Tuesday Talk :: Farewell Paperie

Happy October 1st! It's the first Tuesday of the month and today on Tuesday Talk I am chatting with Jen & Lisa of Farewell Paperie.

{Lisa (l) & Jen (r) and Harley}

Why Jen & Lisa? Go to their Etsy shop & check it out...I'll wait...SEE?!?!?!? Awesome cards, great sense of humor & all letterpressed. {le sigh...} 

Are you ready to find out more?!!

{Holy Bleep You Had A Baby}

Where do you find your inspiration?
We used to work bicoastally, so there were a lot of different types of communicado going on between us.

Our texting, emailing, skyping, and chatting cyberspeak got pretty ridiculous sometimes, and we quickly found our brand voice to be at its best with that same fun, conversational messaging. We'll just bounce random lines and phrases back and forth and craft them until it's perfectly amusing to us.

{Annoying/Amazing card}

I love your use of color & typography. What fonts are you using a lot these days? Any go-to colors?

We are looking at fonts all the time. We are kind of type nerds and scour the internet and pinterest for what's new and interesting. It's hard to say what fonts we are using a lot these days. It seems like a lot of art deco and handwritten fonts are in right now, so may be leaning towards those. Colors we are loving right now are minty green and Fuchsia.

Since there are 2 of you, how do you split up the creation of your cards/lines, as well as other general duties?

It's a total collaborative effort. We used to work together in advertising then transitioned over into our business, so we are very used to working with each other. It's been 6 years now since we started working together, so we definitely know each other's strengths and weaknesses. Our work flow is so seamless, we have our status meeting then just get working. It's crazy jedi-mind trick stuff.

Naturally since you guys use a letterpress & I just got my first press in January, I want to know all about your press. What was your first press?

We have a C&P 10x16 named Bill that we got in San Fran. Somehow his name just came out one day. Bill.

We just bought a Windmill at the end of July and named her Helga. She's big and burly, so the name just fit.

{I like-like you card}

Letterpress has really blown up again in the last few years. What kind of advice can you give someone new to this form of printing? 
Letterpress is a beautiful form of printing, but it definitely tests your patience. There's always something new to learn, so try to soak up as much info as you can.

{Their booth at NSS 2012 via their blog, Paper Relish}

How as the National Stationery Show changed your business? Where on the East Coast can I get your wonderful cards?

The NSS has helped our busies grow so much. If it weren't for the NSS we wouldn't be in half of the stores we are in now. It's just a great way to not only get in front of store owners, but to get connected in the stationery world as well.  Are cards are all along the east coast. Check out our "stores" section on our site to find out where to buy our cards.

{Sapling Press - Dear Fork Letterpress card. If you don't laugh at this you are a robot}

What stationers/designers do you admire?
- Amy Graham: She was a the forefront of the letterpress movement.
- Lisa from Sapling press. Her cards are so funny and smart and you can tell right away they are her brand voice
- Carrie from Anemone Press. We love her use of bright colors and cute imagery. From a printing perspective she's impeccable.

{I love you more than bacon and then some}

What is the best/funniest/most memorable greeting card you’ve ever received?
Lisa - A post-it note from my husband on Valentine's day. He said nothing could compare to our cards, so why try to find another card

Jen - My mom gets me a really sappy card every year for my birthday that says "Daughter" at the top and then has a really long poem inside. Those kinds of cards are what made me want to create designs that were funny, thoughtful and something a loved one would appreciate receiving.

Other than the shelves of your studio, where do you go when you need a greeting card?
We seriously shop on our shelves all the time. It's just too easy ;)
If I'm at paper source or a local shop, I tend to look for our friends cards and buy those.

{Any Occasion Card Set}

Finish this sentence: A friend has just told you they are terrible at sending greeting cards. “What?!” you exclaim. “All you need to do is…”
…remember how much junk mail and bills sucks and how much fun it is to get a surprise in the mail. It will put a smile on anyone's face.

Thank you Lisa & Jen!! I so appreciate your participation in my tiny corner of the internet. 

Paper Porn :: Pens + Letters.

This time Paper Porn is about the idea of paper instead of an actual piece of it:

The quote is from Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman & is a gentle reminder of why handwritten communication is awesome. Any paper becomes Paper Porn when sent from person to person! Regardless if you go "off script" in your note or say exactly what you planned & nothing more, a hand written note is more personal, there for more intimate, than any other communication. 

So do it! Pick up your favorite pen, find some notecards & start sending hellos to friends.

** Love stationery & paper products? Submit something for Paper Porn: Kbatty {at} ymail.com or tweet @kmbatty **

Four Year Anniversary Awesomeness

4 Years ago today I became Mrs. Christopher P Batty!! I'm not sure if everyone feels this way...and sorry to be super cheesy here...but the time has gone by really fast. Cliché alert : The wedding feels like yesterday.

We do not have big plans this year. As a matter of fact we didn't really make a plan at all. Just the commitment to have dinner out so the dishwasher (that's me) can have the night off. And! We will leave our phones AT HOME.

Let's take a look at where we've been in the 4 years since the big day:

{Conch Republic flag outside of Krawl off Duval, Key West, FL}

The first thing that happened is we went to Georgia on our honeymoon. And next, our niece Molly was born. Then, in no particular order: We have moved. We lost one dog & got a new puppy. Chris left one job, looked for a new one & we ended up with our own company. We went to Barbados, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, LA (a few times), Annapolis, Key West (also a few times) & have plans to visit New Orleans & Playa del Carmen. Oh, how can I forget to list our trip to Pittsburgh for my letterpress!?

We have been to like 15 weddings. We went to 1 NBA game - Go Nets! We've seen John Prine in concert a few times, as well as Kermit Ruffins. We've also seen Ben Folds, My Morning Jacket & George Porter. Oh! Tuesday we saw Sara Jarosz! Love her!

We have probably been to 160 Ranger's games. Give or take. Which means we've had approximately 80 sausage sandwiches from the Sausage Boss  & about 80 brisket sandwiches from the Hill Country stand at MSG. How many beers?? Are we talking just at the games or including our pre or post game pints?

Ug, I think I need to go for a run...

I have not counted our kisses or hugs...but there are too many to even guess. I look forward to still being unable to keep track of them in the future.  Love you Mr. B! Happy Anniversary!!

PS If anyone has an anniversary coming up, check out this interesting guide on Hallmark.com on what is appropriate for each year. Love the Traditional vs Modern suggestions...

Sneak Peek :: The Most Awesome Wrapping Paper Ever

In the Spring, I started making wrapping paper. Well! Now it's time to update it for Fall! This is a 24 x 36 inch sheet & features my one-of-a-kind leaf stamp that I created last year. This size sheet is great for wrapping anything bigger than a shoebox.

Better non-iPhone pics to come...You'll be able to see this & other fall paper products on October 5th at Crafts in Chelsea. Details on that coming as well.

Ode to Pilot Pens

I had the occasion to buy new pens the other day. {squealllllll!!!} I love pens almost as much as I love paper. There is nothing like the smooth glide of a good pen over paper. It's soothing to my crazy mind.

So, it should be no surprise that Kerry is my name & Pilot Pens are my game!! My favorite pen is a Pilot Precise V5 (or V7!) Rolling Ball Pen in Extra Fine. In black. Always. It makes note writing more fun when you have a good pen. To me it's tops, though it's not the only awesome Pilot pen. I have used loads of others in their line. Here are some good ones...

Their Bottle to Pen line is genius. Pens made from recycled water bottles! The gel pens in this line are my particular favorite (there are also ball points). It's pictured above next to my fave Precise pen. Gold...errr green??... star, Pilot!

If I can't have a Precise pen, I'll reach for the G-2. It's a gel pen - super smooth & I like the grip for your fingers. It comes in a billion (ok, probably 20) colors.

Apparently Pilot also makes a calligraphy pen that caught my eye AND! A retractable fountain pen! Hmmm...Cool!

Pardon me, I just geeked out about pens. I could play a clip here from You've Got Mail when Meg Ryan's character waxes poetic about school supplies & freshly sharpened pencils...I think I just geeked out again...

How about you? Any favorite pen? Brand? Ink color?? What do you prefer to write with??

Paper Porn :: Virgo & Libra

{Virgo - Zodiac Die-Cut Card - Birthday Card by YellowHouseHandmade}

{Libra - Zodiac Die-Cut Card - Birthday Card by YellowHouseHandmade}

Know anyone with a birthday this month? Both of the above cards are from YellowHouseHandmade on Etsy. Cool way to use cut-outs right?!

** Love stationery & paper products? Submit something for Paper Porn: Kbatty {at} ymail.com or tweet @kmbatty **

Paper Porn :: Fashion Week

In honor of Fashion Week...It Girls List from Henri Bendel. Any favorite shows from this week?

** Love stationery & paper products? Submit something for Paper Porn: Kbatty {at} ymail.com or tweet @kmbatty **

Ms. Mrs Miss :: Greetings Decoded

I don't know if anyone else reading this has ever wondered the difference between Ms. Mrs. & Miss. But I did! See the graphic above for a handy guide on what to use & when.

Basically - Ms is a universal pre-fix. Use it if you don't know whether someone is married or not. You can't go wrong. Otherwise, Mrs for married women & Miss for single women. Easy-peasy.

Tuesday Talk :: Jersey's Freshest

Hi all! Welcome back to Tuesday Talk! This week, let me introduce you to Molly Larobina of JerseysFreshest. My Tuesday Talk interviewee from last month, Rain at Cheeky Kumquat,  recommended I check her out. She was spot on in knowing I would love & appreciate Molly's work. She is another excellent greeting card maker, another gifted crafter.

Let's chat...

Jersey's Freshest? Where did your shop name come from?

I make cards, which really has nothing to do with the name of my shop. Although, they are made in New Jersey, and I feel that they are rather fresh. If you hadn't guessed, I'm a New Jersey resident; born and raised. Anyone who is familiar with Jersey birds should know that most of us have this weird station pride thing going on, although on the inside, we have a love-hate relationship with the state. So, when I was brainstorming a name, I had a moment of Jersey pride, combined with our state's produce motto, which is Jersey Fresh. And so was born JerseysFreshest.

{Hand Cut FOLD OUT LOVE card}

I love this from your Etsy profile: I love art, and cards are art that I can share with other people, and then they can spread the love, by sending them to others. How often do YOU send cards? Who do you sent them to?

I'm not a card-sending fiend or anything, but I do send and give cards to close friends, family and my daughter's teachers for occasions that warrant it...My daughter often makes requests for certain people to have certain cards, made by me - the latest project she has me working on is a kitty birthday card for her little cousin. I have also been known to make and give the occasional card set in gift baskets, mostly filled with other handmade goodies, made by myself or my 6 year old daughter.

{Blank Note Cards Set of 8 - Peeking Text - Custom text - Custom Patterns}

Seriously, we are birds (though, not Jersey birds) of a feather. I love giving handmade gifts.

Also in your Etsy profile I noticed that you studied paper making in school. What a labor of love! Do you ever still make paper?

I do...but that paper I make is nothing like the paper I  made in school. It's really just for personal use, mostly due to the quality. Without a press, it's nearly impossibly to get the aper to any sort of standard. I just save up my scraps of a paper, and when it's warm enough outside, I blend up some pulp. and pull some sheets with a mold and deckle made from picture frames. I press it out with cookie sheets, and lay it out to dry. It sometimes get a bit wonky, but once the paper is dry, weighting it helps all that. I know I could just recycle it, but I fell like reusing is better than recycling.

{Hand Cut Card "I love you. The end."}

When did you start making greeting cards?

A year ago, in Janurary...it all started with a set of handmade Valentines for my daughter's Preschool Class.

{Hand cut card TULIP BUD card/customizable message}

Instead of adding designs TO the card stock, you seem to design by taking it away. I love all your cut outs! Where did the idea for that technique come from?

I'm pretty sure the idea came out of necessity...sort of...I remember the first card I cut - It was a Mother's day card I was making for my cousin to give to her mother last May. I was drawing designs and staring at them, thinking hey that's pretty nice, but it's not saying enough...I think it would look better cut out, with a design showing through...I really liked the design and wanted it in my shop. Replicating the card made ne realized that cut designs would be more accessible, than all of my one of a kind, collages *Which, really, I wasn't too happy with anyway...but, hey, that was all a part of finding myself as a card designer.) After that, came summer and all card-making ceased due to motherly duties. Once fall returned, I began drawing up designs and must have had that flower card stuck in my brain, because most of the drawings turned into cut outs.

{LEAVES Thank You card}

Can I ask a non-stationery related question? Is that YOUR tattooed finger in your product pictures?? It's awesome.

It's mine. It's my engagement and wedding rings, actually tattooed in two installments. I don't wear jewelry, so I decided that his was a better fit. My husband has  band tattooed on him as well...He likes to say "until death or laser surgery do we part."

You knit!! Me too! Where do you like to buy yarn? Any favorite projects?

Ahhh, knitting... I love it...almost too much. Honestly, a lot of my yarn was given to me by my aunt - two garbage bags worth. I have given myself the challenge of using as much of that up before buying more...Prior to that, I liked buying yarn from knit pick, or I would just find some random little shop on the internet that had just what I was looking for. 

As for favorite projects...first I must confess, I love finding patterns on Ravelry:

The Bee Keeper's Quilt by Stephanie Dosen of Tiny Owl Knits (tiny owlknits.wordpress.com)
Vintage Hankie Washcloth by Julie Tarsha of Simply Notable (simplynotable.com)
And, one I just recently finished: The Keyboard Cat (www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/keyboard-cat)
Mine wound up looking like the Mouse from the Children's book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, but I was thrilled witt that, since it was for a two year old, and I firmly believe in books for birthday presents.

{Hand Cut Card: NEON GEOMETRY - custom text}

You're on Ravelry! Me too! I will look for you...Other than your own stash, where do you go for greeting cards?

I really don't go anywhere else...Sometimes I use carsI have made, but I really enjoy making something new, and personal for the particular recipient and event. I enjoy the challenge of making the card a "perfect" fit. I have, however, considered buying cards to tie to my husband from other sellers on Etsy - The Cheeky Kumquat, Sweet Perversions and Fun Girls Cards to name a few. The humor in them is hard to resist, but I do because he is pretty much anti-cards...maybe I should change that.

{CHRISTMAS BALL ORNAMENT Christmas Card}

A friend says to you that they are terrible at sending greting cards. They ask you how they can be better at it. What advice do you give them?

I think I would suggest a marked up calendar...I find that when I don't send cards it's because I've simply forgotten until it's too late.

{Mini Handmade Journal OOAK Handbound Mini Journal Pocket Journal Travel Journal}

Plans for the rest of 2013? Beyond? New cards coming out?

Plans...hmmm...make it though Christmas...joking. Really I just want to focus on growing my business more, outside of Etsy. I want to keep on making cards, and focus a bit more on wall art and notebooks. As far as new cards to come, a confident yes is in order.

Molly, thank you for hanging out on the KBatty Blog. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next!

I had a seriously hard time picking product photos for this post. Others I considered are numerous...like these gift tags, or her entire section of Wedding/Anniverary cards or her smiley card, this coffee card...the list goes on. Go find your favorites on her Etsy shop & make sure to "like" Molly on Facebook.

Next month, Tuesday Talk will feature one of my EtsyNY team members & her illustrated cards. Adorbs!

Welcome Back!

Woah, that was a fast month. Such good intentions, to catch up...get ahead...relax...Some of which I actually did!

You might notice some subtle changes to the blog! That is something I can check off my list. I had some help with a few design pieces from Sarah Grace of Gracefully Made Designs. Check out her Etsy shop. Adorbs!

So, the changes! The background is similar but lighter. Sarah Grace created a fun treatment to my bio, made some blog buttons for me (take them!!) and help me add some cute social media icons. 

My favorite change might be my nav bar. That is the piece of my blog which pushed me to make changes. I did NOT like it before. And now...j'adore!

Let's see...what else did I do on my summer vacation? I scheduled some blog posts, as I said I would. I also had the great privilege of working on wedding invitations for my good friend Traci & her fiancé Nic. More on those later...

I've also been pinning! Catch up on new additions to my boards. What else...Working on new products. Filling loads of orders for notepads!! Yay! I actually have some more notepad designs to upload. The to-do list is still long...

All in all, it's been an excellent summer. What have you been up to? Stay tuned for Tuesday Talk...