Before I introduce you to this year’s 365-day project, I just want to take a moment and thank you all for embracing last year’s #365quotes project and making it so rewarding. I never could have anticipated the response I received and I’m crossing my fingers that you’ll all roll with the punches and embrace #365lyrics just as much. That’s right, this year’s days are going to be filled with meaningful lyrics that resonate – whether that’s a punch in the gut, an eye-opening string of words, or a huge belly laugh. You can join in by following @designcrush on Instagram if you’re not already, and feel free to leave your favorite lyrics in the comments here or there.
I have a confession to make. I’m a legitimate print hoarder.
I’d guess I own around forty pieces of varying shapes and sizes, but only about half are actually framed. As someone who likes to change up the art in her home frequently this presents a little bit of a problem, and if you visit you’ll often find pieces hung by metal clips/pants hanger/washi tape.
Because I’m such a portrasti-framer (Can that please be a thing?) I’ve become very excited about affordable online framing. And one in particular, Framebridge. Basically you visit their site, then input the size of your piece and choose a frame style and a mat if you’d like one. Framebridge calculates the cost and then gives you the option of receiving a tube or flat mailing supplies or using your own. They email you the free shipping label to print and affix and you’re set. You can also send them a file you wish to have printed and framed.
A few weeks later your art shows up back at your house and ready to hang! I’ve used a similar service in the past that I was not nearly as impressed with. Framebridge‘s attention to detail and protective packaging had me smiling from ear to ear. Each frame comes with a bracket and nail to assure an all-around quality experience (and eliminates the need to dig through your own things to track one down).
These are two screen printed posters by Jordan Grace Owens that I’ve owned for just over a year, previously victims of the aforementioned pant hanger treatment. I chose a simple thin natural wood frame – the Marin – for both pieces so as not to detract from the art, and I also opted for no mat. The end result is just what I envisioned, two pops of color to welcome guests into my home in the entryway.
Try Framebridge for yourself before January 29th and receive 15% off any order with the code DESIGNCRUSH!
This post is sponsored by Framebridge. I received product and compensation in exchange for my thoughts of the experience. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush going!
I’m forever on the lookout for the next audio technology, and the latest of the late is from Gramovox. Check out the Bluetooth Gramophone, inspired by 1920s horn speakers. Talk about the merging of vintage and modern aesthetics – wowza! I’d love to see if its sound is as beautiful as its presence.
Lately I’ve been very drawn to black and white illustrations with an edge about them. Kaye Blegvad‘s colorless pieces – as well as those with just a hit of hue – make me extremely happy. Kaye splits her time between her native London and Brooklyn, and boasts an impressive client list: The New York Times, Kinfolk Magazine, Rookie, Lucky Magazine, Real Simple Magazine, and BUST Magazine among others.
Winter evenings make for the best stargazing in my book, and that’s exactly what Oriol Angrill Jordà‘s Stellarscapes remind me of. Dreamy, ethereal, and slightly magical, only a few of these pieces exist as of now. However, other work by Jordà also plays with the merging of human and nature in Blendscapes.
I skipped out on doing a reader survey last year, mainly because it was March before I thought about it and I like to take care of this sort of business right at the start of the year. I want to make Design Crush the best possible experience for you, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you took a few minutes and completed this super simple survey. (But first, go ahead and say that five times fast. Just for funsies.) I’ll be selecting one of you at random to send a box of goodies to as a thank you, so go ahead and leave your email address in the comment box at the end of the survey form for a chance at it! (Email addresses are for contact purposes only and will not be utilized in any other way.) A big thank you for reading Design Crush and helping me keep my dream job alive and thriving!
This week on Design Crush:
Eight crush-worthy prints to mix up this month.
So impressed with Makrbox, a Pacific Northwest-filled subscription box.
Beautiful illustrations from Amyisla McCombie.
I teamed up with Target to make my entry winter-ready.
Dark and lovely work from Nina Torr (aka Andy Wyeth).
I’d love to fill my wrists with these painted leather Mixed Doubles bracelets. Morgana Wallace captures fantastical characters in layers of paper.
Add some color to your space with Mod Pieces.
Work from the mysterious Olivier Umecker.
Design Crush elsewhere:
January is the perfect time to clean out your kitchen linens and invest in some new ones.
It might be cold outside, but your home can be downright tropical indoors.
Paper and watercolor combine in the mixed media art of Victoria, British Columbia-based artist Morgana Wallace. The end results are mythical and storybook characters that come to life by her hand, layer by layer. Each three dimensional piece is full of color, texture, and story with an incredible level of detail.
Nina Torr (aka Andy Wyeth) is a Pretoria-based illustrator with a penchant for animals in the wild and the beauty of the human hand. She captures both with exquisite flair and personality, sometimes together. (Nina’s love of skeletons is also beautifully represented.)
