New product: Alphabet and Typewriter cards

Alphabet cards
Each one has different combination of letters

Typewriter cards

The alphabet screen
(This is the same screen used for my Alphabet legs print)

Inking the screen


Printing on large pieces of Maidstone paper
After this step I leave the big sheets to dry and then cut them into cards

I now have screen printed note cards available. They measure 4" X 5" and are 4.25 each or packaged in a set of 3 for 12.00. Above are some photos of the process behind them.

TIFF is here! (And the poster campaign is illustrated!)

TIFF banner on College St. illustrated by Gary Clement

The design is meant to celebrate the idea that films spark great conversations

A really cute one with a guy + martian

YAY TIFF has arrived back in Toronto. These great street banners went up last week and with it the attendant buzziness that the Festival always brings. (It is my favourite time of year) Was so pleased to see that after years of using photography Tiff decided to go with illustration for their posters! Taxi advertising designed the campaign and chose non other than the funny + smart Gary Clement for the illustrations. Fantastic work by both - I'll be sorry to see the banners come down!

Sarah Lazarovic's Alternative Hierarchies of Needs

In Globe Focus section Saturday.
Quite great.
Sarah is also a filmmaker and has the premiere of her film No Heart Feelings at the Royal this week.

A few pics from the Sale

Jennifer, Handyman + Chloe aka Rambling Renovators

Happy customer Damien leaves with my Big scissors print

The lovely Miss Crowland

Kate and her mum
with birdie print from my wall paper series

Feet up afterwards
(Watching MAD MEN with glass o' wine - but ofcourse)

Thank you

Thanks to everyone who came to my moving sale.
It was especially nice to meet some lovely blog readers that I'd never met in person (That's you Marny H, Sharon C, Miss Crowland and Jennifer of Rambling Renovators!) I really appreciated your support.
(And Kate B.W. it's always nice to see you!)

I am now off to soak my weary feet.
xs + os

New Print: Green Slipper chair

Applying the green ink for the First pass.

First pass.
This is my fave colour yellowy limey green.

Applying the black ink for 2nd layer.

Pull with Squeegee.

:-)

Mixing the blue.

Blue version.
Here is a new print I completed today.
It's called Slipper chair. It measures 8" X 10" and is a varied edition with both blue and green versions. It'll be available at the sale. I think it would look really cute in an ornate gold frame.

More prep for Sale: New screen

Here's the screen which contains the images for the Alphabet legs prints + a new print called blue slipper chair + a my scissors logo to use for packaging. Can't wait to get to it!

Getting ready for my Sale

Red Rose tea at the ready


Making the coffee ring with a pie plate dipped in tea
(I used to use a big pail - this is a much more delicate solution)


Tivoli radio and ipod keeping me going.

In prep for my sale I tea stained my last remaining penguins prints today.
I am also working on several new designs (!) plus note card sets.
Very little sleep is happening at the moment.

White Expediat It is!

This photo convinced me.
Love that orange chair.

Good book: Penguin 75

This a great read. Really fun to get the inside scoop on 75 of Penguin's best covers from the perspective of the creative director, designer and writer.
Penguin's Creative director Paul Buckley is a funny guy and I was pleased to read that "he follows illustrators the way some people follow musicians". (Me too)
Also loved the comment by one of my favourite designers Kelly Blair who wrote that she was looking forward to hearing what the Bronté sister's thought of her design for their book.

Favourite image from Today

Micheal Cera in a cbc tshirt in Scott Pilgram. Nerdtastic!

New lettering Work

Charlotte Gainsbourg - has smarts + incredible style. A real muse.
I love working with white lettering on top of photographs.
I am also currently obsessed with drawing garlands.

A bit about my process below.

I start by drawing with a pencil crayon on white paper.
(I love the chalky look you get from a pencil crayon as opposed to a smooth marker look)

Next I scan the image and bring it into Photoshop.
I then invert it under Image - Adjustments.

I then make the background invisible, create a new layer and then place on top of the photo.
This was another idea.
I especially like the look of white text on top of blurry photos.

Inspiration

I love this book cover by Leanne Shapton.

New work: Good egg bookmarks

Book mark for cookbook store good egg

Close up

My Julia Child illustration has been printed up on bookmarks for good egg.
I love the deep pink that Mika chose for the background.
Susan at Cumberland Press did a wonderful job on the printing.
For a peek at the creative process behind this design see this earlier post.

A note on the drawing:
I wrote this text up an hour after watching the film Julie and Julia. I was so inspired to learn that the author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking didn't start cooking till she was almost 40! The lesson here for all you late bloomers =
It's never too late.

Joan Rivers: A Piece of work

Nice hand lettering.

Saw this documentary on the weekend. Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg.
Funny. Tragic. Fascinating to get such an intimate behind the scenes look at a creative person's life. I viewed it as a cautionary tale of what happens when you work too much.

I never met a librarian shoe I didn't like

Hazel's shoes

A great pair I spotted last week

I bought these vintage shoes for 3.00 at a garage sale
I used them for reference in my Alphabet legs print below.


Little drawing from today

My friend Hazel popped by today with a great pair of nerdy brogues so thought it was time to do a post celebrating librarian shoes. I am always inspired to photograph them when I see them and they often make their way into my work.

Sketch: Kitties

A sketch for a pattern I'm working on.

Print & Pattern

Skinny Laminx (Heather Moore)

Julia Rothman

I'm beginning work on some patterns so bought this great book for inspiration: Print & Pattern by Bowie Style. Bowie style is the pseudonym of Marie Perkins who writes the very popular blog of the same name.