For years, Jason Hughes and Tes De Luna ran their shops, Sonic Boom Records and Velouria, side by side in Seattle—his, an indie-rock record store frequented by Seattle rock royalty; hers, a pioneer of the independent designer boutique scene that frequently received best-of nods in local publications. After selling their businesses and moving back De Luna’s hometown of Minneapolis two years ago, the couple have joined forces for Rock Paper Scissors Goods—an eclectic concept that’s one-part record store, one-part handmade gift shop.
Located in the up-and-coming neighborhood of East 48th Street and Chicago Avenue in south Minneapolis that’s also home to retailers such as 14 Hill Gift Shop, Carver Junk Company, and Primp, the intimate storefront offers a blend of each owner’s specialties. Like De Luna’s previous store, the shop carries a mix of goods by independent makers and emerging artists, but with more of a focus on gifts, home accessories, jewelry, art prints, greeting cards, and kids’ toys and art supplies. The record side feature a mix of new and used vinyl records from indie and major labels, both new releases and classic catalog, spanning indie rock, jazz, hip hop, blues, electronic, and world music.
The duo remodeled a space at the back of the store for a creative workshop space, where they plan on hosting a weekly Wednesday night craft event for adults and daytime art classes for kids. De Luna has an extensive background in fine art (she’s an MCAD grad) and taught art workshops in Seattle. She says the option of having a workshop space is what really drew her to the storefront. “I have been leaning into teaching art, and we thought, why not incorporate it all together?”
Unsurprisingly, many of the makers carried by the store hail from Seattle, the west coast, and the Pacific Northwest, such as eco-jewelry designer Amy Bengtson of Seattle and leather accessories maker Robbie Moto of Sacramento, plus resin jewelry made in Asheville, North Carolina, and pottery from Ireland. Since moving to the Twin Cities, De Luna’s also been turned onto some local makers, including jewelry lines Dottir and Mandybymandy, and artist Kelzuki, whose art prints are stocked at the store. The store also plans to feature a new artist every month on its walls.
Instead of buying product in a particular aesthetic, De Luna looks for goods that strike a balance between being beautiful and well-made. “I search for things that are useful and have style to them,” she says. “I’ve carried a purse by a particular maker for awhile, and I know it holds up. It’s important to me that the items are durable, and that the designer has been thoughtful about the materials and the purpose.”
Overall, De Luna finds beauty in variety. “It ends up being pretty eclectic,” she says of her selection. “I just have to follow what I love, even if I can’t make it all a perfect picture,” she says.
Now open @ 4806 Chicago Ave. S., Minneapolis, rockpaperscissorsgoods.com
Onesie by Boygirlparty
Wood toys by Little Sapling Toys
Wood inlay necklace by Amy Bengston
Note cards by Frida Clements
Hair comb by Nikki Jacoby
