We are so excited to announce our Summer Artist Series collaboration with Maine artist, painter and graphic designer, Aaron Newbury.  We fell in love with Aaron's work on instagram a while back, he produces finger boards (tiny skateboards) featuring pen and ink style designs of skulls, quirky wildife and mystical beings - what's not to love?! 

That's right! I'm going to take up this blog over the next month to tell you all the advantages of using cotton garments over synthetic materials.

First, what is cotton?  Cotton is a soft, natural and pillowy fiber that's made up mostly of cellulose.  Cotton yarn is made by harvesting the cotton and stripping it of it's leaves and other parts.  It's then transferred to a textile mill where multiple things can happen:

Ringspun cotton is soft and smooth on your skin, it ends up this way because it's gone through a special process of spinning the cotton until all the loose ends are spun into a single thread, with all the fibers going in a single direction.  In this method, all impurities are removed in the process. Making a strand with no loose ends means that there's nothing poking out or rough pieces, even at a microscopic level. 

Carded Open End (C.O.E.) Cotton is produced by weaving fibers in perpendicular directions to form a cheaper but more 'fuzzy' version of thread. This is less soft to touch and produces an overall rougher material.

Once the yarn is formed, it's woven into fabric, dyed and processed to become a garment.

Using water-based inks, we prefer to print on the smoother surface of ringspun garments.  It produces a better print that ages well with the fabric. 

Stay tuned for the difference between cotton and polyester garments and why it matters for the earth! 

February's Artist Series design is extra special to me, this is an illustration done by my father, David Scott Peterson (1950-2012).  He was a New England author, illustrator and artist who developed a love for children's stories which became his true passion.  The above excerpt is from his children's book of stories, Dream with Me, published in 2006. 

I chose this illustration for February because of the unlikely duo coming face-to-face to form a heart.  I'm so glad I have these treasures left behind by my dad, and I'm even more happy I get to share them with all of you!  Please enjoy this month's Artist Series tee and be sure to share with friends.

Cheers!
Holly

Buy the shirt HERE

We're in the process of getting ready for Spring inventory which is great news for you!  In addition to our $9.99 kids tee special, we have free shipping on any order with code BEMINE18 now through Valentine's Day (2.14.18). 

Stock up on classic favorites like the Love Heart tee, Women's Whatever undies and Cactus rompers.

Kimberly is a Portland artist working across several mediums.  Her work can be found around Portland including hand drawn cards at Tandem Coffee Roasters - be sure to snag one for your Valentine along with her Artist Series tee on our website. 

Explore more of her artwork on her website or on instagram

My name is Julie Bernier, I named the company Earth Angel Arts and I am a passionately creative dynamo on a mission to spread more love and joy in the world through creativity and artful projects.  Through my photography, paintings and writing I share parts of my soul and heart with the world, and hopefully make people feel held and understood, see the the natural world around them in a new and unique way and become inspired to jump in and create art of their own.

​I live by the sea in Portland, Maine with my sweet husband and dear Black Lab and find inspiration all around me in the natural world. All of the home arts my grandmother schooled me in remain constants in my life, providing the glue that keeps me connected and grounded and keeping me open to possibility and wonder. It is with great love and humility that I share myself and my work here with you. I make it a point to give generously to charities whose work inspires and awes me. Please write and tell me your stories of love and connection, suggest charities whose work I should check out, and by all means, send photos of your own artwork as well as photos illustrating the ways you’ve used mine to sprinkle love around your home and your world.

You can purchase her limited edition shirt on our website here or visit her store (while supplies last).  For more information about Julie and her amazing work, visit her website at www.earthangelarts.com  

All items ordered from November 17th until December 8th are considered made to order and will ship on or before December 15th to arrive before Christmas per the USPS First Class shipping schedules.  

Please bear with us during our holiday rush and email us at creationlabshop@gmail.com prior to placing your order if you have any concerns or need your items sooner.  Some items will come available after local shows, markets and pop ups. 

We are running our annual holiday special, for the months of November and December all orders containing clothing will ship with a FREE GIFT valued at $3 or more!  Buttons, Pins, Hats, Cards and Decals are just some of the fun things that could be in your order. 

To guarantee an item, find us in person:

Pepperell Mill Maine Makers Market
40 Main St, Biddeford, Maine
December 1st-4th 11am-9pm 

Portland Yacht Club Gift Sale
40 Old Powerhouse Rd, Falmouth, Maine
November 26th 12-4pm

Maine artist, Justin Roig is the launch of the Creation Lab Artist Series Collaboration.  His pen and ink crow tee can be purchased for a limited time in our shop, only 30 shirts were printed, so you'll want to jump on this one fast!  Justin is a long time friend of the Acampora family and a talented artist across many mediums including pen and ink, pencil on wood and even large scale installation art.  

Read on for a little more about Justin and to see more of his work, visit his website at www.justinroig.com 

I generally think of myself more as a scientist than an artist. however, I consider visual art to be one of the sciences, so I'm fortunately not put in the position of having to decide if I'm one or the other. 

I'm from Maine and after having lived in other places for a spell, I found myself magnetically drawn back to the state and the people that I came from. This place has a power about it and those that have been here generally give in to its mystique.

I believe in love, truth and a code of honor. I believe in family and friends. Thus far, I've dedicated a large section of my time on this planet to the design and construction of objects that are appealing to the eye. 

Buy Justin's Crow print HERE

Our unique graphics are sourced from a number of places including vintage library graphics from The British Library.  Our newest design, Moon Discovery, is carefully pieced together by my husband, Tim, and co-owner of Creation Lab.  

Over the last two years we've spent countless hours sorting through thousands of images available for use and piecing them together to form new graphics with a vintage feel about them.  At times we drop a project for a few months before coming back to revisit.  The process is long and often times frustrating but well worth it in the end! 

We started with the idea of a moon print but wanted something more unique than just a one color print of the moon high and low lights.  Pulling in pieces of a deep love for math and science we happened upon these five images...

And after a lot of cleaning up, rotating, playing with contrasts and most importantly, love, we have our final design.

Designing doesn't stop there, our design is printed onto a Black Heather Tee and a Charcoal Heather Bella + Canvas Kids Tank.  These garments are soft, light, durable and created in sweat shop free factory that recycles every scrap.  Our garments only use combed and ring-spun cotton - top notch for top customers!

We chose to print this design with Ryonet's water based discharge, so after the first wash the print is clear as day but you can't feel it with your fingers.  It becomes part of the fabric. 

Stay tunes to learn more about our process!

From Kennebunk to Freeport some of our favorite retailers are hosting fun events for Valentine's Day!  We know it's easy to get a little stir crazy up here in Maine, so get out of the house, grab your pals and enjoy some retail therapy.  

Head out to see our friends over at Rustic Arrow in Freeport for some free wine and shopping for men.  Not sure what to get your gal?  They'll show you the latest trends and help you pick out the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. 

Trust us, Rustic Arrow knows their fashion and your lady will be mucho impressed!  

When: Sunday February 12th 5-8pm
Where: Rustic Arrow 25 Bow Street, Freeport
More: www.rusticarrowmaine.com

Find our Maine Cliff Tee, Adventure Tank and Anchor Tank & Scoop Neck in store! 

Visit the adorable town of Kennebunkport in the month of February for some extra romance as local shops and restaurants Paint the Town Red for Valentine's Day.  Be on the lookout for extra deals like an 15% off your purchase at our favorite kids shop Daytrip Jr.  Mention "Love KPT" at checkout and they'll give you the discount!  

When: 15% off through February 14th
Where: Daytrip Jr. 9 Ocean Avenue, Kennebunkport
​More: www.daytripsociety.com

Find our Love Tee, Adventure Tee, Explore Tee, Sunshine Onesie & Maine Anchor Onesie in store!

Or maybe you'd still rather hang out in your PJs with a cup of coffee and your laptop (we don't blame you).  Still find that something special on our website!  If you place your order before February 14th we will include a free Love Heart decal <3 

No code needed.