Mind your manners when checking out these plates by Pen and the Pixel! London-based illustrator and designer Emma Houlston created these plates as an homage to scenes from the Harrow Ladies Luncheon Club from John Betjemen’s 1973 documentary Metro-Land. While I don’t quite grasp all of the references, I do adore the sentiments on each plate. After all, how many times have you been chastised by your horn-rim bespectacled grandma about your elbows?
{images via Pen and the Pixel}
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San Francisco-based artist Jen Garrido can be described in one word: effervescent. And I mean that both personally and artistically! I had the great joy of meeting Jen in her studio, where she regaled me with stories about her beautiful baby daughter, spilt paint, and the adventures of balancing motherhood and art. Jen is bubbly and happy, qualities which I genuinely believe can be witnessed in her work. 
A real go-getter, Jen rarely sketches first. Instead, she prefers to dig right in and just get started painting. When I visited her studio, she had stacks upon stacks of hand-bound sketchbooks full of her vibrant, undulating work. I think I could spend hours sifting through them all … and still never decide which is my favorite! 
Using oil and acrylic paints, Jen often pairs neon brights with muddy, toned down colors. Nature-based forms are almost rhythmic in feel, but also very modern. Jen pulls a lot of inspiration from vintage prints and artwork she finds at flea markets. She is also inspired by other artists, such as Keltie Ferris, Amy Sillman, and Charline Von Heyl. 
{images via Jen Garrido}
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Using natural colored stoneware covered in a multitude of glazes, Denver-based ceramist Michael McDowell, known as Mud Puppy, has captured my attention big time. Each of his pieces has a modern edge, yet still feels very natural and handmade because of the carefully applied glazes. My favorite in his collection are these terra cotta pods with sheer splashes of ocean blue and thick opaque white drips. Whether displayed in a group or solo, these pods will make any plant absolutely sing.
Michael also makes hanging airplant pods, perfect for Tillandsia. Each stoneware pod hangs from a strand if thick hemp, but can also be turned right-side up to function as a regular planter.
Lastly, unglazed, simple, and sculptural, Michael’s moon chimes are drop-dead gorgeous. Each moon bell is handcrafted and fired twice, once to remove moisture from the clay and a second time to entire the chimes can withstand being outdoors. I especially love them grouped all together in a combination of glazed and unglazed ceramic.
{images via Mud Puppy}
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Confession time: absolutely none of my bedding matches. My linen closet houses a mish-mash of sample sale finds, one-off designs by yours truly that never made it to production, or pieces where I couldn’t find the full set. I like to think that it’s all part of some well considered master plan, but really it’s all about comfort and juxtaposition. I tend to pair one-color printed sheets with a quirky statement pillowcase and then layer on ethnic-inspired printed quilts, ever-so-soft matelasses, and a home-made crocheted throw. It’s … eclectic.
Lately, romantic and text-heavy pillowcases have been tugging at my heartstrings. Simple, yet funny, a statement sham gives your bed a sense of humor and might just send you off to sleep with a smile on your face! These two from Elsie Green are the perfect blend of 350-threadcount organic cotton and lovey-dovey sentiment for my inner romantic spirit.
Xenotees initially captured my attention with their cat shams, but these suggestive pillowcases might be just want you need to spice things up.
Of course, leave it to Urban Outfitters to take pillowcases to a bold, typographic place. These are especially lovely as an inspirational—and aspirational—statement. I imagine waking up to these sentiments would lead to the most productive day of my life!
Lastly, Salvation Jane’s sentimental and romantic sham pair will have you engaging in some pillow talk in no time.
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With a hint of nostalgia and plenty of whimsy, the designs by Ben the Illustrator bring to mind happy days full of child-like glee and open-eyed wonder. The patterns achieve the perfect balance of playfulness and modernity.
Each print features a saturated color palette rooted in primaries. And that eggy yellow might just be my favorite color in the world, especially when paired with a tomato-red and stark white!
Ben’s work shows a great range of techniques: crisply drawn shapes mix with painterly brushstroked abstractions; thin linework stands in contrast against solid colored grounds. Each print creates a small world with lots to explore.
{Images via Ben the Illustrator}
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