my Crafy Wonderland treasures

This past Sunday was Crafty Wonderland's Colossal Holiday Sale and I had a colossal good time!

As much as I dislike crowds, I must admit it was inspirational to see such a great turn-out for this event. Not sure what the final numbers are, but by 2pm, over 4500 crafty, artsy, and indie fans had crossed the threshold and were doing their best to boost our local economy!

It took me over three hours to make it all the way through the 200+ vendors and I must say, I was a bit sad when I got the end of the very last aisle... oh, well, time for round two!

It was a great mix of artists but here are my top faves from this year's show:

Faune Yerby's work caught my eye when I very first walked through the doors. She collages her photographic images in a really nostalgic way that totally fits my taste for vintage chic. Although her pieces consist of numerous small photographs, they all work together to create a larger image that pulls you in to tell a story. You can find more of her work in her Etsy shop here.

Next up is Lisa Kaser. I had not seen her work before and I absolutely fell in love with her whimsical style and quirky characters. I came home with the two prints above: "Spring" on the left and "I'll cook for you" on the right. I've already framed them and just need to find the perfect spot to hang them! You can check out all of Lisa's work here and purchase prints at her Etsy shop here.

I've admired Johanna Wright's work for quite a while (see last year's blog post here) and decided it was finally time to add this print to my collection (yes indeed, I'm actually starting to run out of wall space now!) She also just released a new book she's illustrated and I have a feeling this whale is part of that story. Check out her website here and Etsy shop here.

Last but not least, I was thrilled to see Lori Shippy again at this year's show. She and I did a little trade last year and I ended up with two of her small white birds that I absolutely adore (see blog post here). This year, I added one of her black crows to my collection, and it's already found a home in the upstairs hallway. I also love Lori's giving-back philosophy: 20% of all of her profits go towards building wells in Togo, West Africa! See more of Lori's work on her website here and her Etsy shop here.

open for business: my new etsy shop!

I'm so excited, I finally have my new Etsy shop up and running, stocked to the brims with matted and framed prints of my new illustrations!

I start by hand-drawing the illustrations in pen and ink. After I scan them, the real fun begins: digitally adding color, textures, and shapes! I love playing with scale and transparency, drawing some of the background illustrations (like the bee in "Taste of Summer" below) really large, only to reduce them once scanned. That makes the illustration more realistic-looking which is a nice contrast to the more loose style of the main drawings.

I purchased a new fancy-shmancy printer that uses archival inks that are guaranteed to last over 100 years! Yeah, none of us will be around by then so I guess that's an easy sales pitch to make... Regardless, the print quality is amazing and I use acid-free, fine artisan papers and conservation-quality rag mats so the prints should definitely last a life-time!

Look for new designs to be added in the new year! Check it out here: alexwijnen.etsy.com!

day planner goes to press

Last month I shared a few sneak peeks at some illustrations I've been doing for my 2009 client gift for Defteling Design. Well, today the project actually went on press – and I'm thrilled with the results!

After checking (and re-checking) the mocked-up proof, the full-color images are printed on a huge 6-color press at Brown Printing, one of the collaborators on this fun project.

The cover was up first. I incorporated one of my favorite illustrations (July) for the cover, which will then be printed with a solid blue on the back and folded in half, so that the yearly calendar to the right becomes the inside left front cover.

When it was time to press check the monthly divider pages, I was ecstatic: so much goodness, so much richness and texture! I know, I designed it so why am I all freaked out, but it was just so shocking (in a good way!) to see them all lined up like this. I brought back an extra press sheet so I can hang it in my office.

Next are the two-color weekly planner pages and then it's off to the bindery for black wire-o binding. I can't wait to hold the finished planner in my hands! And yes, I haven't forgotten about the giveaway. Stay tuned, I'll post the giveaway as soon as the planner is all done!

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.