{announcing} photo prints by anamu

New Prints by Ana Maria Munoz There was a good reason for my absence yesterday and the result is here...announcing photo prints from yours truly! It's been a long time coming and I'm so excited to be able to share some of my favorite snaps with you offline. I've chosen to work with a photo printing service called Fotomoto where you can order right off my page and they'll process and ship the prints directly to ya. Since I'm abroad and am often traveling, I found this service to be perfect for making sure that you get your prints in the most timely manner. If the interface is unfamiliar to you, don't worry, it's a simple and secure shopping widget/window that you can treat as if it were another tab on your web browser. I've used it to test the product and have been really happy with the results.

To celebrate the launch I want to offer three readers a 5x7in print of your choice. Yay free! To get in on this, first check out the shop and then come back to this post and tell me what your favorite print is and where you'd display it (ie home, office, etc). I'll pick three comments at random next Thursday, November 8 and announce the winners on Friday. Get browsing...or shopping!

Website Note: I intended to launch the shop on a different site but due to a few coding specs beyond my control, I've created a shop page through the blog for now. I might or might not have messed with some code in the process so if you are reading this and you see alignment issues on your screen (or anything else out of the ordinary) would you please be so kind and email (link in top sidebar) to let me know? Much appreciated!

at last

portfolio Remember my post about "owning" your title or whatever it is that you do? Well, I finally put together one of the things that makes being a freelance graphic designer and photographer a bit more legit in my book: a portfolio! It was such a satisfying and motivating experience to sort through what I have done and think about the work that I want to continue doing. It still has a lot of room to grow but it's a start. It's my start and I'm excited to share it with you.

Please check it out and do pass it along to any friends, family, and colleagues who might be interested in my work (word-of-mouth <3 is greatly appreciated!). Thank you for being a part of this new creative journey.

getting back to business

IMG_8775 Before moving to London I was working at a 9-5 job with my own desk and set of projects. I loved the work I did in marketing and event coordination but I would often day-dream about stepping away from the office world and doing my own thing.

I had a version of my own thing going for some time with my fashion accessories line, Anamu, which is how this blog originally came to be. I attempted to turn a sewing hobby into a part-time cottage industry. I hand cut and sewed each one-of-a-kind clutch purse in the evenings and weekends, sold them on Etsy and hawked them at local craft shows. When the time came to think about scalability, making new designs, and hiring other people to sew for me, I realized that the accessories production world wasn't what I was looking for.

A lot of money, time, and energy went into Anamu but it wasn't a loss. On the contrary,  I gained a lot by learning how to start a small business and simply put, just going for it. I had an idea and I tried it. It didn't stick so I'm on to the next.

Now in London, I'm fortunate that I get to explore what that next thing is. Graphic design, photography, a new web shop venture...there are some exciting things brewing here. To help keep the creative juices flowing and learn from the experts, I'll be attending Hello Etsy, a summit for small businesses, this weekend. Since it's in Berlin and it'll be our first time there, we decided to make a mini-holiday out of it (yay!). I can't wait to be inspired by a new city, new people, and fresh ideas. It feels good to get back to business.

happy friday!

Repurposed scarf cuffs Friday brings good news for you Anamu accessories fans!

With my forthcoming move overseas I am cleaning house and need to have a HUGE Anamu MOVING SALE! Though it's been a while since I've created anything new, I will be adding never before seen cuffs, frame clutch purses, and leather wristlet samples to the Etsy shop.

I'm slashing prices like crazy so you'll be able to grab a piece of Anamu (and kind of like a piece of me ;)) for as little as $5; practically pennies for one-of-a-kind pieces!

The sale will begin on Monday, March 28 and run through Wednesday, March 30. Please tell your friends, family, your postman, anyone! Would love for these creations to find happy homes before I move.

See what's currently online here and be ready to pounce come Monday. Have a joyous weekend!

Sneak Peek

Today was too beautiful to not be outdoors. I packed a lunch, a blanket, and rode my bike to the park for a November picnic. So what's the sneak peek? The large bag in the photo is a new Anamu design!!! I received the sample a week ago and have been enjoying it since. Beyond excited to show you the full bag soon!

Fashionably late but still wonderful

So I'm just a liiiiitttllle behind on blogging.

The exciting news I mentioned in a previous post was that Anamu was asked to be a part of the Apartment 3/Unique LA Pop Up Store at HD Buttercup! I'm a big fan of the former Helms Bakery building HDB is in so the location was an extra bonus.

The opening party was held on Friday and boy was I impressed. The space for the store was much bigger than expected and there was truly something for everyone. The crowd was great and the open bar was flowing. Wish I had been in the mood to take advantage of it but we had just driven back from a quick getaway to the Central Coast and we were beat.

It had been a busy week and a half because I needed/wanted to make most of what the store ordered. Since I only had nights and weekends to work on them while simultaneously waiting for new frames to ship (that also required a new pattern), it turned into major crunch time. Thankfully it all got done with the help of my loved ones and I was really happy with the way the new vintage style clutches turned out.

If you're in LA and want to check out the new Anamu pieces and other great local finds, stop by the store, you will not be disappointed! Plus, there's a Father's Office right next door...need I say more?

The Apartment 3/Unique LA store is scheduled to run through January 2011 (perfect for pre and post holiday shopping) and is located at 3225 Helms Avenue, Culver City. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Happy local/indie shopping!

Fashionably late but still wonderful

So I'm just a liiiiitttllle behind on blogging.

The exciting news I mentioned in a previous post was that Anamu was asked to be a part of the Apartment 3/Unique LA Pop Up Store at HD Buttercup! I'm a big fan of the former Helms Bakery building HDB is in so the location was an extra bonus.

The opening party was held on Friday and boy was I impressed. The space for the store was much bigger than expected and there was truly something for everyone. The crowd was great and the open bar was flowing. Wish I had been in the mood to take advantage of it but we had just driven back from a quick getaway to the Central Coast and we were beat.

It had been a busy week and a half because I needed/wanted to make most of what the store ordered. Since I only had nights and weekends to work on them while simultaneously waiting for new frames to ship (that also required a new pattern), it turned into major crunch time. Thankfully it all got done with the help of my loved ones and I was really happy with the way the new vintage style clutches turned out.

If you're in LA and want to check out the new Anamu pieces and other great local finds, stop by the store, you will not be disappointed! Plus, there's a Father's Office right next door...need I say more?

The Apartment 3/Unique LA store is scheduled to run through January 2011 (perfect for pre and post holiday shopping) and is located at 3225 Helms Avenue, Culver City. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

Happy local/indie shopping!

Hide and seek

In starting to think about new designs, I decided to explore the option of using leather. While I considered re-purposing leather jackets from thrift stores, I realized that I wanted to work with a more consistent option since my other materials are already limited in quantity (vintage scarves, remnant pieces, close-out fabrics, etc).

And since my design philosophy is to either use reclaimed or eco materials (if new), I knew my direction would be with vegetable tanned leather, a more natural option. A few samples from manufacturers later and I've placed an order for one whole hide...hopefully one very good looking hide.  I'm nervous, excited, and anxious - this is totally new territory!

Busy bee

Friday brought some very exciting news that prompted me to get busy. While I'm not sure I can disclose details at this time, I can say that I got to work this weekend to make new product and plan for new design samples.

A highlight was meeting with a potential pattern maker/manufacturer that doesn't have any minimums (big deal!). Not sure if I'll go with them yet but it's a great start to finding help with sewing and continuing to expand the line.

Expect a fun retail announcement soon along with new clutches and cuffs!

Hello again

Losing my free home wifi combined with busy work projects, a mini-vacay, and Unique OC made for a very quiet blog.

Well, I'm back and first thing up is a little announcement for a show Anamu will be at this weekend.

If you are in the OC area, or have friends and family who are, check out THREAD Show on Sunday! It will be my first time there so we'll see how it goes!

New webshop + GO NATIVE Collection

The new shop is finally up!

First up in the shop are the GO Native Collection clutches and cuff bracelets followed by brand new brass necklaces.  Very excited about all of these - they are playful, eye catching, and truly unique.

Browse the Envelope Clutch and Frame Clutch categories for past styles and the new SALE for recently discounted pieces - isn't that nice!