May 7, 2012

Kata Golda to Launch New Product Line at National Stationery Show

Following a five-year respite from trade and gift shows, Kata Golda returns to the National Stationery Show in 2012 with a new product line and expanded offerings. Kata Golda founder Alison Kaplan will be on hand at the New York event May 20-23 to display the iconic dolls and photograph albums she has been known for in the last decade, in addition to freshly launched DIY kits, letterpress-printed cards, interactive play mats and a line of accessories geared toward design-minded adults.

Living the DIY Life
Kaplan has spent the past five years branching into new creative endeavors. She wrote “Kata Golda’s Hand-Stitched Wool Felt:25 Whimsical Sewing Projects”, published by STC Craft in 2009, followed by two interactive children’s book projects: “Stories for Bedtime:A Keepsake Pocket and Tales to Cherish” and “Tooth Fairy Keepsake: Under-the-Pillow Pocket and Memory Book” for Chronicle Books in 2011. She has also been drawing inspiration for her new line of products from the quiet, mossy, seaside town where she lives. “Spending time outdoors—gardening, sketching, observing—has informed my new work,” she says. “My love of growing food, and hiking give me the space, both mentally and physically, to create things truly inspired by nature.”

Kata Golda is an independently owned company based in Port Townsend, Washington. Kaplan started Kata Golda in 1999 and has grown her company in response to the explosion of interest in crafting and DIY. Having arrived early on the crafting scene, Kaplan has witnessed major changes in the industry, including the shift from “bricks and mortar” retail to online commerce, the surge in social media, blogging and other networking and marketing tools, and the increased accessibility of low cost materials and labor abroad. Kata Golda adapted to the digital age as an early seller on websites such as Etsy, Gilt and Fab, but Kaplan stayed true to her vision of using high-quality materials and well-paid hand labor to create her products. She currently employs ten artisans on the West Coast for projects such as felt and canvas dying, design work, stitching, throwing pottery, graphics, letterpress printing and photography. Her commitment to “low-impact” production includes re-using scraps and choosing organic, natural and recycled fibers.

Kata Golda has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal Gift Guide, GOOP, Design Sponge, Babble, LMNOP, Travel and Leisure Family, InStyle Magazine, Mothering Magazine, Victoria, Country Living, Where Women Create, Chicago and myriad celebrity customers.

CONTACT

Alison Kaplan information@katagolda.com
Blog: http://www.katagolda.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kata-Golda/133479319593
Twitter: twitter.com/katagolda
Etsy: http://katagolda.etsy.com/
From May 17–23, during the Stationery Show, Alison Kaplan can be found at booth 1666, or reached by phone at 360 301 6379.