Monday was a landmark day, marking my one year anniversary as a designer at Papaya Creative Abandon.
We just finished the spring 2009 catalog. I took this photo near the end of production, for the giclee page. My boss Gina, has the most beautiful cat named bonzo. I've dubbed him the new official papaya mascot (until of course puppy Gigi makes her debut). I swear he's part human, I've seen him open house doors by jumping up and smacking the handle repeatedly with his paw. Hello---- Mr. Amazing cat.
Here are some of the latest and greatetst things from Papaya, that I'm proud to have had my hands in... (all of this will be available on the website in a few weeks, so this is a sneak peek!)
I designed all new packaging for Anahata Katkin's envelope sets.
Here's a peek at my recent re-design of my Celebration Lantern card sets. They now have new greetings, fresh new color palettes, and a keepsake box.
My co-worker Brennan is my technical guru in the office who helps bring my packaging ideas to life by designing tedious perfectly measured photo shop templates (he's so clever, he really needs to be cloned).
Our new post card tins were inspired by Anahata's collection of vintage tins. I designed these using her artwork, and also re-worked her images to create the postcard backs.
More goodies in the making to share soon... I'm so excited to see everything hit the store shelves this year.
It already feels like Christmas here in the PaPaYa! studio this week, many of our new product samples for 2009 have just come in. I've been hard at work these past months re-designing all of PaPaYa!'s packaging. So it's been very exciting finally getting to see everything translate from design files into beautiful products!
This new set of Correspondence labels that I recently designed will also soon be available (in February 2009). It features 48 different designs, 2 sheets of each to make 106 stickers total, with glitter details. Featuring artwork by Anahata Katkin, and myself (Kathleen Rossi-Howell).
New Miss Fishy and Lantern sets will also be available in the New Year. For an even further sneak peek of what's coming soon be sure to visit PaPaYa! creative abandon's flickr page.
Last up is a picture of miss Lulu our studio Kitty... tired out by all of the action.
Remember the PaPaYa! wrapping papers that we designed back in March? The samples recently came in from the printer, so today I've been busily wrapping faux presents in the studio. Taking photos for PaPaYa!'s website and upcoming catalog. (These papers will be available for purchase in January 2009.)
This is the crazy mess of ribbon and paper I left strung all over our studio at PaPaYa! this evening, such a beautiful whirlwind of creative disaster don't you think!?
Last week in the Papaya Creative Abandon studio I turned my craft mojo on, in preparation for a fun holiday themed photoshoot.
For a unique look, I hand-crafted holiday decorations out of Papaya's line of products. I used the fine wrapping paper to make an accordian tree skirt and decoupage hat boxes, ornaments made from the holiday card line (adorning them with stickles glitter, ribbons, and rhinestones) as decorations for our little pink-flocked tree. For extra color and texture we also added small paper parasols, and a hand sewn pom pom garland (inspired by Yvestown and Posie).
My co-worker Liz brought in her dog, (Pink) Floyd to model. I was lying on the floor in order to get to his level to take pictures (he's such a little guy). She got him to do the funniest tricks for the camera. It's amazing he looks so focused here, we couldn't stop laughing.
Where do you even begin about Paris? It's the most enchanting place I've ever visited, yet also the most difficult. The pulse of the city was embedded in it's history, culture, and dignity. The people watching was amazing. Men with flipped up collars, wearing stylish glasses, with impeccibly trimmed sideburns. You wouldn't even flinch at the sight of a young beautiful man walking down the street smoking a pipe. Women walking their little dogs on leashes, while wearing heels on cobblestone paths. Scarves draped artistically around their necks. I could feel the sense of obligation to beauty & a higher sense of style from everyone living there. At times it felt like walking in a fine tailored dream.
We stayed on Rue Pont Neuf in a very old section of Paris, where the colors of every building bleed together, so every geranium, colored doorway, or awning gleamed in rebellion with their bright hues.
We heard every language imaginable, mused over all of the couples we saw enthralled by romance, and drank our cups of tiny espresso slowly at the corner cafe every morning as we watched the world go by.
I marveled over large gold gilt horse sculptures, and paintings by the masters in the Mus�e d'Orsay (the Louvre was closed when we tried to visit, never go on Tuesdays!), took note of all of the tiny cars and vespa lined streets, and met a very odd guy named Luke (pronounced Luuu--- ick!) who told us all about how he got kicked out of his exchange program in Bakersfield California. Which if you know anything there is to know about that area, there isn't much to say!
We saw every beautiful thing you could imagine in Paris and at the Maison Object show (a tradeshow so amazing it truly deserves it's own post). And I got very lucky. As one of the biggest highlights of this trip was that two of my friends who live in Europe came to meet me. On Sunday Yvonne took the train from Belgium to Paris. We took the day to sightsee, and got teary eyed as we rode the lift on the Eiffel tower and saw the city for the first time from above. It was so visually moving, I could feel my stomach float with butterflies as we rose up above the buildings. We took a water taxi on the Seine around all of the monuments and relaxed after a long day of walking with a glass of wine, on the deck of a boat cafe across from Notre Dame before we said our goodbyes at Les Halles station.
Later that week my fellow adventurer & PaPaYan Eli and I met up with my college roommate Pauline who now lives in Paris, for dinner and the following day took a trip to Sacre Coeur. As we were walking up the stairs of the monument one of the human statues sprang to life and pointed at her exclaiming "oh la la"! (Only in Paris!)
She guided us through the hilly streets of Montmarte (where Amelie was filmed). We had lunch at "Tire Bouchon" a cr�perie where notes, drawings, clippings, photos, etc. are tacked on the walls from travellers passing through Paris. My favorite was the tiny passport photo that said "Don't worry, I'm still alive!!". So it goes without saying that, we were destined to leave our mark too.
You could just feel the creative energy build over the past few days at the recent Art in Ashland Retreat. Pam Garrison, Amy Hanna, and Anahata Katkin got their teaching mojo on, and gave us 3 great days in the classroom showing us their techniques in hand-bound books, revived relics jewelry, and mixed-media arts. It was held at the historic Ashland Springs Hotel, whose old timey ambience set the tone for everyone to unlease their creativity giving each project their unique and clever spin.
Hope Wallace, of Paper Relics stayed with us, and was my creative side-kick during classes. I was in total creative bliss with the collection of amazing jewels and vintage beads she generously brought for us to use in Amy's class. I haven't taken a photo of the piece I made in that class yet, but I can't wait to show you.
Above right, she's modeling the special Art in Ashland apron we all drew birds on for Amy... the hotel had an amazing garden terrace just outside the ballroom where our classes were held. Everything was in full bloom.
Hope's getting married in the spring, so she was inspired to create a guest book out of an old ledger in Pam's class. She took the above photo of me testing out Pam's quill on some beautiful vintage ledger paper that Cassandra gave us (that is also sold in her etsy shop), 3 is a lucky number.
I was kicking myself, as usual because I got so wrapped up in enjoying the classes I didn't take many photos of all of the awesome people who attended, and their projects until the very last day. Which I'm going to save for my next post, because they're so good they need to stand on their own.
These are photos from the party at the end of the event, held at Prize here in Ashland. Tiny cupcakes and lemonade/champaign... with a dazzling presentation, and the buzz of happy creative people who filled the room.
I had to ask Liesel to strike a pose for me, wearing the amazing necklace she made (which I hear she'll be teaching how to make at Artfest). Hope took the sweetest photo of Anahata and Sally Jean there.
The PaPaYa crew labored hard behind the scenes making all of the "prize at PRIZE" medalions before the event. Christine Rose Elle wears hers as she signs a classmates journal at the party at Prize. Look at her beautiful handmade beaded tiara! Each teacher gave away an original piece during the party, the winners couldn't stop smiling. It was lovely all around.
I'm writing tonight from Atlanta, Georgia... it's been a whirlwind here at the home & gift market. I had been working hard the previous week designing the layout of the PaPaYa! booth back home in Southern Oregon, it was an amazing process to see it all come together exactly as I'd dreamed it would. The PaPaYa! boys a.k.a. the glitter pimps ( no one leaves home from work without a few tell tale pieces of glitter on them from all of our sparkly treasures hence the nickname) worked hard this week hanging all of the products on the walls. I got to come in and fine tune with the final feminine touches, like flower arrangements and faux wrapped gifts in our line of fine wrapping papers. I love it when a plan comes together!
Here's a peek at PaPaYa's booth at the National Stationary Show in New York last week before the crowds moved in.
Shawn's been traveling back and forth a lot up north settling all of our loose ends, while I work down here in Ashland. This last week, he accidentally left with my camera in his glove compartment. Dispite bad lighting and dismal weather, my iphone came to my rescue again.
Even Wendy Addison suddenly wanted one, when I took this photo of her with my good friend and inspring creative director Anahata at the stationary show. Wendy's work was featured at Tinsel Trading Company's booth. They are the cutest, so much talent right here! (You can peek into Wendy's studio, The "Theatre Of Dreams" at Ana's blog here, and Pam's here!)
Although we spent most of our time at the show, Ana and I managed to spend some quality time at the Pearl river mart in SoHo. Ah, the lanterns... as my friend Yvonne would say "the mothership has called me home"!
We also visited Tinsel Trading Company in person, what an enchanting store!
Here's a snapshot of jewelry artist Jill Schwartz's amazing booth. She's one of my muses. I keep a folder with images that inspire me, hers are some of my true favorites. The image on the right is one of them, and comes via Earth Angel toys, an online shop that sells her pieces.
I also got to visit some of my oldest blogging friends Hope and Leslie at the show in their booth representing their stationary lines Paper Relics and The Paper Princess. It's been amazing watching their businesses grow these last few years. Such paper divas! We all met in hell's kitchen for dinner one night with our other good blogging pals Jess and Dawn. Jess brought us all lovely handmade bracelets. She sells her artistic jewels at her online shop Junque Revival.
It was such a whirlwind of a week, I'm really glad I got a chance to visit with all them!
I'll be returning to New York with my pals of the PaPaYa crew this August for the big International Gift Show, as one of "New York's Newest". The lure of the big city's already calling to me.
Anahata and I are taking off this weekend to New York for the National Stationary Show, so in the spirit of all things paper I thought I'd leave you with another sneak peak of some new fine wrap designs I've been working on this week at PaPaYa. Two of these patterns are adaptations of my new card designs and the birds on green were inspired by one of Anahata's new art canvas designs. I really enjoy designing things with pattern, I think I've found my niche.
Over the weekend we were running back and forth from house to house, moving our things to and fro while what I've now dubbed as "second winter" drifted in covering everything in town in pure white snow. As we drove up to our new place I instantly noticed this amazing display of purple roses waiting at our front door. Although there was no note, I had a good hunch it was from my rock star friend. These lovelies, have helped make the chaos of this move a much sweeter experience. After this week, we should be all settled in.
I also got a really special package from my talented friend Monica up in Astoria this weekend, with some very skillfully quilted lantern potholders she made in her amazing home studio. I've been seriously cautioned that if I don't use them and get them dirty... she won't invite my husband over for leftovers anymore while he's on his trips up North (A little inside joke). Too funny!
I've been happily creating in the studio over at PaPaYa HQ this week. It's wonderful to get back into my creative flow playing with pattern and fun color combinations.
& Here's a peek at my desk, where all of the good creative juju happens at PaPaYa! (thanks to the camera on iphone, again).
Halloween Sneak Peek for PaPaYa! Creative Abandon
4.19.2008
This week at PaPaya we closed our doors to the studio, cranked up the radio and worked on some new designs for Halloween. It always amazes me how far ahead of time you have to get on these things in the design realm. Last spring when the sun finally came out in Astoria, I was filling my home studio with Christmas tunes to get in the mood while designing for the holiday line. No joke!
....To see Anahata's quirky & wonderful cast of characters be sure to visit the Halloween sneak peek page over at PaPaYa!
Last week I was having a blast in the PaPaYa! studio wrapping gifts with the new line of fine wrapping papers to photograph for the catalog and web. Two things that really are my cup of tea! (Take a peek at the product gallery to see more.)
On a totally different creative spin... I've realized, now that we're living in the sunbelt of Oregon I'm really feeling ready to roll up my sleeves and get my creative gardening mojo back in check. To kick things off the new house has officially been Christened with the addition of a new doe inspired miniature garden on our back patio. Total whimsy!
They turned out better than my wildest expectations. I adore them so much, I want to plaster them everywhere! I designed the cherry blossom lanterns, and Miss fishy paper. Anahata designed the lotus blossoms, birds, and woodland forest themed papers. There is also a lovely paper designed by Pamela Garrison shown below (bottom/left). They're all so amazing, and coordinate so well together.
I can't wait until I can experiment with all of these great patterns, I keep thinking something needs to get decoupaged this weekend. Maybe a chair? (I love this one by as art up via flickr.)
