Inspiration / Handmade stamps
Our good friends Heidi & Jose (also known as Threefold Collective) have been doing some beautiful experimentation with stamps and fabric printing. I was very inspried by the wonderful patterns they were making with their handmade stamps, a process I’ve been curious about for a while. I bugged them and they were kind enough to share their stamping secrets with me- going as far a posting a process video as well as a shopping list.
They are making their custom initial stamps (seen above) available at their shop, which also features some of their great stationary design. Thanks again guys!
Product / Food Pins / Pancake Tuesday!
Today is pancake tuesday, and even though I forgot and ate a big bowl of cinnamon toast crunch instead- I have all day to catch up. Tyler reminded me last night of the pancakes in the food pin set we made recently, an though you wont get them in time for today’s pancake celebrations, you’ll be good to go for next year- and stocked up for burger, burrito, donut and pizza days.
So here they are: AWH Food Pin Set
Project / Found Terrariums
As my mom would say, you can never have too many plants in your house (or outside, judging from her backyard). Terrariums are a great solution for small apartments and those of us who haven’t inherited a green thumb. A walk around the neighborhood or your local park should provide everything you need for your (free!) customized ecosystem.
Project / Bread Baking / Ciabatta
This week’s bread is one of my favorites, Ciabatta! The process was a bit more involved, but dare I say- worth it. So soft and delicious, and I have another loaf ready to bake in the fridge…
Inspiration / Cutco Cookbook Illustrations
I found this gem of a book at a used book fair a few months ago, and have been itching to scan these illustrations ever since. It’s a cookbook put out by knife company Cutco in 1961, with illustrations by Frank Marcello. Not only was I drawn to the style and quality of the work, but the fact that they capture such complex dishes in two colors is just brilliant.
View the full set here.
Project / Bread Baking
I’ve been curious about homemade bread for a while- I love fresh bread but feel super guilty when I have to throw away a stale half of a baguette. I knew there had to be a better way.
Baking is a bit intimidating to me, as my mom didn’t bake much so I was never really exposed to it, but I’m trying my best to become a baker. I found this great book on baking artisan bread that is so well written, beautifully designed and seemingly fool-proof. It features delicious breads that can be made easily with instant yeast and cold fermentation (putting dough in your fridge overnight). It has lots of step by step photos which are super helpful.
I’ve made pizza dough and now french bread, and its been so fun and rewarding I can’t wait to make more. Like anything worth doing it does take a bit of a time commitment, but knowing you made the bread you’re biting into just makes it that much more delicious.
Inspiration / Typefaces / Museo Slab
Look at this typeface, how great is it? It could be that I have a special place in my heart for slab serifs (My first born son might be named Archer), but this face is just beautiful. A good combination of structure and details (look at that uppercase K, a thing of beauty) gives it a good range of use. I can’t wait to buy the whole family one of these days…
Project / Cross Stitching
Cross stitching is a hobby I’ve been messing around with for a couple of years. It’s half relaxing half need-to-pay-attention-or-you-might-miss-a-stitch, so it keeps you on your toes. I started by using some patterns I found online, but soon moved on to making my own in illustrator. I’m working on a food series right now, and will update my flickr set as soon as its in good shape. It’s a great craft for those of us who spend a lot of time at the computer, since its creative but still structured (plus is perfect for making pixel art or 8bit video game characters).
An Introduction
As mentioned in my bio, I’m a graphic designer and illustrator living in Portland, OR. When not working/spending time with my boyfriend/playing with my dog I’m dreaming up things to make in my free time.
My goal for this blog is to have a place to index and share some personal projects, as well as the source of their inspiration. I’m interested in trying many things, from cooking and gardening to letterpress and woodworking, so this will be the place where I can archive some of those attempts. I will do my best to share the sources of my learning process, so that anyone who shares that curiosity can have what they need to give it a try themselves.
Looking forward to a busy and inspiring year-
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