happy weekend

happy weekend! I've got lots of work to do over the weekend but I'm hoping to squeeze in some time outside to enjoy the cooler Florida weather that's arrived. 

the photos above are from around the studio, including a little sneak peak of one of the wedding invitaion templates that I'm working on. The line will debut when the store opens in late Fall!

studio update: bookshelf progress

I just got back from my friend Blair's workshop to check out the bookshelf he's building me for the studio. This will serve the purpose of dividing the front shop section from the studio part of the space. I'm super excited about it and can't wait to see the finished piece. Everything seems to be coming together lately and I should be ready to officially open in a few weeks!

p.s. please check out Blair's amazing Etsy vintage store. The descriptions are awesome.

Have a great weekend!

studio update: new awning + name vote!

Yesterday I arrived to work to find my new awning being installed! The original one was a horrid teal color and the cheapest option I could do was have the existing frame recovered (a new frame meant hundreds of dollars in permits). I also had to go with a vinyl instead of a cloth awning because I would've had to pay extra to get it fireproofed (thanks Winter Park). 

Now I've got to work on designing the writing to affix to it which brings me to this... I've been wrestling back and forth about what to call my paper line of goods. My overall company name is RIFLE design and that encompasses my graphic design, illustration and paper goods. But the paper goods line needs it's own little sub brand. Originally I was going to call it "Rifle Made" (hence this blog) but lately I've been liking "Rifle Paper Co." (it seems like it fits a little better since all the things I will sell have to do with paper.. and I like writing "Co.").

What do you guys think?? I need some opinions to help me out. :)

orlando wedding meetup

I had so much fun this morning meeting together with a few wonderful ladies in the wedding field (designers, a photographer, book binder, and calligrapher) in the Orlando area. We gathered at my studio to mingle, chat, share resources and take a tour of the mama's sauce print shoppe next door. Nick was kind enough to show everyone how the letterpress works by printing off little take home postcards that I designed.

It's so valuable to get together with other people in your field and have an air of togetherness and support rather than competition. Everyone was so sweet and I think we all agreed by the end of the morning that we'll have to do another meetup soon.

The ladies that were there:

Orange Blossom Ink

Trisha Hay Design

Boombox Bindery 

Ashley Brooke Designs

Anavi Ink

Studio222 Photography

Grace Edmands Calligraphy

--

Happy Friday! So sorry for the little posts this week as I've been working like crazy to get some projects finished up before I go out of town. So it goes..

studio move: exterior work

The work has begun on the exterior of the studio/shop! I made a little photoshop mockup of the front before it was painted (bottom left picture) to make sure I liked the color I picked and to decide the awning color. I would love to take that awning down and just paint lettering on the wall but I don't think the landlord would be down and I need to block some of the Florida sun and rain. I only had a limited amount of awning colors to choose from as I'm going for the cheapest option (a recover in the same material) but I picked a neutral beige color. This basic awning switch from the gross teal is still setting me back $480. eek. That's one of those expenses that just hurts.

The brown was painted on the walls yesterday and the awning should be replaced in a few weeks. I'm also planning on getting some plants for the front (like those photoshopped ones I threw in? ha), putting up a vintage light over the door, affixing some nice street numbers to the wall, and then I've got to design the lettering for the sign.

Other than the cosmetic fixes I still need to make enough product to sell in this little shop, register to be able to accept sales tax, and get some sort of merchant solution thing so I can swipe & accept credit cards (plus still get that fire inspection and the business license). I feel like my to do list keeps getting longer...

studio move: update

As of a week ago I began working out of the new studio space! It still needs a lot of work before I unlock that front door but I'm loving the workspace. It's so nice to get up and get out of the house everyday, be around other people and have such a large space to spread out and get things done. I am also in love with the coffee shop around the corner that let's you pay $50 for unlimited coffee for an entire year. yes please.

shop tour: Brownie Points Bakery (summit, nj)

While I was in NJ staying at my parent's house for the Renegade Craft Fair I took a walk around my old neighborhood (summit, nj) and stopped in the fairly new Brownie Points Bakery. How cute is their window display? As far as I can tell they change up the window & decor of the whole store with different seasons .. even their little logo currently has a garden theme to it. I think bakeries allows for such fun and creative decor so it makes me happy that they're doing just that with it. 

I'm trying to think of ideas for my own window display at the studio but have to think on a much smaller scale as it's just a little bay window (you can see part of it in my previous post). I really like the idea of changing it up with each season though. If you have any links to great window displays please feel free to pass them along!

studio move: day 5

I'm finally back to setting up the studio (I decided to count by the days I've worked on it not by how much time has passed). I'm hoping to move my computer and the basics I need to start working in there tomorrow or saturday and I'm so excited. I took a trip to good old Ikea yesterday and hauled back as much as I could by myself (2 desks, a work table, 2 chairs, 2 supply shelves, and a rug). Nathan and I are heading back sometime this evening to grab the large bookshelves for the retail display and will do our best to fit those beasts in our little car. 

Even though we finished painting last week we had to wait for the rental insurance to go through before I could start moving things in. We finally got it going yesterday so I started setting up the Ikea stuff and moving in other furniture (such as the danish chair and credenza that I found yesterday morning at a resale shop) and items from my home office that I don't use frequently. I have to say, it's going to take some getting used to to have my stuff sitting around on the other side of town.

I feel like things have come such a long way already but here's my list of this that I still need to do (most of which I can do while I begin working from there but want to get done before I open for walk-ins):

- touch up the trim & paint the bathroom

- paint the exterior of the building

- figure out the awning situation (the ugly teal one isn't going to cut it but I'm on a tight budget.. eek)

- hang artwork, order window decals, create retail window display

- have shelves made to divide retail area from workspace by my friend Blair

- buy 'exit' signs & call for a fire extinguisher inspection/replacement

- "landscape" the front (buy some potted plants)

- install wood floors (currently on the wish list)

Once I do all that I will schedule my fire inspection and then get my business license (I need the inspection before I can get the license). Then I'll officially be open!

studio move: weekend

Over the weekend Nathan and I painted the studio with the help of our friend Abe. Abe paints buildings for a living so he made the whole process much less painful by bringing along his paint tools and helping us work a lot faster. Everything went well except for a spilled paint can (oops) and a one more coat than we anticipated on the darker walls but I love how it came out (a fresh coat of paint makes such a difference!). For the color, I chickened out on the mint I originally thought I would use because 1, I know I change my mind all the time so a specific color might not be best long-term choice and 2, I thought something neutral and light would work best with the space and help brighten it up. I ended up picking "Belvedere Cream" by Behr and hope to still use use the mint on the bathroom (which is on the "not necessary to open" list of things to do).

studio move: day 2

I learned a lot of things yesterday.

1. The fire inspector is no one you mess with. Nick gave me pointers for this by telling me to buy extra large reflective exit signs and promising to give the print shop advance notice of when this man is coming around.

2. Awnings are really expensive.

3. IKEA is not expensive. This is what I love about it.

4. It's good to know that the cheap window tinting peels off as easily as it was surely put on.

5. I now drink beers with the print shop guys on Thursday afternoons. 

The IKEA furniture I picked out. I also have some vintage pieces that I'm going to throw in the mix (aka things from our house that I am moving to the office).

winter park, florida city hall. 

The business police work here. They scared me yesterday by asking if I was sure my type of business was allowed at my location (where the building is zoned) and if I had made sure of this before I signed the lease. Nope.. I did not make sure of this actually! Thankfully I was cleared though.. We're learning as we go!

"printing porn"

that's what nick called it. A beautiful little video of his Kluge letterpress in action for the first time at his shop. 

from the Mama's Sauce blog. video by Fiction.

enjoy!

mama's sauce print shop: cutting wedding fans

I know this is a late Friday post but I wanted to share some photos from the print shop this afternoon. I stopped by to get a wedding fan order for Erin & Tom cut with l super handy die cut machine and snapped some shots of Nick making the cuts...

Nick getting ready to make the cut (that big square thing presses down quickly to push the die cut blade through the stack of paper)

lining up the die on another stack of prints

cut fan tops that are ready to be assembled to their wooden handles

and... the letterpress that I am hoping to use soon. 

Enjoy the weekend!