Printing with kids - Christmas Cards [WHA?]

I can hear your groan from here - Christmas? you're saying. I know. Here's the thing though. I'm headed to the National Stationery Show next month as I've mentioned and I had to have them done for that. Retailers have to order early.

But there was a fun project that I got to do with these holiday cards. Two years ago when the kids were in 3rd grade, each child did a winter themed drawing. Those drawings were then composed into one piece of artwork and the class had a field trip over to see the piece printed. I must admit we were not prepared for 40-ish 3rd graders and the energy they bring with them!

The field trip was successful, but I kept staring at these little drawings and loving the whimsy of them. Most notably Sammy's Penguin. So when I decided to add holiday into my lineup this year, I contacted parents and kids and asked them to be a part of my project.

I selected 4 drawings to start with. Each child got $20 for their drawing [artists should be paid of course] They also got a set of their final printed cards and then I donated to the elementary school's art program as well. I invited the kids and their parents over to print with me - so they could get more one-on-one on the press. We printed the hangtags that accompany the greetings. Below is each child with their drawings printed. They were pleased to see their signatures on the backside too, along with my Richie logo. I really wanted them to take ownership of their art.

I'm currently working with the elementary school, in hopes to continue the project in some fashion.

If you're a store, interested in purchasing. Hope to see you at booth 1370 at NSS next month. or contact us for wholesale info. richele (at) richiedesigns (dot) com

Aden Blue with his reindeer

Grace with her angel

Jake with his snowman

Sammy with her Penguin

[how much do you love this?!]

The holiday cards will be available in the Etsy store later this summer and hopefully in stores nation-wide after the show!

Mother's Day

I wanted to create a card this year for folks who may have a step parent, aunt etc that was comfortable to give on Mother's Day. I luckily still have my mom with me but I also have a few women in my life that helped me become the person I am today. Hand drawn type, one color letterpress fuchsia ink and sunny yellow envelope.

New in the store today

Vintage Neon as Letterpress

I have a love of vintage neon that started years ago in college. Originally I painted this sign and it sits on our Mantle today. This year I revisited it for a birthday card, because I thought... when all else fails this is where we go for the bday present.

This card was hand illustrated and is printed in 3 colors. It was a pretty difficult print job and my first effort was not successful and required new plates. I'm pretty jazzed on the finished project.

Did I tell you I quit my job? and I'm headed to the National Stationery Show? I did. It's happening this May. I'm calling it my mid-life crisis since I turn 46 at the show. It's cheaper than a Porsche but more expensive than a Botox so whatevs!

National Stationery Show is held in New York City at the Javitz Center. It's only open to the industry sadly but if you're a store owner I hope to see you there!

I've made it available as an early release on Etsy just incase you can't live without it.

A day in the life of a stylist

I'm getting ready for a photoshoot for my kids catalog tomorrow and I'm in need of colorful tissue confetti. Now I'm sure you can order this online somewhere but I didn't think about it till last night and I couldn't find what I needed at my local stores... so I made it. Which makes me officially crazy I think. I also have confetti blisters from the scissors. But hopefully the shot [s] will look amazing. 

Have I mentioned I'm a stylist and art director too? I am. You can see some of my handiwork over here along with some automotive things I've done over the years. Jack of all trades, master of none.

Grandma and Grandpa

I've decided to begin scanning family photos lately. Must be age and nostalgia setting in or something. This photo of my Grandparents is dated November 7, 1939. It must have been when they had first began dating as they look so young.

The photo is teeny only about an 1" across and the white blob across my Grandfather's face I thought was a scratch on the photo but I realized this morning was a piece of butterfly tape. He was an athlete so I assume it was from football or boxing.

When I was a teenager and going through old photos with my mom, aunt and grandmother, Grandma let us in on a bit of a family bombshell... she had been engaged to another man before Grandpa. Mom and my Aunt had never heard that before so it was big news. I love those stories, the ones that come out when family goes through old photos after time.

My Grandfather went on to be the Superintendent of County School Boards in Sacramento and has an elementary school named after him. He was also instrumental in developing California's R.O.P program for learning trades. Grandpa was SO handsome. He sort of looked like a cross between Paul Newman and Bob Hope.

Grandma is 94 and a little bit cranky – I'm not going to lie. She gives everyone a run for their money these days. Dunno, at 94 I sort of think you're owed that much!

#family

A note on frustration

I'm not sure why other greeting card companies feel it's ok to take this card, change a few words on it and then make it their own but alas I saw the second copy of it this morning. I'm pretty brokenhearted about it to be honest.

I know that in greetings there are sentiments that are copied / changed a bit etc - I mean how many times and ways can you say Happy Birthday? This one though... is very specific. It was created in 2013, I have a file date stamped with a early January date in fact. I have also been selling it to Urban Outfitters for most of that time. It's difficult to get bigger than Urban Outfitters. 

So today I contacted a lawyer to see if I have any recourse. I'm not sure that I do, or that I want to pursue it considered how much money it would cost and hassle. But I'm going to ask the questions.

until then, I thought I would remind you of the original. I'll even give you the link to purchase it if you felt so inclined. 

The soft launch

We're moving and shaking over here at Richie HQ. Did I mention? We're headed to The National Stationery Show for the first time this year. #nss2015 is the hashtag that you'll be seeing a lot in the next few months around here and on your favorite paper sites.

It was time for a freshen up on the ol website. We still have some invites to add and press items but for the most part we're up and running.

We still have our Etsy shop moving and shaken' as well for all your purchases.

TO VALENTINE OR NOT THAT IS THE QUESTION

The whole Valentine's thing... There are a number of people who just aren't into it. I get it! I often design my cards with the idea that you could use them year round. Designating a day to say I love you doesn't have to be on the calendar it could be a normal Tuesday in July. But remind your sweetheart at some point. "You are my everything". #truth #valentines #everydaylove #etsy#letterpress

AVAILABLE HERE

Find us in La Jolla

Dear San Diego

You can find Richie Greetings very soon [shipping this week] at the new cutie store Hi Sweetheart in La Jolla

Hi Sweetheart

7920 Ivanhoe Avenue 
La Jolla, CA 92037 

I wanna kiss you all over

Monday's Valentine New!

I really do........I wanna kiss you all over.

available here of course

Groundhog's Day

You know what other holiday is coming up? The height of card giving Groundhog's Day!

and have I got the card for you.

My dad said to me last year. Every year I look and look and no one has a Groundhog's Day card! I said well, it's probably not the height of card giving holidays but I know this girl and she can make you one or two if you are nice. This year he got a whole box of them.

So if you're a fan of Punxsutawney Phil I've got the card for you.

I had to add my own sense of humor about it though and imagined ol' Phil just needing a latte and a cookie to tide himself over. "Weather? Whatevs, I just came up for a snack"

available HERE

Valentine

You are, you really are the cutest 

Available here

Love is in the air

Valentine's Day is coming! I thought I'd start to feature some of our newer cards. Today Love You More was featured on Oh So Beautiful Paper so what a better card to start with!

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

I'm not a New Year's Eve fan really. The evenings just never live up to the hype. There was that one year I saw Nirvana in SF with a friend and a little known band called Pearl Jam opened for them but I think all the NYEves went downhill from there.




 I prefer to rent a few movies have a nice meal. Friends might come over / they might not - that's fine too. I'll wear my PJs, open a bottle of Champagne sip and toast with my hubby, play on the iPad and fall asleep by 11 – Just how I like it.

I hope you have a safe and lovely night - however you like to spend it.

today

I let go of something big today. It sort of feels like I'm still free falling with that feeling you have when your stomach moves in your body. I'll tell you more soon. It's exciting and scary and  I've nick named it my mid-life crisis.

holiday sale

It's small business Saturday! I hope that if you are shopping today you're supporting a local business. If you're in need of a stock up on items I'm also offering a little holiday treat for everyone. 
Sorry, Not valid for custom orders. Visit the Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/richiedesign

A little holiday treat for all of my peeps. 30% off your online orders. Hurry! sale ends Dec 3rd. 

Give Thanks To The Bacon

Looking forward to Thanksgiving with friends next week! Also lets GIVE THANKS to bacon shall we? it makes everything better, so do you so don't you forget it!

available here

Sassy Pants

in case you had any doubt about me - it's official just call me sassy pants 

image here

disco is the answer

dunno why but I've been all about the disco balls, sparkles and gold lately. It's not really ME per se but I  like it! I find it showing up in my cards and upcoming promo pieces for my wholesale greeting card accounts. I'm going to go with that my insides feel sparkily lately so it's showing up on the outside.

now lets boogie.

photo from here

Sister Corita Kent

I have no idea how I've never seen Sister Corita Kent's work. I feel like someone has been hiding it from me all this time. It's both a thrill to find new / old art that I love and also sadness that I have been without it for so long. It's a little bit of a feeling of being kept from the cool kids. Her hand drawn type feels so modern to me and notably her splashy colors. I'm in art love. I was also thrilled to learn she attended Otis college of art and design where I've done some of my studies.

Sister Mary Corita Kent, was born Frances Elizabeth Kent in Fort Dodge, Iowa.^[1] Kent was an artist and an educator who worked in Los Angeles and Boston. She worked almost exclusively with silkscreen and serigraphy, helping to establish it as a fine art medium. Her artwork, with its messages of love and peace, was particularly popular during the social upheavals of the 1960s and 1970s.^[2] Kent designed the 1985 United States Postal Service annual "love" stamp.^[3]

After high school, Upon entering the Roman Catholic order of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Los Angeles in 1936 Kent took the name Sister Mary Corita.^[4] She took classes at Otis (now Otis College of Art and Design) and Chouinard Art Institute and earned her BA from Immaculate Heart College in 1941.^[5] She earned her MA at the University of Southern California in Art History in 1951.^[6] Between 1938 and 1968 Kent lived and worked in the Immaculate Heart Community.^[7] She taught in the Immaculate Heart College and was the chairman of its art department. She left the order in 1968 and moved to Boston, where she devoted herself to making art. She died of cancer in 1986

tiny gardner

we planted tomatoes late this season and here are the fruits of our labor. Just call me the tiny gardner.

#citylivin'

New In The Studio - That New Baby Smell

I can't tell you how much I love kissing neck creases. Let me squeeze on your little person and I'll go straight there.

new in the shop - the perfect new baby card

available here

New In The Studio

I needed a card for an upcoming wedding we're going to. I love when I can create something for my own needs, I feel like it has an authentic use then I guess.

baby shower, wedding, engagement, new job. Hand drawn script, letterpresses with bright yellow ink.

available in the shop

Shark Week

gear geared up for Shark Week over at the store!

RIP David Weidman

I'm sad to report that Artist David Weidman passed away. I feel so privileaged that I had the opportunity to meet such an amazing print maker last summer. He was a very good flirt! I had him autograph his out of print book and I bought one of his abstract prints. 

He's had a number of his prints featured on Mad Men in the past few seasons [office art]

and a resurgence from the mid century modern fans. 

If you're interested in some of the last prints available you can find them here in Long Beach at Inretrospect on 4th street. I believe they are only one of two stores to sell his work.

His little bird series always made me giggle but his abstracts are where my heart is.

My husband says, I have no idea what it is, but she loves it so there ya go.

xo

Alive Inside

We saw the preview for this last weekend and it brought me to tears. The power of music!

Fun new stamps at the post office

Hot Rod Stamps - perfect for a boy's birthday party, baby announcement

or your husband!

available at the USPS 

It's a zoo around here

Last week I was working on a fun project which of course I can't fully tell you about. Some of the props were centered around a kid's birthday. I decided to go BRIGHT and luckily the client loved the idea.

Zoo animals and paper boxes spray painted in brights. Wouldn't this make the most fun kids party?

You would have to be a crazy mom to do this though. Painting the animals took a long time.

ombre bags that matched the animals were my favorite. I had to grab a really quick photo on the ground at the studio since I couldn't photo it in it's real home. 

Super snazzy sprinkle cake by Sweet & Saucy in Long Beach.

Love You More - New in the shop

Love You More 

available in the shop today!

Congrats - new in the shop today

I'm not sure if you've figured it out yet but I hate a card that only can be applied for one event. I think they should all cross over at least 2 different ways. Take this fab neon Congrats card - perfect for a baby shower, wedding, new job, engagement or congrats on divorcing that $%&* [tell the truth you never liked that dude anyway] 

ships with a bright sunny yellow envelope

available in the shop

I'm out this week

I'm out of town later this week but a lot of stuff has to get done before then.

have a lovely one!

a self promo photo

 so this happened.

I fought the urge to airbrush the shit out of my 45 year-old-self. 

thanks to eric hameister photography

being authentic

I work really hard to develop card concepts and it's really not flattering AT ALL to see someone change a few words around and pass it as their own. I thought I would post MY card today and remind shop owners that are headed to The National Stationery Show in NY about my original – Since this person will be at the show and I am not.

We are all inspired by one another. Be inspired but be authentic.

available here and nationwide at Urban Outfitters - Interested in wholesale? email me: richele[at]richiedesigns.com

#sad #nss #nationalstationeryshow #glutenfree 

Cos Stores

Today my prayers for affordable nun chic may have come true.

Cos Stores [the sleek sister to H&M] opened their online shop in the US today

before their NY and LA stores open for business. I may have gone kinda crazy

buying a few things. [I'm explaining it by saying it's an early bday gift to myself]

a perfect collar 

I think if Jil Sander and The Row had an affordable baby this would be it. Also, if you're not keeping track. The Row opened their first store today in LA. I've thought about applying for a job just so I can fondle the clothing and alligator bags [kind of not joking]. I couldn't afford the clothing even to work there so not sure how that all works for the sales staff.

perfect nun chic skirt

I'll report back when things arrive. I'm expecting to return a few things but would kind of be jazzed if it all fit perfectly. Beware if you're ordering they have a 14 day return policy. 14 days? not even sure how that is suppose to work but I'll abide.

the sheath [they were sold out of my size]

and a cute grandma shirt

so good

Andy Warhol poster 

This. Monday.

it sort of feels like this today.

via Pinterest. Sadly, I couldn't find the original source.