Moving Product Off the Shelf

Blackstone Edge Studios creates wraparound brochure cover, photo, digital work

We at Blackstone Edge Studios are proud to announce that not only our photographic and extreme digital work, but  also our wraparound design grace the cover of this recently completed Window Style Guide. Big kudos to Linda and Bob Balta for allowing us to photo their beautiful bank of windows in their home for the occasion!

DOUBLE CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE!

BSE's 2nd Portrait Cover for GHID - for Washington State

On occasion, magazines will print more than one cover for their magazines.  Nowadays they’ll even do Facebook page queries to see what readers think about cover ideas before they print. Covers are what sell magazines. See something intriguing and your hand reaches out… Hmmm… What’s this, you think, and suddenly your eyes are feasting on what’s inside that favorite “book.”

A similar thing happened with Portrait Magazine, which chose to feature two of Blackstone Edge Studios’ images to grace its twin covers  for its sister publications: Portrait of Portland and Portrait Magazine. The former is published in Oregon, the latter in other West Coast states, such as Washington.

So, if you’re in line at the checkout counter, or perusing the magazine section in one of the big bookstores in Washington, you’ll see the kitchen cover shot we did  for the spread on our client GHID – Garrison Hullinger Interior Design‘s award-winning house in Battle Ground, Washington. This is the canning area of the large kitchen that was fashioned in part after a film – “Something’s Gotta Give,” starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton – which home deisgner Mike Blondino shared with his clients as a starting point for their home’s design. Hullinger created this charming canning area to counterbalance the larger islands alongside it.

BSE's Portrait of Portland cover - #1

If you’re out and about in Oregon or Portland, you’ll see this shot from the GHID Battle Ground home as its Hampton style cover. Either way, hope you enjoy the 12-page spread inside, replete with an article by yours truly – Donna Pizzi.

One of my earliest films shot in the U.S. has become a YouTube sensation, going viral by picking up 4,000 hits a day, except for the day it got 12,000 hits in Lithuania alone. This film shot on three 16mm cameras on Kodachrome film – all sound added in post – took 8 months to produce.  It depicts the heaviest load ever moved over US highways – namely, 1157 US Tons on 384 tires. Presumably by the end of the year, it will hit over 1,000,000 YouTube hits.

Oddly, the same heavy-duty truckers from far flung places like Siberia and Tunisia also will favorite our 1 minute video for Garrison Hullinger Interior Design.  Not sure what the correlation is, but it’s great to see they love them both.

"The Lost Gateways" by Margaret Fitzgerald available on Kindle through Amazon.com

As the editor of the late Margaret Fitzgerald’s novel “The Lost Gateways: Discovered Ancient “I AM” Principles,” I am proud to announce that after months and months of negotiating with her publisher Trafford Publishing – and navigating a nightmare of dead ends, failed promises, and an amazing lack of follow-through by its support staff, the book is FINALLY available on Kindle via Amazon.com for $9.95.

There are also a bizarre number of Margaret’s books available via the internet for astronomical fees that defy explanation…  29 Euros boasts one on EBay, $147 says Alibris when shipped from NY, $53 when shipped from Florida… And even Facebook has a page for the book on Kindle.

Perhaps the latter are some indication of the value of the book that while editing it, I found to be extraordinarily enlightening each time I read through it. These kernels of information seemed to pop up like jewels beaming in the sunlight after layers of “programming” were stripped away from one’s consciousness.

For those of you who did not know Margaret or  her multiple talents, let me say that she was a woman with a mission to help heal the individuals who populate our threatened planet through a journey around a wheel of  “I AM” principles. Her mission was cut far too short by a terminal illness that kept her from completing her ambitions, and projects.

Thank you, Margaret, for the lessons you gave us!

Charmaine Manley Design HQ in Bend's new CUBE

Blackstone Edge Studios took a trip to Bend this past weekend to create elements for an advertising campaign and European magazine spread for Charmaine Manley Design.  Manley’s new interior design headquarters are located in the innovative CUBE – a series of shipping containers that house the offices of some of Bend’s most creative companies. Charmaine conceived the idea and worked together with other members of the Bend creative design community to see it to its fruition. The grand opening will occur on Saturday, April 28th from 6-9 pm. Located next door to the Sparrow Bakery, it’s a sight not to be missed. Watch here for more info and imagery! You’ll love Charmaine Manley‘s sense of color!

A screen capture from the 1-minute video intro for the GHID presentation at Rejuvenation 4/5/12 ©Blackstone Edge Studios

In honor of Garrison Hullinger’s presentation at Rejuvenation tonight  (4/5/12) @ 6pm, which is co-sponsored by NW Natural The Blue Home, we created a one-minute video using images we’ve shot of GHID’s work over the years, along with some technical wizardry, and original music, as a type of video elevator speech…  We’ve just uploaded it to YouTube for those who are unable to attend tonight’s presentation. It’s sure to get you excited about the team @ GHID and the quality of their work.

Here’s the link!!!

His Seahound Ranch is featured in this month’s Gray Magazine out of Seattle (3rd issue of this new magazine), featuring our images, as well as the upcoming issue of Portrait Magazine due out shortly, for which we did the images, article and cover!

Forgive us for being AWOL from our blog for a while. We’ve been tied up with a number of exciting projects that have kept us working round the clock.

"Weaver of Dreams" special edition will be for the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2012

We’ve begun design work on a book cover for client David J. Thompson’s book “Weaver of Dreams” - a special edition for the  2012 United Nations International Year of Cooperatives. The story is a gripping one that concerns the birth of a movement by a group of humble weavers, who became Cooperative revolutionaries who built the world’s eight largest economy on the principle of  “One member; One vote.”  David was recently appointed to the Coop Hall of Fame. in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned for that book cover design and the launch of the book…

Garrison Hullinger speaking at Rejuvenation - Image by Blackstoneedge.com - Come see BSE's video introduction + images!

About a half-hour ago, we completed a one-minute video that features both our images and some innovative video techniques for another client, Garrison Hullinger Interior Design, which will be used to introduce Garrison before he speaks at  Rejuvenation on “Low Impact, High Quality Living”  on Thursday, April 5, 2012 from 6-9 @ 1100 SE Grand Avenue, Portland, OR 97214 – tel: 888-401-1900 Drinks and light refreshments.

Register here – limited seating is filling up fast!

http://www.rejuvenation.com/events/rsvp.html

Blackstone Edge Studios Designs SWI bi-fold sell sheet - overall photos © BSE

Southland Windows, Inc. of Santa Ana, California, for whom we are the agency of record, asked us to create a two-sided sell sheet for their bi-fold doors as a special handout for architects. SWI does extraordinary quality work and we’re proud to have created their recent beauty book for which this sell sheet is an addendum that provides architects with specs for SWI’s bi-fold doors, now featuring Centor hardware (fabulous Australian company).

BSE creates continuity between the SWI brochure & sell sheets - House photo ©BSE

Amidst all this hubbub, I’ve also been at work on several articles for local and national magazines as well, lest my fingers should go idle for a single second! More about those in a subsequent post!

Have a great weekend!

At Blackstone Edge Studios we tend to put our fingers in quite a few pies – guess it’s part and parcel of keeping the coffers full, the mind active, and the heart creative.

Clafoutis aux frambroises - raspberries picked along Blackstone Edge Studios' fence © Blackstoneedgestudios.com

In the magazine business, editors often awaken like a spring robin the minute they see the first sign of crocus and daffodils emerging from the snow-covered (or in the Pacific Northwest, Rain-Soaked) ground. One glance out our storm-lashed windows today shows trees budding out in shades of lime green (yes, my favorite), deep coral (another fav), and blooming, early-bird white clematis bushes already reaching for the sky!

Blackstone Edge Studios' Italian Garden - White Clematis ©blackstoneedge.com

In the good ole days, magazines preferred to shoot a year ahead – matching weather for weather. Nowadays, we find editors shoot from the hip, hoping, in some cases, the magazine will still be there by the time the ink is dry on the next issue…

So, how about, we thought, a little preview of some articles about to emerge like those tulips that are next in line to bloom after the drenched daffodils make room for their late-blooming bulb companions…

This is a teaser from a shoot we did last fall, due out this spring in SMALL ROOMS DECORATING Magazine. I just LOVE this house and its artistic owner… Sheila Ford Richmond.

Sheila Ford Richmond's kitchen - Yummy! ©blackstoneedge.com

An Astoria home with historic roots holds many surprises within… Watch for VINTAGE & VICTORIAN magazine to see the rest…

An historic home sits atop an Astoria hilltop ©blackstoneedge.com

And a real treat – a before and after story in the about-to-be released magazine: VINTAGE STYLE about a Vancouver home that changed its shabby chic decor for modernism – thanks to the talented design team, Linda & Bob Balta – due out this spring.

The Baltas' Shabby Chic look ©blackstoneedge.com

The Baltas "After" de-cluttered Modern look - ©blackstoneedge.com

We’ve got more in the “hopper” as well… But we don’t want to spoil your appetite with too many sweet things right before the upcoming Easter Egg hunt… Chocolate eggs anyone?

Top Gear Muscle Car Poster ©Blackstoneedge.com

As a Brit who loves the series “Top Gear,” I thought I’d turn the image I did for Montgomery Vintage Car Restorations (MVCR) into a vintage style poster. We’re so jazzed about the outcome that for fun, we’re sending one of the posters to Politically Un-Correct Top Gear host, Jeremy Clarkson.

If you want one, let me know.

BSE Scores BIG in the Summer 2012 Cottage Style with FIVE FEATURED STORIES

To quote Cottage Style Managing Editor, Janet Mowat, “Blackstone Edge Studios really rocked this issue of Cottage Style!”

Interestingly, every one of the five houses we photographed, styled and wrote about just HAPPENED to be located in Washington State.  Now, each of the homeowners is awaiting to receive their copies and for it to hit the stands with bated breath…

In the meantime, here are some TEASER images you WON’T  SEE in the issue (because this issue is SO PACKED with 15 HOMES, they couldn’t run them all).

Candy Moger’s dreamy master bedroom & upstairs guest bedroom, carved out of a storage closet are two images we love here @ BSE:

Candy Moger's Master Bedroom @ the Beach ©Blackstoneedge.com

Candy turned a storage closet into this charming Guest BR, replete with window into the adjacent loft ©Blackstoneedge.com

Being Italian, I also love this shot from the master bedroom at Pamela Brown’s Tuscan-style home. Pam is the former owner of Camas, Washington’s popular Piccolo Paradiso Caffe… which BSE helped to get on its feet in its earliest stages.

This corner of Pam's Master BR is deliciously Old World Italia - settee from Justin & Burks Antiques, PDX, Faux Finished table by Peggy del Rosario ©Blackstoneedge.com

Pam's own Tuscan inspired oil paintings are featured here. ©Blackstoneedge.com

Jill & Eric Yates, of The House of Yates, in Olympia, Washington, are mad about Hawaiian Plantation Style design. Check out two of the yummy images not seen in the magazine:

You'll see this Mermaid guest BR from a different angle. ©Blackstoneedge.com

The remodeled bath was one of the first tasks in bringing around the Yates' once dilapidated, but charming home. ©Blackstoneedge.com

Wanda Vinton of Studio West Interiors received a big 9-page spread that opens the Patriotic Style section of the popular magazine.

Hydrangeas spill from a rustic antique iron piece ©Blackstoneedge.com

A sunny corner of the Vinton beach cottage ©Blackstoneedge.com

Susan Kashas, former owner of a popular Camas gift shop, recently moved her master BR upstairs, and added a coffee bar in the kitchen/mudroom area.

An angle toward the dormer window in the Kashas Master BR ©Blackstoneedge.com

This butler's sink & coffee bar are located near the back door off the kitchen. ©Blackstoneedge.com

Kudos to everyone in this issue for the beautiful, creative work they achieved that made them magazine worthy.  THANK YOU!!!

Also, be sure to let us know if you or one of your friends has a photogenic home. We shoot & write for a number of national and local interior design magazines, who are always EAGER to have us work for them. We are especially in need of Country  style homes at the moment. But we’ll look at all styles.