Anderson Ink

Cast Iron Design Company

2012-01-26T20:40:00.002-07:00

Try as I might, I can't figure out where I heard about Cast Iron Design Company. But I like their website design. It kind of looks like this:

Oh, and while their range might be a bit limited (I believe they're fresh out of design school), I like where they're headed.

You knew I was going to find some way to sneak letterpress in there, right?

Photos are from Cast Iron Design Company.

The Joy of Books

2012-01-11T13:24:00.001-07:00

This:

Ornaments

2011-11-29T12:54:00.004-07:00

I'm sure it will surprise absolutely no one that I'm eyeing these ornaments for Christmas.

Thanks to Ugmonk, I don't feel bad for having such an unrelenting thing for ampersands. It's not my fault they're so good looking.

Trip Print Press

2011-10-24T21:21:00.001-06:00

Trip Print Press & The Making Of FreshSox from Brought To You By ... on Vimeo.

via design*sponge

Sesame Street

2011-10-16T22:55:00.002-06:00

I feel like I ramble on about letterpress quite a bit here and to friends, family, and acquaintances. What I hadn't yet considered was showing them how letterpress reunites children with their beloved pets.

Miso

2011-10-08T20:16:00.003-06:00

This is the work of Stanislava Pinchuk, who works under the street artist name Miso.

I think they're dreamy. Delicate and temporary and special.

I found a few treasures in the photos of her studio exhibitions as well.

Thank you to the always lovely Valori for the heads-up.

Movie Break

2011-09-20T13:30:00.004-06:00

Two videos for you today:

1. I'm excited for The Leonardo to open next month. Their daily countdown videos are tiding me over for now.

2. I recommend watching this one with the sound off. The paper sculptures/pop-ups I love, the muzak not so much.

I need to go find my video camera. And some scissors.

Pinewood Derby

2011-08-23T22:58:00.003-06:00

This is the best thing I've seen today.

A tiny pinewood derby car made to look like a Vandercook press. And those teensy posters were even letterpress printed. Wait, did you get a good look at the tiny ink can?

photos by Jeremy Slagle

Jeremy Slagle. Stop it. (Don't stop it.)

Beautiful Swear Words

2011-08-01T15:39:00.000-06:00

This project cracks me up. But obviously, don't visit Beautiful Swear Words if you're offended by, well, swear words.

via swissmiss

Dry the River

2011-07-31T15:37:00.001-06:00

I just saw these paper horses over at Uppercase.

Homako

2011-07-28T18:26:00.000-06:00

When not watching online videos on how to tie elaborate knots, I've been a bit preoccupied with origami lately. So I was totally enthralled when I saw Homako mentioned over at Uppercase. She's created necklaces featuring fabric origami in great colors.

I think this qualifies as "need". And if you're not already charmed by her jewelry, take a look at her flickr account. Anyone that spends her birthday taking photos of balloons (rabbit mask optional), has my vote.

photo by Homako

Belle and Sebastian

2011-07-26T13:13:00.000-06:00

Just for fun, and because this is a short work week for me. (Thank you, Utah pioneers.)

Mainstream Wood Type

2011-07-25T14:26:00.003-06:00

I originally heard about Hamilton Wood Type when the Typeface movie came out. Now they're partnering with Target to make some tshirts.

I love having another glimpse inside this wood type museum, but honestly, I'm a little torn on this one. On one hand, I'm thrilled that Hamilton is getting attention (and presumably compensation) by a big name like Target. It will help to ensure their long-term survival, and that's important to me. And then there's the other hand:

Though it's not all clearly detailed in the video, it looks like they found some images they liked, printed them, and then will scan and resize/recolor the images and laying out the design electronically. Don't get me wrong, that method absolutely makes sense for large scale production.

But in case you're not as obsessed with wood type and letterpress printing as I am, let me explain a bit more: the texture of the wood type and the fact that it's old isn't the only thing that's interesting.

Before modern conveniences like digital printing and incredibly helpful design programs, you had two options for producing printed materials: either choose the typeface and font size that a printer had on hand, or have your own specially made. If you can just resize and tweak the image on your computer, are you missing the point of working within the confines of available type?

The person manning a letterpress printing press was (and is today) mixing and applying the inks by hand. So if you ordered a print one day and the ink looked bright and lemony one day, but the next day it looked like old mustard, instead of saying "wow, what charming handcrafted variation," you'd probably be saying "this isn't my brand color, what am I paying you for?" (Were there sticklers for brand consistency many years ago? I'm not sure, but we'll roll with it.)

So if someone can just change colors and adjust textures on their computer, then why start with wood type in the first place? I enjoy the potential for imperfection and variation that comes with letterpress printing, but why did Target go to Hamilton if their project wouldn't really be using letterpress or the wood type in a meaningful way?

I suppose my complaint (if there is a complaint worth making) is that these tshirts are portrayed as having the authenticity of a handcrafted object, but are as mass-produced as any other clothing item in a big box store.

What do you think? Am I way off base here?

Welcome Home

2011-07-20T00:15:00.004-06:00

Something you may not know about me: I love embarrassing people at the airport. That means that if you ask me to pick you up (or even if you don't, but accidentally let slip your arrival date and time), I will try my hardest to show up, holding a large sign and jumping up and down excitedly. I like to think that despite your so-called evidence to the contrary my friends and family secretly enjoy it.

While my favorite sign just said "You Are Our Mom" (Mom laughed, sort of), I started making this sign last night, about 5 minutes after I should have been leaving my house.

My condolences, you've just discovered that this post was only created to show you that I'm getting better at spacing out words on posters. Bright side: I've also basically volunteered to pick you up from the airport.

It really should say "Fancy Babysitter," since that's what my niece, Nora calls our beautiful nanny friend Jillian.

Though I should note that, after Nora saw me with more makeup on than usual (read: any makeup at all) it came out that she may think that "nanny" is actually the word for Woman Who Likes Kids and Wears Eyeliner.

I'll take it.

Visual Diary

2011-07-18T21:44:00.002-06:00

My Visual Diary from joehollier on Vimeo.

Admittedly, I'm a little over stop motion photography at the moment, because I think it's been overused. But I liked this video. And it makes me want to get my scissors out of whichever box in my basement they're hiding in. And that is progress.

What's happening around here?

2011-05-09T23:24:00.002-06:00

It's been a little quiet around here, despite a growing pile of postcards waiting to be photographed and mailed out and the ampersands scattered around my house. Let me explain:

I've decided to move (again), and have been scaling down on the number of possessions that I'll be taking with me. So the time that I usually devote to thinking up things to tell the internet, I've been sorting through books, clothing, craft supplies and even typewriters to decide what will stay and what will go.

So while my yard sale pile has been growing at a healthy rate, it's been altogether too quiet around here. Please be patient with me! And if you're a friend that will need my new address, well... perhaps I can send you a postcard.

April Ampersand 18

2011-04-29T06:32:00.000-06:00

This quilled ampersand has been waiting to be posted for far too long.

Have you tried quilling yet? It's a super satisfying project that can take as long as you want it to take. The trickiest part of making something like this is the measuring and drawing the ampersand shape. The kraft paper shape is a little tricky to get to stay together and standing up in the right position, but then filling it with the white curlicues is pretty fun and speedy.

And then it takes about 3 more minutes to take the frame out of its packaging, pop it open, and drop in the ampersand.

Want a little quilling in your life? You can get one of these ampersands or another monogram in the Anderson Ink shop.

April Ampersand 17

2011-04-28T19:06:00.000-06:00

For my craft night ampersand, I somehow ended up with two books about butterflies and moths.

So what could I do except create an ampersand that a 10 year old girl would think was maybe just a little bit tacky?

I couldn't resist it. Butterfly ampersand!

You too will not resist the draw of the butterflies. Mwahahaha!

April Ampersand 16

2011-04-28T18:55:00.000-06:00

I had a little impromptu craft night with my supremely talented friend Valori. We gave ourselves a rule: we had to make ampersands out of items from the Target dollar bins. Here's what Valori came up with:

Supplies: polka dot greeting cards and buttons

And the finished product:

How does she freehand these so neatly? It doesn't make any sense.

They even still work as cards, as long as your note is short and sweet.

April Ampersand 15

2011-04-26T18:43:00.000-06:00

I think that punched tin can sometimes look sort of awesome, so I decided to give it a try. I started simple.

And here's how it looks in the magical twinkle of candlelight.

This was fun. I read somewhere once that the trick is to fill the can with water and then freeze it so that you don't bend the can with every hole you punch into it. That worked like a dream, except that the ice made the bottom of the can bow out when it expanded as it froze. Anybody know how to solve that problem in the future?

A sneak peek into May

2011-04-25T23:19:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking about a new project for a little bit. Here's a hint:

I'm plotting to send a postcard each day in May. What do you think?

Want me to send you a postcard? Leave a note in the comments section and I'll put you on my list.

April Ampersand 14

2011-04-25T22:39:00.003-06:00

On Easter, I also made a cake.

Can you see the ampersand? Look closer. Closer...

This post was sponsored by Perez Hilton.*

*This post was not sponsored by Perez Hilton.

April Ampersand 13

2011-04-24T23:50:00.003-06:00

Happy Easter, you lovelies. I've got a backlog of ampersands to share with you, but today I'll be taking these eggs to family dinner.

Our family has legendary and very vocal egg fights, and I've got a good about this year's batch. Does forgetting that eggs are boiling for 20 minutes strengthen or weaken the structural integrity of the eggshell? This is important.

Paper Perfume

2011-04-20T22:09:00.003-06:00

Karl Lagerfeld is developing a perfume based on the smell of old books.

Swoon. Once he's done developing the fragrance, it's going to be sold inside a hollowed out hardbound book. I think I might love him.

April Ampersand 12

2011-04-15T22:43:00.001-06:00

In a recent fit of de-cluttering, I took apart my inspiration board by my desk and re-hung it in a better location. (You saw part of my inspiration board on my first post about the April Ampersand project.)

When I cleared off my inspiration board, I found several green paint chips. I clearly have some sort of problem.

These paint chips were a fun, quick ampersand project to keep my hands busy while I watched Dexter on dvd.

Things I learned during this project:

My ruler is not completely straight.
It weirds me out when Dexter day-dreams his dad.
My dining table has officially run out of room for working on craft projects without putting anything away.

I made ampersands and found a use for a little bit of clutter. I declare today a success.

April Ampersand 11

2011-04-14T22:29:00.004-06:00

Have I mentioned that I own seven typewriters? It's an addiction, and other than writing love letters at a Mad Men-themed birthday party, I usually don't have a use for my darling typewriters.

Until now. I sketched out a flourish-y (we're pretending that's a word) ampersand, then used it as a template for a shape to recreate with my typewriter. There was plenty of trial and possibly even more error, but it worked out, more or less.

This is my blue Corona. It's the first typewriter I bought, and the only one that still has any ink.

Most of the rows of letters spell "ampersand" if you read them vertically.

April Ampersand 10

2011-04-12T22:40:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by a photo that I saw on Pinterest:

Cute, right? Sadly, I didn't reference this photo while I was making my washi tape ampersand, and so mine is a very poor version.

Sigh. On the bright side, though, I like having an excuse to use washi tape. It's adorable and I love how it feels. Am I weird?

Don't answer that.

April Ampersand 9

2011-04-11T21:52:00.002-06:00

I think this is my favorite so far.

You might say that this matryoshka doll is a little lopsided, but I would say that it is charmingly homemade.

The ampersand is based on a font called Friska, but... plantified.

And once I got to the embroidery portion, it came together quickly.

First I sketched out a design, then went over the lines with a thin black marker and scanned in the image.

There are lots of ways to get a pattern from your head or a piece of paper onto fabric for embroidery. You could use iron-on embroidery patterns or carbonless paper or a temporary marking pen. I decided to ignore all of these useful tools, however, in favor of something more ghetto.

I fear that may be said about more things in my life than I'd like to admit.

Anyway, if you want to be ghetto like me, you can scribble on the back side of the paper, then go over the lines with a pen or pencil so that the graphite transfers to the fabric.

I went over the lines again with pencil to make them more visible.

Finally, it was time to start embroidering. And only a few hours later... ta-DA!

Do you want to make a doll of your own? You can grab this image, print it out, and get to stitching.

April Ampersand 8

2011-04-10T21:08:00.004-06:00

My brother is talented.

He makes amazing snowflakes, so I asked him to help with some ampersand snowflakes, and I think they're so pretty.

Jeff made them in two sizes:

Strong work, right?

Plus, I got to hang out with him while he figured them out. Action shots:

There is math involved, so it's over my head.

April Ampersand 7

2011-04-09T19:29:00.001-06:00

Here's my question for you:

Is it wrong to make a plush ampersand and not to give it a face? I think it might be.

Should I go back and add googly eyes and a smile? Please vote:

April Ampersand 6

2011-04-08T22:05:00.000-06:00

Today's ampersand is a linocut. And as a special treat (I hope), I show you how to make one of your own.

This photo is reversed to show you what the finished linocut would look like printed.

First, decide what you want to cut. This time around, I chose the ampersand from a font called Saphir. I printed out an image that was the right size, then traced it onto the block. Make sure that the image is reversed, because that way it'll print correctly.

Next I went over the lines with a marker so that they wouldn't rub off.

Then start cutting away everything that you don't want to print. First I cut away the large areas, then go in to cut away the edges and the smaller details.

I am speaking from experience when I advise you to cut away from your body and hands. As soon as you cut towards the thumb on your left hand, your blade will slip and gash your hand. It will hurt.

This time, however, I escaped unscathed. Here's the finished linocut.

I used block printing ink and a brayer to roll a smooth layer of ink onto the block for printing.

But, true confessions: I took photos before work one morning and didn't have time to print. That's why you got the flipped photo up at the top there. I'll save the printing for another day.

Still, I think even the inked up linocut is sort of pretty.

April Ampersand in progress

2011-04-07T19:20:00.002-06:00

Hi there,

I'm checking in with hands smudged with ink and a rainbow of stray threads surrounding me. That means that I'm hard at work on some fun new ampersands, but I don't have anything ready to share with you... yet.

I'll check in tomorrow with something new to look at. Are we having fun yet?

April Ampersand 5

2011-04-05T21:52:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer: I did not make this ampersand.

My lovely friends Jillian and Valori tackled some woodworking and painting to give me the giant ampersand of my dreams for Christmas.

Here's Saturday's little blue ampersand for scale:

I told you it was giant. I love it. And you probably need a giant ampersand in your life too. Since Jillian and Valori are probably busy, you could buy one here.

April Ampersand 4

2011-04-04T21:35:00.000-06:00

Another paper cut ampersand. I can't help myself, these things are so satisfying.

The font is LTC Goudy Ornate Regular. The paper is Mohawk's Carnival Red, I think either 100# or 130#, more scraps from work.

April Ampersand 3

2011-04-03T21:59:00.002-06:00

Each Sunday, I have a potluck dinner with some of my favorite people. I thought that this week, my loved ones might enjoy some edible ampersands.

The soft pretzel dough came together quickly. I roll out the dough and shape the ampersands.

One.

Two.

Three.

Then they rise one last time.

Before they get poached.

And then baked. Done!

Delicious little ampersand.

My cute brother enjoys an ampersand.

I enjoyed mine with mustard.

April Ampersand 2

2011-04-02T21:07:00.000-06:00

I have this problem where, with little planning and rudimentary knowledge, I decide that I can make something. Today's crocheted ampersand is an example of this problem.

In my brain, this was a little more recognizable and adorable and a little less... squishy.

And now, a visual pun:

(Hook and eyes. I'm a dork.)

April Ampersand 1

2011-04-01T19:05:00.001-06:00

I'm starting things out with some paper cutting.

This ampersand is from a font called Caslon No 337.

The paper is a scrap from work. It's French Paper's Dur-O-Tone text weight (70#T) Steel Grey.

I used a craft knife.

Now I'm wondering what I'm going to do with 30 ampersands once this month is over. Maybe I can use them to embellish some existing possessions. Today's experiment:

Cute? Weird? I don't know anymore.

Announcing... April Ampersands

2011-03-31T23:03:00.000-06:00

Things have been a little too quiet around here lately, so I've been thinking about how to get myself making stuff again and give you something interesting to read about. Giving myself a goal for a month worked pretty well over at Two Loose Teeth, and I want to try something vaguely similar here.

So here's my plan: every day in April(or every few days), I'm going to find or make an ampersand (or two or three) and share it with you.

Are you into it?

I have a few ideas for ampersands brewing, but I'll need your help.

What sort of things do you want to see? I'll be using a variety of materials, but what do you think would be fun? What will be a challenge?

And what font has your very favorite ampersand?

At the end of the month, I'll come up with some extra ampersand goodness for all of us to enjoy, so let's get this thing started.

An ampersand-centric ad that I tore from a magazine years ago. This crush goes way back.

2011-01-21T00:28:00.004-07:00

So there's this little place in a corner of the internet called Pinterest, and I've been hanging out there lately. A bunch of cool people that like pretty things post photos so that other cool people that like pretty things can see them too. And I watch them do this and sometimes add a few photos of my own. See?

The creators explain it better:

What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a social catalog service. Think of it as a virtual pinboard — a place where you can post collections of things you love, and "follow" collections created by people with great taste.

How do I add a pin? You can upload a file using the Add a Pin button in the menu bar. We recommend installing the pinterest bookmarklet (in the yellow bar above). It's a special button that lets you pin images from any website.

What is 'repinning'? Repinning re-posting a pin to your own collection. When you repin we credit the person who first pinned the item. We let you see all the different collections a pin is part of.

I like that you don't have to stick with any pre-determined categories and can use the site as it works for you. I also like that the people that originally post a photo are credited. This way you can remember where you saw something and you can also find people that like the sort of things you're into.

Does Pinterest sound like something you'd be interested in? Or are there other awesome sites I should be checking out? And what's the prettiest thing on the internet that I should be sharing with the other members of Pinterest?

Garland Packaging

2011-01-18T21:28:00.003-07:00

After making garlands, I needed a way to make sure that they shipped without getting tangled or otherwise destroyed. I also wanted to be sure that people would know what it was, since it wasn't exactly an ornament. Lastly, when my friends look through the haul of ornaments each year, they always ask who made what. I wanted to help the others out with keeping track of where their ornaments came from. And so here's what I did:

I started with a piece of cardstock cut to size so that it measured just thinner than the width of a paper bag. I wrapped the garland around the cardstock to keep it from getting tangled (I'd love to hear from one of the ornament exchange participants about if it worked). So now I better label these suckers:

Labelled. And then, since at least one person gave me a blank stare when I said I was making garlands, a little helpful visual:

Pretty cute, right?

The garland-wrapped cardstock slips right inside the bag when it is laying flat. The garland is explained and protected and organized. This is extremely relaxing and satisfying to do amid the Christmas craziness. I highly recommend needless organization.

Letterpress Garland

2011-01-14T08:22:00.003-07:00

I don't talk about my job here often because, well... it's generally accepted to be a bad idea. But if I were to tell you about work, I would tell you that I love it. And besides all of the fun people I see and things I do related to work, I also get to see a lot of letterpress projects being printed. Because I work for a letterpress shop. (And you probably know by now how much I love letterpress.) Yay!

We recently printed some posters designed by an extremely talented artist. They look sort of like this:

As part of the printing process, we ended up with several prints where the color wasn't quite right, or the two colors weren't quite lined up. Since these sorts of prints can't be sold, they were headed for the recycling bin.

But have you seen how cool that poster is? I couldn't let them be thrown away. And so, I must confess: I dumpster-dove. Okay, I didn't truly dumpster-dive because I'm not that hardcore. But I did grab a stack of paper from our studio assistant before she got to the recycling bin. But now what to do with that stack of mis-prints? Wallpapering my house would be... weird... so I came up with:

Recycling!

I decided to go crazy with a big circle punch. Well, more confessions: I conned Jennilyn into punching out circles of poster for at least an hour or two. Then we went after the remnants with a smaller circle punch. Add glue and string and some time basking in the glow of Netflix Instant and I made garlands for our ornament exchange over at Two Loose Teeth.

I strung up the first prototype on my chandelier, along with some silver bells (I love those silver bells and bought silver polish shortly after taking this photo. Mom, never mind those tarnished bells in the background.)

I made some tweaks to the construction of the garlands because sandwiching them around the string like that took so long. And then I was into production mode.

My camera and I are fighting right now, but I love the closeup: each circle makes the image awesomely abstract.

Scrap paper turned garland success!

And a rare photo of the garland in its natural habitat:

Up next: the packaging for the garlands. I usually am late and burned out by that point in the ornament exchanging process, but this year worked out nicely.

And one last confession: My Christmas decorations are put away, but the garland is still on my chandelier. I couldn't resist.

Want more garland-y goodness? Check it. Click here.

Quilling!

2011-01-12T20:37:00.004-07:00

Inspired by the incredible Yulia Brodskaya and motivated by Michelle's nice work and my own 2010 New Years resolution to try new paper crafts, I decided to give quilling a try.

And I loved it. My house was covered with tiny scraps of paper and my hands were covered in Elmer's glue. So basically, it was a Thursday.

So if you're like me just a few months ago, you might be wondering: what in good heavens is quilling? Quilling is the process of curling, folding, and shaping paper, and luckily it's covered in Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts. I read this section of the book one night to give myself an idea of how quilling starts, then made up the rest. I'll be posting a tutorial soon (though no promises that I did it right).

I kind of love them.(Though I'm noticing that my camera has stopped focusing, which is a bit concerning.)

In the end, I made several Christmas gifts for friends and family. They seemed to like them too.

Now I'm hoping to have more reasons to twirl little strips of papers into different shapes. And so, along with my typewriter valentines, I'm selling them in my shop.

They're clean but unusual, small but substantial. I think these would be perfect Valentines Day gifts. And I'm hoping sometime soon I'll have time to make one for myself.

Do Lectures

2010-12-28T19:22:00.004-07:00

The Do Lectures Conference seems a little like the Hobby series, but more serious and world-changing. I heard about this conference from the lovely swissmiss and the idea is that "people who Do things, can inspire the rest of us to go and Do things too."

I think my favorite offering from these guys is this poster:

(It doesn't hurt that this poster was printed on a press just like one in my shop:)

Saying yes is something I'm trying to do more: yes to opportunities, yes to challenges and risks, yes to using up time and living life. That's my New Years Resolution or Intention or Do: to fill the coming year with action instead of inaction by learning new things and making new friends and enjoying all of the good things already in my life.

So here's my question for this post: What is your goal or goals for 2011?

Holiday Season

2010-11-04T23:40:00.004-06:00

It seems that there's nothing I can do to slow the oncoming winter and holiday season. So instead, I'm embracing it, within reason. I'm not exactly looking forward to trudging through wet snow, but I am enjoying sweaters and boots. Other ways I'm getting ready for winter:

Nesting: instead of spring cleaning, I think I'm in love with fall decluttering. As the air gets cooler I want to stay home, which makes me notice all of the little projects that need to get started (or more often, those projects that paused halfway through). Bonus: the faster I bustle around the house, the lower I can keep the heat.

The annual Two Loose Teeth Ornament Swap: over at my other [online] home, we're on our fourth year of trading handmade ornaments with friends. I haven't decided yet what I should make. Have ideas that I can't possibly pass up? Want to join us? Drop me a line at sarah at twolooseteeth dot com.

Thinking about Christmas gifts:

As usual, I'm late to the party, but I keep flipping through Gifted Magazine. There are several good ideas in there, and I'm liking this trend of a traditional magazine set-up with the ease of reading online. Think Nonpareil, but with great gift ideas.

I'm having a sale over at the Anderson Ink Shop. Custom silhouettes and Spring City Barn prints are seriously on sale and ordering early ensures that I have plenty of time to make your custom item. I'll also be adding some new items soon. Stay tuned.
Lastly, my list of loved ones is long, my budget is small. I'm mulling over a few handmade ideas, but the question becomes: is the gift that you make cool enough? I try to remember that if I wouldn't see it in a store and want to buy it, it probably doesn't make the cut. How do you decide if a homemade gift makes the cut? Is the fact that you made it and you love the recipient enough? Do you only choose from crafts featured in a great magazine, website, or blog? Do you reproduce something that you saw in the store? Tell me your secrets.

Hobby

2010-10-12T19:59:00.004-06:00

I stumbled upon HOBBY and I'm already addicted. I love listening to regular people talk about the hobbies they're most passionate about. And so I'm now waist-deep in their video archives, realizing that I want to be one of these are smart, funny people with unexpected insights or skills.

Hobby: Jessi Arrington, Thrift Store Shopping from Harvest on Vimeo.

What a great idea! I wish there was something like this in Salt Lake City. Hey Utah, think we could make this happen?

Hobby: Jennifer Brook, Making Limoncello from Harvest on Vimeo.

Brian Dettmer

2010-09-08T19:57:00.000-06:00

Brian Dettmer is an artist who creates incredibly detailed sculptures made of books.

I can't even imagine how he decides where to cut and how everything will layer together.

Amazing!

I especially like this Flickr album with photos of his studio.

All photos courtesy of Brian Dettmer.

Found via... someone I can't remember, who linked to this post on designboom.

Custom Silhouettes

2010-08-24T22:58:00.001-06:00

My adorable, crazy awesome friend Rachael emailed me one day, asking for help on her one year anniversary gift for new husband Brandon. When the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper, how could I resist? After some brainstorming and then a whole lot of trust on Rachael's part, I started making silhouettes of Rachael and Brandon.

Silhouettes are something I've played with in the past, making one for my niece's 2nd birthday and a portrait of a chicken named Andre, the world's most glorious chicken and the only livestock I've ever purchased.

And I think that the Babiracki silhouettes turned out pretty great, aside from my haphazard hanging on uneven wall hooks for a photo before I packed them up and shipped them off.

So great that I've decided to make silhouettes more often. If you go to my shop and click the right buttons, I will make a custom, paper cut silhouette of you or a loved one. You place an order online, then send me an email with a photo. Wielding a blade like Sweeney Todd, I slice up a piece of paper until it looks like you (or your kid, or your dog, or your great-grandfather).

It's like magic! Except it doesn't smell like mothballs, and it's not disappearing any time soon.

Movie Monday: My Place

2010-08-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

I didn't expect that my loves of hand claps and matchbooks would unite in a slightly silly, mildly sexy, pop(?) sensation like this music video from Navigators. And yet:

Drop Cap, &, and EndGrain

2010-08-11T17:48:00.000-06:00

Get your daily typeface fix:

Daily Drop Caps created by Jessica Hische. She makes me want to learn more about Illustrator. And design my own font. And practice my penmanship.

An Ampersand a day keeps the boring straight lines away. Or something.

EndGrain features photos of old wood type. I'm in to that sort of thing.

Curiosity Group Elephant

2010-08-09T17:17:00.001-06:00

This is a charming marketing piece: A folded paper elephant that you can print out and make yourself. I couldn't help myself!

And there's an accompanying stop-motion video and a good looking companion site:

Someone: hire these guys to design some papercrafts for your company. You will have my attention.

via How About Orange

Paperself

2010-04-16T21:58:00.000-06:00

Now that's just a little crazy.

These incredibly detailed papercut eyelashes are by Paperself. I would be afraid to blink while wearing these, but I'd feel like I had something to talk about with my most stylish friend, Jillian.

I wonder how Dita would feel about these...

Real Life Pop-Ups

2010-04-14T21:51:00.000-06:00

Note to self:

Turn your life into a popup book.

Awesome.

created by Jacques Pense, via Behance

Good Ideas

2010-04-12T22:14:00.000-06:00

This Pennant Rubber Stamp Roller by Cathe Holden is so cleverly simple, I want to make one right now.

I can't stop watching the organized chaos of This Too Shall Pass, by Ok Go. Suggested by Mallory. Another fun video for this song is here.

This promotional video for Design Week Vancouver has made my list of needed office products one gadget longer.

Ridiculously Excited

2010-03-07T21:27:00.002-07:00

All I'm saying is that fortune cookies come true. I have one more week with the company that laid me off and then? Then I start smiling bigger every day.

Because I have a job. But not just any job. A job that is frighteningly close to my dream job. At a company filled with some of the coolest people I've met. I'll be sharing more details as I settle in.

I hope it's as great as I imagine. I hope I can make a difference in their company. And, like a nervous kid on the first day of school, I hope they like me.

Lost Things

2010-03-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for stop-motion photography. Clearly.

via Oh Joy!

My Fortune Changes

2010-02-28T23:59:00.002-07:00

Last Monday afternoon I was told by my employer that they would be ending my contract in a few weeks due to budget restraints. Obviously I'm sad and a little unsure about the future, but I am confident that this is an opportunity for me to find something new that I love. And I don't only think that because my fortune cookie told me so.

I want to let you know why my posting may be a little sparse over the next few weeks. I'll be polishing and printing my resume during the time that I'd normally be looking for things to tell you about here. Wish me luck. Thanks for reading (Hi, Mom!) and I'll check in again soon.

Where They Create

2010-02-26T17:37:00.001-07:00

Photographer Paul Barbera takes photos of studios and workspaces during his travels.

He calls this side project Where They Create.

All photos are the property of Paul Barbera.

The Third and The Seventh

2010-02-22T22:41:00.002-07:00

I have the sudden urge to sit in silence in a cold, empty building. In a good way.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

Another link sent to me from the always lovely Mallory.

Typewriter Robots

2010-02-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

My brother Dave sent me an email with a link that just said "Something to do with all of your typewriters?"

I don't think I could create anything like this (and my brother was mostly joking), but these sculptures are kind of cool.

One of my favorites:

These sculptures made entirely of typewriter parts are created by artist Jeremy Mayer.

The Inspired Bride

2010-02-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

These save-the-dates are a far cry from the last ones I talked about here.

But they're great.

I found them here on The Inspired Bride, which has consistently pretty content. I especially like her color palettes:

All images are from The Inspired Bride.

Upon a Fold

2010-02-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

I am in love.

I totally get why people say that Twitter is ridiculous. It's something that is not necessary to our survival and seems even more self-indulgent and vain than blogging. And with each entry only 140 characters or less, how could someone possibly pack meaningful information into a Twitter update?

And yet. I have found that people can be hilarious, companies have turned around PR nightmares, and (my favorite) I've discovered treasure troves of inspiration. And today that inspiration is a new online shop based in Sydney, Australia.

Patricia from A Little Hut alerted me that Inside Out mentioned their new favorite shop, Upon a Fold, and it is beautiful. I can't wait to see how this new little shop grows. I'm adding it to my list of reasons to visit Australia.

Photos from Inside Out and Upon a Fold.

Kodachrome Curtain

2010-02-17T17:13:00.001-07:00

Mallory sent me a link to this project, which she heard about from Maria.

This curtain made of Kodachrome slides looks so cool, offers plenty of privacy, and filters the light beautifully. I think this would make one of my windows look amazing, but could also potentially make a room a bit dark and cave-like.

Photos from crafty curtain creator, yarnzombie.

Art & Copy

2010-02-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

The Salt Lake Art Center and Salt Lake Film Center held a free screening last Friday night of Art & Copy.

Even though Lisa and I were rushing to get to the movie on time (I leave my house late all the time. I'm trying to be better. Sorry, all of my friends, for my constant tardiness.) and had to sit separate from our friends and from each other (though congrats to the Salt Lake Film Center for having a packed house!), I'm so glad we went.

First of all, because of this guy's collection of radios:

But more importantly because I was inspired. Inspired that simplicity can be powerful, that advertising can change our world, that people like me (but smarter, more talented, more creative) at desks like mine (but bigger, or messier, or prettier, or cleaner, as the case may be) can make something beautiful or funny or meaningful or creative. And people will listen. And reminded that the most impactful work can come from people with passion and integrity.

I don't think this movie was perfect, but I think that its message was powerful: that advertising is more than pushing a product. It's easy to forget that fact when 95% of the advertising I see doesn't seem to try that hard. But there are people out there, people with giant bird nests in their offices or private concerts or walls covered in thumbtacks

who have the job every day to find something special about a product and about life and make that matter to the rest of us.

Or at least they can make something pretty that doesn't make us all (rightfully) fly into a blind rage.

Type Specimen

2010-02-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Note to self: Remember to look more at this.

via Jessica Hische's tweet

Nick Dewar

2010-02-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Sadly, I found out about Nick Dewar when I heard that he had passed away. My condolences to his family and friends. On the bright side, the internet has made it possible for me to hear about someone and get to know their work even after they're gone. I like that.

Nick Dewar's illustrations are whimsical and smart. If you wonder how creative people do it, you might enjoy reading about his process here. I did.

More wallpaper

2010-02-11T17:39:00.002-07:00

This would look amazing on your wall.

Do it. Wallpaper your house in this amazing stuff. Buy it here.
More good stuff here.

Veasyble

2010-02-10T17:27:00.000-07:00

Veasyble is a little crazy, a little cool.

Excuse me, I have to go fold something.

via swissmiss

Weekend Snippets

2010-02-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

Loving:
Jessica Hische is Lettercult's 2009 Person of the Year. I'm a little obsessed with her lately, so I'll be talking more about this later.

Watching:
Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die and Tom Shannon: The Painter and the Pendulum. Both inspiring.
And of course, the Super Bowl. Lisa made some delicious beef sandwiches, the commercials were disappointing, then we watched Whip It and played a little Just Dance on the Wii.

Organizing:

I've made and collected a lot of button pins. Now I know where they are. And I have plans for them.

Plotting:

I have hundreds of matchbooks. There are a few ideas rolling around in my head of what to do with them, but I'm curious: what would you do with a blank matchbook?

Tavish the Gnome

2010-02-04T17:00:00.002-07:00

Still on my list of people/products to review:

Quilling. It's basically using curled strips of paper to make a design. I must try that.

A different spin on quilling are minifolk made of curled paper.

His name is Tavish the Gnome. Adorable, right? Rebecca, the woman who made this little gnome won a video competition on Etsy. You can see it here.

The Spotted Sparrow Valentines

2010-02-03T17:49:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for Valentines, there are some cute ones over at The Spotted Sparrow. This collage artist pairs vintage imagery with 80s song lyrics.

I think they're amusing.

Plus they're ecofriendly, in case you're into that whole Earth-saving thing.

via Paper Crave.

Typewriter Valentines by Anderson Ink (hey, that's me!) are available here.

Commencement Speeches

2010-02-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

Below is the Harvard Commencement Speech by JK Rowling. She talks about fear of failure, humanity, and responsibility. It's a bit off-topic for this blog, but since I look for things that inspire me, I thought it appropriate to share.

I like commencement speeches because their only purpose is to inspire. They're not trying to convince you to spend money, or vying for your vote, or persuading you to do any one thing in particular. They each seem to have a simple message: Good job, now go do more. Working on a college degree is long, hard work. The dedication should be commended and recognized. But it is also only a starting off point. You are now armed with information and education. You understand where life comes from: history, mathematics, language, biology. Whatever you study, you come out with a piece of paper that says that you understand how something works. Now your job is to do something with that knowledge. Do more: find a way to share you knowledge, to build upon it, give back, go forward. I think I could use a commencement speech in each phase of my life, reminding me to reflect on what I've done, take a breath, then go and do more.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

Bookbook

2010-02-01T17:21:00.004-07:00

Dear Valentine,

I don't want you to make a big fuss on Valentine's Day. Really, no box of chocolates or ridiculously large bouquet of flowers necessary. But if you're dying to give me some token of your affection, I would gladly accept this case/cover for my MacBook. It's called a Bookbook and I think it's lovely.

Did I mention that my computer is a 15-inch?

XOXO

found via swiss miss

Candy Package Design

2010-01-30T17:47:00.000-07:00

I like when Print & Pattern takes readers into stores to see how retailers are using colors and patterns.

I especially liked the packaging for candy and sweets at Marks and Spencer in the UK. Yum.

Typeface

2010-01-28T17:39:00.001-07:00

Oh my. Watching this trailer broke my heart a little bit.

Then realizing that I missed a screening in Salt Lake City back in November broke it a little bit more.

This movie, Typeface shows the beauty, simplicity, and craftsmanship of handcut wood type. Even in my bubble of limited contact with designers and craftsmen, I feel passionate about this subject. I love what we can create with the latest technology. I love the Internet and web design. But I hope (and believe) that there is a place in the modern world for old fashioned, tactile craftsmanship to survive.

I hope it does.

A Collection a Day

2010-01-26T17:32:00.003-07:00

A Collection a Day is a project by Lisa Congdon where she will draw or photograph all or part of a personal collection each day this year.

You made me look, Lisa.

Mike Stilkey

2010-01-25T18:12:00.001-07:00

Whoa. Lisa sent me this link about the work of artist Mike Stilkey.

His subjects are a little twisted and spindley, ghostly and gaunt. Painting on the spines of books gives a sense of depth of character and a very tangible weight to his works.

I like how the books (and the paintings) seem to spill off a shelf, almost as if they fell there and the characters were formed, and that they could just as quickly fall to the ground and be gone.

Just My Type Valentines

2010-01-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited.

I gave myself a Print Gocco for Christmas, which is a fantastic little personal screen-printer from Japan. I can't get over how well it's designed: Very compact and user friendly, even when all of the instructions are in Japanese. The instructions at Felt Cafe were a huge help.

With limited supplies in very high demand (pleaseohplease let the rumors be true that Paper Source is taking over production of new materials), I had a hard time deciding what to print. I decided on Valentines for someone like me (a silly typewriter collector--do you see a pattern here of falling in love with obsolete technology?) would love.

And I do.

And I think my robot is developing a crush. I can't blame him.

If you want to send a little typewriter love to your sweetie this Valentine's Day (or any other day), you can pick up a card over here.

Humble Pied

2010-01-21T17:49:00.000-07:00

In case you, like me, need to be inspired once in a while.

Humble Pied is filled with micro-interviews with "inspiring creatives" wherein* they share a single piece of advice for other designers, all over iChat.

Good idea.

via swiss miss.

*"Wherein"? I told you I needed some more inspiration.

Spring City Barn Print

2010-01-19T19:39:00.001-07:00

About four years ago, my parents moved from Salt Lake City to a small town in Central Utah populated by artists and sheep farmers: Spring City, Utah. It's a historical district and the residents have done an amazing job maintaining and restoring homes and buildings from the late 1800s. One of those homes is my parents': The Judge Jacob Johnson house. Their hard work on this home (and my brother Jeff helped!) restored the home to its former glory and earned them an award from the Utah Heritage Foundation. I'm very proud of them.

For Christmas, my dad only asked me for "something handmade by you," because he's clearly the cutest dad ever. So I thought about what would mean a lot to me to make, and what my dad might like to receive. I decided on a woodcut inspired by the stone barn on my parents' property. Originally built as the Judge's carriage house, the barn is now used for parties, art exhibitions, and weddings.

For my gift to my dad, I created a design inspired by the broad side of the barn, and cut it into a linoleum block.

Then printed it in black ink on bright white Rives BFK, a 100% cotton, French-made paper.

Dad called the next week to ask what size frame he'd need for the print. I told you. Cutest dad ever.

I made several prints of the barn, which are now available in my shop.

Seaweed Clock

2010-01-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

My plan for Christmas gifts was to be super prepared: I made a quick and easy homemade component (more on that later), then started shopping back in September. I wasn't going to kill myself making gifts or scrambling at the last minute. I stayed on track for a while. Good plan.

Then, my brain shorted out with all that Christmas spirit, and I decided to make several Christmas gifts. One of those gifts was a wall clock for my friend Maureen.

I printed my handcarved linoleum block with the seaweed design (you may recognize it) in bright green ink, mounted it on a board, drilled a hole and put together this little clock.

I think I might be in a green phase of my life right now.

Maureen was super sweet when she opened her gift. I hope she found a good home for it.

A similar clock is now for sale in my shop.

Faux Bois Cards

2010-01-17T23:49:00.004-07:00

I used to play viola in the music department at Utah State University. During my time there, we had an exceptionally awesome viola section, full of exceptionally tall violists. One of these violists was Jentry, who now molds young minds by teaching kids music.

Anyway. Jentry sent me an email and asked if I could make some stationery for her sister for Christmas. I think we're safely past Christmas now that I can show the internet what I sent off to her sister.

I carved a linoleum block and printed this woodgrain pattern in peacock blue on crisp white cards.

Then used one of my typewriters to type her name on half of the cards and "Thank You" on the other half. Block printing and typewriting, two great tastes that taste great together. I hope Jentry's sister (who is not named Jana Matheson) liked them!

The faux bois cards are now for sale in my new shop.

Going West

2010-01-15T19:04:00.001-07:00

This video has already been floating around the internet, so you've likely already seen it. But it's still amazing. Thank you Mallory for making sure that I saw this.

Next up: a break from all of these videos. I'll show you stuff I made around Christmas and some New Years resolutions.

Between the Folds

2010-01-13T18:27:00.001-07:00

Last summer, my charming snowflake cutting, mathematician brother and I had a conversation about math in nature. About how something as beautiful as a wave or a current of air can be broken down and explained in mathematical terms. It's a beautiful idea, that math and science and art and beauty all intersect. And it's comforting that our world makes sense in a logical way. For those people, like Jeff, that are smart enough to understand.

This video made me think of you, little brother.

Afternoon Travel Type Performance

2010-01-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

Mallory sent this to me:

It kind of makes me want to make giant paper letters and icons. It kind of makes me want to do some crazy demonstration in a public place. It kind of makes me hope that you'll do one or both of the above with me.

Letterhead

2010-01-11T18:22:00.001-07:00

I feel oddly voyeuristic looking through the letterheads of famous people.

But that doesn't stop me from doing it.

I thought that letterhead was a severely neglected part of a company's identity and brand. Clearly, I was mistaken. At least in some cases.

All images courtesy of Letterheady. Via this tweet from swissmiss.

I Say Fever

2010-01-10T18:19:00.002-07:00

I don't know anything about Ramona Falls, but I liked this video.

It reminds me of the Wondermark comic by David Malki!, which can only be a good thing.

Pictorial Webster's

2009-12-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

I've been pining over the Pictorial Webster's for months, but haven't been able to justify purchasing it. Chronicle Books also held a drawing for a copy of the Fine Press edition (featured in the video below), but didn't win. Alas. This video shows a bunch of different printmaking and book binding techniques, definitely interesting if you geek out about that sort of thing.

Pictorial Webster's: Inspiration to Completion from John Carrera on Vimeo.

Or if you've ever had someone question why handbound or handprinted books are so expensive. Because that is some serious (and seriously beautiful) work right there.

via Uppercase.

Gingerbread House

2009-12-06T02:08:00.003-07:00

My brain's been on what to make for the ornament swap lately, and this is one idea I was toying with.

A little gingerbread house made from folded paper. So I put together one for you to cut out and fold out if you'd like. Punch a hole in the top for a loop of ribbon and hang it on the tree.

Or fill the house with treats and set one at each place at your Christmas table.

I'm thinking of folding up a bunch of these next year to use as an advent calendar. The door's the perfect size to write in a number.

Want to play? It's easy.
1. Cut out along the solid lines.

2. Fold along the dotted lines.

3. Glue. Attach a ribbon to the rooftop or set up a little tabletop village.

To begin, just save this image to your computer:

Want to color your own? Here's a blank version. If you make your own, I'd love to see what you come up with!

Merry merry!

Ben DiNino

2009-11-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

I wish that artist Ben DiNino had a website.

Because then I could look at more of his work, and tell you more about him, than what can be gleaned from this post over at design*sponge.

Anyway, Ben, if you're out there: I think your stuff looks great. And I want to see more of it. And I'm glad you see something worth celebrating in old books. I'd like to think we have that in common.

Olympia Le-Tan

2009-11-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

Oof. This stuff punched me in the stomach.

Great book covers that have been re-created using cloth and embroidery. I found them atWe Love You So and i want to hold them. Very badly.

Like. By Olympia Le-Tan.

Ornament Swap

2009-11-19T16:08:00.003-07:00

Hey guys,

In case you didn't see it over at my other home, I'm hosting my third annual ornament swap!

I hope you will join in. It's fun.

Sign up over at Two Loose Teeth before November 28th.

Home Decor

2009-11-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

Suddenly, my jar of Sharpie markers is calling to me.

Must. Not. Vandalize. Rented. Home.

This, and many more walls, were drawn on by artist Charlotte Mann. I found her on mirror mirror, which I found on another site that I now can't remember.

Uncle Envelope

2009-11-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

Uncle Envelope would make a great Christmas gift for a friend that loves all things paper. For $36, you get a year of paper objects or crafts: one per month. I like it.

via Angry Chicken.

Slash

2009-10-27T18:58:00.000-06:00

Dear Dave and Angie,

When I come to visit you in New York City, can we consider going to see Slash: Paper Under the Knife at the Museum of Arts and Design? I think it'd be cool.

See you soon (I hope),

Sarah

Chalkbot

2009-10-24T12:07:00.000-06:00

Robots!

I think I might be a big ole softy.

Paper Lanterns (My 25th Birthday, Part 1)

2009-10-19T18:59:00.001-06:00

Last summer, I decided that I wanted a simple, low-key celebration for my 25th birthday in July. One of my New Years resolutions was to have magic in my life, so when I saw Maria's video, I couldn't get the vision of paper lanterns carrying wishes out into the universe out of my mind.

A little bit of searching around the inter-webs and I found pictures like this:

I was smitten. They must be mine. So I bought some here.

I set a time at dusk for people to meet me in a park. I handed out lanterns and lighters, kicked off my shoes and ran into an open grassy area. I was so excited that I barely got any photos on my crappy camera phone. My apologies.

The lanterns took two or more people to light, especially since the location I'd picked was at the mouth of a windy canyon (oops).

Everyone laughed at the wind, cheered when the first successful lantern rose into the sky, and sat in the grass.

Strangers came over to ask what we were doing, some of them excited, some wondering if they should notify the police of the giant arson bombs we were letting loose on the city.

Then, as quickly as we came, we packed into cars and went our separate ways.

We heard from an acquaintance the next day that she and her fiance saw the lanterns from across the valley and wondered what they were (UFOs?). This was precisely what I wanted: for other people to have a little bit of the magic in their lives that I want in mine.

Oh, and? I was glad that I purchased my pretty white lanterns before I found out about these classy options:

(Hint: Not Classy)

Cardboard Camera

2009-10-15T18:04:00.000-06:00

Mallory: this one is for you. A camera made entirely out of cardboard, tape, and glue.

Kiel Johnson's Cardboard Twin Lens Reflex Camera Time Lapse from Theo Jemison on Vimeo.

I like it.

via swissmiss

3D

2009-10-01T12:01:00.001-06:00

I love things that are 3D. I love holograms. I love 3D movies. I love 3D glasses.

That's the look of pure excitement, right there.

So of course I liked these wedding save-the-dates over at Brooklyn Bride.

I like when invitations are interactive and give the recipients something to play with or puzzle out or keep. These are fun and creative.

This 3D goodness found via paper crave.

Honesty Stamps

2009-09-30T00:04:00.001-06:00

I think these honesty stamps are really cute. I first thought that I wanted them, I needed them, I needed to stamp sincere love notes everywhere for my nonexistent boyfriend.

Then I wondered, is your sincerity somewhat lessened if you say something so often and in such the same way that you can have a stamp made up? Do I really want to rubber stamp love?

eBay Addiction

2009-09-28T21:02:00.001-06:00

I've told myself I have to stop placing bids on eBay, because I have a little bit of an addiction of late. But one thing that I'm very excited to have arrive on my doorstop is this little guy:

Owning a letterpress has been on my mind for a while. I once started building a press, but had a few too many hiccups to end up with something that works. Last week I went to look at a press that I loved, but I don't have space currently for a machine that is 5 feet wide, 6 feet long, and weighs over a half ton. Unfortunately. So for now, this will be a great compromise. More functional than the homemade press but more apartment-sized for my current stage in life. Now I just have to be patient while it ships. I'm crossing my fingers that it arrives safely.

Oh, and you know what else is great? The included manual:

I love that illustration.