Summer Reflections // Magazines SPRING SUMMER 2011

Hello all, I can't believe tomorrow is going to be AUGUST. Summer here at the Flett house has been one of the best to date. With much work and play going around, I could not be happier..and I have tan lines to prove it.

Mas, and the girls and I have been frequent beach bums as well as discovering a lake/park close to our house that is amazing. (Dundee Park). Clean and small, surrounded by the Maine Pine trees. Totally in love with this place. The girls are learning to swim finally among doing some private lessons at St. Joes College near by. B is 7 now and Ary is going to be turning 4 next month. Been holding them close, watching tons of movies and really trying not to be so obsessed with work and focus on the home front. Finding that balance of my design work and my little lovies is and always will be a challenge. BUT a challenge that is so necessary and natural for me. I need both..and pretty excited that I get to continue my textile work that has been flowing as well as the graphic design gigs I have been working on...

The gardens look great minus a few beetle invasions, I let the lavender go too long this year and the beds are looking kinda sad but Maslen always reminds me that they all go through cycles and I should let go of them always looking perfect. He always rolls his eyes so hard when I start complaining about a plant that looks as if it needs a shock of vitamins or something...I know he thinks I am out of my mind and just keeps walking. Happy that he understands that I am a total nut case in the garden (or in general ha ha) and let's me be as neurotic as I want to be. Thank God for that, and so thankful to have him. 

I will never forget my first Summer here when I went around my acre of gardens and started freaking out over all the beetles that seemed to rise out of the ground all at the same time..but since we moved here to Gorham, the beetles are not so bad. Makes me laugh out loud just thinking about it. I went around trying to catch them all. 

So today is our first day Mas + I are going to use our new large screen (54x30) for my newest project here. I am in need of some sheer curtains thus going to silk screen on muslin today. I hope I can manage the upper body strength to work it out with the Mas man. Which reminds me I need to get back into some form of work out madness. 

So many things in the works these days and taking a deep breath...my stitchers and I are working up a cute little bag, as well as finishing the prototypes of my new rounds pillows. I can't tell you how obsessed I am with these..and so excited to start producing 2 color designs for these little bags that will translate nicely into T towels maybe or more pillows--or both...

I found some things that I love that I will print on very soon---and working on getting some up cycled things to print on---just cause I had this random idea and just connected with a manufacturer that will hook me up with some used items that might just be the coolest erin flett thing to date? I am still completely a pillow lady--which will be my focus, but these other things are just for fun and see where they take me.

Hoping the deal in Japan comes through (more on this later)... and the textile mill here in the states moves on the 5-10 prints that should be coming out in the SPRING/SUMMER of next year. The fabric will be for the outdoors and it is woven which is seriously the most beautiful fabric I have seen. It will be sold only to the trade but I will get to show you as soon as I can. Such a great story here, but basically the manufacturer of my bark cloth lined me up with this other mill that makes amazing fabric for the trade for only the outdoor market. (Polo just picked up a huge line from these guys). So you get the idea. A small company doing big things which is amazing. And since everything is woven here in the US..I just believe in what these folks are doing. The deal would be a line of erin flett prints that will have my name attached to them to sell to the trade. Think bold and graphic with lots of color. (big surprise:)

The kiddos are with Mimi today, and thus, have time to sit this am, drink some coffee over looking my garden and just reflect. Life is amazing and seems like if you don't take TIME by the hand, make a list, things slip on by. I am determined today, and tomorrow to continue my quest for greatness, to grow--and to be the best mother I can be. I realized this past few weeks that being a mother is to live as an example more then anything I could ever say. I look deeply into little eyes and say things I hope the girls will remember, but honestly, when I feel out of my mind, I know they are watching. This keeps me grounded. I want them to know, see and feel that life is about these little ups and downs and everything in-between...and how we must just roll with it all. I say this over and over but it is the journey, not the end result of this wonderfulness.

Below are a few Mags I have been in over the course of the Summer so far. September Better Homes  & Gardens will have a erin pillow or two and of course Country Living at some point--shooting here in a few weeks--(delay last month has lead it to be this month in August). I also hope the STITCH will have a ASHLEY PINE pillow or two for a holiday feature? Sent a few to them a while back. We'll see. 

Lots of love, e

PS. A few mags that have featured my work. 

Working.

Last few weeks have all been about working...getting a lot done, finishing up projects and recharging. Time at the lake/ocean with the girls...cleaning out clutter...getting ready for round 2-3 or what ever round I am on. I find that I do this after a series of projects and madness, gives me time to reflect, organize and regroup.


Finally picked up first yardage screen last night, 20 yards will be printed, no matter how imperfect or nutty it gets, we are doing it. COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE postponed the shoot till August. Blessing really. Since I had a deadline before the shoot and now another on Monday which would have been the day after. So that is a good thing. AND they wanted curtains added to my living room. Something I have thought a lot about actually but nice to get a kick in the rear and actually follow through with it. So I will keep you all posted. Will be an amazing experience. I really love the photographer TARA DONNE and stylist, OLGA NAIMAN..work about sums it up. (click links-amazing).


Two great surface design projects coming up--lots of drawing in my future. Very excited about a Japanese company wanting 5 prints for some accessories for a Winter launch as well as a US company that manufacturers outdoor fabric for the trade has asked for some help with a new line they want to produce for a more modern and eclectic customer. Both sell to high end demographics and believe in great design. So very excited about these two lovely opportunities. I can't tell you how I miss drawing and working like this. I have been so focused on branding for others as well as the ACORN Catalog which turned out great....


ACORN went to press this past week and between the amazing photoshoot and working with an amazing group of individuals at ACORN, Sonya Purington / Christine Berube and amazing stylist NANCY NORTON. You can check out some of the creative below.


I am also working on some logo and design work for a new soap business that I believe will be mostly on etsy. I love doing type and embellishments--wild drawn florals etc. Really loving where those are going...


AU and I have been teaming up on a different level these days. We have partnered up and I took over the branding/promotion side of things as well as redesigning website. WINKY LEWIS shot some amazing lifestyle shots and will be featured online and on all promotional material. I love her. 


AND as we speak I am currently buttoning up comps for the rebranding project for PORTLAND, MAINE. A new direction for the city to promote the urban soulfulness that PORTLAND has to offer. I also read recently from a cool blog that described it as OLD WORLD CHARM..that has played a roll in my designs. A research company did a ton of back end research work and gave us a lot of info and working through all that. This one is challenging since it will be so public--but also because it is going to brand my city but also set the tone for a million pieces that follow. I was awarded this year long contract and so very thankful.


So that is all in a nut shell. Oh and of course working on new pillow designs, a few bag designs and working on getting a ton of my own new prints on my new screens so I can roll them out this FALL. I woke up the other morning thinking about a way to get a bag out of the pillow prints. SO I have been sketching out someway to make a cool bag out these 20x20 prints. So yes they will be square, (have another shape coming as well that takes off from a found vintage bag I have fallen madly in love with)..I been wanting to do a few bags since I started since I am bag obsessed. But just applied for a trade mark for my name "erin" on bags and they are saying I need them in the market place to move forward. So yes, stitchers will be getting them done very soon to get that rolling and yes, get me out my head once again and in production!


Girls are going to camp this Summer--learning to swim and doing all those Maine camp activities and little Ary is going to ROOTS a few times a week getting back to her little friends which she has missed. They are visiting Mimi today so focusing on getting a ton done. What would I do with out family? Between both our parents we would be lost. 


Thank you so much for caring, sharing your feedback, pillow pics and just being apart of this little life. e

New Happenings // New Work

Looking forward to Wednesday, ACORN photoshoot. I will be recreating my visual comp at this amazing oceanfront location here in Maine. "LIVE IT" is the positioning statement and the concept for the entire catalog. I can't wait to show you the layered details, surface patterns (Acorn's not mine:) and amazing photography + lots of color that has gone into this SPRING 2012 catalog.  Once finished I want to post about the amazing stylist, and creative team that has been so incredible to work with!

The bark cloth source is back on track--even with higher minimums and all that, very thankful that I will be buying from the actual weaver here in the US. A family owned company for generations. Now looking into a natural darker ground to print on for FALL WINTER. Love the natural off white, but would love to over a more universal color combinations for those more neutral loving customers that still value a cool graphic pop. Plus I am just wanting to print on something other then natural off white for a change. Should be fun--

I have been also playing with a new hand screened tag that will now be on all my work. I have been meaning to get on this for a year but since we have one stitch on every pillow (back flap) wanted to make sure the hang tag that I designed told a good story--and made a impact...just didn't know what I really wanted until now. I have also been dreaming up a new website design. I hope to get on top of that and launch FALL/WINTER 2011/2012. I would like it to be more about my work and my process, with great photography and maybe a blurp about myself that I haven't done before. My portfolio is very outdated online at the moment and want to be able to upload new work as I finish easily and have a more refined looking blog set up.

Country Living will be shooting her in July/August...they have not given me an exact date but been working on new projects and dreaming up news ones. Hopefully we can button it all up before they come. But honestly, it is just an amazing crazy thing that they are coming to Gorham, Maine. They want to shoot our home before / after style + a little write up of my textile design work. My friend PR chick, Hannah Gregory will be here shooting the whole thing--ha ha. Shooting what they are shooting and just be here to capture the day. Should be fun to see how they transform the place into something that is truly CL worthy. (styling and photography is an amazing thing).

Katie Brown's shoot went well and my pillows will be in Better Homes & Gardens in September in a outdoor spread I hope. Sounds like from the personal assistant that dropped off all the pillows I sent (all 27 of them) mentioned the outdoor seating / lounge area was the Erin Flett pillow focus. So we will see what actual makes the cut. Very excited. AND Katie Brown herself picked out a MR. NUT + COFFEE RINGS for herself and Stacy, the stylist took home ARIA.

I had a few great calls this week--one from a outdoor fabric manufacturer, this time from the US...possible collaboration in our future...a few business calls for some cool botanical soap packaging---and gearing up to start the Portland Maine rebranding process. And also a lead with a Japanese company that produces all sorts of cool modern projects might be purchasing some new prints.

A lot of fun things in the works and just really trying to focus on some new prints for my pillow line...still working on yardage. Burning world...Conceptually my focus on the new line will be focused on organic natural shapes and patterns, smaller scale repeats and more modern approach in aesthetic. The round pillow graphic is more in line with the vision I have. Almost a collage of elements with a modern edge. Inspired by mid century modern elements but with a hand drawn aesthetic along with other unexpected organic / collaged elements.

So the images you see are shots taken from SOWA OPEN MARKET #2, new ROUND pillows and some packaging labels I did for Paula Costin, for her yummy cookie tins. Enjoy. e

all of it will come---sooner or later

I woke up thinking as I often do...and felt the need to share the past week.

Yesterday someone hit my Honda Pilot while parked in the old port--long story is that Mas and I ended up in the PD for more then an hour making a police report since an amazing guy left me a note of every detail of who hit me--make, plate number etc. I felt completely overwhelmed at this man's kindness. Yes my right side of my pilot is creamed---but here was this guy who took the time to help me. Amazing. But because I was at the PD a good friend invited Mas and I out for a drink and well, ironically ended up at Havana South.  We ended up seeing some friends and since a design conference that was happening in town (which I am sick I didn't know about or if I did, some how got missed in my email box) ended up sitting down over drinks with the Editor In Chief at PRINT magazine. Okay, so this guy is amazing. After getting PRINT mag since I was a graduate from Kansas University  ...it was surreal. Amazing. I showed him my work and talked about my journey a bit..and really found his own personal story so inspiring. Needless to say a terrible hit and run accident that day, led me to this amazing evening with a design icon. (thank you Mandy).

But I woke up this morning thinking about where things are going for me, all the great phone calls that seem to happen every week--opportunities coming  my way that completely take my breath away. With out getting totally personal so many emotional moments this week--understanding my work process, how to make things better, smoother...being a good mom, mindful..being a good friend. Taking my designs to a new level, doing something that is me, but me NOW and not a year ago---taking that all in--figuring out where this is going...my surface design--graphic work, it hit me this morning like a mack truck. I feel so strongly that you get amazing opportunities in life when you basically strip things totally away...you show people who you are, not afraid to be wrong, or put something out there that may not be beautiful--because it's just where you are at personally--not the end result- Just a piece of it--part of the process...it is when you show people your truth-say I want this, this is what I am doing and this is how hard I am trying to work it out--survive...thrive and learn. Thinking out loud I came to the conclusion that people want ultimately to see people succeed. I think the public has so much positive power -and it's amazing when you put yourself out there. So I guess what I am saying, when you are genuine, no strings...dig deep and just let go--the universe takes your hand and lets what you envision happen. People really want to see people live a dream, just be happy. Face it, we want to be happy--all of us and love to see others happy--it's that spark from life and others--that keeps me getting up excited, it's B's and Ary's eyes when they look at me--all of it. But when people listen and really hear you...it's perfect. When I was sitting across from Aaron Kenedi, Editor In Chief, this hit me...

So I am understanding the way of the world, universe a little more each day---so the other insane thing that happened this week--is that FULL SWING (the supplier of my bark cloth) is no longer selling it due to the increase cost of cotton and the high minimums. I totally freaked out knowing that this cloth that I have been so emotional tied to may not be available to me. (If you don't know the story about the cloth for me is that my mom has collected it my whole life--and it was a personal great find at yard sales and antique thrift shops.) I have the greatest memories collecting this cloth with my mom my entire growing up. This cloth is ONLY available through this one mill as far as I know. After some back and forth he sent me the manufacture of the cloth since he could not supply it. The owner of the mill, the weaver of this amazing bark cloth said that in over 27 years no one has ever just given that info out. Just doesn't happen. I feel so blessed that Fred at FULL SWING felt I should have it, that I needed it (which I did desperately) but also, that he believed in what I am doing and has now given me the info to keep going.

This all boils down to how people rally around you and push you even if sometimes you fall or feel like what ever it is--will not happen. That authentic self plays this roll that if you are truly who you are--and ask nothing more then just to be heard--absorbed-things work out. Seems so easy..so obvious. But I have been around people in my life that are negative or just make bad decisions but decisions based out of fear or sadness or what ever. But I wish I could bottle up this passion sometimes and give it away and tell people that is it...that is all you need, the rest just follows.

I am no where in my career where I can say I am content, or even close to being heard truly as a designer. I feel this is the start of it all. And since I have great momentum this past year on so many fronts..it's confirmation in my soul that I am on the right path to just be able to do what I love--which is all anyone wants right?

This post has no pretty pics or work---just me. And I am so not alone in my quest for greatness. It's just been an amazing week and I wanted to thank each new opportunity, gift and good deed that has come my way and hope I can return each and every blessing.

I have been getting a ton of emails from Seniors in college just starting out in the design world and this is for them--and for anyone that may feel they are not on the right path..or just figuring it out. I have a ton to learn about everything..but I know in my heart that this lesson of letting go and knowing that if I envision it, believe it--all of it will come---sooner or later. e

IDSVA-

Happy long weekend...I just finished up a sweet project that was so amazing to be apart of. IDSVA offers a low-residency PhD program in philosophy and art theory to visual artists,

architects, curators, and creative scholars. Instruction includes preeminent world-wide visiting faculty, residencies in Tuscany, the Venice Biennale, Paris, and New York City, plus year-round distance-learning. George Smith, president, started this amazing program. Here is a quote from the website. 

"I have collaborated with art practitioners and scholars from around the world to design a PhD program for artists---and by artists I mean those who approach their work as a creative practice, as curators, architects, creative scholars, or art practitioners in the more traditional sense. I believe we have created the first PhD program of its kind in the United States. It combines rigorous philosophical study with on-site intensives. The latter might be described as critical interventions that bring the artist-philosopher into immediate contact with the life-world of contemporary art, whether it be participants in the Venice Biennale or the critics, curators, gallery directors and artists who populate the New York art scene." -George Smith

After a few conference calls with Rhonda Birkbeck (amazing designer // interior designer) who referred me to Amanda Holland (marketing genius) and after I heard 2 seconds about the program..which I already knew a little about from doing the JULY 2010 Feature spread in Maine Magazine. We quickly all became immersed in all the ideas we could run with knowing it was going to be an insane creative evening celebration! Only requirement was that it had to be different, something that stood out--something bold.

The concept we came up with for the event was to have a blow out, urban party on a roof top of a parking garage in the Old Port down town Portland, Maine. Think cement, grit, graffiti, hot DJ music, sweet lounge...it's all underway and the starting point was suppose to be a kick ass invite. So Rhonda and Mandy + I spoke various times on the phone throwing ideas around and came across some pop artist work--as well as some classic work of Lichtenstein + Warhol. These visuals became the backbone of the look and feel we were going for. 

I love silk screening anything these days so the opportunity to screen a sweet invite was exactly what I was concepting. The program is based in a lot of amazing cities all over the world so the crew at IDSVA wanted me to incorporate the skyline of iconic architecture buildings that really screamed each city. IDSVA’s three-year course of study blends distance learning with intensive residencies at Spannocchia Castle in Tuscany, the Venice Biennale, Paris, New York City, and Providence, Rhode Island. So while being totally graphic and bold / urban I combined all these iconic cities into one collage that focused on the tops of a few buildings. 

I wanted the paper stock to be 100% recycled, gray to match the endless amount of cement and be a tad gritty. And I wanted it to be super THICK so I could screen on it with out it rolling up. AND I really wanted it to be a over sized POSTER...so I wanted something to be different and city like. Maslen + I  silk screen my tags and other things on chip board and thought of this but wanted it to be more gray then brown--so we looked all over for GRAY CHIPBOARD.

After searching all over for GRAY CHIP BOARD Mandy found it and bought it up (super cheap + great) and we had it cut down from Dunstan Press--my letterpress guru. George / Rhonda / Mandy asked for a little of Erin Flett here and there so I added a few decorative elements but also wanted it to not get too busy or over designed. So this is what it ended up like. We loved the black but since I did the spread in Maine Mag in a hot pink--that was something I thought we could continue---so please enjoy the pics! First line up MAINE MAG SPREAD--COLOR / and design take off---then the invite drying in our studio print shop. ENJOY. e

B TURNS 7!

Hello. 

Breshia, my oldest, just turned 7. We had a BACKYARD CAMPING PARTY...and yes, I was not quite prepared for 8+ girls for a over night--but I survived and well, I have to say, I had the best time. Between the s'mores, Mas's silk screening demo silkscreening t's, running around blowing bubbles + the midnight stories that seemed to last all night--(all stories were about creepy old ladies and cats and dogs). The girls held the flashlight under their faces and each told at least 2 stories each. After the second round I was exhausted but my heart smiled because I was feeling like we were making some great memories. Ary who is now 3 almost 4 was in the mist of it all and she beamed all night--B was in her element and I can honestly say I didn't realize she had such a funny personality with her little friends--a little comedian/actress. She is so down to earth and quiet really but in this element she was hilarious and witty--all qualities I see time to time but this was a entirely different Breshia--a little girl drama here and there but for the most part a HUGE success. I will tell you, I really felt as if I was watching myself, through her. So funny as a mother how you see yourself and look on in amasement. I KNOW all too well that these moments where I can be among her friends will pass, and I will have to be that mom that asks a million questions obsessively. But for now I totally enjoyed playing, dancing and just being a apart of this little world. ENJOY the pics. PS. I dug out a huge patio this SPRING and filled with granite crushed rocks that are easy on bare feet and found more granite pavers recycled from the streets of OLD PORT, DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, MAINE. The day of the party, that morning actually I found a TEAK SET on craigslist that was marked down and yes, Mas and I emailed, called and stalked the lady who had it for sale and brought it home. It was amazing timing and we totally enjoyed it all night. I will post before and after shots soon. Loved the entire process. Evenings are now spent in our new chairs watching the kids after al fresco style... e