We make Portland awesome: Lark Press

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Jean of Lark Press

Who are you?
Jean Sammis, graphic designer...letterpress printer.

What do you make?
Greeting cards, wedding invitations...
calendars, notecards.

Besides making things, what do you do?
Spend time finding cool stuff for my retail location.

What inspires you?
Nature, animals... poetry, color, photography.

Where can your work be found?
Places around Portland: New Seasons, Powells. Places in San Francisco: SFMOMA, Lola of North Beach, Serendipity, Reform School.

What do you love about Portland?
The beauty, the people and great food!

We make Portland awesome: Aniela Parys

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Aniela Parys

Who are you?
My name is Aniela Parys.

What do you make?
I am mainly an apparel designer but I also make jewelry. Right now I'm focusing on lingerie and swimwear but I also make dresses and do custom orders and alterations. I produce one of a kind clothing lines for local fashion shows.

Besides making things, what do you do?
Besides making clothing and jewelry, I work in a local designer boutique on 33rd and Hawthorne called Mag-Big, as well as the cafe next door, called the Hazel Room.

What inspires you?
I am inspired by traveling and all the new experiences life constantly brings.

Where can your work be found?
My work can be found at Mag-Big located at 3279 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, Oregon, as well as on my Etsy shop.

What do you love about Portland?
My favorite things about Portland are definitely food related. I love the amazing vegan food here! The landscape is lovely and the tight community of talented artists.

We make Portland awesome: LunaSol

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Lindsey of LunaSol Designs

Who are you?

My name is Lindsey Alonzo and I am the designer behind the line, LunaSol.

What do you make?
I make ethnic inspired jewelry using brass, nickel, gemstones, leather & fabric. Most recently I have been trying to integrate my textiles background back into my work. When I was first starting out doing mostly bead work, I would incorporate hand dyed fabric scraps leftover from my college days into my pieces. When I started taking metals classes, I lost touch with those ideas and instead began focusing on different metal techniques. Now that I feel more comfortable with the metal work aspect of my craft, I'm working to bring color back into my pieces by using natural gemstones and dyed yarn and fabric.

Besides making things, what do you do?
When I am not making jewelry I like to read, practice yoga, play my clarinet, try new restaurants, hike and take as many weekend getaways as possible. I really try to take advantage of the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest; especially in the winter. It helps me recharge and gather inspiration even when I am not necessarily in search of it. In the summertime you can find me swimming in rivers and jumping into waterfalls every chance I get.

What inspires you?
So much of the inspiration for my work comes from different tribes and cultures around the world. I love going to the library and immersing myself in a specific culture. I am fascinated by Native American bead work and silversmithing techniques and the shapes and details of Berber and Tuareg jewelry. Fulani, Maasai, Turkoman and Mexican jewelry; I am obsessed with it all! I keep a photo journal of sorts with inspiring images on my blog: www.lunasoldesigns.tumblr.com

Where can your work be found?
My work can be found at lunasoldesigns.net, onnline at www.shop-summerland.com and www.nimli.com and at various boutiques around the U.S.

What do you love about Portland?
I am a mid-western girl who grew up on the plains of Kansas, so everything about living here is drastically different. I love that Portland is a big city but feels small with all the cute little pockets and neighborhoods. The restaurant scene is amazing and so too are the many things we have access to such as beaches, the ocean and the mountains. The art community is extremely supportive and there are so many talented makers here. It is very inspiring to witness and be a part of. If only Portland had more of those Midwestern thunderstorms, I think I could live here forever!

PDXEtsy Team Tax Workshop in the Etsy Blog!

Last month, I attended a tax workshop in Portland put on by the PDXEtsy team and Outright, the company I use for online accounting. Today, I noticed it mentioned in this particularly helpful article about taxes in the Etsy blog. It was a good event, with lots of good review and Q&A. Another perk was getting to meet Cheyne, one of the Etsy admin who is somewhat "internet famous." Here's a screenshot of us at the workshop, from the blog: 

 

I am on the right, putting something in my backpack.

We make Portland awesome: Arcane Arts

"We make Portland awesome" is a weekly series. I’m interested building our community of artists by helping us all find out more about each other.

This week: Adrienne of Arcane Arts

Who are you?
Adrienne Vita

What do you make?
Illustrations on paper, wood or fabric, and custom work

Besides making things, what do you do?
I love to bake gluten free, listen to music or read. I have lots of solo singing & dance parties... sometimes my husband joins in on those. ;) I also love to get out of town to recharge.

What inspires you?
Music, cinema, color, textiles, fashion, photography & most importantly doing intuitive readings for people (something new I have in the works, stay tuned!)

Where can your work be found?
Lots of places! I have an art show every so often and you can catch where, on my website. I sell my work my own site Arcane-Arts.com, as well as Etsy and Cargoh.com. Just recently I started selling larger versions of select prints online at Uncommon Goods. I am also in little boutiques around the country: Needles & Pens in San Francisco, Papel in Brooklyn, NY, Low Tide Club in Sausalito, CA, Space Montrose in Houston, TX, Crafty Wonderland & Tender Loving Empire in Portland, and Magpie in Somerville, MA. I just started working with a rep in Japan and she will be showing my work at two big exhibitions/ gift tradeshows, which is really exciting. I am hoping to get more of my work overseas. There are more exciting things in the works currently but I can't say right now until things are finalized. Stay tuned!

What do you love about Portland?
I love how beautiful it is here. There is so much art culture here and everyone I have met here has made my life so interesting. I also love the food in this town so much. Biking is so easy and accessible here - it's even not so bad to bike in the winter or the rain. I love how close we are to the ocean, the forest and the desert. We also get so many sun showers that make the most amazing rainbows - I saw a quadruple rainbow once, that would have made me go wild as a kid! Portland definitely has a lot to offer if you are up for it. I'm glad we have lived here for the past 10 years.