Way back in August I met the ladies behind Louise Gray – Alexandra Gray Bennett and Jocelin Johnson. So now not only do I want to find one of their amazing geometric quilts under my tree Christmas morning, I also want to go to happy hour with them the day after. Through Louise Gray they reinterpret the art of quilting using modern design to keep the traditional craft alive. Each one is handcrafted in the USA from 100% cotton, and looks just as good on your bed as it does adorning a wall as art.
A few weeks ago I hightailed it to New York for Fast Company’s Innovation Festival. The event featured industry leaders, CEOs, and some of the brightest minds in business all speaking about what’s next in terms of innovation, creativity, and design. Through open and honest talks and behind the scenes workshops at some of the most dynamic companies and startups in New York, we got a firsthand look at the business and culture behind it all. After three days I left highly impressed and inspired.
I was there at FCIF as a guest of Post-it Brand– I don’t need to introduce them, do I? I’ve been an office supply junkie since childhood so it was a natural fit. My Mom used to bring me home the supply catalogues from work and I’d go through and mark them as though they were toy catalogues! Post-it Notes were always one of the most coveted items with their variety of colors and shapes.
If you think about a few projects you’ve been a part of – both work and home – I’m willing to bet Post-it Brand has been present in some fashion. Their products just lend themselves so well to brainstorming, planning, and processing that it’s almost too easy.
Now they offer one of my favorite office products ever – three sizes of Post-it Big Pads that stick right to the wall. I’ve been using the medium-sized ones to plan out editorial content, then plastering the area around them with smaller Post-it Notes. They’ve definitely changed the way I process some of my thoughts and go about my business with Design Crush. This kind of collaborative thinking is what Post-it Brand is all about, and one of the many reasons they’re a staple in desks and homes around the world.
This post sponsored by Post-it Brand. Thank you for supporting the brands that help Design Crush create fresh content! Follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
Brussels-based artist Ann Veronica Janssens is behind the yellowbluepink installation at Wellcome Collection in London. Janssens has filled the white walled gallery with a heavy mist, brightly lit in different colors throughout the space. While the installation aims to disorientate, it also challenges perception and the way we interact with our external environment. If you’re in town you can see it in person through January 3, 2016.
I think I might need a new pair of shoes. And I think they might need to be hand painted by Blake Barash. He’s sold over 2,700 pairs so far in his Etsy shop, B Street Shoes. Brash favors painting on Nikes, TOMS, Vans, and Converse in his statement-making style. And yes, he does give you the freedom to customize on special orders.
I fell hard – immediately – for the editorial style illustrations of Mouni Feddag. The UK-born artist is just out of university and already boasts an impressive list of clientele such as Vogue, Slate, and The Skinny. Now to choose which piece I’d like for my own from Mouni’s shop!
This week on Design Crush:
Have you entered our EPICfail giveaway? You could win the prettiest Slope Ring to keep or gift.
We created a tasty Friendsgiving with the help of the Mealtime Movement.
A second giveaway! Enter to win something special for both you and a friend from Lamps Plus! Antoine Cordet‘s portraits and moody and perfect for November. You’re invited to my imaginary Thanksgiving! And trust me, it’s the best ever.
Take a virtual vacation with Stacie Green‘s mixed media art.
I gave my bar cabinet a little makeover with the help of some removable wallpaper and Walls Need Love.
Don’t you love Ben Skinner‘s Same Same series?!
Because this time of year is about picking your battles – Make or Buy: Advent Calendars.
Vancouver-based artist Ben Skinner is having fun with mixed media art. In his Same Same series Skinner creates bricks made from plaster and acrylic paint with classic sayings that use the same word twice. Think womp womp, oui oui, etc.
By looking at Stacie Green‘s mixed media art you can tell she finds great peace and meditation within each one as it’s created. Her love of textiles and Southeast Asia is evident as is her wanderlust. And now Stacie has a shop full of art up for the buying – do you think those properties might transport over? I hope so.
Antoine Cordet‘s mixed media portraits seem just about perfect for the overcast days of mid-November. The acrylic paintings with marker on canvas feel moody and emotional, kind of how I feel getting geared up for the holidays.
