Welcome, George!

We're so happy to announce the arrival of little George Addison Grosse. Born early Sunday morning, baby George (and mums Emily) is doing swell, but we thought we'd take the day off to rest & visit anyway. Congratulations to the Grosses and welcome, Assemble Baby!


Drawing by Christian Powers

Favorite Friend Friday: Lisa Hasegawa of ilfant press

Aside from being a key player in getting our crafty kit booklets printed at her day job at AA Printing, Lisa Hasewaga a brilliant graphic designer and the owner & principal of ilfant press, her local card and stationery line with nods to traditional schoolhouse design and parcel post. Besides all of that, she also teaches classes at Seattle's Pratt Fine Arts Center, and her story is absolutely fascinating. It's a pleasure to have her on the blog this Friday.


Tell us a little bit about ilfant press. When did you start it and what were you looking to create? What got you interested in printing?
ilfant press has morphed a bit since its inception. I created a business name, “ilfant” as a sort of transmutation of the word “elephant” while I was in undergrad because elephants were featured so often in my prints. Later I added “press” to it when I started making artist’s books. In the last several years I have settled more into letterpress and stationery items so the name still fits.

Printing has always been my destiny. When I was little my dad lived at a hippie camp where they had a mimeograph machine and it was *awesome.* I found out about printmaking while I was in high school and knew that was my next path. One year at Bumbershoot (a really long time ago when they still had the small press fair) there was a guy who brought a little table top letterpress and I fell in love with that. Once I found out there was a thing called letterpress I knew I had to learn more about it.



Your nostalgic stationery sets and notepads are especially popular with our most creative customers. Why do you think they are so popular?
Honestly I’m not sure; it’s something I have also wondered. They are pretty different from other things out there. Perhaps because visual people have more of a need to write things down; that is, to visually express thoughts. I am a die-hard note-taker and I can’t function well without notepads.


You work in a Queen Anne print shop called A&A Printing and teach at Pratt! How do you juggle ilfant with your other two jobs? Do you ever feel too thinly spread?
Since Pratt and ilfant are both part-time (I usually only teach one or two nights a week) and I absolutely love what I do, it works out pretty okay. Each job fulfills me in different ways, so I’m not sure what I would do if I didn’t have so many things going on. Eating and sleeping sometimes get in the way of work (I am actually not kidding) but I am pretty adamant about giving myself weekends off for the most part so I don’t go too crazy.

Do you have any projects coming up in the future that you're excited about?
Nothing in particular, but I do have an artist’s book I’ve been working on for too long that I would really like to complete this year. It will be completely letterpress printed from handset type and rule (only one other book is all letterpress) and that’s the kind of thing that makes me really happy.

What does your design to print process like?
It depends on the project, of course. Some things, like the ruled postcards, I print intuitively while in the studio. I’ll put some rule (strips of lead that print different types of lines) together and change it around until I’m happy with it. If it’s something really complicated that uses handset type I make proofs (really quick prints) and then scan them into the computer to play around with the design and color, which is kind of odd mixing old-timey lead type with modern-day computer design. In most cases I think about it for awhile in my head and then make notes and drafts in my sketchbook.




We met you at Urban Craft Uprising where you were one of our favorite vendors, along with a personal friend of yours, (and fellow Favorite Friend), Emily Baier of Tako Fibers. What have you learned from the experience of selling at Craft Shows? What are the upsides and the downsides?
People are generally not as excited about the same things I am. I am a huge print nerd and most people aren’t, so while some might appreciate the fine printing and typesetting or the fact that the envelopes in my stationery sets have printing on the inside, it’s pretty rare for someone to say, “WOW! You brilliant print goddess! How on earth did you ever create that wonderful piece of printed perfection?” Okay maybe that hasn’t actually happened at all yet.

What do you like to do in your off-time?
I read, eat, cook, and spend time with friends.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Truly it would be here or Portland. The Pacific Northwest is the greatest. I went to grad school in Philadelphia and I couldn’t wait to get back here.

If you could eat at only one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Purple. Man I love that place.

What's your dream job, besides what you are doing now?
I would love to have my own shop; part retail and part custom printing. And teaching… basically what I do now, but tidier.

You get to organize a dinner party, who is there?
This question would take far more thought than I have time for.

If you could have a super power, what would it be?
To manipulate time. Duh. And also fly.

Any new years resolutions?
Yes - finish that artist’s book I mentioned!

__

See Lisa's beautiful stationery sets in our online shop.
Thanks Lisa!!

Images: ilfant press & Assemble Shop & Studio

Simple Stamping & Embossing: Thank You Notes

Yellow Owl Workshop Many Thanks Stamp Set, $13
Have you written your holiday thank you notes yet? I have to admit that I haven't. I'm usually one of those people that does it so quickly that I may as well write it in front of the giver, but this holiday season was a busy one with packing up the space, etc.

Now that I have a bit of time, I thought it would be fun to make my own! If you lke rubber stamps, but haven't embossed, let me tell you: you're going to love it! Embossing (in stamp & ink terms) is the process of melting tiny granules of plastic over your image to create a shiny, raised impression. Heat embossing also sets the image, so there is no possibility of smudging. Here is a super simple tutorial:


You will need:
1. Some stamps! I this Yellow Owl Workshop Many Thanks Stamp Set. Love their sets! Plus the packaging is so cute.
2. Washi tape: To close up the envelope or decorate your card if you wish.
3. Scissors
4. Notecards: I used 4bar sized folded notecards in cream.
5. Clear Embossing powder: you can get this at most craft stores in a variety of colors (even sparkly).
6. Envelopes: I used 4bar Aflap envelopes in curry from Paper-Source.
7. Some scratch paper.
8. An embossing gun. These are relatively inexpensive and you can find them at craft stores.
9. Ink pads of your choice. I used Yellow Owl colors and a few Colorbox pigments.

Time to get started! Ink your stamp by pressing it into the ink pad gently until saturated. Stamp it a few times on the scratch paper. Stamps work best when they have been used for a while, so make sure that the impression looks perfect to you.


Continue using your other stamps and colors! Make sure to clean your stamps thoroughly before pressing them into a different colored ink pad. I use windex and paper-towels, but baby wipes work very well too. Never wash stamps in water, as you may loosen the glue beneath the rubber. If you are using acrylic stamps, make sure to buy the correct cleaner to keep your stamps clean and new.



While the ink is still wet, pour embossing powder all over the impression. Pour the excess back into the container of powder. It's very important that you do this while the ink is wet, or it won't stick to the image. You can wait all day to actually heat it, but make sure the powder is on it when it's wet.



Heat the powder with the embossing gun (staying about 6 inches away) until you can visibly see the powder melting, and becoming glossy. You will be done when there is a glossy, soft sheen on the image. Don't touch it until it's dry! If you don't have an embossing gun, I have heard of people holding paper over a stove burner to melt the powder but DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. Eek! Also, a hair dryer sounds like a good idea but it's not: it just blow the powder off of your image.


Now write your letter! Handwritten or (in my case) typewriter-typed notes are sweet and genuine. Make sure to mention the specific gift you received, a little description of it or what you are planning to do with it, a personal sentence or two, and you're done!


For a sweet touch, close the envelope with a piece of washi tape and pop in the mail. We receive mail so infrequently that even just a little note is sure to make someone's day.


If you'd like some more stamping fun, check out this great video tutorial by our Favorite Friend, Kathryn Murray, on stamping and cleaning stamps, plus the difference between acrylic and rubber:

Rubber Stamps: Acrylic vs. Wood from Kathryn Murray Calligraphy on Vimeo.

A Successful Home Office: Accessories

I'll admit it. I'm a little bit preoccupied with designing and decorating my workspace because I have a feeling that I'm avoiding starting my "work-at-home" time before our studio is ready. Lately, it's amazing: groceries are stocked, dishes are done, beds are made--everything is completed before I sit down and actually get things done. This is good AND bad, especially for the fact that I'm ready to sit down around 5pm. Whoops.

Regardless, I have been having lots of fun stocking my little area with things to make me happy (we are in the business of happiness, remember?).

Here are a few of the things I've picked up lately to make my office area sparkle. Feel free to take notes, tee hee!


1. My stapler got lost in the move. Actually, I'm just using that as an excuse. It's probably right there in our collective studio waiting for me, but I wanted this one: the Kikkerland Red Dog Stapler. It's so cute! And only $6, how can that be?

2. Tons and tons of Kieurig cups. My husband received a Kieurig for his birthday and we have been highly caffeinated for the last several days. Also, we were gifted an insane amount of refill cups of everything from tea to cider to hot chocolate. I could start a coffee shop in here...that's not a bad idea..

3. Now the real accomplishment will be actually using this thing: the bright orangey-yellow Moleskine 2013 Weekly Planner. Yum.

4. For the Kieurig cups! I have tons of these Pantone Mugs in the cabinet, but lately I've been using Basil. Basil is soothing. Basil is the color of calm.

5. Washi tape! Washi tape! Oh how I love it. Available at any International Bookstore, Japanese dollar store, on Etsy or anywhere that sells amazingly cute supplies. eek!

6. Brand new business cards. I have had a new name for 7 months. It's time for a new business card + with a brand new PO box address: Assemble Shop & Studio, Po Box 30904, Seattle WA 98113.

7. My favorite pens are these mini Pilot G4s. They write perfectly, and even have a way of making my creative notebook's chicken-scratch look somewhat appealing. Plus, they're adorable! Grab some on the Pilot website.

8. To go with the Kikkerland stapler! Perfectly white staples from Rapid.

9. And last but not least, a pipe dream item. This IROJITEN Colored Pencil Set is packaged impeccably, with colors ranging from Hummingbird to Cedar Wood. I'm not sure how to get my hands on these in the US, but let's just admire them from afar at the moment.

Anyone else have any fun office treats you'd like to share?

Images as linked above.

Recipe: An American Girl's Version of Croque Monsieur et Croque Madame

It's no secret that I'm an avid fan of French culture. (I'm sure anyone who follows our Twitter or Instagram has been privy to me babbling on and on about my French class.) So, of course I would need to post a French recipe here!

During the New Year holiday, I decided that it would be much fun to make my American version of the classic Croque Monsieur [aka Mr. Crunchy] and the Croque Madame [the Mrs.]. Croque Monsieur is the traditional French ham sandwich that one would eat in France, and the Croque Madame is its female counterpart: the same sandwich, but adorned with a fried or poached egg.

This recipe was no small feat, but if you're willing and ready, and LOVE cheese & butter: then it's for you. See below!


Ingredients:
1. 2-3 slices of hormone-free, locally farmed ham per sandwich
2. 2 tablespoons butter
3. a block of Gruyére or Sharp White Cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups grated)
4. 2 slices of French or Italian loaf per sandwich
5. 1 pear or apple (optional)
6. At least 2 ounces of goat cheese (optional)
7. 2 tablespoons white flour
8. a pinch of salt
9. 1 free range, organic egg (optional--for Madame)
10. 1/4 cup packed Parmesan cheese, grated
11. 1 1/2 cup milk

Start by preheating your oven to 400°. Lay your slices of bread out on a small oven pan and butter them lightly on each side. Put these to the side.


The tricky part comes in the beginning: making the béchamel sauce. Melt your butter in a small saucepan on a low heat (you don't want to burn it!) until it starts to bubble and simmer. Add the flour and stir until smooth. This usually takes about two minutes. Slowly add your milk and and whisk until thick (see photo). Add a pinch of salt and a shake or two of pepper or nutmeg if you'd like. Remove from the heat and stir in Parmesan. Feel free to add more flour or Parmesan (even some grated Gruéyere if the consistency isn't quite right). Set this aside, covered.


After the béchamel sauce is complete, place your buttered bread into the oven to toast--a few minutes on each side. Keep a close eye on it so it's not burned.

While they are toasting, cut very thin slices of the pear on a mandolin or with a paring knife. Set to the side.

Remove the slices of bread from the oven and spread (lightly) the goat cheese on each interior side. The French used Dijon mustard, but I'm not a fan of mustard, so goat cheese it is! Add the ham slices, one or two slices of the fruit, and 1/2 to one cup of the grated Guyére or Cheddar. Place the other half of the bread on top to complete the sandwich.


Spoon the béchamel sauce on top of the sandwich (plus some sprinkles of more cheese if you would like) and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Then, broil the sandwiches for about 3 more minutes.

Note: if you are making the Croque Madame, now is the time to fry or poach your egg. When the sandwich comes out of the oven, place the egg on the top with some truffle salt or pepper, and voila! Bon appetit!

Those Girls: Emily's New Year Resolutions // Part 2

2013 is already set up to bring major changes in my life. Assemble has made the first leaps towards its transition from commercial retail space to a new online format. And, my husband and I are expecting our second baby boy anytime in the next few weeks. I wasn't sure I needed anything else on my to-do list, when it seems that New Years resolutions are more daunting than inspiring.

That said, there are still things I want to accomplish. I decided that as long as my resolutions excite me, they are worth pursuing. As Andie mentioned last week, the key to making changes is being specific and realistic. I'm adding emphasis on the most important factor for me: energizing. I have no time for draining activities (big or small) so things I do this year will be directed at re-energizing my body and soul.


1/Fedora: Topshop USA, 2/Noteset: Sugar-Paper, 3/Art work by Nikki McClure, 4/Glasses: Warby Parker

1. Be (more) bold. This is the loftiest of my goals, but the most important. My relationships, my business goals, and my personal style are all in need of courage. I'm afraid to say "No" people and "Yes" to accessories. I worry about making definitive decisions just in case it's the wrong one. I'm afraid to wear a hat -- they make such a statement, don't they? But here's the thing: I'm not a plain jane or complacent person. So now is the time to step it up and embrace my more quirky side.

2. Correspond. There are more people I'd like to write to than I can currently keep up with. It is the one habit of procrastination I have picked up since my first kiddo was born. I'm quite embarrassed by my lack of correspondence. My goal is to have a stationery kit right at my desk, complete with stamps and my address book, so that I can send my "thank you's" and "thinking of you's" right when I need to.

3. Go see more fine art. I love, no, adore, museums. But I can't tell you the last time I was in one. This is heartbreaking for an art history major and former gallery owner. I am always inspired by what people do/make, and in addition to reading art journals and blogs, I NEED to get my butt into a museum (art or otherwise) to feed my creative spirit. I'm starting with the Nikki McClure exhibition at the Bellevue Arts Museum, showing through February 3rd. The piece pictured above, Rely, reminds me so much of me holding Henry (wearing a hat, even!) and I'm immediately called to see it in person.

4. Finally get glasses. This is more practical than anything, but I have been in denial way too long. I need glasses. I knew it when a customer walked in the shop and I embarrassingly greeted her thinking she was a dear old friend. Oops! I can't see street signs when I drive, which is also not very safe with babies on board. So I'm making the commitment to buy the frames I need and want, keeping in mind my #1 resolution to be more bold and #3 resolution to really go SEE more art.

Favorite Friend Friday: Michelle (Mikko) Kim of Cub Report Card

Michelle (aka Mikko) Kim of Cub Report Card is one of our favorite designers that we have crossed paths with. Her cute, yet streamlined design incorporates little bears, gerbils and other adorableness into a sleek, silkscreened line of cards, totes and gifts. We had the honor of carrying her items in our shop until our recent transition online, but we hope to work together in the future! We caught up with her to ask her some of our Favorite Friend Questions and get the skinny on where she's been and where she's going.


Tell us a little bit about Cub Report Card. When did you start and what were you looking to create?
My shop (on Etsy) officially launched in 2010. But Cub Report Card started years ago, when I just graduated from Design School. Back then, I didn't have a name for the company, I just loved to silkscreen and wanted to make something with my own two hands!

You just created a brand new character for a designer showcase with us, named Little G. Tell us about him and your plans for the future!
Little G is my sweet gerbil friend! In 2012, I wanted to start a line of stationery that focused on a character with a story to tell. Little G is all about a gerbil who travels across the United States and tells us about his adventures through notecards. Each notecard reveals a place he's been. On the back of the notecard, there's a map identifying his location.


I might continue his adventure in future (maybe Europe? South America?), but I'm also interested in creating fresh characters with new stories. I've already got a new little character and story in the works!! Coming soon!

What is your silkscreening process like from start to finish? How long does it take to get a design from (the computer or hand-drawing) to a card?
The silkscreen process is so magical! Even after all these years of silkscreening, I still get that shiny new feeling every time I draw ink. My technique is a photo-silkscreening process that I first learned from one of my favorite instructors in college (go Corcoran College of Art print department!). Once you have the right equipment, the process is pretty straightforward. I expose a photo sensitive screen with my artwork to an exposure unit, wash it out, et voila--the silkscreen is alive! That's the short and sweet of it. But what I love about silkscreening--well, printmaking in general--is all the little things that happen along the way that make the process your own.


Before any actual silkscreening happens though, there are a few more bits that have to come together. First, I sketch character ideas out with good old fashioned pencil and paper. For example, Little G started out as a tiny rodent scribble in my notebook of ideas. Then I scan him in and refine the rough edges on the computer for more definition. From there it's a matter of drawing in all his little accessories and picking out the appropriate fonts and colors. Ink is a whole other ball game too. I usually have to mix inks (some version of a CMYK formula) and that process takes FOREVAH! To get just the right color and to make sure all the colors on a single card work in unison can take up to a day or two! But when you finally hit that sweet spot of just the right color, man, it's a beautiful thing!

What is your favorite part about working for yourself? What are the pros and cons? Do you have a day job?
There are many things I love about working for myself! Hands down the best thing is being able to just be myself 24/7. Other things I like: having my fur kids around while I work, making my own rules, being responsible for my own success, meeting new people and learning new things, enjoying what I do completely and wholly, having the ability to blast NPR whenever I want!

Of course all these things come with other responsibilities--some of which I find icky. Like having to market myself (ugh). Making mistakes and being able to learn from them rather than letting them get me down is a tuffy too. I've made some big boo-boos in the past. You have to just breathe in, breathe out, let things go, and move on. Sounds easy, but it's hard! Another challenge is being my own accountant (math-ICKY!) and finding other ways to support myself financially when I need to.

Which leads me to what else I work on… By day I'm a graphic designer. My day job helps me with all those adult bits and pieces that I'm responsible for--like heat, food, shelter. Some day I'm hoping that Cub Report Card can transition into my permanent day job. Someday SOON!

Do you have any projects coming up in the future that you're excited about?
Holy moley, there are so many projects I'm excited about! This year, I'm hoping to wrap up the Little G line, which means 50 cards for 50 states! I'm also planning to have them all available as a boxed set.

In my dream future, I'd love to get a housewares line going -- it would include Little G mugs, bed linens, floor tiles, all sorts of fabulous things!


What do you like to do in your off-time?
Snuggle! Seriously. I love snuggling with my fur kids on the couch--all of us huddled together and dreaming about tuna and chicken. Fried chicken that is.

And when I'm not doing that, I like to shop at little indie stores, antique stores, knitting stores. Yep, I am a bonafide shopaholic. Uh-oh, see New Year's resolutions…

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The Shire! I'd love to have a little Hobbit house filled with delicious treats in the pantry, a nice garden, some chickens, and other folk who are as short as I am.

If you could eat at only one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Ma'Ono! Best freakin' fried chicken on the planet. Plus you get kimchi with your meal. Hello!? Best of both worlds! :)

What's your dream job, besides what you are doing now?
That's funny, I just twittered about what other professions I would have pursued if I had the chance to do it over again! My dream job (besides Cub) is to be completely at bliss with no defined profession, surf like mad all day and live to do it all over again the next day!

You get to organize a dinner party, who is there?
P-A-R-T-Y! Gosh. Doug Pray, killer documentary film maker. David Foster Wallace, the writer who passed in 2008. I recently re-acquainted myself with his work and the commencement speech he gave at Kenyon College in 2005--it's very good. Art Spiegelman, the artist/writer who created the Maus series. And, Ira Glass. Cuz' I love me some This American Lifer! Shoot, there are no ladies in the house! That'll be my next party--the Assemble gals will definitely be invited ;)

Any new years resolutions?
Curb my appetite for shopping. Eek! My parents have put the fear of god in me about retirement so I guess there's no time like the present!

Thanks, Michelle!!

Top 3 images from Cub Report Card