Cath Edvalson
I’m not gonna lie. These are my least favorite kinds of blog posts to write. You know, the ones where I have to talk about a beloved colleague who is moving on? I pretty much dread these.
But Change is the game of life and as Jennifer mentioned in this post, as a result of this Change, we recently lost our beloved Art Director, Stace Hasegawa.
Art Director Extraordinaire Stace Hasegawa
Stace has been the Art Director here at Paper Crafts magazine since its inception. She is one of the most talented people I know in this business and she has established the Paper Crafts “look and feel” that you have come to know and love.
The shots you see in the magazine are all directed by Stace. She determines the concept for how a feature will be shot based on our editorial goals and then she turns it up a notch. She sets up each shot, painstakingly arranging for props, lighting, and how the set will be dressed. She designs all the covers and determines how the magazine will look, how it will be laid out, how it will flow, and how you, the reader, perceive our brand.
She also designs many of the openers for the magazine. Here, the word “painstaking” resurfaces. And though I realize that some of these openers have previously been featured here on Paper Crafts Connection, I wanted to share some of my favorites with you today:
For this opener appearing in our November/December 2008 issue, Stace designed and cross-stitched everything herself. Believe it or not, there is nothing digital about this except the introductory text.
Stace created the set for our Enchanted Forest feature in the September/October 2008 issue from scratch, making all the paper trees herself. It took unspeakable hours of time and unmentionable attention to detail.
I love how Stace used the sky as a backdrop with real branches and real nests for our For the Birds feature in the March/April 2008 issue.
This is, quite possibly, my favorite Stace opener of all time. Hand-painted by the artist herself for our Art of the Tattoo feature in our October 2007 issue, I think Stace loves creating these out-of-the-box openers even more than we enjoy looking at them!
If you know anything at all about Stace, you know that she is known for her passion for all things Halloween. I’ll never forget the first time I met her. She came to a luncheon carrying a purse that she made out of a Jack-o-lantern bucket and a belt. It was May, and I remember thinking, wow, that’s brave…and cool…and wow, she must really like Halloween.
Since Stace carries this Halloween bucket all year round, she's often been at the grocery store or mall and suddenly felt little hands searching the contents of her purse for some candy!
Little did I know, that was really just the beginning, for I soon learned that for Stace, Halloween is a year-long celebration. Which is why this shot is so cool:
We all did cartwheels when we saw that Stace had “suspended” these cards in mid-air!
And while Stace has brought an unbelievable attention to detail, an over-the-top approach to every task she’s given, and a set of standards that raises the bar for all around her, I think, selfishly, what I’m going to miss the most about Stace is the love that she brings to our team. When it’s tough around the office, Stace is there with ice cream bars. She’s the mastermind behind our beautifully handmade Christmas cards, our award-winning Halloween costumes, and our freebies at tradeshows and events. You’ve seen what she does with our birthday signs and cakes! And when there’s a holiday, it seems that she’s always leaving little gifts for us which she thinks are anonymous, but it’s a dead give-away when what she’s left on your desk is so far beyond what anyone else would have done.
She is, in three words, a most excellent friend.
Yes, it’s hard to imagine what life will be like around here without our beloved Stace, but we know that her opportunities outside our folds are innumerable, and we wish her every success.
It’s hard to say good-bye, Stace, but even though we won’t be working together anymore, I know we will always be friends.
Paper Crafts Team, July 2009
Yours in wishing Stace all the best,
Cath
Stace – I know you will do well in whatever comes your way!
It’s so sad to know that Stace will no longer be a part of PC. Change is tough, and sometimes it just sucks. Good luck to you Stace!
I’m so sad to see Stace go. She is an immensely talented gal who we’ve all come to love through her work. I think what she gives out from that “Halloween” purse is EYE candy. Total overwhelming and inspirational eye candy. That aspect of Paper Crafts will sorely be missed.
Hope you find every happiness Stace! Good luck to you wherever you go.
Big hugs to Stace.. How hard it must be to leave a great work environment where you are so appreciated!!!!!
Awesome work… Hope to see you in your next adventures… WE need links to places to find you!!!!
Stace is pretty amazing!! Please keep us updated on where we can find her in the future. Best Wishes, Stace!!
Wow, Stace, you are an incredible talent! I wish you all the very best and hopefully we’ll still see some of your work from time to time!
I will definitely miss seeing Stace’s creative flair throughout the magazine. She will truly be missed!!
Oh man!
Stace – your amazing talent and eye for detail will definitely be missed. (I LOVE the suspended card, btw!)
Stace- your hard work will never be forgotten! and you work will always live on in the beautiful magazines you’ve created
I am so sad to read that she’ll be leaving but have NO doubt she will, like always, rise to the challenge of all she puts herself into next. I wish you blessings & success in ALL your future endeavors, sure will miss enjoying all you do here @ PC.
Good luck with ALL you do, Stace. I will miss your quiet humor at our meetings and will certainly miss your creative flair in the magazine. You always bring out the best in us. Love!
Stace – your talent will be missed! Love all the great samples that were shown today and that suspended card is hot!
Best of luck in all your future endeavors!
Cath: What a wonderful and heartfelt tribute. Thank you for sharing that artwork with us.
Stace: Good luck in all your ventures. I’m sure you’ll find a fantastic new opportunity where you can add your flair and charm.
All the best for you, Stace!
you will be GREATLY missed Stace!!
best wishes to you in your future endeavors
xoxoxo~rae
It was so nice to meet you. I love your confidence with your own personal style and creative ideas. Best wishes!!! Melinda
For those who want to be in touch with Stace, she’s on Facebook.
Stace is so talented, while she will be missed at Paper Crafts, some other lucky situation will be very glad to have her!!!
Best wishes to you Stace.
B-
It is so wonderful for you to have showcased her gorgeous work. Completely amazing! Good luck to Stace in her future endeavors.
Stace, you have created such an incredible look for this magazine. Everything you do is absolutely top notch! I love your work and know that you will do great things in the future, but I will miss your sense of style in the pages of PC.
Best of luck to you!
best wishes to you, Stace! sending you lots of love and hugs!
Good luck on your future adventures! You certainly are one super talented person, and you sound like one supertastic person, too. Best wishes wherever your path next leads you….
we all wish stace a wonderful adventure in her new endeavors… however exciting they may be, i know that ‘adventure’ must be something that stace takes with her wherever she goes! best wishes, good luck, and happy times! we will miss you! ~k
Thanks for all your creativity!
Well, now I’m crying. What a nice tribute!
I’m going to miss Stace, too! Her talent is truly amazing!!!
What a talent!
Stace – You know I think you are amazing! I have enjoyed getting to know you and thanks for always making my projects look so great. I wish you much success in all you do in your future. You overflow with talent!
Alisa
Her work is truly stunning I can understand how she will be missed hope to see some of her work in the future
You will be sadly missed, Good luck.