Blog: The Pony Express
Recent Posts
- Best. Wedding. Ever.
- Chris Piascik is awesome.
- Pony Picks: Dutch Door Press
- Pony Picks: Spruce Avenue
- Pony Picks: Rag & Bone Bindery
- Pony Picks: Albertine Press
- National Stationery Show, 2008
- Small Studios, Big Ideas
- All That's A-Hoof
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Best. Wedding. Ever.
It’s a rare occasion that one of our clients becomes a close friend, but I’m so happy that was the case with my new favorite couple, Polly and Dave. When I first met them over a year ago they were recently engaged; our mutual friend, the ever-delightful K, introduced us and said, “Carrie designs wedding invites!” I remember not wanting to be too pushy, but also thinking they’d be a really fun couple to work with. A few months later, I was delighted to receive a message from Polly, requesting a meeting. Hurrah!
Our first meeting was a riot - we kicked around every idea under the sun; from graphic floral shapes and organic vine patterns to woodland friends (!!!), birds, and fireworks. Most importantly, Polly and Dave wanted to convey a singular message…celebration. Laurie and I worked through a few ideas for the save the date (the rejected woodland friends were adopted for our “Holiday Friends” card!) and settled upon the exceptionally celebratory firework/mum/explosion of happiness design featured above.
For the invites, we tried something a bit more subdued, but with the same sense of wonder and delight. The poem at the top (in light blue) helped set the tone for the ceremony, and the screen printed wooden strip down the side hinted at the folksy, woodsy reception location. Laurie and I were particularly pleased with the effect of the light blue ink on the darker wood - such a gorgeous contrast.
Polly and Dave married this past weekend, and I was thrilled (and honored!) to attend. The details of the day were unique and charming, much like Polly and Dave themselves; festoons of origami cranes hand-crafted by relatives and friends, place cards fluttering among the trees, and a once-in-a-lifetime pair of red shoes for the bride. Thanks, you two, for including me…and congratulations!
Chris Piascik is awesome.
Recently, I’ve spent some time thinking about how lucky I am to have Two Trick Pony pulling me out from behind the computer. For years as a graphic designer, I felt like my creativity was inextricably linked to my machine, and that’s no good for anyone. What if my originality hard drive crashes? What if the power goes out?!? Starting Two Trick reminded me that I find immense joy in staining my fingers with a marker or peeling dried screen printing ink off my hands (and arms. And face, sometimes).
In my quest to further separate (wo)man from machine, I’ve been playing around with hand-rendered typography lately, which is why I’m so enamored with the daily drawings of Chris Piascik (well, that plus the fact that they’re AWESOME). I first saw his Obama drawing above, and then proceeded to scroll through weeks and weeks of his daily Moleskin drawings. I find it particularly charming when his subject matter is utterly mundane; “I am sick and don’t feel like drawing” or “Shit, it’s 12:29 and I am just starting.” For me, they really serve as a positive reminder that yes…I should be drawing every day, not just when a project calls for it.
Thanks for the motivation, Chris! I’ve got to go stock up on paper…
Pony Picks: Dutch Door Press
Another of my favorite booths at the stationery show in May was Dutch Door Press. Anna and Mara beautifully blend vintage designs, bright colors and folksy charm to create their letterpress line.
The booth design was the perfect backdrop for their lovely products. Wooden clogs and fun colored tulips were clever touches that played up the “dutch” in their name. We can’t wait to see more from Dutch Door!
Laurie Pony
Pony Picks: Spruce Avenue
Spruce Avenue first popped up on my radar at last year’s Stationery Show, and I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself. Thus, I was doubly delighted to find that Spruce Avenue had signed on to be a part of the Small Studios Collaboration this year…I would finally have a chance to properly say hello. Screenprinters are still rare at NSS, so it’s nice to find other folks working in the same medium.
Melissa and Dana have me utterly enthralled with their sense of color. Muted but not the least bit dull, their palette evokes a charming sense of nostalgia, like a perfectly faded photograph or a favorite vintage scarf. I’ve long been a fan of their floral imagery, and I’m pleased to see it sprouting up on their line of (FSC certified!) imprintable invitations. Beautiful work, ladies!
xoxo, Carrie Pony
Pony Picks: Rag & Bone Bindery
Two of our favorite folks to visit at the National Stationery Show are Jason and Ilira of Rag & Bone Bindery. These gorgeous new cover designs (above) took my breath away! They’re available on photo albums, guest books, journals and more.
The Rag & Bone booth was filled with fabulous new products like these adorable growth charts (below) and special touches like this paper dress.
As Stationery Show pros, Jason and Ilira have been kind enough to offer the Ponies lots of advice and inspiration, which we are so grateful for. Thanks you two!
Laurie Pony
Pony Picks: Albertine Press
One of the highlights from last year’s stationery show was meeting Shelley Barandes of Albertine Press. I’ve fallen hard for her “World Notes” (below) in the past, but this year my big, horsey heart has been stolen by the “Jet Set” series (above). She won a coveted “Best New Product” award for this series, and it couldn’t be more deserving!
In addition to creating my favorite new cards, Shelley conceived and then executed the very first “Small Studios, Big Ideas” collaboration. I have no idea how she found the time to lasso these designers (ponies included!) AND design and manufacture the book that housed all of our plates. Shelley, you’ve really outdone yourself this year. I can’t wait for next years Small Studios project!
xo, Carrie Pony
National Stationery Show, 2008
Phew! At long last, we have returned (and recovered!) from New York City. The National Stationery Show was an absolute blast. It was great to see some familiar faces from last year and to meet some new folks for the first time. Plus, it was easier for the ponies to be more excited than nervous, since we had a better idea of what to expect…having been around the track once before.
I was really impressed with so many exhibitors this year. Last year, I was so overwhelmed by the whole circus that I had a hard time singling out exceptional booths. This year I was less overwhelmed, but I STILL had a hard time because so much of the work was outta sight. It’s an amazing feeling to be a part of such an incredibly talented and supportive industry.
Our promotion with Hello! Lucky and Chronicle was a big hit - lots of people came by to get their stamps (which spelled out “Lucky You” - so cute!) and I can’t wait to find out who won. The Small Studios Collaboration was also a success…we gave away almost all of our books, and everyone was delighted with the finished product. Nice work, Small Studios! We were also lucky enough to meet the unbelievably charming Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge. This woman is an absolute peach. I wanted to spend the rest of the day with her, discussing her celebrity sightings at ICFF! She was kind enough to include us in her Stationery Show coverage here…thanks again, Grace!
Over the next week, Laurie and I are going to share some pictures from some of our favorite booths, followed by posts about our new retailers (and our old retailers, too). Stay tuned!
Carrie Pony
Small Studios, Big Ideas
Last December, the Ponies were having a conversation with Shelley from Albertine Press about how great it would be if a few smaller studios joined forces to generate a little more attention at the National Stationery Show. Shelley took charge of the idea and the “Small Studios, Big Ideas” collaborative was born! Albertine Press, Linda & Harriet, Spruce Avenue and yours truly have each illustrated a couple of stanzas from “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll; the plates are all going to be available for folks at NSS in May. Visit the booths and collect them all!
Two Trick Pony: Booth #1554
Spruce Avenue: Booth #1751
Albertine Press: Booth #1934
Linda & Harriet: Booth #2059
I can’t wait to see what the other studios have designed…
xo, CP (Carrie Pony)
All That's A-Hoof
Welcome to the Pony Express! Big things are a-hoof here at Two Trick Pony. As you can see, we’re launching a new web-site, providing a list of our fantastic retailers, and showing off the designs we’ve been working on for so long. We’re setting up a little space here to keep you informed about what’s happening with Two Trick Pony, whether it’s a new project for us or something we’ve seen that we want to share. Stop by often to see what’s new, or just to say, “Hay!”