nss 2011 meetup at brooklyn winery

Photos Kelly Guenther

How do I even begin to describe how amazing this event was?!?!! It was so fun to let some steam off with fellow Paper Peeps. Many thanks to everyone who helped organize my 7th Annual National Stationery Show (NSS) Meetup. Extra thanks to all the sponsors. And extra EXTRA thanks to everyone who trekked out to Brooklyn after a looong day at the Javits Center to party with us. 

{ left to right: Cat, Vané, Cyd, Erika, Nole }

Photography: Kelly Guenther Studio
Flowers: Blossom and Branch
Organized by: Delphine, Cat Seto, Paper + Cup, Brooklyn Bride, The Sweetest Occasion, and Oh So Beautiful Paper

Sponsors: The Knot, Mohawk Paper, Felt & Wire

Goodie Bag Sponsors: Anthology Magazine, B-List, Blossom and Branch, Brooklyn Winery, Eat.Shop Guides, For Your Party, Graphic Image, Green Paper Company, Kelly Guenther Studio, Linnea’s Lights, Delphine, Mom Inc. Daily, Wendelline Papers 

font geek moment: quanta

The studio looks like a hurricane blew through here. Multiple deadlines and last minute projects and juggling clients is wearing on me. I’m also getting ready for the NSS meetup in Brooklyn, but wanted to quickly post about the big sale on VEER. Everything is 25 percent off through June 10, 2011. As soon as things settle down I’m going to scoop up some new fonts, and QUANTA is on the list. What do you have your eye on?

may 2011

It’s hard to believe it’s MAY 2011 already! It’s my favorite month … my birthday month, NSS month, Spring turns to Summer month. 

Photo and 2011 calendar ©Delphine.

trendspotting: overprinting

Overprinting, one of the trends I noticed last year at the National Stationery Show (NSS) and New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) is really starting to hit mainstream. I think the overprinting trend was influenced a lot by, ahem, letterpress (okay, okay, and screen printing).

Because every color you print costs money (additional plates, additional passes through the press, more wasted paper), a lot of printers use the less is more approach, and overlap two inks to create a third (i.e. yellow and blue make green).

It’s a technique that can be simulated in flat printed artwork by utilizing the transparency filter in Illustrator, and I’m seeing A LOT of it lately (including in my own work … look for Delphine Christmas cards this year using overprinted text and artwork). 

John even used this technique last weekend while coloring Easter Eggs! He has a lot more patience than I do. I like to color on the eggs with white crayon then let them sit in a single color. Boring, huh? 

I’m excited to head off to NSS next month. I predict a lot more overprinting at the show this year, as well as nautical stripes, anchors, ikat and other patterns pulled from textiles, yellow, yellow, yellow, dark teal, metallics and pennants/flags. 

<<<IMAGES>>> Alphabet print by Ryan Beshar via OhDeeOh   GAP Sale eblast     Overprinted wedding invitations by Erin Jang     Elum thank you card on the cover of Stationery Trends magazine     Easter eggs by John at Delphine. 

countdown to NSS: pack an umbrella

The National Stationery Show (NSS) is only 5 1/2 weeks away (GULP). I am SO HAPPY to not have to plan a booth this year. It’s a super stressful time suck. However, I still plan on going, for lots of reasons. I will be wearing many hats: designer, friend, buyer, licensor, licensee, blogger, writer, cheerleader, Stationery Show Meetup planner. What badge to wear? 

For all you newbies, remember to pack an umbrella. It’s the best way to ensure good weather ; )

Here are four chic umbrellas, in various shades of my latest favorite color, yellow. No. 1: Burberry “Kensington” umbrella from Bloomies  No. 2: Marimekko Silkkikuikka umbrella from Umbrellas.net  No. 3: Clear bubble umbrella with yellow trim from Target  No. 4: Yellow & Gray travel umbrella from Jonathan Adler.

national stationery show meetup 2011

I’m coming out of hibernation (deadlines, deadlines, deadlines are killing me!) to let you know that the 7th annual National Stationery Show (NSS) meetup is happening Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 in New York, so please save the date. This year I’m organizing the meetup with Brooklyn Bride, Cat Seto, and Paper + Cup. I’m so looking forward to catching up with everyone in New York for Design Week 2011! Details will follow soon … we’re still trying to find the most perfect location. 

artist: kevin gilmore

Sachuest Point, by Kevin Gilmore

Last spring, after a loooong day at the National Stationery Show in New York City, I wandered into a wine shop in Brooklyn, in desperate need of a bottle of relaxation. Keep in mind that I had been at NSS and Surtex all week. If ever there is a place for eye candy overload, it’s at the Jacob Javits Center. Anyway, I wandered into Windsor Wine Merchants, walked past a smallish painting on the wall, then literally walked backwards and stood nose to glass, staring at this fabulous painting by Kevin Gilmore. This one foot square painting blew away everything I had seen at the trade shows all week. Just thinking of it still makes me happy.

You can visit some of Kevin Gilmore’s work (and Kevin himself, often) at Windsor Wine Merchants at 216 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn NY. Also he has a holiday show at Jessica Hagen Fine Art in Newport, RI this weekend. And you can also see some of his work at Muriel Guepin Gallery in Brooklyn, NY.

lovely correspondence: fun return address stamps

I saw PJ's fun new return address stamps at the National Stationery Show last May and couldn't stop playing with them. You can pick your ink color, they are self-inking and not messy, and come in a bunch of styles and ink colors. Plus they're only $40. And they have a cute pink handle. Hello, ADORABLE! This would be a great way to dress up save the date envelopes or you could even use them on the front of response envelopes. You can check them out here.

nss preview: new letterpress bookmarks

hummingbird letterpress bookmark by delphine

Last year we introduced some neat oversize gift tags (we had wine bottles in mind when we designed them). At the National Stationery Show lots of buyers asked us to develop boomarks, so, voila: cute bookmarks. This hummingbird one is letterpressed in champagne ink on pale magnolia pink 100 percent post consumer waste stock. It will be available in stores next month.

nss preview: giraffe from baby animals collection

baby giraffe letterpress notecard by delphine

Coming soon to stores, our adorable baby giraffe letterpress "many thanks" note card. The cute illustration was done by our favorite illustrator, my mom. It's part of our new Baby Animals Collection, which will debut next week at the National Stationery Show in New York.