Apr24

Something Old, Something New . . .

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sugaroptionswNEW-TEXT-copyOne of my clients is pitching a new  line to a big department store chain, and she asked me to create the labeling for her products.   I was chained to Illustrator much of the week gunning to meet the deadline. The samples shipped on Monday…fingers crossed the buyers go for them.

She sells high end salt and sugar items so the labels needed a sophisticated, urban feel. She also requested a vintage-inspired holiday label for her seasonal flavored hot cocoas. It turned into the best week ever because I got to work in my two favorite aesthetics, with just about 100% creative freedom to select fonts and develop palettes & patterns.

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I let the flavors determine the palette of the finishing sugars, and I’m really pleased with how they go together. They’ll be sold in a three pack and I think the colors will really make the finished group sing. Hope the buyer feels the same.

I adore vintage Christmas cards, and when I found this one on-line, I knew right away it would be the inspiration for the Hot Cocoa palette. I drew the repeat by hand, then recolored each of the elements to differentiate the flavors. It’s amazing how much the recoloring changed the feeling of the repeat. I’d love to see this artwork aholidaylabel2s a fabric and am thinking about ordering a yard from Spoonflower. Just heard that Spoonflower is doing custom wrapping paper, too.

holidaytopshotcocoa

Apr9

Thanks, Ace Hotel, For the Inspiration

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viewfromhotel

View from my room.

On Friday I took a quick trip to New York City to meet with the team from CreativeBug. We stayed in the Ace Hotel, which, from a design perspective, is eye-popping. Every corner oozes with hipster chic. Even the view from my window was cool, like a borrowed set from RENT.

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The graffiti art on the wall in my room. It took me a couple of hours to figure out it said “Un-Knowing” then I wondered if I should take it personally.

Each room has an original urban-inspired mural. Instead of the standard fridge, my room had a  steamer trunk stamped with the word “rations,” and next to my desk, I found an assortment of kitchy records, plus a turntable.  For sure I am not cool enough to stay in this hotel. I’m surprised they didn’t kick me out.

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Our uber-hip meeting space.

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A basket of bobbins…not so as rock star as the rest of the hotel, but a good sign.

The “loft” where we held our meeting appeared rockstar ready, and I found myself wondering how many famous guitarists had trashed it. Funnily, amidst the in-your-face urban-ness, sat a wire basket of vintage industrial bobbins and spools. Me and the gang from CreativeBug took that as a good sign.

When I got back, I had several graphic design deadlines and I’m pretty certain my work was heavily influenced by the trip. I distressed every font, applied a stamp technique to every graphic. I had to draw a set of sewing needles and even those took on an air of crisp edginess.

Here’s a sampling of this week’s work (including the business card Lisa and I have been working on together).

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Mar25

Be All In

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My daughter, on the left, helping me out as a model for one of my kit ideas.

My daughter had a very close shave a couple of weeks ago, walking home from school. She was crossing the street and ran into a car that was making a right hand turn in front of her. The car ran over her foot, breaking her toe. Other than that, miraculously, she was OK. As a family, we’ve been struggling to get our footing. We are all unsettled, especially my daughter.

I’ve done my best to counsel her, but it has been difficult, particularly because I’m grappling with the shock of the incident myself. What has come to the fore, for me, is how precarious life is.  The life I’ve built was almost dismantled in one terrible moment. The gift that it wasn’t, paired with the stunning revelation that nothing is certain has made me determined:   I don’t have time to pretend, to be scared, to second guess myself, to be shy about sharing my opinions, talents, & ideas. I have an obligation to be honest and authentic, to lay myself out there, to live my life outloud.

I’ve taken note that the best artists are the bravest. The ones who do not hold back, who are willing to lay their truest selves on the line in everything they do, who are ALL IN.  I don’t care what the medium is — it could be singing, dancing, painting. I shouldn’t limit the notion to art either. Being ALL IN drives satisfaction in every arena: athletics, business, marriage, bottle cap collecting, if bottle cap collecting is the thing.

So that’s my takeaway. The thing I will say to my daughter the next time we process this very confusing, very scary incident:

Raise your hand in class. State your piece. Be brave in your work in and your relationships. Be All In.

Mar4

A Playing Card as a Blank Canvas

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Here’s a good way to while away an afternoon: bring together 6 bored kids and a table full of playing cards, maps, sheet music, found objects, markers, paint, plus needles and thread and see what develops. The idea is to turn ordinary playing cards into art, then trade them with friends. My friend Lisa had the idea and invited me and my kids over to give it a try.

I particularly liked stitching on the cards (surprise, surprise). We all came up with wildly different techniques and ideas.  I felt an inspiring freedom while working on this project. Watching the kids slap the cards with paint and tissue paper without an ounce of inhibition moved me to apply the same attitude to my work.  Plus the tiny, tiny space and limited materials made choices easy and interesting.  Instead of trading mine, I gave it to my husband, since the theme, quite accidently, ended up being love.

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Feb22

My Free Class Is Live! Take It for a Chance to Win

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Shrug

shrug-front-1I’m so excited about this free workshop that I did for CreativeBug and Red Heart yarns. I love the sweater’s construction and overall look and feel. When you take the class, you’ll learn side-to-side,  seamless sweater construction, provisional cast-on, picking up stitches … the list of techniques packed in such a quick knit goes on and on.  And at the end you’ll have an adorable, figure flattering little shrug that’s sure to fit because you size it to your body as you go.

Everyone who takes the workshop has a chance to win a 3-month subscription to CreativeBug, plus yarn and needles from Red Heart yarn. shrug-back-1

And if you are going to Stitches in San Jose this weekend, stop by the Red Heart booth, where the workshop will be playing throughout the show.

Feb7

Anatomy of a Design Problem

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I was excited to learn this week that CreativeBug wants me to do another workshop, this time using Red Heart yarn. The two companies are teaming up to bring a free workshop to the Red Heart booth at the Stitches West knitting conference in San Jose the weekend of Feb 22. Both companies are both looking for a project that would be appropriate for fairly serious knitters.

I thought it would be interesting to show a behind-the-scenes look at how such a project comes to life … How are the materials chosen? How is the final design decided upon?

First, I get the yarn. Then the whole process unfolds from there: