Have a great weekend!

It's feeling quite spring like here - lots of pussy willows and robins! I think I'm going to jump into my wee car and take a drive south of here tomorrow and do some treasure hunting. I'll take my camera and perhaps I'll have some pictures for Monday - see you then!

Window Shopping | India Rose

I hadn't heard of India Rose until I read about them on Poppytalk the other day. Their products are so lovely, so feminine and pretty - great colour palette too. Here are a few of my favourites. {No those are not dresses - those are laundry bags!- how fun!}

Window Shopping | Furniture at Urban Outfitters

Did you know they sold furniture like this at Urban Outfitters? I absolutely love that sofa. I love a high rolled arm on a sofa because you can get yourself tucked right into the corner and lean your head on the roll while you nap. I also love the almost matching chaise . . very classic and elegant. I had no idea you could get beautiful pieces like this at UO. Also love the print on those drapes - very nice with that sofa I'd say!

Illustration

At this time of the year we get a lot of trade magazines, illustration source books and calls for entrie from design magazines such as Communication Arts. I love to look through the them and swoon over the illustrations. This year I really notice a lot of full-on, traditional looking paintings making the pages and lots of big portraits/faces. I thought that today we could look at some illustrators that have caught my eye recently . . . .

Illustration | Stephen Mackey

Some of you may be familiar with Stephen Mackey's work. He has a line of greeting cards that I really like. I also really enjoy his painting portfolio and I seem to have seen a lot of his work recently. I think you might like it too. There is a hint of William Bouguereau in his paintings which makes them very ethereal and pretty . . . . .

Illustration | Chris Buzelli

Chris's illustration graces the cover of one of the 3 x 3 Magazines in Doug's studio - there is a wonderful feature on Chris's work and his process. Take a look at his portfolio. Chris also has a number of prints for sale on his site too.

Illustration | Marc Burckhardt

I just wanted you to see this illustration by Marc Burckhardt - it's so beautiful and is very representational of his style. There is so much to see on his website - I think you will really enjoy his work.

Inspiration | wall paper

I spent all day yesterday doing paper work - what a waste of a a sunny day. I hate paper work - funny, I'm in the paper industry but I loathe doing paper work! Talking about paper work, have you seen this beautiful wall paper(I always have to ask because I presume I am the last one to see amazing design like this) from Trove ? This is such a clever way to combine modern digital imagery with a traditional decorating material such as wall paper. I am a big fan of old fashioned screen printing for wall paper but I am also very taken with the surreal effect of these dynamic patterns that Trove have created for their collection. Their site is wonderful and they have lots of patterns. 

Inspiration | Textiles

Wonderful patterns from Eley Kishimoto. Eley also has an interesting blog that features details about shows and collections - you might find it a fun read.

Photographer | Jennifer Zahigian

I am really enjoying these images from Oakland artist Jennifer Zahigian, aka Roadside Photographer. Wonderful vintage colours and great old type - thought you might like them too.

Prop Stylist | Robyn Glaser

I love a photograph that I can get lost in - one with so much personality that I can barely believe that it is the product of a commercial photo shoot. Like this fabulous collection from prop stylist and set designer Robyn Glaser.

{I have a secret desire to be a prop stylist - I get very frustrated when I am taking photographs - especially product shots - they make it look so easy don't they?}

Poppytalk | Chanel Couture

Did you see these a couple of weeks ago on Poppytalk? Giant paper flowers at Chanel Couture 2009 (funny, I wasn't invited!) I would have loved to have seen these wonderful decorations. Love the staircase.

Cartolina | Studio news etc.

{We got home rather late last night from the Okanagan so today's post is longer on words shorter on pictures than usual - sorry!}

So it's been very busy at the studio since New York. There have been a lot of orders to get out the door and lots of other stuff in the works. I am still so excited about the Anthropologie order - the labels have arrived(some of the big stores have you apply their price stickers to the back of each item before you ship the order). And we are just about to print the second print run of the notebooks(the Anthropologie order will pretty much clean out the notebook inventory so we have to be ahead of the curve with the printing schedule). As anyone who has a small business knows, you have to anticipate the ebb and flow of orders and, believe it or not, I am just about to sit down and start designing the Christmas cards for 2009. Doug is pleased that the animal cards are selling so well - they are available at Kate's Paperie now and lots of other lovely paper boutiques across the country.( Doug is working on some really interesting illustration at the moment - perhaps I can show you what he's up to later this week. )

We took a quick trip over to BC wine country this weekend to do a little shopping and to start planning the Cartolina expansion into the wine industry (ha! - in our dreams!) We spent a lovely afternoon at the award winning Inniskillin Winery tasting some Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese wines that are still in "discovery" stage at the winery. It's such a great drive through the all the vineyards even at this time of the year. 

Grace at design*sponge has asked me to participate in her regular Sneak Peak feature - which requires me to send her images of our home and studios to post on her blog. I am excited and nervous at the same time. I am honored that Grace would ask me but it has made me pace, nervously, around the house scrutinizing all our stuff  :-(

Our house is rather rustic - after all we do live in the mountains surrounded by trees, on the edge of a lake - it's the kind of house you would expect to see in this setting. And the interior reflects the outdoors - lots of wood and stone and natural colours. Secretly I have actually been wanting to add some colour to our space so I think I will take this opportunity to update a few things with some brighter colours. I have a couple of weeks - so I will let you know how it goes. In the mean time here's some inspiration that is just oozing with colour - some of it a little OTT but I think I can try to incorporate some of these ideas. (The first image is definitely more 'us' than the others.)  I'll keep you in the loop . . . . 

This bright green room above looks more like a window display at Pottery Barn - my friends would wonder why I had put ceiling medallions on the wall - but I do love the contrasts and the drama created in this space - hmmmm drama, maybe it's drama I need?

This blue room is so pretty - but I would have to completely redcorate and that's not really the point of Sneak Peak!

This purple room is just too fun - and so not me - ha!

I love this last image - it just wouldn't work in our house but perhaps in the next place . . . .