I Spy...

Hello all!

Soon we'll have some cool pop-up peaks for you from the upcoming DC SUPERHEROES: THE ULTIMATE POP-UP - but first, I've got some more glimpses of the greatest city in the world (at least to me), New York City! I consider myself New Yorker now and I'm proud of it! I'm constantly amazed by what I see walking through the city streets - the colors, the shapes, the images - and my latest habit is to capture them in photo. Here's the latest from what I hope will continue indefinitely...

















That is all! For now...

XO Matthew

Lookee here...

One of my favorite catalogs is Anthropologie. Not only do they carry amazing clothing and home decor, but their art design within the catalogs (and stores!) is incredible! Check out this page from the September 2010-- they have one of our pop up books as a prop!

XO Jess

Morning Stroll, Day 1 & 2

Hello Everyone -

The Labor Day weekend is behind us, autumn is rapidly approaching, and back to work for everyone (pop-up book makers included) - a bittersweet end to a FANTASTIC summer, if I do
say so myself.

So, I've been super lazy ALL summer and it's time I got back into sharing more. I often take a morning stroll before work, to gather my thoughts and look at the fantastic world around me. New York City is really amazing, you know - so many odd, funny, fabulous things to see. Inspiration lies hind every corner. That being said, here's what I've found that sparks my interest...

...a crochet bike cozy - seriously...

...this color pink is naturally occurring pink - no Photoshop here, baby...

...radical ride - can you imagine the Transformer this bike could turn into?

...red velvet whoopee pie - need I say more?

...a new robot friend made of recycled appliances...

... and I just love graffiti art, no matter the subject matter. NYC rocks.

XO Matthew

It's THAT time again...

After two years of waiting, scheming, planning, and nail biting, I am excited to see that the Movable Book Society will be holding it’s eight biennial conference in Portland, Oregon at the end of this month.

Established in 1993 by Ann Montanaro, the Movable Book Society has grown into the premiere organization for pop-up book enthusiasts. I had the good fortune to get involved with this non-profit group in 2000, and this will be the fifth conference I will have the pleasure to attend. Besides the informative quarterly newsletters, I anxiously look forward to this gathering of movable book collectors, artists, paper engineers and fans.

I assume that I am preaching to the choir on this one, but if you are interested in pop-ups (and why else would you be at this blog) you should consider joining the MBS. If you find yourself in the Portland area this month and would like more info on the conference be sure to check here.

~Kyle

Paul Stickland

I recently got word from U.K. based paper engineer, Paul Stickland, that he has launched a new blog. Simply titled, PopUps! is a place for all pop-up creators, both young and old, to share their work. So get inspired, get exposure and get popping!

I have been a fan of Paul’s work for many years. In fact, I remember getting his Dinosaur Roar! And Swamp Stomp! for my birthday a long time ago. He has some exciting new projects coming out soon so check back on his websites or keep and eye on his first blog. () If you already own all of his pop-up books be sure to check out his online store for other fun finds like T-shirts or the jazzy hi-top sneakers.

~Kyle

All HURTS aren't so bad, you know...

Along with everyone else in the studio, I'm a big music fan and listen to tunes ALL DAY LONG. Now, the other designers here don't necessarily have the same taste as I do, and thank goodness (for them) my desk is in a seperate room!

I've been waiting all summer for the British electronic duo HURTS to release their full length album "Happiness", and it finally arrived this Tuesday! Brilliant, moody, rich, very much 80's inspired alterna-pop - it's been on repeat non-stop. Poor Kyle and Jess...




- XO MR

The Orchard

I listen to a lot of music through out my day, and while I'm not all knowing I do know this: I like Ra Ra Riot's new album 'The Orchard'. Yep. Definitely check it out, especially if you like albums that you can get lost in and repeat for a couple of hours.

TV Memories

We all have faint childhood memories that seem to come to the forefront of our minds randomly. One of mine is of a cartoon I remembered watching taped on one of my many VHS tapes. There was only one episode of the show and I vaguely remembered it had to do with flowers. Years later, looking back I knew that it was from Japan because of the style of animation. So with a lot of help of my fiancé, we found the TV show! Hana no Ko Lunlun or The Flower Angel was a Japanese cartoon that ran in 1979 till 1980 and was dubbed in many languages. I cannot find it on Region 1 DVDs (yet) but you can see a bit of it here!

XX Jess

23 Sandy Gallery

It’s already September! That means that my beloved summer season is coming to a close and I must steel myself against the impending cold. It has been a very busy few months in New York City (which is proved by the relative lack of posts) but I am now hoping things will settle down and I can bring you more good news on the pop-up front. In fact, I just received two press releases for concurrent pop-up book shows at 23 Sandy Gallery. This Portland, OR based art space is run by the wonderful artist, Laura Russell, () who creates amazing artist books when she is not curating impressive exhibitions. You can learn more about Laura and the details of the pop-up shows at her blog.

September 22 - October 30, 2010

Pop-Up Now! A Juried Exhibition of Movable Books

Pop-up books captivate and excite the child in all of us. They come to life as three-dimensional works of art hidden inside the pages of a book. Pop-Up Now! will feature handmade artist books that pop-up, move, slide, twirl, whirl, light up, or even sound off. This juried exhibition of handmade movable artist books will be held at 23 Sandy Gallery in conjunction with the biennial conference of the Movable Book Society to be held in Portland, September 23-25, 2010.

September 22 - October 30, 2010

Handmade Paper in Motion

Number nine in Hand Papermaking's series of distinctive portfolios of handmade papers, Handmade Paper in Motion is an extraordinary collection of collaborative artwork—14 pieces by 28 artists working in teams—features pop-ups, movable devices, and other forms of dynamic paper engineering, all using handmade paper designed and made specifically for each edition. 23 Sandy Gallery is pleased to present the debut exhibition of this remarkable portfolio in conjunction with Pop-Up Now! Proceeds from the sale of Handmade Paper in Motion benefit Hand Papermaking, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing traditional and contemporary ideas in the art of hand papermaking.

~Kyle