Photo by freshlyblended

Nestled in upstate New York with her husband and a mini-menagerie, Nicole Lecht runs freshlyblended, a one-woman studio that churns out elegant, nature-inspired journals and notebooks deftly assembled from found materials and post-consumer recycled paper. The talented and effervescent Nicole and I chatted about sustainability in crafting, how she became a “green” designer completely by accident, and where cork paper comes from.

1. How did freshlyblended come about?

Well, I actually went to college for Illustration (that’s what my degree concentration was) and graphic design, but in my last year of school, I took a bookbinding class on a whim and totally fell in love with the structural aspect of it. After graduating, I got a job as a book-cover designer for a publishing house, which opened the door even wider for me, so I ran with it and started to do some research about materials and business.

The word “freshlyblended” came about when I was in a local coffee shop sketching and reading the back of my coffee cup. It said, “… from a fresh blend of eclectic ingredients …” I didn’t hesitate with that name because, at the time, I was struggling over how to hone in on my multiple abilities and eclectic influences. freshlyblended represents just that.

2. Did you always plan on using recycled materials to create your journals?

Actually, I can’t lie, I had no idea I would turn into a “green” designer. I kind of stumbled into it after a good friend of my mother (who retired as an art teacher) asked me if I wanted to have first dibs on her old art materials before she sold them. I can remember how excited I was just to see boxes of aged paper in an array of different textures and weights … you can guess what happened after that! I think it was after then that I decided to just start collecting different types of paper that would be tossed away. It’s almost like going to the animal shelter and adopting a pet rather then buying from a breeder.

Another big influence came from working at the publishing house. There’s a print-on-demand department and when I got to know the place, I also got to know how much paper and book board is wasted after every run. You wouldn’t believe it if I tried to explain! I told them if they were just going to throw it out, give it to me, and they did!

When it came to using recollected wallpaper, I went into it very blind, not knowing what I could do with it. I was so influenced by pattern and textile design at the time, I knew I just had to get my hands on something. There was an old “mom and pop” wallpaper shop just down the street from where I used to live, and one day I took a walk down there. I asked the owner if he had any leftover swatch books that I could buy from him. Next thing I knew, I was in their warehouse with stacks and stacks of books to pick from! I was in pattern heaven and at the same time, I was doing another great thing for the environment by recycling.

Photo by freshlyblended

3. How important is it to use eco-friendly materials in your work?

Since most of my work revolves around paper, I am so very conscious as to what types of things I buy (when I do have to buy, rather than reuse). There are so many alternatives out there, how can you not! At the same time, I’m also continually making myself aware of the way papers are processed. Post-consumer papers are where it’s at to me; this way, you’re staying away from the trees and you don’t have to worry about bleaching and virgin fibers. etc. There are also other agricultural alternatives such as sugarcane, tobaccos, bamboo—things that we harvest for this purpose, rather than take away from Mother Nature. I’m even looking into cork paper for my next collection. Did you know that it comes from the bark of the tree that is cultivated throughout the life of the tree, unlike milling lumber? It is becoming a huge natural-building resource in home construction and renovation.

4. How much of a role does the environment play in the daily decisions you make running your business?

To me, the environment is a precious thing, no matter how you put it. Everything we do in life has some kind of effect on our surroundings, so I’m always aware of what effect my actions will have on our environment. I take into consideration the little things, like what i buy and where it’s from, what I throw out after a day’s work, and how much of it can be recycled before it gets thrown into the trash. Just things like that can make a huge impact.

Photo by freshlyblended

5. How do you envision freshlyblended evolving?

I would love for it to be my full-time job, but doesn’t every indie artist wish that! As of the near future, I’m dabbling more into printing processes such as letterpress and larger-scale screen printing; also my focus is driving more toward the functionality of the piece and testing different (eco-friendly) materials. I want my work to be more for the everyday urban person, rather than something that’s just too pretty and delicate to use. I also am getting a bit anxious to get back to my illustrative roots, so I think I’ll dabble in that as well.

I would love to do more donation pieces—I like knowing that some of the proceeds that come out of my sales go into organizations that work hard on making a better life for humans and especially animals. I already donate the proceeds from my scrap packs to the SPCA, which I would love to do more with. I have tossed around the idea of some kind of indie green group, but that kind of thing needs a lot of time to focus on, so I’m not ready for it just yet.

I have a few exciting collaborations in the works, as well. Who knows really, I could be telling you all this and tomorrow i could think up another brainiac idea. I think, as a whole, I am only thinking positively about freshlyblended and I only see good things happen with it.

6. What are you inspired by?

Oh gosh, it would take me forever to list everything, so here is the short and sweet version: plants, nature, horticulture, animals, architecture, textile design, typographical design, of course vintage wallpaper, my husband, and family, my papa (who has since passed on) and his architectural work, innovation, minimalism, clean lines, vintage feel, organic shapes, pattern design,traditional Japanese art, handmade papers, fiber and texture, Nordic and Scandinavian design, season changes … I think you get the gist of it!

Photo by freshlyblended

7. Who are your favorite green, indie designers?

That’s a tough one, but i have a lot of respect and admiration for Lisa Congdon, Lara Cameron, Lotta Jansdotter, Joy Deangdeelert Cho, Tiphanie Brooke, Julie West, Jill Bliss—I have a whole list of everyone in the side bar of my blog and that’s who my blog is dedicated to: those that inspire!

8. What’s your favorite eco-crafting tip?

Hmmm, lets see … okay, my tip would be to pay attention to the ways you can recycle one thing into another … recollect, reuse, recreate + creativity = awesomeness! (is that even a word?)