Modish Guest Blog

ferdinand ::: portland maine

when jena asked me to guest blog this week, i immediately started thinking about all of the local portland talent that i wanted to share here. perhaps one of the best-known local indie/handmade pioneers (plus an all-around excellent gal,) diane toepfer of ferdinand is one of my favorite people and a wonderful artist and craftsperson to boot. at her storefront on munjoy hill in portland's east end, she makes a wide range of fun and eclectic handmade goodies - pretty much anything that strikes her fancy.

she carries a terrific selection of new + refashioned vintage items, such as these fabulous feather barrettes:

and vintage clothing and shoes, too.

many of you may recognize her famous drum-playing squirrel, which adorns adult and childrens tees.

she also makes a wide selection of gocco and screenprinted cards, totebags, notebooks and journals, jewelery, patches, potholders and accessories,   and features many other local and nationally known crafters as well.

here are some diane's own hot-off-the-press screenprinted valentines - aren't they great?

some of diane's favorite art-y/crafty peeps:
local maine stuff:
pinecone and chickadee
(here are some p+c valentine cards i spied at ferdinand today):

morris + essex
strong arm bindery

and goodies from elsewhere:
dog and pony show
lisa jones cards
nineteen seventy three
motel deluxe

ferdinand is located at 243 congress street, portland, me 04101, and is a must-visit next time you're in town.

Thanks!

Thanks to Jena for inviting me to be the guest blogger this week! I have a whole new respect for what it takes to write a blog like Modish. Hopefully I've been able to demonstrate the versatility of screenprinting with the range of products that I picked and inspired some of you to try it out for yourselves.

If you're looking for gift wrap for your handmade gift this holiday season, take a look at my little shop where I have a small selection of screenprinted papers (more to come in 2008!) printed, trimmed and packaged by me here in Boston. As always, you can visit my blog to see what's going on behind the scenes.

Happy Holidays to all, stay warm and dry!

Standard Screen

If you're new to screen printing and don't have a clue about where to purchase supplies, may I recommend Standard Screen. Based in NYC, Standard Screen has everything you need to get your silkscreening operation up and running. Screens, squeegees, mesh by the roll, scoop coaters and tons of other supplies can all be purchased here. If you don't have the space or time to burn your own screens, you can send your artwork to Standard and they'll do it for you and ship the screen to you, ready to use. Note: Shipping costs for screens can be expensive because they are oversized packages. Because Standard is based in NY, East Coast customers will pay less for shipping than those in the Midwest or West coast.

Small Stump

Ha, I had no idea snakes love diamonds, but apparently I'm wrong and there's a Small Stump print to prove it. I like the artist's description of the print:

This fanciness is about lace, gold, diamonds, and a small snake. he's like "oh, fanssssy" in his little high pitched eccentric snake voice.

I just love the mental image that conjures up. Oh and I love the silkscrened print too.

Gigposters

Strawberry Luna and Eleanor Grosch have both submitted posters to Gigposters.com. Gigposters is a site where artists can share posters they have created to promote concerts and events. The creativity evident in the posters on this site is insane and many different styles are represented, you're sure to find a poster that suits your style; when you do, you can often purchase it right from the site. Here are a few that caught my eye, click on the pics to purchase.

Gigposters has very active forums and the Screenprinting forum is a must-read for anyone interested in printing at home. I check it out on an almost-daily basis. What I like about the forums is that many poster artists are D-I-Y types printing from their home studios. They don't have the money or space to invest in professional grade equipment so there are lots of tutorials about how to build your own equipment in addition to lots of general advice about printing, inks, screens, etc. It's great information and it's all free, you'd be crazy not to consult the forums before buying screenprinting gear.

Strawberry Luna

Allison, aka Strawberry Luna, is a screenprinter who specializes in limited edition band posters. If you see something in her shop that you like, scoop it up asap because once they're sold out, they're gone. The good thing about this is that new work is listed often. Two of my current faves in her shop are below.

Push Me Pull You

Push Me Pull You is the business belonging to Eleanor Grosch, a Philadelphia-based graphic designer and screenprinter. Maybe you've seen her work for high profile clients like Keds and Urban Outfitters? I am drawn to her simple and colorful screenprinted posters, which often feature animal motifs. I think it's amazing that, given her success, she still screenprints in her basement (you can see a video interview featuring a few shots of her workspace here).

Ahpeele

For the guys: Ahpeele's origami lightning tshirt is a navy blue Alternative Apparel tee screenprinted four times in a semi-transparent ink. The result is subtle, stunning, yet very wearable. The design wraps around to the backside as well, a cool feature, one that we don't see often on guys' gear.

Maryink Votives

Votive holders by Maryink feature a silkscreened image wrapped around a glass votive holder. They can be used as votive holders for a candle or just little containers for odds and ends. I thnk they'd look great with a candle inside illuminating the printed image. Talk about ambiance! Shown are the Arcadia Votive and Woodlands Votive. Click on the pics for links to purchase.

Of Paper and Thread

Danielle from Of Paper and Thread silkscreens her original designs onto cards and onto fabric that she uses to make coin purses. Danielle is based in Western Australia. There is alot of great screenprinted fabric coming out of Australia lately. There must be something in the water over there.

Morris & Essex

I'm absolutely crazy for these cards by Morris and Essex. Designer Eliza Jane Curtis- based in Buenos Aires- creates the cards using both traditional screenprinting tenchniques and a Gocco. I think she has a great eye for color, pattern and detail. All available for purchase in her Etsy shop.

Ryan Bags

Ryan Green Designs makes the cutest bags. All made in the USA, El Poucho bags have a courduroy exterior, coordinating cotton lining and a screenprinted image in metallic ink. It's available in lots of fun colors on the website and screeprinted logos include wild stallions and birds of prey. I love the oversized outsized pocket, so practical, that's where everything ends up when I'm carrying a bag.

Timber!

Timber's old man maze shirt combines an illustration of a grizzled old timer with a maze! Yes, hidden in the beard and hat of the old man illustration is a secret maze. The solution appears printed on the tag of the shirt. It's an article of clothing and a game, all in one! The shirt is available in several sizes so you can pick up one for yourself and your own old man.

I'm also a fan of the village v-neck tshirt, also by Timber. I love how intricate the asymmetrical design is and how the neckline cuts into it, ever so slightly. It really is like wearing a work of art but the black ink on gray shirt keeps it from feeling too busy, even though the print is quite detailed.

Pretty Racoon

An Etsy search for "screenprint" turned up Pretty Racoon, a shop I'd never heard of before. I'm digging the oversized, single-color prints of bikes, snakes and chandeliers on t-shirts and hoodies.

Baz Biz Part 2

My third stop at Baz Biz was at the table of Big Dead Gerbil.

I was immediately drawn to William's silkscreened prints, especially the tree of life print pictured above, to the left. See the step by step process of how the print was created here. William ages the paper himself using various homemade concoctions discovered through trial and error. I love how the white ink looks on the dark-colored paper. The prints range from $20 - $40, totally reasonable for an original, handmade work of art.

4th Stop: Foxy and Winston

Foxy and Winston is a line of screenprinted art prints, cards and baby gear. Their aesthetic is bold, colorful, and graphic; it caught my eye in between the hordes of people crowding the table.

The bold graphic images are sophisticated and sweet at the same time. I picked up this deer card and I wish I had gotten more because the colors are so lush and saturated. Jane and I talked a little bit about the difficulties of working from the spare bedroom of her Brooklyn apartment. If you ever have the chance to go to a big craft fair like Bazarre Bizaar or Renegade Craft Fair, I highly encourage it. It's incredibly inspiring to talk to small business owners producing such amazing work from their homes.

Final stop: Two Trick Pony

My final stop was at the table of local company, Two Trick Pony. Owned by two friends, Laurie and Carrie, they produce vibrantly colored cards, art prints and journals. Last year, shortly after starting the company, they exhibited at the National Stationery Show in NY, where their line was picked up by over 20 stores! I'm a fan of their Holiday cards which are sweet and festive, without being saccharine.

So that's it for my Baz Biz recaps but I'll see you back here tomorrow for more screenprinted goodness.