Friday, December 26, 2008

happy new year (and a SALE!)

we hope you all enjoyed a lovely holiday and that you are spending this chilly boxing day cozy at home, in your pjs!  2008 is swiftly coming to a close and we are feeling very optimistic about the new year.  amy's new line for 2009 has us pretty excited about the all the gift shows beginning in just a few weeks... i think the fresh shapes and sweet designs will please everyone who sees them.  they are truly irresistible :)

until you are able find them on a shelf in your favorite shop or online store, you may want to check out our new SALE section in the etsy shop.  we think you will like the good deals on these handmade items you might want to stash for next year's holidays (or keep for yourself!).  we will also be updating the etsy shop with plenty of new charms, linen aprons, table runners, pillows and porcelain cups in january so be sure to visit often... amy's one of a kind pieces are selling fast!

thank you so much for supporting our little handmade workshop all thru 2008 and best wishes to you all for a peaceful happy healthy new year!


xo
sandra, amy + robot girl

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

SODA in a shop near you!




hooray!  SODA by amy charms and letterpress paper products can now be found in 90 shops across the usa.  and one or two in japan! we are all thrilled and so grateful for all of the wonderful shops who have ordered (and re-ordered) SODA pieces to stock their shelves. we truly appreciate it!

here is a sampling for you to visit now (maybe one is near you!):



amy has been working day and night creating new designs for the january gift shows.  we spent yesterday afternoon shooting the beautiful new charms for the 2009 sell sheets and our new website (enjoy the little sneak preview above).  there will be new illustrations, new (mini and tiny) sizes, new shapes, new cords and colors!

if you are a retailer interested in ordering SODA by amy products for your shop or catalog, contact our lovely reps at keena.  if you will be attending the trade shows in january, stop by the keena booth and say hello!  

if you are a designer and would like to purchase SODA by amy wallpapers and linen fabrics contact our wonderful rep, scott betterman.

if you love amy's one of a kind pieces, check out the new updates in her etsy shop. you'll find something for everyone on your list - it's chockfull of splendid goodness!

cheers!

amy + sandra



Saturday, December 6, 2008

come see us at...





click to enlarge and view your invite

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

shop updates



we are all working from home today, watching the predicted five inches of snow and sleet pile up outside our windows.  yesterday we priced and packed five big boxes of beautiful handmade porcelain and paper items for the bucktown holiday art show this weekend. there will be new porcelain holiday cups, ornaments, gift tags, paper goods and versatile porcelain tray sets.  if you are in chicago, please stop by to say hello!  

between production and packing we have been updating the etsy shop with some beautiful one of a kind pieces fresh from amy's studio.  you will find an abundance of unique handmade holiday gift ideas for under $20.  seriously, this is good stuff :)  in these times, it is so good to make your shopping dollars stretch while giving lovely handmade gifts to those you love.

happy shopping!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

pretty porcelain ornaments




hello again everyone!  here is the little preview i promised of the new porcelain ornaments amy has designed for holiday 08.  these will be produced in a limited edition of ten different illustrations available this year only.  they are so charming they really put us in a holiday mood.  we are also pleased to announce that we will be participating again in the poppytalk handmade holiday market this season. please stop by at poppytalk to peruse her amazing selection of handmade gifts.  

if you are one of the lucky swappers who signed up for the cake and pie & freshly blended annual holiday ornament swap, you just might be a recipient of one of amy's pretty porcelain ornaments!  she signed up for the swap for the first time this year and is eagerly anticipating some lovely surprises in the mail.

for now, we invite you to peek in at amy's etsy shop to view and purchase her handmade goods and gifts!

holiday cards coming soon...

cheers!

sandra and amy

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

new appliqued pillows

we've had so many requests for amy's one of a kind appliqued pillows that we decided to whip up a new batch today.  this has been on our list for a while and i think you know how good it feels to work on a project that's been on your mind for weeks and weeks.  so good.






we will be making more soon to take to the upcoming fairs and events we are preparing for, including a bucktown holiday fest, a trunk show at homeboy in chicago and the launch of our new website with shopping cart features!  amy's been busy working in the clay studio making a collection of beautiful limited edition porcelain gift tags, nesting trays, bowls, wine cups, mugs and ornaments with festive winter illustrations for the fast-approaching holiday season.  i'll be posting more info and photos of all this and more in the near future...

but for now you may satisfy your shopping urges here.   we love it when you do!

cheers!

amy and sandra

Sunday, October 12, 2008

SODA in the news!

amy's "ethel on her nest" cup was featured in today's sunday chicago tribune house and homes section.  you may already know that amy's porcelain cups are lead-free and dishwasher safe. and you may already be using yours to sip your favorite beverages.  but did you know they make great pencil cups for your desk and sweet vases for a handful of fresh flowers on your table?  i use some of mine to sort small scraps for projects and to hold paperclips, pushpins and paint brushes. they're not just pretty, they're amazingly versatile :)

find them at homeboy.  find amy's cloth and paper goods here.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

art walk ravenswood 2008



amy did a great job transforming the office and clay studio into a beautiful little shop for the weekend art walk. we were happy to meet so many new people and to visit with good friends who stopped by. everyone was thrilled to see all of the pretty one-of-a-kind pieces amy brought out for the show. her amazing doodads, those small treasures that can be used in a hundred different ways, are some of my favorite things. there were buttons, chopstick holders, beads, dangles, tiny dainty bowls, pendants, paperweights, bracelets and tabletop sculptures. amy's delicate porcelain jewelry delighted everyone and her paper goods, pillows, home accessories, charms and cups attracted lots of attention, although some of the younger attendees were a little disappointed to discover there was no soda pop at SODA.
amy and i chatted with customers in the office area and her studio-mate, ben ritchey showed his very handsome and tactile ceramic work in the clay studio. there were snacks and wine, music and lots of good company. we thank all of you who were able to stop by over the weekend.

now it's time to put the office back together and get to work!

Monday, September 29, 2008

new! sew scrappy!


we started the cutting and sorting for the soda scrap bags today and we're pretty jazzed up about it. we've been talking about it for weeks; offering an assortment of amy's beautiful belgian linens in scrap bags for creative sewing projects, small and smaller.



it started when i took a few tiny scraps home with me and made this comfy watchband. it's amazing what you can make with just scraps. and we like to eliminate waste wherever we can, so all the scraps from previous projects (like amy's gorgeous throw pillows) have been stashed in bags and boxes all around the storage room. we were really excited about the idea of repurposing them, but there is so much more than the two of us can use!

the bags of fabric scraps will come in three sizes:

scrappy bags (six 10x10 inch squares = about 1/4 yard) - $24

odds and ends (assorted odd shaped pieces = about 1/4 yard) - $18

bitty bits (small strips and little pieces) - $12

in the etsy shop soon!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

hello and welcome



so much is happening at SODA! 





we wanted to say hello and create a place where we can tell you all about our new products, special events and plans for the future and let you take a peek into the studio... welcome!  we're hoping this little blog will become a favorite spot for you to visit.



amy is busy glazing porcelain charms for new orders coming in and creating new designs for paper goods that will be available in 2009. we are also unpacking from the recent winefest on lincoln avenue and preparing for the upcoming ravenswood art walk ,october 4 & 5.  if you will be in chicago next weekend, please stop by and say hello!

until then, here are some photos from amy's booth at the winefest...













see amy's work here and find retailers near you.  visit amy's etsy shop or attend a show to see and purchase her one of a kind pieces!