PAPAYA! BLOG

Coming soon...

We're so excited to announce three new products that will be available in July: Glitter Gift Tags, Glitterifics, and Glitter Sticker Sets. Glitter Gift Tags (above) will come in three styles, 24 tags in a tin. Each tag is embellished with glitter and bakers string.

You might remember us mentioning Glitterifics in a Sneak Peek a while back. Glitterifics are our new 3.5 x 5" mailable notecards paired with coordinating envelopes. Both card and envelope are embellished with glitter and are packaged in a keepsake tin.
And last, but definately not least, three styles of Glitter Sticker Sets will be packaged in a tin. Each set has 160 glittered stickers in a variety of shapes and sizes.

We're so excited to receive these new beauties in mid-July, so mark your calendars!

PAPAYA! LIVING Opening Night

This was no April Fool's joke, rain or shine (and we had plenty of both that day), PAPAYA! was determined to open the doors this past Friday, April 1st for the Grand Opening. And grand it was! Family, friends, well-wishers, tourists and the curious shopper flocked to the new store PAPAYA! LIVING for champagne and cupcakes....and some fabulous shopping!

The store is a beautiful and ecclectic combination of PAPAYA! merchandise and well-known lines in the gift, beauty and jewelry industry. Not to mention some amazing imports from Guatemala and Mexico....tunics, pillows, purses....gorgeous. This is luxe boho at its best.

Eli, Gina and Anahata Katkin: a proud and happy moment for the family!

A peek inside the front window....

If you are in town or if you are coming this way, we would be thrilled to see you and share our excitement with this new venture..33 North Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520

Reading List

 

I've found my next collection of must-have coffee table books to savour but...BUT...they are not published yet and as fast as I click on the pre-order button at Amazon, they don't appear to be arriving on my doorstep any faster. I will wait patiently. Here are some of what I think will be some of my favorite home design books for the spring. Creative Walls, by Geraldine James, in particular, is calling my name!

I have no doubt this will be a wonderful book from Holly Becker, blogger extraordinaire from Decor8. 

 
Mixed patterns, lots of pillows, flea market goodies wrapped up together by UK stylist and author Emily Chalmers seems like a promising mix. 

I imagine this book from another great UK stylist, Atlanta Bartlett, will reflect that shabby chic aesthetic that Rachael Ashwell made so popular in the United States. And so I will wait...hopefully not too long...for these inspiring goodies to arrive.

Making handmade Envelopes & Cards

One of my true creative loves is working with paper. It's such a forgiving medium to experiment with. Not overly precious, since it's so inexpensive... you can really dig your scissors in and experiment!

I like to buy decorative paper packs from India, and piece together all of the different patterns and colors like a paper quilt.  Using spray glue to adhere delicate Chinese folk art paper cuts, and my trusty  tool kit to make eyelets, I could get lost in creating with paper all day long.

To see more of my handmade projects visit my photostream on flickr... Hope you all have a happy creative weekend! xo

On the road again

Team PAPAYA! is on the road again. We just finished up shows in LA and Atlanta and are now spreading the love in Vegas, baby! If you're at the Las Vegas Gift and Home Show visit us in booth C0596-58.

 

 

Spreading the Love One Product at a Time!

I was recently asked, or maybe I asked PAPAYA! what are we? What do we represent and who are we in the marketplace? What is our niche? And because "We're fun & awesome & super-cute!" didn't quite fit into the tag-line I had in mind, i gave it some thought and this is what I came up with..

PAPAYA! Where urban boho chic meets art as inspiration. Spreading the love one product at a time!

We're a bunch of other fun, awesome, super-cute things too, like the new assortment that's ready to launch late summer: hard covered hand-illustrated spiral notebooks, resin art blocks, chic tassel key chains and new designs of old favourites like decorative envelopes, greeting cards, and art panels. New catalogue (above) has just gone to press...featuring said goodies! Coming soon to a store near you...

For Mom

Photo Credit: Tiffany Arment

On May 9th this year we honor our mothers. This year, while I won't be able to spend time with my Mom, she will receive a beautiful and cheery box filled with that sweet PAPAYA! glitter.  



Top to bottom, left to right: Indian Bloom Mother's Day Card, Bouquet Necklace, Thank You Postcard Tin, Correspondence Sticker Set,Vintage Lime Envelope Set, Floral Batik Tote, Love Letters Address Book

If you want to send your mom a beautifully wrapped box of goodness, take 15% off of your order (over $25) until Sunday, April 25 with code MOMSDAY10.

Toy Camera App for iphone

If you like the dreamy effects from toy cameras such as the Diana or Holga and are sporting an iphone... you should check out the "Toy Photo" app. 

During our spring shoot, I took a few fun shots with mine...  it's a great way to add some instant artistry to your cell phone pics!

A candid of Anahata, taking photos during our shoot... 

an instant vignette... under the magnolia tree.

The new PAPAYA! store is getting closer every day!

Well, the glitter gang at PAPAYA! have been working overtime to bring you an updated look and feel...

Here's another teaser of a new top level category called "Cards & Paper".  As you can see, the site will be much easier to navigate.

I am looking into the wish list idea that Mart suggested in my last post, and will also research the PayPal idea as well.

Best Wishes!

Things to come

 
I've been working on some new artwork and the theme has been repurposing my originals.  These two images will be new in our collection in early summer.  They are large scale mixed media originals that I did in Bali last year and have made digital enhancements to them for PAPAYA.  A combination I am quickly falling in love with.  Originals translated with digital love. 
   You'll be getting a taste of more layered works as I clean out the artwork storehouse and begin this process of reinvention...