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PANTONE® VIEW Colour Planner - Spring/Summer 2010

6/18/2010 12:00:00 AM

Kat Mathena

As most designers will admit, we're all geeky about color. We love it. Or hate it - depending on the day. Each season the fashion gods put together a new color palette and slowly but surely it makes its way into our closets, onto our nails and into our makeup bags.

Each year Pantone releases it's Colour Planner with the trendy colors for the upcoming seasons. I LOVE the Spring/Summer 2010 palettes. Don't be surprised to see these popping up in some designs very soon!

"Summer 2010 celebrates the power to imagine and change through color. The season’s magical palette represents the colors of an optimistic future through imaginative, expressive color combinations and harmonies that reassure, but also dazzle. Magic opens up a world of infinite possibilities and offers the belief that we have the power to improve and change things. Magic is what science has yet to understand, prove and assimilate.

'In this current retail climate, unique and magical design becomes that much more essential. Designers need to find innovative ways to excite their clients and ignite their passions. While consumers are looking for good value and are purchasing less, they are still willing to buy that special item that catches their eye,' said Laurie Pressman, vice president of fashion, home and interiors at Pantone. 'PANTONE VIEW Colour Planner provides the insight designers need to stay ahead of the trends and make smart, savvy color decisions."

School is out for the summer!

5/26/2010 12:00:00 AM

School is drawing to a close and cook-outs, swimming and summer camp are on the forefront of our minds. Ahh..... summer, does it get much better?

Every year during summer camp my mom would send care packages and lots of letters. It was such a big deal when our counselor would bring back the mail. All of the campers would wait anxiously to see if they had at least one letter waiting for them in the precious stack. We would race back to our bunks and tear open the letters to see what was happening back home.

Here is a picture of some precious stationery that would be perfect to write to your homesick (or not!) camper. Custom letterpress cards on bamboo stock with matching liners for the envelopes. Contact us for your personal stationery order today.

Cheers!

Kara

PS- I had to add in a picture of Conally, she is ALWAYS ready for summer!

NSS 2010 wrap up

5/19/2010 12:00:00 AM

We have had a great show this year. So many new contacts, friends and ideas! I cannot wait to get home and start on some new projects. These past four days have been tiring but such fun!

I am so grateful to have my mom and Brian here at the show. They have been a fantastic support system for me. The booth will come down and freight will be shipped home tomorrow, but KRD is just getting started. Continue to check our blog and website for updated information.

We LOVE feedback, so please feel free to share any fun paper ideas you might have.

Cheers and off to the show!

Lions and Tigers and Letterpress, oh my!

5/17/2010 12:00:00 AM

Exhausted! That is not a word I use often unless completely necessary and today, IT FITS. What a great day at the show. We have met more wonderful people than I could ever imagine.

I love that everyone shares such a love for quality paper products, but executes their particular vision is such a different manner. I have enjoyed chatting with so many other designers and seeing their amazing work.

My head is spinning with ideas for next year already! People this year are loving our small 4-bar letterpress holiday cards. They are the perfect size for a thank you note or gift enclosure. Get yours for before we sell-out!

Happy Birthday to my sweet mom, thanks for spending your birthday at the NSS with me. Love you!

Cheers!

The set-up

5/15/2010 12:00:00 AM

We are here! Brian and I spent most of today setting up our booth. It looks great, the perfect vision, well executed. Tonight it will be a quick dinner and off to dream of paper and future happy customers.

THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU- to my sweet Fort Worth friends who sent the most amazing flowers today. We have the best smelling booth in the whole show. You all are the BEST!

Until tomorrow!

~Cheers!

Blogging from 30,000 feet, I think so!

5/14/2010 12:00:00 AM

Technology is an amazing thing. One would think, three hours on an airplane....hmmm....time for trashy magazine reading and drinking your weight in diet cokes is the thing to do.

Now airlines have on board WIFI, this is a good thing. Now my husband would probably rather I stop buzzing around on my computer and read that trashy mag, but not with WIFI! In three hours, I have updated my website and sent a blog somewhere over Pennsylvania, crazy!

Here are a few pics of my sweet husband en-route to the airport bright and early this morning. Don't forget to check out the updates on the Kate Reed Designs store.

Cheers!

Ooh lah lah ready for Cannes? or New York!

5/12/2010 12:00:00 AM

We are channeling the Cannes Film Festival "a la letterpress" with our ooh lah lah card. It's shown in hot pink but will be printed in more colors! Come see it in person, booth 1548 at the NSS.

Special kudos to the Print Goddess (you know who you are!) for this fab vision! We hope to see you all in a few days....until then

Cheers!

Happy Monday Day!

5/10/2010 12:00:00 AM

Emily Kate and Conally playing school, love it!

Another Mother's Day has come and gone and now it's back to business. My sweet munchkins, with the help of my hubby, made it the best day. Brunch, a nap and a movie, it doesn't get much better than that!

And then, reality sets in. It's Monday and we are NYC bound on Friday. So today was the beginning of making the list and checking it twice, three or maybe four times.

Munchkins schedules emailed to various friends and family....CHECK
Clothes dropped off at dry cleaners, ready for pick up on Wednesday...CHECK
Hotel room confirmed....CHECK (last week it was a different story, but that's a completely different entry)
Finish wedding invitations for bride....almost CHECK
And so on and so forth.......I am quite positive this will go on the rest of the week.

Did I mention we will be at the National Stationery Show booth #1548 May 16-19? We'll have snacks (market is hard work!) and the best two employees one could hire for free, my husband and mother!

Monday day is coming to close and I am off to dream of fabulous stationery and an on time arrivals at La Guardia. Tomorrow get ready for a sneak peak of what is to come!

Cheers!

Kara

Inspiration!

4/20/2010 12:00:00 AM

Here is a little inspiration from the Fort Worth Flower Market, we love them!

2733 W 7th Street,
Fort Worth, TX 76107
817.377.3660

Christmas in April? Yes, please!

4/19/2010 12:00:00 AM

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas around KRD. As we prepare for The National Stationery Show in May, we’re getting a jumpstart on our holiday line. We plan to include classic Christmas designs as well as some funkier alternatives - think muted vintage patterns and vibrant neons!

What would you like to see on your holiday cards this year? Share your ideas with us!

Welcome to Our Blog!

4/16/2010 12:00:00 AM

Kate Reed Designs is about beautiful, quality paper coupled with fun, elegant designs inspired by everything from nature to vintage wallpaper. KRD is the lifelong venture of paper addict and visionary Kara Kidwell Bell. The company name was inspired by her two daughters: Emily Kate and Conally Reed. Kara has always considered herself addicted to paper. From an early age, she kept every invitation she received in the mail. Her mother would always laugh because immediately after receiving a gift, Kara would write a thank-you note; a past-time she continues to this day.