new patterns + stuff in the shop

today i thought i'd share a couple fun new patterns i've been working on...

i like tea

bows and pearls

i've made both of these patterns into notecards that are available in my etsy shop, along with this cute little art print i created using elements from my i like tea pattern. i think it would look adorable in a colorful, retro kitchen!

i also wanted some feedback... i'm thinking about having some of my patterns made into fabric and making some things for the shop. so, i want to know... what would you like to see my patterns on? throw pillows? tote bags? i would love to hear your ideas...

xoxo,

lesley

creativity emporium

my test print gift tags were featured this morning on brett's fabulous blog brettorium: creativity emporium.  check back there later for a special discount just for brett's readers!

xoxo,

lesley

front page!

thanks to etsy front pagers on flickr, i was able to get a screen cap of my appearance on the front page last week!  my colorful keys notecard set appears in the lower right hand corner... yay!

xoxo,

lesley

more personalized notecards!

i just added a brand new personalized card set to my etsy shop and i wanted to share it here.  i love the juicy colors... they remind me that spring is on the way!  and these basketweave pattern is so fun, and a little bit retro.  they come in a set of 8 and can be personalized with any name or sentiment... perfect for gift giving!

xoxo,

lesley

featured!

so i was just googling myself (don't make fun of me!) and i was delighted to find that some of my petite notecards had been featured on a lovely blog called lace & tea!  blogger amanda has fabulous taste (if i do say so myself) and features some amazing finds in fashion, art, housewares, and more.  go check it out!

xoxo,

lesley

valentine's day goodies

i have some fresh valentine's day goodies available in my etsy shop... order now to make sure you get them on time!

xoxo,

lesley

new in the shop... personalized monogram cards!

i'm so happy to introduce some brand new notecard designs for the new year!  

i am now offering personalized monogram cards with your choice of initial in the shop and on etsy.

i originally did a set of these as a custom order and i liked them so much i decided to make them available to everyone!  they are printed with archival inks onto 100% recycled notecards and they come in sets of 8 with matching notecards.

these make a perfect personalized gift for any occasion... i hope you like them!  i plan on coming up with even more customizable designs in the near future, so stay tuned!

xoxo,

lesley

modish marketplace

this month, i am offering a fabulous discount for shoppers through  modish marketplace... use the code for my shop found in the paper goods section of the website, and you will receive 10% off your order plus one free hand printed card!  

be sure to check out the rest of the marketplace too... there are tons of amazing discounts and freebies from a whole slew of talented artists and craftspeople.  what a perfect place to start your holiday shopping!

xoxo,

lesley

holiday cards and gift tags are here!

'tis the season... and i've got some great new cards and gift tags to help you spread holiday cheer this year!

whether your taste is modern or classic, whimsical or elegant, i've got the perfect cards and tags for you in my shop!  head on over and check out my new designs... and as a special offer just for my blog readers, take 5% off your purchase of any holiday cards or gift tags by entering the code 315HOLIDAY at checkout.

xoxo,

lesley

trunkt!

i got in... yay!  here is my portfolio:

http://www.trunkt.org/315thomas

if anyone reading this is on trunkt and has any advice on how to get the most out of the site, leave me a note in the comments :)

xoxo,

lesley

new website launch!

after keeping it a secret for months, i am very pleased to announce that my new online shop is up and running!!!  please visit 

www.315thomas.bigcartel.com

to shop for an assortment of modern paper goods with a vintage-inspired twist, all handmade by me!

the photos you see here are a preview of what you will find on my new website... hand printed notecards and journals, petite notecards, sketchbooks, and gift tags galore.  i have been working really hard over the past few months coming up with new designs and products and i am so excited to finally reveal them to the public!

as a thank you to all my blog readers, i am offering 15% off your first purchase between now and december 1st.  all you have to do is enter the code 315LAUNCH at checkout and the discount will be automatically applied to your order.

                       
i hope you enjoy my new website... thank you so much for visiting and happy shopping! :)

xoxo,

lesley

drawing

lately i've been having this feeling, like my life and my space and my shop are all too cluttered. i feel this need to simplify things.

for some reason, this feeling has lead me to start drawing a lot again. i kind of haven't drawn that much since i left the fashion institute in new york last year... i was so stressed out and overwhelmed when i was there, and there was a lot of drawing involved so i think i naturally kind of put it on the backburner for a while.

but now i feel like i want to draw constantly. i like the feeling of clearing my head and just focusing on one thing for a period of time, and the sense of accomplishment i feel when i look down and see a finished drawing. i've been trying to rediscover my artistic style, and lately i have a tendency toward simple, organic line drawings (like my orchid drawing above). i am planning on designing a whole new line of paper goods based on some of my drawings... maybe soon i'll give a sneak peek into some of my new ideas and inspirations.

xoxo,
lesley

adventures with uv resin...

i've been wanting to work with resin for a while, but the precise mixing and the messiness of the whole process kind of turned me off. recently, i found a product called magic glos, which is just like regular resin except there is no mixing involved and it cures under a uv light or sunlight. i really wanted to find a way to bridge the gap between my paper goods and my jewelry, and this seemed like the perfect way, so i bought a starter kit from crafter's cafe.

it arrived in the mail yesterday and i was really excited to use it right away. so excited that i squeezed the bottle too hard, causing the plastic tip to pop out and spill most of the contents of the bottle onto myself and my work surface . . . not a great start! once i cleaned up the mess and threw my clothes in the wash, i started over. i managed to salvage about half the bottle, and was able to make 7 pendants with varying levels of success. here is what i learned:

- coat your paper first with some type of waterproof barrier. i used fimo decorating gel, which was recommended by the creator of magic glos. i found it at joann fabric; you have to bake it in an oven for about 20 minutes at about 265 degrees farenheit to cure it.

- uv resin does not work well in thick layers! if you pour too thick a layer, it seems to cause issues with curing and lots of air bubbles. it is best to apply several thin layers, curing under the uv light in between layers.

- you can use a lighter to remove any unwanted air bubbles. just run it over the surface of the resin before curing. be careful not to get too close though!

- the resin is thick and may not spread into your setting perfectly without a little help. use toothpicks to spread the resin evenly in the cavity and make sure it covers your image completely. for the final layer, use a toothpick to make sure it your image is completely covered, then add a little extra, drop by drop, until you acheive the desired doming effect.

here are some of the pendants i ended up with:

the picture at the top of this post is a selection of 4 pendants that turned out pretty well . . . playing around with different design options.


this one is my favorite! i made it out of the corner of an envelope i received from hong kong . . . they have such gorgeous stamps and i love the postmark. i am keeping this one for myself :)


this one turned out really nicely. i used a section of my gocco printed doily design (also seen on one of my notecard sets). i will be adding it to my etsy shop soon!

i will be doing more experimenting as soon as i can get my hands on more of this stuff, so keep your eyes peeled for new additions to my shop!

xoxo,
lesley

bleu et blanc

i've been having some serious etsy luck lately... i missed it again, but another one of my treasuries made the front page! woohoo!!

thanks to babylyons for the screen shot on flickr:



xoxo,
lesley

front page treasury!

this treasury i curated was picked for the front page of etsy this morning! check out what these amazing photographers do with light...



xoxo,
lesley

prints, big sale, and more!

helena print, now available in the shop!

okay, so i know i have been reaaalllllyyy bad at updating this blog recently, but i think i have some pretty good reasons. for those of you that don't know, my husband robin and i just moved from connecticut to new jersey a few weeks ago. we have been wanting to move closer to my family, and robin got a great new job at boeing aircraft in philadelphia - so here we are! we are currently living with my parents and searching for a home. we are first time homebuyers, so it is a really crazy, stressful, and exciting time!

enough with the excuses though... i am finally starting to get back in the swing of things over in the shop. first of all, i just listed my very first print for sale! i love drawing and creating mixed media artwork, so i decided to buy a fancy schmancy printer and try to sell some prints of my artwork on etsy. i have been toying around with the idea of opening another shop just for my artwork, but i decided to list a few things in my current shop first and see what kind of response they get. right now i only have one print listed (see the picture above for a preview!), but there are more on the way so keep checking back!

finally, i am having a super sale in honor of mother's day, which also happens to fall on my birthday this year! check out the super sale section for some great deals on jewelry and notecard sets... but hurry, the sale ends this sunday!

xoxo,

lesley

new treasury

tea for two... check it out here.

xoxo,
lesley

new cards!

hello everyone and welcome to blog post #2... yay!

i busted out the gocco today and started printing a series of new cards. i have been seriously neglecting my gocco since the end of the holidays, so it felt good to get some use out of it again! i've been working on these designs for a while, and i think they really reflect my personal style - chic and modern, but with a vintage-inspired twist. some of the new card sets will be listed in my shop in the upcoming week, so stay tuned! for now, here is a preview of one of the new desings, based on a vintage wallpaper pattern... i hope you like it!

xoxo,
lesley

it's a blog!

so, i finally decided to jump on the blog bandwagon... yay! i have been crazy busy crafting and updating my etsy shop, so expect lots of updates as new products are created and listed. i also want to feature some fabulous etsy artists here, so stay tuned for some super handmade finds! thanks for stopping by, hope to see you again soon!

xoxo,
lesley