Chirp!

Love these state bird and flower letterpress prints by dutch door press. A good reminder to refill our bird feeder, which seems to empty out as fast as we can fill it and provides endless entertainment for our two cats.

Stina So Fine

Today's inspiration comes from incredibly talented Stockholm-based illustrator Stina Persson. I have been enamored with her watercolor work for a while, but am totally loving these super graphic cut-paper illustrations, bringing some much-needed color on a gray and rainy Monday morning!

All You Need Is Love

Adding some new card designs to the shop today, just in time for Valentine's Day! Hope you like them.

Last Stop Before the Holidays

Last weekend, I visited the Brooklyn Lyceum Holiday Craft Market - a really good showing this year of fun housewares, art, and delicious food items. I got to meet one of my fave designers, Tara Hogan. I've been reading Tara's blog, INK+WIT, for ages so it was super to meet her in person and chat for a while.


Tara was kind enough to feature my yoga tees and prints on her blog recently, and I am now the proud owner of one of her lovely letterpress prints (below) which is now making my home office a cheerier place to work! If you haven't already checked out her blog or shop, get on over there!


A few other faves from the holiday market: (clockwise from top left) ceramics by jennifer fisher, artwork by Kristiana Parn, handmade plush toys by Zooguu, screenprinted moleskin journals by fisk and fern

Hey Mati

Came across these excellent collage/painting prints by Mati Rose over on PaperNStitch's site today. I love elephants and happen to have quite a few of them around the house, including a pink elephant watering can that I also turned into a painting, so of course these struck a cord with me. I visited Mati's website and learned that we share a love of artists Margaret Kilgallen and Louise Bourgeois. You can see lots more of Mati's work in her blog and etsy shop. Cheers!

Nice Way to Start the Week

These cheery, Matisse-esque interiors by Brooklyn-based artist Bella Foster are just what the doctor (dentist?) ordered to help me forget my minor tooth-fix this morning, my second dental appointment in as many Mondays.

I spotted Bella's work at the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale that took place Saturday over at Martha's offices in Manhattan. It was chock-full of crafty goodness and crazed Martha fans - the line was beginning to stretch outside the building and down the sidewalk when we left! I'll post a few more of my fave vendors from the sale this week.

Hoot

Sweet but not saccharine, these animal-meets-object illustrated cards by Screech Owl Design, a Brooklyn-based artist duo, are making me smile this morning. Especially the almost-trompe l'oeil arctic fox and snowy owl pair, below. Enjoy!

Wooden Bones

Brooklyn-based illustrator Fanny B is so immensely talented, her work so quirkily charming, that it just blows me away. I came across her work when I discovered Backyard Bill's blog a while back, and was initially taken in with these dreamy collages featuring autoharp-toting gals (and Dolly!).

But I highly, highly suggest you float on over to her blog, Wooden Bones, to check out many other delights, such as a painting series chronicling the fashion adventures of a certain sock monkey named Lemon Winterbottom. Yes, that's right.

Hello? Retro-Cuteness Calling!

I randomly came across Lab Partner's etsy shop recently and am now completely enamored with their work. A pet-loving design/illustration duo based in San Francisco, they have collaborated with Hello Lucky! letterpress studio and Monocle magazine, among others. I originally fell for their excellent San Francisco print, but I couldn't resist posting these retro charmers, from a limited edition series for a Hunt & Gather show in Australia. There are so many tasty tidbits over on their site, including a couldn't-be-cuter pair of animal pen pals, so be sure to have a look!

Monday Inspiration

If you've seen the recently-published compendium Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design, then you're familiar with Helsinki-born, Barcelona-based illustrator Pietari Posti, whose work adorns the cover, shown at the end of this post. His pieces remind me of the 1950's era of illustration that I love so much but with a mod, less-innocent twist. I'm particularly fond of his "GIANTS" series, above, a personal project depicting oversize animals in minimal, brightly-colored cityscapes. I'm also digging the slightly moodier Olivia series (below).

Have a happy Monday!




Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design

NestaHome

I just discovered the etsy shop of NestaHome. Her shop is chock-full (190 items! wow!) of fun prints, pillows, and vintage finds. I'm quite taken with this print, The Library, and also her hand-stamped hemp fabric. The fabric would be great for kitchen curtains - it's got sort of a rustic, old-world feel to it - or even a flowy tank top.

Homespun

Maxine Sutton creates using a blend of techniques like hand-embroidery and screenprint and a variety of sustainable materials, like organic cotton and vintage fabrics. The lovely spoons are filled with French lavender. You can find them in her shop.

Cut-Paper Coolness

Love these graphic pieces by artist Matthew Rich.

Just Wow.

Magically wonderful illustration work by Malin Gabriella Nordin.