heysusy

Moving Day!

Well, the day has finally come when I can show you what I've been working on over the summer, and into the fall. My new Susy Jack* website is now live, and starting with my next post, I will have a new home for my blogging, also.

Starting on Monday, I'll be posting over here at my new blog, exclusively. I'm thrilled to finally have my blog, shop, and studio in one venue. I hope you'll come and visit me often... I'll be posting more of my own work in style, pattern design, product design, and lifestyle, and of course, waxing poetic on paper clips and top hats, now and then.

See you on the flip side...

Can't wait.  xo! S

 

Lucky You Lucky Me! { Hello!Lucky Holiday Giveaway }

I know, I know. "What??? Two giveaways in a month?" But, I tell you, it's true.

This summer, I was lucky (pardon pun) enough to be one of several great artists to create a collection of customizable holiday photo cards with Hello!Lucky. The designs launched a short while ago, on their newly redesigned website.

There are seven styles to pick from - each one is fully customizable with photos, message, font and font color, and there are four panel accordion and two-sided flat formats.

So, to celebrate the launch of the H!L Holiday Shop, we're offering a giveaway of a $100 gift certificate to spend at Hello!Lucky - to enter just leave a comment below!

ps. If you like the Confetti card, stop in at  How About Orange to download matching printable gift tags!
pps. to read more about the inspiration behind the designs, visit the Hello!Lucky Blog!

ppps. we'll close the contest on Saturday M
 

A winner will be selected on Saturday morning!

Website Redesign - Sneak Peek

Hello, all. Now, I'm not one to get too excited about things until they happen-- preserving my excitement is something I've gotten really good at in the course of owning a business-- But, now that we're onto the testing and tweaking phase of the new Susy Jack website, I do think it's time to share a snippet or two.

Susy Jack's new home, I hope, will be a place where my products and my blogging will live side by side, in a unique space. The concept I've been working with is of creating a "home" online - and the visualization behind it has been thinking of the type of space I'd love to walk through in reality, with my customers and visitors. What kind of space would I want us to be in together? And what would our conversation be like there?

It's been amazing to work with this idea in mind, to create a site that focuses more on where my designs originate from, opens possibilities for designing in new categories, and offers an improved shopping/browsing experience for my customers... something more than a "look" - an experience I can share.

While I can't reveal the whole launch, I thought I'd post two functional elements I've added in which will be great additions - a magnifying zoom which I hope will enable visitors to "feel" the quality and detail of items as they browse (so important for smaller, more delicate pattern work, and faster than all that clicking through); and, an improved account setup...which I hope will be more convenient and easier for those of you who order repeatedly.

Finally, one of my personal favorite touches are the little rollovers for the account info area...fun details like the key in the image above. The horse above the cart (see below) being possibly my favorite of all. 

OK - that's it for now...more to come very soon. x Susy

Credits 
All design - created by yours truly
Ecommerce and web development - I am working with Aeolidia (who are great btw)

2012 Susy Jack Grid Calendar Giveaway

My 2012 Calendar Collection is now in store, featuring a new, writable grid style available. It's full of color and pattern, and has a handy grid and notes column for writing in your to-dos. I've wanted to offer a writable style for a long time,and I'm so happy that this is the year! In celebration, I'm offering a giveaway. For full details about this item, please click here!

TO ENTER :

Simply "like" our new style on facebook and/or retweet it and leave a comment below. : )

The winner will be chosen at random on Wednesday at 12 EST 10/26, and will receive a 2012 Grid Calendar.

Fabric Prints

 

Here comes the weekend...and I am going to be heading upstate tonight, for a few days with my family. I'm really looking forward to it. I had a very busy week...visiting Printsource, preparing and sending holiday gift guide pitches, and working on a major revision to my website. In related news, I've been sampling some fabric printed with my designs, and I'm really enjoying the process. Up here are a few test prints. These are not quite right yet, I am still working on scale, color, and other details in terms of product...but I think they look pretty good so far, and I wanted to share them.

I have to say, seeing my designs on textiles has ben a longtime dream of mine. Now that it is slowly becoming reality, it's taking some adjusting to. But it's very exciting for me. I feel a bit self-conscious sharing these, but even though that's the case, I wanted to share my excitement with you.

Have wonderful weekends all! Here is to making dreams happen, even if it takes a while. x S

ps. have some paisley.

Swatchbook

Happy Tuesday all. Just thought I'd share some pattern work, today. Things are moving right along here in the studio, and I am in the process of designing, organizing, and working on some aspects of my business that I am excited about. 

Next week, I'll be attending (not exhibiting--attending) Printsource here in NYC, which is one of the premier surface design and textile design tradeshows in the industry. It occurs a couple of times each year. I'm really looking forward to it. The past couple of years have brought some amazing pattern and licensing opportunities, which I didn't plan on when I started my business -- and it's an area of growth that I've greatly enjoyed, so I am going to head over and check out the show this year. If any of you are attending, let me know! 

More soon. x S

New Susy Jack at Target!

 

Good Morning, All!

I'm back with some happy news. The Susy Jack for Blue Sky Home Series has just launched at Target. I couldn't be more thrilled about the way the products look, and beyond that, they are super useful-- geared towards that tricky intersection where home, life, family, and work meet - one of my favorite spots to design for, as some of you know!

My own favorite features of this line are it's durability, upbeat mood, and stylish combination of brights and neutrals. The sizing of the calendars is also fantastic, with handy portable and larger versions.

There are a few other samples of to-do pads and shopping lists - so I'll post images of them when I receive them.

Anyway, if you are popping by a Target, I hope you will check out what Blue Sky and I have created together. The line can also be purchased at the Blue Sky website.

Top: Warm Tone Hanging Door List Pads and Dry Erase Weekly Calendar - love the grommet detail!
Bottom: Cool Tone Purse Planner, Wirebound To Do Agenda, Dry Erase Schedule Organizer and Note Caddy
Below: Warm Tone Purse Planner, Wirebound To Do Agenda, and Oversize Horizontal Planner.

images via Blue Sky, by Ken Greenlee

Weekender

Just a couple of quick sketches... I like the way they feel together Kind of fun and folksy yet modern in their color. These are grabs from my monitor. I think the top one would make great wrap or cotton fabric, and the bottom would make a really nice silkscreen for wallpaper - where the brown is kraft color/substrate, and the red and white are the inks on top.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. 

Collection News

Good Friday Morning, Everyone. Well, what a week it has been. I have to say, I'm pretty wiped out physically and mentally right now, but in so many ways, this week has been a turning point. Up here are a couple of images of what I have been busy with.

The top image is a new pattern I've created for paper, called Kilim Weave, which was probably, to my surprise, the best seller. I wasn't quite sure if the paper market would really like the sort of tribal look. But, I really wanted to celebrate a design style that is so inspiring to me, and to adapt it for paper.

A little history on the Kilim shape -- it is actually, in weaving, the symbol for a star. At this point, I found that particularly inspring, both from a personal and professional standpoint.

The bottom is an image of my booth at the show

I've definitely got thoughts on the show, and on the state of business in general, so I hope to assemble them sometime soon. I will tell you that this year, the Stationery Show was different. I can't exactly figure out how...but will be thinking about that more.

Have wonderful weekends all. Anyone who came by at the show...thank you so much. It was a pleasure to see you, speak with you, and get to know you better.  Susy

***update***
Perhaps you've been following this post over at Design Sponge...it's quite interesting, and is something I was thinking about prior to working on my collection, and to participating in the Stationery Trade Show.

I've never done this before, but here's a video I made on the topic. I highly recommend you watch the initial video on Design*Sponge first... and this one by Megan Auman too.

On Innovation and a Recent Trade Show from Susan Connor on Vimeo.

 

Showbound! { National Stationery Show 2011 }

 

 

Well, it's that time again...

I have participated in the National Stationery Show for three years now, and this will be my fourth. I am so excited to debut my newest collection, Near and Far, and my trio of 2012 calendars. It's been amazing to see things really come together over the past couple of weeks, as the finishing touches are added, one by one.

Up above, images of the catalogs (Ignore the puffy hand. It's hot in here today and my knuckles are livin' large!)

Lastly, a picture of a special packaging design touch on the reverse of my new boxed notes - inspired by a conversation thread on Twitter about the changing relevance of the handwritten note in today's busy world. It was my opinion that the handwritten note is actually more relevant than ever because it is exceedingly rare, and that makes it more meaningful, and more of a style statement. Your thoughts?

I hope to share more images as the show progresses. I am heading over today to begin preparation on our booth.