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

Our 3rd Birthday - Slicing and Dicing with Mako!!

It's been 3 long years since Apartment 528 first opened its virtual doors and started selling online. Back then, we were just a rinky dink website that I created over my honeymoon vacation. I was relaxing in my backyard sipping lemonade and oogling my gorgeous ring. In between blogging about our wedding and looking through pictures from the big day, I wrestled up a few amazing designers who were willing to take a risk on a fledgling store and managed to get everything launched a few days later. It wasn't the best site and I didn't quite know what I was doing, but thanks to our designers and some great press, we were able to make a pretty good go of it in Boston.

Bags, greeting cards, and prints by David Paul Seymour, our very first designer!

Now, three years later, we've continued to grow here in Chicago. From our backyard launch to our new studio in Chicago, we can't wait to see what's next for Apartment 528.

Apple

To celebrate our big 0-3 (two digits are cooler than one!), we're adding a new roster of designers to our team all month long, starting today with Mako Cutting Boards. Woodworker Drew McBee makes each cutting board by hand in his Ohio woodshop. The rich maple is expertly molded into quirky shapes and built to last for years or cutting.

Cow

Pig

Each hardwood cutting board is equally perfect for cutting limes at the bar, dicing carrots for dinner, or serving bread and cheese at your next party. My favorite's the whale...so cute! Grab a few as gifts for weddings and housewarmings or start your Christmas shopping early. Just don't forget to keep one for yourself :)

Whale

>>SHOP MAKO NOW

8 Questions With: Amelia of Vectorcloud

Today we welcome our newest designer, Vectorcloud. We've been following Vectorcloud for over a year now, waiting for the perfect moment to bring them over to Apt528. I'm a sucker for anything mid-century so their retro-styled bamboo desk and wall clocks immediately caught my eye. But my current Vectorcloud favorite has to be the custom engraved, wood floppy disk coasters. The 80's-inspired coasters are perfect for keeping for yourself or giving to friends as a personalized housewarming/wedding gift.

 Now it's time to get to know Amelia, the woman behind Vectorcloud, with a little Q+A.

1)  We always start with the good stuff. So, if you could die your hair any color under the sun, what would it be? Hmm. Purple has always been one of my favorite colors. My hair has always been black, but a little highlight of purple may be cool. 

2)What design trends are your most and least favorites? I'm currently loving all the retro inspired patterns and color blocking. I'm very glad that big shoulder pads never made a return.  

3)  Everyone has a favorite room or piece of furniture. What's yours? I love our danish inspired hutch. It was actually left behind by the previous tenant, which makes it even better :D 

4)  How did you get started in woodwork and laser-cutting in particular? I took woodworking when I was at Parsons studying product design. I'm always fascinated with furniture especially wood. One time I worked at a non-profit organization, teaching kids how to use CAD programs and all the different design projects that you can create using CNC router and laser machines. I became very familiar with the process and was inspired to start a line of products myself. 

5)  Vectorcloud's such a neat name. Where'd it come from? Does it have a special meaning? I wanted a name that gives a little insight of what I do, yet at the same time, doesn't sound too serious or 'techy'. Vector is a type of drawing that I have to create to run the machine and cloud just sound so 'light and playful'.

6)  What's your favorite thing to watch or listen to while you work? Because I work from my home studio, I usually watch my son play while I'm working on the computer.  

7)  Your designs are so neat and fresh but with a retro spin. Do you consider yourself a mid-century lover? What's your favorite design period? Definitely. My work is very much inspired by mid-century design. I love how wood was utilized and transformed into beautiful furniture during that period of time.  

8)  What's next for Vectorcloud? Any new products on the horizon? At the moment, half of my work is based on custom orders and I am exploring the different ways I can expand that. I'm looking into wedding decorations among others.


>>>SHOP VECTORCLOUD

Around the World

I've been totally obsessed with maps lately.  I think it started after our wedding when my mom gave us an old framed chess board with a map of Boston as the background.  We had the chess board for years growing up in the midwest, never knowing that one day I would wind up living there as an adult.  Whowouldathunk?!

Then last month, we came across a US map at the Vintage Bazaar.  One of our booth neighbors was selling it and gave it to us after they saw how much I liked it.  Over the past month, we've found a few more maps at random garage sales and thrift stores.  Now we're slowly building a collection!  All we need are maps of Ireland and Italy to represent Jerome's heritage and one of my namesake India.  Until we find the perfect ones, I'll be drooling over these awesome maps.

{via LeSueur Interiors}

Map cut and modge podged over canvases {via Little Birdie Secrets}

Map wallpaper {via Decor Pad}

Framed map hearts {via Everything Fabulous}

Hanging map.  LOVE the lamp too. {via Design Sponge}

Old map covering French door panes.  Great idea! {via Pink Wallpaper}

Chalkboard Globe {via Design Sponge}

India Map Pillow Cushion, $55, My Bearded Pigeon

Hand-Stitched India Map Necklace, $54, Il Gatto Selvatico


For more awesome maps, check out my "Navigate" Pinterest board.

Renter's Insurance...What's Your Excuse?

Today's not only the first post of the new year, but also my first post since our apartment was broken into and our laptop stolen.  It feels so good to have a new laptop and be connected to everyone again!  As promised, I'll spend this month giving tons of advice on keeping safe and protecting your belongings.  Have any additional tips or suggestions?  Leave a comment, shoot me an email, or start/join the discussion on our facebook page.

First we're going to cover renter's insurance.  Before today, I didn't completely know what renter's insurance covered.  I now know that insurance not only covers your if your apartment's robbed, but also if you're mugged, your car's broken into, your place catches on fire, or someones injured at your apartment and decides to sue you for damage.  Basically, wherever your stuff is, it's covered!

If you don't have renter's insurance already, you're probably like I was, living with the thought that no one would ever break-in and that insurance can wait.  NOT TRUE!!  I found out the hard way that break-ins can happen anytime.  After being a renter for 8 years, someone broke into our apartment two weeks ago and stole our tv, laptop, and xbox.  Because we procrastinated and decided to put off getting insurance until 2011, we're left buying all new electronics on our own dime.  Not cool! 

If you're a procrastinator, you'll be happy to hear that getting renter's insurance takes no time at all.  In the few hours before writing this post, I was able to not only get quotes from multiple agencies, but also completely sign up for both renter's AND auto insurance.  Not only is the process quick and easy, but prices range from $10-$45/month depending on the coverage level and deductible.  That means even those living on a tight budget can afford insurance.  Just think...it's easier to pay $20/month than to be out several thousand dollars buying everything new!

I looked into State Farm, 21st Century (they use Farmer's for rental insurance), Commerce (our old auto agency), and Allstate.  Allstate and State Farm were my top 2 companies.  I spent about an hour total talking on the phone with them before deciding to go with Allstate for both renter's and auto insurance.  My renter's insurance is $33/month with a $500 deductible...definitely a lot less than what we're currently paying for the new tv, laptop, software, and xbox.

When signing up for insurance, don't forget to ask questions such as how long it takes to process a claim (2 weeks or less seems standard) and make sure you'll be covered for the full cost of replacing your items.  Some policies only cover the item's current value which, depending on depreciation, can be a lot less than what it costs to replace it.  If you have an engagement/wedding ring or other valuable jewelry, you'll have to add on jewelry coverage which was only $12/year in my case.  You can also get discounts for bundling your car insurance or for having an alarm installed in your apartment.

Like I said, there is NO EXCUSE for any renter to not have renter's insurance.  Even if you don't have a lot of valuables, you should at least have basic coverage to cover your clothing, computer, furniture, etc.  All it takes is a few bucks and a couple of hours...DO IT!!!  For those who already have it, what agency do you recommend?

Etsy Shop of the Week: Silver Agave

Other than my wedding ring, I never wear jewelry.  But for some reason, I can't stop looking at the Silver Agave shop on Etsy.  I've fallen in love with just about every charm so far.  The DIY girl in me likes the tool charms though I also love the pickle (it's my fave food) and the chopsticks.  If you prefer, Silver Agave can make any charm into a pair of earrings or make a custom piece if you want something even more special.  To finish it off, all jewelry ships within 48 hours and comes in a super cute gift box, perfect for giving to a friend or pampering yourself.

Grammie's Gifts

Last Thursday, Grammie, my husband's grandmother, passed away.  She was 87.  My favorite memory of Grammie comes from our wedding.  We were taking group pictures and cameras were flashing all over the place when she said, "I feel like a celebrity!"  It was hilarious!

Grammie (2nd from right) feeling like a celebrity at our wedding!

This being a decorating blog, I feel it fitting to officially thank Grammie for the wonderful things we got from her home.  She had a house full of retro and mid-century furnishings.  Now they're a part of OUR home and are a constant reminder of the great woman they used to belong to.  Below are a few of our favorite items, not including the decanters, vases and other odds and ends we got.

The TV, cart, and VCR are from Grammie's house.

We have several of Grammie's books spread throughout the house.

The bookcase is our favorite piece in the house.  On it's own, it's worth a good amount of money but the fact that it comes from Grammie makes it priceless.  This is a family piece we'll ALWAYS have.  I can't wait to find a place for it in our new apartmnet!

Her awesome blender.  They don't make them as cool as this anymore!

This radio still works!

Thanks Grammie!

Etch-a-Sketch

Wanted to share one of the awesome wedding gifts we got this weekend at our Ohio wedding party.  One of my cousins had a sketch made based off one of our group wedding pictures.  I hate getting my picture taken so we didn't have a photographer at our wedding.  With all the excitement going on, none of us at the wedding thought to get a picture of just the two of us, we just have group shots.  That makes this picture extra special...it's the only real picture of us.  I can't wait till we move so we can hang it in our new place.

We had such a great time in Ohio...I guess now that the wedding parties are over we can say we're officially married!  Yea :)

Happy 528!!

When this blog was first started, it was called "A Day in the Life of Design Girl."  After awhile, I decided the title was too long and needed a change.  For months I brainstormed possible names.  That's when Apartment 528 was born.  5/28 is my mom's birthday.  She's the most talented person I know and my inspiration for getting into interior design.  Later this year, she'll be debuting her new line of products.  I can't wait to share them with you when they're ready.

Until then, enjoy 5/28 with $5.28 off your Apartment 528 Store order.  Just enter BLG528 at checkout.  The offer ends today so don't miss out :)

By the way, I'm in Ohio until Tuesday which is why I haven't been blogging.  It's a busy week for us...today's my mom's birthday, tomorrow we're having our Ohio wedding party and my sister's graduation party, and Sunday is my sister's actual graduation.  All of our family is flying/driving in to celebrate.  Love it!

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Handmade Everywhere!

Buying handmade is all the rage right now with thousands of people flocking to handmade marketplace Etsy every day.  Not only are you supporting the little guy, but you're also getting unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.  But Etsy's not the only place to find handmade items.  Below are the top 5 handmade marketplaces.

Etsy.com - Etsy is the king of handmade.  With upwards of 400,000 sellers on Etsy you can find everything from homemade teas to a wedding dress.  If you're looking for something specific, searching Etsy can be a tedious task; a search for "clock" turned up 10,079 results.  Etsy is also home to barrage of crafters.  Anyone with a sewing machine or glue gun can post on in the marketplace, which can lead to some pretty interesting (and creepy!) items.  Check the Regretsy blog to see what I mean.  While I support anyone looking to share their creativity, it can often be hard to sort through all the hobbyists to find the top quality product you're looking for.  Many Etsy sellers also sell on the marketplaces below.

MakersMarket.com - Makers Market is a new venture from Make.  If DIY is your thing, then Make's for you.  You can search the Make blog, project pages, forums, and magazine for all the projects your heart desires.  If you like the thought of DIY and handmade but don't want the hassle, head to the Makers Market.  Unlike Etsy, the sellers in the Makers Market are handpicked by Make editors.  To become a seller on the site, you must submit an application and be approved.  This means you'll see only the most talented designers.  The layout is much like Etsy's, though my only complaint is that you have to actually click on the product to see the price. Annoying but small in the grand scheme of things.

Artfire.com - I'm personally not a fan of Artfire.  I find it to be an amateur version of the other artisan marketplaces.  To be fair, Artfire is only 2 years old.  Still their interface could use some MAJOR tweaking.  I found a few crafters that sell their products on both Etsy and Artfire, yet the products were 10 times less appealing on Artfire.  Hopefully a website redesign is in their future.  Because there are no fees to sell on Artfire, it seems to attract mostly hobbyists.  While this is my least favorite of all the marketplaces, it's still worth looking at if you strike out at other sites.

1000Markets.com - 1000 Markets is a step above Artfire. Though basic, the website design is decent.  Again, most of the sellers are hobbyists and start-up crafters but there are a lot of neat products.  One thing I'd do is change the layout of the categories.  Right now, only four are featured on the front page...you have to click "see more" to find the category you're looking for.

Supermarket - I've blogged about Supermarket before.  Like MakersMarket, Supermarket is a curated selection of products.  In my book, Supermarket is the best of all the online artisan markets.  There are only a select few designers available and there aren't many bells and whistles on the website, still it's pleasing to the eye and you almost always find what you're looking for.  Expect some products to be a little more expensive than the other sites since you're working with more serious designers/crafters.

Best Idea Ever!

Looking to strengthen your marriage?  Skip counseling and get the Better Marriage Blanket.  For just $49.95, you can own a queen-size comforter guaranteed to keep your spouse's "silent killers" at bay.  That's right, each blanket is made with the same carbon fabric used by the military to protect against chemical weapons.  The Better Marriage Blanket makes a great anniversary, wedding, or Valentine's Day gift.  After all, nothing says "I love you" better than a gas-trapping comforter.

The Better Marriage Blanket comes in white or beige and is available in twin, queen, or king.  Not sold in stores.

via Apartment Therapy

PS - On the off chance that you actually purchase this blanket, you HAVE to send in pics/spoof videos of it in your house/apartment!

Etsy Shop of the Week: Ouma Clothing

If I could re-do my wedding, I'd wear a dress from Ouma.  And use their photographers. 

This coming from a girl who refused to wear a frilly wedding dress (I wore a vintage sundress) and didn't have a photographer (I hate getting my picture taken). 

For once, looking at a pastel-hued dress with layers of fluff doesn't make me want to vomit!  Instead, I want to run through a field of butterflies with singing birds everywhere, all the while listening to the whimsical lyrics of Mika, Sufjan Stevens, and Bryan Scary and the Shredding Tears.  These dresses are fabulous and beautiful in a quirky way: they'd be equally as wonderful if paired with tattered sneakers, ripped tights, a funky jacket, and clown makeup. It's all very Tim Burton.

If you don't have any events coming up that require one of these gorgeous creations, try one of Ouma's retro inspired playsuits and you'll look just as amazing!

{image credit: Steph De Saga}

{image credit: Galaxie Andrews}

{image credit: Galaxie Andrews}

{image credit: Galaxie Andrews}

{image credit: Galaxie Andrews}

{image credit: Steph De Saga}