Hectic home life
It’s been a while since I’ve been really excited about a project I worked on, but this is one of them. I did this 11×17 poster for the Mason City Jaycees’ Retro Roller Skating Night. I had a lot of fun with it and tried to emulate my memories at the roller rink as a kid. My favorite was always the moonlight skate, where they would turn off all the lights except for the ones on the giant mirrored ball hanging from the ceiling. It was so pretty…and disorienting. I’m surprised I didn’t fall down more often!
Oh–and I almost forgot…Derek and I were interviewed for a story about how people who rent make their place seem more like home. Here’s the link.
New project I can stick to
I forgot to post about this, but I started making a 2009 calendar. I needed a calendar for my office at work and was too lazy to look for one (but not too lazy to make one? Yeah, my brain doesn’t always make sense). I’m making them a month at a time, and so far I have January and February finished. I updated the rights on them on flickr so anyone can download and print them out if they’d like. Available here.
Etsy, etc
I’ve been doing a lot of thrifting lately, and I finally pushed myself to get some things added to my Etsy site.
Take a peek here to see what’s in the shop. I’m hoping to list mostly mid-century finds and anything that’s a bit kitschy. I have a few more things to photograph and add, so please check back soon.
Thanks, Dustin, for the comment about Pancake. It’s been way too quiet in our place since she’s been gone. Crazy how such a little thing can have such a big impact. Big hugs to you guys, too.
The rest of the day’s going to be spent doing what I can to finish up a design job for the Mason City Downtown Association. I’m hoping to wrap this thing up soon. It’ll be good to see the booklet in its completed form. Tell me to get started and quit stalling.
A day of Tumblr posts
I don’t know how else to write about today, so I’ll just repost my Tumblr posts for the day.
10:38 am
Our sweet little pet rat Pancake had to be put to sleep today. Poor little girl. Miss you.
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2:12 pm
Demotivational poster I made in Adobe Illustrator.
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2:29 pm
PET PEEVE: People coming to me with personal photos wanting them scanned, repaired, printed off, etc. I’m not a photo processing shop!
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4:17 pm
Despite my brain feeling like this today, I was surprisingly productive. It helps to get through the crap times by being busy. [via FFFFOUND!]
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4:23 pm
The Decemberists O Valencia! is strangely comforting to me, wafting out of my headphones on repeat.
I’m not looking forward to leaving work, for about the first time ever, when I have to turn off said headphones and make my way to the vet’s office to pick up my dear ratty.
Home is going to feel a bit quieter without her.
Ahhhhh! Summer!
It’s been a bit of a hectic weekend:
Yesterday was spent in Des Moines (first trip out of the area in…well…I can’t remember how long!) visiting the old gang from college. I wish everyone could have been there (big hugs!) but it was still great to see those who could make it.
Did some work for…work.
Today we finally got around to cleaning the back porch (aka alternative post-flood storage) and used it as a temporary office. It was lovely.
Lots of great late summer breezes.
I also finally got around to painting an odd bust I found while thrifting a few weeks ago.
While it was drying the backyard, I happened to get a glimpse of it from an upstairs window. It looked like a bright orange explosion! I’m sure whoever painted it its original faux-antiquey finish would have wanted to vomit at the sight of it. Yay!
My health behaved for the first time in a while, which made me very very happy. All in all, not a bad weekend.
I bagged me a little one
Last week I found this miniature plastic mounted deer head at an antique store. I decided to use him as a jewelry organizer in the bedroom.
Budding interests
I decided to discontinue the match box project. There are too many other projects I want to be working on, and I’m really starting to wonder what I’m going to do with 12 completed boxes, let alone 30.
In other news, I’ve had lots of good luck thrifting lately. Man, this is going to be a long post:
A souvenir plate from Niagara Falls, Canada. Keeping this to hang on the wall.
A souvenir plate from San Antonio, Texas. I’m planning to sell this on Etsy.
A souvenir plate from Yellowstone National Park. Keeping this to hang on the wall.
A souvenir plate from Florida. I’m planning to sell it on Etsy.
A souvenir plate from Wisconsin Dells. I’m planning to sell it on Etsy.
A souvenir plate from New Mexico. I plan to sell it on Etsy.
A souvenir plate from San Francisco, California. Keeping this to hang on the wall.
A small brown Pyrex dish. I haven’t decided yet if I will keep or sell it.
A clay bowl by Dryden Ozark Frontier. It’s currently residing on our coffee table, holding remotes and cell phones.
A strange plaster bust of a small child with a big collar. I plan to paint it bright red and either use it to display a hat or sit on my desk in the home office.
A supercool chrome kitchen organizer with wooden handles. It must be from the 50s or 60s. I cleaned it up and plan to store art and office supplies in the drawers and bread bin.
And finally…a gawdy velvet painting. Derek won’t let me hang it up in the living room, but he said I can put it up in the home office…as long as it’s on my side of the room.
Famous Artists Course
My mum and I went thrifting yesterday and found this fantastic set of art/design books at Goodwill for 75 cents apiece. They were published in 1967. Definitely the coolest thing I’ve found in a while.
Sumi Illustrated
At work yesterday I was trying a new technique in Adobe Illustrator. This was my first attempt at creating an image from scratch:
I based it off of a photo of Sumi, our rabbit. Not too shabby for a first attempt, I think. Gotta love those adorable shaggy ‘chops.
Extra designing stuff
I’m pretty excited about this…
(click for a larger version) I got to work on a new design for CoffeeCat’s entertainment calendar. Sounds like I’ll get to design more. I can’t wait!
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Recent tumblr posts
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We had an herb explosion last night! -
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brownpau: Illustrated Coffee Guide via woodlandcreature/thedailywhat Very nicely designed diagrams. God, I want a mocha right now. -
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dailybunny: Via That is one intense rabbit. -
cakeface: WWIII Propaganda: Loose Tweets Sink Fleets (via Brian Lane Winfield Moore) -
mutations: magnetical:(via killingbambi // feathers // annarellix // butterflyeffects // mabelmoments) 100% true. -
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cakeface: via dropular.net -
Hidden meanings in popular logos
I love how much thought gets put into them. So wonderful! [via stalk] -
stalk:iartistlondon presents the world’s first affordable DIY high art sets featuring Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin and Banksy “iartistlondon is the cool new brand that enables you to make real contemporary pieces of art from the comfort of your home. All those pieces that you always wanted to have but couldn´t afford. We believe art should be for everyone. Our boxes contain all the necessary elements so you only have to concentrate on creating. In no time you will have a masterpiece created by yourself. It couldn’t be easier!” via -
robjensen:courtneyc: “The unicorn and narwhal are always bickering so I thought this would help them focus on what brings them together” —Etsy Shop ArgyleWhale -
Happy Father’s Day, Daddo! I love you! -
Fantastic illustration work by Emmanuel Polanco for Nuvo magazine. [via Kitsune Noir] - For followers on tumblr: I’ve changed my posting name from sumisumi to Brain Industries to go along with my freelance company of the same name. New name, same great taste!
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I can’t remember if I posted this before, but the design is too good to take that chance. Designed by Ork Posters. [via Street Anatomy] - Conversation Post
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People often assume the brand is the logo or symbol—and there’s no doubt that if that’s done well, it can give you a flavor for who the company is, whether they’re contemporary or traditional, and so forth. But I really see the brand as more than that logo or mark—it’s the totality of the way in which the company talks to its public.
Kit Hinrichs -
Is it dumb that I really want one of these? It’s a tissue box that won the 2008 Japan Good Design Award. [via MollaSpace]
