paper chase

one of a kind

flicking through my stationery stash this morning reminded me that tina from joie studio recently introduced a few new letterpress designs in her etsy shop. good incentive to jot down a few notes to post in the mail in order to justify acquiring more pretty paper goods. especially since i am just loving the one of a kind note card and its bright combo of turquoise and orange.

the quail's little fluff of feathers perched atop its head is even more charming in a repeat, no?

and, fans of the endangered b&w bear will delight in a peekaboo panda offering which has been pressed into two styles on bamboo paper. eco-friendly and most appropriate for its panda inhabitant!

peekaboo panda

dogwood coaster

individual notes are priced at $5 while coaster sets are $10 so make your way to joie studio's etsy shop to peek all the latest offerings.

and, so/cal readers will have a chance to say hello to tina when she sets up shop during the o.c. edition of unique la's indie market next month.

• when: sat, aug 14th & sun, aug 15th - 11a to 6p
• where: the lab, 2930 bristol street, costa mesa
• tix: $10

p.s. the flat panda note (shown above) is not currently stocked online so convo tina to order.

new peeks: sig zane

lihiwai * mikioi

goodness, it's been quite some time since the last sig zane roundup and so many new designs have arrived in the past year that i had a difficult time editing down all the sz goodness.

here's a quick recap - eco style is now available with the addition of bamboo fabric aloha shirts and the introduction of the w's organic mohala tee. m's board shorts are now offered in more patterns and the collaboration with the waikiki aquarium is now online. you can style up your kitchen with quilted mikioi hot pads while hawaiian style minimalists will want to take a peek at the new lihiwai canvas bag with a cheery solid exterior lined in the big island designer's lovely fabric.

one of my favorite new patterns is the hilo one which interprets the town map into a wearable design. definitely a great find for anyone whose heart remains on the big island.

and, reiko from the sz 'ohana posted peeks of fujitsu's limited edition aloha express netbook rocking sig's 'ulu pattern. it is, alas, available exclusively in japan but the gorgeous design makes me wish sz offered a macbook skin. lucky japan!

hilo one * welo * waiuli

w's organic mohala tees

aloha express in 'uluwehi keaukaha

select styles are available in the online shop or hele over to the sz flagship in downtown hilo:

• where: 122 kamehameha avenue, hilo
• shop hours: mon to fri, 9:30a to 5p & sat, 9a to 4p

your letterpress by joie studio

gorgeous multi-panel invite

my crush on letterpress is well established and one of my splurges for h|h's makeover was to have my lovely new logo dispatched to miemiko to be letterpressed. the design, which was already gorgeous in the digital previews sent by my designer (aloha john!), became even more charming once pressed into paper . . . the girly tagline typeface became a bit more ooh la la while all the little design details popped even more after its inky impression.

you can imagine my delight when tina from la-based joie studio recently wrote in with news of her latest project catering to diy brides and grooms as well as letterpress devotees armed with a design but lacking a printing press. the just launched your letterpress happily aims to make letterpress more accessible and puts tina's expertise and machinery at your disposal to produce already crafted designs made by you or your designer.

simply send along your print-ready specs over for review and, once approved, tina will handle all the details from ordering plates to custom mixing inks and pressing your invites. she'll even send along a video of your project in the midst of its creation and your letterpress plates as a keepsake upon completion.

invites designed by shop toast

monogram coasters

the menu includes flat and folded invites, save-the-dates, rsvp's, custom stationery and business cards. pricing is competitive with semi-custom digitally printed invitations, and tina also offers design services for an additional charge if you happen to be lacking a layout.

in other news, joie studio's etsy shop has reopened with a handful of new offerings including monogrammed coasters for your summer soirées and alphabet prints for your little ones.

were you lucky enough to send out letterpress invites for your wedding?

ohanapod getaway

while waiting at my acupuncturist's office yesterday, i had a moment to flip through the summer issue of readymade and chanced upon architect craig steely's latest creation - the ohanapod, a modern guest cottage getaway located a few steps away from the main residence built on the big island's lava fields (thus the name lavaflow 2).

the family splits their time between sf and hawaii so the main components were fabricated in california and shipped over for assembly. friends were wooed to the island to help complete the partial pre-fab design which was constructed in three and a half weeks with volunteer labor (my kind of peeps!). jalousies received a modern makeover and the main design element plays on the ubiquitous window treatment with galvanized steel which both shields the structure while allowing the tradewinds to circulate. a few colorful plexi panels were added for peeks outside and to bring in a little sunshine.

the space measures a mere 144 square feet which is just enough room to keep friends and family comfortable without sacrificing too much land. and, wouldn't the ohanapod make a fab office or studio in between house guests?

the ohanapod, alas, is reserved for friends of the steely 'ohana but you can spend your big island getaway at two other projects commissioned nearby - hale balleja and the monkeypod treehouse which are both located on the puna coast.

p.s. a quick tutorial on making the plexi louvers is shared online as well as a step-by-step gallery of the ohanapod's three week build.

{photo credit: john granen for readymade}

pop star

hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend filled with the sweet scent of springtime blossoms and may day festivities! with spring in bloom, it seems the perfect time to share a little eye candy from oahu illustrator kat reeder who has created an enchanting world of candy colored vintage pop starring hula girls and island lovelies.

at first glance, you can almost hear a hint of skirts swaying and beachy 'dos being swept aside by the trade winds, but dig a little deeper and you will discover layers of sketches mixing with digital brushstrokes and handpainted details to create the fresh now-meets-then charm of kat's illustrations.

happily, kat was kind enough to share a peek into her world and i discovered that her roots (born in peru and raised in miami before arriving in hawaii) add a bright, latin-influence while her love of art nouveau, tropicalia and retro packaging from bygone eras are the top notes inspiring her cosmopolitan coquettes. don't you just love all those luscious locks befitting 70's starlets and crime-fighting angels?

sally's song

hawaiian girls

2009 w's triple crown * this dream of mine

{designer notes}

how has living in hawaii influenced your work?
i've lived many places, but my senses have never been aroused like in hawai'i. i am bombarded by natural beauty and color. the skies are the bluest blues. the flowers are unapologetic in their vibrance. the intensity in my work palette is richer since moving here. i can't help it. i'm surrounded by beautiful things.

what is your definition of good design?
good design stays with you for a long time. it tickles your intellect and makes you feel something real. designers love to dissect grids, layouts, and fonts but all that means nothing to someone who's mesmerized by packaging. good design smacks you in the face. good design you keep in a shoe box, under your bed, with all your sketches.

little moments of bliss that recharge your soul?
discussing art with my husband, who is also my best friend. making up funny songs about my dog lola. opening a fresh jar of nutella.

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
chicken empanadas from valerio's bakery, ube roll from golden coin, and a six-pack of inka kola (peru's national soda) from the latin market on s. beretania.

pay it forward with a few words of wisdom that were passed on to you:
the best advice given to me recently was by wonderful local artist mark swanson. i was feeling insecure about hawaii embracing me as a digital artist. he told me i had to ultimately create art for myself and everything else would fall into place. he was right.

mahalo kat! (ditto on the nutella)

kat's artwork has already graced the coveted w's triple crown poster and has gained the notice of a growing list of local galleries. upcoming projects include an official calendar for 2011 but, until then, you can order up prints and more in the online shop.

p.s. personal commissions are also welcome!