Bloesem

Weekly Gallery

As promised a new Weekly Gallery, this time at the beginning of a new week, which will be a hectic one for me...on Friday we are going to visit our friends and family in the Netherlands..joehoe...really looking forward seeing them again...but first some new great artwork by different artists...Claire Elizabeth Platt makes stunning hand-embroidered pieces, which you can find here and her journal to read more about Claire right here...

Please have a look here to see more of Jessica Gonacha's new great artwork...

New Spring Print Sets available at Port2Port...it is a letterpress printed collaboration between Mav and Lena, they will be doing all four seasons...the set is available right here...

Andrea Courchene is the designer behind Paper Sparrow...lovely paper goods and art prints, available in her shop.

Gretchen Wagoner  told me about her the opening of her show last Friday together with Rose Umerlik, at Nahcotta in Portsmouth...you can also find her work at her website of at her blog.

Wiener Papp

Since I was a child I have a thing for journals, notebooks and agenda's and seeing such amazingly  detailed journals like these it just makes me very happy. Esther Diering from Berlin makes them and you can buy them in her shop Wiener Papp. Here you can read a little more about Esther, really funny! Another specialty of Esther is designing cd-cases, you can find some great ones right here.

Paperiaarre

I think I saw these great handmade notebooks on Sia's blog for the first time and I think they are gorgeous. The colors are so beautiful! Kaija from Finland sells these and some amazing handmade 'pebble' brooches in her shop called, Paperiaarre.

Kaija is a bookbinder, but she also makes jewelry/accessories out of paper and leather.She says she wishes to make books and jewelry that bring joy for a long time...and I think these pieces will! Click here for the Paperiaarre shop!

Nightjar, Round Robin and Royal Buffet

..Enjoy the weekend..

Beautiful felt covers and handmade journals from Nightjar Books...a one-woman bookbinding operation, located in Toronto.

Super cute plantable greeting cards from Shannon Lowry aka Round Robin Press, located in Austin, Texas.

Mollie Greene and Annie Koelle are Royal Buffet and they make fantastic things to share with others they say.

Meg Mateo Ilasco

Ok I had seen her blog before and of course I had seen some of her amazing journals in blogland before…but when I finally took the time today to read about this multi-talented women, Meg Mateo Ilasco, I was in awe…not only because I love her designs, like these superb journals, cards and papergoodies, but also because of her other businesses… you can purchase some of Meg's products online right here   or by visiting a retailer near you.

Meg Mateo Ilasco is the founder of several business initiatives like Mixed Co. and Modern Economy, which is an exclusive home and lifestyle sales event where you can buy some amazing samples and overstock items at prices up to 70% off retail from several independent designers'...sorry this is not an online event, you literally have to go to San Francisco on Saturday, April 12, 2008, where the next sale will be held.  (For more information you can sign up for the mailing list and everyone who signs up  between February 5 and April 12, 2008 will be entered into a drawing to win $150 in Modern Economy merchandise.) And finally Meg is an author of three very interesting books!!

Thank You

When this notebook from StudioMatador arrived in our mailbox I was very impressed by the high qualtiy of the packaging and when I opened it I found another lovely surprise....the notebook is just fabulous! Thank you Marta for sending this. My husband also loved it, so he said he would start writing a journal or travel book for the first time in his life...or was this just an excuse to convince me to give it to him..would you like to give this notebook to someone or to yourselves...just one click away!

StudioMatador

More graphic design today...StudioMatador recently send me an email about their limited edition collection notebooks called 'Unfinished and Unpublished'. The collection is created in collaboration between StudioMatador and international artists and designers. The collection is inspired by the philosophy of Wabi Sabi, a celebration of the unconventional and imperfect. The impermanent and incomplete nature of the notebooks  allows the end user to instill their own aesthetic and inspiration, to finish what has
remained unfinished. The beautiful books are available at StudioMatadors online shop.

Mélangerie Inc.

While writing this post I feel a bit ashamed...because I promised the lovely girls from this amazing graphic design studio to write about them in the beginning of January...and I don't know why it hasn't happened yet, because I love their work! But they say...better be late than sorry...Julie Tinker and Elana Dweck just launched their website for their New York City based design firm: Mélangerie Inc. They specialize in curating, creating, and presenting custom gifts, memorabilia and event related materials. Like this alternative wedding guestbook, “Dirty Laundry”. It  encourages guests to “air out” the bride and groom’s dirty laundry by writing a little note on cards shaped like shirts, pants, socks, etc.

And how about this lovely project for a women's 90th birthday family. Throughout the womans life, all generations of her family came together over wonderful meals she prepared with her loving hands. So for her birthday a custom book was created of everyone’s favorite recipes.  Would you like to have Julie and Elana create something special for you or a special occasion, just send them an email.

Sub-studio

Anna and Sean from Sub-studio designed these great Christmas Cards for the Shama Foundation and they are donating 100% of the proceeds to the foundation.

Trace Face

I often receive many nice emails, but I really like it when a email like this drops in my inbox...."I'm trying to help my friend Traci Edwards spread the word about her etsy shop. I know I'm biased, but I love all her cute art prints, gigposters,  and stationery and I think your readers might like them too. Her prints can also be found at Little Paper Planes. A few images are attached. Would you please consider including her on Bloesem? Thanks for looking and keep up the good work! Laura Latta"...yes of course Laura and I agree with you, Trace Face is a wonderful shop.