New Martha Products

With the New Year well underway, it should come as little surprise that there are a number of product launches underway at Martha Stewart Living also.

Rugs, lighting fixtures, doorframes, wine and food items are all being rolled out in force this year. As always, it’s very difficult to keep up with the fast pace of output! I thought I’d lay it all out for us to assess, as much as I dislike the idea of making this site an advertising forum. Admittedly, though, we’re all fans of Martha’s wares, so why not indulge!
Rugs with Safavieh
Tracery, Sprig, Bloomery, Constellation, Faux Bois, Foliage, Grove, Sea Flora, Pinwheel and Reflection are a few of the names in a very expansive collection of new rugs by from the designers at MSLO. Made by Safavieh, the rugs come in natural cotton fiber, flat weaves, wool petit point, Tibetan, Nepalese and Oushak.
Lighting with Murray Feiss
Lamps, pendant lighting, sconces, ceiling fixtures, chandeliers and outdoor lighting from the designers at Martha Stewart are now available through Murray Feiss, a leading expert in lighting. Selections include silvered glass, ribbon glass, milk glass, Venetian, conservatory, glazed ceramic, ebony lacquer, alabaster, 1930s modern, limed oak, textured mercury, deco glass, arts and crafts, Victorian garden
Martha Stewart Vintage with E&J Gallo


A limited 15,000 –bottle rollout of new wine called Martha Stewart Vintage is currently being tested in six U.S. cities before a possible increase in distribution. Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte (NC), Denver, Phoenix and Portland are the lucky cities who will get first dibs on three varieties of Martha Stewart Vintage, which sell for $15 a bottle, from the vineyards of E&J Gallo of Modesto, California: chardonnay, merlot and cabernet.
Kirkland Signature Martha Stewart


Visit Costco for an expanding line of Kirkland Signature Martha Stewart frozen entrees, appetizers, soups and packaged baked goods. Currently, only the Holiday Ham and three varieties of soup are available: cream of mushroom (which I’ve heard is delicious!), minestrone and creamy tomato. Watch for more soon!

Doorframes with KB Home
Seven new doorframe designs by Martha Stewart Living are available with KB Home, the builder responsible for constructing the Martha Stewart Signature houses she designed with her team. Each doorframe features details seen on doorways in her own homes, like the three below. From left to right: a copy of the front entrance to Martha's home in Bedford; elements of the front door at Turkey Hill are evident; a replication of the Lily Pond Lane front entrance. The doorframes are sold exclusively at KB Home, available for any design in the KB Home family, not just Martha’s home plans.
In addition to the product lines listed above, here are some other Martha product lines many of us have come to know and love:
*Martha Stewart Everyday at Kmart: the original brand that started it all is still going strong, with hundreds of items and dozens of collections.

*Martha Stewart Signature Furniture with Bernhardt: Katonah, Lily Pond, Turkey Hill, Skylands and Opal Point are the names of these classic, beautiful collections of furniture. (Truly my favourite line by Martha!)

*The Martha Stewart Collection at Macy’s: Timeless, beautiful pieces, mostly for the bed, bath and kitchen. Gorgeous!

*Martha Stewart Flooring with Flor: Carpet tiles to mix or match provide an economical and ecological alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting.
*Martha Stewart Crafts: a wide range of excellent craft products available at Michael's craft stores.

Blueprint: The Final Draft

With the final issue of Blueprint magazine currently on newsstands, it has finally sunken in that this magazine will no longer be available. In December, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia announced that it will be shutting down the production of Blueprint after the January/February issue. Although it did not provide a reason, speculation is that it simply wasn’t producing profit and was likely costing the company.

Why didn’t it sell? Well, there are a number of reasons that I feel contributed to Blueprint’s demise.

It got off to a slow and wobbly start. It only published twice in 2006 and then only bi-monthly in 2007. The sporadic releases were not adequate in today’s saturated shelter magazine market. The magazine struggled to build up a loyal readership because the issues came out so periodically and readers wanted something more definitive, with a more focused vision. The first issue of Blueprint was a mishmash of ideas, mostly good, but the struggle to find a voice was evident.

It also struggled to nail down a target market: women between 25 and 40 comprised the official demographic. Blueprint did not, in my mind, adequately understand this demographic. First, I feel the age gap between 25 and 40 is a bit too wide; women barely out of college are not in the same financial or emotional space as women who have been in the workforce for nearly two decades.

Many of the articles in the first few issues mentioned husbands and kids and portrayed women living in large homes or elegant lofts. A bit of fanfare and fantasy is fine, but if the reader doesn’t see at least some of herself in the pages, she won’t be coming back. Most women between 25 and 30 that I know are single, childless and living in apartments or condominiums, short on disposable income and not prone to buying $1,500 shoes. As I say, a bit of aspiration and escapism is fine (a magazine about reality would be dolefully depressing) but Blueprint ought to have been more grounded in figuring out exactly what it wanted to espouse.
Still, it was a glorious magazine.

Its design and layout, photography and style were unmatched on the newsstand in its category. More than alluring, it captured a sense of magic that is so strongly lacking in a lot of glossies these days. Price tags were artfully hidden, even though it did have a rather heavy shopping component. The projects made up for it by being thoughtful and unique, creative and simple.

I read Blueprint for those reasons.

I’m not a woman, so I was not terribly interested in dresses and shoes and purses and make-up, but I am terribly interested in how those subjects are conveyed through design! I love interiors and new cooking and DIY ideas, especially if they are simple and economical, which Blueprint was always very adept at providing.

The last issue of Blueprint, sadly and wonderfully, is the best issue yet. Striking with its red, Scandinavian cover and raven-haired beauty, it sings out to be read. I bought an extra copy, in addition to my subscription issue, simply to be able to cut it up and paste some of the pages and ideas into one of my scrapbooks.

What I noticed in the issue was consistency. “At last they found consistency,” I shouted! (Not really shouted, just sort of said it in my mind.) The palettes matched. The content flowed so nicely, both within an article and from article to article. The design elements, which hadn’t changed since the issue prior, seemed more resolutely executed and presented somehow. The information was overflowing and the spelling and grammar were correct. (The third issue was rife with misinformation and was very badly edited – something I wrote to the editor about.)

The article “Chicago Manual of Style” was gorgeously photographed and was utterly inspiring. The space was small and practical and was full of ideas for anyone’s apartment or home, even if a $5,000 chandelier is a little out of reach. The design elements were gracious and simple, attainable and doable. “A Call to Order” was another sheer stroke of genius, with do-it-yourself design ideas for sprucing up the plain and the boring, all with an aim to organize in a fun and unique way: no plastic bins and wicker baskets here, folks.

The one thing I’ll miss most about Blueprint is the column “100 Reasons To.” I loved it from the first issue onward. I read it and scrutinize it, saving the links to online shops and websites I’m curious about and taking some of the advice to heart.

Martha Stewart Living has said that it is working hard to incorporate Blueprint content (and some of its former staff!) into its other platforms. An initial idea to fold the magazine content into the Weddings magazine was blown out of the water by Blueprint readers who reacted very strongly against this idea. In my mind, Blueprint was very much a single woman’s magazine, even though it pretended not to be.

Thankfully, the editors capitulated and have said that they will maintain the online substance of Blueprint (the website and the blog) and may periodically release special issues on newsstands.

Whatever they choose to do, I will miss my bimonthly guide to ‘fresh, fun, personal style.’ But I’ll go about designing my life all the same.

Restaurant Feedback Cards

Every so often I get really fun emails from readers of this blog. One was from Ryan, who was impressed by a blog I had written about creating your own restaurant feedback cards, an idea that first came about after I had read another blog (Chubby Hubby, in the links section) about someone who had done the very same thing. Ryan took it upon himself to follow my lead and have his own cards printed up. Here's what he writes:



"I was so inspired by the Martha Moments posting about the Chubby Hubby Feedback cards I began plotting how I would create my own version. I made a few minor edits to the Chubby Hubby text but decided to change the formatting and size significantly. When I sketched out the cards in their original dimensions (standard business card size) I realized they were much too small. I thought the square shape and larger size was considerably more distinctive. I designed what I wanted and sent it to a local printer that I know and trust. I special ordered the boxes from a great company in Tennessee called Nashville Wraps (www.nashvillewraps.com). This year all of my presents were covered in an icy blue paper with cheery red satin ribbons. Needless to say the Feedback Cards were a huge success this Christmas. Now I find myself wondering what I will do next year..."



To make it all the more wonderful, Ryan sent me a package of his beautiful cards, wrapped as described above. I took some photos, below.



You really do meet some great people in this ethereal world of broadband!


Ryan's cards measure 8 centimeters by 8 centimeters and are kept in a sturdy cardboard box with a lid. They were sealed with an explanitory strap describing the purpose of the cards: essential when giving them as gifts.

There are four variations of the cards. Simply circle the adjective that best describes the meal and leave it for the proprietor.

If restaurant flirtation is more your game, well, there is a card for that too!

For more about restaurant feedback cards, see the 'PROJECTS' link at the right side of the webpage.

Martha Stewart's Wedding Cakes

“Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes” is a breathtaking book: a large tome featuring a glorious gallery of the best cake designs (and flavours!) that have been featured in the pages of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine, more than 100 recipes and a skillfully put together glossary of tools and techniques to help the experienced baker create one of these towering visions of beauty.

The wedding cakes are not actually Martha’s cakes, despite the title, although she can certainly be credited for sussing out a talented designer and baker like Wendy Kromer, who collaborated with Martha on the book. Kromer has worked for Martha Stewart for over a decade, creating those artistic cakes and whimsical confections that we’ve all secretly longed to taste in the pages of the magazine. She is also the founder of Wendy Kromer Confections in Sandusky, Ohio, where she and her staff create personalized cakes for all kinds of occasions.

The book features advice from both Martha and Wendy about how to approach the possibly-daunting task of choosing a wedding cake – or baking one yourself!

Imparting advice from her days as a caterer, when she designed hundreds of elaborate weddings for her clients, Martha provides tips on organization and time management, as well as simple techniques to streamline the process of making a wedding cake. Recognizing her limitations as a wedding cake baker and designer, she brings Wendy in for the hardcore advice.

Half of the cakes in the book are Wendy’s. The other half are by designers who have worked for Martha Stewart Weddings. All of the cakes, though, share the same attention to detail and beautiful craftsmanship one has come to expect from any Martha Stewart venture. Some of the ideas and examples featured in the “Gallery of Cakes” chapter will leave you truly awestruck.

One thing I have always liked about Martha Stewart Weddings is that many of the entertaining ideas and confections and cakes can be used in the design of any large party, whether or not a new bride is present. A cake recipe can be used for a milestone birthday party; a table setting motif can be used for an anniversary dinner; a flower arrangement can be used at any time. The same is true with Martha Stewart’s Wedding Cakes. Any of the recipes can be dressed down or scaled back to create smaller, less ostentatious cakes for any occasion.

The book is a visual delight with its silver fonts and design elements and illustrative photography in a well-bound, hardcover format. It is filled with all kinds of inspiring ideas, which can also be used as a learning tool. Everything Martha does must have a teaching component however veiled that component may be by the sheer beauty of the presentation.

Mastering the art of wedding cake creation (from designing to baking to decorating to serving) is the aim of the book, but I’m sure Martha will forgive us if we simply turn the pages longingly and get taken in by the fantasia of elaborate cakes!



A charming Calico cake (above) with gum-paste floral designs on fondant icing.

Meringue mushrooms perch along the snowy ridges of a tiered chocolate cake with Swiss meringue frosting.

For inspiration, Martha and Wendy suggest creating a bulletin board of ideas for the cake design and motif. Nothing is offlimits: pretty boxes, stationery, wallpaper and fabric can all be used as inspirational design elements for the cake.

Real pinecones flecked with royal icing sit atop a layered pyramid of blue for an icy, wintry look. Pine needles are made of chocolate shavings.

Remembering: Martha by Mail (The Catalog For Living)

In the June 1995 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine, in her monthly letter to readers, Martha made an announcement:

"During the summer, we will use a small portion of our time on Lifetime to introduce you to some of the products we are producing in response to your requests. We are doing this to help you obtain items you have found interesting and desirable, such as a collection of peony plants or a wonderful cake decorating kit. Initially many of these test products will be in very limited supply, so be sure to order quickly to avoid disappointment. As our business grows and we learn more about the production and merchandising of these items, we will keep you informed. Please let us know the kinds of things you want and need..." 

Imagine being able to buy some of the delightful crafts, dishes, vases and storage units shown in the pages of Martha Stewart Living magazine. That was the thinking behind a mail-order catalog business that the company launched to help supply the demand from consumers. Everything from furniture to craft supplies, preserves and confections to gardening clogs, wreaths and cookie-cutters were on offer. The venture started off small. Several issues of the magazine that year were accompanied by mail-order inserts called "Martha By Mail." The demand was so high, however, that Martha soon realized she would have to develop an in-house merchandising team to design and create new products for this special division of the company. When marthastewart.com launched the following year, the Martha by Mail retail component was added to the online fold, which not only facilitated the ordering process, but also widened the market.
In 1998, "Martha by Mail" was strong enough to become an official catalog business; consumers could subscribe to the catalog and order any number of goods featured on its pages or online at marthabymail.com. What made the catalog so unique was the high quality of the product and the unique designs that were simply not available anywhere else. Many of the pieces were recreations of Martha's original antiques, others were new designs that were filtered through Martha's personal tastes as a guide to their level of quality and appeal. There was an air of exclusivity, rarity and even community in the Martha by Mail venture. 

The division was initially headed up by Fritz Karch, a style editor and the senior vice president in charge of product development. (As Martha by Mail expanded, Fritz moved into an editorial position at the magazine. Many of us remember him as the Collecting editor!) Fritz assembled a team of eighteen 'hunters and gatherers' to create, discover and develop new products for the catalog and the online store.

Among the first products to be issued were craft and decorating kits that were designed to make it simpler for readers of Martha Stewart Living magazine to create the projects shown in its pages. Shown above are the beautiful instruction booklets for a lip-balm kit and a cake decorating kit: each came with all the supplies necessary to carry out the projects with confidence.

Martha and her merchandising team partnered with some of the world's leading makers and manufacturers of fine household items from around the world to create the products they designed: L.E. Smith, Mosser, Frankoma, Robinson Ronsbottom, NordicWare, Wilton, Ateco, Lloyd Flanders, Sterling China, Broggi, Chiarugi, Krosnos, Steiff, Wedgwood, Juliska, Janaer Glas, Rainer, Michael Bonne Copperworks, Fenton, Bernhardt Furniture, Eleni's, Niman Ranch and CK Products were just some of the silversmiths, food producers, foundries, glassworks, ceramicists and furniture makers that provided products for the catalog. From England to Germany to Italy to Japan, and all across the United States, Martha by Mail brought together a world of tradition and craftsmanship that was unparalleled in the online-catalog business at the time.

My friend David is an avid Martha by Mail collector and he has many of the prized items so many of us came to love, including the caramel-coloured glass cake stands by L.E. Smith, Fireking Jadeite, and a plethora of copper cookie cutter sets in myriad shapes and sizes. These are his images, above. Visit his blog to learn more about Martha by Mail.

While the business was successful for several years, its greatest challenge was maintaining a profit. It was an expensive project to run and it proved difficult for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia to oversee not only the rapid design of products, with the promise of new offerings in each month's catalog, but also to manage its delivery processes. The catalog business was closed in the summer of 2004, which was also (not coincidentally) the summer Martha was sentenced to prison.

For collectors of the Martha Stewart brand, there is nothing more valuable than the products that were featured in the pages of the "Martha by Mail" catalogs. If the products are sealed in their original packaging, the items can fetch two or three times what they originally sold for. (Of particular interest to collectors are the cookie-cutter sets, the unique cake molds, cake stands and baking pans, the jadeite collections and some of the dinnerware and serveware sets.)

The catalogs themselves are highly collectible. At online auction sites, such as eBay, a single copy of the catalog can generate between $8 and $30, depending on rarity and condition, which is quite astonishing considering the catalogs were originally mailed to subscribers for free! A complete catalog set, like the one shown below, could fetch well over $1,000. Each of the catalogs that were issued by the company are shown below, in order of appearance, beginning with the early inserts that were included in the magazine. A very special thank-you to my friend Kenn for these scans!

These early inserts were included in the magazine: an introduction to the catalog to readers.

 

The imagery used on the covers of the catalogs was always simple but arresting in its beauty.

In 2002, when it became apparent that criminal charges would likely be laid against Martha Stewart the company renamed the catalog to "Martha Stewart The Catalog For Living".

By 2004 and the impending trial of Martha Stewart, her name was significantly downsized on the covers. While the design may have changed, the products remained excellent!