Happy Holidays!

Heading out early and starting my holiday break now! My dear friend Jenny is taking me up to Napa for an early birthday celebration! Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays! See you in 2012!

Fiona the Fox!

Been working all week to finalize the pattern and finish up my first ever fox doll. Meet Fiona...isn't she sweet? For her body, arms and legs, I used the same pattern pieces as Lola and Lucy. Can you tell? It made the project go quicker since I only had to figure out the pattern for her head and tail. It's gonna be hard to part with her, but I gotta pack her up and ship her off to a special friend in Austin. I know for a fact she will be loved there!

Magical Elf!

Finally finished the illustration for my holiday cards and Rance was nice enough to print them for me last night. Now, I just need to get them mailed off so they'll make it to their destinations before Christmas!
Happy Monday!

Owlies!

A batch of owlies from this weekend's craft session!

Friday This + That

Happy Friday! I am excited to hangout out with old friends tomorrow, then Sunday I have some major Christmas crafting to do. Enjoy today's round up and wishing you a lovely and productive weekend!
1// I'm sure this has made the rounds but I had to share it...Ice Cube's thoughts on The Eames. Three words. Uh. Maze. Zing.
2// Loving these oxidized mirror by David Derksen.
3// Craft session Sunday will include making a bunch of these little owlies!
4// How cool is this? Any photo can be turned into a paint by numbers template for your wall!
5// Can't wait for this cute little printer to sit on my desk someday. (via Anthology)
6// Thinking about my Christmas list and really into the idea of giving (or receiving) an experience. Jordan has a great round-up here. Hint for R...what about #5 or #9? :)

Shirt Pillow Redux

I haven't made a shirt pillow in quite awhile, but last night I dug up this kelly-green shirt I had in my shirts-for-pillow-making bin, and whipped one up. It's for my pal Ron, and comes with a mini bottle of Maker's Mark. Happy Birthday RTD!

Fine Little Day x UO

 Running over to UO after work today to check out the collection. Gah! All images from Fine Little Day.

Working...

 ...on holiday cards. Some sketches that will hopefully turn into the final product by the end of the week!

Foxy Friday This + That

I'm trying to figure out a pattern to make a fox plushie, so I've got foxes on my mind! I present to you a foxy Friday This + That! Enjoy your weekend friends! This post dedicated to Lisa who loves foxes more than any one I know!
1. Cute silkscreened fox pillow by robinandmould.
2. Fox charm pendant!
3. Surprise fox in a mug.
4. Amazing pixelated wood sculpture by Shawn Smith.
5. Fox and bow printed fabric.
6. A collection of adorable fox illustrations by Amy Blackwell. Thanks Lisa!

December Mix

I can't believe this year is almost over! A new mix from lovely Ben...grab your favorite person, get in a car, crank up the volume and go for a drive.
Tracklist:
1. Michna- Real Hero
2. Tycho- Hours
3. Kamp!-Cairo
4. Tesla Boy- In Your Eyes (Satin Jackets Remix)
5. Doctor Dru & Adana Twins- Juicy Fruit (Calm Down Winter Bootleg)
6. Cadillac- Let's Do It
7. Christa Vi- Your Heart (Show Your Shoe Remix)
8. Todd Terje- Eurodans
9. Gigamesh- Red Light (Goldroom Remix)
10. Heavenly Beat- Desire
11. Go Cozy- Silverlining
12. Heavenly Beat- Suday
13. Mrs. Bishop- Hate to Say I Told You So (Hives Cover)
14. Beacon- Exhale
15. The Bilinda Butchers- Seafoam Green

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for family and friends, thankful for everything. Enjoy the holiday weekend! Image source.

Friday This + That

Leaving my post short and sweet today and just want to wish you all a happy weekend. Also to remind you to give someone you care about a big hug today.
1. I think this has to be the most amazing business card. Ever. (via The Indigo Bunting)
2. If you love Japanese washi tape as much as I do, you will eep and eek when you see Ebony's photos of the MT Expo.
3. Mind blowing embroidered portraits by Cayce Zavaglia. (via Selva)
4. Loving this chevron quilt and feeling like I need to make one, like now. Not sure I like the chenille technique used on the back side so I think I'll be skipping that step.
5. Too Blessed 2 Be Stressed print by Reference Library. Need. Ordered.
6. Confetti two ways! Katrina teaches you how to create them in Photoshop and Joke has a tutorial for making some adorable bags.

Lola + Lucy

Meet Lola and Lucy, the two latest additions to my doll-making adventure. Lola's sporting bright red hair wrapped up in two cute little buns and Lucy is rocking the usual bob. Last week, I bought a bunch of neon felt so I'm thinking the next batch of dolls I make will be Manic Panic inspired...ha!

Friday This + That

Happy Friday friends. To say that I'm so glad this week is over has to be an understatement. I know what I will be doing this weekend, a bit of crafting, and a whole lotta tv watching...Breaking Bad season 3 here I come! Enjoy your weekend!
1. Might have to round up my niece and nephews for a craft session so we can create these fun table settings for Thanksgiving.
2. I love these hand carved wooden spoons, a project by illustrator and artist Andrew Groves. (via Fine Little Day)
3. Happy music by Lullatone that was much needed this week. Thanks for the intro Lisa!
4. The Semiologie Collection by APC + Anthropologie. Seriously coveting the quilts but they are way out of my budget. Think I will just have to settle for one of the pillows.
5. Thank you Mr. Cookie Monster for an explanation of OWS that everyone can understand.
6. 50's inspired print of San Francisco by Jim Datz. Gah!

Ruby!

Meet Ruby, the latest doll I made. She is wearing a dress made of hedgehog printed fabric, how awesome is that?! (Can't remember where I picked up the fabric but I think it was part of a stack of fat quarters from Purl Soho). Ruby is making her way down to sunny southern California this week where she will be loved by Lil' Viv.

Happy Friday!

No Friday This + That today as I had one of the craziest work weeks ever. Photo above of my Dieppa Restrepo shoes that I'm finally breaking in. Enjoy your weekend friends!

November Mix

Ben took a breather in October, but he's back with a new mix this month! Enjoy! Photo courtesy of NYPL Digital Gallery.

Friday This + That

A little late today for Friday This + That, but I wanted to leave you with some goodness for the weekend. Enjoy! So excited to see Kings of Convenience tonight!
1. Me and my wrist worms. I forgot to submit my photo to Sandra but here's her round-up.
2. An open-call for illustrations of Camilla Engman's dog Morran. Eek, submissions are due Monday! The cute drawing above is my Juliabe.
3. Amazing paper installations by Kyoke Ibe. Her show is currently at the LACMA. I need to get down to LA to see it in person!
4. Random Acts of Cookies. What a sweet idea!
5. New add-your-own-charm necklaces at Anthro.  Love that you can mix and match to create your own combo.
6. Fall's the time for roasting, braising and soup making. This roasted cauliflower soup sounds amazing.

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

Just in case I don't get around to posting Friday This + That, I wanted to share this fun video with you. It's fall, the air is getting chilly, and it's time to play with your scarves! (via Creature Comforts)

Kings of Convenience

Erlend and Erik are playing in San Francisco (finally) tomorrow night. YAH!!!!!!!!

I (heart) Fifi Lapin

Sometimes I feel like I'm hiding under a rock, especially when I'm just discovering cute things on the internet like Fifi Lapin and her best friend Ruby Gatta! These furry friends are so hip and stylish!  Everything in her shop has been added to my wishlist! Thanks to Rance for the introduction.

Instagram Weekend

Fun weekend hanging out with Lisa. Gonna miss you. Till next time... (last photo by Lisa)

Friday This + That

I am so excited for the Portishead show tonight and Lisa is in town so I get to hang out with her all weekend! Happy Friday my friends! I leave you with lots of goodies from the web this week...enjoy!
1. I'm probably really behind on this Boo the dog craze, but he is one of the cutest dogs I've seen. (Thanks Rance for the link, now are you going to get me my very own Boo?)
2. Teenage mutant ninja turtles + noses. Too good for words.
3. Potatoes + cheese. Ditto.
4. Ribbon, a new font from the Lost Type Company. Donate $30 and you get a fancy specimen book.
5. Love these simple monogram pendants from Son of a Sailor. Other great jewelry on their site as well!
6. This cobalt blue parka has my name all over it. Just like shoes, there's no such thing as too many jackets.

YAH!

Yah for libras! A very happy birthday to my dad, big sis Niki, and dear friends Andrew and Matthew. I made these quick little cards (four of them!) last night using a stamp I designed a few months back. Put each one in a bright yellow chevron baggie and off to the mailbox they go!

Portishead

I cannot wait to see them on Friday!

Friday This + That

I have the day off and starting off my weekend early. Heading down to San Jose to spend time with my family. I leave you with a couple of DIY projects in my round up today so hope you find some time to get crafty this weekend. Enjoy!
1. This polka dot poster looks like a fun project for a rainy day. 

2. Crushing hard for these No. 6 boots. Shearling lined and oh so perfect for fall!

3. Lotta has a new line of fabrics coming out soon...can't wait!

4. Found heaven in a bowl a couple of weeks ago aka Ramen Dojo. Makes me really want to visit Japan even more now. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get a free flight...

5. Beautiful video of word as image by Ji Lee. And if you're a type geek, you can challenge your kearning skills here.

6. The twenty minute tote. Thinking these might be perfect holiday gifts.

Introducing...Amy!

Of the two dolls I started making last weekend, I finished one of them! Yah! I have to say this Amy* doll turned out pretty cute! I love her outfit with the striped leggings, but I especially adore her scalloped bangs! In the second photo, she's hanging out with Molly (the first doll I made awhile back). More dolls to come soon... (Amy is named after the baby in Up All Night. If you haven't seen this new show, do it now. Guaranteed laughs.)

Friday This + That

In an effort to keep up with my sad blogging habits as of late, I've decided to start a Friday-I'm-In-Love-With-These-Things-On-The-Internet post. Enjoy!
1. Tear-away yearly calendar by Present and Correct. Genius.
2. Stripes make everything better. Indeed. (via swissmiss)
3. Getting in the fall mood and tempted to try these pumpkin whoopie pies.
4. Geeky weave = awesome packaging.
5. A lovely print I just purchased from Kate Miss. All proceeds will go to her boyfriend Will's medical bill. And this post was inspired by her Friday bits.
6. Since El Bulli is no longer, Ferran's cookbook seemed like the next best thing, for now.

RIP Steve Jobs

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.” - Steve Jobs (from his 2005 Stanford commencement speech)

Return of the Dolls...

Getting crafty again and working a a couple of dolls...I sense Molly was getting lonely. Hoping to finish them up this weekend. Any fun projects you're working on?

Happy Friday! Eye and Ear Candy!

Happy Friday everyone! Stumbled upon Decorated Playlist, a site that streams awesome playlists complete with their very own fab covers. It's run by by designer/former DJ/record collector Simon Foster. I love his illustrations and the page layout for each of his playlists. Music to my ears and eyes! (via Miss Moss -- read her blog now!)

Holy Macaroni!

First off, sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have no good excuses except that I've been feeling rather lazy lately. Hats off to all the lovely bloggers who post every single day...I just don't know how you do it! Any how, on to today's post. I've had this idea to make necklaces using macaroni forever now and finally found a local bead store that sold the kind of chain I wanted. Using some plastic colored beads found in my craft bin, elbow macaroni or ditalini pasta*, and 22 inches of antique brass double rolo chain, I crafted these fun necklaces. Reminds me of the yarn and rigatoni necklaces we made in kindergarten! The lovely model wearing the necklaces in the two photos is my sister Jenny. *I sprayed the pasta with a coat of matte fixative to waterproof it. No one likes a mushy pasta!

September Mix

It's a new month, which means a new collection of tunes by the lovely Ben. "It's a fun and flirty departure from a summer that's brought downgraded tropical storms and uneventful earthquakes." Enjoy!

Zain's Birthday Invitations!

My friend Karishma's son Zain is turning one next month! I had the pleasure of designing his birthday invitations and included a little weiwabo-esque drawing of the cutie. Hope you like them Karishma! And have a blast at the party. Wish I could be there!

The Sketchbook Project 2012

I got an email this morning letting me know that my sketchbook from this year's tour has been digitized! For those of you who missed it, you can now view my sketchbook right here! I signed up again for the 2012 tour and you should too! It's so much fun to be a part of this creative community. And if you need more convincing, the Art House Coop is offering 20% off the registration fee. Just enter the promo code LIBRARY100 when you check out. Hope to see your books on tour next year!

Monthly Music - Curated by Ben

My dear friend Ben makes the most amazing mixtapes every month. I think this has been going on two plus years now, I've lost track. Anyway, I'm always discovering new music through him and his mixes are the reason I look forward to the start of a new month. Here's the August mix. Above photo by yours truly, taken in Big Sur.

Hoot Hoot Hooray!

Traveling up to Seattle this weekend for my friend Amanda's wedding! I made these little bride-groom owls for the her and her soon-to-be hubby. Hoot Hoot Hooray!

Passion Fruit Jelly!

Last month I finished up some packaging for Nuri Candies. Besides french nougats, Aulien is now making jellies as well. We had some labels printed up, added some washi paper and pink/white twine, and a custom stamp on top. Lucky me, I got to keep this jar of passion fruit jelly...it's so delicious!

Karen Whimsy - Free Images!

While doing research for a project at work today, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of images here! There are hundreds of beautiful images gleaned from my collection of old books, magazines, and postcards. They are all from material printed prior to 1923 and are in the public domain. Which means they are free to use! This site has been bookmarked for future reference! Thank you, Karen!

Summer Card Camp - Week 3

Quick card I made for week 3 of Summer Card Camp. Love this neutral color combo with a pop of red. I used lots of scraps I had in my junk bin...the cute little girl is from an old Japanese stationary set and the stamps are from the new Studio Calico-Hero Arts partnership. Happy Friday friends. I'm off to southern California to soak in some much needed sunshine. I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Cloudy...

...with a chance of rainbow felt balls of happiness! Made a couple of these happy clouds last week for some cute newborn babies.

Elefant!

Made another little stuffed elephant last week. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this pattern. Happy Tuesday! P.S. This ebook looks amazing! I think I'm gonna buy it for my niece and nephew. P.S.S. Madewell finally has a store in San Francisco...yippee!!

Summer Card Camp - Week 2

A card and a fun little bunting banner for Jennifer and Kristina's Summer Card Camp this week! I figure I had to work on two projects to make up for missing week one. Was too busy with work...you know how it goes. It's nice to have an excuse to use my stamps and make some cards because as a designer for Hero Arts, often times I finish the stamp designs and then rarely get a chance to use them. So when Jennifer asked if I wanted to join the class, I immediately said yes! Thanks Jennifer! All stamps by Hero Arts (illustrated by me!)

The 2011 Sketchbook Tour - San Francisco!

The 2011 Sketchbook Tour stopped in San Francisco this past weekend and I took the day off from work on Friday to check it out with some friends. It was set up just like a small little library, with a desk to sign up for a library card, and a station to check out and return books. The first two books I checked out were Lisa's and Rance's mom, Anita's books. It was so awesome to have the actual books in my hand! Then we lucked out and saw an amazing sketchbook titled Layers by Brenna Rose Killen. Her intricate and detailed drawings along with her clever layout made the book such a pleasure to look through. I kept flipping through it and didn't want to let go. The tour stops in a couple of more cities, but if you miss it, this amazing library of over 12,000 books will be permanently housed at the Brooklyn Art Library. Registration for the 2012 Tour is now open...I highly recommend that you join the fun next year! P.S. There are a few photos of my book over here on my friend Thu's blog!

Instragram Fun!

The first app I downloaded when I got my iPhone 4 was Instagram! It's so much fun and so addicting. My favorite filter is early bird...it just makes everything nice, soft and fuzzy. These six photos are just a few from the last few days. From left to right, top to bottom: some owls my friend Jenny Peas and I made together , my Madewell Oxfords that are finally starting to break in, lots of colorful plastic bowls at Daiso (a fun Japanese store where almost every item is only $1.50!), some washi tape clothespins for a friend, a simple 5-minute birthday card I made this morning - those colored craft sticks are so bright and fun), and finally a recycle plastic, black and white tote bag, also from Daiso! And yes, it was only $1.50!

Happy National Donut Day x Stripes Mania

Today is National Donut Day! I woke up early so I could pick up half a dozen donuts from Dynamo before heading to work.  I ate the strawberry earl grey one on the train so there is no photo evidence of it! Pictured above is a caramel de sel and spiced chocolate donut which is my all time favorite. And Lisa told me that Holly at Decor8 is hosting an online Stripes Mania Party this week. I had to join in on the fun because lately the only thing I see in my closet are striped tees and tanks! I'm* wearing this Jcrew tank which I have in all three colors. They are on sale now so I highly recommend getting one or all three...they really are the perfect tank! Happy Donut Friday and hope you have a lovely weekend!

*I'm breaking my own blog rule of not posting photos of myself just this one time, now you know what I look like!

Baby Shower Invitations for Pam

I had a lot of fun working on these baby shower invitations for Pam. She has a lovebird parrot named Maddie that she wanted to include in the design. So in my illustration, Maddie is taking over the stork's job and delivering a little pink bundle of joy. Then the extra fun part was stamping and addressing the envelopes. I had seen this clever tag stamp on Lisa's pinterest page, and finally had the chance to carve one! Sure is cuter than printed address labels!