Stash Studios

Fresh Start

New Stash Co site is loaded. The pickings are slim BUT some of my best sellers are now open for special order. New bags for 2012 will be loaded following our next round of Urban Market in February. 

Turn Around. Take a Step Forward

“The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life. It’s so easy to make it complex. The solution for a lot of the world’s problems may be to turn around and take a forward step.”— Yvon Chouinard

There was some philosophical discussion over the winter break about my pattern of leaving the city to work. Something obvious and necessary to what I do. But words had never been put to the idea of it. I only knew that when I drove out through the open prairies and rice fields that separated my city home from my work that there was a shedding of a skin. An opening to a connection of something more elemental.

I find one is more mindful of resources when they are harder to come by. A stark difference from our flip a switch daily convenience. Ingenuity has more time and space to grow in places like these.

Physically things are harder here. There are no bots to automate repetitive tasks. Work is done by hand and many days blood is drawn and the first aid kit is mobilized.

There is no heat and thermostat controlled air. The roof leaks on one corner like a sieve. Bones creak when the wind blows. Roosters crow. But the place and the work plugs into a deep part of my soul.

Then a friend came to visit me working at the factory and suggested I watch 180º South.

And I did. You need not be a surfer or climber to appreciate this film. Beautifully rendered. Simply stated. It gave me pause to consider the year ahead of me. The idea that there is so much more out there than the postage stamp we call home and that sometimes our greatest potential lies beyond our front door and certainly beyond what we may have imagined for ourselves.

And I also started reading Let My People Go Surfing : The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Choinard. 

Last year was interesting. I had been seeking a space to expand to and I had a vision of what I hoped for, but I would never have dreamed that I'd have the opportunity to work in a century old mattress factory.

There was discussion about growth. I had some dreams of PR and expansion. I traveled. I was invited to wholesale market. I kicked myself because things didn't seem to be happening fast enough. I worked 7 days a week. I grew a list of potential wholesale vendors longer than my arm. I found and began to train a few folks to help. We launched headlong into production. But things weren't right. We'd begun to push the river.

There are thousands of people making millions of bags. I've always been clear about one thing. Though I dearly love what I do, I have no desire to be 1,001. Just making more stuff.

So I stopped. I turned around. I took a step that I realize now was a step forward for me. I pared back to just me building. Occasionally I bring back the people who I know love what and where we are creating as much as I do.

And I realized that maybe for now it is enough to work with a waiting list. To make elemental beautiful things for people who really plug in to who I am and what I do. To only use resources when they are certain to be used in a product that someone wants. Less speculation. No buy-backs. And that weekends are necessary to recharge. Because whatever you do, it is simply not worth it if you don't have time to live your life.

Oh, I still work weekends but fewer and usually only before our thrice yearly appearance at Urban Market. I'm not sure exactly where 2012 will take me but I am certain that I am looking forward to the journey.

Roll With It.

Skate, Music, Food, Art, Fashion and Booze for a good cause. This weekend is Sensory Overload 2, an ancillary event that arose out of support for the Johnny Romano Make-A-Wish Skate Jam benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. 4411 Montrose starting at 7pm. Music, silent auction, food by Monica Pope, cutting demos, a live art installation with Tra' Slaughter and Dom Bam, fashion show, and the guys from Embassy Skateboards will be busting out some pro board moves for the crowd. 

photo | Gary Griffin

Stash is pitching in one of my handcut Bison Clutches for the silent auction and will be on hand to shoot the event. Come support our friends at cutLoose and Make-A-Wish. 

In case, you don't know the story of Johnny Romano, the catalyst for the largest skate-for-charity event, check out the Texas Monthly feature here.

Get your tickets at cutLoose and more info here. 

Later,

Spaulted

The only person who can paint a Jasper Johns original is Jasper himself. In the very same way, Centro-Matic writes their own songs and plays their own music. With this idea of personal creation, we build our own bags and we design our own furniture and fixtures down to the raw material. 

Above is a Texas pecan tree that we've been curing in our wood storage container for more than a year. When we put it through our saw mill, we were delighted to find it had naturally spaulted which means that it is shot through with stunning zone lines, varying colors and patterns as a natural result of the decay process. 

A true family effort with help from friends, we have cut, cured, milled, planed, sanded, finished and crafted each piece to create an industrial meets wood table and two bookshelves. These pieces of very unique furniture will be available for viewing and purchase in our booth this weekend at Urban Market - Houston. Come see the result.

Wood Work.

Working to find a large slab out of a twisted multi-trunk 7x12 Bois d' arc tree, we got a jump on the heat to tackle this little project. 

The Bois d' arc is a hard hard Southern Plains tree introduced as pioneers moved west and needed fences to keep cattle. So before the invention of barbed wire in the late 1800s, landowners would grow hedges of Bois d' arc. Tolerant of hot summers and fast growers, the immature trees bear inch long spines making them well-suited for prairie windbreaks and fencing. Just 100 years after its introduction, nearly 100,000 miles of this living hedge were found in Kansas alone.

We collect trees. And much like any of the materials used around here, the Stash family spends a good deal of time with them trying to figure out the best, most creative use for each unique tree. Unlike our old canvas collections and accumulation of metalwork, cut trees have a bit of an internal clock. In particular, hardwood trees like the Bois d' arc must be cut fairly green or they harden to nearly impossible. This one cured a bit long and we busted a blade on the mill but this week we are designing a special sled to use with an extra-large chain saw so that we can finish the job. 

You will be able to see the fruits of these labors this October 22-23 at Urban Market in Houston.

 

Fire Power

Cai Guo-Qiang creates with fire power. My understanding is that he creates his image with gunpowder then sandwiches the art with a fuse between layers of glassine and cardboard and ignites.

Featured recently in WSJ, his installation titled Odyssey has just opened at the MFA Houston. It is a permanent gunpowder drawing installation in the Arts of China Gallery. Looking forward to seeing it this weekend. Video via CultureMap.

One Green Street

In retrospect, it seems that our meeting was inevitable. Guided, perhaps.

The bag business has a lot of small world moments. Moments with friends and customers collaborating and supporting one another. But I was unprepared for the emotional small world moment I had with One Green Street.

One Green Street is a local organic lifestyle destination shop. Located off Buffalo Speedway and Westpark in Houston, owner Sherry Eichberger has put a lot of heart into teaching others about organics and stocks her shop with skincare, clothing, accessories, jewelry, baby, lifestyle, and home goods.

Sherry is particularly passionate about the subject of organic lifestyle. She founded the store when several otherwise healthy men in her neighborhood died of cancer.

I could relate to that motivation because we lost my brother-in-law, Scott to cancer years earlier and this has been a driving force in our lives to support organic whenever possible.

Sherry contacted me when she saw a Stash Co Market Bag on our mutual friend, jewelry designer, Jeannine Peace. A few weeks after this initial connection, I received an email from my sister-in-law. She said that I needed to get in touch with her friend Sherry. She has and organic shop and she would probably love my upcycled Market Bag.

She continued to tell me that Scott's death was one the motivations for Sherry opening One Green Street. So from two totally different directions, it seemed like destiny was going to put Sherry and I on the path to work together.

Now, you can find Stash Co Market Bags especially designed with organic lining at One Green Street in Houston, Texas. 

Stash will be Sherry's New Kid on the Block feature for her next newsletter. 

Thanks Sherry!

Sig, Uncle Charlie, and Natachee

There are a few more Midtown characters I want to cover with you.  Sig's Lagoon is not exactly a new scene in Midtown, it has just relocated to the 3622 Main block I've been covering this week. Sig's is the go-to place for your rare vinyl and novelty goods, Continental Club tix, and assorted music junkie fix in Midtown.

The owner, Thomas Escalante, is a fantastic, funny, and knowledgeable guy. I always learn something when I stop in for a visit. I recently read that his shop is named in part after Sig Byrd, a local Houston columnist for all the major papers back in the 50s. This I learned from the "Record Store of the Week" feature at Light in the Attic Records. Cool interview and a good blog for music lovers.

Now there is Uncle Charlie. Sig's Lagoon has a killer collection of Uncle Charlie's (Charlie Hardwick) rock posters. Last time I was in the shop, I was drawn to the work of Uncle Charlie and Thomas told me his story. I've long wanted to do a feature on him but hadn't made the time. Charlie has been creating rock posters and packaging design for two decades. In 2003, he experienced a severe vision loss which left him legally blind. He continues to produce amazing artwork, some of which I captured in an earlier photo (top) this year outside Sig's new location.

While I'm on the topic, I want to share a video of Uncle Charlie's work being printed by Black Swan Screen Printing from Brenda Cruz.

Last but not least, there is Natachee. I heard a rumor that the name - Natachee's Supper 'n Punch - comes from a fiddle player who was a whiz with a skillet.  I haven't been to this Midtown eatery yet but the menu is making me hungry and I've heard that the burgers have some foodies buzzing. The establishment is said to have the same "eclectic, down-home Texas vibe" of many of its neighbors per CultureMap.

So, last plug for this weekend. Go visit the kids at 3622 Main. 

Have a great weekend,

My Flaming Heart

Judy Masliyah brought her flaming heart goodness to Texas from California a while back. Known for her vast collection of killer cow kicks, bright halter dresses, flaming heart applique tees, and men's bowling and western-inspired shirts, Judy does all her own cut and sew in shop. Now you can visit her at My Flaming Heart, her working studio/shop in Midtown Houston.

The shop is a visual treat and has all the great clothing we've come to expect from Judy. Plus, she has rounded it out with killer vintage finds as well as her handmade and estate jewelry and a good dose of folk art. 

I've known Judy throughout the years and have watched her business grow and I find her grit, her style, and great personality are an inspiration. So congratulations Judy! Much happy success to your new shop. There were too many photos to choose from so check out My Flaming Heart set on my flickr.

And don't forget to visit Judy this weekend when they throw their 3622 Main Grand Opening on Saturday, October 16.

Shop-o-Rama

When we are in town, we head over to Monica Pope's farmer's market on Saturday. We used to be able to grab a taco and get our produce and head out for the rest of our Saturday. But now, we find ourselves lingering as there is so much more to do and friends to visit. Midtown Houston is seeing new life with a bevy of construction and new shops. Of course the revitalization of Midtown did not begin yesterday. Stalwart, visionary kids have been running businesses like Sig's Lagoon, the Continental Club, Shoeshine Charley's Big Top Lounge, Tacos a Go-Go, and t'afia in that vicinity for some time now.

However, these guys are getting some cool new neighbors. One of the new kids on the block is Shop-o-Rama, a resale co-op located at 3622 B Main Street on the Red Line. This resale shop is very neat and well-organized with vintage clothing, accessories, oddities, and overflow vintage vinyl from their friends at Sig's. Included here are a few shots I grabbed on a recent weekend while visiting with proprietor Bill Shirley.

Now, be sure to mark your calendars because these kids are going to be throwing a block party of sorts to celebrate their grand openings this coming Saturday, October 16. Check out 3622 Main Grand Opening and stay tuned. Tomorrow look for shots from my friend Judy's shop, My Flaming Heart.