Color Inspiration 02.04

Posted: February 4, 2013 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Color Inspiration, Photography | Tags: color inspiration, design, photography | 1 Comment »

Image Credit: Taylor McCutchan

Print & Pattern: Elizabeth Olwen

Posted: January 29, 2013 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Design, For the Home, Illustration, Print & Pattern | Tags: color, design, illustration, patterns, wallpaper | 2 Comments »

Inspired by folklore & nature at its most playful, Elizabeth Olwen is a Toronto-based surface designer whose charming patterns are now available in wallpaper, prints, and for licensing through her website. Driven by the desire to create something beautiful, her patterns evoke a sense of nostalgia yet still feel very fresh. The result is a collections of prints that would look just as natural on your ultra-hip aunt in 1960s London as they would in next month’s issue of Elle Decor.

Sun & Sand

Deco Florals

Roots & Pods Wallpaper

If you’d like to see more of Elizabeth’s work, her collections are available on her website. A selection of these patterns are also available as wallpaper, which you can purchase through Wallpapered.

Color Inspiration 01.28

Posted: January 28, 2013 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Color Inspiration, Design, Illustration | Tags: color inspiration, design, illustration | Leave a comment »

“Leaves of the Land” by Robbie Porter. You can view the rest of The Adventure Collection here.

“Ghosts” Music Video

Posted: January 25, 2013 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Design, Illustration, Music | Tags: design, illustration, music, music video, the head and the heart, video | Leave a comment »

I just love this animated music video for the Head and the Heart‘s Ghosts created by one of their fans, German designer Jenni Ottilie Keppler. Her illustrations have a great 1960s aesthetic, in a Charley Harper meets Rocky & Bullwinkle kind of way, with interesting layers and a beautiful color palette.

Plus, the little ant dances like me, which is to say the little ant is an amazing dancer.

Looking Forward: 2013 Calendars

Posted: January 4, 2013 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Design, For the Home, Illustration | Tags: 2013, calendar, design, hand lettering, home, illustration, typography | Leave a comment »

A new year, a new calendar!

Here are a few of our favorite options for 2013:

Minimalist

Created by Edwin Carter, this large wall calendar was inspired by the Dieter Rams quote, “Good design is as little design as possible.” It is available for purchase here.

Watercolor

This 16 x 12″ wall calendar by Julianna Swaney features detailed watercolor illustrations and hand lettering.

Illustrated

Made in a limited edition of 375, this beautifully illustrated 12-month calendar by ultra-talented designer/illustrator Leah Duncan is perfectly packaged & sure to sell out quickly!

Magnetic

This mini magnetic calendar from Graphic Grain would be a fun addition to any fridge or filing cabinet!

Maple Veneer

The Best Year Ever calendar by illustrator Melanie Linder is printed on 2-ply maple veneer and comes in three colors.

Cats!

Field Guided has a fantastic wall calendar featuring fluffy white cats & a midcentury modern design.

Happy New Year!

xo, Jess

Gift Guide: The Creative

Posted: December 5, 2012 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Gift Guides, Holidays | Tags: Christmas, creative gifts, design, gift, gift guide, holiday | 1 Comment »

My favorite gifts to buy are for the weird & wonderful people in my life. Their creativity, sense of adventure, & quasi-inappropriate humor has helped shape the person I am today. So, I guess I just want to say THANK YOU to all of the creative spirits who have influenced me over the years. It’s a true pleasure to have you in my life.

So, in this first-of-a-few Gift Guides I will post this holiday season, I’ve gathered together a few gift ideas for the colorful characters in your life.

1. Bunny Girl Hand-carved Stamp by Memi the Rainbow / / 2. Tree vs Lumberjack T-shirt by Gnome Enterprises / / 3. Taxi Llama iPhone Case by Jason Ratliff on Society6 / / 4. Pencil Set by East of India / / 5. Break the Mold Print by Sacred & Profane / / 6. Leather Card Holder by Blackbird and the Owl / / 7. Pantone Color Mug by Pantone

Custom Box Generator

Posted: October 12, 2012 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: DIY, Free, Holidays | Tags: design, diy, free, gift, handmade, holiday, tutorial | 1 Comment »

Crafters, gifters, makers of awesome things: this post is for you.

My harddrive is not an organized place. I have saved so many templates, project ideas & patterns that it’s generally easier to re-download the original file than it is to sift through the ever-increasing mass of mis-labeled files. (How many IMG_786812_G7s.jpg files can one girl have?!) So, yeah. I’ve spent too much time searching for gift box templates.

I was overjoyed when I stumbled across this online box template maker! Choose from 3 designs, type in your own dimensions, and a PDF template will be generated for you. Once you download the file, you can print it out on decorative card stock or use it as a dieline for your latest packaging project. Design nerd bonus: the PDF is editable, so you can drop it straight into Illustrator for even more fun!

Painted Porcelain

Posted: September 4, 2012 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Design, For the Home | Tags: art, creativity, design, gift, home, illustration, inspiration, kitchen | Leave a comment »

Lately, I’ve been really into painted porcelain. It’s the perfect combination of form & function—beautiful, quirky & 100% food safe!. Here are a few of my favorites:

Evie Lotts creates beautiful 8″ plates that are food friendly, BPA free, and dishwasher safe. Each plate is embellished with vintage artwork, with subjects ranging from animals to anatomy.

UK Illustrator James Ward is the man behind Jimbobart, a line of hand drawn ceramics that are “fun and centered around animals either protecting, stealing, eating or asking politely for your food”. Each piece is drawn by hand and absolutely adorable! Follow his page on Facebook to receive 25% off your order with coupon code face25.

Zuppa Atelier is artist Julia Dely, a Brazilian painter/illustrator whose aim is to put a little more color, fun and originality into commons housewares. Each piece is unique, hand drawn and painted, using a combination of free hand, pen and ink, and brushes. Little touches of color add whimsy without being overbearing.

Whose painted porcelain do you like best? I just can’t decide…

Hooray for Free Fonts!

Posted: July 22, 2012 | Author: Fox & Brie | Filed under: Design, Free | Tags: design, free, typography | Leave a comment »

I’ll admit it, my hard drive is one giant pile of letters. I love type & I love free things, so free quality fonts are pretty high up on my list of favorites (somewhere between puppy breath & fresh-out-of-the-dryer socks). But hoarding alone isn’t any fun, so here are a few of my new favorites. Make something pretty.