Proud Emily
DIGITAL LETTERPRESS. Amazingness. Letterpress at a lower price point without sacrificing high end quality and introducing the ability to letterpress white ink on colored stock. Yes, please. ELP will be introducing a digital letterpress holiday collection this summer at the Atlanta Market.
Today, I discovered a GEM. Fawnsberg - an adorable letterpress collection from Patricia, calligrapher behind Primele (LOVE, SWOON…) I am incredibly infatuated with her work. Her branding is ADORABLE and beautifully crafted down to the inside of her boxes - just darling. Watch this video to hear the story behind Fawnsberg (and the amazing signage she HAND-WITTLED [WHAT????]) last weekend! Patricia is about to take over the world. Thank you, Amber Moon, for the introduction!
Day 1 of the NSS
What a fabulous day! Today, I arrived at Javits for the National Stationery Show after six hours of travel and fighting through the rain in a smelly cab. I was so excited to see the English Paper Company girls and their booth this year. It is GORGEOUS. The ELP Baby Collection is showing really well and the ELP Wedding Collection continues to be a hit. Whitney is also debuting something GROUND BREAKING. Seriously innovative - more on that tomorrow. :)
It was so fun meeting so many Twitter and industry friends today - and seeing old friends for the first time in a long time! Last time I saw many of them I was “with child” about “with giant belly.”
I have to say - one of my favorite exhibitors is and always will be Mr. Boddington’s Studio. If Emily Ley Paper is traditional and classic and Southern - they’re the polar opposite. And I think that’s what attracts me so. Their cards are cheeky, HYSTERICAL and totally tongue in cheek. So much fun. I also got to stand within five feet of Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co which just makes me cooler as a person. I die over her work everytime I see it. There’s something so amazing about someone who hand draws everything - true fine art on paper. Love.
After the show, Whitney (of Whitney English/English Paper Co), Caroline (past retail store owner extrordinaire / overall amazing in-the-know paper queen), Sophie Askew (of Askew Designs and Art Director for Tiffany & Co) & Staci (former head buyer for Swoozies) and I went to Asia de Cuba for dinner and martinis. Slightly dirty Belvedere Martinis with extra olives, to be exact. I learned to order it like a real Mannhatanite. (Thanks, Sophie!) Delish.
Tomorrow is my only FULL day in the booth - so if you’re at the show, come say hello! I’ll be talking with Whitney English Kolb on video tomorrow about something English Paper Co is rolling out that is going to revolutionize the paper industry. And the new Emily Ley Paper Holiday Collection is going to be part of it. I can’t wait to get to work on it! Sweet dreams, paper peeps!
Make no apologies.
Oh dear my iPhone is draining fast on this flight. I was just reading an email from Lara Casey and started thinking about my trip to the NSS last year. I was working a full time job that left me less than fulfilled every single day. Id just feverishly designed two collections for ELP. I was praying daily for God to make me a mama. And I was making the farthest trip of my life to NYC.
Now, one year later, I am a full time designer with two flourishing businesses. ELP is now an English Paper Company brand. I am a mama to the most unbelievably adorable little boy on the planet. I’ve travelled, since the NSS last year, to Texas, Arizona, California, Georgia, North Carolina and Hawaii - over 10k miles in total.
Really?
Bottom line: life is SHORT. Are you living your DREAM? As Lara and I tell our Making Brands Happen clients - CHOOSE to be remarkable. Choose the work that makes your heart sing. Choose to put family first and EVERYthing else second.
And make NO apologies for being your best and living with passion.
