Friday Finds

This Weeks Friday Finds are some great vintage reference books found in a funky fun local used book shop.  At $2 each I could not resist this classic illustrations and funky quirky motifs. They Both deal with the same subject but use it in a completely different manner

Fun Vintage Reference books for the Artist  

Beautiful Classic Illustrations 

Fun Motif Ideas 

Motif Ideas in Use.

  Decorative Plant and Flower Studies for the Artist and the Craftsmen, is a beautifully illustrated book by  J.Food of many different types of plants, flowers, and trees. It was originally published in 1906 but this republication was printed in 1982. The original had beautiful colour plates and that was sadly omitted in the current publication (Second photo from the top). 

Flowers and Designs to Copy is a fun retro book full of charming paining and images to copy! Yes Copy! As a graphic artist I think this gives me free reign to go wild appropriating motifs and ideas. Some of Lola Ader's  suggestions for use are cupboard panels, decoupage and TV Trays... 

I can't wait to start playing around with them... and though I will not copy them directly- you may see some elements from both books pop into my work!

Friday Finds

I have a favourite shop and I have to show incredible restraint when there.... but some times I give in and I am usually right about it... So please Husband forgive me. 

Here are my Friday Finds!

If you are ever in Bellingham WA check out Penny Lane Antique Mall! I walked away with the mid-century modern bar cart.

Summer in Palm Springs a Retro Design Inspiration

Prompted by the Make It in Design Summer School I came up with this design...  Fun retro and reminds me of lounging next to the pool in Palm Springs... 

A forever Retro Shape: Ogee

Just for Fun, a mock up.

The Make It In Design Summer School is an amazing resource for surface and textile designers. Every two weeks a prompt is sent out full of inspiration, suggestions and resources. There is a range of ability from the never even touched Ai or PS and do everything by hand to seasoned professional who are just wanting something creative to build their portfolios with. I consider myself new but not quite new and am using the great online community to inspire and gently nudge me to keep at it (even though I could quite easily throw myself into shibori and indigo full time)! There are so many wonderful Designers out there.

(Oh yeah.... Don't forget to check out my Etsy Shop Scrappy Carp Living for a mini sale... For your use couponcode SOFTOPENING, 15% off orders of $5 or more....)

Just For Fun, Someone suggested I add Toes By the Pool As additional inspiration!

Also Next to the Pool In Palm Springs!

Top 5 favourite things for Summer

Like most good Pacific North Westerners as soon as the sun is out, I grab my flip flops and go the....

No 1. The Beach

I will attempt at least once a year...

No 2. Camping, but lets be honest I much prefer a cabin near the beach with a great fire pit.

Every chance I get it is...

No.3 Oysters and think Pink Wine (Try the Kumamotos from Taylor Shellfish Farms).

 

No 4. Cherries, we are starting to get Eastern Washington Cherries and we are loving them! Do you see the peep looking one? It was delicious.

one of my first illustrations in illustrator 

And finally...

No 5. Patio Dining under a deep Blue Sky, what's not to love about eating outside- especially when someone brings you a glass of rose and oysters.

looking onto the Herald building from the patio at
Rock & Rye Oyster House

What are your top summer activities?

Throw Back Thursday, Summer Inspiration

I am just about always living in the past, I love retro (most things), mid century modern and now some of the more wilder side of groovy 60's and 70's.... Yes I said the 70's what is not to love?  Thick chunky platform shoes, macramé, large psychedelic flowers, large rimmed dramatic sunglasses and lots of beads.  I thought I would do a throw back Thursday that celebrated summer!  This is how I remember (well maybe not, I am one of the two babies in the picture) Family Summer Camping trips. This photo is circa 1975

I think I will leave much of the hair and the not so well fitting shorts, but you got to love those lawn chairs!

And finally some illustrations based on my retro summer inspiration!

My First.....

I just hit "Send" to the printers on my first Design order!!!!

It is not very fancy and the 'client' a family friend wanted something simple for a bridal shower invite. Her niece is into retro, red and turquoise and wants to be a 50's style housewife. The design is based on a vintage 1950's nail polish print ad  and because it is engagement season I have seen a few pictures of of pretty little painted nails and freshly bejewelled fingers flitting across my Facebook feed (shameless plug, you can follow a Scrappy Carp here to see more design projects and inspiration). 

I used all of my own artwork and even awkwardly photographed my own hand as if I was showing the world my ring. 

Starting to see a pattern...

I am moving right along in my current design class (ps Thank you everyone that helped me reach my goal)... This week we were asked to look at colour and what it means to you. I dug deep into my wardrobe- actually I didn't have to dig that deep as it was everywhere. Though I wear the typical mummy wardrobe during the day- usually jeans and a black top, I dress up to the nines when my husband and I go out and as the sun reappears that date night wardrobe starts to invade my day time wardrobe... Here are a few things I picked out:

grouping 1

vintage vera scarf

grouping 2

vintage Fredrick's of Hollywood 

(why yes, I did wear it to a movie premiere)

grouping 3

love this one! a vintage sheath dress

that I call strawberry fields

I don't normally shy away from colour... I wear it, I celebrate it and more and more I am loving it! How does colour show up in your world?