Tilde's Blog

We reluctantly bid adieu to our good neighbor Garden State as owner Kevin Sandri closed up his cart this past Saturday and downsizes to his NE Mississippi cart location. Garden State opened a few years ago in Sellwood to immediate critical acclaim – he was in Bon Appetit magazine within six months of starting his biz!

Garden State first opened on the corner of our block, but then Kevin relocated his cart into the parking lot adjacent to Tilde this last January. We’ve enjoyed the delectables Kevin always seems to offer up to those of us with appetites for the delicious. He continues to gather honors: getting special mention in Sunset magazine, gaining runner-up status for best food cart in the (entire!) US on Good Morning America last year, and winning the big prize of glory at the Eat Mobile Food Cart Festival just a few months ago.

What will we do without our weekly fix of our favorite Chickpea Sandwich?! Our day off now definitely requires a visit to the Garden State cart across town. We totally understand Kevin’s need to make his life more livable, but will miss his company and amazing food.

We wish Kevin and Garden State all the best – and hope he comes back to visit us in Sellwood. If he doesn’t, you can bet we’ll be dining at his NE ‘hood cart on our day off!

We always get a bit giddy with delight as we assist the featured First Friday artist in hanging a new show on the walls of Tilde. It’s the first time we get to see the range of work the artist is bringing into our shop for the month.

This month, Lisa Kaser will be showing a selection of her mixed media originals, plus we’ll have a big variety of her giclée prints, cards, and original sketches available for you to purchase so you can hang her art on your walls, too.

Lisa received her BFA in Fibers from the University of Oregon under the tutelage of Barbara Setsu-Pickett. For the past 25 years she has exhibited her work in national and international venues. In 2008 Lisa was the only American fiction illustrator selected to participate in the Illustrator’s Exhibit in Bologna, Italy and subsequently received her first children’s book project, The Three Little Pigs, which was published this year in Seoul, Korea. In 2009 she was invited to submit work for the 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide, by the Austrian publication, Lürzer’s Archive.

Tilde is thrilled to showcase Lisa’s work this month. Please join us for Lisa Kaser’s artist reception on Friday, September 3rd from 6-9pm in the store. See you then!

Tilde • 7919 SE 13th Ave • Portland, OR 97202
T: (503) 234-9600 E: info@tildeshop.com

Find pictures of Lisa’s visual artwork on our Flickr page.

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One of our newest jewelry lines – AntiGenre – has quickly become a favorite of jewelry shoppers looking for modern, contemporary handmade jewelry. We’ve recently discovered many jewelry designers who are venturing into the use of recycled metals to create gorgeous necklaces, earrings, and other adornments. The designer of AntiGenre is one of the pioneers of this craft.

Lauren Markley is a native of Kansas currently living in South Carolina. Despite having developed an interest in art and design at an early age, she only recently began studying metalsmithing. After nearly a decade of moving back and forth between Canada and Japan, and pursuing a variety of careers, she returned to the US in 2004 and began looking for outlets for her creative instincts. What began as a hobby is now a full-time profession.

Founder and designer Lauren Markley uses a keen recycled materials sensibility to communicate difference styles and designs through her jewelry line. Darker metals and treatments reign here through amorphous shapes. Silk cords in bold colors highlight exactly where a splash of energy is needed. We love, you love these industrially sleek pieces that are flying right out the door!

How lucky we are to be a friend of designer Brendan Budge.  He has designed and built many of the function display pieces that help define Tilde. From our front desk to our jewelry cases, Brendan describes his work as post-industrial design and we think he’s got that term pegged.

The added perk for us is that his quick thinking mind works well with our more idea-based thought patterns. Once Brendan figures out what we are actually asking for (!) he has designed and built some stand out display pieces that fit seamlessly into our shop.

Here’s Brendan’s definition of his business:

Creativity and invention at BrendanDesignBuild are unlimited.  They are fed by the limits of the given project.  This is design without pretense; making things for now that will last through tomorrow and age gracefully, the recognition of finite resources and the denial of anything being disposable.  Every detail is thought out, every avenue of usage contemplated.  BrendanDesignBuild is the promotion of use, not consumption.

As you can see, Brendan’s work matches Tilde’s aesthetic to a T. Clean, simple, refined. Natural, functional. Beautifully designed pieces. He also designed the front desk and play structure for our friends at Spielwerk Toys on N. Williams. On your next visit to Tilde, be sure to look closely at what’s supporting and displaying our fab products, too. Thank you Brendan!

The next visual art show to grace Tilde’s walls will be the mixed media creations of Lisa Kaser. Lisa’s preferred mediums are watercolor, graphite, and ink which she combines with collaged characters taken directly from her sketch books.  For this show the artist has put together a selection of framed originals and some of her matted and framed reproductions that she prints in her home studio. Here’s a little taster of her work, we’ll post more images soon!

★ Please join us for Lisa Kaser’s artist reception on Friday, September 3rd from 6-9pm.

Tilde • 7919 SE 13th Ave • Portland, OR 97202
T: (503) 234-9600 E: info@tildeshop.com

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Even as we are enjoying the sweet rays of summer, now is the time for shop owners, such as us, to seek out new items for fall & winter (gasp). This last week we traveled to NY for the big gift show. This year’s show was full of amazing goodness and we picked up a ton of new items that will fill our shop wall to wall through the end of the year. Here’s a sneak peak at some of our finds!

‘Piggy’ from Materious.  This design is a set of two piggy bank, big & little or parent & child, that fit snuggly next to each other. More than just a bank, these piggies serve as a great way to talk to your child about donating to charity, instilling the values of thinking globally in a really sweet way.  The designers state ” We believe that this simple product, Piggy, can truly make the world a better and more compassionate place. Piggy helps teach kids about charitable giving, with the hopes of inspiring new generations of caring, sharing, philanthropic citizens.”

LOVED these porcelain bowl sets complete with stainless steel spoon designed by Ineke Hans of Royalvkb from The Netherlands. These come in a boxed set of two and are a great gift!

Robots! From our friends at Digs, who work with different artists around the world with a  commitment to eco- conscious manufacturing, economic development, fair trade, fair wages, as well as quality design. These robots are made from all recycled material and would rule in any home.

The sweetest little charm necklaces from Odette of Brooklyn, NY. Each charm is handmade by designer Jennifer Sarkilahti in her New York studio. Mushrooms, birds, bees and more!

Orla Kiely launched her colorful patterned handbag line back in 1990, so perhaps you have heard of her? (in our store, on our site or maybe on our blog?..wink, wink) Okay, we admit it; we are pretty outspoken about how amazing these bags are… But we just can’t help it.

Orla’s long standing commitment to smart shapes, colorful and graphic prints as well as durable fabrics have made her line a mainstay at Tilde since we opened. And, we’ve just added a fab new print to our Orla stock—Alpine Forest! This is a brand new pattern for Fall 2010 and we have the classic shoulder bag, midi and maxi sling bags. We also still have a few bags from her summer collection if you want to snag one of those.

These  bags are designed with the matte laminated finish and feature a graphic and repetitive tree print in three earth tones (grays, browns, and greens).  Inside details include coordinating stem print cotton lining, one zip pocket and two small open pockets for your phone and other small essentials, a key chain, and leather encased magnet closure. You might not want to think ahead to fall at this point, but it is right around the corner and these are just the right color for the season.

Based in London, England Orla Kiely consistently blends form and function in all her designs. Lucky for you, we are right here in Portland so you can stop by the store to admire & inspect these bags in person or cruise our online store.

Tilde • 7919 SE 13th Ave • Portland, OR 97202
T: (503) 234-9600 E: info@tildeshop.com

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We are getting quite excited for the opening of Rachael Donaldson’s visual art show, titled ‘Terra‘ – Latin for earth or land. We installed her gorgeous paintings just the other day and already have our eye on a few for ourselves! They are all so lovely. Her reception is this Friday, August 6th from 6-9:00pm. We’ll have wine, nibbles and brilliant conversation! Come meet the artist herself. PLUS, since she is our featured artist this month, Rachael has stocked us up with many more necklaces & earrings from her gorgeous jewelry line, Demimonde.

Want to know a tad more about how Rachael created these beauties?   This series reflects the deep influence that the Southwest terrain has had on Donaldson’s relationship with nature, earth’s evolution and, ultimately, her artwork and creative process. With Terra, Rachael’s focus is on the exploration of repeated layering and removal, to convey the essence of those discovered vistas and surfaces.

Paint is mixed in bulk, applied to boards in layers with the leftover paint used as a base for the consecutive piece in the series. The persistent use of dots in her work is an intentional choice. The dots are a compositional backdrop for her process, a reference to horizon lines, and a meditative practice of obsessive repetition. The layers are carefully sanded away to expose the finished work. What is uncovered is akin to discovering a precious stone peeking out of the dusty desert terrain.

In addition to her painting, Rachael also designs and creates a stunning line of jewelry, which we have carried for a few years now.  She has a keen sense of style and an eye for pairing unusual stones with interesting silver, gold, and mixed metal chain. She uses vintage and new materials to create these one of a kind pieces that are truly beautiful.

Demimonde has long been a shop favorite and we have more pieces than usual this month for you to peruse.

Please join us for Rachael Donaldson’s artist reception on Friday, August 6th from 6-9pm.

Tilde • 7919 SE 13th Ave • Portland, OR 97202
T: (503) 234-9600 E: info@tildeshop.com

Find pictures of Rachael’s visual artwork & her Demimonde jewelry line on our Flickr page.

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Welcome to our third artist interview. We are super happy that the talented Jeanie Lai agreed to divulge a bit more about her background and her line Moufelt, right here on our fledgling blog. Jeanie’s colorful and graphic felt goods have been a mainstay in the shop for a few years now and we use to carry her felt jewelry. So if you have been curious about the woman behind this inventive line, read on my friends…

And thanks for sharing Jeanie!

Tell us a little about your background and how you got to be where you are now.

I was born in Hong Kong and grew up on the east coast. I have a masters degree in architecture. When my husband and I first moved here from Baltimore Maryland about 6 years ago, I was totally inspired by the strong local craft and DIY culture.  Although I’m already in a creative field, I missed making smaller more tangible things with my hands.  I started my own design studio, MOUFELT in 2007.  I starting by making jewelry with handmade felt for my friends and have since expanded into home accessories using industrial felt.

Tell us a little about your process and how you create your work.

I use computer software to create the home accessories designs. Most of my work is die-cut but the larger pieces are cut using an industrial waterjet machine. For the jewelry, it’s a lot of trial and error.  I get an idea and I mock it up to see if it’s something I would want to wear.

What artists are you inspired by? Who do you admire?

I’m totally inspired by the work of Nervous System. Not just the beautiful jewelry they make but I’m in awe of their ability to design computer programs that generate amazing, complex and unconventional geometries. I also love the work of Atelier Manferdini in California. I’m inspired by their interdisciplinary design practices which bridge the gap between fashion, product design and architecture. Other designers I adore: Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec , the designers of Molo, felt artist Claudy Jongstra, Lotta Jansdotter, and of course Charles and Ray Eames. I could go on for a while….

Is there a country or area that you want to visit or live?

We love living in Portland but would love to live in NYC for a couple of years. I find so much inspiration when I visit. I would love to go to Japan at some point. We had an amazing trip to northern Spain a few years ago and would love to go back and see the southern part of the country.

Do you have any plans for future shows, bodies of work or long-term projects?

I work full time at a local architecture firm, so finding time for new projects is often a challenge. I am hoping to use wool felt for some of my interior projects. I would like to expand into bigger pieces, furniture and wall panels. I am working on some new trivet and coaster designs at the moment.

Any advice for young artists trying to find their way out there?

Do what you love (hopefully you’re also good at it) and work hard.

There’s nothing like a good old fashioned golden nugget! This one just happens to be handmade, and even though its not ’solid’ gold, we love it nonetheless. We have added a new designer to the Tilde ranks: Miki Christopherson. Her line Miki and Nora focuses on simple geometric shapes fabricated in silver, oxidized silver and antiqued gold. Lovely, precious and refreshing clean design. Her pieces strike me as the everyday ‘basic’ that are far more fetching than anything basic, and eventually end up being one of your favorites. Nugget or Pyramid? Or perhaps Octahedron…

Tilde • 7919 SE 13th Ave • Portland, OR 97202
T: (503) 234-9600 E: info@tildeshop.com

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Check out our Flickr page and get a peek at the shop!