Emily G. – The Goods

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Annie Howe

March 24, 2017

When you hear the words “paper cut,” it’s likely to conjure up some past painful feelings. Sorry! Allow Baltimore-based artist Annie Howe to replace those memories of ouch-moments with a much friendlier kind of papercut – her (completely painless) designs made from strategically cutting into paper.

Annie isn’t totally new to the Uncommon family–we’ve had her Love You to the Moon Personalized Papercut and Love Birds Personalized Papercut in stock for a bit, but since she has a brand new Personalized Family Papercut on offer, we figured it’d be a great time to introduce her. Read on to hear from Annie about how a hobby making presents for family and friends turned into a fun, full-time gig.

Design

Invitation Introductions: Meet Our Intersection of Love Wedding Stationery

March 21, 2017

We know planning a wedding can feel both sweet and stressful, but we’re here to help you put the focus on the former. The invitations you choose are like a little preview of the big day, so finding just the right style, colors, design, etc., can be a bit overwhelming. That’s why we’re so excited to announce our collaboration with the absolute wedding invitation experts: Crane Stationery.

As a result of joining forces with Crane, our product development team has made five complete wedding suites available to our customers, each with a distinct aesthetic and production details that make them extra special. Follow along on the blog as we introduce you to each of these suites, and find the design that’s a perfect match for your own uncommon nuptials.

Last week we gave you an inside look at our Wedding Crest Stationery. This week, we’re excited to show off our Intersection of Love Wedding Stationery. It features a modern, versatile design that represents how happy you are to have crossed paths with your partner.

Maker Stories

Uncommon Impact: Rachel Faller’s Ethical Fashion Company Puts People and Planet First

March 15, 2017

When you pick out a shirt to wear, it’s likely you’re thinking about how it looks with your pants, or if it’s un-stained/not wrinkled enough to be passable – not the amount of water, land, chemicals, and overall carbon footprint that went into making it. You probably aren’t thinking much about who made it, either — like if the factory workers involved in its production had health insurance, or if they were working in a safe environment for a fair wage.

It’s easy to become detached from the clothes we wear, especially when, due to the expansive nature of the fast fashion industry, you can get them cheaper and easier than ever before, with just the click of a mouse or a tap on your phone. Fast fashion seems appealing at first – it adds to our convenience, and it makes a wide variety of styles available at competitive prices. But when you consider the human and environmental costs, fast fashion doesn’t seem so pretty.

Textile expert Rachel Faller took those human and environmental costs to heart when she visited Cambodia in 2007. She met artisans who had similar ideals to her and began to realize that maybe sustainability and style didn’t have to be exclusive of one another.

The Tree Rings Clutch, Infinity Tassel Scarf, and Recycled Denim Clutch are all Rachel’s designs available at UG

Fast forward to 2017, and Rachel truly has made (and continues to make) an uncommon impact on the ethical fashion world. She employs a team of artisans in Cambodia and provides them with the fair wages and work conditions they deserve. Her stylish designs are made from all sustainable materials and with unique production techniques. In fact, Rachel and her team are now at the point where their processes are completely zero-waste, making use of every last bit of scrap material.

Read on to hear from Rachel directly about how she broke into the eco-friendly fashion world, how her clothes and accessories maintain their style without harming the environment, and how she sees the future of fast fashion vs. ethical fashion unfolding.

Design

Invitation Introductions: Meet Our Wedding Crest Stationery

March 14, 2017

Last week we gave you an inside look at our Tandem Bike Wedding Stationery. Next up? The Wedding Crest Wedding Stationery. It features a design that’s decidedly traditional due to the coat-of-arms inspiration, but that doesn’t skimp on a sense of fun and lightness, too.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Jill McDonald

March 9, 2017

Aside from being a mama to the adorable pup above (as well as her human son, Luca), Jill McDonald is a talented designer and artist who has created works for top brands all over the country – think book covers, storefronts, bedding, puzzles, you name it. Always appreciating bright colors and bold illustrations, Jill decided to take her talents and create a studio of her own. We’re so glad she did, since now we have a few of her fun prints available in our assortment.

Personalized State Birth Announcement, I Think I Can Art Print, Personalized Family & State Art

We like to welcome new members of our uncommon family by learning more about their stories and sharing those stories with you. Read on to hear from Jill about what inspires her, how she self-schedules in her home studio and the motivating phrase that keeps her going strong.

Design

Invitation Introductions: Meet Our Tandem Bike Wedding Stationery

March 8, 2017

First up? The Tandem Bike Wedding Stationery. It features a whimsical, low-key design that’ll be a hit for hipsters, athletic-types, or anyone who wants a fun, carefree feel on their special day.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Meredith Gordon

March 3, 2017

Flowers and wine–what a dreamy combination. Meredith Gordon, a new maker to our assortment, has brought the two together in the form of her floral glassware, and we couldn’t be more excited. Growing up as a navy dependent, Meredith has seen all kinds of buds and blooms from different corners of the world, and she uses her natural talent for painting to give them new life through her stemless (well, sort of) glasses.

Each of the products we offer has a story behind it, and we value those stories. We’re always eager to introduce you to our inspiring, independent makers as we welcome them to our uncommon family. Read on to meet Meredith and learn how being called “Arty” in school as a kid turned into a lifelong proclivity for creative pursuits.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Rachel Kroh

February 16, 2017

If you’re not sure if you’re the kind of person who was actually born to be an artist (or if you’re the kind of person who should pursue it as a career, anyway) visiting the French countryside is a great way to go and figure it out. Printmaker Rachel Kroh did it, and ended up becoming a full-fledged working artist, with a studio and a business of her own.

With You I’m Free Print, Burning for You Print, and February Woods Print

Rachel’s prints, which come to life with woodblock printing and the use of an Indigo press, are unique, comforting, and undoubtedly special. We love to learn the stories of artists who are new to our assortment, and to share those stories with our readers. Check out our interview with Rachel to hear more about her journey to self-employment, how art meets religion in her craft, and the one quote from a college professor that reminds her to keep going.

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