Filed under: Design, Inspirations, Letterpress | Tags: Bethany Heck, End Grain, typography, wood type, woodtype
I love typography and woodtype, Bethany Heck and her End Grain blog, fulfills a void for me where I want to run out and spend my entire life savings on all the gorgeous wood type I can find, but realistically shouldn’t. It is a wonderful exploration of letterforms and letterpress. End Grain found a niche and I love to fall right in it everyday.
ps. I am thinking of changing up what I blog on Thursdays, obviously I love typography and letters, but I am also currently over inspired by the others out there doing handmade. Etsy has stolen my heart again lately and I am finding a lot of things that I would love to chat about … we’ll see where it goes … it may turn into oTHURsday around here for a while.
Filed under: Friends, Inspirations, Life, Mama Monday, Tangents | Tags: 35mm, diana mini, Julie Afflerbaugh, lomography, photography
C and I went hiking on our Thankful Thursday right after music class last week. I had been telling him that we were going to take photos. He has this little plastic one-time-use style camera in the toybox at his Agi’s house and is always chasing us around beckoning “Say Cheese!” I loved photography class in college and had a great teacher, Baldwin Lee. This was real 35mm film photography, developing my own photos in a darkroom, I remember a high grain Illford film being a favorite. I loaded up the old Pentax K1000 with some film that I found, who knows if it is any good {or really where to even get it developed?} We set out and I taught him how to advance the film after each shot. He struggled a little with the weight of this metal beast, but was thrilled with the sound of the shutter. I am thinking of getting him one of these Diana Minis for his birthday. Digital cameras are great, I love the technology, but there is still something special about a limited number of frames and waiting to see the image.
Now for the professional side of photography, my dear friend Julie Afflerbaugh, who has taken photos of C since he was just sitting up, is launching seasonal mini-sessions starting this weekend, email her and get professional shots of your little one at a great price. Check it out:
Filed under: Inspirations, Life, Tangents | Tags: Buttercup, Daffodil, Jonquil, Narcissus, Paperwhite, yellow
If you noticed yesterday’s post, the Year of the Tiger stamp features Narcissus flowers which apparently have significance in the celebration of the New Year in China. Furthermore, note that the special flower of the Rabbit is the Jonquil, which happens to be my favorite flower in the Narcissus family. The BirdDog Press color palette is inspired by the colorful southern culture experienced growin’ up below the Mason-Dixon line, smack-dab in the buckle of the bible belt. Y’all ain’t never heard of a Jonquil? {well, you might call ‘em Daffodils, but either way, it’s a nice shade of “yeller”} And while we’re on the subject, yellow just happens to be C’s favorite color. Do you like how I just tied all of that random information together? Here is a little flower fact sheet in case you are curious about these aforementioned bulbs:
Paperwhite Narcissus
- Narcissus: The term narcissus (Narcissus sp.) refers to a genus of bulbs that includes hundreds of species and literally tens of thousands of cultivars! The Narcissus genus includes daffodils, jonquils, and paperwhites, among many others, so when in doubt, this is the term to use. However, when someone says “Narcissus,” they’re usually referring to the miniature white holiday blooms of Narcissus tazetta papyraceous, known as paperwhites.
Daffodil
- Daffodil: This is the official common name for ANY of the plants that fall into the genus Narcissus. So, if the plant is considered a Narcissus, it is also considered a daffodil as well. However, most people use the term “daffodil” when referring to the large, trumpet-shaped flowers of the Narcissus pseudonarcissus. These are those big, showy, familiar bulbs that bloom in spring that we all know and love.
Jonquil
- Jonquil: This term actually refers to a specific type of daffodil known as Narcissus jonquilla, although the name is often used as a more general term for daffodils in certain parts of the country. They are most easily identified by their dark green, tube-shaped leaves as compared to other types of daffodils which have flat leaves. Jonquils also tend to have clusters of several flowers, instead of just one bloom, along with a strong scent.
Buttercup
- Buttercup: This is actually an incorrect term when referring to daffodils or Narcissus bulbs of any kind. Buttercups are a totally different flower (Ranunculus sp.) that consist of an herbaceous perennial (that can also be an annual) that has small yellow or white flowers with five separate petals. Buttercups also flower in the spring, though they may continue to bloom throughout the summer.
*this information was learned online from Julie Day
Today is Granny Lou’s birthday! I wish I could take her to one of these awesome places {that i just discovered, *gasp!} to celebrate. She is a huge inspiration to me. Happy Birthday Granny Lou!
Filed under: Craft Biz, Inspirations, Life, Tangents | Tags: Shrinky Dinks, valentine
I am blown away by how many people I’ve run into this week that have never heard of Shrinky Dinks! So much fun. We used them on our valentines this year along with funky edge scissors & loads of glitter! I’m bringing this sev’ craft back!
Treehouse Point, Snoqualmie Valley
Oh! what I would give to be able to *wiggle* my nose Bewitched-style, tear down the deck in the back yard and re-purpose it into something like this for C & I to play in. One of these days, I will build a treehouse, for now maybe i’ll settle for this?
Filed under: BirdDog Press, Feedsacks, Handmade Revolution, Inspirations | Tags: Feedsacks
Realizing that many folks have questions regarding my vintage feedsack fabric obsession, … Who gave you feedsack fever? What is the Daily Feedsack all about? Where can I join the Feedsack of the Month Club? When were feedsacks used? Why did they make them out of patterned fabric? and many more. I decided to put a lot of the answers in one place. Once and for all. Available for all to read anytime with a link –What is a Feedsack?– in the upper lefthand corner of my blog. If you have a question that is not answered, please let me know!
Filed under: BirdDog Press, Design, Inspirations | Tags: alphabet, letters, montessori, reading, typography
C is really taking notice of letters these days. Letters, sounds, words, reading, uppercase, lowercase, reading, writing – it is a LOT to take in now that I’m immersed in it. I am noticing with C that he really recognizes letters by their pure shape. He will mistake a U for a C – and really if you look at it sideways … it is! or W for M, L for 7, A for V, u for n, 2 for Z … I am fascinated by the way children learn, especially my own. Do all children see letters this way? How do you keep this ability to see things in their purest form and still function in society to read & write? Some days I would love to see the letters for what they really are. To not have too much meaning, sound, label or correct/incorrect attached to them, ahhhh, but then a lot of that is the beauty – typography, books, language …
Apartment Therapy’s Ohdeedoh blog recently posted this Montessori alphabet and received some really interesting comments on the subject of teaching the alphabet to children.
Filed under: BirdDog Press, Design, Inspirations | Tags: color trends, colorscheme, Pantone, puma, purple
What inspires your color choices? Hues that amuse you? I wouldn’t ordinarily call myself a “purple person” but I do own these shoes and was drawn to this color-scheme for printing this week.
