Warm Weather Knits

It is finally getting really, predictably warm outside now, hooray! That apparently didn't stop me from doodling something that looked a little bit like a chunky cable knit sweater...

So I tried something new to add a little color.

I thought these would make some fun cards, etc.

I may end up printing and hanging them in our new basement. What do you think?

Today is a great day!

I was really inspired this week by this interview with designer Lisa Congdon, a kick-ass illustrator and surface designer. So I've been spending some time practicing my hand lettering. It's something I end up doing a lot naturally when I'm doodling, but I haven't really thought about combining them.

Here's a tasting of some practice alphabets. True story, I love writing the alphabet in script over and over. As demonstrated here. I know that's weird but maybe weird in a good way?

Here's another example where I combined lettering and my usual eye-melting handmade patterns. Too bad I didn't have anything more interesting to say... hmm.

Oh wait, here's something more interesting to say... its a theoretical logo for my blog if I was more grown up and less snarky. My alter-ego is so sophisticated ;o)

Adventures in Logo Design (AKA Gifts for Homebrewers)

I feel like at this point in my relationship with Kevin, I should be able to write a book on "Gifts for Homebrewers." This year, I decided to get creative and up the ante... customized Battery Brewing swag!

I started with some basics from Zazzle and Cafe' Press like stickers, magnets and a key chain. I designed a lovely poster with some choice pics of the Battery Brewing team in action. Finally I found some specialty shops to order a bartender's bottle opener and, the best part, a dozen custom pint glasses. Ooooh, ahhhhh.

Read more about the team, the logo and the birthday celebration here on the Battery Brewing blog.

Sunshine and Sun Prints

I really love the first few days of March when the sun actually makes it around the edge of our building into our "yard" and bright sunshine starts coming through the windows. Because of where our apartment is situated, we only get direct sunlight mid-March through September so the first bit of sunlight really feels glorious.

So we took the opportunity to break out our Sunprint paper that we picked up at the Seattle Art Museum a while back. Sunprint paper reacts to direct sunlight, except for in the areas you block with an object.

I think my favorite part is that everything comes out blue and white which, as you can see from this blog, are my favorite color combo. Here's how it starts:

Then after waiting five minutes in the sun, you quickly rinse it in cold water and let it dry. The weird thing is that in the middle, it's actually a negative of what you see below. The exposed area is white and the string is blue.

Next, Kevin used a daffodil to make this one:

Then he made a bike out of matchsticks and bottle caps. It reminded me of this block print he did a few months ago.

Last, I used some river rocks that I collected from the Columbia River in Richland, Wa. to make polka dots. They might be radioactive, but I loved that the shadows came out a slightly different color.

So that was our fun project of the day. In wedding news, Kevin bought 60 mason jars at the store and I think we maaay have settled on a super-fun, casual caterer.

Recycle Part Two

Ok, am I crazy that I'm spending my Labor Day weekend working on patterns, drawings and blog posts instead of relaxing? The bad news is that I'm really procrastinating (already) from working on my grad school capstone project. Uuugghhg.

So here's part two. This was a pretty easy update from the original. I can use this as a tile to make a larger pattern, but I kind just like the one block. What do you think?

Better than Bubble Wrap?

As promised this is part two of my Pinterest Challenge entry. Sadly perhaps for you, I've decided that explaining how to make bubble wrap art is boring so really we're skipping right along to show you another piece I made a year or two back for my cousin. Let's just say, you cut out a piece of bubble wrap, tape it to some cardboard, paint and stamp. Easy.

So what's better than bubble wrap? Q-Tips of course.

When I'm mixing colors I rarely get the color I intended but I try to make it work. I learned this technique circa 1995 in fifth grade to paint an orange that I still have on my bulletin board. Fascinating, I know ;o) Here's another Q-Tip painting I did in college.

What do you think? Bubble wrap or Q-Tips?

The Birth of a Doodle

This is a post about how a doodle is born. I promise it won't be gross or weird like most births are.  Right? I wouldn't actually know. Anyways... yeah sorry about the awkward detour.

I doodle A LOT during meetings, class, while waiting for the pizza guy and pretty much anytime I have a pen and paper in hand (actually paper isn't even required, I used to color the back of my hand pretty elaborately in high school). It's like I literally can't help it.

Most of the time I draw random things like flowers and stars and zigzags that are all pretty boring.

BUT soooometimes, I'll draw a shape or a pattern that I really like. I'm not sure where it comes from. It's pretty much like MAGIC. Then it becomes like "The Doodle of the Week" and I draw and re-draw it. It evolves and at some point I decide it's ready for the big time.

The next step used to be that I'd pull out my Big Black Book of Doodles and carefully draw until it covered a whole page (like this or this). But then I bought a smaller notebook when I started blogging so that maybe I'd have more motivation to draw new doodles (like this). But the thing is, unless the magic happens, I have nothing to draw but zig zags and flowers and stars. Now that I'm starting to use a tablet to draw digitally, it's even worse because the barrier is even lower.

I've sat down almost every day for the past 5-6 days to try and draw a new pattern... but Snarky Beagle designs just don't start on my computer. They have to start when I'm mind-numbingly bored and doodling in the margins of a notebook/meeting agenda. It's frustrating because I want to just spill a bunch of fabulous doodles out on command and I just can't. (I could bring this back to the birth metaphor now... but I'll spare you).

It's a creative process that dependent on boredom... or something. Anyone else have this problem or suggestions for sparking creativity on demand?

Come on everybody...

Let's do the twist! 

Crayola Blues

Ok this is dorky, but do you know how many shades of blue are in my 120 box of Crayola Crayons? 

A lot is the answer. I didn't actually count, but a lot is the most accurate I'm going to get right now. So I colored this tribute. I know, you are wishing you had a 120 box of crayons. I know.

Week 6: Kuler Than You

This week in class we're discussing how niche websites and communities (i.e. not Facebook) influence our blogs. I feel like this is a perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite time wasters EVER: Adobe Kuler. I was introduced to this massive time sink by a graphic artist at work. Ironic?

The tool is a color palette creator that helps you find beautiful colors that look perfect together, and it's free! I find it so inspiring to play around with and think of the colors on my blog or website, in a design, in my living room or all of the above. You can even export your colors into Adobe products like this student edition of Photoshop I have been craving (PLEASE, someone just give me one more reason I neeeeed this).

So you're probably wondering what this has to do with social media. Adobe Kuler also offers a lot of community resources for graphic artists and designers. Kuler gives users the ability to save, share, tag and comment on color combinations (Spicy Chicken anyone?) which creates a whole community just around design. Users can favorite and follow specific users if they find their color soul mate (hello, Blue Crush are we MFEO?). You can import photos from Flickr to help you pick colors and there are even forums where designers can share their creations.

By integrating social tools into their free product, Adobe has created a community for their users and fans who are passionate about design. Now that's a smart social media strategy.

National marker shortage? I'm covered...

Don't worry people! If there is ever a national marker shortage... if Crayola goes out of business... if a group of unruly kindergartners take over the world and markers become like gold... I'm covered. This afternoon I decided it was a good idea to take an inventory of my craft box and throw out some stuff (paint brushes I forgot to clean, cheap pens I picked up at various hotels, scraps of paper). 

Turns out I have six sets of markers. That's: 

• one set of colored, fine-tip Sharpies
• two sets of Crayola Classics (fat)
• one set of Crayola Classics (skinny)
• one set of Crayola "Pip Squeaks"
• one set of Crayola "Super Tips." 

Oh yeah, that's not counting my new Steadtler pens, various artist markers I've bought for specific projects and half a dozen loose black Sharpies (confession: I compulsively buy and steal these from people).

Did I also mention my Crayola Oil Pastels and the GIANT 120 "Wizard's Box" of Crayola crayons? The bonus 20 crayons are limited edition colors! *drool* So if the kindergartners of the world start getting uppity... have no fear... once they've laid eyes in this collection, I will be like their queen.

Week 5: Help Wanted... What's My Personal Style?

This week in class we're talking about making unique content for our blogs. I love this topic because it seems really easy to answer, but also incredibly complex. Easy answer: My blog is unique because I create and share my unique artwork. Obviously, that's unique content. Ok, duh, let's move on to the more interesting answer.


Complex answer: As I've mentioned in basically all my other grad school posts, blogging about design is all about establishing an editorial viewpoint. Whether it's crafty, modern or hip, a design blog has to exude a style. Even more than that, as a personal blog, it has to exude your personal style. Here's a great post Grace (after reading this you'll feel like you're on a first name basis with her too), editor at Design*Sponge, wrote this week about defining and changing her personal style.

Great Expectations (Penguin Classics Hardcover) $13, Coqo Floral Curtain $108, 

Converse Jack Purcell Gingham Sneaker $30, Blue and White Cameo Ring $14

I read an article once (maybe in Domino?) about a team that you could pay (thousands of dollars of course) to have them assign you a two-word "personal style statement." They did all this analysis and then they came up with something like "funky modern" or "vintage preppy" or "Nicholas Cage Meets Sarah Jessica Parker" (yeah, that's not a thing).

Polish Stoneware Bread Plate in Festive Garden $18, Rise and Shine Print $8, 

Edie Earrings in Muse $12, Splash of Sunshine Umbrella $30

Now for the fun part: Please help me figure out my unique "personal style statement!" Hopefully you can get a sense of my personal style by looking at this blog, the collages above (some stuff I own, some stuff I crave) and a few of my designs. I'll pay you by bringing candy to class next week. If you aren't in my grad school class, I'll pay you in adorable pictures of the Snarky Beagle wearing a unicorn costume. I know, her life is so hard.


If you aren't in my class, you can stop reading. The rest of this is boring "social media" chit chat. The second part of our assignment was to discuss how we're integrating Twitter and Facebook. The simple answer there is that I'm not really. I'm using both channels to share with friends and classmates about my posts but I wouldn't really call that "integration." If The Snarky Beagle brand needs a presence in either place eventually, I'll get to that. For now, I'm focusing on the blog.

Helloooo... Almost Spring

Today it was 60 degrees! I didn't even have to wear a coat to work. My excitement might be lost on some people, but you have to understand that I am from Florida and the thought never occurred to me that some places, for example Maryland, reach temperatures of... lower than 60 degrees. What kind of place is this!?

Valentine's Day was also this week and I was the lucky recipient of some beautiful tulips. Fresh flowers, warm(ish) temperatures, what more could I ask for?

Diving deep

What did I say about those new pens? More to come!

Week 4: Something I Call Personality

Ok, I have a confession. I still don't know what my blog is really about. Yes, it's about design but it's also about me. I said this was going to be a fresh (re)start, but why throw away what I've already built? This blog is personal because it started with my own artwork, my writing and my ideas.

Even before it was a blog, it was this website I designed and coded by hand in HTML and CSS. I want to make sure that history is not lost. I'm never going to be all things to all people like Apartment Therapy, so my artwork and my vision are really my differentiator (sorry for the marketing-speak).

This blog is about me finding my way as an artist, designer, writer and communicator (I had to add that last one... it's what pays the bills after all). I want to share not only my artwork, but also what inspires me and what I'm doing to get my artwork out there (I know someone out there must like it, I mean, other than my mom). I design for fun and mainly for stress relief, but it would be really cool to turn it into something bigger. I just have to figure out how to get there.

Here's a perfect example. My cousin told me I should start a Facebook page. So I did and now I just find it depressing how few fans I have. How can I make this better? Or should I just delete it? (UPDATE: I made the decision to delete it as I'm  streamlining my online presence, ack more marketing terms, sorry) I just don't know. I also have a Flickr page and a Cafe' Press page. Are these helping me at all or are they just out there floating around lost on the internet?

I know I'm going to have to dedicate more time to developing artwork, content, and maybe even a brand. Let's be honest, time management is not my forte' and the majority of my time is sucked up by work, school, boyfriend, dog, friends, family and apartment. I guess that just makes the journey even more interesting.

So, expect more posts like this, sometimes this and hopefully this.

Week 3: Many Things to Many People

One of the first things I realized when I said I wanted to blog about design is that it means many things to many people. It can be fashion, jewelry, packaging, art, graphics, photography, events, weddings, architecture... the list goes on.

The majority of the blogs I read and, given the time and attention span, emulate are about home design. Here's my take on the major ones:

Apartment Therapy

I call Apartment Therapy a clearinghouse because you can expect to see no fewer than 150-200 posts a day from the main RSS feed. The blog is so popular that they actually own several spin offs including The Kitchn, Ohdeeoh and Unplggd. They also cater to regions of the country with specific content for cities such as San Francisco, New York and D.C. There are a mix of home tours, practical tips, recipes, contests and round-ups. It's inspiring, it's overwhelming, it's like Martha Stewart on crack.

Design*Sponge

I see Design*Sponge as the internet's answer to the demise of home design magazines like Blueprint and Domino. More focused than Apartment Therapy, Design*Sponge can deliver up to 25 posts in a day. The regular features include city design guides, artist and designer spotlights and do-it-yourself projects. I like Design*Sponge because of its editorial polish. Grace Bonney, the founder and editor, clearly has a viewpoint and an aesthetic and it comes through in every post even though she has hired several additional writers to create content. But the original, creative content makes me want to organize my apartment and break out the glue sticks and sewing machine (if only I could sew, hmmm).

Once Wed

I debated whether I should add this one to my list because yes, it is a wedding blog and no, I'm not planning a wedding (right now). However, this blog also has a clearly defined editorial voice and weddings combine several aspects of design that I love from table-scapes to save-the-dates. They also feature photography and original art that is downright amazing. I enjoy the motivation to do-it-yourself on tasks as small or big as a wedding. I need as much motivation as I can get.

Overall, I think these are three of the most inspiring blogs and I love the amazing things that they share.

Week 2: A Fresh (Re)start

I've had this blog for almost three years now and the primary purpose has been to share my quirky artwork with friends and family. In addition, I've been an avid reader of design blogs like Design*Sponge, Oh Joy!, the Dieline and Apartment Therapy. They've always inspired me to keep sharing and creating new designs. I wouldn't say that blogging has nessecarily transformed my outlook on design, but I'm definitely excited about sharing more regularly and defining my voice in this area. As anyone can see from my archives, the blog has not been a priority and quickly falls by the wayside when my schedule fills up thanks to work, school, friends and family.

The blogs that inspire me the most are not just those that are sharing ideas and projects others have taken on, but those that create their own craft and designs projects. My (maybe somewhat lofty considering my schedule) goal as I expand this blog for class is to create original projects and content including more original artwork, home design and craft projects.

Another inspiration that has really pushed me to extend and pay more attention to my blog is my friend Kelly. Her blog, "View Along the Way," was recently featured on OhDeeOh and several other blogs. She has a similarly busy schedule (not to mention a toddler) so maybe its jealously but its definitely been motivating me to think about creating my own projects (and getting my apartment organized).

All that being said, my priority will be to keep the posts focused, original and distinct.

DemonSquashRaptor

Is there really anything else to say about this creation?

Tracks

"So, don't forget to breathe. Don't forget to breathe.

Your whole life is here, no eleventh hour reprieve so don't forget to breathe.

Keep your head above water, but don't forget to breathe."

These detailed ones take forever to scan because my scanner can't handle the amount of data. Speaking of taking forever, I think I probably started this at least six months ago. That's one more down... three more partially finished drawings to go.

The Flaming Chicken Redux

Um, this looks like flames or chicken feathers, hence "The Flaming Chicken..." I've actually finished three or four designs this weekend, which means it was an extremely productive or an extremely unproductive weekend depending on how you look at it. More to come soon.