1,000 Sales Ago…

1,000 sales ago, I was an extremely nervous and busy little paper crafter. I had just figured out my gocco screen printer and came up with enough designs to put a shop together on Etsy. I remember the exact moment - walking down State Street in Madison - when I decided, “I have to come up with one good design a week and I have to build up a small inventory of each.” I actually stuck to it, although - I think I only had ten designs when I opened my shop!

This was the very first of all of the PaperMichelle designs, so she has a very special place in my heart.

I am so happy that PaperMichelle has lasted this long - that people understand my humor - that stores try to SELL my humor (say what??) The most exciting part of it is that it gets better every year. I look forward to what the next thousand (ten thousand, twenty thousand…) has in store. Thank you all for the incredible support in my little endeavor. It is more fun than I can possibly express in a few words, so I will just continue to bless you with lousy puns.

NEW PM Designs and Art vs. Craft

I have been working hard getting ready for Art vs. Craft - a super cool show here in Milwaukee - which is next Saturday, November 26th. If you are in town, please come see me there! In the process of bulking up my inventory, I’ve added some new designs. Here are a few that I’ve added to the shop:

New Christmas Design - Decorate Your Hood

I’ve always thought those shoes on wires are funny. I like the image of a person jumping and throwing their old shoes. It’s so weird. It must be rewarding when they finally wrap around the wire - to hang and be cool until the end of time. Here’s a Christmas card about it. Rep’ your hood - or at least decorate it.

Gertie Makes Her PaperMichelle Debut

My girl, Gertie, is the inspiration for my latest design. She does this gross (adorable. awesome. hilarious.) thing where she steals dirty socks from the laundry just to have. She is super protective of these socks. She places them in meticulous piles, carries them around in her mouth and sleeps on top of them. I think she does it because she loves me so much. I’m sure it has nothing to do with dirty socks being salty and stinky. Nothing at all. Just pure love. I love you back, little homie.

New Designs in Shop!

I have several new designs in the works, but I got around to printing three of them yesterday! Have a look…

Thirty is the New Fifteen

As of today - 9/10/11 - I am officially THIRTY. 30MG. When I went to bed last night, I was feeling kind of sad and scared about leaving my twenties behind. I’m over that - I feel like your twenties are practice for your thirties, where you really figure yourself out and things fall into place. If I look back on these thirty years, I have to say that I have so much to be thankful for and I have accomplished a lot of the things I hoped I would by this point in my life.

It also helps that I subscribe to the idea that thirty is the new fifteen - so talk to me about being an adult in another twenty years. Until then, I will be assing it up and avoiding any semblance of “grown-up-ness.” Cheers!

Weisman Art Museum

Extremely excited to announce that some of my stationery has been selected for the Weisman Art Museum (WAM) re-opening on October 2nd! If you’re in Minneapolis, you can find PaperMichelle wares in the shop! Watch out for another fun announcement in a day or two…

The Big 3-0 is Coming

It’s true. In a few short days, I will be thirty. THIRTY. I’m pretty much fine with it, since I feel like I’m about twelve. I just hate that OTHER people think thirty is old and that I should be settled by now. (They obviously haven’t heard - thirty is the new fifteen.) No matter what I think about the whole thing - it is a benchmark. Benchmarks are supposed to be celebrated with pretty clothes, right? I found these three stunners from Planetclairevintage - and any one of them will fit the birthday outfit requirement perfectly. Hint.

NYC PaperCut - Saturday at the Market

I make no secret about the fact that I am (as cliche as it is) in love with New York City. I hope that in a past life or some alternate universe, I lived the NYC existence I am always dreaming of. I guess I love it for the reasons people always love it: change, opportunity, anonymity, freedom, speed, color, big ideas. I haven’t been able to work out living there in THIS life, but I still think about it as fondly as I think of home. Maybe one day, some great thing will drag me out east and I will live out my days endlessly exploring. Until then, I have vacation days.

This new piece is inspired by one of my favorite places and favorite daydreams about NYC - the summer flea market, particularly Brooklyn Flea. Fresh fruit. Cucumber soda. Amazing Mexican food. Antiques. Bad ass antiques. People. Noise. Sitting on the steps and watching it unfold on the hottest New York day. If I did live in the area, my wallet and my watch would be in serious trouble, because oh - I would spend time and dolla, dolla bills y’all. Every weekend, I would climb on my bicycle, load up my homegirl, Gertie and hit the streets looking for a thrill - maybe a block party (a la The Cosby Show) or maybe just an unplanned ice cream cone.

*Sigh* I know. This is a hugely romanticized view of a big, burly city from a wide-eyed midwestern girl. Shhhh - just let me keep it.

New York, New York PaperCut

Since I have a very exciting return visit to my favorite city looming, I started a new New York papercut today. It is based on a NYC papercut I did a few years ago as a gift. Obviously, it is not finished but I am happy with today’s progress. (My fingers hurt a bit though!) I’ll post photos when it’s all done! For now, I have a huge mess to clean up!

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