Birthday Lilies

[When your place smells like a bouquet of lilies that you can literally hear blooming (I swear I could hear these babies open up), there's no reason not to be happy.]

(Psst, I'm obsessed with on Instagram > on_the_lookout)

Crave // FALCONWRIGHT

[Hey cute clutch, HEY.]

all images via falconwright.

The handmade accessory line, FALCONWRIGHT epitomizes everything I love about the whole creative and crafty movement that is booming right now: Fun, artistic collabs with friends; adorable, quality goods; little peeks at the handmade process; and faces to go along with the things you buy and love.  I'm a big fan of what these ladies do, both together and on their own (here and here).  Plus, they have me jonesing for a weekend trip to Toronto ASAP, a fine (close-ish) city that somehow never really got any blips on my radar previously.

I'm pumped that they've seen so much success and still turn out a fabulous collection of goodies that are literally flying off the internet.  And since I just got my first ever, official on-the-lookout business cards done, I better snatch up a cute, patterned card holder before everything is sold out!  Shop the newest additions to their store and check out the FALCONWRIGHT blog for some laughs and serious, screen printing know-how.

collection 005

[Cool stuff found on these here Internets.]

1// Best bang and bun combo ever. (While you're at it, check out the other photos from this Aussie wedding.  So damn dreamy.)
2// These stripped shoes.
3// A little, leather pouch in the perfect, rosebud hue.
4// DIY, washi tape, elk head. via joelledesign.
5// Hand-dyed, chevron necklace. via Simple Hands.
6// Ohh, this CLEVELAND weather.  Time to get out and enjoy the great outdoors, eh?

(And so it goes, white, black, gold, aqua and pink are still my favorite colors.  Here's to consistency!)

Photograph: Jung Lee

Gorgeous and atmospheric photographs of Korean landscapes with ghostly overlaid text or neon signage nestled within, by Jung Lee.

When you look at the mountains and the trees and the landscapes before you, what else do you see?

swiped from Raneytown.

Rawr

I cried a little when I realized that this was a little girls swim suit and therefore would never fit over my grown up, lady parts. Dang.

Herman Miller Eames Painted Chairs

artist: Mark Giglio

artist: Andrew Holder

Even if you don't have the instinctual urge to draw on blank walls/furniture/anything, this video of 5 designers decorating the Herman Miller Eames chairs might push you to unleash your tagging "skills" upon the most common of objects.  I say, do it!

Above are my favorite of the custom painted Eames chairs, but you can see all 5 here and check out video snippets by the artists themselves.

onthelookout Spring 2012!

[It's finally here...]

Many of you may know that I've been working on my own, handmade jewelry line for the past six months... So, I wanted to finally (officially) introduce everyone to onthelookout jewelry!

I began creating my own line of quality, handmade accessories several months ago: abstract geometric patterns and vibrant symbols; Native American and African-inspired designs made with richly colored beadwork, gemstones, leather and brass; playful expressions that incorporate a contemporary, tribal and ethnic flair. I've always enjoyed making things and starting a creative business where I have full control has been insanely rewarding - and terrifying! I've put my whole heart into everything you see here (and a lot you don't want to see) and this process has truly helped me develop my passion for creativity and construction.

So, 'I'm making jewelry now...' But, how did I come up with the name onthelookout? Well, to me, onthelookout means always being open enough to see the beauty that lies within the everyday; it means welcoming possibilities even when they come disguised as seemingly insurmountable challenges. Launching an accessories line was something that I never thought I could actually accomplish and be proud of. But, I've found that when your eyes and your heart are open enough, you will see a universe that is willing to help you MAKE IT HAPPEN.  I named my company such that I am always reminded to stay onthelookout for the 'silent draw and gentle pull of what I really love to do, as it will not lead me astray.'

I certainly encourage you to do the same.  And I hope you enjoy the jewelry while you're at it!

Much thanks to EVERYONE for their help and guidance.  I am here today, beaming, proud and taking a leap because of your phenomenal support :)

-erica

Recently // Instagram

My life has looked like a lot of jewelry-making lately (spring shop update next Tuesday!)  Which is exhilarating and stressful and all-consuming.  That and a little bonding time with the cat and snacks replacing actual meals.

I'm all over Instagram like a bee is to honey.  Are you?  It's the perfect way to capture a moment and has me looking at simple things in a much sweeter light.  Pretty nice for a free, phone app, yeah?

otl Branding // Mood Board & Logo Design

I see a lot of graphic designers throwing up mood boards, like and this and this, to help with them with design projects and branding, so I thought I might just do one for the onthelookout as well! #fakeittilyoumakeit.

Coming up with a logo and overall feel for this brand is something that I've been wanting to take on for a while, but haven't necessarily thought I was ready to do.  There are just so many options out there!  Color schemes, fonts, packaging, mission statements, etc etc.  When you have complete creative freedom, it can be hard to narrow down just what you like, no?  Pinterest has been a great resource for helping me compile all of the visually inspiring stuff out there, so I used that to pull together this first mood board.  I gave myself 10 minutes to look through and select all of the pins that reminded me of my vision for onthelookout.  I think the time limit was helpful, lest I spend hours on something that is supposed to be pretty quick and organic.  I hope that studies like this will help me narrow down the goods and edits out the "unnecessaries."  Plus, I am dying to get a some business cards and a custom stamp made for packaging.  At the very least, it was fun to do!

Colors and shapes are pretty consistent here: Pink, blue-grey, black, and gold appear everywhere on my Pinterest boards and in the colors around my house.  Oh and I love me some triangles and geometric, deco-inspired shapes.  However, I'm still on the fence about the logo... I can't decide if I like the blocky text or hand-written script look.  Thoughts?

I'd love to see any mood boards that you've done!

Decorate Your Space // DIY Paper Pennant

Life in my new apartment is finally running smoothly with all of the needed (read: boring) items purchased: Light bulbs, cleaning stuffs, paper towels, utensils, etc.  Now, it's time to get a jump on the FUN decorations and cheer up the place!  I'm only planning on staying in this space for the next year, so easy-to-make decorations that are inexpensive, that can be moved easily and that don't require much planning are key.  And since I always want my life to feel like a good party, I decided that stringing up a few garlands would be the way to get it did.

This paper, pennant garland was SO easy to make and I tacked it up with just a bit of tape and I was good to go!  Plus, you gotta admit, it looks like a giant, toothy grin and how can that not put a smile on your lovely face?

You will need:

• Colored card stock or construction paper
• Glue (Tacky or wood)
• A pencil
• Scissors or an exacto knife
• String (I used a neon pink shoelace) 
• Ruler

(Neatly assemble your supplies.)

(Measure out an isosceles or equilateral triangle on a piece of paper and cut it out.  Use that as a template to trace out 10-15 triangles on the rest of your paper.  Then, cut them bad boys out.)

(Squeeze out a bead of glue at the top of your triangles and stick them onto the string.  Use your ruler to space them equally - mine are 2 inches apart.  Both tacky glue and wood glue dry super fast, which means your triangles shouldn't fall off when you try to hang this without letting the glue dry completely. #impatient)

(Hang, admire and SMILE.)

The Daily Draw // Logo and Package Design

[A peak at what I'm drawing today...]

Feast your eyes on round one of prototype packaging for onthelookout jewelry.  I think I've decided to do a combination business card / earring, necklace and bracelet holder - in order to keep my costs down and streamline the process.  When you're starting your own creative business and, hence, do all of the work, you gotta take the "easy" route when you can.

So far, my idea is to use rectangular piece card stock.  I'll then stamp my logo in black/gold/pink at the top and a row of three or five chevron/herringbone/triangles at the bottom in another color.  I figure I'll go ahead and hand cut slits or holes in the card stock with an exacto knife, depending on what it's going to hold.  After that, I need to decide if those go into boxes or muslin jewelry bags.  I'm leaning towards boxes, because there's built in protection for shipping right there, but those little bags are so cute!

Looks real amateur, doesn't it?  Just how I like it... Simple beginnings soon lead to great things, I think.

And by great things, I mean I want to be starring into the likes of one of these bad boys one day:

Collection: Wood You Rather?

[...a collection of wooden finds.  And a terrible, nonsensical pun, but yeah, I went there.]

As soon as I saw Alicia's pictures from her kitchen renovation, I instantly fell in love with their expansive, butcher-block counter. Dang, it looks so warm and pretty!

That got me thinking about one of my favorite materials to work with: wood.  Wood, people.  With all of its antiquated charm, wonderful scents, general abundance and raw unwillingness to be anything other than what it is -- Ever try to stain something exactly the color you want it, to only get a better (or worse) turn out?  You know what I mean.  

So, I put together a few of my favorite wooden finds right here for you!

one - Handcrafted, reclaimed wood headboard by Ariele Alasko, recently featured on The Makers Project.
two - Hand carved, oak rope swing.
three - DIY painted wooden platter.
four - Pretty, painted wooden bowl set.
five - Wooden handled bread spoons (Each spoon measures out the exact amount of each ingredient to make homemade bread.  Awesome.)
six - A handy guide for the practical folks.
seven - Mora tree branch wooden sling shot (I may or may not have climbed trees in my youth and shot acorns and rocks out of a device such as this. #dennisthemenacewannabe)
eight - Handcrafted, natural wood chest.
nine - Wooden nugget necklace.
ten - The stacked wedges of my dreams.

(Someday, I will have a wood shop in my studio/home - right across from the metal fabrication area and laser cutter.  And I'll play with the likes of power tools and hammers, tool belt slug around my waist and nails in hangin' out of my mouth.  I'll bang around, measure twice, cut once, get lots of splinters and rescue wooden pieces and parts to turn what was once waterlogged and damp/ dry and brittle/ trashed and forgotten into pretty pieces to be loved again.  #dreamvivid)

Myne - Spring 12 Lookbook

[...or clothes I'd like to where whilst taking a sunny stroll, playing old-timey board games and playing with film cameras.  Models have all the fun.]

Beautifully draped and detailed pieces (with some fabulous open back action) from the Myne '12 Spring Lookbook.

via ofakind.

SMITH/GREY Jewelry - Processes

Some snapshots of the duo at SMITH/GREY doing what they do best - creating cool and unique wares.  Oh lord, this sure makes me want to get my metalsmithing and lost-wax casting game on!

via.

Pattern & Lettering : Sasha Prood

How cool are the patterns and hand-letting created by artist Sasha Prood?  Check out her online portfolio, she has a lot of neat pen, pencil, and watercolor illustrations and digital logo designs as well!

via Behance.

Friday Five - On a Wednesday

[Fun internet finds for your Friday -- on a Wednesday.  Because patience is a virtue I have yet to master.]

1// Got berries in your fridge that are just on the cusp of going bad?  No worries, turn those babies into some homemade, all-natural fabric dye.  (Hey, blueberries, hiding waaay in the back of the fridge, you're gonna make a lovely purple hue this weekend!)

2// Pompoms are the cutest, little, decorative knick-knacks and are are super easy to make.  I love this pompom garland by Jenny of Wiksten.

3// I stumbled upon Andrew Tomayko's photography randomly through Instagram and I've been enamored ever since - free-spirited and wanderlusty moments in time.

4// Earlier this week, the pinterest gods lead me to Refinery29's Holiday 2011 DIY Gift Guide, with three awesome crafts to make on a budget.  Considering I'm a sucker for pink/neon/flowers/plants/everything in between, this DIY Neon Hanging Planter definitely caught my eye as a must-do!  Now, to find the time...

5// This is probably the most beautiful, world map I've ever laid eyes on.  You can purchase it with a magnetic layer underneath, which would be perfect to put little magnetic markers on of all of the places you've been and all of the places you'll go.

I hope the sun is shining as brightly where you are as it is here.  Happy Wednesday!

Downton Abbey Paper Dolls

[If you mispronounced 'Downton' as 'downtown,' you need to get on the bus.]

WHOA.  Downton Abbey paper dolls? - Um, whose job is it to channel the hilarious nuances of a masterpiece theater series in outstanding and accurate, illustrative form?  Seriously, who's profession is that?  And someday, can it be mine?!

(Answer: Kyle Hilton - you are my fave.  Check out more of his work and paper dolls from a crapload of tv shows.  Spoiler alert: There are paper dolls of "The Gang" and the cast of Parks and Rec.  Consider your work day done.)

swiped from bigBANG studio.

travelust: The Hearst Castle

Peggy Wong's photographs of the Hearst Castle are so eerily pretty, with their parched, but vibrant, sun-washed feel.  This place is a must-go the next time I happen to be anywhere near the west cost.  #soonerratherthanlater

Where are you wanderlusty for?