October 31, 2008

Pocket planners

These are finally in the shop! I've been working on them for quite awhile, and I'm so glad they're all finalized and ready to go. I have a few more holiday items I'm still finishing up, so there'll be another shop update in a couple of weeks.

pocket planners

pocket planners

pocket planner inside

October 23, 2008

Mischief

See how she looks all wide-eyed and innocent here? Well, look at what this little puppy did today. Twice.

innocent

I was tagged awhile ago by my friend Anita, and more recently by Laura. Here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I like to organize the dishes in the sink before I wash them.
2. In 5th grade, I starred in a musical called "The Most Amazing Snowman." I was the snowman.
3. I used to only wear colors like light gray, taupe, and light blue. And then after college I started liking red, then orange, then green, then yellow. Now I appreciate them all.
4. I prefer comfort food over fancy food. A good burrito will always win over sashimi.
5. I love the beach and the ocean, but can only swim the backstroke. I have issues with the whole breathing thing.
6. I can't stand the feeling of nail polish on my finger nails, but don't mind it on my toe nails.
7. I'm a night owl, but am constantly trying (unsuccessfully) to go to bed earlier.

October 19, 2008

fall in california

The pods on our wisteria tree has been popping now that fall is here. They snap fairly loudly when they pop, and on the ground you can find many open pods and seeds. I picked a few up the other day and was surprised at how hard and sturdy both the pods and seeds are. Charlie is teething and seems to enjoy gnawing on the pods.

wisteria pods

The weather hasn't cooled down much during the day even though it's fall, so I let myself buy a couple of summery tops from Target recently. I like to layer anyway, so I figure even when it cools down a bit more, I can still wear them under cardigans, especially the vintage-y floral one.

target top

target top

I've been working on some new things, and hope to update the shop in the next couple of weeks or so. It's been taking a bit longer than I had expected (I forgot how long it takes me to finally be happy with a series of designs), but I'm excited. I'm getting a bit tired of looking at the old designs!

October 12, 2008

Spoonflower

My Spoonflower swatches came in the mail over the weekend!

spoonflower

I had read that their colors typically come out a bit less saturated, which definitely is the case, but it's fun nonetheless to see some of my designs on fabric. I might play around with the colors some more and give it another go before ordering actual yardage and possibly putting it into the shop. We'll see.

I'd really like to move towards textiles one day, but am uncertain about how or where to begin. Screenprinting designs myself would be so fun, but it seems very labor-intensive and also somewhat limiting (size of fabric, number of colors, etc). Yet professional digital textile printers (or textile screenprinters) would require me to order a lot of yardage before the price per yard is anywhere near reasonable. Starting with something simple that I screenprint myself makes the most sense right now. It'll take me time to gather everything I need and to get familiar with the process though. Must be patient!

October 8, 2008

Cubbyholes

It's hard for me to get work done when the space I'm in is messy and disorganized. My studio is in need of a lot of work, so I was happy to finally have the first major piece: the Ikea Expedit bookcase. I love shelves, cubbyholes, boxes, and basically anything that helps me organize and contain loose objects. I can't wait to finally be able to have a proper place for things in the studio. Here is Charlie, trying to take a nap and wishing I would quit pointing that camera at her already!

cubbyholes

October 7, 2008

Alameda flea

I went to the Alameda flea this weekend and got an eyeful. The place is huuuuge, filled with all sorts of vintage goodness. We managed to walk through most of it - here are some things that caught my eye.

vintage suitcases

vintage spools of thread

vintage keys

I ended up buying these vintage textiles, which the seller said she got from Germany. She had a lot of gorgeous prints to rummage through, all fairly large pieces. Many looked like they were drapery at one point. I absolutely love these two pieces, and am so excited for all the things I can possibly make with them!

vintage german textiles

October 2, 2008

Found

I've been adding to my collection of odds and ends found in nature. The last photo is of some gift tags I've been including in orders.

found

found

gift tags

I want to thank Mon Petit Lapin for giving me the Art Y Pico award. She's got a beautiful blog with plenty of inspiration and really nice photos as well. I know I've said this before, but I really am loving this online creative community.

Oh, and I really enjoyed this article.