etsy roundup » typography

As a graphic designer, I deal with type every day. I love exploring the different feelings that different typefaces can evoke but I must admit, in the midst of working on a 40-page newsletter, fonts can become a bit mundane so I try to step back and look with fresh eyes at the beauty of typography.

Inspiration can be found all around us, from magazines to TV commercials, magazines and leaflets, even the credit cards in your wallet. But for a quick fix, I head to my true blue: Etsy.com.

Here's just a sampling of type-inspired designs (hint: they'd all make great gifts for everyone from type fanatics to the type challenged!):


Love this line of jewelry by Plastique. Simple, modern and mysterious at the same time – at least to those who don't speak type. "FPO" means "for placement only," something we designers put on top of images that are not the final image, and "kern" is the act of adjusting the space between letters to make the type appear even (so clever, these two rings worn on two fingers!)

Great visual texture on this block-printed, 100% linen pillow from 1Girl1Boy.

I'm a total night-light girl, I'll admit it: I do get a bit freaked out in the dark! This silk-screened version from Bloomin Lumen is the perfect blend of illumination and style.

This wonderful quilted-cover notebook by Daily Threads is perfect for journaling. The hand-stenciled letters stand in strong contrast to the fabric pattern, yet the overall result is soft and comfy – perfect to curl up with on the couch or in your favorite outdoor hangout.

This fun screen-print by Slide Sideways pretty much says it all: yes, maybe, no way! On a sidenote (no pun intended), I like this actual photo of the print as well; nice colored wall and interesting composition!

This just might be the coolest tie ever: filled with layers of Lorem Ipsum ("greeked" placeholder type, although it actually resembles Latin more than anything), this tone-on-tone tie by Toybreaker is so classy!

Punky Jane makes a variety of customized jewelry, including necklaces with monthly calendars (great way to commemorate an anniversary or birthday!) but this simple "dream" necklace remains one of my faves.

Overlapping layers of letterpressed type and graphics create a colorful collage in this mini poster by Lot 9 Press.

This series of alphabet cards would be perfect to send out this holiday season (letterpressed by Hijirik.)

Another alphabet series, this one by Jenn Ski, that would be perfect in a nursery (although I would totally hang this in any room of my child-less home – maybe in the B for Bedroom?).

And while this last one doesn't involve letters per se, these graphic symbols and iconography by Michelle Christina are very cool. Fun to display as a grouping like this but also great to use individually throughout the house.

favorite things

The weather is changing, days are getting shorter, and I've caught myself feeling rather sad that summer is indeed over – it's time to settle in for the long, wet and cold winter ahead, ugh!

The nice thing is that I get to spend cozy weekends lounging on the sofa with a hot cup of tea and a warm blanket and purring kitty on my lap. Those are the times when I look around in contentment – things are as they should be: hubby in his chair, dogs at my feet, candles lit... I'm home!

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things around the house that make me feel at home, and at peace.

Todd spotted these love birds at last year's Super Colossal Holiday Sale. I love the gestural quality and simple design (sorry, can't remember the artist...)

This antique wall clock has been in my mother's family for generations. It belonged to her grandmother – she even remembers it hanging on the wall when she would go visit her oma! My great-aunts gave it to me and Todd as a wedding present, and I absolutely cherish this family heirloom. Because we emigrated from the Netherlands when I was 16, I only have a few things that were handed down to me, which makes this clock with its worn patina and pretty sound extra special.

This darling mug was given to me by a very dear family friend when I was little and living in Denmark. It reads "Alexandra" and, quite frankly, I had forgotten all about it until a few years ago my mom pulled it out of a cupboard during a visit home. She had saved it for me all these years – thanks, Mom!

The first year we were married, Todd and I expanded our fur family to include a Dutch mini lopear bunnie we named Knuffeltje ("little huggeable one" in Dutch). We discovered an artist at a local gallery who made these wonderful rabbits, so for Christmas that year, we had her make one that looked like our little Knuffel!

I've loved transferware for a long time, particularly red, brown and black pieces. I have a little collection of mismatched pieces that I display in a small hutch. I should really start using them more – they make me happy every time I look at them!

I bought this piece in San Francisco while shopping with a friend. I'm sure I overpaid but I loved the crackly, creamy finish.

This orchid has been alive longer than any of its predecessors – that, in and of itself, deserves a spot among my list of favorite things, given how I manage to kill most plants within mere weeks of bringing them home!

We found these apothecary jars at Sesame & Lilies in Cannon Beach. They had one that said "cannabis," too, but I liked how these two are at different heights, creating more visual interest.

More containers, this time in the kitchen. I bought this set at the Portland Antique Expo almost 7 years ago, to reward myself for launching Defteling Design (quite a scary thing, to leave a steady paycheck and jump into the world of freelance – so I figured I deserved a little sumthin' sumthin').

The vendor who sold me this vintage slide tried to tell me it was taken in France but I know better: there's nothing more Dutch than this, an old cobblestone street with the typically Dutch stair-stepped gables!

This little metal lunch pail sits on a shelf right inside my office downstairs. Currently, it's empty but I'm enjoying the thought of what I might stash in it someday...

A few years ago, I came across a box full of old letterpress letters. Love at first sight! Sadly, the letters were quite spendy so I picked up only a few – enough to spell out "design" and my initials.

So while the skies turn dark and grey around me, and wet leaves fall from the trees, I remind myself of how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love and visual inspiration – I guess 't is the season to be thankful!

(not so) junk mail

I collect all kinds of things, from antique ironstone pitchers to chunks of moss picked up during a walk, even junk mail! I know, I know – a lot of direct mail can be distinctly lacking in visual impact but during the last few weeks, I received some direct mail that I most definitely found worthy of saving.

First up is Target. Okay, so it's no surprise that they are über-savvy when it comes to design. However, I had never received any targeted mailings from them until a new store opened near us.

This coupon booklet contains the best-designed, mass-distributed coupons I've seen in a long time (love how the graphics completely tie in with signage at the store!):

And this simple, double-sided mailer had a fun, interactive coupon that you had to physically pull off. Admittedly, I did expect a bigger surprise to be revealed than the somewhat boring tagline – opportunity missed, if you ask me!


Qwest has been bombarding my mail box with junk for years but this one actually caught my attention. No return address, no logo on the outside – a mystery mailer! The headline was catchy – of course, I had to rip right in and find out what's "the next best thing" and how I can make it mine:

Not until the very end do you find out who sent you this mysterious piece – that's right, the friendly folks at Qwest!

Another company that makes regular deposits into my mailbox is Office Max. I've signed up for their membership card so I constantly receive coupons. I must say, though, that this one finally enticed me to open up the mailer: it was so pretty!

And look, this one actually does have a surprise: pop-up coupons! Love it, great job!

Lastly, while this one doesn't fall into the category of direct mail, I am excited to see what goodies will arrive in the future. During my last visit at Anthropologie (the epitome of visual merchandising!), I was asked during checkout if I was an Anthro member. No, I'm not – but I'd like to be! So now I am an official Anthro member, complete with membership card that came in its very own, very "anthro" cloth string bag along with a fun little booklet.

Alright, Corporate America: I don't by any means condone wasteful, useless junk mail but if you make it interesting, interactive and intriguing like these examples, I say keep 'em coming!

goodwill hunting

My friend Amy and I love to go treasure hunting at our local Goodwill Industries stores. Sometimes we can hardly believe our luck with what we find – and last week was no exception!

I think I'm most excited about an old book I discovered called A Dog from Flanders. Love the illustrations, especially given the Dutch blood running through my veins (and yes, I do know that Flanders is in Belgium, not the Netherlands). I'll use these in various assemblage pieces – after I've had a chance to actually read the book!


No idea what I'll use this wooden spool and old basket ball pump for but they both spoke to me - the patina is gorgeous on the spool, and I love the boy's name scratched into the pump ("hands off, this one's mine!")


This old leather handkerchief and collar case is actually the first thing that I came across at the store. Even though the inside is in pretty good shape, I'll probably deconstruct it and use the fabulously aged leather exterior.


The color of this candy tin is just the perfect shade of retro green-blue, and the flowers on top make it extra special. Great studio storage for some of my little knick-knacks and doo-hickies.


These rolls of piano paper are intriguing... maybe they'll be turned into giant pompoms, or possibly layered wall decorations, who knows. Especially love the first part of the roll – the graphics are beautiful.


This silver platter is destined to be come the background for some layered assemblage piece, possibly with a little Frozen Charlotte doll in the center and some chandelier crystals hanging off the four little squares...


And lastly, this little sugar bowl would look great inside a decoupaged wooden box with some papers streaming out of it (somehow it reminds me of a trophy cup... maybe I'll search for a state fair ribbon and turn it into a horse-themed display, using some of my horse-related ephemera with a little statue)

I love successful Goodwill hunts, especially when done in the company of a good friend who, like me, can see the beauty in the old and discarded.

filter fun

I've been using a lot of filters lately while creating illustrations for my day planner so I thought it'd be fun to create a couple before-and-afters of photographs. I shot these cows as we were passing through Cloverdale last Friday and I dressed them up a little using these fun filters from Mister Retro and a polaroid frame purchased from iStockPhoto.

tucker's tv debut

A couple weeks ago, I told you about the great work that the Oregon Humane Society does for abused and neglected animals in Oregon and beyond. Well, here's a clip of one of my personal favorite stories – you guessed it: it's our little boy Tucker, live, right there on TV during their annual telethon.



Isn't he a cutie?! Yes, I'm a little biased but you've got to admit, he's adjusted wonderfully to his new, normal, food- and love-filled home! Thank you, OHS, and thanks also to Brian the Volunteer/Tivo Guru who provided me this clip!

cheap-but-good book arts

Last Sunday I stopped by the "Cheap-But-Good" Book Arts Sale at the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts to be inspired and to hopefully pick up a few items. It was fun to see the studio and all the artists' work laid out. And yes, I did find a few things:

Gorgeous print of an owl on a moonlight sky – love the use of white ink on black paper to really capture the dark of night. This will be perfect in our bedroom! (Sorry, I can't read the signature very well, it looks like it might say Denise Jacobs?)

Love, love, love these two cards by Textura Printing. The detail is amazing and the imagery so classy. Colors are very tasteful, too, although sadly my photography doesn't do it justice.

This card is so "Oregon" that I bought two! By Tiger Food Press.

And although I have stacks of my own Cecily Ink wrapping paper, this sheet of silvery grey daffodils by Debra Glanz was too pretty to pass up.