Happy new year

I will be traveling to Italy until January 13th, and I will return to my usual posting hopefully in the middle of January. Thank you very much for all the support and help during my first few months of blogging. Looking forward to do more in the new year, I wish all of you a great 2008.
Buon anno nuovo!

announcing.....

my new Etsy shop!
Thank you very much to all the blogger that help me to post the news!

Trunk show at Variegated

Exactly a week ago, I had the opportunity to do a trunk show at Variegated, home furnishing store, in Catskill, NY. Beyond traveling in the Hudson Valley, which we enjoyed very much and showing my work in such a beautiful shop, I was very happy to meeting Corbett and Jim in person, after seeing their designs on fabric only on line. They are a delight to talk to and to work with! Very generous and inspiring, I enjoyed every moment of being in their shop and large studio.
You can read more about Variegated background, interest and silk screen designs, in these interviews, by D*S and Oh Joy. I think I have contacted them after seeing these beautiful pictures shown below (all pictures curtesy of Variegated) on guest blog by D*S and they were soon interested to incorporate the cotton ribbons into their work. Right after, Corbett suggested to exclusively design and hand-made some photo albums with their vintage wall paper, bought from the Habitat for Humanity, in Albany NY.
I have found the all experience incredibly inspiring and I hope that all the ideas for future collaborations will go through in the new year!




The following are some samples of the photo albums made for Variegated with strong pattern, silk screen wall paper, from the '60 and '70. Now exclusively available in their Catskill store.

Orange Beautiful

Emily of Orange Beautiful, one of my favorite blogger and designer, just informed me of a beautiful new line of holidays cards on their Etsy store. I love the assembling of different pictures. I wish them the best with the new products!

Studio Sale at Eden Avenue

After an incredible exciting week, full of events, some traveling and meeting a lot of new people, I'm finally be able to post some pictures of the Studio Sale at Susy Pilgrim Waters's, from last Wednesday. It was one of the most beautiful party and sale I have ever participated to. The space was perfect, Susy's house was an amazing inspirations by itself, full of her paintings, drawings and prints, was the perfect environment for having a show and she was very kind to offering her house. I also had the pleasure of meeting the other talented artists that were showing their work: Kate Andres, Lilla Rogers, Emma Vesey, Heather Hoffman. Thank you everyone for coming and to Susy for hosting such an inspiring Studio Sale!

Frucci Design at Pastificio Cerere

I have received an invitation for a show opening at Pastificio Cerere in Rome. And it reminded me of this incredible building, where several artists rent studio spaces, now very well known within the Italian contemporary art scene. I used to work there, at my first job in a graphic design studio, and I have a lot of great memories of this building. Enclosed are some pictures and more information can be found here. Certainly a place to visit, if you are in Rome, have some time and don't only want to see touristy area and famous monuments.
Pastificio Cerere, a Pasta factory established in 1902, is in zona San Lorenzo, off from the main train station, in a residential area, now full of restaurants and cafe`.




The opening of Elementi di Carta will be on December 13th, for a solo exhibition of paper artist Francesca Vitali of Frucci Design. Monday through Friday, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., until December 23rd. Francesca, also from Rome, now living in the US, transforms folded paper into precious jewelry, or more, into amazing paper sculptures. Most of her work can be seen and available for purchase at Etsy.
I wish I could be at the opening to meet her personally and see closely this unbelievable work! Also, the architecture of Pastificio Cerere seems the perfect environment to host her paper sculptures.

Jewelry by Francesca Vitali

New Francobolli Books

It has been a very prolific time, the last months, designing and making new items for this season. Here are some new pictures of a line of blank books I have designed in collaboration with Bari Zaki.
Francobolli, Italian for n.m. (postage) stamp, is a line of single signature pamphlet binding book, hand-bound with linen thread and seal closure. The cover is made of Fabriano mold-made Murillo paper, and now we have ten colors available: dove, butter, French blue, creme, red, charcoal, dark chocolate, terra cotta, royal navy, grey. The use of engraved, vintage stamps on the cover is every time different. Each book is a unique piece. Available here.

Paper and Chocolate

The event yesterday at Albertine Press was a great success! more then 600 people came, Taza Chocolate counted by putting a sticker to everyone that visited!
Their chocolate was also amazing! I nearly could leave my table for taking some pictures, so there is no much of the event itself, but just one photo of Shelley giving letterpress demonstration on her Vandercook. More pictures here.
I also enjoyed being next to Kelly of May Day Studio and Albertine Press interns with their hand-bound books and prints. Thank you everyone for coming and their enthusiasm about our work with paper!

Hand-made photo albums and journals

A few pictures of some new products I have bound with Italian letterpress printed paper by Il Papiro, Firenze, made with wood blocks. A pleasure to work with!