Friday Favorites

Yesterday for the first time in the six years that I have lived in Baltimore, I went to the basement for a tornado warning. As a Hoosier native that was born and bred in tornado alley, I decided that clearly things with the weather were not so hot when I glanced out the glass-paned door in my studio to see a sky that had turned black and green. Forget tornado warnings. Sometimes they don't predict the right thing. And sometimes they come after the fact when it is too late (like the time a tornado touched down literally three houses down from my childhood home). But when that sky is green, that's my warning. (I also often half joke that if it sounds like a freight train is about to come through your living room, then that's a good sign you should head to the basement. That sort of happened in the situation of that last little side note I made.)

This morning is a different story. Lazy, gray wisps of clouds are dissipating to show peeks of blue. It makes for a good Friday morning. Not hot enough yet that the buzz of the air conditioning units in our alley have taken over the peaceful morning. And promising of better weather for tonight's baseball game. So, what better to do than round up a few things I've been browsing upon while sipping my morning's iced coffee.

My sister has some pretty amazing recent adds to her shop, StarSeventeen. I recently favorited this hat. The colors are just fabulous! And I've commissioned her to paint a super awesome hat for me. I'll be sure to share it once it's all done!

via StarSeventeen

I'm a sucker for turquoise, and this necklace from Cat&Bot is definitely one I wouldn't mind having.

via Cat&Bot

This little bowl just makes me happy.

via up in the air somewhere

I would really love to add this scarf to my collection. Perfect for summer! Light and bright.

via LeLeni

I love this abstract painting. The colors are fabulous and I really like the triangle and geometric theme.

via Mardi & Me

And of course, I couldn't leave you without a few good things to read.

Like this mind boggling BuzzFeed article, Why No One Should Mess With the Ocean.

This recipe for spiced salmon skewers. (You may have remembered seeing these in my Instagram feed!)

And some permission to do the things you've wanted to do. I especially like that last bullet point!

Any plans for you this weekend? We're heading to the O's game tonight. For Saturday and Sunday I see some bike rides in our future, plus some painting. Yup, big basement project is underway. Will have to update you all soon!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Gwen Frostic

I love wood block prints. I was first introduced to block prints by my grandmother, a woman that loves paper goods and knows best how to write a wonderful letter. She always has a stash of note cards stowed away for the many personal notes that she always writes. One such type of note cards were those by Gwen Frostic, a wood block artist from Michigan.

As a child, on our way home from our camping trips in Canada, we would stop in Benzonia, Michigan to see Gwen's shop and pick up some stationery, calendars, and books. Gwen, who is no longer living, would sometimes be hiding amongst the printing presses as they clicked and clacked to produce her lovely prints.

Her shop, still open for business, is amazing. It is nestled in a wildlife sanctuary and uses native materials in attempt to bring the outdoors inside. Gwen's prints are nature inspired and were often created by the plants and animals that surrounded her studio. She is truly a creative inspiration.

A glimpse at some of the items available on her website.

And a glimpse from my personal stash.

One thing that I love about the stationery that gives it an even more natural feel is the deckled edge. Many of Gwen's designs are so simple, but just perfect. And some are more complex and leave me in awe of her ability to have carved that with an end result in mind. One thing remains certain. Most likely throughout my lifetime, I will always have a stash of Gwen Frostic paper, just like my grandmother.

All in the Family with StarSeventeen

I'm pretty sure that art runs in the family. My dad's art is building guitars. My mom's is baking bread and making woodblock prints. My sister's is hats. Yup. Hats. Well, that's not entirely true because she's pretty amazing with all sorts of media-- painting, drawing, knitting, collage-ing, jewelry-making, card-making, sewing, and probably a bunch of other things that I can't even remember anymore. So to say just hats would be silly when she's spent her entire life doing art of one sort or another.

Her latest focus, however, is her Etsy shop StarSeventeen. She especially loves creating geometric designs. And she paints her geometric designs on hats. I love the originality of this particular art and the fact that no two hats are alike.

And if that's not enough hats for you, I'm pretty sure she rocks at making knitted hats too.  I can fully attest to that one considering that both mine and Andrew's favorite winter hats are ones that she knitted us for Christmas a few years ago. A few of those for eye candy as well...

And we even share an obsession with Sharpie markers...

She sells her hats on Etsy in her shop StarSeventeen. And you can check her out on Facebook as well. In the future, she's hoping to focus mostly on her geometric designs, expanding to poster prints, and even clothing. Lots to look forward to in the future! Show her some love and head over to her shop and facebook page to favorite and like her!

Music Typography and Art

In our basement we have a music area of sorts. Last year for Christmas, Andrew gave me three wall mounts to hang my guitars out of their cases and on the wall. As we slowly tackle the decorating scheme in each room, the basement has been pushed aside and to the bottom of the list. I have a few concert posters that I hope to frame and add to the "music area," but I was hoping to find a few more simple yet stylish pieces to include. These are some of my favorites that I found.

via The Medium Control

via handz

via LuciusArt

via LoversRockShop

via At A Glance Graphics

via forever500francs

via yumalum

I'm having a hard time deciding which I like best, though I'm leaning toward the Spanish Bombs poster. But then again maybe it's because I've had the song in my head since I spotted the poster the other day.  

Whimsy, Arts and Crafts, and Moroccan Flair

I recently came across some of the most fabulous cards and envelopes-- beautiful white linen cards with envelopes to match. I am obsessed with quality so despite the fact that they were a little pricier than some of the papers I had been previously purchasing, I felt that it was a must to purchase these. I had a bit of a lull in the card making last month due to school obligations, but I have finally had the time to sit down and work on some new designs. Finally, this past weekend, I was able to print my designs using the new linen cards, and man are the superb!

As seems to be the usual case, my designs are quite eclectic. One design is arts and crafts inspired. Another is whimsically designed with a cursive "hello." And lastly, one design features a Moroccan inspired pattern. However, one things always remains the same-- they look amazing on these cards! Is it possible that I could potentially design the ugliest thing out there and have it look like a million bucks just because of the cards? I am convinced (not that I plan to do that). Already, I have sold two sets of luscious linen sets and I am printing several other sets for an upcoming trunk show at Alexandra Webb on Charles Street in Baltimore's Federal Hill. I plan on ordering more of this fabulous paper and designing quite a few more of these goodies in the upcoming week. Hope you love these lovely linen fibers just as much as I do!

Architectural Salvage Wine Stoppers

My chair project was put off this past weekend due to rainy weather. I've been doing most of the work outside on my back deck since it involves sanding and finishing, or inevitably sawdust and stain fumes. So instead I decided to work on another upcycling project.

There are several wonderful architectural salvage warehouses in Baltimore. My favorite is Second Chance which is not just one, but I believe five huge warehouses nestled between M&T Bank Stadium, I-95, and some railroad tracks. What I love about Second Chance is that they have a different warehouse for different subcategories of architectural salvage. One warehouse, for example, is all furniture and stained glass. Another is doors, windows, and the like. A third, and perhaps often most interesting, is architectural elements. This warehouse features anything from old tin ceiling panels to beautiful stair railings to antique walk in refrigerators.

The last time I went to Second Chance, I spent some time sorting through old vintage door knobs and cabinet knobs. All of the different knobs were so much fun that I bought them on a whim knowing that I would surely find a project that would work with them. I eventually decided to turn these lovely knobs into cork wine stoppers. After purchasing the corks, I used the vintage knobs paired with a copper plumbing cap to create my finished product. These particular wine stoppers are currently listed on my Etsy shop. For now, enjoy the wine stoppers in the photos below!

They make stuff for that?!

My crafting tools and a handmade envelope.

Yes, I am in the dark age when it comes to my crafting of cards. I am at the top of my game when it comes to design software, computers, and printers. But way far behind when it comes to the tools I use to create the final product. I design, then print, and then yes, I hand cut all of my cards. You may say that doesn't sound unrealistic because paper trimmers are quick and easy to use. Paper trimmers? What are you talking about? They make stuff for that?!

No paper trimmers here. Just a cutting mat, an X-acto, and a craft ruler (you know, one of those see through rulers with all of those wonderful measurements on it). And luckily, after having worked on this hobby for some time, I haven't chopped off any fingers or had any trips to the emergency room. So here I am, printing off my designs which takes no time at all. Then next I head over to my drafting table and start cutting-- which takes FOREVER. I became even more frustrated as I ruined three consecutive sheets of cardstock while making teal envelopes for my new NYC Map Note Cards.

NYC Map Note Cards

It did not even cross my mind that there just might be some tools out there to make life a little bit simpler until I came across this at Michael's the other day. Of course I knew that paper trimmers existed-- as a teacher, I use one almost every day at school. But for whatever reason, I did not think about purchasing one for my crafting purposes. Anyway, I'm not going to lie, although the paper trimmer that I saw at Michael's was sort of what I want, I would love something larger that could accommodate large photos as well and would gladly take recommendations! And while I was quite happy with the final outcome of my envelopes as cards that I had made, my level of frustration would certainly have been lower had it been for a darn paper trimmer!

Just for the record...

Just for the record, in case you didn't know, I love music.  Oh, and I also make cards. Today I was doing both and came up with these fun ones that'd be perfect for any serious music lover! I was listening to Baltimore based band The Bridge this morning while sipping away at my coffee, of course! And as I begin designing, I came up with this sort of High Fidelity-like design. Why High Fidelity, you might ask? Well simply because Rob, the main character, is obsessed with vinyl and music-- a music snob at the least. Plus, High Fidelity is only my favorite book and only written by my favorite author, Nick Hornby. And so it is, my favorite design of the moment was created.

Now to go back to another important item on the list. I mentioned listening to The Bridge. I had not listened to them a whole lot-- only here and there. However, they are expecting a new album out on February 1st and they have been getting all sorts of airplay on my favorite radio station WTMD. So naturally I wanted to check out the album. The new album is called National Bohemian, no doubt after Natty Boh, our beloved Baltimore beer. It is produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos, another fabulous band that is an absolute must to include in your music repertoire. Currently, The Bridge are streaming the full album on their website. Enjoy!

Snow Days are Project Days

Snow days are a blessing in disguise. Somehow they always manage to pop up right after a long stretch of stressful events. In today's case, my snow day arrived the day after second quarter grades were due. There is no better feeling than that of having a surprise visit by an overnight winter storm on the day after such a day. It is as if the snow was purposefully sent to provide me with rejuvenation for the mind, body, and soul.

On days like today, the first priority is to enjoy extra time lounging around the house in soft and cozy sweatpants. The second priority is enjoying my cup of coffee rather than rushing it as I usually do-- and of course then have a second and possibly a third. Then on to the projects.

Snow days are project days. It is blissful just to think of having an entire day to myself with no obligation of any sort! It is the ideal time to start new projects or finish ones that have been left by the wayside and consumed by the daily grind of being a teacher. But a snow day! The possibilities are endless!

My recent endeavors have taken me to an architectural drafting table that is tucked away in our cozy basement. I spread paper of all colors, textures, and patterns in front of me and carefully choose a pleasing assortment and begin crafting a new set of cards. Paper has quickly become one of my favorite mediums and cold, snowy days are perfect for creating new designs and cards. Today, however, I start with a new project-- a writing project. And here I am, curled up in my reading chair, beginning this new blog.  Here I hope to share with you my own passions-- travel, music, food, photography, design (and, yes, maybe a little here and there about education). But for now, I'm off to that cozy basement full or wonderful and vibrant paper!