{Good Read} Uppercase #11 love...

My love of UPPERCASE Magazine isn't new. I've been a fan for awhile now- I'm only missing the 1st issue in my cherished collection. The magazine never ceases to inspire & delight me. I'm always amazed at how timely the topics are- it seems like each issue is always full of everything I'm currently interested in.  Now I know I say this EVERY time, but issue number 11 is my absolute favorite so far. In addition to the stellar content- there is another reason why I was thrilled when I flipped through the pages... 

Sayer was pretty excited to see the "Wise Old Owls" article too- particularly the {covet} page (pg 101). It's always nice to get a nod or mention in print- but when it is in a favorite magazine that is so beautifully curated & designed, it's particularly smile inducing. 

I'm still savoring the magazine but here are four articles that caught my attention right away. 

- carving a niche : the small marvels of artist diam chau - page 39-41

- scherenschnitte - page36-37

- Scratching the Surface - page 86-87

- fibre and fire : Lizz Aston - page 82-85

Funny, but two of these articles caught my attention because of Chris. He is a ceramicist & has been doing "sgraffito" for over 20 years in his personal work- which is where I first learned the term. In the work that he does for hutch studio, he has been exploring the concept of "sherenschnitte" over the last few years. So I the, Scratching the Surface and scherenschnitte articles, stood out to me in particular. 

This is truly a gorgeous magazine & I don't have enough thumbs to give it the "thumbs up" that it deserves. If you are local to where I live - you can find this great magazine (in person) at, ideal: carefully curated goods,  in Bellingham, WA. 

Thanks Janine, you made my day. Kudos on other fantastic issue!

{Everyday Inspiration} hanging low....

It seems as though the change of the season & schedules has brought the icky crud right along with it. Our whole family has been battling a bad cold over the last few weeks. We just keep exchanging symptoms & trying on new ones. Sayer & I are still feeling less than our energetic selves today & decided to take it easy. On the agenda (while Chris is at work) is a little painting, a possible puppet show, fire station, & some cuddling on the couch with our favorite books & magazines.  Hopefully we will be all energized and inspired by tomorrow. What do you have planned for the weekend? 

{shop update} tees & prints...

Pheewww- what a week! New things are still flowing into the shop & I'm a wearing my shutterbug hat again. I would like to be reading my UPPERCASE Magazine under a tree right now, but I will let Katie enjoy it. However, that will be a goal of mine for the weekend. For today's shop updates I have some Rabbit tees for adults to share with you in pink & grey. The woman's scoop  neck Rabbit tee is so soft & Alternative Apparel donated 10% of my purchase of these pink tees to the Susan B Komen foundation for breast cancer research- which made my color choice simple. The unisex eco Rabbit tee is also really cozy - both are perfect weekend tees I think. Why yes, Cardboard Man wears it well doesn't he? 

I'm also excited about 3 new letterpress prints that Amy Redmond just finished printing for me. You can read the post I wrote about her & the letterpress process here. I added a hedgehog, rabbit, & fox to the mix of ever growing thread drawn characters.  

Back to the studio for me... but I hope everyone has a great weekend!  What are your plans?

{Using random.org, the winner of the funky owl toddler tee is #1 Shannon. Thanks for the comments & feedback everyone.}

{Good Read} Uppercase Love #8....

I'm a firm believer that a child is never too young to appreciate good design. Of course, nice books & magazines fall into that category. My UPPERCASE magazine #8 came a little over a week ago & I've been just itchin' to sit down and read it cover to cover. But, as things go around here, I haven't had a lot of time to really savor it's brilliance. That's when I decided that it was time to introduce Sayer to my favorite magazine. 

This kid is definitely is a chip off the ol' block. He knows a stellar publication when he sees it. He even gravitated towards the same pages that I did. I think deep down he was just as  inspired too. 

The first thing I notice when I opened the magazine, is the picture of my bike that I took for one of my UPPERCASE love posts! I have to say, it sort of made my day. But that was just the beginning of my delight. Again, this magazine is always so timely- everything is just what I'm interested in right now. Here is a glimpse of the first 4 articles that I had a chance to read and truly enjoyed.

1. {Fine Print} Children's books: beautiful books enjoyed by those big & small. by Frances Atikinson- pg14-15 

2. {Sketchbook} Ed Emberley's sketchbook by Mignon Khargie page 58-62 - I actually remember vividly trying to learn to draw from the "Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals" when I was a kid. I may even have my old book in a box somewhere.

3. {Beginnings} How successful creatives got their start ~ Poketo by Erin Loechner page 12-13 - I found this article so inspiring & helpful.

4. {Field Trip} The Dollhouse: Artist Heather Benning creates an installation that toys with scale and memory. pg 86-89 

I have a lot more of the new UPPERCASE to explore, but I  can confidently say that both Sayer & I are intrigued & looking forward to discovering what is on the next page...
Do you have a favorite magazine that you love to share?

{wish list} The Elegant Cockroach....

While I certainly love all of the items that I include in my four fun finds posts, this one is on  a special wish list. When I read about this book in UPPERCASE Magazine, I got really excited to see it in person. I'm already a big fan of their books- I have the Suitcase Series: Camilla Engman that I bought myself for Christmas last year. The design of the book is a cool as the inside. It's the whole package.

The Elegant Cockroach from UPPERCASE gallery on Vimeo.

I think it would be safe to say that any project that UPPERCASE takes on, would catch my interest, but The Elegant Cockroach is first on my list.  Doesn't it look great? I think I would qualify as a whimsical adult, don't you?

{via UPPERCASE}

{Good Read} Uppercase Love #7....

Oh UPPERCASE, how I love thee! I know, I know, this is the third post about my affection for this gorgeous publication. But seriously, I don't know if I can describe effectively, how much I look forward to getting it's splendor in the mail. Each time I open every issue, I ooooh & ahhh, with creative anticipation. This magazine is so timely in my interests, beautifully photographed, and thoughtfully written. I find that I am nodding and saying yes a lot when I read it. So far it's the only magazine that actually gets me thinking about how I am going to adoringly photograph it (which I do believe is now a tradition). For me, reading this magazine is a perfect little getaway that always recharges my battery.

Issue #7 is so full of things that I love- it was hard to pick my favorite articles to show a snippet of. So, I am showing you what I {thoroughly} read first. There is something that was written in each of these features that I either completely identified with, wrote down, have said myself, or just plain agreed with.

1. Stanley & Sons (pg 52 &53) There were so many things I nodded to in this article. First, we both attended School of Visual Arts in Manhattan (got my MFA in '96). "Our products have always been made-to-order. I think the quality that comes with this is unbeatable." & in response to what the future holds - "We hope that we will be allowed to just keep on making our products for as long as possible."

2. Christopher Scott (pg 32-35) "Remember to turn off your computer, put your head down and hone your craft!"

3. Greg Morgan (pg.38 & 39) - "He is an avid collector of design & art books..... His artistic heroes include Duchamp, Schwitters, Hoch, and anything Dada: influences obvious in his love of collage."  

4. Factory 20 (76-79) "Inspiration is found by accident."

5. good things come in pairs (pg 81-83) "It's a bit cheesy, but we really believe we're a part of something special with yet unrealized potential."

6. Bookbinding and bookmaking terms (pg 30 &31) "Mind your P's & Q's"

Thanks UPPERCASE, for giving me a mini, creative vacation & for putting me in dream mode for a little while.

{Good Read} Stunning illustrations

I love books- everything about them. One of my favorite things to do is browse book stores. The book design is what really attracts me to this activity. I have my favorite book designers & illustrators and think of them as having rock star status. Admittedly, I have purchased books solely on their covers. On those rare occasions that the books content is as good as the cover, well then we have a real keeper. 

One of my oldest & dearest friends shares this love of design and books with me. She sent Sayer one of the coolest books I had ever seen, for Halloween this last year. It proudly sits on the very top book ledge in Sayer's room and keeps an eye on him. He actually used to call it mommy - because of the glasses (I hope). Jeremy Holmes was the creator & illustrator of the unique masterpiece, There Was an Old Lady, and partnered with Chronicle Books. Recently, I read a great interview with Jeremy in the new UPPERCASE magazine about how the book came to be.

Isn't it interesting that we live in a time where a small video is made to advertise a book? This video is so cool. It definitely gives you the feeling of the book. Jeremy Holmes did an outstanding job on this project. But looking at his portfolio, he is very familiar with doing good work. 

{Good Read} Uppercase Love

Having a holiday weekend allowed me the opportunity to finally flip through my new UPPERCASE Magazine at a nice, leisurely pace. It came last week and I have been itching to really dive in and get lost in the "creative & curious" world that I adore so much. I know I have said this every time I get one of these gems in the mail, but this one is even better! --Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.... You can actually flip through the magazine here if you would like to take a gander. 

As I was enjoying my magazine, I found my mind drifting to friends that I have met via this crazy world wide web (mostly through blogs, twitter, & children's stores). I was noting what articles reminded me of certain people that I communicate with regularly. While these are standout write ups to me as well, I dogeared them with the thought of passing them on. Then I realized it would be nice to just post it for others to enjoy as well. 

Debbie Powell -an illustrator on the move - The illustrations reminded me of something that Chantal would like and might end up inspiring some bento lunches in the future.

Table for Two: Molly Wizenberg & Brandon Pettit - My friend Catherine told me about Molly's blog, Orangette over a year ago so she was the first person I thought of. I actually think of Catherine every time I get my UPPERCASE in the mail. I also thought of Robin, who is another foodie blogger who lives in Seattle & can visit this restaurant easier than I can. 

The Darlingtonia Moccasin Company - All I had to do is look at the pictures to immediately think of Daria and the beautifully crafted shoes that she makes. 

Shoegazing - This article got me thinking about the always stylish and creative Alix. She takes vibrant pictures of herself, documenting her fun fashions & I often admire her "shoegazing" photos in particular. 

So here are some highlights of an inspiring magazine & some interesting ladies to boot. 

Fabric Friday

Wow, how to start this Fabric Friday post, except by saying that I am oozing with excitement and inspiration. I had decided earlier this week to feature the fabrics of Denyse Schmidt. She is a designer that has been creating beautiful quilting fabrics for a while now. I have used a number of fabrics from all of her collections from the beginning of klt:works. She just recently came out with a new collection and it seemed fitting to chat about her. However, before I get to all of that, I need to tell you about about a lovely creative coincidence that changed my slant a bit. 

Yesterday, I got my absolute favorite magazine in the mail called Uppercase. I have mentioned it before in an earlier post (Inspiring Prints: what makes me smile) because I truly love everything about it. The magazine comes in its own cardboard envelope and the anticipation of its arrival starts weeks prior to receiving it- it is that special. So, I frantically opened the enveloped and started flipping through the pages (even the ink smells great). My eyes immediately fell on an article written by Karyn Valino  called, "perfectly pattterned careers: textile design".  This article focuses on the "small independent creatives" redefining the world of textile design. Denyse Schmidt was  the first interview, then Lara Cameron (from Ink & Spindle), and Michelle Engel Bencsko (Cloud 9 Fabrics) was the last. My socks were knocked off. It was a gorgeous layout and I admire all of the designers and use their fabrics because of what they stand for. Timing is everything (which is Sayer's phrase of the week) and I hit the inspiration jackpot yesterday.

So, back to the fabric. When I choose fabrics for klt:works, I am very selective. Initially I gravitate towards a textile because of aesthetics, but I research a lot about a designer and their process before I become a loyal fan. Denyse Schmidt caught my interest because of her lovely quilting but it was that she was bringing something fresh and new to the fabric scene that I really appreciated. I find that my style is very modern, but I love nostalgia. I think that is why I respond so strongly to her designs. I also enjoyed reading about her background and that she came from a family of makers. Chris went to Rhode Island School of Design (and went back and taught there a bit after grad school). Both of his parents also went to RISD. So he comes from a family of makers too.  I actually found Denyse's work through an RISD alumni page. Needless to say, I have been loyal to her designs ever since. I used fabrics from her Flea Market Fancy collection, for some of my first Flights of Fancy Mobiles in 2006. When that was all gone and sold out everywhere, I moved on to her Katie JumpRope fabrics. Now I am excited to play around with her new Hope Valley collection. Here is a little peek into my Denyse Schmidt fabric stash (what is left anyway). Pictured: Hope Valley, Katie Jump Rope, Flea Market Fancy (left to right)

I wrote a bit about Ink & Spindle in my first Fabric Friday post because I love that they screen print their fabrics themselves. They are very aware of what being eco-friendly means and they use environmentally conscious inks, fabrics, and  practices in their Australian studio. So, I was not only impressed by their designs, but their philosophy as well.  I became familiar with Cloud9 Fabrics because they use eco-responsible inks and dyes too. Being that I make things for children, I am particularly looking for organic and eco conscious fabric options. You can read about these designers in the 5th Uppercase Magazine. Pictured: My stash: Cloud9 and Ink & Spindle (left to right)

Oh, inspiration is so sweet. After I finish reading the rest of my Uppercase Magazine, I am hoping to dive into my fabric stash. Happy Fabric Friday!

{Inspiring Prints} What makes me smile...

Someone once asked me in an interview, if I ever bought other artist's work. I thought it was an odd question. But I suppose that in context, the interviewer was responding to photos of my son's nursery and so it seemed like a fair question. I created a line of prints to use in Sayer's  nursery, not because I didn't like other people's art, but as a project and something special for him.  As I have mentioned, both my husband and I are artists. We literally have crates of our own art along with friends work.  We also live on a tight budget so using our own art in our house seemed like a no brainer- and an opportunity to have a rotating gallery. However, with places like Etsy and many cool online stores. Buying art (at a reasonable price) is so accessible, it is hard to come up with an excuse not to. I thought I would share just a few of my favorite purchases. 

Studio Violet has become a favorite of mine. I purchased my first print after learning about Camilla Engman via Uppercase Magazine and after reading her book. Studio Violet is the great collaboration between Camilla and Elisabeth Dunker. I am hooked now and am continuously inspired by these ladies. (Mr. Mustache is soon to make his way into our mailbox.)

My introduction to Blanca Gomez was when her illustration graced the first cover of Uppercase Magazine. Do you see a trend? (I guess my next purchase will be Matte Stephens- if I can ever decide which one). I received my first print as a gift along with a calendar from Monsieur Minouchet. The Jazzman print just arrived in our mailbox today. Sayer helped me pick it out. We seem to be drawn to the same imagery lately. Can't wait see the two prints side by side on our wall.

Having other artist's work around makes me happy. I buy things that I have a strong reaction to, not things that I think will match anything. Sometimes I don't even know where I am going to put it and it hangs out unframed- where I can see it everyday until I figure out the perfect spot. I have the Cosas Minimas (Blanca Gomez) calendar hanging in my studio. I love the clean colors and design. The Studio Violet print is on my dresser, still unframed so my stack of books keeps it in place.