heysusy

THINGS TO MAKE AND DO { fabric frolic }

God I love things like all of these up here. I love the whole raw asthetic. It never fails to inspire me...and to reset my artistic compass. So. How were your weekends, all? Good? I hope they were! Mine was great- although I pretty much worked and got caught up, and that was it. Still I managed to get quite a bit done.

Lately, I'm really looking forward to the future of my business, and of making new products and going into new places with my designs. I'm thrilled to be working on some really fun things right now, and that's keeping me creatively upbeat and feeling inventive.

As for these fun-filled items up here, I can't get enough of handmade, homemade, good ol' down home punk rock inventiveness. Most of the things up here are by independent artists...the exception being the Tom's shoes; which feature the slogan "Make Art Not War" which is quickly taking the place of "Keep Calm". Which I think is interesting. MAKE! MAKE! MAKE! ACTION!

Clickable things:
Tom's Shoes in Remarque (Make Art Not War) Here
Groovy little elephant and funny "Gucci" bag here
Great, raw Striped Totes Here and Also Don't miss This One
World's coolest loafers? Survey Says....Yes! Here by This Person

GLORIOUSLY GUILTY PLEASURE { since 1883 }

If posting about another stationer during my own paper sale is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Especially if that stationer is the Venerable Smythson of Bond St., whose wares make other purveyors of "luxury" look like middle schoolers at their first formal.

Something in my trend-o-meter went off the chart when I walked into their store on 57th St the other day...and I've been thinking about the stationery, luggage and leather goods I saw there ever since...this is when I wish the internet had a touchable surface, because to describe the type of super-consistent, slightly pebbled leather they use for their passport wallets is pretty much impossible...the finish is at once impeccable and utterly functional. The colors...fine tuned. The design...luxuriously spare.

My personal favorites have to be their multi-colored zipped currency wallets; red and blue zips on one side, green and yellow on t'other. -- and their beautiful nile blue spiral bound refill pads...with esoteric product names like "The Wafer" right on top.  And that UK triple lion passport cover??? Hello aspirational national affiliation made easy.

Things to Click:
See the FIRST DIARY DESIGN HERE
Visit SMYTHSON online
Visit their BLOG here
NYC store Location HERE

And I will be printing out this portrait of Mr Frank Smythson and hanging it over my desk so he will hopefully bestow upon me The Divine Gift of Stationer's Blessings and Brand Longevity in Perpetuity on a daily basis.

Where are they now? { Knitalatte & Resurrection Fern }

OK, OK, I know. Enough about my SALE (salesalesalesalesale), which is now in full bloom. On with the show!

So, as all of us blog lovers know, there are some images which have just BLOWN UP in the blogosphere. One of which being the gorgeous crocheted stones of Knitalatte. I featured them here on HS* too-- in this post about crocheted and sewn texture trends.

As some of you may know, I was without computer for about a week this August and that got me thinking of some new things I could do here on Hey...one of which was to check in on some of my favorite independent designers to see where they are in their work, now. In the future, I might incorporate an interview into this process, because I love nothing more than hearing not only WHAT an artist is doing...but WHY they are doing it. I'd love to go beyond the "What inspires you" question...and more into the "Why have you moved in this or that direction" question...because as many of us know, inspiration is constantly changing...and changing us with it.

Looking at Knitalatte's beautiful and recent work can best be done at her Flickr and Blog...and then, jump off into her Shop. This summer seems to find her enthralled with natural, round shapes, and moving beyond the crocheted surface and into the realm of otherworldly, moving, changing orbs and shapes-- but still playing with the ideas of heavy and light...grounded and ethereal. Her beautiful prints, created using various kinds of fungi, bring to mind deep sea creatures, sand dollars...fossils. I love how she achieves all this with a mushroom. Actually, I found myself inspired by mushroom skirts too...and used that to create December of the 2010 calendar!

Her collecitons in embroidery hoops are beautiful capsules, almost like an embrace. Darn, y'know, I should have done an interview. I'll get on that!

Enjoy, ducklings.

Clickable Things
Knitalatte's Flickr
Knitalatte's Blog, Resurrection Fern
Knitalatte's Store

2010 DESK CALENDARS { now in store! }

Good Morning!! I'm busy getting ready for tomrorrow's SALE AND GIVEAWAY...updating my website, and adding some new goodies!
I also wanted to mention that my newest item, the 2010 Desk Calendar is now in store and ready to ship.

While 2010 Calendars won't be part of the sale tomorrow, there will be lots of other yummy, bright and useful things from my collection available at discounted prices; like pencil cups, notebooks, boxed notes and jotters! 

At the risk of getting overly self promotional...I'm attaching an image down here that you can reference if you'd like to blog, email, or tweet about the sale to your own readers, friends or followers. I'd love to get the word out as widely as possible about the sale, so feel free to grab it if you'd like, and make use of it any way you see fit! : )

READER SALE and 2010 CALENDAR GIVEAWAY { this week! }

Hello everyone! I'm running out shortly to work on an exciting new project, but I thought I'd tip you all off to some good news, which is always a good way to start a week!

It's true. We're having a little SALE for Back to School! Ok, most of us are out of school. But, please take the word "School" as broadly as you'd like. College Students, Co-Workers...Friends...a gift for yourself; it's a good time to get organized, and start thinking about starting some Fall Focus. So get ready!

THE DETAILS
- I'll be back here and on twiter on Wednesday morning to launch the sale.
- While we won't have the 2010 calendars discounted, since that wouldn't be fair to the fine folks who have pre-ordered, we are offering a giveaway! any purchase from the store will enroll you to win one of two calendars...our new desk calendar or...the deluxe wall calendar.
- Sale only applies to customers in the US (sorry internationals. we'll work on this!)
- Please feel free to let your friends know...the more the merrier!

Ok, hope to see you back tomorrow...I'll be back to launch the 2010 Desk Calendar!

MINING FOR GOLD { mineral inspired wall coverings }

Ummmm. Yeah. What to say about these up here, other than that I don't just love them, I luuurrrrve them. The beauty is not so much in the patterning (while that is very nice), but in the actual ink choices, which intensify and deepen the natural motifs...something I'm looking at closely as I plan what I'm gonna be doing for next year with SusyJack*...exploring some new finishes and inks!

There's something that feels so right now about this gorgeous ONYX family of wall covering options from Osbourne and Little-- which actually debuted in May. There is a sort of...what to call it...sophisticated awareness? About them.

On that note, my dear, aware, sophisticated friends, I hope you all have wonderful weekends. I plan to enjoy some mellow time here NYC. I have a lot of nice things brewing so I'll be taking a moment to relax before I rev back up again for fall.

Thank you so much for visiting Hey this week! I'll see ya back next week, I hope! xx sus

BORROWED, BLUE { classy sassy touches }

So, I hope you will pardon me for tweeting this before I blogged it today...but when Kaelea Ann of TheRoyalMe posted a twitter link to this super new shop called Supermarket Sarah, I got so excited that I jumped the gun.

I really love this online store concept...and I would LOVE to visit Sarah's home, where the real store lives. I think her project speaks to how a little ingenuity and a LOT of personal style go hand in hand to create something novel and catchy. I picked a few items that I enjoyed from Sarah's collection...and mixed them in with some other favorites of mine to create the image up here, which reminds me of the end of summer, sunny favorites, and the longest, sunniest days of the year. I hope you enjoy.

Clickable things:
Supermarket Sarah Shop
Supermarket Sarah blog (great!)
TheRoyalMe
Red Asian Brocade Clutch Found Here
Bridle or Harness Belt Found Here

UPDATE!!
There's another free design I created which is available today on Creature Comforts to so head over and download a printable PDF of some fun and pretty calling cards!

LEATHER GOODS { in fun colors for fall }

I am really loving some of the items coming out in colored leather for fall! Saturated colors, natural hues...it all looks gorgeous. While I probably wouldn't wear these skirts at Hayden Harnett, I'm sure someone else should, and the proof of that can be seen on the beautiful Louise Brooks-esque model photos on their site. There's also a nice preview of their Fall Fashion Week Presentation. Worth seeing, though I am not crazy about the photos, or the makeup, the clothes and accessories look great.

Alternately, I am really liking the use of sturdy little leather disks and shapes at Emma Carroll Etc. I like the well-made style of these necklaces...They look like they would be fun to wear, and they're a great combination of jewelry and accessory-- I am especially fond of the white leather pieces, like the one up here with the elongated shapes...high drama!  Found via Notcouture

Clickable Things
Hayden Harnett (can't wait for their fall shoes btw)
Emma Carroll Etc shop and Website
Notcouture

COLOR CHOICES { early fall at toast }

There are some nice colors happening at Toast for early fall! I really love how they've focused on certain hues to achieve their vision for the season. Looking at their latest catalogs reminds me that I should be less arbitrary with my own color choices.

Looking through their catalog, I saw many shots that combined earthiness with pops of bright, spicy colors...and their signature, comfortable, rustic style that doesn't go too far into the quaint. I was reminded of the interior color palette of this apartment, which I posted about a month or so ago...oops, I mean in May (things move fast around here!), which a lot of readers seemed to like quite a bit!

DR ZHIVAGO, I PRESUME? { anna sui this fall }

Hi Everyone!!  I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to my normal posting schedule. I am truly a creature of habit. There's just no denying it. Today finds me looking at some nice examples of one of the trends for fall 09... dressing like an Authentic Russian Peasant.

Anyway, for the past couple of issues, there's been such a treat in the New Yorker...a two-part series called "Travels in Siberia" by Ian Frazier. If you have ever been curious about what it's like in Siberia, deep inside Mother Russia, definitely read it. I, personally, am probably more enthralled with Siberia than most...and I have no idea why. An enigma wrapped in a mystery, or whatever they say.

So, I was especially delighted by some of the newest fall dresses by Anna Sui, which to me, are really great modern versions of some of the styles of the old, cold, country. While I don't think this is a look to wear every day, it would be fun to wander around in a fairytale frock every now and again. And if anyone knows where I can get one of those big, hairy hats, pls advise!

Clickable Things
Anna Sui Do not miss the boots and accessories!
Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier
Russian History, a good jumping off point
Architectural Detail Carvings and Russian Folk-Style Cottages