after recently reading this interview over on the design files, i immediately fell in love with allison colpoys, a fabulous book designer for penguin. her fresh and artful style makes me long to flip through the pages of any one of these books. in her interview, she discusses her daily routine, the process of designing a book for penguin, some of her inspirations and much, much more. i especially love the handrawn and woodsy feel to alaska, what’s your favorite?

all images: the design files

wrap up: {allison colpoys} {books} {designer} {illustration} {penguin} {publisher}

you’ve probably noticed that quilting isn’t just for your grandmother any more, but have you noticed all the new modern designs that are becoming available? they are full of modern motifs, geometric elements and of course, bright colors! if these quilts get your creative juices flowing, below you’ll find several resources that will simply put you over the top.

books:

1: quilts from the house of tula pink
2: quilting modern
3: denyse schmidt modern quilts traditional inspiration
4: sunday morning quilts
5: the practical guide to patchwork
6: quilts made modern

above quilts:

1: electric slide quilt by thomas knauer
2: herringbone by elizabeth ancel
3: quilt by cluck cluck sew
4: patchwork prism quilt by in color order
5: TNT quilt by melissa richie
6: songs quilt by the joy cottage
7: spiderweb quilt sis boom by 100 billion stars

more modern quilt links:

the modern quilt gild
quilt con
modern quilts unlimited

wrap up: {books} {links} {modern} {projects} {quilting} {quilts} {sew}

when i stumbled across oana befort’s work and blog, my heart strings felt a big ‘ol tug. sometimes you can just tell when someone has a similar spirit, it’s like they see beauty in the same way that you do. i always love it when artists give a sneak peek into their sketchbooks, and i enjoyed oana’s so much that i thought you might as well!

take some time to visit oana’s website and blog for more stunning work, and connect with her on twitter and facebook, too!

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i’m not sure what i love more: scott albrecht’s hand drawn typography or the messages that are written in it. it’s just the way we progress.

visit scott albrecht’s site to see more!

wrap up: {hand drawn} {inspiration} {progress} {scott albrecht} {typography}

i think these watercolor washi tape cards would be a cute, easy and kid friendly project to do. with only a few supplies it would make for a quick project with really pretty results! head on over to momtastic to see more pics and get the full tutorial with step by step instructions.

wrap up: {cards} {diy} {kids} {project} {tutorial} {watercolor}

this week, i have been oohing and ahhing over this sunny san francisco based illustrator, brent couchman. though talented across the board, i’m especially loving his pieces that have a vintage-home-grown kind of feel. i just want to grab my sketchbook and start drawing letters, don’t you?

wrap up: {brent couchman} {hand drawn} {illustration} {lettering} {typography} {vintage}

just in case you needed a little (or a lot of) inspiration. head on over the the magnificent shop, promo pocket to view these and many more!

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this week i had the absolute privilege of trying the new tea for creatives: possibiliteas. started by a creative professional and tea enthusiast, regina brooks found that her custom blends of fine tea, florals and herbs made her feel more centered and had a positive effect on creative output. and guess what- they did for me, too!

for now, they come in three mind-focusing blends: creativitea, productivitea and claritea.

creativitea is made of chamomile, which calms the body and centers the mind and a mixture of lavender and lemon grass which help bring about more focus and insight.

claritea is a honey-gold brew of china green tea which helps you focus, brahmi that helps mental acuity and rosemary, which stimulates memory, balance and mental alertness.

productivitea (my favorite) is a blend of stimulating formosa oolong and nilgiri black teas. rooibos from south africa and organic chocolate from central america which helps fortify and energize.

the sole purpose of possibiliteas? to help enhance creative’s ability to put their imagination to work. a cup of possibiliteas can help bring your dreaming, planning and making all together!

i’ve been having a cup nearly every day, and i have enjoyed so much sitting down with a cup while i sketch or write! in addition to tasting incredibly-amazingly delicious, it really does seem to help my imagination flow!

visit possibiliteas and check out their blog, twitter and facebook pages while you’re at it. i think you’ll fall in love with their mission (and their teas!).

p.s. my sweet glass tea vessel came from one vessel!

wrap up: {creatives} {creativtea} {focus} {herb} {imagination} {organic gardening} {possibilitea} {tea}