Tuesday, December 24, 2013
merry & bright
Sunday, December 8, 2013
heart warming
Haha oh you guys, it's winter. Ahhh how I love being cold all the time, wearing tights under my jeans, being in danger of slipping & falling on the ice. Ahhhhh but really, as much as I complain about these things (sorry, everyone I talk to every day) it is a kind of magical time. We got some snow this week and I have been breaking out all my greatest winter wear in celebration/an attempt not to die from frostbite.
Living in a place like Minnesota means that we really have to get creative if we want to be stylish AND warm. Those things do not come easily when it's -15 with the windchill. I think I've done the best I can this year, but if you're looking for some ideas then you are in luck, because I online window shop like it's a full time job. I've rounded up three of each of my favorite winter garments for your consideration...
Monday, December 2, 2013
give & take
I'm slowly recovering from the coma that is the day after my Thanksgiving trip. How cruel is it that we spend one day (or more) with as much family or friends as possible, eating great food and generally living life to the fullest and just like that we're back to work? Coming back to my apartment was wonderful of course, but it's hard to snap back into the real world after such a great week.
So here are some things I'm thankful for, in no particular order:
-Playing Cards Against Humanity with your entire family, and the inevitable hilarious and terrible moment when someone has to explain what one of the cards means.
-My mom's cranberry relish, the recipe to be shared here at a later date.
-Browsing bridesmaid dresses with my future sister-in-law
-The Ann Arbor farmer's market (say what you will, this is the best one in the world)
-Hometown team pride, no matter if they win or lose.
-New boots
-Each and every one of my loved ones. You guys are the best.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
film club
Summer feels like eons ago, but a few weeks ago I finally developed a roll of film from my Olympus point & shoot that had be going strong all season. This little baby captured 4th of July, a trip to the cabin, Beaver Island, California AND Ben and Bill's wedding. A little summer time capsule, if you will. It was pretty great, so here's a roundup of those photos plus a few from my Superheadz camera.
And what a relief it was to see that the photo of this "monster" bass I caught on Beaver Island turned out okay! Don't worry, my dad did a great job of removing the hook and fish whispering this little guy back to his home, no fish dinners for us!
a-frame living is the best living, amiright
Friday, November 1, 2013
class act
When I signed up to take Lila Roger's Make Art That Sells class I was still working from home every day and wanted a little something to challenge myself. I'd seen a lot of amazing work practically pouring out of my peers taking the class and thought to myself "heck, sounds like it's time I took a crack at it".
And then I started that contract job in downtown Minneapolis that sees me leaving the apartment at 7:30 AM and not coming home till about 6:45 PM... the very same week that Lilla's class started. I'm not going to lie guys, a lot of my assignments (and by a lot I mean all of them) have been completed the day before they were due. I really really want to take all that I can from the class but unfortunately I also have a few small freelance gigs that also require my attention.
But I'm still mostly happy with what I've been creating, so I thought I'd give my blog a little looksee. Above is the very first assignment, bolt fabric with a vintage kitchenware and berry theme! It was so much fun, I'm thinking about making prints or cards of it!
The second assignment was to make art for fancy plates using bromeliads as our inspiration. I wound up liking my sketches a LOT better for this one - part of the problem being that I hardly ever like plates with actual art on them... but it was a learning experience nonetheless!
Last week's assignment, a spread for a children's book based on a Russian fairytale. I tried keeping some of my sketch in the final piece at Bryan's suggestion and was really surprised with the outcome. Guess I'll have to play around with that technique some more!
As per usual I'm running VERY behind on this week's assignment... guess I should spend less time blogging and more time working on that, huh? WHOOOOOPSSSS.
Monday, October 21, 2013
something wicked this way comes
YEP, that's right, another Halloween themed post. Apparently my most productive holidays for blogging are Valentine's Day and Halloween, and I'm not sure what that says about me.
In reality I just realized I hadn't made a gif in awhile and I also hadn't posted a playlist in awhile and now I have both! This spooky playlist has been in the works for about a year (I posted some of the songs on it two years ago, actually... shhh) but I think I'm finally happy enough with it to share... although that doesn't mean I'll stop adding to it anytime soon!
I want to give a special shout out to that Chelsea Wolfe song. If you haven't given Chelsea Wolfe a try and you're a fan of spooky girl vocals then run, do not walk, to her discography.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
role play, baby!
Time for a little nerdery on the bloggie! Thought I can't claim myself to be a hardcore gamer or fantasy fan, I have my moments of Skryim/Game of Thrones/Dungeons & Dragons/Redwall (childood, whattup) obsessions. I'm also obsessed with the Light Grey Art Lab over in Minneapolis. Just when I think they've topped themselves with a show idea they come up with a new call for art that gets my creative juices flowing.
Role Models is the next show from LGAL that I'm participating, a combination self portrait/role playing/card game show at that! Each artist was tasked with choosing a task, an alignment, and a back story that somehow tied back to themselves and make a piece of art that would then go into a fun strategy card game. Go buy the game, go buy a print of my piece or some of the other AMAZING work made for this show, or go figure out a costume to wear to the opening on Friday!
the original sketch / a detail of her sweet awesome headband.
Above is Ermintrude, the Dark Empress of Blankets. I chose a cleric because they seem the most closely related to my real self, but then decided to make her evil - because bad guys are always my favorite! I imagine Ermintrude controlling her horde of undead and traveling from town to town, collecting more blankets so she can be as comfy as possible. There are never enough blankets, buddies.
I completed this artwork quite awhile ago, so for funskies I did a little sketch of our intrepid cleric trying not to mess up her best traveling blanket/cloak as she searches for new loot. And now I kind of wish I had come up with this sketch earlier and used it for my final piece but WHATEVS, FOMO FOREVER.
ps speaking of nerd things who's buying the new pokemon game? No lies, I really want to play it.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
current events
Since I still haven't used up any of the film I started in August (!!) I'm here today to update you with some phone photos and general talk.
Perhaps you've seen the invitation I worked on for their wedding, but back in August two of my best buddies Bill and Ben got married on Ben's grandparent's farm in Iowa. Friends and family gathered together to celebrate a super amazing couple, and after the I do's there was nary a dry eye in the house! I might be getting a little misty writing about it right now, that's how special these fellas are to me.
Of course then we all partied down and after the last beer was imbibed a few of us retired to tents and spent the night under the stars on the farm. It was SO MUCH FUN, is what I'm really trying to say.
fashion roundup! katie, me & alli
cute chance is cute
wedding prep buddies / tent in the morning
Other life things worth nothing
-Made my very first batch of jam, strawberry and sriracha flavored. Surprisingly good.
-If you missed out on my buddy Scout Vintage's pop up shop you should feel sad, but not for long, because you can shop online!
-I have been playing Animal Crossing: New Leaf NONSTOP. The addition of QR codes so you can share your custom fashions is such a great idea. In case you're playing, here are great roundups of mens & mostly ladies codes.
-Saw Gravity, was awed and very terrified.
-Read this article on the Twin Cities dating scene, rolled eyeballs so hard they fell out of my head
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
pattern pals #7: halloweenie
Phew! With the start of fall came a whirlwind of developments for me, the largest being a big on-site contract job that requires a somewhat lengthy commute. As such I've let this poor bloggie slip to the side, poor little thing!
No matter, Katie and I have plans, PLANS I TELL YOU - and one of them was to make a new pattern celebrating the spooky season. Here, take some freebie wallpapers of my haunted crow pattern:
And I've got an almost all black everything spooktacular outfit to go along with it. Incidentally if anyone wants to buy me all these things I would be very thankful.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
inspire/invite
I'm really starting to get into stationery, folks. A few wedding invites under my belt and now I want to do it all. It allows for hand drawn type and fun colors and cute things. So yesterday I decided I was going to challenge myself by making a small trend board for a theoretical party and then create an invite to go along with it.
It was so much fun. SO MUCH FUN, this is the kind of thing that I think is fun. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!
Just kidding! Nothing is wrong with me, I just like drawing fun fall harvest party things. And hey - if you're planning on hosting a harvest party you're in luck, because this baby has a nice big empty box for you to fill in the details via photoshop/word/mspaint/a pen.
Download the hi-res file
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
table setting
Hooray! I've finished up another project from the freelance files that I can now show to you. The Heavy Table is my go to blog for all things food related in the Twin Cities - I trust their opinion dearly, going so far as to order the flavor of ice cream they liked from the ice cream place around the corner. They're also behind so many exciting food related projects, the most recent one being the Secret Atlas of North Coast Foods. It was already fully funded on Kickstarter (woo!) when I got the call to supply some spot images of random foods found all across this fair land.
Whatever, HANDS IN THE AIR DON'T CAREEEE (insert appropriate emoji here). How about you just enjoy this sampling of some of the images that I included on my website and buy that dang book as soon as it's out! And then hire me to make some food illustrations for you, because IT IS SO FUN.
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