plainMADE for BLANC

I'm SOOOO stoked about these limited edition of 30 hand-painted and screen printed posters I had specially requested Chelsea Heffner of plainMADE to make for BLANC!!

I literally thought of the idea randomly while working on something else , texted Chelsea right away, she totally got on board with it, we bounced off some ideas over the phone, she painted and printed them, I got them in the mail,  and VOILA! we got ourselves some beautiful BLANC prints made! She's amazing.

It's been super fun art directing the event, especially it gave me a great reason to collaborate with talented people to do fun special projects like this! But the main intent in making these posters is meant to offer something (like a special souvenir) to further extend the concept of BLANC even after the event ends.

As I started thinking about ideas for the posters, I was thinking more of what the sense of white means and what that could look like.
I started throwing out words to Chelsea and started thinking more about natural phenomenons like light, fog, cloud, fluffy, air, water, transparent, reflection....and gradually lead to other mood words like simple, pure, airy, austere, clean, calm, quiet, mysterious....

And final result is this...

Beautifully lightly washed watercolor in layers on slightly textured thick paper.
Looking directly from the front, you can only see the soft gray and light color hues over lapping each other.

and looking at the print from a different angle......

...The word "BLANC" printed in semi-transparent white paint appears as it catches the light.
....and changes from another angle.

I just REALLY love the subtlety and personally think the effect she did added a lot of depth.  It's simply magical...

All these prints was SO spot-on in conveying all those concepts that I had in mind...  It's as if Chelsea was able to read my mind better than I can!! creeepy~!

Each print is numbered and stamped by plainMADE.

These will all be for sale on both days of BLANC preview party (and if they don't sell out) will also be available at the BLANC popup the next day!

Sorry to say that I get first dibs! yes!

Recap of Remodelista Portland Market

photos above provided by Remodelista

Setting up...

Ladies & Gentlemen Studio Table

 

R&L goods Table

 

Had a little fun and took these at the Ace with some fun Portland peeps: Chelsea from plainMADE, Simon & Jorie from School House Electric, and Kara from Egg Press.

Getting Our Hunger On for Portland!

I'm hoping that with any downtime before & after the Remodelista Market that we'd just eat our way through Portland....

I just saw on Remodelista mentioning Olympic Provisions where they make homemade cured meat & etc all that goodness:
All this also got me thinking that I should really try Tasty n Sons. My friend have been telling me about this place since they opened last year...and every time she talks about the all the dishes she tried for dinner & brunch there, we both would start to get hungry again.... all the while we're talking about this over dinner....
And THEN there's Le Pigeon ... for the past 4 years since I saw this place, I've made several attempts where it all failed since they're either closed for vacation or we just went at the wrong time. :(
would love to try their amazing looking dishes one of these days!!!
On top of all this, even at the day of the Remodelista Market there will be food by Koi Fusion, Oregon Ice Works, coffee by Ristretto Roasters and Bakeshop by Kim Boyce!!

I'm getting a food coma just looking and thinking about all this food...
I'm thinking that I need to come up with some major plan to hit all these places, and perhaps even do back to back meals...
So don't be surprised if you see a person lying on the side of the road in Portland at some point this weekend...most likely that will be me passed out from all the food that I'll be consuming....and there's no need to call 911....just stay calm and walk away....simply walk away....

Portland Remodelista Market, June 4th!

Part 2 of Remodelista market in Portland, Hosted by Schoolhouse Electric!
This time both L&G and R&L goods (so many ands!) will both be at this event! Double awesomeness!

Saturday, June 4th, from 11 am to 4 pm,
located at 2181 NW Nicolai, Portland, OR 97210 (At the new Schoolhouse Factory)

Featured vendors include Alder & Co, Anna Mara Floral Design, Bakeshop by Kim Boyce, Canoe, Egg Press, Frazier Wing, Glassybaby, Joey Roth, Julian Paul, Ladies & Gentlemen Studio, Lilith Rockett, Maak Soap Lab, Makelike Design, Monograph Bookwerks, Olo Fragrance, Pink Slip Jams, R & L Goods, Space Design, Sword + Fern, The Joinery, Yolo Colorhouse and more.

I Need....

Awesome button up shirt by Cosmic Wonder Light Source at Stand Up Comedy....
I REALLY need to go to SUC next time I'm in Portland!! That and Nationale....

The Not-so-little "Little Winter Market"

When I heard from Abby (of Abbytrysagain) who's co-organizing with Chelsea (of Frolic!) this amazing looking "Little Winter Market" I was more than excited and impressed. Especially when you put two super talented gals together in making it all happen...you know that even with them calling it little, the result is going be mind blowing! This "Little" market is beyond little when you see the quality of work from the 20+ artist/craftpeople who will be participating!

Date:
November 6th 11am-6pm
November 7th 11am-5pm

Location:
The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel SW 10th and Stark, Portland, ORI can't wait! We're actually gonna take a little road trip there to hang out, scout for shops in Portland, eat good food and check out this lovely market and support our friends......
I can already tell that I'll be drooling over everything...food, things, bikes, people, everything...you name it.
There's no stopping me. :P

New Season, New Beginning...

Recently, we took a big step (big for us) and got our very first retail order of the Chalk-It-To-Me Piggy Banks!! But boy do we really need to stop coming up with names that are way too long (i.e. Ladies & Gentlemen Studio..) It really bites us in the butt in the long run. :P
Perhaps I should start calling them CITM Piggy banks...ok, maybe just Chalk Piggies for now.
We're excited to share that they're available at the New Seasons Market in Portland, where 4 out of the 9 stores around the city are now selling these!!
When we first got the order, we were stoked...but a little freaked out. We never gotten around in figuring out how to produce the Chalk series, but at the same time we didn't want to turn down the opportunity..
So Not only did we not have a production space set up, we didn't even we have packaging, print material, and all that stuff figured out. Don't worry, this is all part of our bigger picture "business plan" that we've drawn up in our own imagination.... so, yeah, we know what we're doing. :P

But we took our first stab at it...All packed up!This is by no means our idea of a perfect packaging design for these. I'd change pretty much everything if I have a dispensable income to make the packaging all fancy with crazy colors and would play music when you open the box like those cards with sounds!
What's better than trying to read a card with thoughtful messages from you family & friends while you're distracted with the cheap sounds of a button battery operated card that plays songs such as “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer, “I’m Sorry” by Brenda Lee, “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, “We’re All in This Together” by the cast of High School Musical?? I have an idea....how about a card that DOESN'T make any sounds so I can concentrate and read the card peacefully?

Anyways....sidetracked.
All and all, this was definitely an exciting first step to take and a great learning experience that gave us an idea of all the things we'd need to consider to take this even further.
Now we just gotta go work on our business plan!! Oh boy!
I wonder if the bank or investors would accept this as a business plan...
Not only do I have a plan, I'm also showing that I'm a responsible saver with my piggy bank full of change! Booh-yah! Business plan DONE!

Take a Closer Look at What's Around....Even If It's Costco

When was the last time you stopped to appreciate the most mundane parts of where you live?
Have you ever hike along the woods off the highway?
Can fences be used to connect instead of divide?
These are a few of the questions brought up in a lecture Jean and I attended tonight by urban planner Thomas Sieverts and put on by Portland-based Suddenly.org.
Thomas's theory is that we need to come to terms with the already established sprawl of our urban environments and recognize the inherent charm and potential in the in-between state of being it creates. His suggestion is that we begin to shape our culture in a way that appreciates and enhances interactions of people with their location.

-How can we make the best out of the situation and be better aware of and enjoy the places we live?
-Can spaces between buildings become spots for gardens or for people to mingle?
-Can big commercial businesses use the parking lots to house community events like flea markets, fairs, or skateboard competitions?
Thomas posed these questions and more through a narrative photo tour through a Tigard, OR, an apparent suburban wasteland (similar to Burien, WA) of big box stores, fast food, and lower-middle class residences. The photos highlighted the hidden beauty of forests situated between strip malls, spaces between buildings, unofficial walkways, and well-intentioned. Some were beautiful examples spontaneous human resourcefulness others audacious attempts to insert "beauty" in an altogether bland location (think trimmed hedges in parking lots...what's the point?). All were scenes you could witness if you'd just notice it or take a thoughtful walk around a neighborhood near you....or keep it simple and get your ass out of the car. :DBillboard on I-5 between Seattle and Portland. It's always changing with some ridiculous messages on it. I love reading it every time we go by.
Playful signs on a roundabout by Hiawatha neighborhood off of S Rainer Ave in Seattle.
The point behind it all is that there's a natural desire to express human needs no matter the location and that we all need to recognize them and demand them, but it's also what we choose to see and appreciate what's around us.
Will there come a time where living in an abandoned strip mall or Costco building is just as desirable as livinging in industrial warehouses?
This whole lecture has opened up so many design potentials on this subject, and our heads are spinning with ideas for Brite!!...... oh boy!

Today July 2nd: Continuing event with Thomas Sieverts : there will be an organized walking tour in Burien neighborhood to practice this exact philosophy we described and explore what's around there. When's the last time you decided to stop and walk around Burien?? We can't say that we have....But we will tomorrow!

4:00 pm Burien through Community Eyes: Walk the city of Burien with Thomas Sieverts and artist, Boris Sieverts. (Gather at B/IAS 5th Ave SW & SW 150th St., Burien.) Free and open to the public.

6:00 pm Conversation and Nosh with Thomas Sieverts and Boris Sieverts, Burien political and civic leaders, neighbors, friends, and an interested public (at B/IAS, 5th Ave SW & SW 150th St., Burien; food and drink from Mark & Sal’s Deli). Free and open to the public.

Pie Contest and more!

Tricia from Taste Matters, is putting up her second annual Pietopia contest! I got totally excited when I read about her first Pietopia last year via Chelsea's blog.

What's Pietopia?
Simple! Make a pie with your own personal story/memory/or feeling!! Such as what flavor pie would describe your life and why?

It's interesting to think of a pie that represents a personal story, memory, or feeling.
I just think about how there are countless kinds of pies and how each and every pie has its own personality added to it. Pies are wholesome, pies are warm, pie are comforting...just like homemade chicken noodle soup or fresh baked cookies.
I never grew up eating those American dishes as a child with Taiwanese background, so I can't say that I have the same associations as someone who grew up eating homemade baked pies by their grandmother or mom. But I still find it interesting that even with my different background and associations with pies, I find them just as comforting as all the foods that I grow up with! (i.e. homemade dumplings, sticky rice in banana leaves, and marinated pork belly...yum!)
Maybe we're tasting more than just buttery flakey crust and warm gooey seasonal fruit....maybe we're actually "tasting" the thoughts and the heart that goes into baking the pies....

It almost like a carefully arranged Japanese Bento...where the rice balls are in the shape of a Pokemon, Hello Kitty, or in this case...pandas. Yeah....pretty ridiculous.
I suppose food made from the heart is just universal and that's just something that anyone and everyone can relate to and simply appreciate. Ahhh...the power of food. So get your aprons on and start baking! Maybe I'll bake the world's cutest pie....a pie with baby pandas, puppies, and baby's laughs....yup...it's gonna be lethal.

Entries are due July 15th!
Send them to Tricia: pietopiacontest@gmai.com