MUSE — inspiration blog

How Tuesday- Make a Cocktail Umbrella Lantern

2011-07-26T05:56:00.001-07:00

How-Tuesday: Cocktail Umbrella Lantern from Etsy on Vimeo.

Enrico Fiorentino - typography workshop

2011-07-06T13:27:00.001-07:00

Enrico Fiorentino is an artist in Rome that hand carves in marble. More...

Wimbledon — Federer vs. Nadal.

2011-06-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Lonny — office makeover!

2011-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

I am so jealous… I want an office like this someday. I love the black and white with pops of yellow.

thread & paper illustration

2011-06-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Design Sponge @ Home — Book!

2011-06-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Design Sponge at Home (Official Book Trailer) from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.

Cutest Ads- This week!

2011-06-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

J-Crew Factory & Kate Spade Sunglasses emails. I love the illustrations.

Moniquilla

2011-06-24T13:04:00.001-07:00

Visit the moniquilla blog.

Fun Floors

2011-06-24T08:39:00.001-07:00

PANTONE colors

2011-06-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

PANTONE introduces 175 new colors for PANTONE FASHION + HOME

June Muse

2011-06-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

1. V&A PRINTS — Whimsy Floral Painting by Edouard Benedictus. France, 1930

2. I love this floral EMERSON MADE necklace...

... why not DO IT YOURSELF!?

3. ALICE B. GARDENS PHOTOGRAPHY — Adorable beach umbrella & other prints on her etsy site.

4. Blazing Poppies Wallpaper — at ANTHROPOLOGIE

Kate's color of the month

2011-06-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

GOLD!! "June is filtered through deborah’s golden lens"

IKAT DIY

2011-06-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Do it yourself adorable block printed Ikat pillow- I found this cute project on Design Sponge.

Toms New Vision

2011-06-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

Toms expanded from shoes to eyewear. Each pair of glasses benefits a person in need. Check out the video or check out the site.

Elle Magazine highlights Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur

2009-05-04T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Beginning with her bedding and then the recent addition of Target furniture and stationery, as well as curtains for the Shade Store in New York City, Christiane Lemieux, DwellStudio’s creative director, has concocted a winning formula. A playfulness lurks beneath her clean, graphic style that makes it as warm as it is cool. Her secret ingredient is India. Trips there give her the retinal reboot she needs to marry the unexpected with the calm in her collections. Here’s her short list."
www.elle.com

Letterpress Documentary

2009-04-11T20:32:00.000-07:00

tom's letterpress workshop.

2009-04-11T10:54:00.001-07:00

Tom had a workshop for our chapter of aiga, in the past the graphic design program learned how to use the letterpress machine we have in our studio, but now it is not being used. Since there was a lot of interest Tom showed us how to letterpress and use the type that is the studio. This is going to be my main workspace for producing my final project.

spoon fabric of the week.

2009-04-10T11:32:00.001-07:00

spoon fabric of the week.

Marimekko New Bag Collection

2009-04-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

"mari's new bags"

Paper Karma Site Goes Live!

2009-03-07T05:31:00.000-08:00

PAPER KARMA was inspired by transitional letterpress and Indian block printing techniques and specialize in one of a kind handmade goods. Expertly drafted from recycled materials, sewn and printed by hand.

Paper Karma was creative as my Senior Thesis, at Miami University as an outlet for my love for letterpress and desire to transform my travel experience in India into art.

Walnut Wallpaper

2009-02-12T08:04:00.000-08:00

Spotted in February 2009, Domino Magazine, Walnut Wallpaper. Pattern design can be studied by breaking down wallpaper and fabrics. Walnut has simple and structured designs, a good reference to develop my own patterns from. www.walnutwallpaper.com

Marimekko Design Process

2009-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Marimekko introduces dozens of new fabric designs each year. The progress of a new design from the sketches to the printed fabric begins with an exchange of ideas and concepts. The designer and the Marimekko interior textile team discuss in what form a design could function best and have the greatest appeal, what kind of soul it could have and in what context it could belong. Designers are not given any instructions or limitations beforehand. Instead, they are free to create and inject their own experiences and views of trends into the patterns. Marimekko’s collections thus achieve a varied and rich range of different worlds of patterns and colours.

The new fabric patterns originate from the creative ideas of the designer and each new fabric is primarily the result of its designer’s creative effort. The work, however, is not complete until the designer and the various professionals of the production process have jointly tested how the ideas function. The final appearance and spirit of the fabric emerge through co-operation with those making the stencils, working in the colour laboratory and running the printing machines. At Marimekko, all who participate in the production process are among the best in their own fields.

Anna Danielsson, Textile Designer for Marimekko

2009-02-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

Works by the Swedish textile designer Anna Danielsson have been included in the Marimekko collections since the spring of 2001. Among other products, Danielsson has designed furnishing fabrics, kitchen and bathroom products and bags.

Anna Danielsson, how did you become a textile designer?
When I was young, I felt a great need to express myself in ways such as drawing and acting. Later, when I was introduced to the techniques of fabric printing in art school, I realised immediately that this was my language, my way of expressing myself.

Where do you find inspiration for your patterns?
This work actually involves a continuous search for inspiration. The essential thing is to remain open to one’s surroundings. I am a collector, continually gathering all kinds of things and objects that might prove to be “useful” in my work. Literature is one of my sources of inspiration. I love books and I collect books on subjects such as design, art, architecture, African masks, the tattoos of different cultures, plants…

"Indian Textile" by Onkar Kaushal, Jaipur, India

2009-02-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

A Brief Note :-
India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. The origin of Indian textile can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used HOME SPUN COTTON YARN for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro have unearthed house hold items like bone needles and wooden spindles, which amply suggests that home spun cotton was used to make garments.

Around 500 B.C. a courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali met Gautam Buddha. She wore a richly woven semi-transparent saree of muslin cotton, which speaks volumes of technical achievement of the Indian Weaver.

Cotton, silk, satin, brocade and velvet were used to make garments for the royalties and the ordinary person. In the beginning weaving was the most important part of the textile. But later on embroidery of different types, patch work and printing were also used to decorate the fabric.

There were different types of garments used to be made as per the requirement and demand by the royal kings for the different occasion and ceremonies. There were different costumes as robes, wall decoration, trappings, flag & pennants, floor tapestries, curtains, turban and head gears, waist girdles, sarees and duppatas & tents & canopies), woolen shawls.

Kashida from Gujrat, Phoolkari from Punjab , Mochi Work from Cutchh, Zardozi from Avadh and Hyderabad, Zari from Varanasi, Patch Work from Rajasthan, Block Printings and Tie & Dye from Rajasthan & Gujrat, Kalam Kari from South India, Zamdani, Katha Stitch and Baluchari from Bengal, Gara from Surat (Gujrat) Patola Weaving from Gujrat, Jamawar shawls of Kashmir & Hyderbad are some eminent specimen of the textile collection.

We can say with pride and dignity that we have the one of the finest and rarest collection of the Indian textiles of BYE GONE ERA. There are many finest specimen of the costumes fabric from the wardrobe of about 500 princely states of undivided of India, which includes Pakistan and Bangladesh. Collecting, preserving and displaying textiles of the olden time is one of the most tedious & challenging task.

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Onkar Kaushal we met when traveling in India. He owns the Silver & Art Palace store in Jaipur, India. His shop is mostly jewelry on the main floor but he has a huge personal collection of textiles and antiques in the basement and upper floors. Above is an excerpt from the book he is currently in the process of writing.

2009-02-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

"Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun."

— George Scialabba
(From realsimple.com, February 09, 2009)

Color Trends for Spring & Summer 2009

2009-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

I researched the predicted color trends for spring-summer 2009, because my project will be completed in early May. My final piece would reflect the products coming out in stores.
Check out Pantone color trends for Spring 2009 & ciff color trends spring-summer 2009.

indian influenced design

2009-02-04T14:15:00.000-08:00

I found several examples of Indian influenced design in products that are out currently.

2009-02-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

Dan Funderburgh Wallpaper

2009-02-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

2009-02-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

2009-01-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

2009-01-29T10:03:00.001-08:00

2009-01-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

2009-01-27T15:08:00.000-08:00

2009-01-27T08:48:00.001-08:00

Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.
Leo Burnett

2009-01-25T17:59:00.001-08:00

2009-01-25T14:39:00.000-08:00

2009-01-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

2009-01-25T12:18:00.000-08:00

Audrey Hepburn ad for GAP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7p6SHnM1jo

2009-01-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Snow and Graham letterpress coasters.

2009-01-25T11:31:00.000-08:00

9spotmonk prints adorable letterpress cards & stationary on 100% post consumer recycled paper as a part of there “green focus” concept. www.9spotmonk.com