Artist Spotlight: Liz Tamanaha

When I had a severe case of the digital scrapbooking bug, I came across some of Liz Tamanaha's digital products at Paislee Press. But then I forgot what great design she does! She's an "artist" mostly in the sense of scrapbooking and memory keeping (both things which I love), but her scrapbooks are way more than just scrapbooks. They're definitely art. They are very creative, have a simple, memorable look, and look very "designy" to me - like a hands-on paper version of graphic design. I'm quite a fan of her work. So I'm excited to share some with you today!

Let's start with a screenshot of Liz's website. I really love it.

The colors are some of my favorites (yellow, white, and gray), and I love the way the design is simple, bright, and minimal while still having enough information on it. Some websites are really overstimulating, and others are so trimmed down that you can't even figure out what the name of the site is. This is a really good balance. And Liz's branding overall is really cool. I love the typography and the fun camera icon.

Here are two examples of her "press cards"—digital products that can be used in traditional scrapbooking, too. I really like the simple, graphic style of these. They're designed for Project Life, but they could easily be used for other album formats, too.

read about these

read about or buy these

The stripe design is really fun, and I like how it takes different forms on the different cards. It provides some variety, but they all coordinate really well together. The simple, black and white design is a perfect accent for a journaling card that will probably have a lot of words on it.

I really love Liz's scrapbooking. It's so simple and clean, but very warm and cheerful, too. Here are some images from her December Daily album.

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I love the neutral colors and how the album has such a designy feel to it, as well as how paper and digital elements are combined in this "hybrid" scrapbook. The use of white space is especially nice.

Her Project Life album (here and here) is also really nice. Again, I love the neutral colors and the combination of minimalism and warmth. The neutral color scheme really draws attention to her pretty photos.

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And I love her title page. The kraft color and doily combination is so creative. I like that a lot!

I like how Liz chose to use some red in this layout to pick up the colors in her photos—great idea!

Again, simple, cozy design—and notice those press cards! I really like the woodgrain paper in this layout.

read about this

Do you all like Liz's designs? I'd love to know what you think and if you have any favorites from the things I've featured!

link: paislee press

Sycamore Street Press

I heard about Sycamore Street Press recently and I wanted to show you a few of their fun letterpress items today. Their shop is full of lovely letterpress items! Here are a few favorites:

This card is witty and cute.

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I like the typography, too. It's not a font I recognize, but it's a good one. This next card is so fun and retro! I love the cheerful look.

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The typography is very vintage looking, and I love the stripes going towards the middle. So cool! I love how the letterpress technique made that little gradient effect with the stripes, too. This garland is such a fun idea. I love how eclectic and funky it is.

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This would be great for a party decoration or even to keep up all the time! This is a cute, kid-friendly alphabet poster.

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I like the simple, sans serif font and the bright orange letters! And finally, a fun vintage camera print. This one is very cool.

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I like how, even though the print is in black and white, it's interesting because of all the shapes in the cameras. I also like how they're lined up on a grid to keep things orderly.

Do you like Sycamore Street Press? Feel free to check them out for yourself if you'd like.

Artist Spotlight: Paige Foley

I found Paige Foley's work through Design Work Life, and when I checked out her portfolio, I loved it. She has so many great pieces in it and her design skills are great! And besides, she likes to dance in art museums. How cool is that? I want to show you a few of her projects, but for more, please check out her whole portfolio.

First up: identity and packaging for Eskell, a clothing boutique. I love the color scheme and the pretty packaging.

The style reminds me a little bit of Anthropologie. Very funky and cute. The typography on the logo itself is really nice - it's recognizable and looks unique. I love the texture on the tags, the handwritten prices, and the yarn tying the box. All such simple but nice touches!

Another project I like a lot is the logo and packaging for Abbey Brown soaps. Similar to the Eskell packaging, this has a little bit of an indie, vintage look that I really like.

I love the handwritten type, the natural, earthy looking pattern, the soft but rich colors, and the presentation of the packaging. This is a really strong design overall. Good logo, good application, good type—everything.

The logo and packaging Paige designed for Uncle Dan's outdoor store is also quite good. I love seeing logos with their applications and print items right beside them.

I like the way this design combines an outdoorsy look with a modern style. It's a really good balance. The handwritten type mixed with the sans serif font is a nice contrast, and I love the natural, rough feeling the corrugated cardboard tags add. So cool!

Finally, the prints she designed for Eat Local Chicago are really fun. I love the happy, cheerful illustration and the bright colors.

Isn't that handwritten typography nice, too? And I love the way Paige designed the food to look like the state of Illinois—how creative and charming. I think my favorite poster has to be the steak one (left, first image). Looks yummy!

All in all, I love Paige Foley's laid back, skillful style. I'm really glad I came across her work. What do you all think of it?

link: paige foley

Geometric Trio

Saw these three things in this treasury on Etsy, and I loved how they all match in their cool, geometric patterns. This type of pattern is so fun!

geometric wood candlesticks by urban analog

rorstrand sweden cups and saucers by atomic alley

geometric porcelain vase by natalia gruszecka

Weekend Links 2/3

+ floral charms push pins

From Ruche.
These are very cute! I like the patterns a lot.

+ loyal loot

Via Fossil.
These log bowls by Loyal Loot are so much fun. I love the contrast between the rough bark outside and the smooth, shiny, ceramic inside.

+ yield coffee table

From CB2.
This coffee table is so fun. I love the mix of yellow and industrial metal.

+ new desktop wallpapers

Via Fossil.
Fossil has some new desktop wallpapers out that are neat. I used this "typography" one on my computer.

+ rememberings

By Bravo Company via Design Work Life.
This is a cute and helpful idea: plastic rings to use to remind yourself of things, instead of tying a string around your finger. I like it.

+ mason top zip bag

Via Fossil.
A new cross-stitch friendly bag from Fossil. It's pricey, but I like the idea of customizing it with cross stitch.

Do you have a favorite weekend link from today?

Blogging Tip: Dashes

I'm working part time as a communications assistant. I love it and I'm learning so much about writing and the communications world. So I wanted to share something that I've learned with you all today, something that has come in really handy in my own blogging. And that's dashes.

Ever since I learned at work that different dashes have different uses, I've been a big advocate of correct dash use. There are three basic kinds of dashes: hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes. I'm no expert, but I thought I'd share how I think of each one.

First up, hyphens. They're the easiest to use, but also the ugliest and least useful in graphic design.

Now for some territory that is probably less familiar: en dashes.

And finally, my favorite dash of all, the em dash. I forgot to put this in the image, but understandably, em dashes got their names from supposedly being the same width as an uppercase M.

So that's all well and good, right? Hooray for dashes! But they won't do us much good unless we can use them. And the good news is that with just a tiny little bit of HTML code, we can use them in blogs and website. Yippee! Here's a quick cheat sheet explaining what to do to get each dash in your blog.

I used to use hyphens - like this - in place of dashes—like this—but now that I've figured out the quick and easy way to use real dashes, I'm definitely a fan. I personally think using real dashes in blogs give posts a more polished look.

Quick note: I know the code for en and em dashes looks really weird, but that really is what you do: ampersand, ndash/mdash, and then a semicolon.

Was this post helpful, or irritatingly nerdy? :) Would you all be interested in some more HTML related posts? I don't know much, but I'm learning little by little and I'm happy to share things along the way. Let me know what you think.

Artist Spotlight: Ansel Adams

When I asked for ideas for inspiring artists awhile back, Ellie mentioned Ansel Adams. I was already a little familiar with his photographs, and he truly was an amazing photographer. So I decided to feature him in my artist spotlight series, and I looked up his photographs online. There are tons of images to be found through the National Archives, and I came across some that I'd never seen before. If you've seen any of Ansel Adams' work, you've probably seen the big, sweeping, beautiful landscapes. Those are amazing, but as I looked through the archives page, I found that he did a lot more than that. So I tried to pick a nice variety of his photos to feature.

This is what I think of when I think of Ansel Adams. A gorgeous black and white nature image that really shows the magnificence of the scene. I like the shadows in this image a lot.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

I love the composition and contrast in this image. The mountaintop is aligned to the rule of thirds grid, which makes for a strong composition. In drawing, when you're using pencil, you want to get a "full value range" by shading different shades of gray from white all the way to almost black. This photo really embodies that concept. The mountaintop is almost black, while the sky just above it is almost completely white.

Coloseum Mountain, King's River Canyon, California

I like these next few images because they hold true to my own experiences. Burned forests I've seen in national parks really do look like this. And geysers in Yellowstone National Park (I saw Old Faithful) really do look like this. I guess it shouldn't surprise me, but I think it's wonderful and amazing that a black and white photo from quite a few decades ago gives such a realistic image of life.

Burned area, Glacier National Park, Montana

Castle Geyser Coye, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

One thing that surprised me a little was to see two close up images of nature in the midst of all of Ansel Adam's wide angle, sweeping landscape photography. This is so different from the well-known Ansel Adams photographs, but it's an excellent image nonetheless. The contrast is very nice.

In Glacier National Park, Montana

I have a thing for power line pictures and power lines as graphic elements. I'm not sure why, but I just really like them. I guess the way they contrast with the sky and incorporate clear lines is nice. I had no idea Ansel Adams took pictures of power lines, though! This one is great. The black and white values are excellent.

Transmission Lines in Mojave Desert, 1941

I love this picture because it has people in it. The cave itself is fascinating, I'm sure, but there's something to seeing the huge rocks compared with people that really drives the scene home. Of course it's also fun to see their vintage outfits. I also really love the composition in this image. The people are aligned nicely on the rule of thirds grid.

The Rock of Ages, Big Room, Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

Ansel Adams' images of pueblos are great, as well. The deep shadows in this one make it look very deep and moody.

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

I really like this image of a church. The perspective Adams used is so creative: looking through one door to see another door.

Church, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942

Some of my favorite images I found on the Ansel Adams archive are these ones of children. I didn't know he took any portraits since I always saw landscapes, but these are so precious. I love these little girls' smiles!

At San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico, 1942

This is such a great portrait as well. It has great composition, but what I love about this one and the one above is that they are so real. We talk about "lifestyle portraiture" today, but it sure isn't a new thing. Ansel Adams had it down pat.

Navajo Girl, Canyon de Chelle, Arizona

I'll end with what may be my favorite Ansel Adams image. Maybe it's "just another landscape," but I think it's special. There's something about the crispness of this photo, the contrast, the light, the shadows, and the visible texture of the rocks that is just wonderful. It looks living, like a real place.

Canyon de Chelle, Arizona

I hope you like Ansel Adams' work as much as I do. His work is almost legendary and has certainly passed the test of time. Do you have a favorite photograph that I featured?

link: ansel adams archive