One Or Two Things About Studio Two Three
I made a quick visit Friday evening to an open house at Studio Two Three, an artist-run, non-profit community print space founded in Richmond in 2008.
The studio space is divided into a printing workshop and an art gallery event space. The studio facility is available to the public (for a fee) to practice screenprinting, relief printing, etching, plate lithography and other forms of print making. Friday’s event included a lithographic printing demo, gallery show, dj and a bar.
Studio Two Three has monthly art openings on First Fridays, and various printing workshops on Second Saturdays. (I hope to take some of the workshops this year to begin printing my own design work to sell – stay tuned for more details on that!)
It’s exciting to see my local creative community growing to include an organization like Studio Two Three and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for 2012 – and to get my hands dirty and make some art.
Learn more:
http://studiotwothree.com | 804.254.7302 | 1617 West Main Street, Richmond VA 23220
5 Perfect Things: Some Love For Your Love
In my house, Valentine’s Day is mostly regarded as a Hallmark holiday, but Mr. Elleby and I exchange cards and use it as an excuse to try a new restaurant or favorite recipe together. This year we’re cooking the same dishes we ate the night we got engaged.
Single or hitched, platonic or romantic, the most memorable valentines are the ones that come from the heart. Here are a few last-minute, creative and FREE ways to make the day great for someone special.
Give a compliment
Compliments are free, take less than a minute, and are completely underrated as the quickest way to make someone’s day. Or, make a list of reasons your Valentine is amazing, write each on a different scrap of bright paper and hide them in different places to be discovered throughout day.
Use what you’ve got
Transform your home just for the night using what you already own. Build a blanket fort and camp out in a different room, hang twinkle lights, or have a snack by candlelight.
Discover a great love story
Stop by your local library and check out a book of poetry or short stories about love, then snuggle up and read aloud to your Valentine. Here’s a list of new ones and classics.
Sing it out loud
No, not like Karaoke (though I once ended up with a boyfriend through a karaoke dare) – how about an old-school “mixtape” of songs that remind you of your Valentine or even standard love songs. I’ve been sharing mixes on Spotify – the free service allows you to compile and share playlists of just about any popular song you can think of. They even have Valentine mix starter ideas for you.
Leave evidence
Nothing says confidence like a love letter, and few gifts are more personal or memorable than a torrid declaration of love hand-written on fancy paper. If you’re daunted by the idea, take a deep breath and check out these tips for some inspiration. A simple “Do you like me? Check Yes or No” is a good start, too.
What’s your most memorable Valentine’s Day?
Photo: The card I chose this year for Mr. Elleby from Power and Light Press which I wrote about here!
Why Pinterest Wins at Internet
As a blogger, designer and entrepreneur, there are so many reasons why I wish I were at Alt Summit this year, not the least of which is the fantastic keynote given by Ben Silbermann, Founder of the visual social bookmarking service Pinterest.
Ben speaks eloquently and intimately about his dream, his transition to entrepreneurism, and his dreams for what the image-pinning platform can grow to become. The image above is from his presentation – and represents the state of how he feels at the helm of one of the web’s hottest startups.
The value of Pinterest is that it allows anyone, anywhere to discover what they love and participate a community related to it. He adds, “Even if you don’t have a really specific plan of exactly what you want to do, being close to people that inspire you is a really good first step.”
I’ve watched Pinterest evolve as a daily user over the past few years, and I am sure will continue to grow because it inspires millions of people to do what they love. The company’s vision and commitment to make an elegant, consistent product will keep Pinterest relevant to an ever-widening user base.
If you love Pinterest, take an hour to watch the video and meet Ben. You won’t be sorry!
Follow Ben Silbermann on Twitter and Pinterest
The Return of Domino
I just heard some pretty exciting news.
According to Holly Becker of Decor8, a press release is circulating that states”Condé Nast will publish a Domino Magazine special edition entitled “Quick Fixes” will be available on national newsstands from April 17 through July 16, 2012, for $10.99. A second special edition is scheduled for the fall.”
Aside from being widely credited in influencing the movement of demystifying and democratizing interior design, Domino Magazine was a HUGE influence in my discovery and love of design, and I was so sad when it closed in 2009. The break-up of Domino led to the founding of a number of really great blogs and online publications including Lonny and Rue, but I still refer to Domino back-issues and their book for inspiration on a regular basis.
Keep an eye out for these special editions in your local bookstores, you won’t be disappointed.
You can also now follow @DominoMag on Twitter.
Adventure: Architectural Salvage
My Richmond “bucket list” for 2012 includes visiting a slew of local design resources I’ve been hearing about for years but never explored. Last weekend, that meant spending a sunny Saturday delving into the world of architectural salvage.
Living in a city with as much history as Richmond, it’s easy to wonder what happens to all the old beautiful stuff – from decorative ceiling tiles to claw-foot bathtubs – when historical properties are renovated. There are quite a few companies reselling salvage in Richmond, but this weekend I visited Caravati’s Inc. and Governor’s Antiques, and discovered a treasure-trove of historical goodies.
To get the most of salvage, you need a good imagination. You need time and patience, an understanding of your “DIY” tolerance and its limits, and an eye for what is unusual even in disrepair. It helps if you enjoy hunting for a great deal. You also need to not be afraid of spiders, rust, or any kind of grime.
In a nondescript warehouse just across the James river from downtown in Richmond’s Manchester district is Caravati’s Architectural Salvage. The company has been family-owned since 1939 when they began selling only reclaimed lumber. They have since expanded to sell and service a full range of architectural items.
As soon as we entered the showroom, we met the daughter of the company’s founder, who is also the mother of the current owner. She and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their products – I got the feeling they were all quite accustomed to browsers walking wide-eyed around their workspace.
We entered through a showroom showcasing high-end refurbished items and passed through rooms of furniture and lighting displays before passing into the dimly-lit warehouse. We climbed the stairs to a dark and eerily quiet series of rooms stacked floor-to-ceiling with mantels, vintage tin celing tiles, sinks in various states of disrepair, and toilets in all the colors of the rainbow.
Over the course of the day we saw THOUSANDS of interesting items for sale, including old stone and brick, reclaimed lumber, doors, windows, mantels, vents, grates and radiators, bathtubs, sinks, iron work of every description, garden statues, columns, tile, knobs and handles, and every type of lighting. Many of the pricier items were pulled from historically significant properties, including the city’s famous Jefferson Hotel.
Later in the day we visited Governor’s Antiques, which has a huge and diverse outdoor yard of architectural salvage as well as over 20,000 square feet of antiques and collectibles inside. It’s pretty overwhelming, but an absolute treasure trove – we saw everything from iron work to milk bottles to garden statues to vintage juke boxes. After perusing for an hour, I left with a handful of typesetting letters for my graphic design collection (and a major craving for a certain ornate hand-carved wooden screen to use as a headboard behind my guest bed.)
Beyond the obvious financial and environmental benefits of reusing old resources, just walking around these places was immensely inspiring – my creativity was going wild imagining different ways to reinvent and reuse these items. It was my first visit to a salvage yard, but I guarantee it will not be my last. I just have to dream up a new life for an old product, and I’ll be on my way.
To learn more about salvage in Richmond, check out Caravati’s Inc., Governor’s Antiques, S.B. Cox Inc., and Paul’s Place
Photos: Elleby Design & Durwood Felton Photography
