In Love With Letterpress

I have a lot of respect for people who can print using letterpress. I tried my hand at it during an Advanced Typography course I took as part of my university degree, and let me tell you it is not easy! It is time-consuming and fiddly, and you need endless amounts of patience and attention to detail - however the results are absolutely stunning! Well, in my case they were, um...interesting, but the ones below are unbelievably classy!




















































{Bella Figura}





























{Mika 78}


































{The Dingbat's Agenda}

Shop Envy!

{all images belong to Kate at Bendy St Emporium}

One of the great things about blogging and Twitter is discovering gems such as the Bendy St Emporium! Located in Canowindra NSW, Bendy St Emporium takes you back to a time when "when products were not mass produced, when quality and design were important and when brown paper packages were tied up with string." What a great concept!

This treasure trove is fitted in an a hundred year old shop front with stained glass windows and original shop fittings, and is home to a wide range of goodies such as soaps, jewelry, books and homewares.

I think it's time for a road trip!

The Sketchbook Project

If you're the kind of person who loves to doodle in a sketchbook any chance they get, then this is the project for you. The Sketchbook Project is run by the Arthouse Co-op in the US. They send out thousands of blank Moleskine sketchbooks to people all over the world, who spend a couple of months drawing it in with different mediums, writing interesting quotes, pasting in bits and bobs, and generally making it look fantastic. The sketchbooks are then sent back and exhibited in galleries and museums around the US, and then finally end up in a permanent collection at the Brooklyn Art Library.

You can keep from a wide selection of themes to guide you in your sketches for example: 'Things found on restaurant napkins', 'Figuring you out', 'The view from up here' and 'I'm sorry I forgot you.' Each book is given a unique barcode so you can track how many times people have viewed your work!

This project sounds so intriguing, imagine the possibilities! I wish I had the time and drawing skills to participate, and the money to go see the exhibition in New York!

If you'd like to participate, head on over to their website! (Do it!)

What I've been up to...

I've been terribly neglectful of the blog this month and I apologise. I've been consumed by my part-time job, making journals for my first market stall at Poppyseed Markets, fulfilling wholesale journal orders, applying for full time graphic design jobs, and various freelance design projects. But I'm pleased that I have several new journal covers to show off to you (and much more to come very soon)!

Yummy Paper Goods

Two of my favourite things in the world are paper goods and food. Dessert especially! Etsy seller imeondesign has combined the two...catch me as I swoon. Each of the cake slices is a little box that you can put gifts or lollies into and is perfect for parties or bridal/baby showers.

A Ladybug's Picnic

Two Tiered Butterfly and Flower Paper Cake

Strawberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Paper Cake with Blue Flowers

sammiabrie designs

My level of squeeing rivaled that of a group of Twilight fan-girls seeing Taylor Lautner topless when a clutch purse that I ordered from sammiabrie designs arrived in the mail today! (My sister was NOT impressed.) Amie uses a large range of fun fabrics for purses designed for everyday use, and she also has a range of stylish evening clutches. The purse is hand made and the quality is fantastic. You can look through the various albums on her Facebook page an contact her if you want her to make one for you!

Market Stall Inspiration

For the past few days I've been trawling through Flickr and through blogs looking for inspiration on how to display my journals at Poppyseed Markets. I was particularly drawn to these homely and inviting market stalls and was inspired by the creative use of space, including props, signage and price tags. And HOW CUTE are those mini suitcases!

{image by acoate}

{image by monkeyminddesign}

 

{image by priscilla at the locker}