Contest Winner:

We have a winner! Congratulations to Miss Williams. This clever photo is priceless!

Visit Ink and Cotton's Facebook Page to see the rest of the contest entries.

Extending the Sale.

That's right. Our free shipping weekend will be extended! Now you have until Wednesday, December 16th to finish your online shopping.

If you're not sure which shirt to buy, here are the best sellers:
#1 For Women: Owl
#2 For Women: Hammock

#1 For Men: Coyote
#2 For Men: Hammock

www.inkandcottonstore.com

Why One Color?

Why does each Ink and Cotton t-shirt design only have one color? I am a printmaker as well as an illustrator and I wanted the designs to stay close to the block print style. I wanted to display the connection between printmaking and t-shirts.

There’s another reason for the simplicity of the artwork. Lots of clothing lines produce loud, complex graphics with multiple colors, catchy phrases or funny slogans. I want to provide simple designs for people who don’t want to wear loud clothes. Ink and Cotton shirts are clean and simple.

My art is also inspired by nature. I spend time backpacking and kayaking in New England, so I am well acquainted with tall, sturdy pine trees and wide, dramatic maple trees. I enjoy sketching these trees because I am curious about their strength. I am especially curious about the strength of their roots, and about how far their roots extend underground. Have you ever seen a tree that has been blown over? Sometimes the roots are exposed and there are rocks tangled up in them. When the roots are underground, what else is wrapped up in them? What are the roots connected to, directly and indirectly? My artwork is inspired by these questions. Coyote, Owl and Hammock are part of the process.

The rain storm? This summer it rained during each backpacking trip I took. Eventually, these rain storms started to show up in my sketchbook. It was comforting to draw the clouds and the rain because I enjoyed finding the best way to translate clouds onto paper. A block print turned out to be the answer I was looking for, which is how I made the connection between block prints and t-shirts.

Vote!

Our first week went very well! Ink and Cotton fans have excellent ideas and give great feedback. That's why we're asking them for input. We have a few new designs and we want to know which one is your favorite. The most popular design will be submitted to Threadless, a community based company that creates t-shirts from the winning designs. (http://www.threadless.com/)

Vote for your favorite by sending us an email or by showing that you "like" the photo on facebook.

Don't worry; we'll print the popular designs too. Submitting our designs to contests will help spread the word about Ink and Cotton. The goal is to get our name out there, in as many ways as possible.

Are there other ways to help?
1. On facebook, suggest that your friends become a fan of Ink and Cotton.
2. Send your contacts an email with a link to our website.
3. When people comment on how cool your Ink and Cotton shirt is, tell them where to find us!
4. If you have an Ink and Cotton shirt, enter our photo contest.
5. Send the postcard that comes with your tee to a friend or relative.
6. Let us know if you want to hang up posters in your hometown or at your school.
7. Keep checking our website for new designs and new information.
8. Put our t-shirts on your wish list!

Photo Contest

That's right. We're having a photo contest. Send cool, clever, creative photographs of you or someone else in your Ink and Cotton T-shirt to inkandcotton@gmail.com. The person who comes up with the most original photo will receive a free T-shirt of his or her choice.

Deadline: January 1st, 2010.


The winner will be notified by email.
We'll ask for your permission before we post your photos on our facebook page or on our blog.

History

It all started with a sketchbook, a permanent marker, and a cheap t-shirt. In 2002 I started transferring my drawings onto t-shirts and hoodies. I went through a couple of unfortunate style trends; first was the teenage "graffiti" and then came the comic book knock-offs. A few friends requested custom shirts but eventually the interest faded, as did the permanent marker. Like any sixteen year old, I didn’t realize that my designs were a little over the top and I was too impatient with the process.

I moved on to painting and didn't look back until 2007. When I was a senior in college I started worrying about my "adult life" and "my career." The first idea that crossed my mind was to open an online store to sell cool t-shirts. I brushed the idea aside, thinking it wasn't something that could be taken seriously. I got a "real job" and didn't spend much time filling up sketchbooks until 2009.

And now, here I am. With a handful of sketches, a few inspirations and boat load of energy, Ink and Cotton is almost ready for its grand opening. I’d like to share some of my inspirations with you.

Where does the name come from? I’ve always loved drawing with ink because I enjoy the permanence that comes along with it. I want my shirts to reflect the bold, clean designs that live in my sketchbooks; keep it simple with Ink and Cotton.

What else inspires me?