Over the summer, we bought an old house. Since then we've been in a renovation marathon working out the details of the many repairs and improvements in order to make the home safe and habitable for our small family. It has been crazy, but so nice to finally own a home and be able to make it our own after living in rentals for a LONG time. Wish us luck. *[Drawing below by my 2-year-old son perfectly captures the essence of our summer.]
Mondo Cane and Partners & Spade present an exhibition of children's furniture: Kids Chairs! with over 50 examples of the form from the years 1890-1990. Exhibit is on view at Partners and Spade May 17th-June 10th. I definitely want to see this (and this, too!). See part of the collection here. *[Read about one dad's collection of vintage kids chairs and see another dad's findings here and here.]
TOP: "Airbrush Floral Colored Origami Paper II - 5 Colors 80 Sheets - great for crane, flower folding." Beautiful. Along the same lines are: MIDDLE + BOTTOM: Circle Paintings by Kenneth Noland. *[I'm loving the soundtrack on his website -- unexpected and nice.]
I happened on this blog late last night: Mini-Eco by Kate Lilley, also a mother of two little boys. Her approach to crafts and kid friendly projects is fresh and clean and unlike any other I've seen. The design appeals to me on so many levels. A great site to visit for out-of-the-box thinking. And, c'mon, she likes Moomin, too. *[Check out her new book: Eco-Friendly Crafting with Kids. It looks good.]
This New Year's card by Walter Marti reads (on the bottom) “Wishing you a happy 1960.” I love the play on the typographic "bowls" in the numbers 1-9-6-0. Check out this design, among others, in the Herb Lubalin Study Center's Flickr set. Well worth perusing. *[From reading this, my 2.5 yr. old is counting from 1-20, except for the occasional "twenty-teen" -- we're still working out some kinks.]
Sometimes I am surprised where I find design inspiration. These happen to be packages of gum from the supermarket. Although these are not the best example of gum packaging, the color pairings and the minimal presenence of copy on each package is quite extraordinary for a mainstream brand. *[Have a favorite gum? Remember Razzles, Blammo, Fruit Stripe? Visit the Gum Archive here for more.]
"How many can you count -- arms on a starfish, toes on two feet, hours on a clock, flowers in a bunch, raindrops in the sky?" Numbers is a book by John J. Reiss. It was published by Bradbury press, an affiliate of Macmillan!. After I saw this book, I searched for more by the same author. It is wonderful. My son thinks so, too. *[Tell me: what is a favorite counting book from your childhood? I'm curious.]
The National Maritime Museum has over 1000 flags including two large collections of house flags, used to identify shipping lines, or owners of vessels. Here are a few I selected from the collection. *[Take a look at the Jack Spade nautical tote bags -- a great way to utilize these awesome flag designs.]
These packages of Caramel Corn came from that big, awesome, Japanese grocery store in Edgewater, NJ. I couldn't pass these up. The stencil typeface, the happy/cute/goofy faces, and the glossy packaging kills me. So good, right? *[This makes me want my mom's caramel corn. Hear that, Mom? Since we're talking about my mom, she also makes really good sugar cookies. She sends them to all of her kids for every major holiday -- all 8 kids. Top that.]
I bought this Macmillan Dictionary for Children (Copyright 1975) in February at an estate sale near my parents' home in the California Bay Area. About 2.5" thick, its pages are full of animated vintage illustrations. I especially like the section headers for each letter (see bottom image below). *[As a child, did you have a favorite dictionary, encyclopedia, or reference book you read and reread?]
I visited the Marimekko NYC flagship store on Fifth Avenue last week. In the store windows was this Easter inspired textile (approx. 5 feet wide) Designed by Maija Louekari for Marimekko, it is 100% cotton. Full color and giant graphics. How nice. *[How many of you had these sheets when you were a kid? I did. I know my son would love this.]
A.P.C. Children is now available in "unisex clothes, from 2 to 12 years, 100% cotton, featuring stripes and a parrot." You can outfit your petit enfant in a "blouse, t-shirt, jeans, bermuda shorts and a bag inspired by the A.P.C. summer '12 collection fabrics." The parrot denim bag is sweet. *[FYI: "Jean Touitou (owner and designer of A.P.C.) didn't like the options for his daughter's preschool — so he started his own." Nice.]
The Uline catalog is bananas. And, it's HUGE. There are hundreds of pages of office supplies: Custom tape, kraft stay flats, colored plastic bags, tape dispensers. I've been ordering from them since 1998 (starting at my first studio job). It is a family-owned business and the leading distributor of shipping, industrial and packaging materials to businesses throughout North America. *[I ordered this tape dispenser there when I started my own design studio, back in 2007.]
On Saturday, I picked up these four New York Times Historic Puzzles (Parker Brothers, 1968) at an estate sale in NJ. The whole lot was only $2! The puzzles were down in the home's basement stacked and one was labelled in wobbly script, "All pieces 10/18/00." Each box contains 500 diecut cardboard, interlocking pieces. I think puzzles are therapeutic. *[Get one here and here. *[Having a slow day? Peruse some of my work in the NY Times Magazine.]
String art has its origins in the 'curve stitch' activities invented by Mary Everest Boole at the end of the 19th Century to make mathematical ideas more accessible to children. It was popularised as a decorative craft in the late 1960s through kits and books. Here's a great tutorial on how to make typographic string art. *[Star Trek scene circa 1976. More interplanetary eye candy here and here.]
Amazing. These two sisters, for a fee, will custom embroider your own initials. They call themselves "makers of things assorted" and have "an unusual obsession with paper and patterns, like geeking out with gashapon toys and enjoy getting crafty with embroidery and fimo. *[Check them out here and commission your own embroidered initials here.]
Bradford Shellhammer, the cofounder of FAB, made these collages when his "obsession and collection of design objects deepened and expanded, into the world of art." So he took the logical next step and began painting. "And paint (and cut and tape) he did—for hours at a time, for several weeks... playing with various media and finding his niche in collage." *[These remind me of the importance of creating with your hands, taking a break from technological tools, and not taking oneself too seriously. All good things.]
This was a fun wedding project. I was fortunate to work with Alix, who is so lovely and nice. She was familiar with my handwriting/doodling (from our days working together on Madewell Musings) which turned out to be a perfect fit for her wedding invitations. Silkscreened in white on duplexed kraft cardstock and tied with string. Click on image for detail. *[From the pictures (here, here, and here), it looks like it was a very memorable day. Thanks Alix!]
These came in a lot of Creative Playthings toys I won on Ebay. Included were two sets of the rocking horse and see-saw, as well as a swing set similar to this one. We sent the duplicate set out west to our friends' newborn son in Oakland, CA. And, the set pictured here stayed east with us for our newest addition. The pieces are made of 1.5" thick unfinished wood -- ideal for pushing, grabbing, and playing. *[More eBay listings for Creative Playthings. I love these!]
This partial sheet of dog stickers was tucked between the pages of my 2-year-old's sketch book. He had stuck some transparent, color-coding, circle labels over the heads of the dogs. Not unlike John Baldessari whose artwork involved "placing colorful dots over faces, obscuring portions of scenes, or juxtaposing stock photographs with quixotic phrases, injecting humor and dissonance into vernacular imagery." *[I've found Avery stickers/labels quite useful for kids -- they love the various shapes and colors, and they leave so much to the imagination.]
These maps are from Graphis Diagrams a wonderful book on the "graphic visualization of abstract data." The first map was taken from Plan for New York City, designed by Don Page and Frank Williams. The second map is from Etude d'amenagement, an urban renewal project based in Geneva, designed by Joel Katz. I love the liberal use of color in both examples. *[The bottom map reminds me of this book.]
While perusing the READ section at Present & Correct, I came across this book: SHAPES by John J. Reiss: "a riot of geometric illustrations and bright acid colours. Follow Mr Fox as he explores each shape and where we find them in the world. He is aided by a mole, some birds & various beautifully depicted objects. A collectible hardback in good condition (ex library)." Thanks Neal! *[Here are two other books he has authored: Numbers and Colors]
Recently, while visiting my parents in Northern California, I spotted dozens of these large cans on a shelf tucked behind their basement stairs. These are food storage cans circa 1970 (definitely expired) with corresponding recipes (typeset in black Courier, no less) printed on the back of each can. *[I'm quite curious about the Fruit Galaxy. Here's a modern version you can try for yourself.]
This striped quilt was inspired by Mary & Matt's post on John Nixon's stripe paintings. I based the design on one of his Polychrome Paintings from a series he did in 2007. Machine pieced and quilted stripes, I chose yellow thread for the stitching. The back is a solid cotton in chocolate brown. *[Hey: I'm in the market for a new sewing machine. Any recommendations for a brand with a great backstitch?]
"Paper Zoo: The delightful paper-folding kit comprising a 12-page booklet and 36 pre-scored sheets of colourful paper to fold a variety of beautiful exotic and domestic animals. A highly entertaining and educational device to develop manual skills and to stimulate the imagination." Published by the MoMA; Design: Ernst Roch, 1985. *[This copy was given to me by my amazing friends, Erik & Jess. Thank you -- you always find the best books.]
Following tradition, I made a quilt in anticipation of the birth of my second son (now 6 months old). As the tradition goes, my kind mother finished the binding while I was in Manhattan recovering in the hospital. Each square is a JACK SPADE Days of the Week Handkerchief (Thanks Mary!) plus extra gingham yardage. The first 7 squares have song titles containing a day of the week embroidered in their lower right hand corner. *[It's similar to the map quilt I made for my first son. Check out this *copy* I found for sale.]
Last week, I visited the Japanese superstore Mitsuwa in Edgewater, NJ (a graphic designer's heaven with Japanese candy, books, and sundries). Most of my time there was spent scanning the interesting and graphic packaging in the candy aisle. *[Example: below are some boxes of caramels I picked up which come in multiple colorways. Good stuff!]
In 2007, Brooklyn artist Iviva Olenick (who started sewing around the same time she learned to make sock puppets in kindergarten) began embroidering anecdotes from her dating escapades, juxtaposing images and text on pieces of fabric approximately 5" x 8". Each "narrative embroidery" tells a complete story. *[Read more here. Happy Valentine's Day!]
Mary & Matt are creative geniuses. Their "freshly made Valentine Editions are now available, featuring the popular Salted Dark Bar. Each bar is wrapped in its own handmade marbleized paper wrapper – this time in shades of pink’s & red’s." *[This chocolate is some of the best I've tasted. And, I've had a lot of it. Right, Mary?]
Studio Lin teamed up with their favorite newspaper printers to create a 2012 calendar made up of 12 poster sized months featuring a different spot color and paper and doubling as a great kit for designers looking to see actual samples. Typeface: AG book Qty: 1000. *[An example of exceptional utilitarian design. Thanks Alex -- I love it.]
There's a sweet lot of four vintage Creative Playthings wooden vehicles up on eBay: dump truck, bus, truck, and auto. We have a few of these wooden cars/trucks for our two-year-old. He loves to play with them and they've held up to both the playing and the dropping. *[They really don't make them like they did back then.]
"We love good books and everything that goes with them. We hope you do, too." BOOK/SHOP is a new online stop for those who love books. My good friend Erik has amassed some wonderful books, art, furnishings, and small goods that would all make stellar gifts -- take a look. *[And peruse his blog here for more book related inspiration.]
It has almost been two months since we welcomed our newest son home. His older brother (our 2 year old) has adjusted nicely to his new little brother. I can already imagine how they will be close friends when our youngest is a little bigger and older. I can't wait. Until then, I'll keep our oldest busy with trains, trucks, animals, and books. *[This and this are the latest favorite reads.]
At Christmas ten years ago, the design studio where I worked gave me a first generation iPod. Mine (below) has all of the playlists I put on it then and still works. The scroll wheel was a separate, mechanical part that moved while the screen and front were shielded in a piece of clear plexiglass. It was design at its best then and even 10 years later. *[Kind of reminds me of this design classic.]
A.P.C. has a new website which is quite straightforward and nice. The color-coded products page plays out like one long gradient of hues. There's also a "Special Projects" section that is worth a look showing brand collaborations with Vans, Porselli, etc.. *[Reminds me a bit of this.]
"Ten delightfully whimsical animals, cut from solid wood blocks, invite many kinds of play. They stand alone, and may be lined up to form a circus parade 3 feet long. They may be stacked in many amusing ways, or may be built skyward, one balancing on the other (not easy to do). And they may be crayoned, painted or decorated, if desired. They are a versatile menagerie!" *[An Ebay find with a custom, stencilled drawstring bag for storage.]
This box of vintage Creative Playthings letters arrived today. A complete set of 80 orange wooden letters: 2" high, 3 of each letter with an extra A and E, all in the original box. They were bought in 1977 for the seller's own daughter -- over 30 years old. I'm excited to use these with my son. *[Another interest of mine lately are vintage Brio trains.]
All from MUJI Online: [1] Cardboard Binoculars: Great for little ones or travel; [2] Wooden Solar System: Colourful solar system on rotating arms. Jupiter ("Kanji" meaning 'wooden star') is left unpainted; [3] Human Puzzle: Play Doctor and pop the organs and bones back into the body shape to complete the puzzle. *[In stores in September.]
It has been said that I'm a total nerd when it comes to office supplies. The office labels and vinyl decals below were purchased at Home Depot and the office supply section of Target. Since we've been experiencing a heatwave here on the East Coast (and I'm 50 weeks pregnant), we stayed inside today and kept busy with stickers. *[Here are some gold ones I used ages ago.]
I found this little packet of wildflower seeds in my mailbox this morning. Although I know nothing about this political race, this is my kind of propaganda: thoughtful, simple, and unexpected -- a useful leave behind that's good for the environment. Genius. *[Unrelated side note: Four more weeks until the arrival of our baby boy!]
My 1.5 year old (with some help) decorated these aprons for his three grandfathers as father's day gifts. And, here at home, we had dad's choice of waffles, whip cream, syrup and fresh berries for supper (and then a nap). Now, that's my kind of meal! *[Happy Father's Day guys!]
Mary Matson is a genius. She painted these “portraits” of striped shirts owned and loved by six creative women. She also illustrated the words below out of twisted and crumpled Chance striped shirts. Awesome. *[The Chance pop-up store is open for two more weeks. Go! It's stripe heaven.]
We're just getting back into the swing of things after a 10-day trip to Quebec. First stop: Montreal and then a 3-hour train ride north to the old walled city of Quebec (stayed here) for the last leg. Both were incredibly beautiful cities with lots to see and do. *[Grid Tote Bag shown below. Too bad it's sold out.]
Screenprinted grocery store "special" poster circa 1965 for store windows. Folded in 8ths. These posters would look great framed under glass in a kitchen, or restaurant. Dimensions: 42" x 29" inches." Spotted over at The Wary Meyers Shop. Love. *[See all of their art offerings here.]
"Acne JR is a Swedish toy company based in Stockholm with an ambition to make traditional, iconic, toys in a modern way." I saw Andy's post about this a few months ago and have been waiting for their online shop to pop-up. Well, it is here! *[Take a peek at the black & white packaging -- so good.]
My friend Mary has painted a portrait series displaying six creative women through the striped shirts they wear: Maira Kalman, Lynn Wagenknecht, Julie Gilhart, Zoe Cassavetes, Alexandra Richards and Selima Salaun. Prints and originals for sale at the new Chance store. *[Proceeds go to the Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund.]
My 1.5 year old and I decorated these tote bags as gifts for his Grandmas. He did the drawings with some fabric markers and I helped with the rest. A scanned page from his sticker & coloring book became the card. Man, little kids are fun. *[Find these great muslin bags here.]
Below are some very old notes I wrote for my Mom from decades ago. There seemed to be no discrimination as to the type of paper I wrote them on: backs of envelopes, receipts, bank statements, and prescription slips. *[Happy Mother's Day Mom -- you are amazing.]
Recently, I came across these little works of art based on Holton Rower's tall paintings. A mother put this art session together for her child's "unschoolers co-op" group. I think this is wonderful. Below: Child's version of a poured painting. *[More picts of the kids work here.]