happy birthday [cards] from us to you

Just 3 more days until we leave for New York and the National Stationery Show.  Thankfully, Edgar is good at planning ahead; otherwise, if left up to me, we'd most certainly be behind the eight ball right now and sweating!

With this said, this week is about tying up loose ends, which, today, included editing and adding photos of our new birthday greetings to the store.


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adventures in interning

Max always wakes up from his afternoon nap a good 30 minutes before brother. Lately, he likes to spend this time sitting on my lap, at my desk, drawing. I can't tell you how much this thrills me. Not to mention, I'm really digging the 'collaborations' that result when he puts an extra color pencil in my hand and motions me to draw along with him. I feel this one, from last week, is especially nice.

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this morning in photos

:: shipping out orders ::

:: photographing the last of our new products for The National Stationery Show ::

:: our new Butler's Birthday greeting card :: 

:: and of course, no morning is complete without a 'promenade' through the backyard ::

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an illustrated stamp collection

I don't think I'm ready to start forging great works of art for a living, but our diverse illustration assignment with Our State has led to trying to recreate postage stamps in watercolor.  Here's a few attempts.  It isn't easy, but is SO much fun!  If you're looking for a challenge, I recommend giving it a try!


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michael jordan in my sketchbook?

We're thrilled to be working with one of our favorite North Carolina writers, Elizabeth Hudson, editor of Our State Magazine, on illustrations for an upcoming book.  This morning as I was plugging away at this painting of Michael Jordan from his days at Carolina, I got to thinking: if you'd told me a decade[!] ago, when I was a directionless student at UNC, struggling to pass chemistry, that one day I'd be painting basketball games (and getting paid for it) I'd never have believed it.  As a friend reminded me, it certainly proves the mantra that 'not all who wander are lost.'...and thankfully, not all of us are meant to be chemists either!

What paths have you taken on your way to becoming the person you are now?

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yippee! best new product finalist

We're super excited to share that our Little Teapot Mother Goose Concert Poster has been selected as a Finalist in the 2013 National Stationery Show's Best New Product Competition.  This is such positive news as the show gets closer and our nerves get...nerve-ier!   Pin It Now!

and the stationery giveaway winner is...

Drawing names out of a bowl? Add this to the list of things that are nearly impossible with toddler interns. More names were on the floor than in the bowl within .0001 seconds. As there was no way we could pick the first name drawn, we decided the last name left in the bowl [with a beloved pacifier, I might add] was destined to be the chosen one. And the winner is Ilene!!!!  Congrats!

Thank you SO, SO much to all who participated and shared our work with your friends.  We truly appreciate it!  More giveaways to come! Also, we apologize for not posting the winner yesterday, but our interns went on strike...such prima donnas, those two!





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colorful and vintage : our favorite combination

Getting super excited about tomorrow's Liberty Antiques Festival...only the best day of the year! Would love to stumble upon a gem like this German map we got a few years back.  As this snapshot clearly shows, if it's bright and graphic, we like it!  No matchy-matchy in this house :)

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makeshift pin-up space

With the deadline for finishing up our catalog for next month's National Stationery Show just around the corner, we're running a bit low on pin-up space!

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the untitled works of toddlers at 23 months

Lately, I can not open my sketchbook near Max and Miles without feeling as though I've entered a shark tank at feeding time.  Something about the idea of me sketching makes them go Crazy [with a capital 'C'], thirsting for attention and to sit on my lap at that very moment.  Today, I embraced this with the first of what I hope will be many collaborations with two budding artists, each with their own style.  Max prefers a good ol' No. 2 to any colored pencil, while Miles likes to switch between the two with every other stroke.

Max + Mama:



Miles + Mama:

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mother earth tote bag

We recently had the pleasure of collaborating with Just Be, a store that supports independent artists and designers, on this reusable screen printed tote bag.  Make a purchase today, either in the store or online, and receive a complimentary bag in celebration of Earth Day.  Just Be is the only place this bag will be sold and once they run out, there will be no more!


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paco and andy

So much of our work stems from our daily routine...including walking Pokey.We had a lot of fun scheming up this birthday card, inspired by two neighborhood dogs we often encounter on our strolls. The first, Paco, is a feisty quarter-pound chihuahua who absolutely despises Pokey.  Every time we cross within 100 yards of his path, Paco breaks into a barking frenzy...if he wasn't on a leash, I have a feeling he might eat Pokey. In contrast, the great dane, Andy, wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a beagle. I'm pretty sure Andy thinks he's the size of Paco, and Paco the size of Andy. We find humor in the irony of this.  Below is Edgar's initial sketch of the idea.

 


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watercolor stationery giveaway!

We’re excited to introduce several new goodies in our shop this week, including these works in watercolor! Win a box of each of the watercolor cards by ‘liking’ An Open Sketchbook’s Facebook Page and clicking the ‘share’ button at the bottom of the giveaway post. We’ll pick a winner May 1! In the meantime, we hope you’ll take a gander at all the new items in our shop here.


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cupid and his car in action

We found life imitating illustration this weekend at the playground when Miles stepped right into his role as our greeting card Cupid.  We had no idea when we drew this from our imagination in January, how close it would be to the real deal in April.

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reclaimed wood desk

Throughout our preparation for The National Stationery Show, we've tried to be as resourceful as possible.  Our thinking is 'one less dollar we spend is one less dollar we have to make.'  Given the fact that 'Resourcefulness' is Edgar's middle name, he's made the best of it.

Among the ways this has manifested itself is through the design and construction of a desk for our booth.  Patterned after the desk Edgar made me a couple of years back for the studio, this mini-version is composed entirely out of scraps Edgar had in the shop, including teak floor planks for the desk top and plywood floor tiles for the drawers and storage boxes.  The only thing we purchased especially for the design were the small hairpin legs.

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surround yourself

This quote from  Edmund Lee [via GnomeAngel] really resonated with me this week.  I decided to hand write it so I'd have it handy when that booger of self-doubt makes his periodic appearance. May you also take this advice and share with others as you see fit.  I don't know a soul who can't benefit from a little encouragement.

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national stationery show prep work

As the our first trade show nears (six and a half weeks and counting) our house is a flutter of activity...drawing, painting, computer-ing, photoshoots, catalogs, booth construction and deconstruction.  It's a lot of work and we aren't exactly getting our beauty rest, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

And, as always, our interns are at the forefront (and foot) of all we do!




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that precious pacifier

 

I can't help but worry that Miles may never learn to speak given his unwillingness to let go of his pacifier. Then again, I don't know many 16-year-olds who have this problem.

I guess he'll eventually grow out of it. For the time being though, I'm going to keep relying on his brother as the pacifier police.


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the boy with the turtle necklace

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custom wedding illustration : janel & travis

A few weeks ago Janel approached us asking if we could design a gift for her husband to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.  She handed over full creative control to us, which in a profession where it's easy to feel simply like the hands executing someone else's vision, is truly liberating!  As a result, we put our entire hearts into this project and thoroughly enjoyed the process from beginning to end.

We hope to take on more of these special projects in the future!

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my baby boy...by three minutes

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curious george

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a composite rendering

Working on a special custom project at the moment...one with complete creative freedom! Excited to share the finished product soon!

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new work + free shipping! : garden greetings

Can you feel it?  The season of heavy coats and dry skin is almost over!

We couldn’t be more excited, particularly Edgar who obsessed over compost all winter long in preparation for a season of gardening.  He’s literally aching to begin his daily pilgrimage to the local nurseries.

In celebration of the new season, order anything from our online store Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20, including pieces from our new Garden Collection, and domestic shipping is on us. International orders will ship for a flat rate of $5, regardless of weight or destination.


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the perfect storm

This morning I was painting waves.
The house was in order; the babies, quiet; the creativity, flowing.  The sea was calm.

Fast-forward two hours.
A hurricane appears to have swept through our living room; the babies, refusing to nap, are stripping, screaming and throwing stuffed animals;  the creativity, at a complete stand-still.  The sea is treacherous.

Working from home with toddlers...kinda like a day at the beach.  Kinda.

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an illustrated journey

I don't know how I've managed to let so much time slip by without posting about this...but I'm beyond thrilled to share that my work has been included alongside so many artists I admire in Danny Gregory's latest book, 'An Illustrated Journey'.

As any of my past students can attest, I've been preaching the gospel of Danny Gregory for years now.  In fact, it was one of Danny's earliest books, 'The Creative License', that helped reignite my passion for drawing.  To now be included in his compilation of artists' sketchbooks is really a dream come true.  See more of the book, including sneak peeks of the 39 other contributors illustrated essays here!

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confessions from the wood shop

Most days I really love working in our wood shop.  Lately, however I've been making countless mistakes as I can't focus to save my life.  I get really anxious thinking about what Max and Miles are up to while Suzanne tries to work in the studio.

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illustrated journal and creative freedom

One of the nicest things about illustrating my journal is that there's never a layout plan, a media selection or a vision of the final composition... there's just creative freedom to tell the story the way I feel it.

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what's black, yellow and happy?

Our home :)

A while back [ok, a little over two years ago] I did a little color study on the outside of our home.  From the moment we moved in, this was the first thing we knew we wanted to update on our house.  Well, it took so time, but this fall we finally bit the bullet, and to steal a line from the Rolling Stones, 'painted it black'---literally.  It's amazing what a difference some contrast can make and finally, the outside of our home is a better reflection of the inside.

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