Ed recently got his hands on some of our new Stained by Sharpie fabric markers for the launch of his NEWEST book; Stencil 201 and he even made us a little video …( keep on scrolling to check it out!)

So without further ado, allow me the immense pleasure of introducing you to Mr. Ed Roth, the man behind Stencil1 and the unofficial Stained By Sharpie commercial

Who DOESN'T love a stencil self-portrait? Ed Roth, ladies and gentleman.

Tell me about yourself! Where are you from? Interests? Likes? Dislikes? Pet Peeves? 

My name is Ed Roth. I grew up in Northern New Jersey, 20 minutes from NYC. I had crafty parents, you know, in that suburban way. Mom did ceramics, Dad painted murals on the garage walls with left over house paint, etc…With their influence and being a bored suburban teen, I would raid thrift stores and buy old furniture and refinish it- paints, stains, faux finishes, you name it as well as up-cycling clothes. I was the kid that wrote his favorite band names on his Converse with, yep, a black Sharpie!

Personally, I live for design and art and have a need to be creative. After working for decades for tv networks and ad agencies as an art director and animator, I then started my own design company, Stencil1, in 2004 in Brooklyn, NY.

A stencil isn't enough for THIS face. .

Likes? Well, I like design with soul. Clever street art. Customized belongings. Things with meaning.

Dislikes?  Generic cookie cutter spaces.  Overpriced clothes. 

Pet peeves? Overly designed items or spaces. Good design doesn’t have to be over the top.

What inspires you and your work? I usually find inspiration in my design work from things outside my field such as music, a trip to the museum,  being in nature, traveling , vintage shopping, being in Brooklyn. For example, a trip to the Museum of  Natural History will inspire the need to make an octopus stencil!

How would you describe your style?  Eclectic. I’m all over the place but have always liked nostalgia, nature, pattern, urban imagery, graffiti and pop art. Hence the range of stencil designs on the site!

Stencil and send!

You have done it all, including working as a graphic artist, animator and gallerist; as well as what we love you for, your stencils- what is it about stencils that really jazz you up?

How flattering. Thank you. I love perpetuating the art of stenciling. I love their history – their use for political outcry, their highly decorative use in castles of kings. It’s a tool without clear definition. It’s also so utilitarian, it allows someone who may not feel comfortable drawing to make art and be creative, it provides satisfaction. I love seeing how everyone who uses one of my stencils will have a different end result. Love it.

How did you get started?  In late 2004, I was needing a break from ad agencies . I had run a successful art gallery in Williamsburg with friends and wanted to continue doing something art related. I wanted to design a book. I did just that. I made a prototype book of 50 stencils. I shopped it around to publishers who liked it but weren’t sure how to produce it. I decided to just sell the stencils individually so I built a website (my other background is web design). I got press right away on CoolHunting.com, then the NYTimes, then Blick Art Materials called and wanted to carry Stencil1. I have figured it out along the way, slowly growing the company, adding designs, adding art supplies. Then I started making books with Chronicle Books. We released Stencil 101 in 2008. Since then, we released Stencil 101 Décor, Stencil Stationery, Stencil 101 Journal, and now Stencil 201. Next year you will see Stencil 101 Style. I continue to release new designs on Stencil1.com

Your stencils are super trendy and, not only hit the basics when you think of a “stencil,” they also have a cool edginess to them; how do you come up with new ideas? 

I think sometimes it’s simply what I like but also I have always been a trend watcher.

Do you have a personal soft spot for one of your designs in particular?

I have a few favs. I love my 7 foot grizzly bear! I recreated him in a small size for Stencil 201, this way he can fit right on your shirt!  My Stencil Graffiti Mini Sets are also some of my favorites since they were some of the first designs I put out and I think define Stencil1. People seem to like these since they are smaller and super easy to use.

Get grizzly with it... can you imagine? 7 FEET!

How do you use Sharpie markers in your work?

Well, With the release of Stained fabric markers, I am like a pig in the mud, haha. I do a lot of t-shirt design work, many of my stencils are really designed with apparel in mind. Sharpie has made customizing t-shirts way easier with these new fabric markers. While painting is great, everyone can use a marker with perfect results. The tips of these markers are more brush like with a point so you can stencil into fine details or fill in larger areas easily. I used the markers at by events for people to stencil with, amazing results. Make sure you watch the video!

Favorite Sharpie?  Why?

I guess now it would be a black Stained fabric marker because it’s basic, multi-surface and allows me to customize t-shirts, canvas sneakers, anything really.

Best part of your “day job” and if you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?

Well, the best part of being the Stencil1 owner is  getting to create creative tools that people use to make things with. I love seeing what people make, it feels like you provided someone some fun.

If not this, I would still have to be creative. Textile designer? Landscape architect?

If you could have one super power what would it be and why? 

Fun question! Maybe to spray paint out of my wrist like Spiderman throws webs!

What trends do you see making it big in 2012/ what are you pumped about in 2012 ( in the art world, in design, whatever)?

Trends for 2012 – I think customizing your wares and space is a big movement. The quest for authenticity.  I am very excited about 2012 as I am reaching out to do a lot of collaborative work. I will not only be introducing more stencils, art tools and supplies but also working with companies to create apparel, décor, and home items. 

Tell me about the video and background on the event !!

The video here was shot the day of the official book launch for my new book Stencil 201. I always have a DIY event during my book signing so people can be creative. I partnered with Etsy to have  their craft nite coincide with the signing at Powerhouse Arena in DUMBO. I tested the project at my studio. I cut up canvas into patches and provided Stained by Sharpie markers with stencils from Stencil 201 as well as some other Stencil1 designs. Some even brought their own canvas bags and t-shirts to customize. As you will see, the crowd really enjoyed it!

For more BOMB dot com (this phrase is making a comeback! trust me…) stencils and to check out his books, be sure to stop by his website and check him out on Twitter and Facebook.

EXCLUSIVE Sharpie perk alert! Be sure to LIKE Stencil1 on Facebook to receive the special discount code exclusively for Sharpie lovers… AND for 20% off be sure to join his mailing list (scroll down and its on the left!)!!

Grace inking it Pink!

Ready to Ink it Pink this October alongside your favorite celebrities, sports superstars and fellow Sharpie lovers?! This month we are making pink the new black in the autograph world as we kick off our annual “Ink It Pink” campaign to help fight breast cancer. 

We are challenging celebrities, our incredible fans and YOU to ink it pink for the cause.  For every pink autograph submitted to www.sharpie.com during the month of October, we will donate $1* to City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading cancer research, treatment and education centers.

The movement is already underway as rock star, Grace Potter from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, has already signed on to the Ink It Pink effort!  Potter helped kick-off the campaign Saturday, September 24, during her band’s concert in New York City’s Central Park where she inked pink autographs for fans and encouraged them to do the same and send them over to sharpie.com!

You may remember last year was a HUGE success as hundreds of A-listers, from Hollywood movie legends and hall-of-fame athletes to revered rocks stars and respected media icons, lent their signatures to the effort.(Miley Cyrus’ Ink it Pink video is STILL our highest viewed on the Sharpie YouTube channel!)

Well this year is no different! The pink signatures have already started rolling in, including Shay Mitchell from Pretty Little Liars and 19-time Olympic medalist,  Michael Phelps, and you can help, too!

Shay Mitchell from ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars

How YOU can Ink it Pink and support Breast Cancer Research 

Want to lend your own Sharpie-fied signature to help out the cause?
Just follow these few simple steps and you’ll have your name alongside your favorite celeb in minutes:

1. Visit www.sharpie.com, (where you can also check out all the celebrity signatures.)  

2. Accept the Ink it Pink challenge and submit yours!  

You can also support the Ink it Pink mission and City of Hope by picking up your favorite Pink Ribbon Sharpie products, including the NEW Sharpie Pink Ribbon Pen, Sharpie Pink Ribbon marker, the Sharpie Pink Ribbon highlighter!  Sharpie has been a City of Hope partner since 2006 and in that time has donated more than $2 million to City of Hope’s lifesaving research and treatment programs by commiting to donate ten cents from the sale of each pink ribbon product.

So, join us this October and Ink it Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness!

Our favorite teen fashion-centric magazine chose 10 fashion savvy young women from it’s online “It Girl” panel to host the ultimate girls-night-in for themselves and five of their closest friends.

Sharpie provided the goodies, including a Sharpie product lineup some could only dream of — all so they could show the world what they were starting with Sharpie.

HUGE Thanks to all of our TEEN VOGUE “It Girls” for sharing what they have started with Sharpie… Lia Girdano, Stephanie Maldonado, Maddi Doering, Takiara Bullock, Sarah Hass, Amanda Provost, Cassy Stone, Brigitte Dale, Octavia Childs and Alexis Martin!

For more pictures and more on the “It Girls” and the Night In event, check out the October issue of TEEN VOGUE, on sale September 13th!

We challenged our amazing Newell family to share what they are starting with Sharpie and now we are taking the opportunity to feature one of these internal Sharpie rock stars and what they (or in this case their daughter) has started with Sharpie.

Myra Lee, Director of Marketing Communications for sister brand, LENOX Industrial Products & Services in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, submitted this adorable photo of her 11-year-old daughter, Paige, who took creative liberties when writing her name on her new bag with Sharpie markers.

It’s amazing how something as simple as labeling your stuff can turn into an outlet for self-expression!

Now that you have seen what some of us are starting with Sharpie…what are you gonna start?

Marirose

She may be the youngest member of the Sharpie Squad, but at just 16-years-old, Marirose Weldon is already penning a name for herself in the music business with the recent release of her debut single, “I Want Love.”

Marirose uses Sharpie Liquid Pencils to write her lyrics, which is how we found her and why we decided to feature her in our new Start with Sharpie ad campaign.

Marirose joins three other Sharpie fans debuting in ads running in some of your favorite magazines, including, Seventeen, TEEN VOGUE, and Us Weekly.

Check out Marirose’s ad below:

Marirose has been hard at work establishing her music career and we hope her appearance in our ads helps her start something big.  She’s already meeting with agents and her song is getting lots of airplay on Chicago radio stations (Marirose lives in a Chicago suburb).  But fighting through adversity and meeting new challenges is nothing new to Marirose.  When she was 9-years-old, her mother passed away from a brain tumor.  The video below gives a peak inside Marirose’s life where she talks through some of those personal struggles, and her commitment to her music.

Below is an excerpt from a story that appeared about Marirose in My Suburban Life prior to a benefit concert she was throwing in her mother’s honor.

Why did you decide you wanted to be in show business?
I would always see people on TV. It would just be like a dream that I never thought would happen… I took acting classes for fun and it became something I started to take seriously. (Singing) was something if you got into you have a lot of opportunities.

What are your songs mostly about?
They’re really upbeat. They all have a really great message. There’s no swearing… they’re not about sex, guns or money. They’re songs you can jam out and dance to in your car. The songs are like Rihanna’s and Kelly Clarkson’s.

Do you still have plans to attend college, despite all your success?
Right now, I’m definitely planning on going to college. I’m not a big star right now, I’m just trying to be successful in the music industry. I’ve got to be smart. I’ll probably go to college for music to get experience.

Why did you decide to throw a benefit concert?
My mother passed away when I was 9 years old from a brain tumor. We literally had no idea. She was too afraid to go to the doctor… (She died) during a family vacation in Florida. It’s still shocking to me today… (The concert) is basically for her. Everything we do is in memory for her.

What’s your next big project?
I’m working on a deal with Sharpie, (an ad campaign) for their liquid pencil. They’re looking for brand new artists…to say that they started writing their songs with the pencil. (The ads) will appear in 17 magazines including US Weekly and on billboards.

This rising star not only has the pipes but the personality to make it big!  We are thrilled she is a part of the 2011 Start with Sharpie campaign!

Stay in tune with Marirose on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace .  Be sure to grab her single, “I Want Love” (also available on i-Tunes)!

Last but not least, check out Marirose’s writing instrument of choice – the new Sharpie Liquid Pencil.  It features a unique liquid graphite formulation that eliminates the age-old problem of broken pencil leads.  And it’s now available in four new barrel colors!

Now this is a back-to-school product worth highlighting. The Sharpie Gel Highlighter promises to last long, resist smearing, and never dry out, even if left uncapped (eliminates the oops factor). It’s perfect for use on all paper surfaces, including glossy and thin papers.  It also resists smearing on pen, marker and ink-jet printouts — and is equally as fun to write, doodle and draw with.  Give it a swipe!  Your highlighting life will never be the same ; )

Uncap and give the highlighter a twist to advance the gel stick and you’re set.  It even highlights glossy magazines…wait… magazines??? I’ve never highlighted a magazine before. Excuse me while I test this out…

[tick tock...tick tock...]

I’m back! IT WORKS! Take a look at what I did to the horoscope section of the Feb issue of Teen Vogue!

The Sharpie Gel Highlighter is available wherever office products are sold in orange, yellow, pink, blue and green.  Now the only problem is deciding which color to use, when, on what surface because I’m a color-coded kinda kid!! 

 So what do you think?!

Us Weekly then chose three of these ideas and made them into unique ads that are running in this week’s edition, so be sure to grab a copy, on stands now, to see these one-of-a-kind magazine ads or if you can’t wait that long, just scroll on…

1. Create a personalized design on your t-shirt
2. Design your jeans with a special emblem
3. Fill that autograph book- get your favorite stars’ signatures
4. Make your Nook case your own with Stained by Sharpie fabric markers
5. Design a skateboard with your own personal image
6. Keep your drinks cool in your customized  koozies
7. Show off your Sharpie markers to friends
8. Collect Sharpie markers
9. Label your stuff so nothing gets lost
10. “MARRY ME!!” Design a poster board for your favorite concert with Sharpie markers
11. Design your TOMS shoes with Sharpie Markers
12. Use your Sharpie marker to mark on difficult surfaces
13. Decorate a tie for Dad using Stained by Sharpie fabric markers
14. Sketch a picture with our Sharpie fine markers
15. Design a clutch purse (we’ve already shown you how!)
16. Pour your heart out! Write your song lyrics for when you get your big break
17. Label CDs so everyone knows how awesome your taste in music is
18. Make Christmas ornaments using Sharpie paint markers
19. Sign you name with a Sharpie marker-  (people will TOTALLY think you’re famous)
20. Give yourself a promotion! Create a cool name plate for your desk
21. Color Easter eggs with Sharpie markers
22. Create a masterpiece that your friends won’t believe you did with a Sharpie marker
23. Make it permanent! There is no erasing Sharpie permanent markers
24. Touch up  those scuffs on your black shoes with the original Sharpie black marker
25. Customize your cap… and then Uncap What’s Inside ( I couldn’t resist!)
26. Design your backpack so it says something about you
27. Doodle on a coffee cup using Sharpie Pen
28. Decorate a picture frame
29. Get your Sharpie spook-on and put a face on a pumpkin
30. Give your favorite fish a fancy house by adding an underwater scene to its bowl
31. Declare your love! Add your name in a heart on trees with your boyfriend or girlfriend
32. Be EXTRA daring. Do the crossword in Sharpie Ultra fine.
33. Design a window
34. Add a Sharpie marker doodle before shipping out a box
35. Give your heart away with a Sharpie designed Valentine
36. Spice up an old purse with fun Sharpie designs
37. Customize a guitar with your musical expressions
38. Add some diva designs to your pillow for the next sleepover
39. Make your own fun wrapping paper to give mom a gift
40. Celebrate with customized Sharpie markers
41. Get sassy with Sharpie and post-it notes
42. Make a calendar using poster boards and colored Sharpie markers
43. DIY sunglasses with Sharpie markers to ensure yours are unique
44. Repurpose old furniture with Sharpie paint
45. Make blank canvas shoes say something about you
46. Decorate stockings for your holiday hearth
47. Create a gift tag with Sharpie extra fine markers
48. Sharpie your motorcycle (be sure you own it first!)
49. Create a friendship bracelet with Sharpie retractable markers
50. Customize your head band with your name in Sharpie markers
51. Sharpie your hub caps (make sure you own those too!)
52. Add some Sharpie swag to your photos
53. Make robots out of dominoes
54. Design your own soccer ball to distract the other team by its beauty
55. Make your mark!
56. Make a mural using all the different kinds of Sharpie markers
57. Travel with your Sharpie marker and show IT the world!
58. Hug your Sharpie marker and tell it it’s safe
59. Bring your Sharpie marker on vacation and let the next visitor know “Sharpie has been here” 
60. Trade Sharpie markers with your friends
61. Create a Christmas tree with green Sharpie markers
62. Doodle in your notebook with Sharpie Pens
63. Customize a scrapbook with Sharpie ultra fine markers
64. Use Sharpie markers to make your Dradle something special for the holiday
65. Make a tote something more with drawings and designs in Sharpie markers
66. Use the Sharpie Stencil technique
67. Spruce up your Sharpie with a duct tape flower 
68. Give a Sharpie marker to a friend and make their day
69. Label your underwear with a Sharpie marker,  maybe the dryer won’t eat it
70. Have a Sharpie marker doodle party
71. Design your Halloween costume
72. Support a great cause and raise money for breast cancer research by commiting to Ink It Pink
73. Customize your iPhone case with Sharpie markers
74. Gear up for game day and cheer with posters made with Sharpie paint marker
75. Re-vamp an old encyclopedia into something retro chic with colorful Sharpie markers
76. Make your yoga mat stand out while you zen out
77. Highlight without smearing with new Sharpie Gel Highlighter
78. Write, erase and repeat with Sharpie Liquid Pencil
79. Carry your Sharpie in your pocket with Sharpie Minis
80. Stain  that plain white summer dress into something more with  Stained by Sharpie  fabric markers
81. Be BOLD or slighlty subtle with Sharpie Twin Tips
82. Write your school notes with Sharpie Pens
83. Customize the back of your lap top
84. Label your cup so it stays germ-free 
85. Do a window design with Sharpie water-based paint markers
86. Spice up your gym shoes with special designs
87. Create custom Sharpie markers for a gift or special occasion
88. Hang your Sharpie markers from a Christmas tree instead of ornaments
89. Make a Sharpie marker collage by blending colors together
90. Customize book covers so you can just grab em’ and go on your way to class
91. Share you Sharpie marker creations at www.sharpie.com
92. Use MySharpie for customized, fun party favors
93. Decorate your golf balls so they don’t get mixed up on the course
94. Edit school yearbooks so its like that ex-boyfriend never even happened
95. Write letters from your secret admirers using Sharpie pens
96. Feel famous signing your autograph on sports equipment
97. Bring back the banana clip (yellow) with 80′s glam markers
98. Spruce up invitations with Sharpie marker designs on the envelope
99. Draw over old Polaroids with Sharpie markers and give them new life
100. Start something with Sharpie and help takeover YouTube on August 27

On Saturday, August 27th Sharpie will stage a one-day takeover of YouTube’s home page and showcase the countless unique items that fans, just like you,  have started with Sharpie. 

Just imagine- for one day only, thousands of Sharpie images will come together to create,  not only one epic, and interactive, mosaic featuring all consumer submitted work, but a statement where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  And don’t worry about being lost in the crowd– you will be able to find your individual submission through a simple search field, or scroll the full image landscape for a truly unique Sharpie experience.

Grab a Sharpie marker, pen,  liquid pencil or highlighter and be a part of the takeover, visit www.sharpie.com for more details and to submit what you started.

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