oh baby...

What a delight it is to design baby shower invitations. The swarovski crystal is just the "icing on the cake" with this cute little baby swinging in a tree. This week I get to design another one, with a similiar color palette- seems little girls like my favorite color {for today} pms 390. I'll post it when it's finished, this one will be glitter-y!

do the dishes

In the constant search for color and happy, these stopped me in my tracks. Tikoli™ was founded with the goal of abolishing dowdiness in the kitchen. Tired of dull or cutesy kitchen linens and longing for something fresh and modern for everyday living, they decided to make their own.

Tikoli is located in California's San Francisco Bay Area, widely known as a crossroads of cultures and epicurean epicenter. Tikoli's eclectic, modern designs reflect both the relaxed California lifestyle and the freshness and innovation of California cuisine.

Check out the owner's blog, refreshing, interesting and just plain pretty to look at.

random Italian thoughts...

 My friends are having an Italian dinner party (sob, sob- wish I could go), my sister owns an Italian restaurant currently undergoing a menu redesign (courtesy of bleu dahlia creative), which randomly leads to Dale Chihuly...why you might ask?

Because in 1968, Chihuly was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to work at the Venini factory in Venice, Italy. While in Venice, Chihuly observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. With this international glass center, Chihuly has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.

If you haven't seen a Chihuly exhibit, get your calendar out now and do some planning. It can be found in a plethora of places, lots of them open public spaces, such as the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas, Bellagio in Vegas,Union Station in Tacoma, and the not to be missed 500 foot span of brilliance, The Chihuly Bridge of Glass. The lucky residents of the Puget Sound area have more than 20 public spaces to appreciate the breadth and scope of the artist’s creative vision. On with my random fall day...

your favorite color by number

In 1963, Lawrence Herbert, Pantone's founder, created an innovative system of identifying, matching and communicating colors to solve the problems associated with producing accurate color matches in the graphic arts community. His insight that the spectrum is seen and interpreted differently by each individual led to the innovation of the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM®, a book of standardized color in fan format.

Over the last 45 years, Pantone has expanded its color matching system concept to other color-critical industries, including digital technology, textiles, plastics, architecture and contract interiors, and paint. It continues to develop color communication tools for a variety of industries and aggressively adopts new digital technology to address the color needs of design and production professionals.

Doing a little research I discovered that Pantone
originally manufactured color cards for cosmetics companies.
Consider me last on the list of people who have posted this, Pantone's spring color forecast...

a little fall

I sincerely mean a "little fall". Fall is usually short but sweet here in big sky country. This is one of the most beautiful autumns that I can remember. I am inspired by the sheer randomness of it. One leaf completely changed, the leaf next to it looks fresh as an early June day. I have a hard time with randomness when designing. Usually a background or a floral notecard beckons for a little random layout of pattern- but now I've just said pattern, then it has to make sense- then, well I don't want it to be a mess... is random really ever random?

a little slogan fun

Just for fun, visit the sloganizer. Most of my friends are familiar with this amusing little web tool- if you haven't played with it yet, put your blog name, business or your own name in the text field and submit, you will be entertained!

a little art show

Where have I been? Creating these attractive mixed media mini art pieces. I was invited to show in Toucan Galleries "little art show". A whole bunch of art by a whole bunch of artists- The show runs all of October and November...don't miss it! Do the roses look familiar? That bouquet was definitely the gift that keeps giving! Do the roses look familiar?

opposites attract

historical hotel del in all its grandness and glamour contradicts this mid century treasure sitting directly across the street. Had to come back at night to get a picture of this fantastic neon.

more contrasts to come...

cali dreamin'

Do people really live here? Lucky!
Loved the cali lifestyle, history and views. Will post more this week.

it's beautiful in SanDiego

Taking a trip... see ya next week!

rainy days and mondays....

yeah, yeah, I Know! The bleu dahlia update is supposed to happen this week.Unfortunately, the weather hasn't been cooperating- What? you say the weather is the problem?
I take all my stationery and portfolio photos outdoors, as I am sans sophisticated lighting in my studio, natural daylight lets you know you are ordering a white note card instead of blue, cream or pink. Well, overcast and rainy... we are in a delay. I am posting some small samples of my new collection, called"naturally"... enjoy!

bat your lashes...

It was a very
special bride
who let me use
this fantastic pink
eyelash yarn to
wrap her invitation.
The layers of yarn
Sit just above
the bride and
grooms name in
pms 219 c
{A lovely shade of
bright pink}
and actually wrapped
through a single
perfect hole punched
through the fold
(each one of 250) to
hold the reply set
in place. Now, back
to that web update....