my new favorite site to check in the mornings- and by a favorite
illustrator too- julia rothman!

hey friends-
the design for mankind secret project is up- it's an e-zine with lots of inspiration from many bloggers and all around cool people. check it out- you can even download it and spread the love!
cheers.
-c

i love these beautiful felted and sewn items by sveta dresher of pip-squeak chapeau.
above: pear dress + felted animal pins

i'm loving this little guy- avaliable here

a couple reminders...

hey there-
first- there are only three more arugula press calendars left in my etsy - i found a couple more left from a holiday sale- and they are only $20!

and second- remember the secret project that design for mankind is planning is revealed at midnight tonight! i can't wait to see it- check it out.
cheers.

'power play'

back in my first couple years of college I had a printmaking teacher who helped influence who I wanted to be. Susan Lowdermilk still teaches at Lane Community College, and continues to make awesome woodcuts and book arts. When I was first taking a class from her, she brought in this project which she was working on- called 'power play'. She had just figured out how to make a 'jacob's ladder' and had gotten the prototype going. So I thought I would share her finished product from 2002 (above).
sometimes after work I stop by Print Arts Northwest down the street and look at her prints, which are for sale there. Her work continues to inspire me, and makes me reconsider my concentration. The more I think about it, I am really drawn to book arts, and I want to do something in that direction. We will see what happens down that avenue...

super secret project

hey guys, I thought I would give a plug for design for mankind and to keep you waiting... I am involved in her super secret project! It should be up on her site by the end of the month, but be sure that I will let you know on here when it's up.
hope all of you are doing well in the freezing weather. we have been running our heater all the time, and it still won't feel toasty.

only two left!

hello there.
just letting you all know that there are still two 2008 arugula press calendars left for sale in my etsy! it's a limited edition of 70, and they are now on sale for $20! check them out.
hope you all are having a good weekend.

craft time

i don't know about you, but I am always drawn to handmade things for our house. last night at my work's holiday party (i know, it's a bit past christmas, but it was great) we had a gift exchange and my person gave me the coolest handmade matryoshka nesting dolls (above). she had spent the time to crochet them and felt them a little bit, and made them attach by using found buttons, and hand embroidered faces too. I love them! Anyways, since bringing them home along with some ceramics from a coworker and from a friend at my holiday sale, it feels like our home is coming together with a touch of handmade. It makes me happy to be able to say that so and so made this, etc. The whole point is that on Flickr many people have been popping up pictures of little trees that they make out of fabric, and i simply adore them- so I thought that I would put a link to the pattern up for all of you too.

The pattern is from Stephanie, a Portland artist and someone you should check out on flickr. Here is the blog post with the pdf attachment. Stephanie constantly posts beautiful pictures of her life, including her time with her two kids and their many adventures. Check her out!

bike lust

since getting rid of our car (although we knew it was coming) we have gotten used to public transportation and such, but I find myself missing the days of summer and fall when I would bike to work. It was not only a way to keep in shape (part of what I miss) but a great way to see the city and see on a people level, unlike when you ride in a car all the time. I find that I feel more of a part of a place when I'm on bike level, and not contained in a hurling capsule. all of this to say that I am seriously lusting after some custom bikes. as you read in the fall, I thought I had found my true love in a bike. Although the jorg + olif still wins in the 'bang for your buck' category, I have found one (or two) that I would love to get if I knew I was permanently replacing a car:

(above: bike two under commuter bikes by vanilla bicycles, closely
resembling the jorg + olif...)
(below: bike four under commuter bicycles by vanilla )
this one was made to carry all my groceries!

unfortunately, these both start at $2800 and up. but I have to say, they are custom to the 't'. Vanilla (here in Portland, and locally made) contacts you about custom fit, technical parts, and aesthetic concerns, and prefers to meet in person! Despite the chunk of change, lots of love goes into these beauties. Check out their site for process, etc.
And for me, I will be wishing still....

i apologize...

for not saying this already- happy 2008! i think it will be a good one, its shaping up to be so far. i hope i can enjoy each day, and not just hurry through. cheers!

illustration rocks!

i am so drawn to illustration, and yet i am so scared to delve into it. i have daydreams of going to graduate school for illustration, but i know that i am too afraid. i would love to take some classes, but can't find any that seem down the alley i want to head. my grandfather was an illustrator, and his style really resonates with me. that's the main reason i am scared- i may not live up to his work.

but... after all that honesty, here is a new illustrator i am liking- Irene Schoch

above:
"l'arche aux 7 couleurs"
below:
"c'est une histoire d'amour "

I really like her use of color, and how fun everything looks.