Nicole LaRue

WE Collective

So I've finally started my absolute dream… a retail store and café. Okay, so we don't have an actual location just yet, but all the makings of one for sure! We were accepted to sell our product at this year's local Farmer's Market in salt lake city utah and are finishing up some loose ends as far as business plans and inventory go and we're there!

I've launched our landing page www.wecollective.com where you can follow us on our blog, buy product on etsy and look for us on twitter and facebook, so PLEASE tell anyone you know, we want wecollective to be awesome!

This is our newest pitch, so enjoy:

Follow our progress as we get ready to launch White Elephant Collective by year-end. Our philosophy is to create a destination art boutique and café for gift givers in search of great design products, hand printed paper goods, and an unparalleled cup of coffee.

Let me guess… Owls?

So by now I imagine you're thinking… um, more owls? I know, maybe I'm a one-hit-wonder? ah-hah, no way, but these ARE great (or I like to think so)! The Good Mama, a cloth diaper designer and maker just made a collection out of my owl pattern and they're super adorable! I also redesigned their cute little logo and website as well, so it's quite exciting. Check out the collections, everything is sewn and produced in the USA and it's all incredibly fantastic!

Sardinas con Chocolate…

Dude… I sure hope I can out-do these owls in my next line… sneak peek coming soon! Thanks Sardinas con Chocolate for the feature, I dig the name!

Paper Crafts Blog!

I was featured in Paper Crafts' new blog! Thanks guys! I can't wait to share my newest… soon, soon, I promise!

Get Creative With Type

Get Creative With Type happens to be a new book by Creating Keepsakes and is authored by one very cool man named Brian Tippetts. I feel absolutely lucky to have been asked to be a  contributor for it and think the entire book is beautiful! So if you don't happen to have it in your collection yet, just go take a look at it, it's fantastic… and i think you'll love it too (truly).

Creating Keepsakes November 2008

So I suppose I'm trying to catch up, one by one, and this was the next on my list to blog. Last November, Creating Keepsakes decided to mention me in their Outside Inspiration column that Brian Tippetts does at the end of the magazine. Yea for me… and thank you to them, they're truly some great folks!

AIGA100 Show & Grand Adventures

Okay, so this has to remain a bit of a secret until May 16 (when it is officially announced; saltlakecity.aiga.org, but my latest project, and book, was just accepted into this year's AIGA100 Show! It's written by my partner, Naomi Lee, and hand illustrated and letter press printed by me! 32 pages of illustrated, letter press printed goodness! You'll love it if you love anything by Edward Gorey, it's quite the tale and a choose your own adventure at that. It's an editioned book of 1000, all hand illustrated and letter press printed. They'd make the perfect, little gift to be sure!

The 100 Show, this regions most prestigious juried competition, honors and showcases this years best design, advertising and digital media. Both print and interactive entries were judged by three of the highest recognized names in the design community. Of the 100 pieces selected, only 10 entries are awarded the Copper Ingot, one of the most sought-after communication awards in the Intermountain West. Work selected for the show will be on display the night of the event and for an extended period of time during the month of May at the main branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library.

We are selling the book on etsy if you're interested! nicolelarue.etsy.com

lmnop Magazine + Australia

Have you been to lmnop.com.au? It's a fantastic online kids magazine from Australia and they seem to feature some pretty great and quirky things. Download their new Issue 5 and check out the Festive Holiday Greetings they've featured, the ornament card on the right belongs to LaRue and Company! 

Martha Stewart Weddings

So I was incredibly lucky enough to be featured for my printing in the latest summer issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. Absolutely exciting really. I hope you all check it out and purchase a copy!

City Weekly Artys Award

So i'm officially famous! I was just featured in Salt Lake City's Independent Newspaper, City Weekly, for the 'Best Quirky Designs' and given an Artys award. Very, very exciting to be sure. Isn't now when the phones are supposed to be ringing off their hooks? Hey… what would your thoughts be if I were to open up a design boutique and art space?

Some News.

Dude, so why does it take me such an insanely long time to report the news here? Well, I'm not entirely sure, but I'm back on it… i… err, promise? I'll be quick in the detailing, so here goes: LaRue and Company appeared in the summer 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, the product line will be featured in the Artys issue of Salt Lake City's City Weekly (an independent newspaper) and, hopefully in December, Redbook will be featuring product in their Gift Guide insert and also their online sources. In order for Redbook to feature product in their guide, the product needed to have a direct link for a place to purchase… so I've opened up my own Etsy Shop (nicolelarue.etsy.com). I have heaps more product to add, so please keep checking back! Happy summer to you all… I certainly hope you're all out there living… with joy!

Product and some Design*Sponge Fun

So I thought I'd share a couple of the new products that I introduced at The National Stationery Show… good, fun, happy, cool stuff. Stuff that I've had immense fun with and that the lovely Grace Bonney from Design*Sponge decided to feature in her 2008 Surtex Review. Enjoy my friends… and spread the word that there's rad, new product out there! Oh, and you can also check our newly updated website at LaRue and Company . We'll be trying to update this just a bit more regularly as well!

NYC Booth Goodness

So I thought I'd post just a few images of the good times had at the National Stationery Show and Surtex in New York one week and a few days ago… I had NO idea what I was doing, but it was one AWESOME time. I was able to meet some truly great people and artists, as well, that share my same views on doing what we do… It's a "why not" life I think I'm trying to live… so "why not" do art all day long???

 

   

National Stationery Show 2008

Love It…
Want It…
Need It…

Come see LaRue and Co's new line at the National Stationery Show, May 18-21, 2008 in New York! Booth #1367.

Surtex 2008

Um… Ta-Da!

Introducing Nicole LaRue's newest line of over 100 patterns at Surtex, May 18-20, 2008. Come see me in New York! Booth #1006.

Surtex & The National Stationery Show

Boy its been some time since I've added anything up here, but I've actually been preparing my new product line release for the stationery show in New York at the end of May. Besides my full-time gig its taking every other waking hour that I can find and I love it! If you happen to be attending either show, please come and visit me and my crew! Surtex booth #1006 and The National Stationery Show booth #1367.

I thought I'd share a couple of the patterns that I will be taking to Surtex to add some excitement, I'll plan to do a Stationery Show sneak-peak just as soon as I get my rad photographs back! It is getting exciting!

Symbiotic Relationships Anyone?

I was commissioned to do a bit of illustration for a great design studio here in salt lake last weekend. It was intended for a Novell piece showing symbiotic relationships. This one is one of three. Decently fun, little line drawings anyway!

A Bit More Drawing

I thought I'd post a bit more tonight and add another drawing to the mix. This is one of 10 others that will be flourishes for my pattern line at Surtex. I honestly can't believe how much drawing I've done in preparation and what amazing fun it has been. I just wish I wasn't so desperately nervous about all of the preparation I have yet to do. Anyone know anything about being a rock-star at a trade show?!

TV and Gift Giving

Alright, so I don't have a video clip just yet, I haven't yet seen it myself, but this past week I was invited to be on KSL Channel 5 tv for my magazine, 101 Hip, Handmade Gifts… funny enough, they came to my house to film their lead-in story and then had me show a bit of gift-giving for the live section. I put together a pretty decent little Valentine's Gift for it which I'm showing here… and, as soon as I can get my own hands on it, I'll see how to post my 15 Minutes of Fame as well! Happy Valentine's Day to all of you who are loved!

I Call it Balentines…

Its been some time since I've posted anything, so I thought this was as good an excuse as any… Valentines, also known in my world as "Balentines"… at least, that's what my best friend, Tracy, and I call it! So I'm posting the drawing I've started for this year's card. Not traditional, not pink or red or white, letter press printed on aqua paper with tiffany blue ink… and awesomely good fun. Happy, Happy Balentines all of you non-sappy friends of mine!