The Beaver State

Last weekend we took a long(ish) weekend family trip to the Portland/Costal region of Oregon. Once we finally made it to Oregon (not Maine, where our plane tickets almost took us. Yup we were those people...) we had a fantastic time!

Our first stop was at The Albany Brass Ring Carousel studio. The building is an old turkey processing plant (random fact: at one time Oregon had the most turkey processing plants in the world... who knew?) and it is now being used to build/carve a carousel - all by volunteers and all by hand!

A model of what the finished carousel will look like.

A little bit about how this remarkable project came to be.

You actually tour the studio while the volunteers are working! The volunteers are all super friendly and willing to talk to you about their specific animal and what it is like to work on the project. The majority of the volunteers are not trained in wood working at all; they just have the desire (and time!) to dedicate themselves to this amazing community effort!

Once the carousel is completed they will tear down the studio building/ex-turkey processing plant and build a park area for the carousel to live! I think we will have to make a trip back once it is finished!

Our nest stop was Newport, Oregon where we are delicious seafood while enjoyed the fantastic view of the harbor.

We spent the rest of the time traveling up and down the coastline: walking on beaches, touring lighthouses, eating wonderful seafood. It was an great mini-vacay. I'm so glad we went (and didn't end up in Maine!)

Deceased baby whale. Gross. Guess that's what you get when you go on vacation with a Ecologist, Oceanographer and a Biomedical Engineer. They were fascinated...

p squared designs

For my birthday this year,my awesome bro (heeeeeeeeey, Chicken!) got me a brand new p squared bag and I love it! With the bright colors, fun pattern and contrasting lining (with plenty of pockets) it has all the characteristics that I go nuts for in a tote bag! Our crazy talented friend Paizhe Pressley (p squared, get it?) is the creator of said masterpiece and she continues to blow me away with her funky style and solid craftsmanship. Thanks to Chicken and Paizhe for making this birthday a great one!

Amuse Bouche

Aside from my usual invitation/annpuncement orders, lately I have been getting requests for some super custom/totally awesome jobs! None of the designs are ready to show (yet) but they include: designing an online magazine, working with a local photographer for a custom illustration, working with a local fashion designer on some branding and working with a local entrepreneur on some themed cupcake wrapper designs! I am pumped about all of them and I can't wait to share the completed pieces! Now, back to work...

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend, everybody!

100 Girls on Cheap Paper

This is a fantastic book by Tina Berning (that my awesome Chicken* got me for Christmas!) It helps me remember how much beauty there is in rough sketches; and that by using the supplies you have at hand you can cause a very dramatic effect in a short amount of time. Enjoy!

(*for those who don't know: Chicken = My awesome bro, Cabe)

Busy Bee!

Well, I have just been slammed with orders lately (which is a good thing!) Check out a sampling of what I have been designing below!

adorable calling cards - coming to Etsy soon!

Newest Birth Announcement design - available for purchase here.

Custom color scheme on a classic invitation - available for purchase here.

I love custom designs! We added some green to this color scheme - available here for purchase.

Love this bright, floral design! Great colors for a boy! Available here.

Another terrific color scheme! Green is THE color this spring, huh? Available here.

Bridesmaids/ Shower Hosts Gifts

So, you're getting married or having a baby or whatever. You need gifts for your bridesmaids/ shower hosts (whoever) and the last thing you want to do is give the same silly, generic thing that you received last time you were in a wedding/hosting a shower. Enter J Press Designs! I can design personal stationery for all of your bridesmaids/shower hosts with individual accents to make each person feel special and noteworthy (noteworthy, get it?) With a bulk order you will save a TON of money and give an awesome gift! It's a win-win!

Contact me (Susan) for more info: info@jpressdesigns.com

Happy Friday!

Stay Golden!

I was watching The Golden Girls the other night (love my Girls) and Sophia (the lovely and charming Estelle Getty) shuffled in wearing this delightful ensemble.

and I just thought to myself "Well, look at her! Yellow and gray! That little Sophia Petrillo is way ahead of her time!" I was just so tickled that this show is still relevant (on many levels) after 25 years.

It inspired me to go in search of my own "Sophia" look - Enjoy!

Alaskan Wildflowers Lithograph from Blasts from the Past shop on Etsy; Decorative Pillows from Festive Home Decor Shop on Etsy; Blooming Goldenrod Dress from Anthropologie

Welcome, March!

Looks like we made it! March 1st is finally here which marks the (unofficial) start of Spring for me! Now that (yucky) February is over I can start to think about all of the things I have to look forward to: Warm(er) weather, Daylight Saving Time, Spring Break (I'm going to Oregon!)

In honor of this glorious day I wanted to show you (1) The beautiful daffodils my Hubbs brought me (from his mother's garden) and (2) the latest Daffodil invitation order I have designed - both are more than appropriate for the day and have totally gotten me super pumped for Spring! If you like the invite, check it out on my Etsy Shop!