Hygge Greeting Cards

July 12, 2010 // kristen // 2 replies

Wow! These Hygge greeting cards at Lagom (UK) have just shot straight to the top of my wishlist. Hygge is a Danish word that, translated means “coziness” and “tranquility”, and that’s exactly what I’m feeling when I look at these. The tonal blue and white palette is perfect, reminiscent of Delftware, which I also love. I guess my blue obsession does, indeed, go beyond navy. Lagom ships worldwide, and I may be picking up several of these cards not only to give, but also to frame and hang on the wall.

images from Lagom

INK + WIT Birch Wood Print

July 09, 2010 // kristen // 0 replies

I think that we all struggle from time to time with negative, chaotic emotions and internal chatter that can bring us down and define us if we’re not careful, which is why I love this “Pull Your Weeds Plant Good Seeds” birch wood print by INK + WIT. The print is a reminder that we need to constantly be pulling those weeds (i.e., negative thoughts and emotions) and, in their place, “planting” emotions like hope and compassion.

Read more about the inspiration behind this print at the INK + WIT blog.

images from INK + WIT

Roll & Tumble Letterpress Eat & Drink Prints

July 08, 2010 // kristen // 1 replies

I’m really digging these letterpress Eat and Drink prints from Roll & Tumble Press. Inspired by tattoo art and created from hand carved woodcuts, the prints have an ultra masculine feel that bring to mind dark wood, humidors, and leather chairs. I think these would make a great addition to the walls of restaurants, kitchens, or “man caves”. Available for purchase separately or in a set.

images from Roll & Tumble Press

Quilled Marriage Certificate by Ann Martin

July 07, 2010 // kristen // 3 replies

Ann Martin, master quill-stress and blogger of all things paper, recently created this absolutely gorgeous quilled marriage certificate for a North Carolina beach wedding. I love the soft, pastel colors found in the quilled paper floral motif and think that this is such a lovely detail to include as part of one’s wedding. The poster-sized certificate can be used in place of the guest book and can be framed and hung in the couple’s home as a reminder of the special day.

Marriage certificates are Quaker by tradition, but the idea is beginning to catch on for all types of weddings. Certificates are often painted, but Ann adds her own special twist by creating motifs in quilled paper, which gives a wonderful dimensional quality to the certificate. Quaker certificates typically feature the couple’s vows in calligraphy and are signed by the couple and two witnesses, as well as guests during the wedding. By signing, guests are pledging their steadfast support of the couple in marriage. In non-Quaker weddings, guests can sign right after the ceremony or when they arrive at the reception.

If you’re interested in having a custom marriage certificate created for your wedding, you can contact Ann via her blog, and she encourages those interested in crafts and diy projects to give it a try yourself. You can check out her Quilling 101 tutorial to get started, and she also has a number of project specific tutorials over at all things paper. Seeing her tutorials really makes me want to break out my quilling paper and tools and create something!

images from Ann Martin; calligraphy by Riva Brown of Living Letters Studio (Wilmington, DE)

Sol Linero

July 07, 2010 // kristen // 1 replies

I spotted the work of illustrator Sol Linero on design work life the other week and was instantly taken with pretty much every single thing that she’s created, especially the alphabet print below, available for purchase through L’Affiche Moderne.

You can also pick up a number of her silkscreened art prints at her Etsy shop, and her Flickr stream is brimming with retro modern eye candy. The palettes, the style, the typography — I could look for hours!

A few tea-centric prints from Sol Linero’s Etsy shop: