anika mari + i'm back!

good morning, friends! i'm back from sunny (well, foggy) california, and i am happy to tell you that my wedding plans are coming together beautifully. i spent 4 days doing things like renting tables/chairs/dishes, buying candles and glass holders, walking around the beach figuring out how everything will be placed and how it's all going to work, going to my fabulous wedding shower, and soaking up the sun in my fiancé's parents' backyard. it was a highly successful and relaxing trip, and i'm *so excited* for the wedding. it's just a month away!!

i'm also excited to share these drawings and sewn leaves by anika mari with you-- we recently became friends on flickr, and i can't get enough of her work. isn't that top piece stunning? i'd love to have it framed on my wall.

and i *love* her series of sewn leaves. they're so delicate and interesting. these are just 2 of them-- you can see more here, and also a lot more of her work on her flickr page and blog. 

enjoy!

another short break (this time i'm going to california!)

my dear sweet readers, i'm leaving you again! can you believe it? 

i'm hopping on a plane this morning to palos verdes, california to do some wedding-related things (including going to a bridal shower that is bring thrown for me!!) because my wedding is in 5 weeks-- WHAT??? oh my goodness!

so you can picture me all weekend running around southern california with my dear fiancé's mom, tasting cakes, buying fabric and jars for candles and flowers, renting tables/chairs/dishes, figuring out how everything will be laid out on the beach where we're getting married, possibly getting showered with embarrassing gifts..... it's going to be great.

so i'll be back here blogging with a vengeance on tuesday-- i hope your weekend is full of fun and relaxation!

{image via maralina!'s flickr photostream}

animation: firekites "autumn story" by yanni kronenberg

ok, i want you to prepare yourself before you watch this animated music video by yanni kronenberg, because you'll likely be as blown away as i am. it is just simply *beautiful*, and i don't quite know what to say.

not to mention the song, by an australian band called firekites, with whom i'm surely about to become obsessed.

i hope you enjoy it. i think i'll be watching it all day long....

beautiful artwork at yes gallery & studio

as promised, here is some of the beautiful artwork at yes gallery & studio in warren, RI.

i was absolutely captivated by these waterolor pieces by alyn carlson-- they are so incredible up close. you can see more on alyn's flickr page. (her photos are way better than mine, too!)

below are some crazy-amazing wire "drawings" by c.w. roelle. i have no idea how he does it, but they are really something in person-- see more on his flickr page.

(and that is monkey below the wire pieces, hanging out in the gallery! he's leigh's, and the sweetest dog ever.)

below are some embroidered pieces by joetta maue-- also outstanding in person. i'd seen her work on etsy before, but it was alltogether a different experience seeing them up close and personal.

and last but not least, i loved these hanging sculptures by doubleparlour. they are so quirky and fabulous!

you can contact leigh at yes gallery & studio if you are interested in knowing more about any of this work-- she'd be happy to chat with you!

i'm back!

hi friends! i'm back from rhode island, and goodness, it was such a fun weekend! my show opening on friday night at yes gallery & studio went marvelously-- you can see some shots of my work hanging below, and the photo above is the outside of the gallery. isn't that building amazing?

this is a photo from the opening-- i am in the middle in the gray dress, and next to me (in black & white) is leigh, the gallery owner. she is too wonderful for words! the other 2 women are georgia (left) and judith (right), who work in the gallery.

i was in love with the shadow that the sign on the window made-- it would just make me happy to see it on the floor every day! such a positive reminder.

i'll post more about the gallery later today and some of the fabulous work there-- it was such an inspiration.

a teeny blog break + a show!

my dears, as you read this i'm on my way to the airport to go to providence, rhode island where my show "connect/intersect" is opening at yes gallery and studio this friday night!!

if you are in the area and would like to check out the show, i would love to meet you! the opening is friday june 19th, from 6-8:30 pm.

it'll be a little quiet around the blog until i get back on monday afternoon-- but please feel free to dig through the archives, as there are some real gems buried in there!

hope to see you friday night!! and if i don't see you, have a fantastic weekend, and i'll meet you back here next week. deal? ok, good. :)

molly b bikinis

i live in georgia. it is quite hot here in the summertime, and HUMID. needless to say, a dip in the pool can bring some much needed relief in this weather!

so imagine my excitement when molly of san diego-based molly b bikinis contacted me about her bathing suits. first of all, i haven't gotten a new bikini in years. second of all, her suits are adorable, and entirely handmade!

molly makes each suit by hand, and she has so many styles to choose from that it was really hard to decide which one i wanted! ultimately i decided on this bandeau-style bikini, which arrived in my mailbox yesterday, and i am completely in love with it. i tried it on immediately, and it fits me just right and is totally cute. i can't wait to wear it to the pool! (and to the beach-- ryan and i are planning to go to florida for the 4th of july, so i'll be able to test it out in the ocean waves.)

if you are in the market for a new bikini, i would HIGHLY recommend molly b-- check out her etsy shop to see her many styles of suits, and support a fantastic independent artist in the process! (plus, do you really want another bikini from target or old navy? i didn't think so.) :)

you can also follow molly on twitter, if you are a twitterer. and if you aren't a twitterer, why the heck aren't you? it's fun!

*huge thanks to molly for making my dream bikini for me!!*

my free desktop wallpaper at kindred

my dears, i've been excitedly waiting to tell you about this, and now today i can, because holly and ez (of decor8 and creature comforts, respectively) unveiled the kindred summer edition yesterday-- and i'm thrilled to tell you that they asked me to create one of the 10 free desktop wallpapers!

if you don't know, kindred is a collaborative site between ez and holly, and they invite a select group of artists each season to create free desktop wallpapers, which are free for the world to enjoy!

here is the wallpaper i created:

isn't it summery and fun? it just makes me think of fruit! (and if you want to know a secret, that girl on the right is drawn from a photograph of myself...)

you can click here to download mine and the 9 other gorgeous wallpapers by verrrrry talented ladies. believe me, you're going to have a hard time choosing which one to use first- they're al beautiful!

*big thanks to holly & ez for inviting me to participate-- i'm honored and thrilled to be there!*

a finished commission for a family

this painting is being popped in the mail today to make its way across the country to its recipient. have i mentioned how much i love doing commissions? the premise of this one was to represent this family at this time in their lives. isn't that special?

if you are interested in a commissioned piece, please don't hesitate to contact me! i'll give you the deets if you so desire.

alice stevenson

good morning, dears!
i can't think of a better way to start off this new week than with these *gorgeous* and amazing illustrations and patterns by alice stevenson. oh boy, am i ever crazy about her work. i think it's simply perfect! her sense of color is incredible, and i think i might be staring at these beauties all day long.

visit her website to see many more where these came from. wowza, i'm completely floored.

projections by jenny holzer

these projection photos by jenny holzer are so mysterious and strange to me.... can you imagine happening upon something like this, projected on the side of a hill or onto the side of a building? it would be incredible, and moving, too, i think. it makes me wonder if she does this anonymously, or if the projections are big, publicized events.

there isn't any information about the projections on jenny's website, but there are tons of images to browse through, and they're all fantastic. i also learned a bit more about jenny and her work here and here, and now i'm totally fascinated by her!

stephanie homa (aka: C A K E on flickr)

i'm totally and completely enamored of this piece by Stephanie Homa (C A K E.)
just look at that rainbow behind the word 'disappear.' perfect.

see more of stephanine's work on her flickr page and website.

printable list-making sheets in my etsy shop

i am a serious list-maker. i make lists for everything-- grocery lists, to-do lists, errand lists, long-term goal lists, everything. and i figure many of you are probably the same way. am i right?

well, i made these cute little printable list-making sheets that are now for sale in my shadow juniper etsy shop (my all-digital shop)! there's one for each day of the week, and you can print out as many as you please.

the illustrations are my 'daily girls,' and they will help make your tasks cuter and more fun to do.
really, they will!

there are other fun printable things in the shop, too, which you can find right here.

marie walgraeve

i'm really enjoying marie walgraeve's style this morning-- it feels like the way that i always wish i could draw, but never do. her work feel so loose and free, but her lines are so confident at the same time. i'm smitten!

lucky for me she has lots of links to browse through. here is a list:

*website *flickr *coroflot *carbonmade *myspace

{i think this one might be my favorite...}

andrew hudson

i *really* love these pieces by andrew hudson. i can't stop looking at them. oh andrew, open a shop so i can purchase these beauties. please!

for now, i'll admire them on his flickr page, which is almost as good as admiring them on my wall.

interview at orange alert

this is just a quick note to let you know there is an interview up that i did with chicago-based orange alert today-- check it out and you can learn a little more about yours truly. ;)

scrap paper packs in the etsy shop!

this is something i've been meaning to do for a long time and finally got around to today-- i've had a bunch of paper scraps accumulating from projects i've done with my patterns, and i made them into scrap paper packs to sell in my etsy shop!

the packs are 5x7", and the pieces vary in size from very small (about 1/2"x2" up to 4x6"ish), and all the paper contained are my unique patterns. so you won't find these anywhere else! these bottom 2 photos show you what is contained in one pack-- lots of variation!

CLICK HERE to snap one up-- i only have 5, so get 'em while the gettin's good!

UPDATE 06/10/09: all packs are sold! stay tuned for more in the future.....

wings. strings. meridians: a blighted bestiary-- a book by tara jane o'neil

total awe. these drawings are *beautiful.* i discovered this book by tara jane o'neil over at buyolympia.com, and i'm totally and completely smitten. it's published by yeti publishing, whose selection of books and magazines looks just astounding. have any of you seen one of their books or mags in person? i'm seriously tempted to buy this right now. it comes with a CD, too, of tara jane's music!

you can buy the book and other yeti publications here and here,
and see more of tara's work here.

enjoy!

laura kicey

oh boy. this is one of those times where i fall in love with something so much that i don't even know what to write about it. the color..... oh my, it's magical. these pieces are"constructs" by laura kicey, and i can't get enough.

good thing she has a website, blog, flickr page, and etsy shop where i can stalk her gorgeous images. WOW. unreal.

bon iver

good morning! monday monday monday.
i woke up smiling this morning thinking about the bon iver show i saw last night here in atlanta. oh my GOODNESS, it was incredible. they were already at the top of my list of favorite bands, but MAN, seeing them play live made me love them even more. one thing that really struck me (besides the music, of course) was how grateful they were towards the audience. they seemed genuinely happy to be there and appreciative that we'd all come out to the show. it was awesome.

this was by far the highlight of my weekend. if you've never listened to them, i highly suggest buying for emma, forever ago right now. justin vernon's voice will slay you. there's really nothing quite like it.

what did you do this weekend?
xxx

ps- that cat he's holding looks a lot like my kitty, anika. just sayin.

a finished commission + yay for friday!

goodness, is anyone else really glad that it's friday? this has been quite the week! it's felt extra long, i think, since i was at ICE all last weekend, so i didn't have a chance to relax much. needless to say, there'll be some relaxing happening this weekend!

this is a shot of a commissioned painting i just finished-- it's going in the room of these two sweet little boys, who are obsessed with cars! i've never really painted a boyish painting before, soit was a fun challenge.

just so you know, if you are interested in a commissioned piece, i am always open to discuss possibilities. i love creating special pieces for people! just send me an email anytime.

*have a great weekend- i'll see you on monday!*

umbrella jellyfish

for some reason i was thinking about jellyfish this morning, and i remembered a friend's halloween costume from when we were kids (she made a jellyfish out of an umbrella,) so i thought i'd do a good ol' google search to see what i could find. and look at these gorgeous photographs by shadowplay on flickr that popped up! i love these. it makes me want to incorporate jellyfish umbrellas into my wedding somehow..... but that might be too much. i think we're going to have a photobooth type set-up for fun photographs in addition to our lovely roaming photographer, somaybe a jellyfish umbrella would fit into that scenario? what do you think? cheesy? awesome?

{more of shadowplay's photographs can be found here.}

drawstring bags by three by sea

i really love these drawstring bags by three by sea (especially the top one.) i think i'm longing for the beach these days, and everything in the shop is so beachy and summery that i just can't get enough! i'd love to stick a bikini one of these bags, toss it in my luggage, and be off to the ocean for a long weekend.

i am only a 4 or 5 hours from the ocean.... what am i waiting for? perhaps over 4th of july weekend i'll kidnap the ole fiancé, throw him in the car, and drive to the beach. sounds like fun, yes?

check out more from three by sea right here!

lydia meiying

it was instant infatuation when i discovered lydia meiying's work yesterday. not to mention that the name lydia is pretty much my favorite name ever.

these colors are just perfection!

lydia has a lovely portfolio over on flickr, as well as on her website-- i'd love to see her patterns all over the place... notebooks, pillows, fabric, you name it!

zeixs: the most gorgeous design books

i think you all know that i'm pretty obsessed with pattern design, so imagine my excitement when i received an email about this new book that's being published by zeixs, a publishing company based in germany. they publish the most gorgeous design books, and this pattern design book is their next project.

here's the premise of the book, as stated on zeixs' website:

patterns are everywhere-- on paper or cloth, as a wallpaper or on wrapping material. patterns can be strictly abstract and geometrical or concrete, multicoloured or monochrome. sometimes they serve as a background, sometimes as a coating. regardless if they're stark and restrained, or flowery and colourful-- we're looking for patterns of all kinds and dimensions.

the deadline for submitting work passed a couple of days ago (i should've posted this last week, darn!)-- i'll be anxious to see all the designs in the book when it's published.

a few of zeixs' other books that look especially fabulous, in my opinion:





check out the rest of their publications on their website-- they're very tempting indeed!

my t-shirt for sale on shirt.woot!

you guys! i have a t-shirt for sale today at shirt.woot! i designed this several months ago, and was excited when they emailed me a couple days ago to say my shirt would be up for sale today. yay!

if you've never been over to shirt.woot before, it's a very cool site- each shirt they sell is up and featured on the site for just 24 hours, and they are just $10!

after midnight tonight, the shirt will be available right here (still on the site, just not the front page feature.)

go on over and check it out, and leave a comment if you'd like! (make sure you check out all the comments... there are some *mean* ones! sheesh, people, there's a difference between constructive criticism and being just plain mean!)

i just ordered one, so pretty soon i'll be rocking my own design. yeah!

daren newman (aka: me & my pen)

daren newman's work is nothing short of amazing. if i could do the things he does with a pen, i don't think i'd ever leave my studio. seriously. just look at the hand-drawn typography! WOW.

you can find more of daren's work on his website, me & my pen.

photography: stephanie thomas

i think i'm on a photography kick so far this week- aren't these ones AMAZING? they're by stephanie thomas, who uses so many different types of cameras and film that it makes me jealous to look at this list! it imakes me want to break out my holga camera and start snapping some pics.

i don't even know what else to say... i'm in awe. go have a look around stephanie's flickr page-- her images are truly beautiful and intriguing!

my wedding invitations

now that my wedding invitations are *finally* finished and mailed out, i thought i would post some pics here for you to see! our wedding is 2 months from today, and i'm sort-of in shock about it. we've been engaged for a year and a half, so the wedding has felt really far away for a long time. but all of a sudden it's really SOON!

anyway, here are our invitations. i designed and printed it all, and ryan helped me put them all together. he was also a huge help in getting the wedding animation i made onto DVDs to include with the invitations-- i love how the front of the DVD looks so pretty that it will be a surprise when they pop it in to watch! (i put the animation on youtube yesterday, too, if you're interested...)

i loved designing these so much-- it'd be so fun to have a side business design wedding invitations, or even wedding animations for couples! wouldn't that be crazy?

erick hoffmann (aka: _pumpernickel)

these photographs are most incredible, don't you think? erick hoffmann uses all different sorts of cameras in his photography (holga, diana, polaroid, disposable...), and i think his work is just beautiful. i'd love to have a series of these hung on a wall somewhere in my house.

if you are having a lazy monday morning like i am, i'd suggest browsing through his flickr stream-- such beauty.