Color Story

Hey friends!
So, here are all the different color combinations I like. It's quite a few! I also included some favorite possible envelope choices from Paper-Source. And off to the left you can see some favorite little swatches for envelope liners that Paper-Source JUST started selling...customized and cut and ready to go! It's pricey, but saves time. There are other liners I like as well, but I wanted to show a few. The color combos just show what I'm thinking in my head in terms of the big picture. Perhaps 2 swatches make up the inks on the card, while the other is the envelope or potential belly band. Or perhaps 3 swatches will make up the inks, and the others suggest what the envelope and liner might be...
What do you think? My favorites right now are the top right row and the 3rd one down on the right. That 3rd one down would go well with the little red & pink blossom envelope liner. The top row would go well with the swirly liner seen in the bird dish. Both seem fresh, fun, and girly enough and not overdone everywhere. Hmmm.

Birth Announcement design

Hello friends! I've spent the past several months with ideas swirling in my head...ideas for Little P's intended birth announcement. And I'm still overwhelmed and have no clue what I really want to do. I have lots of thoughts, but nothing cohesive. I have no problem doing this for other people, but when it comes to our own...well...I'm frozen. I feel like I could do ANYTHING so I'm having trouble settling into ONE thing. So, I've decided to pull back and ask myself "what is the look and feel I want the announcement to have?" Much like her nursery, I want the announcement to feel fun, cheerful, colorful, and interesting to look at. I also know I want to letterpress it, so that simplifies the color palette. And I know I want colored envelopes lined with pretty paper. Is all this crazy? Maybe. But since I do this for a living, I really want to do a showcase piece...I mean, when else would I ever get to do something so detailed? I'd like to figure it all out soon so that I can at least get the envelopes done and lined and the announcement designed...that way I can just order the plates when she arrives and print later. Anyhoo, I know I'd like to incorporate some sort of pattern into the design and I saw this today that reminded me that a lace pattern would probably be the perfect choice. But this will only be one component and I need to work out the color palette. Maybe I'll post some different color-combinations here and see what y'all think? Image is from the Twig & Thistle blog.

quiet

Hi everyone! It's been pretty quiet around here as I wait for Little P's arrival. She's due on May 4th but could come any time. I've had to slow everything down with work since I am moving so sluggishly and painfully these days and am exhausted most of the time! I often wonder what I will do on the creativity front once Little P is here. And I've decided to just wait and see. I don't know what I will or won't be able to handle. But I do know that I'll be sure to keep creating, and I already know I'll be thinking of new ideas for new cards to go in the shop. I can't stay away for long! I guess this is a time where I am hunting and gathering inspiration. There are so many things out there that inspire me every day and I'm so bad at sharing them here. So, I think I'll try to focus on improving that...and show you the kinds of things that run through my head. If I'm not actually MAKING something, I can at least show you my thinking process and the things I'm noticing around me. I'll start tomorrow since I'm off to eat a cookie and soon will take a nap. Be well everyone, and thanks so much for your patience with my sporadic posting! In the meantime, I will throw on my Wellies and take Maren for a nice walk to the pond this afternoon. Spring is on its way!

Grateful Monday

There's so many things I'm grateful for today. But my husband brought me flowers and mini-cupcakes the other day and that has taken over my mind ever since.

HANNO the Gorilla

If you've been reading my blog for a bit, you'll have seen that I love toys and trinkets. I've seen this toy around the web for a while now, but never quite realized it was quite so flexible! I found some photos out there that show this gorilla can do pretty much any pose you could want, and he's larger than I imagined. Designed by David Weeks, this toy makes a great gift for yourself or a friend as it is so unique and expressive! He's also made of sustainably harvested Beech wood, so there is an eco-conscious component to him as well. It seems his joints are elastic and he's "virtually indestructible" but I've also read that he can't be dropped from any heights. Makes sense though! Photos shown are pulled from Bobby Berk Home and you can buy him/check him out for yourself here.