Despite Joanna’s post a few weeks ago on cool Mother’s Day gift-wrapping ideas, I admit: I’m still unprepared for Mother’s Day. Thankfully, San Francisco designer Cat Seto created this printable card just for us. So at least I—and you!—don’t have to make a trip to the card store between now and Sunday.
You can download a hi-res version of the card here; we recommend printing it out on cardstock. And be sure to check out Cat’s new line of stationery, Ferme à Papier, which we especially love for its painterly quality. The collection officially launches at the National Stationery Show in New York later this month. (Of course, we love that an issue of Anthology makes an appearance on Cat’s desk, shown below.)
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}
If you are looking for a special way to celebrate this Mother’s Day weekend, make your way to Heath Ceramics. The beloved California ceramics company is hosting its annual open studio at three locations: San Francisco, Sausalito, and Los Angeles. You can get a behind-the-scenes look at the Heath story on tours of the factory, the glazing and mold-making processes, and the new San Francisco creative campus. In addition to these tours, each location will have a variety of activities including tile glazing, flower arranging (with Moon Canyon and Studio Choo), and even a chance to cast and glaze a classic Heath bud vase. Some activities are RSVP only, so visit the Heath website for more details and to sign up.
{Photos via Heath Ceramics}
Meg and I are big fans of NYC-based photographer Michael Mundy and his site, An Afternoon With. AAW focuses on Michael’s “simple, tranquil and sophisticated images of interiors [that] are revealing and resonate with the character of their inhabitants.” (We were fortunate enough to collaborate with Michael for a story in Issue No. 2 of Anthology.)
Michael has released two limited-edition publications that feature some of the folks he’s photographed for the site. The second issue’s launch last week coincided with the three-year anniversary of AAW. You can purchase both in his shop, along with a small selection of his prints. We’re crossing our fingers that Michael will offer more editions of AAW in the future!
AAW – Issue 1
AAW – Issue 2
{ All images courtesy of An Afternoon With }
Whether simply scrawling notes during a phone call or penning the next great American novel, these twig pencils from Baba Souk are sure to put a twinkle in your eye. Dipped and striped in gold metallic, each twig pencil is one-of-a-kind and hand-painted. Why not add a touch of rustic charm to your desk?
{images via Baba Souk}
