We’re thrilled to introduce our new “change the world” letterpress card series, where we’ll donate 100% of profits to a critical environmental issue. The first card in our series is called Sunflower, and will benefit the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA).
Here’s the problem: Honey bees are in trouble — colonies have been collapsing mysteriously and adult bees are disappearing. The problem started in the mid 2000’s and is known as “Colony Collapse Disorder,” and researchers believe that pesticides, habitat loss, pathogens and immune system damage are factors that may be causing the collapse.
Why you should care: Of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food supply, over 70 of those crops are pollinated by bees. In the United States alone, the bees’ contribution is valued at over $15 billion, and this vital industry is on the verge of collapse. One out of every three bites of food are dependent on honey bees for pollination, so government action is critical to help the colonies recover.
Take action now:
- Sign this petition to help protect the bees. By doing so, you will encourage the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enforce restrictions (such as not spraying while pollinator-dependent crops are in bloom) and to take action against pesticides that are toxic to the honey bees.
- Get informed: learn more at PANNA.
- Start your own bee-friendly garden: Grow plants (like sunflowers!) to help the bees out. Download this handy brochure from PANNA for some bee-friendly gardening tips.
- Make a contribution: help PANNA continue their program work by making a direct contribution, or purchase our sustainably printed Sunflower cards — 100% of profits will be donated to PANNA to help save the honeybees, and organic, locally grown sunflower seeds are included with the cards for you to plant.
Smock’s owner (Debbie Urbanski) and Creative Director (Amy Graham Stigler) put their heads together and came up with some really unique gifts for this year’s holiday gift guide. While some of the products are local to upstate New York (we love buying local!) everything is available online! Happy shopping!
- Fancy oils and flavorful vinegars: you’ll never need to buy bottled salad dressing again. Pick an oil + a vinegar and it’s the perfect gift. The vinegars are wild — a favorite combination is walnut oil + ginger spiked blackberry.
- Uncommon iphone cases: support indie artists. Choose your favorite artwork by a cool indie designer, then create your own unique iPhone case.
- Snack Taxi snack sacks: great for parents or kids. Get rid of your plastic bags for snacks! Wild and crazy patterns, made in the USA. Stella is partial to the gnomes.
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Toothbrushes: a years worth of toothbrushes. Made of bamboo, practical & witty – and perfect for the person who has everything.
- Walnut end grain cutting boards – made with local New York State wood – these cutting boards are simply beautiful. Makes cutting pretty and fun!
- Canning for a New Generation: get your beloveds hooked on canning with this cookbook (lower sugar, wild flavors!) and a big old case of mason jars.
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Lunastix Juggling Sticks: these are the perfect gift for active kids as they keep their hands and minds busy. There are sticks for all sizes, ages and levels. Made in Salt Lake City.
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Clementine Art Supplies: natural, non toxic, well designed. The natural gift set includes everything needed for your favorite young artist and comes in a tidy box.
- Mint owl coasters: Etsy has some of the coolest owl coasters (like the minty ones above)
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Hindu Holiday tea: lovely tea made right in brooklyn. This is the perfect gift for anyone with exquisite taste, and because of their beautiful packaging no wrapping is required. Amy’s favorite for the holidays is Bellocq’s Hindu Holiday herbal tea – a delicious fragrant caffeine-free Fairtrade chai.
- Dead Feminists Broadside: A beautiful, hand-pulled letterpress print, created with hand-lettered original typography and hand-drawn illustrations and patterns (in fact, everything was done by hand, the hard way!). This particular broadside features Jane Mecom and her brother, Benjamin Franklin, but there are more available in the Dead Feminists Etsy shop.
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Felt kindle sleeve: make someone’s Kindle reading experience more pleasurable with this cozy sleeve!
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The holidays are right around the corner, so it’s time to start shopping for gifts! At Smock, we’ve got something for everyone — whether it’s pretty letterpress stationery for her, or man-friendly notebooks for him, we’ve got you covered. This is a carefully selected assortment of our best-selling items, so they’re sure to please everyone on your list! We’ve even got some great stocking stuffer ideas — all for under $15!! So stop by your local Smock retailer or visit our website to get started on your holiday shopping today! And don’t forget to stock up on a few rolls of our double-sided, eco-friendly gift wrap for a perfectly coordinated present (and to find out how to make matching bows, visit us on Youtube!).
1. Veranda Medium Keepsake Box $12 | 2. Quadrille Attachments Sticky Note Cube $18 | 3. Pollen Letterpress Scratchpad $7 | 4. Sorbet Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 5. Honeycomb Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 6. Veranda Notebook $9 | 7. Berry Memo $7 | 8. Cayman Offset Social Notes $12 for an 8 count box | 9. Picadilly Jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 10. Newport Lettersheets $20 for a set of 12
1. Oxford jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 2. Planet Memo $7 | 3. Ridley Lettersheets $20 for a set of 12 | 4. Bicyclette Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 5. Peacock Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 6. Koi Notebook $9 | 7. Bicyclette Scratchpad $7 | 8. Pembroke Offset Social Notes $12 for an 8 count box | 9. Oxford Medium Keepsake Box $12 | 10. Beetle Attachments Sticky Note Cube $18
1. Peacock Letterpress Scratchpad $7 | 2. Bubbles Letterpress Gift Tags $8 for a 6-pack | 3. Ming Memo $7| 4. Herons Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 5. Pollen Jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 6. Oxford Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 7. Pollen Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 8. Jade Letterpress Gift Tags $8 for a 6-pack | 9. Crochet Memo $7 | 10. Flowerburst Letterpress Scratchpad $7
We were SO excited to team up with Antoinette at Paperista for the incredible paper project that we’re about to share. The stationery boutique wanted to create a super-special display for a recent bridal event, so they teamed up with a local college design student to create fashion out of paper. Rika VanHeerde Snyder – a student in the Apparel Design Program at the University of Minnesota and intern at Joynoelle – created the most amazing, one-of-a-kind, letterpress wedding gown and cocktail dress for the display. The dresses were made entirely from recycled Smock stationery and invitations, as well as a bit of our eco-friendly gift wrap. We were completely blown away by the end result — take a look!
Rika worked with hundreds of scraps of bamboo paper to create the dresses.
The corset top on the wedding gown is completely stunning. The gown was crafted with our ivory bamboo paper, and some of the letterpress ink colors that are shown include raspberry, mango and taupe.
The cocktail dress was created with our white bamboo paper and features pretty hints of blue (our Ceylon gift wrap).
A huge thank you to the lovely ladies at Paperista for choosing to work with us on this incredible project!
{Photos by Erica Loeks Photography}
