Jo & Jess

On Air

2009-08-19T14:21:00.003-04:00

Catch mom talking about our experience as a business start-up during the recession tomorrow morning on The Takeaway. Visit thetakeaway.org to find your local radio station and exact time.

"The Takeaway is the new national morning news program that delivers the news and analysis you need to catch up, start your day, and prepare for what's ahead. Host John Hockenberry, along with the BBC World Service, The New York Times and WGBH Boston, invites listeners every morning to learn more and be part of the American conversation on-air and online at thetakeaway.org.

"The Takeaway is a unique partnership of global news leaders. It is a co-production of PRI (Public Radio International) and WNYC Radio in collaboration with the BBC World Service, The New York Times and WGBH Boston."

It's been a while . . .

2009-08-01T14:43:00.005-04:00

. . . and for good reason! Mom and I have been busy moving our store to Main Street in Camden. What a difference two blocks makes. We love being in the heart of town and suspect many of you love it too; we're simply that much more convenient when running errands or visiting for the weekend. And we've finally got the display window we've so longed for. What fun! We've only been open three weeks but yesterday couldn't take it any longer; we had to install our second display, a fresh August theme featuring the new custom wicker we carry. Today's bright light and reflections make photographing it nearly impossible, but here's an attempt:

Stop in and say hello at 22 Main Street!

A shot of 22 Main during our renovation. We painted the floor design ourselves.

A smaller space but more room -- how did that happen?!

During our first weekend we had a lively visit from this group

of mothers, sisters and daughters visiting from Texas.

The color!

Spring Cleaning

2009-05-27T12:15:00.004-04:00

We hope your holiday was filled with family, friends and the same beautiful weather we enjoyed. Many of the cottages around our Megunticook Lake were aired out for the first time over the long weekend; and finally the smell of fresh cut grass is in the air! Any remnants of spring cleaning were attended to and rewarded with parades and cookouts. Work hard, play hard - and treat yourself to some spring cleaning with our newly arrived Pre de Provence and Savon de Marsailles soaps. We've displayed them deliciously in a spread of pretty whiteware. Olive trays, pitchers, cakestands . . . yum!

Fresh and clean

Rustic blocks of entirely handmade olive oil soaps stacked high

Pitchers, votives and sweet little bird bud vases

Better than a birthday cake!

A Feathered Friend

2009-05-19T14:34:00.003-04:00

Mom and I found this little Magnolia Warbler sitting, stunned outside our shop yesterday when we opened. We kept an eye on him 'till he recovered and flew off. Isn't he a character? And so beautiful too. I think mom should design a rug in his honor. Yellows and greys are very big right now.

Featured in Victoria Magazine!

2009-04-21T16:17:00.006-04:00

Check out the May/June issue of Victoria Magazine! On page 30 of you'll recognize some familiar faces. Mom and I were among the mother-daughter teams featured in "The Business of Bliss: Mothers and Daughters Share the Joys of Working Together."

Shiny New Spring Treasures

2009-04-09T12:58:00.007-04:00

Like baby chicks these items have just hatched. Brand spanking new. Still wet behind the ears. Come check them out!

Pearled letters, above and below.

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What about these Tunkables, beautiful vintage silverplate utensils and servers that have been "tunked" with fabulous words and phrases. My favorite? The pie server that reads, "Stressed spelled backwards is desserts."

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A decorative antique tabbacco holder from the Philipines.

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An antique Chinese teapot-turned-lamp.

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Finally, a new hatch of mom's hand painted shells!

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March: In Like A Lion . . .

2009-03-13T12:22:00.003-04:00

. . . out like a lamb.

Mom and I are excited and thought we'd share: Victoria magazine's May/June issue will be featuring mother-daughter entrepreneurs and mom and I will be one of the duos they spotlight. We had our interview the other day with the fabulous Valerie. She's putting together a small article to be paired with a photo of our Garden Deer Black rug (above). Needless to say, mom and I are busy making sure we're well stocked for the orders that come in after a feature of this sort. Our first magazine mention left us scrambling with a shortage of Zebra Chili runners! So consider this a heads-up: when a rug is featured in a magazine it goes quickly! If you've been dreaming about our Garden Deer Black rug don't wait!

A Pillow and A Painting - Or Two

2009-02-24T09:47:00.005-05:00

We finally have a picture of our new Red Bird pillow to share with you. I thought I'd give it a post along with a small study I did for the previously posted painting Light.

Camden just got socked in by another huge snowstorm. Mom and dad have been out of power for more than 24 hours now. Trees and bushes are so over-burdened they're drooping right over the road so that driving is like traveling through a never ending tunnel. The shop is a colorful (heated and lit!) oasis in the midst of overwhelming white. Painting has been a visual relief for me as well, a way to anticipate the spring that must be coming. In this spirit of hope here's another small study completed this week, also a gouache painting on mylar.

New Oil Paintings

2009-02-18T13:28:00.003-05:00

I just framed two new pieces to hang at the store - one very large and one very small. Enjoy!

Light

oil on canvas

30" x 40"

detail from Light

Dark and Light

oil on canvas

6" x 6"

Lobster Love

2009-02-14T11:04:00.007-05:00

It's Valentine's Day here at the store and I'm keeping some quirky but cuddly company. "Molos the Lobster" and all his stuffed buddies join me and mom in sending lots of love your way!

Our First Catalog!

2009-02-03T13:01:00.001-05:00

Available at Blurb.com

JO ELLEN DESIGNS

Hand Hooked Wool R...

By Jo Ellen Designs

Book Preview

NYIGF Favorites

2009-02-02T16:01:00.012-05:00

As mentioned in the previous post, mom and I found the New York International Gift Fair to be a bit overwhelming. We always do! - but in a mostly good way. At the show there were almost 3,000 exhibitors with goods ranging from bedding to knit socks, chocolate sauce to hand lotion, wind-up toys to letterpress stationary - and lots of things you didn't even know you wanted or needed. But also as mentioned, there were a few items and lines that mom and I found really exciting and that helped to get our creative and/or entrepreneurial juices going. Here are four:

1. John Robshaw's textiles are gorgeous - as is he, I might add. The painter-turned-printer's ever expanding line features patterns inspired by his travels throughout Asia, both personal and through the Aid To Artisans organization. Mom and I think one of our Singing Vine Blue rugs would would be a cooling foundation for the rich reds and blues of his Kahili collection.

2. On the third day of the show Veroniqué Marin, an exhibitor in a booth neighboring ours, arrived at the show wearing the necklace below. Mom and I loved it. Browse through the jewelry at Via Maris to find it and a beautiful collection of charmed accents.

3. Phaidon Press publishes some of the best looking books in the world. The following title was a present I received for Christmas. I carried it along with me to the show and during lulls mom or I would pick it up to catch a little fire. When I visited Phaidon's booth I learned that this sharp little book is one of their top-sellers.

4. It's no secret that mom and I love Fringe's vases and trays. John Derian's decoupage pieces are wonderful, but are becoming more and more trendy and pricey. Fringe designs are a bit more subtle and - we think - more visually stunning because of this. They play with transparency, the images on one side of an object seen through another. We'll have a new assortment of vases and trays available at the store this spring so stay tuned!

January = Blog Break

2009-01-31T12:03:00.013-05:00

Hello again! After an unannounced month-long break from the blog Jo Ellen Designs is back for 2009. Mom and I hope January was a healthy, happy and prosperous month for you all.

I spent the first two weeks of the new year in Costa Rica - a much needed reward after the busy, non-stop summer, fall and holiday seasons at our new store. I stayed at my uncle's casa where a friend and I painted a large mural during a trip in 2004. (It's still looking good Colin!) I also reconnected with many of the villagers and school children I know in Playa Junquillal.

a hammock view :: a detail of the mural

When I returned to snowy Maine mom and I had two weeks to prepare for the New York International Gift Fair, our big winter trade show event. Our little 10x10 booth was packed tight and very colorful. Our Gold Bird rug stole the show as we reconnected with our established buyers, enjoyed conversations with new ones, made some enthusiastic press contacts, and had fun with our booth neighbor, Veronique, whose fabulous taste defines the collection at Via Maris. Thanks to all who stopped by and visited us!

our booth at the NYIGF :: a photo of mom, myself, and Veronique

Our days at the trade show were long. Nine strait hours standing on concrete just about did our legs in! Mom and I took turns manning the booth and then walking around to scout out the wares of our fellow 2,900 exhibitors. It never fails to amaze us how much STUFF is out there! Humans are wonderfully creative and yet incredibly repetitive at the same time. Still, there were some real finds amidst it all; I'll post a round-up of our favorites next.

Experiencing the sheer volume of THINGS at the show and spending a week of walking the streets in New York reminded me why I left the city after school - and also why I miss it most. Like the trade show, there's just so much. So much of everything, all of the time. It's both overwhelming and energizing. No where else can you walk into a store and see twenty foot walls covered from floor to ceiling with every conceivable trimming and ribbon known to mankind - thousands of gaudy and awful designs and only a handful of real gems. The color! The texture! How do you calm down and make your choice? But nowhere else can you be rewarded for your effort of discernment-combined-with-imagination to choose the best out of a crowd. Mom and I tasted this satisfaction when we sat down for lunch before our long drive home. In a city with a bakery on every block we ended our trade show trip at The Little Pie Company. It took us an entire week to discover it, but in the last hour of our week-long stay we chose from the menu and ate the best sour-cream apple pie the world has ever known. Oh the satisfaction!

It's Christmas Eve!

2008-12-23T17:04:00.004-05:00

(We'll announce the winner of our game of tag next Monday - stay tuned!)

Tag - We're It!

2008-12-05T14:42:00.007-05:00

Colin Page is an artist-friend who keeps a blog on his website and he just "tagged" me in a game circulating around the blogosphere. Being tagged is like getting inside a chain email, only more fun and engaging. In this variation of "tag" the rules are as follows:

- once tagged create a post with a link to the blogger who tagged you

- list seven unusual things about yourself

- list seven other bloggers you follow, essentially tagging them

Here's the twist: one of the seven weird or unknown facts must be bogus; the first reader to respond and correctly guess the lie gets a small handmade prize.

So:

The first reader to respond to this post with the right guess will receive an assortment of seven small papercuts designed by mom. (See the photo.) With the holidays approaching these have been popular items - they make great gift tags, ornaments or stocking stuffers for paper enthusiasts.

Which of the following is false?

1. Mom illustrated children's books before designing rugs. Her first book, Wild Fox, was a Caldecott finalist.

2. Rug hooking originated in mid-coast Maine in the 1800's. Settlers dyed old woolen clothing, cut them into long strips, and then "hooked" the wool through the weave of burlap bags.

3. The Stammen family dog is a wolf-hybrid. He's all white and his name is Soda.

4. Jo Ellen Designs sells wool rugs and pillows in a former woolen mill. A river runs right under the store on its way to Camden Harbor.

5. Jessica doesn't design any of the rugs or pillows for Jo Ellen Designs. She manages the store, is a painter, and was one of Glamour Magazine's Top Ten College Women in 2002.

6. Jo Ellen grew up in a family of 10 kids and her husband grew up in a family of 9. They have three kids - Jessica and two sons. Together they have over 60 nieces and nephews.

7. Meredith Viera held one of our pillows on The Today Show and remarked that it would make a nice holiday hostess gift.

After you send us your guess don't forget to visit Colin's blog! Colin and I met in art school and bonded as fellow landscape painters. He's a heck of a painter and one of the hardest working artists I know.

Besides Colin's blog, here are six more that I check out regularly:

1. Sea of Shoes | This young lady has a fantastic and zany sense of style - love checking out her daily outfits!

2. Lekkercraft | My cousin Monique is a knitter and although she hasn't posted in a while because of a move from NYC to North Carolina, she's a good one to keep tabs on.

3. DesignSponge | A popular design blog.

4. Refractions | Mako is an artist friend who writes beautifully about art, life and spirit.

5. RadioLab | My favorite public radio program! The science geek in me loves it!

6. Yarnbombing | This one's for you, Colin.

Also, as a bonus, I'm going to do some shameless self promotion of my website. I don't have a blog, but you can subscribe to my RSS feed to receive an update when I add new paintings!

Enjoy! And good luck!

Drawing With Sculpture

2008-12-01T17:09:00.008-05:00

Solid graphite objects - use any edge to write or draw with them! Aren't they beautiful?! They've been flying out of the store!

Mom & Dad's House

2008-11-22T12:36:00.016-05:00

Last week mom and I took advantage of the gorgeous afternoon light that she and my dad get at their house and did a quick photo shoot for our upcoming catalogue. I also took a few shots I thought I'd post here. I simply panned around the open living space and did some close-ups of the doors mom painted. (I did the calligraphy!) Our Garden Deer Red 6x9 and Garden Deer Black runner both make appearances.

(Aren't these striped candles fantastic? We have them up at the shop!)

New Painting

2008-11-12T12:37:00.003-05:00

Only November and I already miss my summer swims in Megunticook Lake . . .

Early Morning Megunticook, Mountain Reflection

oil on canvas

30" x 40"

Around & About

2008-11-06T12:54:00.009-05:00

I've been noticing a lot of Chinese bird cages and calligraphy brushes on design blogs lately. No wonder these items have been popular in our store. Here's a nice tabletop arrangement incorporating both from an Oh Joy! post:

And here are some colorful wire bird cages I spotted on Apartment Therapy:

Mom and I are thinking about painting some of our bird cages in bright colors and then placing some small potted plants and flowers inside. Wouldn't they make great hangers? Fun!

Don't Miss Out!

2008-10-31T10:54:00.002-04:00

Inspiration :: Where We Live

2008-10-27T14:58:00.006-04:00

Last weekend I went for an early morning hike along the ridge in Camden Hills State Park - the trailhead happens to be just up the block from my apartment, not even a half mile from town and the store. In little less than an hour I was looking out over the panorama pictured above, taking in the peak foliage gently cascading down into Camden Harbor, the islands of Penobscot Bay punctuating the Atlantic beyond. How blessed I am to live here, I thought. And although a rain and wind storm brought down many of the fall leaves two nights ago, even in the spare chill of winter I - and I think I speak for mom as well here - we will remain inspired by the beauty of our location. This is where we work and play, this is where we live.

Painted Shells

2008-10-23T11:27:00.013-04:00

We hand paint each shell with liquid gold and silver leaf. All are unique! From tiny scallop shells to large nautili they look fabulous individually - placed on a small scalloped mirror to add sparkle, perhaps - or grouped together as part of a tabletop vignette. Have fun!

Papercuts - Not What You Think

2008-10-13T15:15:00.010-04:00

When making the transition from award-winning children's book illustrator to rug designer mom took some time to play, creating a series of six papercuts. Originally cut by hand, she produced laser-cut limited edition of each, including the heron and trout designs above. We now have these papercuts available at Jo Ellen Designs, framed or unframed. They make a great holiday gift!

The art of papercutting is officially classified as a folk art and first developed in China more than 1500 years ago when paper templates used for embroidery and lacquer-ware became a simple and inexpensive way to decorate homes. Over time papercut art spread to other cultures and each developed its own style, including German scherenschnitte, Japanese kirie, and Mexican papel picado.

Papercutting is still a vibrant discipline today and has apparently hit the design-made-simple mainstream thanks to a recent feature in Martha Stewart's magazine, as seen below. The framed pieces above the bed are all papercuts!

Chinese Calligraphy Brushes

2008-10-04T14:24:00.006-04:00

From the time we opened the store in July we've carried these great jade and ox bone Chinese Calligraphy brushes and they've been very popular. In just the past month mom and I have been noticing similar brushes popping up all over the place in magazine spreads and advertisements -- a few on a table here, a cluster standing upright in a large vase there, an arrangement hanging from hooks on a wall. Whether displayed individually or as a collection, these brushes are a striking accent in any room.

Above: a feature in the October issue of Traditional Home suggests a bouquet of calligraphy brushes. Below: the November Architectural Digest kicks off it's table of contents with a shot of Dennis Quaid's living room, incorporating the brushes in a table top display.

Two of Jessica's paintings

2008-10-01T14:07:00.004-04:00

It's that time of year again: early morning walks by the lake offer mirror-like reflections juxtaposing the colorful foliage of distant mountains and the white-washed shapes of nearby docks. Here are two paintings that capture the visual experience:

Both are gouache (a water-based medium similar to watercolor) on frosted mylar (the surface architects often draw plans on). They are small; both fit in white shadowbox frames that are 9.5" tall and 11" wide. The glass makes photographing them on the wall a challenge, but here's a quick shot:

Liquid Cardboard

2008-09-25T15:05:00.016-04:00

We've just received some fabulous and fun new items that perfectly combine innovative design, green production, and flexible functionality. Made of 100% recycled cardboard, their honeycomb-like construction allows each of the models - five large and two small - to stretch, twist and turn in on itself. Appropriately called Liquid Cardboard each form can be modified into more than a half dozen different shapes. Here's the No. 1 in two of it's possible configurations - notice the box shows more options:

Starting at just $10, mom and I think these pieces are great design elements on their own. We also find their surprising functionality truly fantastic! Each piece can expand to wrap around a votive or vase. The hollow centers are perfect for a bunch of dried flowers or as a place to stash pens and pencils for an organized, design worthy desktop. Take a look at No. 3 and No. 5:

You can display photos or postcards using Liquid Cardboard - we've used the little figure eight Cheyenne at the counter to hold our business cards:

Here's the Cheyenne, again, with a few Minis. All cost just $10 and make great gifts:

This last photo looks strait down on the fully expanded No. 2 and really shows the intricate yet sturdy structure of the Liquid Cardboard best. Where the form hangs over the edge of the table you can see strait down to the rug; and yet the honey-comb construction is strong enough to be a platter . . . or a cake stand . . . or a lazy susan . . . or, or . . . the possibilities are endless!

Call if you'd like to find out more or if you're interested in ordering - we ship!

Just a glimpse . . .

2008-09-18T14:06:00.010-04:00

. . . from the outside looking in at our brightly colored rolled rugs.

Did you notice mom's hand-painted window panes up top?

Come visit us at the Knox Mill!

Pretty Perches

2008-09-14T21:01:00.011-04:00

Ok, because I've mentioned our new Chinese bird cages in both posts so far I imagine it's high time I finally show them to you. The shop has been very busy in the past week (a good thing!) so mom and I haven't had the chance to set up for a special photo shoot to really show off the beautiful hand sewn ribbon and tulle hangers mom hand made for each cage. If you're interested in any of the cages and would like detail shots just send me a quick email and let me know (jessica@joellendesigns.com). Here's a shot of our five smallest cages hanging near the back windows:

Each wooden cage is beautifully hand crafted and carved. They are light and delicate yet completely functional if you happen to have a feathered friend in need of a new home. The small porcelain water bowls come in the most delightful colors and patterns and are perfectly decorative. Here's the largest cage with carved dragons on the roof:

The cages come in a dark stain finish or natural wood -- which pairs nicely with our new Gold Bird rug below!

So there you have them: the bird cages at Jo Ellen Designs. They're prefect for the table top or to hang from the ceiling. Speaking of which, the decorative hangers can be purchased separately. Mom had so much fun making them!

New Rugs Arrive!

2008-09-09T17:43:00.017-04:00

Before I show you all the beautiful bird cages I mentioned in my last post I thought I should let you know we just received a new order of rugs late last week. We're especially excited about the four new designs mom created for this order. We unrolled them on Friday and think they're stunning; the visitors who have stopped by our store seem to think so too! We only ordered a small number of these designs so we're offering them exclusively at our retail shop and by telephone order now through the holidays, after which our dealers may also carry them.

The new designs are available in 5x8's and 8x11's. (Yes, we have 8x11's now!) Here's the new Gold Bird design hanging on our back show wall, flanked by a fun turquoise cane chair and a pile of pillows:

And here's Red Bird, a flashy and festive color option in the same design -- notice the brilliant spot of blue at the center of each tile!

For these designs mom appropriated a white peacock motif she found on the robes of a figure in a Medieval panel painting. In Show Bird she queued the birds up breast-to-breast and tail-to-tail for a striking black and white rug. Here's the 8x11 under two of our custom designed display tables. Mom had fun arranging shells to mimic the graphic impact of the rug:

We love these new designs and will update you soon as to which charity they'll be paired with for our Designs for Good! program.

Receiving a full container of rugs and pillows is a lot of work. After 40 days in production and 40 days on a boat, a container is trucked to mom and dad's house on the coast of Maine where it is unloaded with the help of friends who are compensated with cookies and cool drinks on a hot and humid day. Thanks Fritz, Kathy, and Jesse!

Welcome and Thank You!

2008-09-05T17:06:00.010-04:00

Phew! It's been a crazy six weeks since our mid-July opening and mom and I are thrilled that so many of you have stopped by and responded with such enthusiasm to our space and, most importantly, to mom's designs! We love our light-filled storefront in Camden's Knox Mill. In the photo above you can see the bustling scene along Mechanic Street, a well-loved bypass around the snarly traffic downtown. Locals and those in the know use it handily and sneak in and out of the parking lot across the street from us with ease. It's just a short block to French & Brawn, the bank and the post office. What you can't see in the photo above is the Megunticook River that flows right outside our back windows, with Sage Market's yummy sandwiches and great wine selection just on the other side.

As a new business, locals and visitors alike drive by, crane their necks and point at the rugs rolled up in our windows. Mom has also done some hand-painted designs on the upper glass panes as well. It's a nice touch. We're not sure how long we'll be able to keep our double doors flung wide to welcome passers-by, but if yesterday and today's warm temperatures keep up . . . We can only hope!

While mom's full line of rugs and pillows can be viewed on the Jo Ellen Designs website, we've had so much interest in the other items and accents that fill our store we thought this blog would be a great way to keep you all up to date on new arrivals, seasonal merchandise, and our one-of-a-kind hand painted furniture. For example, just yesterday we received the most beautiful Chinese wooden bird cages and I'll be posting a photo of them early next week for you all to see. Also, we've got a couple new rug designs just in -- stay tuned for a sneak peak. I'll be posting images of newly completed paintings as well!

So bookmark our page and check back often -- or subscribe to our RSS feed to be automatically notified whenever there's a new post. I'm going to try and keep things fresh two or three times a week. There certainly won't be a shortage of colorful images, inspiring designs, and quirky stories for me to relate as our small business grows! Thanks for being a part of it!

Jo & Jess

On Air

It's been a while . . .

Spring Cleaning

A Feathered Friend

Featured in Victoria Magazine!

*Shiny* New Spring Treasures

March: In Like A Lion . . .

A Pillow and A Painting - Or Two

New Oil Paintings

Lobster Love

Our First Catalog!

NYIGF Favorites

January = Blog Break

It's Christmas Eve!

Tag - We're It!

Drawing With Sculpture

Mom & Dad's House

New Painting

Around & About

Don't Miss Out!

Inspiration :: Where We Live

Painted Shells

Papercuts - Not What You Think

Chinese Calligraphy Brushes

Two of Jessica's paintings

Liquid Cardboard

Just a glimpse . . .

Pretty Perches

New Rugs Arrive!

Welcome and Thank You!

Shiny New Spring Treasures