Monthly Archives: March 2010

Tiny Pine ventures into fair trade fashion

A couple of years ago, I discovered that two of my college friends from Northwestern University, Maureen Dunn and Michelle King, owned a Fair Trade Clothing Line called Mata Traders. Soon we figured out that the Tiny Pine style could have a place within Mata… I helped out with some design for the tags, catalogs and logo redux. Then Maureen asked me if I wanted to try my hand at actually designing some of the clothes.

The cooperatives in India that Mata Traders works with do a lot of applique work and hand stitching. This made me really smiley because I knew that anything I would come up with would be treated with love the way all handmade products are.

I was super proud to do some applique design sketches for Mata, and then they translated within their block printed clothes. This shirt, which they so sweetly named the “Jennifer Blouse”, was one of the pieces I worked on. The collection will be available sometime in late April… keep your eyes opened at your nearest fair trade clothing shop!

Photo day – A tour of cedar

I am going to try to get Gia Canali to take pictures of invitations for me every day!! I know she is too busy for that… but I could just park myself at her studio and see what happens….  not only is she super FUN to  work with, she is just so talented… Thanks Gia!!

Here are just a few from our most recent afternoon of picture clicking.

There is even a THEME! All of these incorporate the wonderfully naturally scented cedar wood veneer.

The top one is a little program that has stitched wood front and back cover – with white pages in the middle… so sweet!

To the right here is a lovely invitation that has a cedar border – you can sort of see it on the edges. The drawn tree is actually based on a pepper tree, but cedar is such a lovely shade for a backyard wedding…. it’s all about the trees!

And to the bottom here is a save the date printed on cedar with a little photo of Big Sur printed on recycled paper and attached to the side for a little peak into that wonderful landscape.

Thanks for coming on the tour… any questions?

The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding!

Hi! It’s been an exciting evening, watching the Bachelor wedding on the west coast with some good friends … My favorite part was hearing about my appearance on the show via my east coast family… I knew I made the cut 3 hours before the show aired here!

Anyways, here is the OFFICIAL Tiny Pine Press Press Release (it’s fun to have two “presses” in a row!)  AND a couple of photos from OK Magazine’s feature of the wedding… with the escort cards that we provided and the custom pattern Tiny Pine Press designed that was on both the envelope liners and the wedding cake (cake designed and created by Vanilla Bake Shop)!

Oh! and check out the Tiny Pine Press website for LOTS of samples of other invitations and printing!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TINY PINE PRESS is chosen as the invitation designer for The Bachelor: Jason and Molly’s Wedding

Los Angeles, CA (March 8, 2010) – When it came time for former Bachelor stars Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney to choose the wedding invitations that would set the tone for their nuptials, they found a perfect match with stationery designer Tiny Pine Press.

Early on in the preparations for their special day, the couple met with lead designer Jennifer Parsons to create a quintessential stationery suite and help craft the themes of the upcoming wedding. Molly and Jason requested a design blending rustic and modern styles, within their color scheme of green, white and black. Tiny Pine Press produced a white handmade cotton card secured to a genuine wood veneer backing, with bright green silk thread wrapping each invitation. The wording of the invitation was set in a classic and yet modern all caps typeface featuring their names in an elegant handwritten script. The invitations, completely handmade, featured Tiny Pine Press’ specialty of letterpress printing, in charcoal ink. At the reception, menus and escort cards echoed the same look and feel.

A custom pattern printed in green, lined each envelope, with the initials M + J subtly incorporated for the recipient to detect. The chic motif, designed specifically for Molly and Jason, was repeated throughout the invitation set, as the backing of the wedding dinner menus, escort cards, and even on their wedding cake.

“The invitation looks GORGEOUS! Thank you for ALL of your help.  You were amazing, and I haven’t stopped raving about your work” summed up how Molly Malaney felt about her experience with the design process. All in all, Tiny Pine Press fashioned the ultimate wedding stationery suite for this Bachelor couple’s televised nuptial celebration on ABC, Monday, March 8, at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

About Tiny Pine Press:
Tiny Pine Press is a Los Angeles-based design studio dedicated to producing distinctive, artful stationery incorporating couture paper, luxurious letterpress and an inventive array of unique materials. Their signature craftsmanship and distinct art direction springs from a steadfast commitment to both beauty and timelessness. Lead designer and letterpress printer, Jennifer Parsons’ art is rooted in her upbringing in the mountains of rural Appalachia. She’s the daughter of a factory seamstress and has enjoyed a lifelong love of sewing and paper-based artistic creations. For more information visit www.tinypinepress.com and www.tinypine.wordpress.com .

Pretty Pictures

A couple of weeks ago, I went out on a little hiking adventure with Gia Canali in Fryman Canyon (in Los Angeles)… Well, it was more than just a hike. Gia’s husband Matt was lugging 3 or 4 heavy camera’s along because this was to be a photo shoot. I haven’t ever had my pictures taken professionally before so I didn’t think it at all peculiar that we would take a hike….

I was uncomfortable as Gia started clicking the cameras… apparently I am a “blinker”… and the more we hiked along the trail, the more relaxed (and probably sweaty) I got.

We got to the last bit of light that day and I tied on my printing apron that I carried with me up the hill. Gia got out her big old lovely 4×5 camera and loaded some polaroid film. I instantly felt in my element… In front of a BIG tree, as the sun was setting, with the mountains behind me… I was wearing my work out fit and I was comfortable.

Gia took the picture and promptly starting doing some magic work on the film and a couple of days later, she emailed this to me. Everything combined created an antique photo of me…. making me look as if I was a printer plucked from the turn of the century… (the 1900’s)

Now I can’t help but post this picture everywhere… I feel like she was able to capture me and then somehow with her chemical processes, Gia produced this vintage looking version of me.

So, all of that was to say… Gia sure does know how to make a picture. Literally….