Hey, Maker! Home & Studio Tour with Kristin of 622 Press

Welcome to Hey, Maker! our (sometimes) weekly feature showcasing the awesome artisans we carry at Apartment 528. 

This week we're taking a peek inside the Bermuda home and studio of Kristin, owner & maker behind 622 press. Browse our Q+A with Kristin and follow along as she takes over our instagram.

All photos by Adrian Cunningham

"These [pictures] are from our living/dining area with a few glimpses of our kitchen and the rest of our main living area. They feature lots of decor I made (the paper flowers, concrete planters, paintings, coffee mug and hoop of course!)"

Concrete planters and paper flowers by Kristin.

"This is the guest bath and bedroom, which tends to double as a drying room for my letterpress work—that's a set of invites all over the bed!"

Kristin's hoops feature original 622 press designs. Select hoops are currently available in our Chicago storefront and coming soon online.

The guest bath.

The entrance to the 622 press studio offers a perfect view of Bess, Kristin's 134-year-old press.

Saved the best for last! This is the gorgeous view of the Ocean from the balcony.

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Thanks for following along, and a super big thanks to Kristin for sharing her space with us! We'll be back soon with more tours & Q+As. Till then, don't forget to check out some of our other maker features:

   === 622 press Apartment Takeover on instagram

   === 622 press Q+A

   === past maker features, Q&As, and tours

   === past instagram takeovers

   >>> SHOP apt528.com

Hey, Maker! 8 Questions with Kristin of 622 press

Welcome to Hey, Maker! our (sometimes) weekly feature showcasing the awesome artisans we carry at Apartment 528. Follow along for Q+As, house and studio tours, and instagram takeovers. 

This week we're getting to know Kristin of 622 Press. When she's not making paper flowers or getting her hands dirty forming concrete decor, the multi-talented artist creates bold letterpress cards and colorful embroidered hoops out of her Bermuda studio. Shop 622 press at our Chicago storefront with select pieces available online at apt528.com in July. Browse our home & studio with Kristin and follow along as she takes over our instagram.

MORE MAKER FEATURES:

   === 622 Press Apartment Takeover on instagram
   === 622 Press home & studio tour

   === past maker features, Q+As, and tours

   === past instagram takeovers

All photos by Adrian Cunningham

Let's start with a real thinker. If you could only watch one movie and/or TV show for the rest of your life, what would it/they be?

Is it too much of a cliche to say Sex and the City? It's either that or Bones—those are really the only shows I watch on repeat. I do get made fun of for listening to Dave Matthews Band ALL. THE. TIME! I won't ever get sick of their music, especially live shows. 

Your work is so colorful! Is your house the same? What's your favorite room and why? 

It is actually! The space around me has such an influence on my work and mood and I've always been into decor. In past homes, I've been a bit strict with myself, limiting each room to neutrals (I love grey walls!) and a pop of just one or two accent colors. Our house now has white walls and light floors, so it feels right to have a lot of color in the decor. I definitely have my favorite hues—robin's egg, chartreuse, orange, mustard, hot pink—and that just sort of naturally creates the color scheme of our home, with dark wood and navy to tamp down the crazy a little :) I love it!

It's taken me quite a while to really make this house feel like home, as moving across an ocean limits how much you can bring, and everything on-island is so expensive! The only room that was fully moved into for the first year was my studio, so of course that's my favorite! It gets so much natural light, it's really an ideal work space. But we just rearranged and got a few new things for our dining/living room area, so that's my favorite now!
  

You left Wisconsin and moved to Bermuda almost two years ago which means your life is basically a Beach Boys song! Is it all sunning on the beach and surfing? What was the hardest adjustment you had to make? 

I wish! Actually the first thing people usually say when I go back to Wisconsin is "You're not very tan!" Living here is pretty amazing, but it's not vacation, so I still have to work, clean the house, all that normal stuff! But I certainly can't complain—my office has an ocean view! 

There were a lot of adjustments, but I think the most difficult one for me was just getting used to the pace of life here. Things move slower, any task takes twice as long to get done, everyone is perpetually late—island time is a real thing!

You do a little of everything - letterpress, embroidery, textiles, crochet, paper flowers. Which medium is your favorite?

Letterpress and design are my first creative loves, so of course those are my favorite! The variety of mediums really keeps my creativity flowing—solutions for a digital design piece will often come while I'm printing, or if I'm having a hard time with something on the press, I take a break to embroider and come back to it later and it usually works out. 

Is there a skill you'd still like to learn?

Always! I've been practicing pointed pen calligraphy for the better part of a year, and I'm finally getting close to good enough to offer addressing services for wedding clients. I'm not sure what I'll tackle after that, but I'm always learning something new! 


I feel like having to come up with clever new sayings and designs for each greeting card would be tough. How do you keep the ideas flowing? Have you ever put a card out there and then looked back later thinking "that was so lame"? (ALL of mine would be horrible!)

Ha! That is actually the hardest part! I keep a running list of phrases I think would make good cards, and now that I've been doing this for a few years, I force myself to wait a few weeks before printing because there have definitely been some that I now think were pretty dumb! I'm also lucky to have some super funny friends who I'm always asking "Can I put that on a card?" —they always say yes, probably because they know that means free cards!

Has Bermuda, its culture, and people influenced your work over the past couple of years?

My business is still U.S.-based, so I haven't created any specifically Bermuda themed work, but I do think living here and working in a sun-filled studio has made my work brighter and more colorful. The move allowed me to take my business full time, so the biggest change has simply been in the amount of work I've been able to produce! I have more stock than I've ever had before and have been able to take on some truly awesome custom projects in the last year or so.  

What's next for 622press? What's inspiring you at the moment?

As far as letterpress work goes, the most exciting thing right now is that I switched printing plate vendors and have been working on designing several new lines! I had been holding off on a lot of new designs until I made the switch, so the last few months have been really fun. Stay tuned for lots of fresh new cards!

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Thanks for following along, and thanks to Kristin for letting us pick her brain! We'll be back soon with more tours & Q+As. Till then, don't forget to check out some of our other maker features:

   === 622 press Apartment Takeover on instagram

   === 622 press home & studio tour

   === past maker features, Q+As, and tours

   === past instagram takeovers

   >>> SHOP apt528.com

Easy DIY: Wrap-around Mailing Labels

It's almost party time!  Since we had a small wedding last summer (27 people) and weren't able to celebrate with all our friends and family, our parents are giving us two wedding parties this year. The first one's in Boston next weekend with his friends/family and the next one's in Ohio Memorial Day weekend with my gang.  For the Boston party, my mom and sisters are coming up to stay with us.  I'm so excited!!  Of course that means I've had a lot of prep work to do getting things ready.  By ready, I mean finally taking care of all those little things I said I'd do but never did...it really adds up when you save it all for one week!  Add to that the stress of buying a car and the fact that I've been incommunicado because I dropped my phone in the sink.  It's been crazy!

Thinking about the upcoming wedding party got me looking back at all the sites I bookmarked when we were planning our own wedding.  One the ideas I loved were these wrap-around mailing labels from A Very Chocolate Life (via Craftzine).  Not only are they super cute but you can print them off for FREE!!  Since our wedding was small, we skipped the invitations and just told people to come, so I didn't get to use the labels then.  But my goal this year is to write more letters which means I'll have plenty of uses for pretty labels!

If you need stationery to help you pen a few letters, check out the Apt528 Store.

Etsy Shop of the Week: Paper Addict

 

Simplicity.  That's the theme for this week's shop of the week, Paper Addict.  Their cards come in plain, vintage-inspired colors (my favorite!), yet there's something about them that makes you feel as if your life won't go on unless you possess a set.  You can purchase the notecards in several sizes ranging from tiny cards good for jotting quick musings to larger cards great for saying hello.  They also sell scrapbook embelishments and paper confetti.  If you want a little extra on your stationery, Paper Addict has two sets featuring their own original designs.  With low prices and affordable shipping, you'll be able to scoop up several stationery sets for one awesome price.  Better yet, they offer gift cards which would make great presents for friends!

Know an Etsy shop that you think should be the Shop of the Week?  Email me your suggestions.

New Apt528 2010 Lineup

The Apartment 528 Store has all sorts of great new products to start the year.

First off, totes from Joom. There are two different designs, each with a simple, floral screenprint and tons of modern colors to choose from.

If you're looking to write a few letters, check out the 2010 stationery line from David Paul Seymour. If you liked last year's line, you're going to LOVE the stationery sets this time around!

If you like David Paul Seymour but are all set with stationery, check out his new art prints, available exclusively from Apt528.  They're the perfect way to spice up boring white walls.  Go for simple gallery frames or go dramatic with large matts...either way, it'll definitely make a statement.

We're also happy to announce the return of Vintage 528. More stuff will be added as time goes way so stay tuned.

Last but not least, we have a new designer coming to the Apt528 Store...Moxie Madness! You're going to love her quirky textiles and tees. Keep on the lookout for another announcement soon.

By the way, don't forget to get your Robot Wine Holder before they're all gone!

Etsy Shop of the Week: LetterPunch Design

I came upon LetterPunch when I was planning my wedding.  We wanted something cute, quirky, and unique to capture the greatness that was going to be our amazing retro wedding.  Invitations set the mood for what's to come so you can't just pick anything.  With LetterPunch Design, you don't have to.  All of their designs have that playful edge while still being elegant and classy.

Unfortunately our last minute decision to move the wedding up a year and cut our guest list to 27 (we're crazy like that) left us with not much time for invites.  Our loss.  Thankfully, you still have a change to snatch up a few LetterPunch creations of your own.  Elegant, modern, vintage, and contemporary...no matter what your wedding style, LetterPunch has something to help make it the happiest day ever.  Who knew paper could hold such magical powers!

Butterfly Garden

Modern Formal

Perfect Equation

Nature Lovers

Punch Card

From one Apartment to Another

Apartment 528 would like to thank the fine folks over at Apartment Therapy Boston for including us in their Marketplace section. It's such an honor to be featured on the mecca of all interior design sites!!

Also, we'd like to share two new additions to the store: the "Take it off" Coat Rack by Paperdoll Woodshop and the new Stationery Set from David Paul Seymour. Enjoy!

"Who'd You Write?" Stationery Giveaway

If you could write to anyone - past, present, or future - who would it be?  Answer that question and you could win a free stationery set for the Apartment 528 Store!

First, head to the Store and browse through our awesome stationery selection.  You can pick stationery from David Paul Seymour, Joom, and Decoy Lab. 

More from Joom

Decoy Lab Note Cards

Next, think of the person you'd most like to write to and why.  Your answer could be anything from Justin Timberlake to tell him he's The One for you to George Washington to ask him his thoughts on the Iraq war.  Get creative!

More from David Paul Seymour

Once you've chosen your person and why you'd want to talk to them, sumbit your answer using one of two methods.

1. Leave a comment below telling who you'd write and why.
2. Tweet your answer (the who and the why) to @apt528 on Twitter.  Make sure to use the #whodyouwrite hashtag OR post a link to the tweet in a blog comment.

The most important thing of all...don't forget to put your name and a way to contact you.

The "Who'd You Write?" Giveaway ends Sunday at 11:59 ET so make sure to enter now!