For the Love of Books

One of my favorite little stores in San Diego is The Library Shop, located on the ground floor of the new San Diego Public Library, so you can only imagine how excited I was to be approached by their brilliant buyer about a wholesale account (hint: very).

Every time I enter the store, it has a new captivating layout that compliments the featured items and introduces me to something new. I never feel lost or overwhelmed, and I don't think I've ever left without buying something. To me—she who lives off a fledgling-artist's non-salary and egg sandwiches—that's a really good sign.

Between living quite close and now working with the store, I am delighted to pop in on a somewhat regular basic, especially when I walk in to see my own work next to the likes of Emily McDowell, Rifle, and Sugar Paper.

*Grin*

So! Here's a peak (and a small shoulder-brush) of Warren Tales' store debut:

Town Serif 8x10 Print

My Best Friend My Boyfriend My Love

My Best Friend My Husband My Love

Complete

Notable Notes (San Diego, CA) (stitched card, right)

Missing U (alphabet card, center)

Ampersand

Warm Thoughts (tea/coffee pots, center)

I'm Sorry (umbrella, top left)

And if anyone's looking for a last-minute Valentine gift to go with that beautiful new Warren Tales card that you just charged out to buy (or is trying to platonically "woo" me *coughcough*), you should definitely check out Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found by Sophie Blackall, conveniently available in-store. If you need more convincing of its brilliance, just check out this story on the Missed Connections Blog (I challenge you not melt).

Happy Valentine's Day to all (tomorrow), and to all a fulfilling shopping experience!

The Patience To Succeed And The Guts To Fail: An Alumni's Reflection On Tradeshow Bootcamp

It's been two weeks since I attended Tradeshow Bootcamp's Paper Camp seminar, and it has literally taken that long for me to process the incredible wealth of knowledge and insight I gained there.

Imagine a Disneyland of stationery, where each contributing business factor is a ride and you have a fast pass to all of them (which clearly makes the National Stationery Show Space Mountain)....Okay, so maybe that isn't a good analogy if you're not a huge nerd, but the most amazing part is that to everyone attending, it IS Disneyland! So if that's your scene, then this is seriously the happiest place on earth.

The event is mostly made up of young (3-7 years) and successful businesses looking to expand into new market territory, and a carefully selected panel of industry professionals with expansive and complimentary experience. Then there are one or two new people who are there for a really good look at whether expansion/wholesale is right for their company (1-2 years). My big surprise was thinking I was on a solid track and seeing how much I have left to climb before I work UP to a "young company." Hint: the whole way. Quite a jolt to the system, but what a great feeling, really: to see in real time how much you need to do (not in hindsight), and then be sat down and told how to get there.

I have seen first hand how much companies felt they benefitted from Paper Camp—seen the great success of its alumni—and I understand how much of a monetary investment it is to attend which is why fewer start-ups do, but to lower the learning curve is truly invaluable for someone just starting out. This is the foundation you need to get it done, or a considerably quicker and cheaper way of realizing this business isn't for you. The advantage of "failing" at something is accepting that it isn't going to happen and moving on, but this can take a lot of time and money, and having a clearer view of what's ahead could save you from that. So really, it's a win/win.

Being in the basic start-up phase of Warren Tales, and having already committed to trying my hand at the National Stationery Show (Booth #1357) in May, I really couldn't afford to attend Paper Camp. Clearly that didn't stop me. Your three options for this are: Scholarships, fundraisers, and webinars.

Scholarship: I really chanced upon the Tradeshow Bootcamp scholarship, which I can't possibly be more grateful for. This is an incredibly generous offer by TSBC to fully cover the costs of the seminar (not including travel and accommodations obviously) and is the sole reason for why I was able to attend. You can even pay upfront if you're committed to going and they will refund you if you are selected, so it's always worth applying.

Fundraisers: I have no personal experience to offer for this one yet, but be creative and work with what your community can offer. Clearly state your goals, be transparent with your business model, and be as prepared as possible. If a Kickstarter-esque crowdsourcing campaign works for you: do it. If a lemonade stand works for you: do it. Find what works for you and your market and make it happen.

Webinars: TSBC offers a number of webinars that you can attend as a supplementary or alternative educational experience to Paper Camp. The webinars cover specific subjects, are offered at a lower price, and have the added convenience factor of online attendance. These are great if you're looking for information on a few—but not all—matters; you can spread your education out to break up the cost; and you are still welcomed into the private online forum/community. These are an excellent resource to consider.

Finally, you just can't beat the community. The stationery industry has some of the nicest, funniest, weirdest, most creative, most handworking, and most well-rounded/jack-of-all-trades people I've met. They are an incredibly knowledgable and experienced bunch who multitask like it's a Olympic sport. They mean business but they're not all business—they're amazing people too! The TSBC community is only a small fraction of the industry, but it's a great one, and having a space to communicate, collaborate, and celebrate (yeah, I alliterated) across miles is a large part of what makes Tradeshow Bootcamp invaluable. A chance to contribute to this community is a goal worth working toward.

So to summarize: "The greatest thing I took away from my experience with Tradeshow Bootcamp was direction. In only two days, Paper Camp nurtured confidence and support through discussion and a wealth of applicable knowledge. I not only feel comfortable taking the next step as a growing business, but feel prepared to respond effectively when confronted with set-backs. I firmly believe that I will look back on attending this seminar as a defining moment in my business, my career, and even my life." —Lindsey Warriner, Warren Tales, 2014 Paper Camp Alum

And you can read 44 more excellent reasons to attend right here.

I can only imagine (and hope) that other fledgling professionals went into the stationery business more prepared than I feel I have been, but one of the best things about working in this industry is that it's a long road for everyone. Everyone has learned from their experience, for better or worse, no matter how prepared they were at the beginning. What really counts are the hours you put in. After all, good experience is about having the patience to succeed and the guts to fail.

A-fair to Remember

I think my new year's resolution should be to exercise more discipline and write entries more immediately and more consistently. . . alas (and indeed, a-lack . . . further terrible puns intended). That shameful acknowledgement aside, lets talk about stationery!

Warren Tales attended two craft fairs in December, and had lots to learn from both unique experiences:

Artisan's Alley, Coronado

Artisan's Alley is a local show, held in my hometown, and is mostly comprised of small- to medium-sized local craft business. Now, what with my *extensive* experience in business and craft fairs (cue laughter) is was terribly pretentious of me to even briefly consider such a supportive and driven show "small potatoes" but there I was with a swagger in my step thinking, "Psh, I've got this!" And oh, how the heavens did smite me.

First of all, it's excellent when experienced small businesses automatically intimidate us noobs into doubting ourselves. I hope they can see our impromptu panic and I hope it makes them smile, because they've earned it. That being said, my practice at Patchwork definitely paid off and I made good use of a small space. Set up was timely (if not quick), and as I'd prepared. But what's that? A black cloud of doom approaching our outdoor show? Hurry, Macgyver that plastic sheet over the not-remotely-waterproof-umbrella and form a little safety bubble over the paper. Other booths: nonplussed. I'm actually proud to say the bubble worked well . . . at first. Inevitably, the wind picked up and my sheet took off like a sail, making my little ship the S.S. Waterfall. Water water everywhere (care for a drop?). Shockingly however, my flapped cellophane sleeves held up against the elements—so well indeed that only one envelope of one card suffered minor water damage (though my display cards were quickly turned into abstract art). And what followed was even more amazing: people shopped.

The biggest surprise of the day by far was the enthusiasm of the shoppers. The weather was rough on my side of the table, but these guys were walking around umbrella in hand (or not) and carrying on like they were protecting themselves from the sun. They couldn't be happier to be there. And when the rain let up they sprouted tenfold. Coronado is typically a warm and loving place, but the reception Warren Tales received—and the commitment to supporting local businesses, rain or shine—was just incredible. The product feedback was excellent, sales were excellent, and the experience was excellent. I've got to give an astronomical round of applause to my little Crown Town for making the show what it was.

But the big bad returned with a vengeance. Rain is one thing, but biblical downpours are too much for a paperie to handle. We called it a few hours early in the name of self-preservation, packed up like it was our super power, and wished the veteran arks good luck with the flood.

In all, it was a very successful day which taught me A LOT about resources and limits, and also gave me confidence in my product. So huzzah for warm and fuzzy feelings (especially when soaked through).

Renegade Los Angeles

At this point in my show experience, I'd learned the pitfalls of sunny cellophane (sweaty cards are not happy cards) but the benefits of its full-coverage (think greeting card raincoats), so I was curious to see how everything held up at Renegade—i.e. The Dust Bowl.

For once I was under cover, sharing a tent with the amazing Britta Ambauen and her beautiful jewelry, but I hadn't anticipated a "Park" of woodchips and the resulting "ninja dust" (as I like to call it). It was a menace: it stuck, it clogged, and it contaminated (sandwiches, mostly), generally covering everything as it kicked up from passersby. But the sleeves held up well, protecting the product, and a damp cloth held the madness mostly at bay—though a month later, I'm still finding it on freakin' everything. At this point, if you're peddling cards that are blank inside, and participating in outdoor shows, I really can't recommend using sleeves with fold-over flaps enough.

**Realization: Perhaps this isn't interesting to my everyday readers, in which case I sincerely apologize (especially if you actually read my posts every day—I love you!), but as someone in the biz, I was fascinated to discover so many nuances that vendors never seem to speak up about, so I thank you for bearing with me while I drop some knowledge (and maybe a little dignity after using that phrase).

To conclude: I enjoy the fact that my exhibiting experience has inadvertently turned into an anecdotal game of Dirt-Water-Cellophane. Perhaps I'll make that into an internal industry thank you card some day. Perhaps I'm that kid who doesn't know she's weird. Perhaps I'm happy you've read this far and feel validated in my eccentricities because of commitment like yours! My point is, I love this job, and I thank all of you for supporting me in the myriad of ways you do which allow me to keep working. You're the bee's knees, the cat's meow, and even the frog's hop.

Fairly Crafty

One down, and two more to go!

Warren Tales made its craft fair debut last weekend, and I am happy to consider Patchwork Long Beach a success. While a flash mob of fans didn't come stampeding through the show to find me, and I didn't have to worry about selling out of stock, I supported a steady string of customers, received invaluable positive feedback from the many browsers, and came away with a profit. I think the only way I could have learned more was if it was a complete disaster.

The best thing about these winter shows—aside from product refinement and developing selling strategies—is that they impose three hard mini-deadlines on Warren Tales, before I attend the National Stationery Show in May. They push me to create and finish new products, which might have otherwise sat waiting in my sketchbook. I debuted EIGHT new cards at the Long Beach show, two of which stormed ahead to became instant best-sellers. And now they've come to a shopping cart near you:

Non-Traditional Holiday Cards

Sweater Weather

Yes, it's the holidays, but it's also cold outside, and we love a good break from the summer heat as well as time to don our ironic ugly sweaters. Who doesn't. So celebrate hot chocolate, winter coats, and pumpkin/peppermint everything (and if you're on the East Coast, please mail them all to California, care of Warren Tales). It's winter in SoCal too—just last week it was overcast for a few hours...Available in red and white, in singles and sets of six. 

Warm Wishes

We drink tea, we reminisce, and we catch up—and when we don't, we miss each other. No matter what, we're missing someone on the other side of the kettle, so send them a note and let them know. Available in singles and sets of six.

Merry & Bright

Have yourself a geometric Christmas; let your cards be bright. From now on, your snail mail will be "out of sight!" Okay, so my cards are more colorful than my spoof-lyrics. Brighten up the shortest days of the year by adding an abstract touch to tradition. Available in singles and sets of six.

Other Occasions

Mrs Lincoln

Support with a touch of dark humor, because shit happens. You don't always get the best out of a situation, but it does get better. An instant best-seller, by popular demand.

Connect the Thanks

An interactive card to amuse and appreciate—just connect the dots to reveal a message of thanks!

Available in singles and sets of four.

Balloon Day

Happy balloon day to you and yours! These cute doodles are a great way to celebrate any occasion, from a birthday to success. Blank inside, and full of possibility.

Triangle Notes

Thank you's, well-wishes, or just because: it's not often you find triangles that are so well-rounded (couldn't help myself!) Write what's on your mind, and send a notable note.

Available in singles and sets of four.

Warm Thoughts

Warmth can be read on more than just a thermostat, and even after the snow melts, we're missing you.

Next up: Coronado's Artisan Alley on December 7th!

Festivals, Fatigues, and the Future

 

So much has happened for Warren Tales in the last two months, that I (clearly) haven't even got around to telling everyone about it.

The biggest news is that—along with the Long Beach Patchwork Show, the Los Angeles Renegade Craft Fair, and Coronado's local Artisan's Alley—I have been accepted to exhibit at the 2014 National Stationery Show in May! 

Obviously, at the news of attending the National Stationery Show, I was encouraged, inspired, clear-headed (read: quaking in my unintimidatingly small boots, considering whether I could fit in the gap beneath my bed, and utterly indecisive about whether it was a good idea). I was understandably unsure, but decided I have what it takes to push forward (forgo almost all sleep) and give it my best shot.

As I buckled down into extensive research, designs, and budgets—feeling better about the chance of a looming disaster—I meandered into an announcement for Tradeshow Bootcamp's phenomenal Paper Camp seminar course, and what? A scholarship opportunity. I had heard how invaluable a TSBC course was in preparing to enter the stationery scene, but I had no idea just how perfectly they had crafted their curriculum (no pun intended...) for everything a start-up needed. I applied at once, but went back to my research without thinking much would come of it.

So imagine my surprise on Halloween when I get a treat of an email in response and realize I should have dressed up as a soldier: I had won the Bootcamp scholarship!

In the last few months, I've achieved significant goals in my aim to bring Warren Tales to a legitimate and competitive business level: including (but not limited to) executing necessary licensing and tax law requirements, ongoing development of a successful product line, and creating an all-inclusive e-commerce website (check out the beautiful new www.warrentales.com site!). I've been accepted into retail fairs, a national tradeshow, and now a program to pull it all together and really give Warren Tales a shot. I'm flummoxed and beyond grateful for all of the support, patience, and encouragement everyone has showed me, and I thank you all so much for sticking through it all with me so far.

To give you an updated idea of where Warren Tales sits in its efforts to legitimize (and to hold myself accountable to all of you), I though I'd share my scholarship application:

Name: Lindsey Warriner
Business Name: Warren Tales
Email: warrentales@gmail.com
Website: www.warrentales.com

Where can we follow you online (social media handles):
Facebook: WarrenTales // Twitter: @WarrenTalesMail // Instagram: @warrentales // Pinterest: warrentales

Tell us a little about you and your business. Don't be shy!:
Warren Tales is an independent paper craft studio, producing original products from stationery to limited print publications. Over the past two years, Warren Tales has matured from a passion to an enterprise, and continues to grow as it transitions into a wholesale endeavor.

After a lifetime of finding, folding, making, and molding any paper I could get my hands on, I was struck with the cockameme idea of going into business.

My greatest influences can all be accredited to innate dexterity, my Mother's insistence on recycling, and my Father's fabulously (terribly) punny sense of humour; all of which shaped me into the bowler hat-wearing Warriner (etymology: "rabbit keeper" . . . get it) you see today.

What are your business goals for 2013-2014?:
-Bolster product line of greeting cards, invitations, prints, and calendars
-Produce and distribute sales kits to potential clients (include catalog, samples, and marketing materials)
-Build wholesale client list through brick-and-mortar placement opportunities
-Create new and develop connections for business growth

How do you think TSBC can help you reach your goals?:
With an introductory background in marketing and publicity, and previous NSS attendance (as an observer) at the front of my mind, I feel that Tradeshow Bootcamp's Paper Camp is the perfect program to turn research and practice into applicable success. I am looking to learn how to be efficient in production and marketing; effective with design and placement; and sustainable in business growth.

Which store would you love to see your cards in? Why:
While I aspire to secure retail placement in independent gift and book stores, I would consider it a marker of true success to be distributed by Paper Source, as it reflects the interests and spending preferences of a mass market. As a former employee of Paper Source, I am familiar with featured stationers and the exposure (and awards) they have since achieved.

Are we in the stationary or stationery industry?:
I like to design new stationery while exercising on my stationary bicycle.

Ticking Along to "Africa Time"

For the past month, I've been traveling through southern Africa with family. This trip not only fulfilled a lifelong dream of everyone involved, but also marked the final lapse in responsibility and general conclusion to my experimental "gap year." In the last year I've traversed the country, accomplished significant life goals, (stretched the limits of my sanity...) and now experienced a world I hardly new existed. Here are a few trip highlights:

Bungee jumping off the highest jump in the world, from the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa (approx. 600 ft)

Shark diving with 14 Great Whites in Gansbaai, South Africa

  Walking (and scoring a little light petting action) with lion cubs in Victoria Falls, Zambia

 Hanging out with the locals on the Okavango Delta, Botswana

 Minding our Meerkat manners in the Kalahari Desert, Botswana

And taking in the expanse of the Makadikadi Salt Pans, Botswana

"Africa Time" is the perceived cultural tendency, in most parts of Africa, toward a more relaxed attitude to time (Thank you Wikipedia for that neatly-wrapped definition). While it's sometimes said as a pejorative reference to tardiness, I defend the good nature of wrapping yourself up in the less-crucial, and getting lost in the irrelevant. I'm not fast enough to process the world in "real time," and am irrevocably 15 minutes late to my own life, but it's this time that gets me where I need (and want) to be.

Learning anything from scratch is hard. Trying something new is hard. Taking a risk is hard. Following through is hard. Pushing forward is hard. Accepting it is hard is hard. The whole business bonanza is hard, but after a year of fumbling down this slow road——house-hopping, odd-jobbing, first-trying, and outright-guessing——I'm marching on, undiscouraged. It's uncomfortable not to know how things will turn out, but I have a fire under my ass, and there's no comfort in that either. I believe that Warren Tales can carve out its chance at success, and even if I wheel it in on "Africa Time," we'll get there when we're good and ready.

This week's gleaming accomplishment and celebration: 

Business License and Tax Registration

Thank you to everyone who's loyal support and readership continues to encourage me to whine less and design more. —WT

The Strength of Boston Supporters

I am so pleased and proud to announce that with all of your support and contributions, the Warren Tales Art Fundraiser raised $435 for donation to The One Fund to help the victims of the April 15th Boston bombings. Over the course of the fundraiser week, I shared some wonderful stories of people who's lives were touched by Boston, and in gratitude to the city and those who call it home, I'd like to share them again:

We celebrated with 3 generations of Boston ladies this Mothers Day: My grandparents met at a party in Anne's Commonwealth Ave, 5th floor walk-up apartment. "She had jet black hair and blue blue eyes, and my, she was just so pretty" says Oscar. And the rest is family history.

Emma's first memory of Boston is of being snowed in to the Copley Plaza Hotel during a freak April Fool's blizzard. "Boston is where all my memories are from." She says. "It's where I feel at home."

Sara's parents met, lived, and married in Wellesley, but with a twist of fate (and two young daughters) they were off to California. Despite the distance, Sara was never far from home, and has spent her life rediscovering Massachusetts with great pride in the strength of her Boston Blood.

Sarah and Don met in grad school, and started dating shortly after. Unwilling to part after an early date, they walked the long way home, along the marathon route from Downtown Boston to Brookline, and spent the rest of the evening baking together. As Don describes, "It was love at first pie."

Though heartsick in the wake of last month, Michael sees only love in the City of Boston: "In our 36 years together, Linda and I have followed the route of the Marathon: We started our life in Hopkinton; Made our first home in Framingham; Married and raised four kids in Sherborn; And with our youngest now grown, we've settled happily in Natick. Despite the heartbreaking events of April 15th, people have come together and helped in any way they can and have shown such caring and love for each other that it has pushed the hatred right out of Boston and replaced it with a unity not seen in recent times."

Together, we are all Boston Strong.

The best-selling Boston Paper Cutting Print (see above), as well as the other Boston prints, will still be available on Etsy for purchase as part of Warren Tales' permanent collection. As the fundraiser is now closed, prints will not be signed and proceeds will no longer be donated. Your continued support is sincerely appreciated, and I hope you'll keep Warren Tales and in mind for future purchases.

A Warren Tales of Two Cities

I recently (finally) got to make the move up the California coast from San Diego to Gaviota, where I will be spending my time working on website and product design. I am working out of a small studio space out in the beautiful coastal countryside, and am so happy to be mostly settled in at this point.


My plan for the next six months is to:
-Develop a new, all-inclusive website
-Design a 2014 product line of greeting cards, invitations, prints, and calendars
-Produce a 2014 catalog with product samples for distribution
-Build a wholesale client list through store placement opportunities
-Register as an exhibitor at the 2014 National Stationery Show

As I post updates of new designs and accomplishments, I hope you'll share them with your friends, and keep Warren Tales growing into a thriving competitive business. Warren Tales can also be found on Facebook, Pinterest, and Etsy.

Thank you all for your continued support!

A Furry Hoppy Two Ears

...That was my attempt at a poor new years joke involving rabbits. I reckon I succeeded. In the poorness, I mean.

A long awaited hello to all!

When I left to see the country at the start of September, I had no idea how my trip was going to turn out, or really even how long it would last. It's amusing, now, to think back to the beginning—driving again for the first time in years, camping and hiking for the first time ever, and slowly getting used to the solitude—and know how little I had seen of what I was soon going to. 

Each of the three months I traveled feel like almost entirely different trips: split between the North, the Deep South, and the South West; the accents, the landscape, and the food. It was truly an experience of an "endless summer," and of a never ending sense of freedom on the open road (the cliche is in fact still alarmingly accurate). While, in reality, it was a brilliantly radiant endless autumn, as I followed the fair weather and changing foliage for the entire 13,000 miles. Most importantly, I had the luxury of time, so I chose to stay entirely off the interstate and see the country from the inside—a decision I will be grateful for for the rest of my life.

In the end, I traveled for a total of one hundred days: through two countries and thirty-one states; through two family trees; through a (narrowly avoided) hurricane; through a presidential campaign and election; through every song ever played on public radio; and through every thought that ever popped into my head.

 

 

    

Now that I am back in (mostly) one place, I've been working on getting Warren Tales up and hopping on its new coast. Over the next six months I will be focusing on: purchasing a new design studio; developing a website; designing and producing a new streamlined catalog line; and working on bolstering a wholesale presence within some brick-and-mortar stores.

Being in a period of "construction" makes it difficult (right now) to do many of the digitally-based design components that I have utilized for the last year or two, but it does give me the opportunity to experiment, and develop some handmade products. For example, my two new map cuts!

An homage to the beautiful Coronado, California

And the wonderful Muswell Hill, London

After my work with the Boston scene for Small City, I was so happy to do more paper cutting, and especially for two more places I love. The Coronado cut is made with fine rice paper and measures 18 x 24", fitting in a standard frame size, and the Muswell Hill cut (8 x 14") is made with upcycled paper and highlights the many parks and train lines of the Northern London neighborhood.

I look forward to doing more and bigger cuts in the future, and hope I get a chance to make many more people happy by bringing their favorite and home towns to life.

Happy new year everyone, from one great adventure to the next!

A Radical Departure

Warren Tales is moving!

After six years in Boston—my favorite city, and a most beautiful home—it is time for me to move on. And so, I will be heading west and returning to my family's hometown and residence in California. 

Gaviota, California

As I make the move, I will be driving across the country—not simply in one route, to get across, but in something of an "S" through the north, mid, and south to finally see the different qualities and culture the States has within it: starting September 1st, and ending any time between Halloween and Thanksgiving. 

While the "American road trip" is typically steeped in vague, implausible, and unrealistically romantic expectations, which ultimately have a tendency of fizzling out into the form of a plane ticket, my trip (while certainly bolstering all of the same absurd/exciting hope and hype) will be completed mostly alone (with frequent, if not constant visits to old friends, and the occasional road tag-along), at a time in my life to which I have allotted significant time and budget in order to prevent issue. Contrived disclaimer aside: I have purchased a car, I have left my job, I have sold my furniture, I have relinquished my apartment, and I have shipped a six-year-accumulation-of-"stuff" home. Needless to say, I'm on my way!

Now, I ask you, reader, to lend me any advise you may have on what to do and what to see (or not) in any state you're familiar with (including Montreal and Toronto, if you feel inspired). I have three weeks until I roll out, and I would love to have as much region-research as I can before "winging" it. I will be camping, I will be visiting new cities, and I will be looking for a local perspective on what make those places great.

Finally, I will not be working on any original projects during this interim period, but my worker-bee brain is never turned off and I will post some fun highlights from the trip both here and on Facebook. I am however, participating in the 2013 Sketchbook Project with the Art House Co-op, producing a Travelogue across the States—marking major highlights creatively in sketch and paper-craft form, and including a selection of original or quoted writing. So be sure to check out the updates as I progress.

Thank you for everything, Boston, I'm entirely unsure of how I will drive away, but will find out soon enough. I leave you with poetry:

A Radical Departure 

by James Tate

Bye!

I'm going to a place so thoroughly remote

you'll never hear from me again.

No train ship plane or automobile

has ever pierced its interior

I'm not even certain it's still there

or ever was

the maps are very vague about it

some say here some say there

but most have let the matter drop

Yes of course it requires courage

I'll need two bottles of vintage champagne every day

to keep the morale high

and do you mind if I take your wife? 

Well, I guess this is it

we'll see ourselves to the door

Where are we . . . ?

Store Front Re-Launch

The revitalized Warren Tales store front is now up and running on Etsy!

The store is happy to kick-off its latest face lift with a new, hand-lettered and digitally remastered banner, and will continue to feature staple catalog items including a selection of single cards, card sets, prints, and journals. Check back often for new products and summer promotions.

 A one-of-a-kind card featuring a raised structure, hand woven with embroidery thread, and mounted on hand pressed paper.

A beautiful combination of world-wide postmarked stamps, as well as a hand typed greeting. Each card is as unique as the stamps it features.

 Simple hand bound journal, made with sturdy cover stock and waxed thread for durability. 5"x7" single signature, 32 blank page, saddle stitched journal series