Tiny Things

Tiny Things
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

I love things tiny. Did you know that about me? I had a shadowbox when I was a kid where I had all sorts of tiny things like dollhouse food. These are tiny lampwork hedgehogs which were bought at a darling little shop in Hudson NY. When I was young my best friend was from Germany where hedgehogs are like squirrels here. We had matching hedgehog puppets named Oskar and Eela.

A useless tidbit for the vault...I love things tiny.

Ack--too busy for blogging!

Too Busy to Blog
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Here I go, making a big hulabaloo about my new blog, and then I went and neglected it all weekend. I had irate phone calls from adoring fans for two days straight! Yaaa...sure I did.

Well, anyway, I've reappeared, basically feeling like I look in that picture! Super swamped, a little overwhelmed, mildly frantic and charged with excitement! Claire jumped in with me yesterday--and I'll tell ya, she's a fast one! She can fold paper and glitter cards lickety-fast--like 20 (her) to 10 (me)!

The studio is beginning to look a bit like a warehouse--with packs of notecards, and supplies all about. I just made the looming tower for effect--doesn't it look daunting! Then of course it collapsed--I hope that's not an omen of what's in store for Mew Paper Arts!

Believe it or not, I removed myself from the studio for 1/2 a day yesterday and cleaned the house--laundry, bathroom, vacuum, the whole bit. Aaaand--(hold your applause please) I even cooked! I figured Dino deserved a hot meal for all the help he gives me!

Back to work with me!

Treasury Screenshot
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Isn't this a beauty? For those of you unfamiliar with Etsy Treasuries it's a collection of items that a member selects to showcase. Typically they focus on a theme and this one was entitled Red Bird Blue and curated by Second Sister. The color combination is striking the items grouped together make a beautiful impact. I just was so glad to have my Wild Garden notecards featured amongst these yummy items!

Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Long ago and far away I made a dear friend named Claire Widman. We were classmates in highschool studio art (where our teacher made both of us cry at least once senior year!), took a few classes together in college and then drifted apart. Trusty old myspace brought us together again and the timing couldn't have been better! Claire and Andrea of Awildabeast fame (oh, you'll swoon for Andrea's darling "scuff" sets) have collaborated to create Moonshot Studio--an illustration studio to rival the big boys. Check out their website for yourself and help spread the word!

Trunkt
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

I just became a member of the fabulous Trunkt Design Lookbook. What a cool site. It's a virtual tradeshow for retail buyers to go and scout out new merch for their stores and clients. The work showcased here is top-notch--you will no doubt find some very neat stuff for yourself or for gift giving. Check out my Lookbook here!

Meddling with Medlin

You recognize that face don't you? That's Brooke Medlin aka Gemmafactrix around Etsy, Mintd, Flickr and elsewhere on the web. Some of Brooke's artful pieces are highlighted below, but you can see much more here
Brooke has this to say about her art:
"Beginning with the various shapes of pasta on yarn collection that most jewelry artists cut their teeth on (thank you, mom, for wearing every ugly necklace I ever made) and developing into a love for all things metal, my jewelry now falls somewhere in between, displaying my childlike love of color and a fascination with texture and form. "

The Holy Trinity

Without hurting the feelings of any of my other studio tools, I felt it necessary to give massive credit to my trusty favorites--the Holy Trinity. That's a double sided tape applicator, a mini paper scorer and a corner chomper. I'm not kidding--that sucker CHOMPS corners. Like a 1/2" at a time. What I think is more amazing than the way these tools work, is that I haven't lost or broken any of them yet! *knocks on wood*

Mother's day at Etsy Greetings

Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Check it out, check it out! Michelle from CicadaStudio.etsy.com made this awesome graphic for the Etsy Greetings street team. Promise me that you won't set foot in a Hallmark store this mother's day--go to the Etsy Greetings blog for links to tons of brilliant stationery designers and their fabulous work. You will not be disappointed. Support indie design, support etsy, support your mama with a handmade card!

If I was better at blogging I might be able to make that picture link right to the site, but alas I'm kind of droog. So click below to enter a wonderland of stationery goodness!

www.etsygreetings.blogspot.com

Score, fold, cut, repeat, score, fold, cut, repeat

The mudder
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Here's my mom. For the first time in life I get to be the boss! Heh heh--my plaaan is working! Well, so I thought. Even at my own house, she still likes to be in charge. But I can't complain--after all she's working sweat-shop style for free! She basically did all the glitter application and we unanimously decided that glitter may be an extranneous touch--perhaps the next batch of Mew Paper Arts will have less of a sparkle. Ah well, you probably wouldn't notice if I hadn't told you.

By the way, is anyone reading this BESIDES you Mom?

$1 goodness

$1 goodness
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

I'll admit my guilty pleasure--McDonald's hot fudge sundae with peanuts. $1??? You can't beat that with a stick. And look how liberally the fudge was applied on this one? Bought at the Carmel drive-thru. Sometimes they only fudge it on the top so by the time you get to the middle you're sorely disappointed. Not this time, no sir. Chocolate from top to bottom.

Oh yes.

I'm pretty sure this is against labor laws

Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

We're talking massive production. Churning work out trying to get my act together to appear opening weekend at Providence Open Market! I have recruited both of my folks, Darryl and pretty much everyone else I know to help me in my mission. Printing, scoring, cutting, folding, glittering...now accepting applications. No experience required.

Z-z-z-zen

Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

Whew! This one is sure tiring me out--though I'm very pleased with the end result. My wonderful client from Etsy is getting married on Kauai later this summer and chose this handmade invitation to send to her guests. Each piece of champagne card stock is cut and rounded by hand. The chocolate sleeves are scored and wrapped by hand, and then chiyogami paper is the finishing touch. There's something very pleasing and meditative about this process-oriented work. Everything is predictable, similar and steady. Haste makes waste when working with your hands. Though I use helpful tools to streamline the work, there is no replacement for the dexterity of your own fingers to achieve a finished piece of paper art.

Thank goodness for an extra pair of hands

Thank goodness for an extra pair of hands
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

This is Darryl--my roommate and my sweetie. Before my recent purchase of a Lassco desktop corner cutter (my second favorite tool in my studio!) I was rounding paper corners ONE AT A TIME with that stupid little blue craft store clipper shown on the table. My skin was getting raw with blisters so I needed to enlist help. Darryl jumps right in--whenever I ask. I am so lucky. And the best part of it is, he's excited to do it--very supportive. Last night I came home and he walked me upstairs with my eyes closed to surprise me in my studio with a new (well, new to me anyway) desk chair and a super rad (and a bit rickety) stand for my mammoth printer!

What a guy, What a guy!

Here I be

Aliss
Originally uploaded by mewpaperarts.

So this is me. The author of this blog. I don't know much about blogging. But I keep reading about how important it is for business promotion etc. I like the idea of having a place to share fun information that you may like to read on!

My name is Alissa. I live in a house with a man and a cat. I love my "craft" of designing fun and fanciful stationery products. I daydream of the day I can leave my full time job and pursue this little operation...I am also working very hard to get to see that day.

Providence Open Market

I'll be making my debut on the craft show circuit this year at the Providence Open Market. I am so excited to be a part of what looks to be a really good time! Opening weekend is May 12th and I do not feel ready, but with the help of my trusty volunteers I intend to churn out some major work in time. Be sure to check out the event if you're in the area--every Saturday from 11 am-6 pm. I'll be there:

May 12th
June 30th
July 28th
August 18th
Sept 15th

www.providenceopenmarket.com

Flickr

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