Colleen Attara Studio (Logo with Threaded Needle) Original Art, Altered Books, Salvaged Words, Cards & Prints, and Workshops with Artist, Colleen Attara
Cart 0
  • Shop
    • Online Workshops
    • In-Person Workshops & Retreats
    • Cards
      • ♥ Threads
      • Birthday
      • Celebrate
      • Friendship
      • Love / Valentine
      • Thank You
      • Holidays
      • Empower
      • Encourage
      • Get Well
      • Miss You
      • Sympathy
      • Sorry
    • New & Favorite Treasures
    • Original Art
  • About
    • My Story
    • Often Asked
    • My Almost Daily Journal
    • Featured Press
    • Portfolio
  • Events & Learning
    • online workshops
    • In-Person Workshops & Retreats
  • Reach Out
    • How to Work with Me
    • Get in Touch
My Account
Log in Register
Afghanistan (AFN ؋)
Åland Islands (EUR €)
Albania (ALL L)
Algeria (DZD د.ج)
Andorra (EUR €)
Angola (USD $)
Anguilla (XCD $)
Antigua & Barbuda (XCD $)
Argentina (USD $)
Armenia (AMD դր.)
Aruba (AWG ƒ)
Ascension Island (SHP £)
Australia (AUD $)
Austria (EUR €)
Azerbaijan (AZN ₼)
Bahamas (BSD $)
Bahrain (USD $)
Bangladesh (BDT ৳)
Barbados (BBD $)
Belarus (USD $)
Belgium (EUR €)
Belize (BZD $)
Benin (XOF Fr)
Bermuda (USD $)
Bhutan (USD $)
Bolivia (BOB Bs.)
Bosnia & Herzegovina (BAM КМ)
Botswana (BWP P)
Brazil (USD $)
British Indian Ocean Territory (USD $)
British Virgin Islands (USD $)
Brunei (BND $)
Bulgaria (BGN лв.)
Burkina Faso (XOF Fr)
Burundi (BIF Fr)
Cambodia (KHR ៛)
Cameroon (XAF CFA)
Canada (CAD $)
Cape Verde (CVE $)
Caribbean Netherlands (USD $)
Cayman Islands (KYD $)
Central African Republic (XAF CFA)
Chad (XAF CFA)
Chile (USD $)
China (CNY ¥)
Christmas Island (AUD $)
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (AUD $)
Colombia (USD $)
Comoros (KMF Fr)
Congo - Brazzaville (XAF CFA)
Congo - Kinshasa (CDF Fr)
Cook Islands (NZD $)
Costa Rica (CRC ₡)
Côte d’Ivoire (XOF Fr)
Croatia (EUR €)
Curaçao (ANG ƒ)
Cyprus (EUR €)
Czechia (CZK Kč)
Denmark (DKK kr.)
Djibouti (DJF Fdj)
Dominica (XCD $)
Dominican Republic (DOP $)
Ecuador (USD $)
Egypt (EGP ج.م)
El Salvador (USD $)
Equatorial Guinea (XAF CFA)
Eritrea (USD $)
Estonia (EUR €)
Eswatini (USD $)
Ethiopia (ETB Br)
Falkland Islands (FKP £)
Faroe Islands (DKK kr.)
Fiji (FJD $)
Finland (EUR €)
France (EUR €)
French Guiana (EUR €)
French Polynesia (XPF Fr)
French Southern Territories (EUR €)
Gabon (XOF Fr)
Gambia (GMD D)
Georgia (USD $)
Germany (EUR €)
Ghana (USD $)
Gibraltar (GBP £)
Greece (EUR €)
Greenland (DKK kr.)
Grenada (XCD $)
Guadeloupe (EUR €)
Guatemala (GTQ Q)
Guernsey (GBP £)
Guinea (GNF Fr)
Guinea-Bissau (XOF Fr)
Guyana (GYD $)
Haiti (USD $)
Honduras (HNL L)
Hong Kong SAR (HKD $)
Hungary (HUF Ft)
Iceland (ISK kr)
India (INR ₹)
Indonesia (IDR Rp)
Iraq (USD $)
Ireland (EUR €)
Isle of Man (GBP £)
Israel (ILS ₪)
Italy (EUR €)
Jamaica (JMD $)
Japan (JPY ¥)
Jersey (USD $)
Jordan (USD $)
Kazakhstan (KZT ₸)
Kenya (KES KSh)
Kiribati (USD $)
Kosovo (EUR €)
Kuwait (USD $)
Kyrgyzstan (KGS som)
Laos (LAK ₭)
Latvia (EUR €)
Lebanon (LBP ل.ل)
Lesotho (USD $)
Liberia (USD $)
Libya (USD $)
Liechtenstein (CHF CHF)
Lithuania (EUR €)
Luxembourg (EUR €)
Macao SAR (MOP P)
Madagascar (USD $)
Malawi (MWK MK)
Malaysia (MYR RM)
Maldives (MVR MVR)
Mali (XOF Fr)
Malta (EUR €)
Martinique (EUR €)
Mauritania (USD $)
Mauritius (MUR ₨)
Mayotte (EUR €)
Mexico (USD $)
Moldova (MDL L)
Monaco (EUR €)
Mongolia (MNT ₮)
Montenegro (EUR €)
Montserrat (XCD $)
Morocco (MAD د.م.)
Mozambique (USD $)
Myanmar (Burma) (MMK K)
Namibia (USD $)
Nauru (AUD $)
Nepal (NPR Rs.)
Netherlands (EUR €)
New Caledonia (XPF Fr)
New Zealand (NZD $)
Nicaragua (NIO C$)
Niger (XOF Fr)
Nigeria (NGN ₦)
Niue (NZD $)
Norfolk Island (AUD $)
North Macedonia (MKD ден)
Norway (USD $)
Oman (USD $)
Pakistan (PKR ₨)
Palestinian Territories (ILS ₪)
Panama (USD $)
Papua New Guinea (PGK K)
Paraguay (PYG ₲)
Peru (PEN S/)
Philippines (PHP ₱)
Pitcairn Islands (NZD $)
Poland (PLN zł)
Portugal (EUR €)
Qatar (QAR ر.ق)
Réunion (EUR €)
Romania (RON Lei)
Russia (USD $)
Rwanda (RWF FRw)
Samoa (WST T)
San Marino (EUR €)
São Tomé & Príncipe (STD Db)
Saudi Arabia (SAR ر.س)
Senegal (XOF Fr)
Serbia (RSD РСД)
Seychelles (USD $)
Sierra Leone (SLL Le)
Singapore (SGD $)
Sint Maarten (ANG ƒ)
Slovakia (EUR €)
Slovenia (EUR €)
Solomon Islands (SBD $)
Somalia (USD $)
South Africa (USD $)
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands (GBP £)
South Korea (KRW ₩)
South Sudan (USD $)
Spain (EUR €)
Sri Lanka (LKR ₨)
St. Barthélemy (EUR €)
St. Helena (SHP £)
St. Kitts & Nevis (XCD $)
St. Lucia (XCD $)
St. Martin (EUR €)
St. Pierre & Miquelon (EUR €)
St. Vincent & Grenadines (XCD $)
Sudan (USD $)
Suriname (USD $)
Svalbard & Jan Mayen (USD $)
Sweden (SEK kr)
Switzerland (CHF CHF)
Taiwan (TWD $)
Tajikistan (TJS ЅМ)
Tanzania (TZS Sh)
Thailand (THB ฿)
Timor-Leste (USD $)
Togo (XOF Fr)
Tokelau (NZD $)
Tonga (TOP T$)
Trinidad & Tobago (TTD $)
Tristan da Cunha (GBP £)
Tunisia (USD $)
Türkiye (USD $)
Turkmenistan (USD $)
Turks & Caicos Islands (USD $)
Tuvalu (AUD $)
U.S. Outlying Islands (USD $)
Uganda (UGX USh)
Ukraine (UAH ₴)
United Arab Emirates (AED د.إ)
United Kingdom (GBP £)
United States (USD $)
Uruguay (UYU $U)
Uzbekistan (UZS so'm)
Vanuatu (VUV Vt)
Vatican City (EUR €)
Venezuela (USD $)
Vietnam (VND ₫)
Wallis & Futuna (XPF Fr)
Western Sahara (MAD د.م.)
Yemen (YER ﷼)
Zambia (USD $)
Zimbabwe (USD $)
English
Colleen Attara Studio (Logo with Threaded Needle) Original Art, Altered Books, Salvaged Words, Cards & Prints, and Workshops with Artist, Colleen Attara
  • Shop
    • Online Workshops
    • In-Person Workshops & Retreats
    • Cards
      • ♥ Threads
      • Birthday
      • Celebrate
      • Friendship
      • Love / Valentine
      • Thank You
      • Holidays
      • Empower
      • Encourage
      • Get Well
      • Miss You
      • Sympathy
      • Sorry
    • New & Favorite Treasures
    • Original Art
  • About
    • My Story
    • Often Asked
    • My Almost Daily Journal
    • Featured Press
    • Portfolio
  • Events & Learning
    • online workshops
    • In-Person Workshops & Retreats
  • Reach Out
    • How to Work with Me
    • Get in Touch
Account Cart 0

Search our store

Colleen Attara Studio (Logo with Threaded Needle) Original Art, Altered Books, Salvaged Words, Cards & Prints, and Workshops with Artist, Colleen Attara
Account Cart 0
Popular Searches:
T-Shirt Blue Jacket
News & Press

National Stationery Show 2014

Jul 31, 2014

"This is me...does any of this feel like you?"

My cards and prints are the work that flows out of me everyday. The truest work I have ever created.  And standing beside them at the National Stationery Show in NYC this past May was the very best feeling.

Doing a wholesale show is a really big deal to pull off.  Especially if you have never done one before. A before and after for sure.

I felt like I was building a stage and doing a one person play where I act out ten characters and I sell the tickets and make popcorn.  It was lots of work, time and financial commitment.

And when it was all over, I gave myself a little standing ovation.  I told my story. And I told it in the truest way I knew how by using recycled materials everywhere I could in my booth and in my products. My cards are made from tree free cotton left over from the textile industry. They feel so good to touch.

Each card design begins on my sewing machine.  Thread is a huge part of my work.  Once I had the idea for using vintage thread spools to hold up my cards and prints, the rest started to come together.

Spools holding string to display cards...

I use string and clothespins everywhere in my studio and I loved how they looked in my booth.

Wall of cards...

All of my favorite pieces from my studio were part of my display.  Not only did it "feel" like me, it felt like my creative space, which always soothes me with soft mismatching chairs, luggage that doubles as storage and my beloved half ladder filled with recycled flowers.

My logo was cut from salvaged packing plastic just like my recycled words.  The "D" in the word "studio" was missing a little piece and that too became part of the story.

Inspiration and salvation are part of each card and print.  And part of me too.

Corner of my booth at NSS 2014...

And then there were the people who came to visit and help out. I am so grateful for them.

And they showed up with coffee, ideas, energy, healthy snacks and encouragement.

Friends in my booth...

From the left in the photo above, first up...Darice Pauselius. I simply could not be at NSS as calm and prepared without her. She is half of the creative team that created my website and does my branding.

Matt and Darice get me. For all the work that we do together, you would think we would talk more. But she just knows. And so does Matt. Darice formatted every card, created my wholesale catalog, my business cards, and all my marketing material.

Darice is part of my team. She knows what I stand for. She knows her business and injects and gently suggests other options if she feels what I am requesting will not work...or is straying from what I stand for.

And next sits my dear friend Heather Davulcu, a creative force who can talk about my cards and art perhaps more articulately than me.  She debuted her work on Surtex side with her agent.  Oh, she is one to watch.  Trust me.  Her illustrations will be coming to your home soon.  And yet, here she sits with me as her agent and their team present her work just steps away to delighted companies across the globe.  I am so grateful.

Did I mention she was here to put my booth up and pack it all up?  A crazy good person she is.

And then Carole, who shows up when I need her. Often.  I was doing an art show last fall and Carole came by at closing time to help me pack up.  She just showed up.  With a snack. How lucky am I to have a friend like this?  Carole reps many lines successfully and I am hoping she will rep mine locally.  Carole took an altered book class of mine....many of them.  And became a close and treasured friend.

With Heather at Carol & Michael's home...

One of the best things about doing the NSS was Heather and I stayed with close friends I met at an art show ten years ago. Carol and Michael are two of the most amazing people I have ever met...did you click on the links? Dreamy, I know.  They have two nests, one of which is in Weehawken, N.J.  Lucky us! We were spoiled with comfort, love, color and creativity.

Above is Heather and I the morning of the first day of the show in their cozy home.

And this is me the last day of the show waiting for a big skid to take all my displays to the curb to pack up. Heather took this shot.  Yes.  So tired.  But so happy.

Resting behind the scenes...

What you don't see here are the pictures of my husband carrying my booth in, setting it up and coming back to take it all down.  And there were all the times he told me "you can do this" when I was getting ready.  I needed to hear that...and I always need him.

So how did it go?  Amazingly.  I had three products that were nominated in the "Best New Product" category, ten new wholesale accounts and counting, and a really great licensing opportunity..

But most of all, I know this is what I want to do forever...reach people with my words and art in small but powerful ways though greeting cards and prints.

I am going to follow up with another post on exactly how this show came together for me with details on how I built my booth and what I learned. My hope is that I can help someone else feel ready for their first wholesale show.

ps.  My cards are in my shop.  Take a peek.  I am so proud of them! 

found in: My Journal
Previous
Spilling Over
Next
Summer mornings

Tags

  • art desk
  • art journaling
  • art workshops
  • being present
  • brain injury
  • colleen attara
  • colleen attara studio
  • concussion
  • covid
  • Featured Press
  • fern
  • garden
  • gardening
  • green beans
  • hands
  • Himalayan Institute
  • layers
  • meditation
  • mixed media
  • My Journal
  • OLW
  • olw 2021
  • OLW. one little word
  • organic gardening
  • outdoor workshops
  • podcast
  • process
  • reset
  • self care
  • solo travel
  • waiting
  • word of the year
  • workshops
  • Your word
  • your word 2022

Stay a while...

  • About
  • Portfolio
  • My Journal
  • Featured Press
  • Events

Shop the studio...

  • Cards & Prints
  • Journals & Planners
  • Original Art

Need some help?

  • Customer Service
  • Shipping & Handling
  • How to Work with Me
  • Contact
  • Search

The Fine Print

  • DCMA Policy
  • Acceptable Use Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Refund Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up to receive messages full of art, honesty, and an occasional sale or two. xo.

© 2025 Colleen Attara Studio. All Rights Reserved. (FC)
Payment options:
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Bancontact
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • iDEAL
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Visa

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Add note for seller
Add a discount code
Subtotal $0.00
View Cart