, though, and it seemed only right that he be part of our wedding animation. (Sadly, he will stay home for the actual wedding).



Will continue posting photos of wedding stuff, whether you like it or not (sorry). I know our invite gets a bit goofy, but I hope it's clear that we love each other very much, and that we love all of the Red Prairie Press community. Thank you, as always for being an enormous part of our lives!

Red Prairie Press DOT Etsy DOT com

It's finally Friday, after a seemingly extra long week this week, I thought I'd give a peek at my slowly evolving Etsy Shop!I've been trying to build up the shop with all of the apparel available on my site, so that online shoppers have an alternate place to purchase it all. Sometimes word of mouth just isn't enough, and Etsy is a great way to get people familiar with your business just by coming across it randomly. Also cool: Most people see from my Etsy shop that I have a website, and come by and explore that too, which is great. For those that would rather stick to Etsy, because it's already trusted, now we have that option too. Plus, it feels good to be associated with all the other great artists, crafters and designers selling on Etsy. It seems everyone who's anyone has a shop. Is that a good thing? I'm not sure. You can certainly waste hours searching for nothing in particular on Etsy. There are a million ways to find treasures, and the fine folks behind the site really make an effort to fairly showcase as many different artists as possible. There are THOUSANDS of shops on Etsy.com, and maybe I'm just adding to the chaos...but I really do love the way everything is set up, and how you can pick "favorite" vendors and items... and read articles on everything from taxes to weddings. Nice.

FAME! Get Some.

Want to be famous for your craft? Here is a casting call for crafters 28y/o and younger to appear on a T.V. show about crafting. I found the listing on Crafting in a Green World. DO IT!!!

"Casting Notice – Untitled Teen Craft Show

Our Production company, Two Bees and a Pea, is casting young adult & teen crafters for a new “untitled” craft show. This show will be guest based - so you could be the star of the show. We produce Creative Juice on DIY and HGTV and this will be a brand new show.

We are seeking crafty guests from all over the USA and will begin the process with DVD submissions. The DVD’s are not for air on TV they are for casting purposes. Fear not if you don’t have access to a video camera. Just send a photo of yourself (big smile) holding or showing off your handmade items.

Here are a few guidelines:

You should have high energy and great style. Show off your style - flaunt it!

Your crafts should be current, hip, cutting edge - think Urban Outfitters, Anthropology, Gossip Girl, Project Runway, MTV!

You can make anything from room decor, jewelry, clothing, soap making, knitted and crochet goods, lip balm, art, etc. The most important thing is that you know your stuff and can explain how you make it in a clear and fun way.

The deadline is May 1st – 2008. Age range: Teens, Young Adults (28 and under)

Video Guidelines:

1. Have high energy and be yourself. State your name, where you are from, how long you have been crafting and what your craft project is. Try to hold your project in your hand or have it next to you and briefly explain to us how you made it. You can show a step or two on how you made it you want.

2. Try to keep the camera as smooth as possible (using a tripod helps) and make sure you have lots of light so we can see you.

3. Fashion tips for the camera: Please don’t wear prints, all black (even if you are goth), white or red. Tattoos, elaborate hair dos, and punky attire are just fine.

4. Videos should be no longer than 3 minutes and should be submitted on DVD only. Tapes cannot be viewed. On the DVD please include your name, your craft, email, city, phone number and age if you are under 18.

Photo Guidelines:

1. Have a big smile in the photo. Try to hold your project in your hand or have it next to you. You can include a picture of you at a sewing machine or at your work station or in the process of making something.

2. Fashion tips for the camera: Please don’t wear prints, all black (even if you are goth), white or red. Tattoos, elaborate hair dos, and punky attire are just fine.

3. Photos should be digital, high resolution and should be submitted in print and on a CD. On the back of the photo and on the CD please include your name, your craft, email, city, phone number and age if you are under 18.

Please mail to:

Casting - Untitled Craft Show
c/o Cathie Filian
1531 Randall St
Glendale, CA 91201"

Old Slate

Maybe it's that I love the parts in Little Women where they talk about doing homework on their "slates," or maybe it's just a subconscious acknowledgment of the John's Hopkins Students returning from spring break and overtaking the gym again this week. Either way, I like this necklace by Sheri Truitt featured on Etsy today. I love little secrets, and this reminds me of a locket, but minus the tacky bling-factor. Purdy.

Paper Cut

One of my favorite art-related organizations in Baltimore, Nana Projects, is kicking off spring with a fundraiser with music, stilt-walking, fabulous hors-d'ouevres, beer, wine, a cut-paper-art-auction, and the BALTIMORE PREMIER of their MAGIC LANTERN SHOW! If you haven't ever been down to Patterson Park on Halloween for the Great Halloween Lantern Parade, you are missing something special. All of Nana Project's shows are live-action animation, often to live music. Very cool.
Don't miss it!
Friday, April 4th, 8pm
2460 space at St. John's Church (you know... where Pile Of Craft is held?)

Above is my sad little donation to the papercut art auction.
Nanna's for NaNa.
huh? HUH?!?!!??

for more info on this must-see event, go HERE.

Folk Love

It's sometimes a little tricky, working for yourself, to know which new designs will be received with enthusiasm, and which will be complete misses. I won't lie; my all time favorite design at Red Prairie Press has been a miss from the start, but I'm particularly happy that the new spring "folkprint" tees for both ladies AND gentlemen have been a hit so far. This new hand-drawn design is so dear to me, that part of it made a sneak appearance on our wedding invitations (though, that's a different post altogether). Just wanted to say thanks (again) for letting us believe we've still got it. Sale is through, but the shop is still open. Your order is on it's pretty little way!

If you live in LA and read this blog...

There are some idol-worthy artists working with left-coast printing powerhouse Poketo, and 25 of them are featured in this show. The opening reception is slated for Saturday, March 22nd from 6-10 PM at the Poketo studio located in the Arts District/Little Tokyo section of downtown Los Angeles. "First Editions" is the first in a series of art events at the studio scheduled for 2008 and will showcase the print work of several longtime Poketo collaborators, including Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Chris Pew, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Susie Ghahremani, Keith Shore, The Little Friends of Printmaking, and more (with limited runs of each print available for purchase at the event).
Attendance is free and open to the public. You're supposed to r.s.v.p. To do so, email rsvp(at)poketo(dot)com.
For a full list of the artists involved, and a longer description of the show, go HERE. I'm jealous of anyone close by who is able to go. We'll be salivating from the East coast.

Since I'm too busy packing orders to change the website back to regular pricing, I'm extending the Birthday Sale through Wednesday. Everything in the RED PRAIRIE PRESS SHOP is still 20% off! Enjoy, and THANK YOU for the overwhelming response!
(This amazing Yard Sale sign is from here)

Book Thing

I'm not exactly sure how it happened. I've known about Book Thing for at least 3 years, and I'm the daughter of two very literary people (a librarian and an english teacher, to be exact). I love books, I love old things, and I certainly love free things. And Book Thing of Baltimore is all that and more, but it took me until this weekend (when friends were visiting from out of town) to finally go. If you don't know about it, you should. Book Thing is a volunteer-run warehouse on 3001 Vineyard Lane in Baltimore. It was started and is still owned by a bearded hero named Russell Wattenberg, who relies on grant money and donations alone to run the space. All books are free, and get there by donation from businesses, schools, libraries, and individuals. What I assumed would be a big room with piles of books all over the floor, turned out to be four rooms, all with very inviting bookshelves and bins. They are all organized by section, un-intimidating, and filled with well-kept books. The fiction section was perhaps the biggest, and the "Art" books, at the front of the store, were the most picked through. There were some gems in the "gardening", "cooking", and "war" sections, and some pretty random finds in the "maps" section. I took home two very recent "New Yorker"'s, a "Gourmet" magazine, a book on old factories in New England, a collection of illustrated fairy tales, a James Beard cookbook, and a book called "The Right People" which looks to be a satire of upper class snooty snootersons, but I only read the first page, and really took it for the nice type on the cover.
Book Thing is open every weekend from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Sat/Sun) but they accept book donations via an outdoor drop-off all week long. It was busy enough when we went at noon on Sunday, but since there is no check-out, only a sheet where you write your name, # of books you are taking, and a message (if you feel like it), there is no line to wait in, or money to be exchanged. Instead, there are happy people, and signs that literally encourage you to "be greedy." Something our city thrives at!!
Even though I'm pretty much the last person in town to show up, I still feel like I'm in on the biggest secret in Baltimore.
Thanks, Russell.

Small Onesies are back!

After a crazed rush for the small sizes of almost every style we sell, I'm happy to report that we are now fully restocked with onesies, and you may order away with almost four days left of our birthday sale!!!! VERY EXCITING!!!!
Here is our disgustingly adorable niece, The esteemed Ann​eli​es Hanna, proving once again that babies are indeed cute...and showing you she doesn't give a rats #$$ about the birthday sale, and would rather play with her cotton monster.

Earth Happy

I've been really enjoying the new anti-plastic bags craze lately. It seems every online designer I see has a tote bag to offer for carrying your groceries and books the eco-friendly way. Baltimore still seems to be lagging in the enviro-department. We just stopped by Staples to get some printable DVD's, and told the nice cashier that we didn't need a bag. She looked at us like we'd just admitted to eating other humans, and said "how you gonna carry that?" It really hadn't ever crossed her mind that hands work as excellent carrying devices, even when something does not have a handle.
The grocery stores in our neighborhood seem a little further along. Superfresh and Giant both have their own re-useable bags for sale, and Giant even offers a wee discount for bringing your own (3 cents per bag, to be exact). Hopefully we'll soon follow San Francisco's example of just outright banning plastic bags in large chain supermarkets (what will we scoop cat litter into THEN!?) But until then, I'll try to do my part, and remember to bring a few canvas helpers. I particularly love this $15 Organic one by Black Sheep Heap!

If'n when...

After an exhausting weekend involving Phil and I tackling the horror that is a wedding registry process, all I want to do is be surrounded by things NOT made in foreign developing countries by people who might or might not be much younger than us.
We felt disgusted by the way we were treated according to gender (the shop manager to Phil: "HERE! YOU HOLD THIS!" and then to me, as she hands him the product scanner: "We like to give them something gadget oriented to play with while the bride is choosing housewares..." fake laughter ensues)...
We were explained which asparagus steamer would best withstand our dishwasher, which fine china was best for how many guests, and which silver we should tell someone to replace our perfectly good hand-me-down silverware with. "You'll need one set of FINE China for special occasions...and one for more casual events, and dinner with the family"

All in all, the picking turned out to be fun. We bonded over new pots and pans, laughed at the uses for very specific knives, and relieved each other numerous times by reminding ourselves of what we already had, and had no reason to replace.

We came home burnt out, but with a newfound appreciation of the world we live in most of the time, small craft shows that don't have florescent lights, or checkout aisles, or anyone telling us which fondue pot we'll need to make our marriage work.
With that in mind, I thought I'd feature some gift ideas from the indie community as alternatives to the traditional (yes...perhaps more practical) wedding registry:

Handprinted Dishtowels from Art Goodies
Screenprinted Handbound Photo Album by If'n Books + Marks
Stitched Pillows by Jenny Jen

BIRTHDAY SALE BEGINS TODAY!!!!

celebrating two years

Today marks two full years in business for Red Prairie Press!!! To celebrate this happy event, we are putting everything at www.redprairiepress.com on sale next week, from Monday to Friday! Thank you for your business, and for supporting me both financially and emotionally in the last two years. I owe so much to so many people, and I'm humbled to think of the strings that have been pulled on my behalf in Baltimore, and all over the country to get me where I am today. I would not be happier in any other job, and I feel so lucky to be able to do what I do, and meet all the inspiring people I meet. In the past year, I have visited 13 states because of Red Prairie Press, and met hundreds of other small business owners, and supporters. The Indie Craft movement is huge, and truly a magnificent thing, and I love being a part of it all. Thank you to family and friends and those I haven't met just yet. See you soon!!

Polaroid Farewell

As many of you know, Polaroid is planning to stop production of all instant film and cameras in the coming year. A travesty for hipsters and sentimentalists all over the country. My own "Kool Kam" is looking pretty nostalgia inducing itself, with it's pink and gray plastic still clean and matte, and it's flip open flash still in perfect shape. I'm feeling actual sadness at the thought of it becoming useless in the years after we've all used up ebay's supply of film, and yard sales are empty of it...
Well, maybe not solve the crisis at hand, but at least to go out with a bang (or a snap?), my friend Evan LaLonde has organized a gallery show called "600" which will allow photographers of any level, all over the country, to submit up to 10 polaroid photos for exhibition at Gallery 2219 in Baltimore.
Email Evan for a full Call-For-Entries prospectus at:
evanrlalonde(at)gmail.com by March 28th, 2008.

Portland Recap

Kayaking in Shelton, WA
Mid-day bonfire at high tide, Shelton, WA
Drinking Fountain Built for two, Portland, OR
7-Up building and Screenprinted Posters- Portland
The most lovely shop sign I've ever seen (front & back)- Portland
View of Portland from inside a Stumptown Coffee shop
The breakfast I ate every morning in Portland. (my coffee is the white one, the darker is that of a true West Coaster)
Daffodils in Portland
Touching the Pacific Ocean (the beach where Goonies was filmed)
$3 Beer Theater (you buy a pitcher of beer and a pizza at the theater, and bring it with you. We saw Sweeny Todd)
Anti-Gentrification Sign in Alberta (Portland)
Walking from a friend's "bayshore" home in Washington to the beach at low tide
Clamming on that very beach (the Kayaking was done the next day)
Post-clamming view of the bay at low tide

These are just some of the many many things I saw in Portland, Oregon and Shelton, Washington, the coast of Oregon and a few places in between.
It seems I missed photo ops of a few of the most awe-inspiring things... (The Biz Ladies meetup put on by Design Sponge, The large bookstore, more great hand-painted signs, most of downtown portland, the river, the mountains, moss covered trees, all of Olympia...) but maybe I was just busy drooling over everything, and buzzing on coffee (that's right...I failed quitting coffee. At least on the west coast). But I had a good time, reunited with some family and friends that I hadn't seen in a long long time, and learned why the entire east coast has flocked to Oregon. It truly is beautiful, albeit being really really moist.