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Following the paper trail of Papel ...
There's a new shop in town and I couldn't be happier :) Papel (Spanish for paper) is a Brooklyn based paperie filled with some of my favorite card and stationery designers.
The space is perfection and the owner, Raegan Hirvela is natural and friendly. I stumbled upon Papel yesterday walking down Court Street. To me it was like walking into a candy shop! 
This is Raegan above. When I handed her my card, she recognized it from Fat Cat (yes, my exhibit is still up, thanks for wondering ;) It turns out she lives in (owners) Miki & Daniel's building a block down from me. It's such a small world! I had the chance to sit down and ask all about her start. Her hometown is Queens and although she's always been crafty, she is not a designer herself. She's lived on the West Coast as well, but hard for any self respecting city girl to stay away from NYC too long ;) After spending years working predominantly in fashion and corporate retail, when her wedding approached, she decided to design her own invitations, place settings and all correspondence. Her designs were a Big Hit and the responses overwhelming! I have to think that all that positive feedback contributed to the confidence it takes to follow a new path.
* Above some colorful calendars and recipe cards by Dabney Lee, local designer in Dumbo.
Realizing she'd like to run her own business, Raegan began researching two years ago and incorporated herself while still working full time. She began contemplating ideas and researching the neighborhood, while attending classes & seminars in her spare time.
On a ski trip in Vermont, it was her husband Jeff who asked, how about paper products? It was that simple. As serendipity would have it, she soon partnered with her instructor of a free entrepreneurial class offered by the city. She was off and running! 1st stop, the business plan.
*I am a big fan of Andy Pratt Designs, especially the vibrant city scenes on his cards, notebooks & journals. I was charmed by his Silvercup letterpress below, since I often work on those stages.
Again, timing seemed to work to her advantage. Raegan found out that her full time position would be coming to an end in May '09. Fortunately, she and Jeff had been saving up for a year in anticipation of their new venture and in August she began purchasing her stock of stationery and cards. By the end of September she found her storefront (within walking distance from home) signed the lease and opened her doors December 11th, 2009 :D
My favorite story is how she branded her store. Her friend, Soosan Joon whose artwork is on display (paintings above) teaches at The Art Institute and asked if her students could brand her company free of charge. 20 talented design students competed and it was narrowed down to 3 teams. Her choice in the end was the little paper plane. The logo is simple and communicates her concept in a light and playful way :) It definitely caught my eye walking along Court Street.
It's an inspiring story because she mixed passion with practicality and took the time to decide what interested her most and what would work well in this part of the neighborhood. When the time came, she took the plunge!
There are no other stores like it around, specializing in high-end, eco-friendly stationery, customizable invitations and extraordinary papers. 
*Charming hedgehog notebook by Girl of All Work Accessories, they also designed the fabulous page flags and piggy post-its above :)
*Wrapping papers by Seltzer Goods, Waste Not Paper & Snow and Graham who also sell their lines of cards here.
*Honey Bee Calendar above by Hammerpress Love their style!
*Canisters with cute growth charts by Rag and Bone Bindery :D
*Adorable vintage inspired cards by Writeables, not sure if their images are vintage or inspired by the style. If you know, I'm curious. They're all super sweet.
Above is a binder full of samples for custom invitations. She currently works with about 8 specialty vendors including Dabney Lee (located in nearby Dumbo), Wiley Valentine and Dauphine Press. The books I saw would make deciding on just one quite difficult. Some are sweet and whimsical & others simply gorgeous and elegant. We talked about how nice it is to not only look at selections, but to feel the paper, weight and finish of each. Raegan can meet with you and give you a quote in 2-3 days, itemizing exactly what is included.
*I purchased some cards myself and the one above is by another fave, Dutch Door Press
*Some very funny cards available by Offensive and Delightful (above) and 9 Spot Monk with statements like "Dad Wishes You Were Good at Something" ;D
*Another company I love is Hello Lucky and I had to have "I Stink" above!
*More from the delightful Snow and Graham and Hammerpress above.*Below are some samples of my cards from Night Owl Paper Goods. I adore their letterpress cards and inventive prints on wood veneer. I gave a friend their precious 2010 critter calendar and it looks like more are in stock :)
*Below is a card by Naoko Stoop for Brown Paper Bag Collection. Darling scenes with hooded girl and tiny bunny :)
Time to celebrate!
This last tip is for all of you interested in starting your own business. Raegan highly recommends New York City Business Solutions entrepreneurial program at The Levin Institute. She took the 6 day boot camp (2 full days a week) *Fast Trac New Venture and says it was "Unbelievable. One of the greatest experiences she's ever had!" *You have to apply and the new deadline is for Feb 2nd-- Get Started!!
Hours: Mon-Sat 11a-7p / Sunday 11a-6p
I hope you enjoyed this story about a gal and a paperie dream ;) She has a lovely store and the course she set for herself seemed destined to happen. As Deepak Chopra would say, "the world organizes itself around your intentions" or is it the Universe? I often wonder if this is true and for Raegan, it sure seems so.* There are so many wonderful card lines sold here and I couldn't show everything, so I will list some others here-- there's Eggpress, Little Oranges, Modern Printed Matter, LilyWillow, Spitfire Girl, Backyard for Bongo with fun Mad Libs style fill-in-the-blanks by a Brooklyn Heights couple. You should visit their site, if only to check out Bongo, their dog :DStop by Papel and take a look at everything for yourself! Website will be up & running soon, too.xo, Allyn
I've worked countless scenic & mural painting jobs in these shoes above by Steve Madden. Impossible to see a brand name now, sort of shredded off years ago and the soles are close to being completely worn too. Not sure how many more projects these shoes will see, but so far nothing has surpassed them in comfort! I wanted to celebrate them by posting a photo here :)
Recently came across these Coney Island pictures from a few years ago. It was a stormy looking day and I went with my friends, Melissa and Lance, Mirabelle & Odille. If you follow my blog, you know how close I am to them all! Amazing how fast kids start to mature.
Below an even younger Mirabelle pushing her stroller with mannequin head ;) Melissa Zexter is a professional photographer and she is particularly skilled at capturing mystery in the everyday world.
Melissa took this eerie picture of me at the Sacred Heart Church which sits atop Tibidabo amusement park in Barcelona. It was a very foggy day. Below, a much brighter look.
hi - hello there - save me ?
Onto other big wheels, I loved the size of this tractor wheel parked at Broadway Stages in Greenpoint yesterday.
These stages are situated directly across from a major sewage treatment plant. Yes, sometimes you can smell it, but it's a state of the art building, with a very important job! Looks very cool at night.
Now for something completely different...
Today I received my little package of adorable fabric and trim from This and That from Japan on
Etsy.
I'm not yet sure what I will be making, but I just love their selection. You can see some of my picks below which includes Little Red Riding Hood, i love donuts and German patchwork. They also sell craft books, kits, stamps and more!
Speaking of cute things from Japan. I am in love with this series of books by Paumes This is Petits Appartements a Paris and it's full of inspiration. Everything is written in Japanese, but you really don't need words when you have such fantastic photographs. This one is full of creative decorating, great color and overall charm you'd expect from a petite apartment in Paris!
I bought these 2 books at Kinokuniya, a wonderful Japanese book store across from Bryant Park, NYC. If you haven't been and you're a fan of stationery & products by Sanrio or Shinzi Katoh, it's a must-stop!
Also found out about the London shop, Lapin & Me from Ohdeedoh blog couple weeks ago. Fortunately, they have an online shop and also sell Paumes editions. Take a look if you love cute things like this Lapin Lamp below :)
Above is Maisons de Campagne des Parisiens. This is also a beautiful little book full of gorgeous country homes, furniture and color. You can imagine having a glass of champagne on the veranda, shopping the fresh markets, eating a great meal or just reading in a cozy library. Blissful images :)
Back to my neighborhood, here is Yesterday's News Everyday, you'll find a new selection of furniture and funky objects & books lining the sidewalk just waiting for you to take notice!
Above is Midnight, the softest cat I have ever met. She is a real sweetheart, too! She lives at my corner bodega. It often takes me a loooooong time to pick up a few items, because it's so hard to leave her. Of course, she has many admirers so I can't feel too bad ;)
Two of my favorite "Car Guys" Kal and Abraham are dispatchers at Court Express Car Service across the street from my apt. I've known them a long time now and I take a car whenever I have the extra money or have something to lug around ;D
Interesting lawns in Spring :)
I want to give a big shout out to Margot for starting her blog Margotk in 2010! These are photos from a craft fair last year in Beacon, NY with her son. She makes precious bags and coin purses, plus takes some beautiful photographs for her new blog. I see on her latest post she has some brand new pieces!!
I particularly like her attention to detail and the fun fabric linings :D
I decided to come full circle and share a small part of one of my very favorite buildings. Above is the archway to Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain. It is a real beauty by the architect Lluis Domenech i Montaner who also designed the equally wonderful Palau de la Musica de Catalana.
Have a Splendid weekend! xo, Allyn
Custom Hand Painted Murals for Nurseries & Children's Rooms
I often receive emails asking about my mural work and how to go about commissioning this type of thing. So I thought I would illustrate the process here...
I usually receive an email or a phone call about custom artwork and most people have an idea in mind of what they would like, but not everyone. We discuss ideas, possibly a color scheme and whether it will be an entire room, a wall or two or some simple elements throughout. I can sometimes give a ballpark cost estimate, but it's best for me to see the room. This consult is free of charge, as are the initial sketches. Here are examples of my sketches and the final outcomes...
As you can see, I like to sketch in watercolor to give some idea of the palette. Initially my sketches may be rough, especially notes I make for myself. Edits are made through email exchanges and I sometimes make a change once I begin a project. For example, the orange airplane above worked much better facing the window rather than the direction it took in my original sketch. No need for them to fly smack into a tree ;D
The above mural is a favorite of mine and we let Jonathan, who was one at the time, choose characters he liked from my portfolio. I put them into a nonthreatening little jungle scene. Below is a sketch I did for an exercise bike cover. I painted a playroom full of animals, countryside scenes, even a castle & a clock tower. Laura, quite the creative mom, decided to store her exercise bike in her daughters' new playroom, camouflaged as an animal! A buffalo made the most sense since the handles could look like his horns. My friend sewed it perfectly and I painted his face & fez hat. Pom poms added for flair ;) 
Below, a mix of pencil sketches I made for myself. This nursery would incorporate a tea party and animals en route to it...
Racing Day was for a nursery with twin boys. A car theme was desired to go with their bedding. I usually do at least 3 or 4 color sketches from which to choose or combine various aspects a client likes most. 
It wasn't until I got there that we decided to make it a race that appears to come towards the viewer, into the room.
Some sketches are almost identical to the finished product like the piggies above :)
Perfect in it's simplicity-- kind monkeys watch over the little one who sleeps here :)
hello little owl :)
This pink nursery mural was inspired by a single chair upholstered in a lovely french toile fabric. The turret was a perfect place to start!
A Brooklyn mural, it caught the attention of a local writer and was featured in the New York Daily News :D
Above, some sketches that have not been fully realized, but they are full of hope ;)
I enjoy painting playful, amiable animals that engage each other and hopefully your child. I look forward to some outer space and underwater scenes this year!
Feel free to contact me if you have questions about custom work, it's a very simple process. Please visit my site to see more work :)
xo, Allyn
Warm & Wondrous Wishes to You and your Loved Ones!
The East Coast had it's 1st big snow! The yard behind my building glistens in it's stark white. 
These photos were taken at the Union Square location of Olde Good Things Architectural Artifacts and Antiques. I was introduced to it by production designer and friend, Sherri Adler many years ago when I started in the film business. I was lucky enough to make some purchases here when I did set decorating on her films. Love the little train set in window and I think the chandelier would be a nice gift, if anyone's wondering what I want this year ;)
Always been a fan of milk glass knobs!
Bigelow is a very charming 168 year old apothecary on 6th Avenue. They have great lines of products, neatly displayed with lovely windows that lure me in!
I've always appreciated the tiles on this 5th Ave. building near Washington Square. I think it belongs to NYU, most over there do. I'm a sucker for old doors, as well as grand entrance ways.
Pink :)
Soho has been bustling during the holiday season. I moved to NYC when there were mostly galleries down here. It's now chock full of stores, chains and high end boutiques. I'm surprised by how many restaurants have lasted, even the little Cafe Borgia II where I once worked still sits on Prince & Thompson. I have a soft spot for the large warehouse windows and the cobble stone streets. 
Fanelli's serving up goodies at window, YUM :D
Walking down Crosby Street, I often notice the Savoy restaurant & make a mental note to try it sometime. I haven't yet, but it looks so cozy & quaint it must be good!
Had no idea we had a Bjorn Borg store here and looks like they offer a nice ladies collection, too :)
Now these were shorts!
Sherri Adler, I mentioned above, has started a delightful and delicious New venture-- Rogue Confections Handmade Belgian Chocolates with beautiful, edible designs imprinted on them. Inspired by vintage patterns, you can choose from collections including her Monarch or Cameo or create your own custom pieces. Dark, Milk & White chocolates that melt in your mouth! Yes, she came up with the name before Palin book published.
These pictures were taken as they came hot off the trays :D
*Your kids can design them, too!* See how on the Cool Mom Picks blog or simply visit her site :D
Rogue Confections has been a big hit so far, especially after participating in New York's One of a Kind Show earlier in the month. Recent press can be found at Craft Critique ,
Interior Design ,
Woman Around Town and quite a few others!
Kristine Lombardi superb illustrator & Blipadee contributor, and I had our final Perspective drawing class at SVA last Wednesday night. This was a rough one for me and wish I hadn't missed some classes. I recommend this to anyone who has the mental capacity to remember more than 3-5 steps at a time. I learned the hard way that this was not what I remembered from high school ;)Sal Amendola was our patient instructor, a renowned artist for Marvel, DC and Archie Comics.
The last night was a bit looser. Kristine scored an Archie and Sal took our requests. Very kind and talented man!! 
Gramercy Park below all sparkled up :)
Back at Bigelow Saturday night during big snow!! Above, Leslie poses like a trooper! I don't hang out here, just conveniently located near W4th station, so may as well stop in when I can, right?
Running, good resistance!
Here, Zexter returns after looking for her lost glove-- was in her purse!
Back in Carroll Gardens, this is Nick's Garden which I blogged about last Spring. It looks magical now in the snow :)
I like this toy arrangement by Mirabelle & Odille above. There were several set ups on my yoga mat.
She is special. Purchased some sweet little ornaments at Anthropologie this season :)
Hope you enjoy the Holiday Season and have a Kick Ass New Year!!!!!
November was a busy month for me, so it went very quickly. Since I started this blog, I tend to have my camera with me most of the time and I can't resist sharing photos I'm fond of, whether they document projects or just make nice looking images. These are from a clever & funny Dunkin' Donuts commercial I worked on. I made some signs, aged props and varnished pieces of toast among other things...
We filmed on location on Crosby between Houston and Bleecker Streets. I'm a fan of vintage cars in general and it's always fun to see the picture cars rented for particular films and commercials. 
Tough grips waiting for their next task!
I appreciated this sign for Star Shoe Repair and had them fix my favorite pink watch at lunch. I had been carrying it around with me for months :)
This building on Bleecker is one of the most beautiful in NYC in my opinion. I just love all of the intricate detail!
Above, a food stylist trims the perfect strips of "bacon". Wish I had taken pics of their delicious looking fake donuts. Below is my mess of a table, we were now shooting in a carpet warehouse in Williamsburg, Bklyn.
Below are photos taken from the 59th Street Bridge on the way from Brooklyn to Midtown Manhattan. It was a gorgeous day as you can see and I got a nice shot of the Roosevelt Island Tram.
Our destination was East Side Social Club on 51st St. between 2nd & 3rd Ave. My friend and fellow scenic, Bryon Finn took on a restaurant project. Below they are prepping to place tiles on the facade.
Unfortunately, I did not take any true "before" photos, but this was about 1/3 of the way into it's progress. The look is old Italian Social Club. Our goal was to take all of the bare wood, layer various stains and then distress it in a way so that it appears the restaurant has been around for many years. We painted and glazed a beautiful embossed anaglypta wallpaper and Bryon painted a "Bay of Naples" mural for the back wall. 
It was a lot of work and a pleasure to see finished! Happy Massee designed the space. There are a number of owners with a great deal of experience between them. The two partners we worked with were Patrick Fahey, also the contractor and Billy Gilroy, who has made it a real
family affair :D His son is the head chef, his daughter, general manager, while his brother is running the front. It's open for business and the food is delicious as are the cocktails!! Try it! Open from 6:45A-4A 
Great little public park on 51st across from restaurant. 
Always surprises me when, by chance, a paint stir stick looks like a little painting. 
Mom bought me these flowers while she was in town. We saw a great play with stellar performances by Daniel Craig & Hugh Jackman in "
A Steady Rain".
Also had the privilege of seeing NY Times Center interview with the brilliant writer, John Irving promoting his new book, Last Night in Twisted River.
Walking to C train on Spring Street, noticed how sweet these row houses looked. 
Home at last! Smith and 9th Street Station has great view of the Big City :D
I made my way to Manhattan's general post office located on 33rd and 8th Ave before heading over to the New York International Gift Fair at the Javits Center. My post on personal favorites coming this week :)
Love this little red mailbox. No, not naive enough to drop my special cards in here!
Rarely do I visit this location, relying mostly on my tiny one in Red Hook. Waiting in line here gave me time to notice just how beautiful it is. 
Once I had my stamps, down the chute they went. Good Luck my little Valentines, don't get lost. And know that if you do, someone will surely find you, remember Paddington!
*Please check back next week to view some of my favorite designers & companies who participated in last week's NYI Gift Fair. You'll be glad you did! *Wed is my goal*
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