Instagram Letter Love!

We're having such a fun time reading all of the entries you guys are writing in for our Pen Pal Giveaway. It's especially fun to see the photos people are tagging on instagram as part of the contest -- to enter to win on instagram simply tag your letter themed photo #LetterpressMailLove. We had to share some of these super fun photos. To enter the contest we asked you to comment on who your dream pen pal would be, living or dead. We love @tomehope's hand calligraphed envelope to J.D. Salinger. How beautiful is that?

And how gorgeous is this vintage Navy air mail stationery from instagrammer @redonthehead? Who ever she sends that to is one lucky pen pal!

There's nothing like a stack of postcards and hand drawn envelopes ready to get shipped off. Makes us happy inside! This one below is from @adelbethanny.

For details on how to enter to win our big pen pal giveaway head to this blog post. Happy letter writing friends!

New Designs from Jacqui Lee

We're big fans of Jacqui Lee's work here at Hello!Lucky, as you may have noticed from the many collaborations we've done with her in the past. Today we're excited to talk to her about her latest release with us, birth announcements and kids stationery. We thought Jacqui's beautiful watercolor paintings and sweet designs would be perfect for such an important life announcement and we are thrilled with how they turned out. We talked to Jacqui about her latest release with us and her process.

These new designs are adorable! What was your process for making them and how did you decide on which animals to pair with each letter? 

Thank you! I had a lot of fun making them. Animals are always a favourite subject of mine to work on, so this was a dream project for me. In the beginning there was a lot of brainstorming to match up animals with each letter, and sometimes it was super tough to choose just one. For the letter A, an aardvark lost out because I felt I could create a more visually interesting image with an alligator. Many of the final decisions were made based on which animal and letter combinations had the most character.

Do you have a personal favorite? 

It's tough for me to pick favourites with this series, but I admit I have a soft spot for the letter L. I remember the lion was giving me a bit of trouble and I ended up doing a lot of revisions on him. I really like the way he turned out in the end.

Where do you draw inspiration from?  

For this project, I had a clear idea that all of the animals and letters in the alphabet had to be simple. I ended up taking a lot of inspiration from one of my favourite illustrators, Charley Harper. He was a master of creating distinctive animals using mainly shape and colour. 

Who are some of your favorite designers? 

There is so much great work out there that I have many, many favourites. I feel like there are too many to list, but I will say that I have always admired Louise Fili's work and her distinctive design aesthetic. As for illustrators, again, there are so many! Some of my favourites will always be mid-century illustrators such as Alice and Martin Provensen, Art Seiden, and Roger Duvoisin. 

What are you currently working on? 

I'm currently working on a children's book! It's actually the third in a series that I started on back in 2011 with Simply Read Books - the first is titled Murilla Gorilla: Jungle Detective. It has been an amazing experience so far. Jennifer Lloyd (the author) and I have been getting some fantastic reviews, and I feel really lucky to be paired up with such a great writer and publisher. Right now I'm still in the sketching and planning stage, which is probably my favourite part.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us Jacqui, and thanks again for another awesome collaboration. We can't wait to work with you again!

You can see all of Jacqui's designs for Hello!Lucky here. View more of Jacqui's work on her website, follow along with her on twitter & tumblr.

Spring Maker Series with Skill Exchange

Join Skill Exchange and Makeshift Society for these great events coming up. The fun starts tonight! More details below & here.

SKILL EXCHANGE MIXER: SKILLS, COCKTAILS AND MORE FRIDAY MAY 17TH 7-9PM

UPHOLSTERY BASICS: FOCUS ON CHAIRS TAUGHT BY LARA REMPEL | UPHOLSTERER & DESIGNER THURSDAY, MAY 23RD 6:30-8:30PM

CHEESE LOVE: A LESSON IN ITALIAN CHEESE TAUGHT BY SOPHIE MOSGROVE | CHEESE MONGER THURSDAY, MAY 30TH 6:30-8:30PM

COCKTAILS AND BITTERS: HOW TO BUILD A BETTER DRINK TAUGHT BY GENEVIEVE BRAZELTON | CHIEF MUDDLER AND JILL FITZGERALD  | BAR OWNER THURSDAY, JUNE 13TH 6:30-8:30PM

Hot off the press: Circus Cards!

We're gearing up for the National Stationery Show in May which means our printer is busy at work cranking out all of our new letterpress card designs. We'll be launching around 50 new cards this May and we haven't been this excited for a new release in a long time. One of the things that makes this release so special is the fact that we're now able to incorporate gold foil in our cards. We can't wait for that sparkly release.

This year we also expanded some of our favorite existing lines. Expect to finally see more sock monkeys! Another line we've been itching to grow is our vintage circus series. You can see the first card hand drawn by Eunice here.

We're adding 5 more cards to the circus series and you're the very first to see all 5 of the new designs. One of the things that makes these cards so special is that each one is hand drawn by our founder and creative director Eunice Moyle. We had so much fun coming up with the ideas you see illustrated on these cards. And our printer did an amazing job letterpressing these beauties.

We hope they're as well received in the rest of the world as they are in our studio.

Do you have a favorite? Leave a comment telling us which one and one lucky commenter will win all 5 - before anyone else can get their hands on them!

Look for these cards in stores and on our site in mid-May.  

Winner picked and announced here! 

Eunice's Sketchbook

One of the most fun things we do around the studio is brain storm ideas for new cards. We usually have a meeting, throw out all of our silly ideas, and then whittle the list down to something manageable since Eunice usually ends up designing the bulk of our greeting cards. One of the most lively conversations we tend to have is when we come up with card ideas that center around anthropomorphic food. The idea for a 'Wokin' Birthday' card came from a dinner Eunice and Sabrina had at a Chinese restaurant.

As you can see Eunice is still in the midst of sketching but we had to share these shots of her sketch book from this morning. She said it's not easy conveying veggies and pieces of tofu dancing so she tries to imagine Wil.i.am as a piece of tofu. These veggies definitely look like they are getting down so her method seems to be working. We can't wait to see the final design for this hysterical birthday card and will be sure to show you as soon as it's on press.

In the mean time have a Wokin' Thursday!

Inspired By: Coral & Tusk

We first discovered the embroidered work of Coral & Tusk at a local wedding fair where a vendor had a beautifully stitched table runner on display. We loved the detailed feathers and immediately sought out more of their work online.

Founded in 2007 by Stephanie Housley together with her husband Chris Lacinak, Coral & Tusk creates work inspired by their travels all over the globe. Their love of animals, adventure, and the natural world are reflected in every piece they create. We're especially fond of their stitched animals who always seem to be celebrating.

A RISD-trained textile designer, Stephanie creates all of her scenes and irreverent characters as original pencil drawings before she redraws them stitch by stitch using special computer software. Finished by hand in Coral and Tusk's Brooklyn loft, every machine-embroidered pillow, doll, napkin and artwork retains the story-telling spirit and hand-drawn allure of the original illustration. A mix of smart design, magic and mischief is at the heart of every Coral & Tusk embroidery.

View & shop Coral & Tusk here.

See if they are in a store near you here.

Follow along with their latest here.

The Fabulous Mr. Finch

We just stumbled across the work of Mr. Finch, a textile artist from Leeds in Yorkshire, and were immediately enamored by his ethereal and whimsical creations.

Finch says he is inspired by British folklore, shape shifting witches, and moon gazing hares. We love that he believes the animals he creates come to life at night when everyone is sleeping.  It's no surprise that his creatures feel so magical.

He has had no formal training which is completely inspiring.

Love this sea horse...

This charming hare reminds us of the Velveteen Rabbit.

Check out more of his work here and here. You can pick up some of his pieces at his Etsy shop.

Easter Craft Projects

While we haven't had a chance to come up with a fun craft project for Easter yet we love seeing everyone else's projects popping up online. To celebrate the season here are some of our favorite Spring projects from around the web. Shown above are Moustache Easter Eggs from the blog No.2 Pencil. She uses a craft cutting machine to make the vinyl moustaches, but it would be just as fun for kids to draw them on the eggs with a Sharpie. Adding eyes and some hair would give these eggs even more personality.

How sweet are these marshmallow plush bunnies? They're like giant bunny peeps! You can find the full tutorial over at Dandelions & Lace.

You probably noticed we have a thing for circus characters around here. So we fell in love when we spotted this guy over on Etsy. Who wouldn't love this illustrated cup and matching wooden egg? He can be found in Sweet Bestiary's shop here.

How adorable is this burlap bunny table runner? We love the little bunny silhouette and the yarn cotton tail. You can find the instructions to make this sweet table runner over at Eclectically Vintage.

How could you go wrong with old school egg dying and stamping? We love the way these eggs look and it's such a simple project. Read more over on Lovely Indeed.

And finally we had to share one of our own projects. This is from our book Handmade Weddings, but it's the perfect project for Spring. You can download the template to make this spring wreath here.

Do you have any fun Easter craft projects you want to share? Leave us a link in the comments!

Inspired By: Abigail Brown

It's hard to believe it's been over four years since we first featured the work of Abigail Brown on our blog. Her textiles had caught our attention back then, and she still continues to inspire us. Her collection of hand crafted birds are some of the most intricate textile pieces we've ever seen, and to top it off she incorporates reusable materials in her designs. A London dweller now, Abigail inherited her skills from her seamstress grandmother, and while she has transformed the long-time craft into fine art sculpture, her attention to detail is craftsmanship at its finest.

We are simply in awe of the work involved with these pieces. Our favorite might be the classy Californian Quail adorned in chic herringbone.

Her felted fledglings make timeless gifts for the bird-lovers in your life, but if they are out of price range you can still enjoy her work in other ways. Abigail's shop is full of prints, postcards, plush toys and every day accessories.

Abigail does more than just birds. Her butterfly brooches are just as elaborate and beautiful but are affordable for all!

To view more of Abigail Brown's work, click here and to get your hands on your very own, visit her shop!

Chloé Fleury Studio Visit

Last Friday a few of us were lucky enough to visit Chloé Fleury in her studio in San Francisco's Mission District. Chloé's studio is in her apartment and we found inspiration in every corner of her home. Her space was full of light, colorful, and modern. We could have stayed there for hours and all left feeling inspired to go home and work on art projects.

(everything in this photo except the bear mask is made from paper) 

If you aren't already familiar with Chloé's work this will be a fun look into her world. She creates amazing sculptures and illustrations with paper and it was so much fun to see her work scattered throughout her home. We snapped quite a few photos so you can see the loveliness yourself. Enjoy!

(a shot from Chloe's living room)

(we were even inspired by her chairs and pillows)

(paper lady with fox mask & an ice cream truck made from paper)

Chloé moved to San Francisco from France and told us she didn't start making her paper sculptures until she arrived here four years ago. One of her main inspirations? San Francisco's color and architecture. This piece is from her first show which was at the (recently closed) Curiosity Shoppe.

(Chloé's workspace) 

(amazing paper guitar sculpture) 

(one of Chloé's iconic paper bunny heads) 

(paper bikes and a look at Chloe's library)

(there was beautiful paper every where we turned) 

(Eunice & Chloe) 

Thank you so much for letting us visit your studio & your home Chloé! We're still feeling inspired from the visit.

See more of Chloé's work in her Etsy shop and follow along with her daily inspiration on her blog.

New! Lisa Congdon for Hello!Lucky

When Lisa Congdon agreed to do a line of cards with us for 2013 we were beyond thrilled. We love Lisa's colorful illustrations, hand lettering, and imaginative renderings of nature and animals. We think her cards are perfect for any occasion but we're especially excited to launch the line just in time for Valentine's Day. Check out these images of her studio (Taken by Victoria Smith of SF Girl by Bay). No wonder her designs are so bright and cheerful, her space is an inspiration in itself!

We asked Lisa a few questions about her process and what she has in store for 2013:

What is your process like? Does it change with every project?

It does depend. Sometimes I draw things straight from my brain, especially if I am making a simple drawing without much nuance. The cards I did for Hello!Lucky were all things I drew that just came from my imagination. When I paint or draw something more realistic or complex, I find images (photographs) to use as reference, so I can get the proportions and lighting right. Typically, especially in my commissioned illustration work, I make sketches first. And then I move to making the final artwork.

I always start by drawing things by hand. Always. None of my work starts as digital work, even if it ends up as digital work. In the case of the card line for Hello Lucky, I drew the designs in pen on paper, then scanned them and turned them into vector so they could be reproduced as plates for letterpress printing.

What was your inspiration for this line? 

I remember I got really simple, straightforward art direction for this line: create designs in your own style around the theme of love. So I brainstormed different sayings that would lend themselves easily to colorful illustration: things like You are My Sunshine, You are my Queen, You Light up My Life. It was really as simple as that! I really enjoyed it!

Do you have a favorite in the collection or do you love them all equally?

I think You Light Up My Life is my favorite! But I like them all.

(My Sunshine, Sailboat Love, Falling for You, Lighthouse)

We loved your 365 days of hand lettering project you did for 2012. Is there a favorite quote/motto you have from that project? 

One of my favorites is: "Leap and the net will appear," which John Burroughs is quoted as saying. It's the motto for many things in my life.

What are you currently working on or what's your latest release? Is there a 365 day project for 2013?

I just launched a weekly project for 2013 with Maria Popova of Brain Pickings called The Reconstructionists. It's a a yearlong celebration of remarkable women who have changed the way we see the world. Every Monday in 2013, we'll publish an illustrated portrait (by me) of one trailblazing woman (artist, scientist, writer), along with a hand-lettered quote that captures her spirit and a short micro-essay (by Maria) about her life and legacy. I'm pretty excited about it!

(Queen, King)

Thank you Lisa for being such an inspiration and so much fun to work with! Visit Lisa's website for more lovely illustrations and follow along with her blog here. Shop Lisa's new collection for H!L here!

Product Photos by Edyta Szyszlo Photography

Portrait of Lisa by Leslie Sophia Lindell Photography

Printing Workshops at SFCB

Interested in learning about letterpress? Want to try your hand at printing on a vintage Vandercook press? The San Francisco Center for the Book is the best place to start. Their talented team has come up with a great lineup of 2013 workshops and they are available for registry now! As owners of a Vandercook and letterpress lovers, we know how fun it is to crank your own prints.

Visit the SFCB online for a list of workshops, or stop by their NEW location at 375 Rhode Island Street (between 16th and 17th Streets) in San Francisco.

Local Love: Photobooth SF

 Photobooth SF is a Tintype Polaroid-style studio located on Valencia Street here in San Francisco, offering beautiful vintage-looking photography. It's obvious we're big fans of anything vintage, so we fell in love with the idea immediately. It's nice to see something new and different pop up on the photography scene!

Aren't these moody photobooth images of our staff fabulous? They were taken by Photobooth SF at the Contemporary Jewish Museum last month for the Rit Lab event. For the event we brought stacks of letterpress prints and accessories to make one-of-a-kind photo frames and these images were the perfect addition.

You can book your sessions with Photobooth SF here or pop in their studio located in San Francisco's Mission district.

Photobooth SF 1193 Valencia Street @ 23rd. San Francisco, CA 94110 Open: Wed- Th 1-8, Fri – Sun 1-9 www.photoboothsf.com

Welcome 2013!

After the holidays wind down and we return to our regular routine, we welcome 2013 with open arms. There are many events to look forward to this year, many resolutions to keep and many achievements to reach. As we look forward we always like to start off right with an organized, refreshed state of mind. We picked a few of our favorite 2013 wall and desk calendars from around the web to share with all of you. We're noticing a geometric theme in our calendars so expect to see a new trend! Happy New Year!

1. Linda and Harriett Quilt Calendar 2. Kin of Kin Lunar Calendar 3. Darling Clementine Harvest Calendar 4. Frankie Press Calendar 5. Julia Kostreva Prisms Calendar 6. Leah Duncan Shapes Calendar

Child's Own Custom Toys from Drawings

This image has spread like wildfire on Pinterest. There's something magical about a child's imagination, and the playfulness of a simple drawing. Child's Own Studio has been turning those imaginative doodles and drawings into real life toys since 2007 and we are completely in love.

The creator and master softie-maker Wendy takes time to incorporate every detail, from each finger and toe to every scribble of the nose.

This is the kind of gift that stays with a child for a lifetime, so we encourage parents, family friends, and all to invest in this one-of-a-kind toy. Currently Wendy is booked, but visit this list of other Softiemakers for your order. Congratulations to Child's Own on all the success!

New Illustrations by Karin Soderquist

Our friend and 2011 Holiday Guest Designer Karin Soderquist recently shared some images of her newest illustrations and we're literally rolling on the floor laughing. Her quirky characters are what won us over with her holiday cards, and now they're getting even quirkier. Skate Grrrls (shown above) is a colorful study of the movements and poses of skate boarders. We love the bright hair colors! That isn't even the best of it. The quirkiest of all her characters has to be her collection of sexy Swedish pastries, illustrated in celebration of Let's Fika! Does it get any better than a chocolate ball in high heels??

Perhaps the only thing better is a cinnamon bun in cowboy boots...

Lookin' good, ladies. Thanks Karin for sharing your new work! To view more, head over to her website here!

DIY Holiday Tassel Garland

We pretty much love all holiday decor, but when it comes to our favorite, it's gotta come on a string. Garland is the best way to spruce up any room, especially during the holidays. With plaid fabrics popping up more and more this time of year, we couldn't wait to get crafty with it. This DIY does require a bit of handywork, but materials are very inexpensive. Instead of heading out to your local craft store, look in your own home for materials first! You might have an old flannel pillowcase that's missing it's match, or a plaid shirt you've outgrown from last year. And the twine can be replaced with ribbon or fishing line. The best part about this DIY holiday tassel garland? There's no-sewing required!

Drape these tiny tassels over your apartment-sized Christmas tree, or gather them up for a front seat on the mantle. Here's the how-to below!

Materials:

1/2 yard plaid fabric (or an old shirt or pillowcase), 1/8" gold ribbon, jute twine, scissors, ruler (optional)

How to:

Step 1. Cut your fabric into 4" x 6" pieces (This DIY can easily be made bigger! Just cut bigger rectangles of fabric)

Step 2. Cut your ribbon ahead of time. 5" strips is plenty to work with. Set the ribbon aside for later.

Step 3. From each end, cut 5 even slits, 2" long. This part doesn't have to be exact. It just gets rolled up, anyway.

Step 4. Pinch the bottom where the slits on both sides end and roll up.

Step 5. After rolling, pinch the ends of the fringe and fold together.

Step 6. Hold the tassel with one hand while grabbing the ribbon with another. Tie the ribbon around the neck of the tassel in a double knot, leaving a 3/4" loop. Cut any excess ribbon. (Friendly help encouraged here!)

Step 7. String your twine through the loops of your tassels and display!

These mini tassels can be made with any pattern, and can be hung just about anywhere! For more festive DIY ideas, visit our website!

New! Letterpress Prints + Giveaway!

Remember the letterpress prints we designed for our Open Studio Event this year? Well now you can order them online! Our Etsy shop is a great way to get your hands on our cards and gifts, and the newest additions are these limited edition split-fountain letterpress prints hand-drawn by our Creative Director, Eunice. The playful typeface prints are a fun way to add color to any space, and their quirky quotes are sure to brighten your day. Get yours online here, or enter to win your favorite! All you have to do is comment below telling us which is your favorite print and why. We will pick three lucky winners to receive their print of choice. Our winners have been chosen and contacted via email! Thanks for participating and stay tuned for more fabulous giveaways!

Be Awesome Today (above)

Don't Grow Up

Magic

Print Details: Paper Weight: 130 lb ecru 100% recycled paper, Dimensions: 11" x 14"

Open Studio Event & Holiday Sale

This past weekend we opened our doors on a sunny Sunday for our Open Studio Event and Holiday Sale! We had a terrific turnout and want to say thank you to everyone who came by. Our guests experienced hands-on letterpress tutorials by our temporary printer, Lillian! She graciously showed visitors simple letterpress techniques and those who gave it a go went home with their own hand-cranked holiday cards (pictured below). The spectacular Lisa Congdon paid us a visit, and also got to experience the letterpress magic. She just designed a brand new collection of cards exclusive for Hello!Lucky - soon to be released in early 2013!

These are the limited edition prints we created just for the occasion. We'll be putting them on our site and on Etsy soon! Below Eunice and Sabrina are busy mingling with all the visitors. You can see pressman Jon back there running the windmill press. It was quite the production but with all the helping hands it was a great success!

Just a snapshot of some of the holiday cards we had on sale. What a deal! We still have some left over so be sure to visit our studio from Monday-Friday, 9:00 - 5:00 for excellent deals on holiday cards.

Thanks again for everyone who visited the studio! We are definitely planning more events in the future so stay tuned, and be sure to order your holiday cards today!

The Crafts Department

It's absolutely no secret that we love everything Martha Stewart. Not a day goes by without checking in with the Brides Guide or scoping out a delicious fall recipe. One of our favorite spots to check in is with the Crafts Dept. blog. Not only does the Martha Stewart crafts team post daily inspiration and original craft projects, their rotating blog banner is a work of art in itself! When that day comes and a new banner arrives, a mini celebration is in order. Maybe not the champagne-popping, dance party type of celebration, but it's always a thrill to see what they come up with next. We've kept track of a few of our favorite banners along the way. Keep up the great work crafters!