SHIM + SONS

twenty 10

 

I started designing the 2010 calendars over the summer. I must have sketched over two dozen designs, but I kept going back to the first few sketches which of course were the most simple and well, the most "me".

I had a difficult time narrowing it down to one design, so I decided to offer three designs this year. 

Each calendar will come tucked inside a handmade black + white gingham drawstring bag.

Here's a sneak peek of one of the calendars...

...perfect for those of us who love white with a little pop of color.

P.S. All three limited edition calendars will be in the shoppe later this week.

polka dots

a little girly

mouse pads

find me

I've been doing a bit of housekeeping. If you are reading this journal via bloglines or google reader you probably haven't noticed the changes, but I've updated my "about" page as well as added some links under the "find me" bar.

You can also find me around the internet, like on my SHIM + SONS fan page over on Facebook.

And I'm twittering about random things [as well as Shim + Sons' updates] over here. See you around!!

black + white

This has been a busy week folks. And I'm sure the other mums who sent their children off to school this week can relate! I'm spending a lot more time in the car these days, but I'm happy the boys are at schools where they will be challenged and cared for by their teachers. Next week will be Baby J's turn to start preschool. He is super excited about going to school but I know it is going to be strange not having him with me every day. But I am pretty darn excited about having some dedicated time during the day to work. Maybe this will means I won't be sewing or designing until the wee hours of the night.

Change is in the air. I've been wanting to design new business collateral for a long time and I finally got around to it. I decided to keep it really simple, maybe too simple, but I like the generic, plain-Jane look of it all.

c i r c l e s

:: eggplant :: white :: textured paper :: circles ::

:: I'm a little obsessed with making these cards ::

:: white woodgrain gift tags :: getting ready to update the shoppe in a few weeks ::

[handmade] hello + thank you!

You know how everyone has a list of things they would like to accomplish in their lifetime? Well my list includes random things like "take a ceramics class" [which I'll finally be doing this year!], "go parasailing" and "learn to ride a motorcycle" [wait, that one is being scratched off the list!]. One goal that wasn't ever on my list was having one of my own projects published in a real book [let alone a book published by Chronicle Books...I love their books!], but maybe it should have been because it is pretty darn cool seeing your work in print.

I mentioned the book back in May and somehow in the midst of moving to Korea and getting settled over here, I forgot to mention that the book is out! You can find Handmade Hellos! at your local bookstore or online. I have a copy and I am happy to say it really is a fantastic book with projects from some of my favorite crafters [Amy Karol, Sarah Neuberger] and stationery designers [Egg Press + Binth].

Now on to the good news! If you leave your name in the comments below you'll be automatically  entered to win your own copy of Handmade Hellos!. And since the kind folks at Chronicle Books offered to give out three copies, your chances of winning are pretty darn good! I'll plan to draw three names on Sunday, January 18th.

I also wanted to say "thank you" to everyone who stops by my online journal to say "hello. It was through this blog that Billie + Tootie of Reform School found my work and it was at their store in Silverlake that Eunice + Sabrina of Hello!Lucky [the editors of the book] noticed my fabric + cards. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the years of encouragement and support! xoxo.

handmade hellos

This fall a nifty little handmade card book is being published by Chronicle Books. The editors are the wonderful Hello!Lucky ladies [Sabrina + Eunice] and the book is chalk full of fun projects from various paper artists + stationery designers around the world. I was so excited when they asked me to contribute a project for the book. It has been almost a year in the making and after seeing a draft of the book I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy. So if you ever wanted to know how I make my fabric + cards or fused fabric cards, now you'll have the step-by-step directions!

You can find more information on the book here and I'll definitely let you all know once it is ready for pre-order. If you happen to be attending the National Stationery Show this year, Chronicle Books is hosting a wonderful Handmade Hellos Meet 'N' Greet giveaway that you don't want to miss. Some of my shim + sons' stationery is being included in the grand prize [as well as copies of the book!].

P.S. Fellow Portlanders, Friends of the Children is having their annual fundraiser tonight! [I donated some goodies for their silent auction.]

out + about

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. My weekend consisted of attending Big J's school carnival [the boys had their first ice cream sundae with sprinkles + gummy bears!], getting a haircut [long overdue for one] and preparing for and attending the Design Within Reach Modern Craft event. I had such a wonderful time at Modern Craft. It was so nice to see familiar faces, meet new friends, and mingle with so many cool local designers. I have to admit that I'm a home-body at heart, so I have to make a big effort to get out, but once I do I usually have a really good time. Spending several hours inside a DWR studio filled with beautiful furniture and home accessories is not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening.

Oh, and they also had platters of tasty treats for us to munch on. Yum! A big thank you to Heather Gregory and her team for creating such a nice vibe for the evening. And another big thank you to Elly for making me a beautiful dress just for the occasion [I love it so much!!].

And speaking of getting out, this week is packed with social events. Tonight I'll be swinging by the DWR Portland studio tonight for the D*S Biz Lady Meetup, tomorrow night I'm hanging out with a new friend, going on a field trip to the museum with Big J's class, hosting a big dinner party on Friday night and attending two birthday parties over the weekend. Oh, and sometime this week I'll be updating the shoppe with lots of new goodies. Hope you all have a good one!

P.S. I'm feeling MUCH better. Thank you all for your well wishes!

P.P.S. I just realized my info AT shimandsons DOT com email account was down from February 1-21, so if you sent me an email at this address, please re-send. Thanks.