cutting edge… err… ok that was cheesy

enjoyed looking at this poster that christopher from mine sent over. paper cut out illustration by yulia brodskya.

unpublished work that needs some air

here are a couple of pieces i’ve been wanting to show for while but are unpublished as of right now anyway. you can go see ‘em nice and big and read about ‘em on flickr.

live from bklyn “thinking of u” postcards

the live from bklyn “thinking of u” postcards are finished and available for purchase. we will be opening our own live from bklyn design shop very soon, but for now, visit livefrombklyn.etsy.com

jessica hische

every once in a while one comes a cross a designer that makes one say, “oh NO! i’m gonna have to stay up late every night for the next month and a half to improve my design skills.” jessica hische is that designer. oh look, she also has a blog. super. it’s gonna be a long night…

live from bklyn etsy shop launched

friends of live from bklyn, i’m pleased to announce that we have opened a live from bklyn etsy shop (livefrombklyn.etsy.com). you can purchase fine art friday prints, as well as other prints of buildings in williamsburg, brooklyn and ornamental letterforms.

shelby county, tennessee marriage license

i’m always a tad jealous of this guy and all of the awesome vintage design pieces that he possesses, but i’m getting a turn now.

a couple of weeks ago, my grandmother, the indomitable marguerite dailey (evans) crafton (from whom my name comes), passed away after complications from hip surgery. she left a legacy of stalwartness, and a vast treasure trove of antique wonders. my brother and i were able to look through her possessions, to see if there was anything that we might like to have. . . and how.

i came away with multiple sculpted glass bowls and dishes, small ephemera like assorted pins, jewelry and cuff-links, and, as pertains to the live from bklyn blog, this 1913 marriage license from shelby co, tennessee (of which memphis is the county seat). i think it’s just beautiful.

siglin wedding invitation

i saw the siglins’ wedding invitation hanging on my fridge yesterday, and thought, “that deserves a blog post.” so here it is. i would post a link to dave’s portfolio site, but he doesn’t have one. . . still. . . in 2008.

orangebeautiful calendar

my friend christin sends tidings of this (orange)beautiful calendar. sweet idea to have the perforations to be able to save the typography as an art print. check out the rest of orangebeautiful’s offerings while you’re on their etsy page. the holiday card is just magnificent.

bantjes “design ignites change” poster

good grief. will someone please tell this woman to slow down and let the rest of us catch up? i mean there’s ornament and typography, and then there’s marian bantjes. her penchant for fabulously detailed and intricate ornament is just ridiculous. i give you the design ignites change poster, v1. there’s a v2 on her site too, if you care to browse around to find it.

starbucks perfect oatmeal

oh starbucks, what a quandary you’ve put me in. so many reasons to hate you (like your quest for coffee hegemony), so many reasons to love you. like this tub that your perfect oatmeal comes in. simple, yet ornate. modern in design, classic in production. not only are the ornaments perfect in execution, but you also achieved press ink texture and a thickened ink edge without using mr. retro’s permanent press filters. you did it purely. a luxury that so many of us dream of, but alas, have no budget for. the oatmeal was right tasty too. curse you starbucks! and bless you too. i’m so torn.

howling monkey

this is cool. i am lazy. the end.

gileah and the ghost train

so i’m bending my own rules a bit to discuss some great new music that i came across, but they are my rules, so i suppose i can do what i want with them.

so gileah and the ghost train. if i had to sum up gileah’s music with one word, it would be haunting. but it’s like gileah is haunted by a holy ghost rather than an evil spirit, if you get my drift. it’s like she’s headed down a road that leads to misery, but there’s a a presence she can’t shake who’s goal it is to keep her from that.

gileah also conveys a good deal of urgency in most of the songs she writes, imploring us to listen and take action.

i don’t want to give everything away. i do want to say do yourselves a favor and buy this self-titled masterpiece by gileah and the ghost train.

glieah also has some killer floral illustration on her myspace page, so there’s a little design chat for you too.

samantha wiley

samantha wiley has really got a handle on her typography, as evidenced by these beer desktop backgrounds.

sam is moving to new york very soon, and is looking for a gig, so if anyone reading this is hiring, be sure to click the link above to review her portfolio. you can also see her portfolio on the behance network.

joshua smith does it again

joshua smith of hydro74 has created a brilliant poster for the smashing pumpkins. joshua nails the hand-lettering and ornament, going so far as to include the wave pattern within the type. stellar.

mystery whale

a few days ago while using the ever-handy stumble upon tool bar, i came across the above image (click header). unfortunately, the image isn’t anywhere to be found on the actual website (zee.com.br) with any sort of corresponding info. i’ve scoured the web looking for the source of this mystery whale image, because i love the wood textures used and i think it would look super in my young daughter’s room if i were able to purchase a print somewhere. but alas, i’ve only come across this fellow, who links back to zee.com.

if anyone knows of the origins of this marvelous piece of work, please let me know. i will make you the live from bklyn hero or heroin of the day.

shakespeare in the park

the public theater in new york have placed these ads (click header) all over the subway and buses and other places in the city and for that i am very glad. obviously a great concept with the ornamental hair on the skull and a dandy bit of execution too. i don’t know who designed them though. if anyone has any information on that subject please comment.

hanna werning

michelle and i picked up a couple of nice greeting cards from print icon. two things went through my head when i saw these; 1. these are awesome. 2. i want to design greeting cards. so hanna werning, you are awesome, and beaumonde cards, please let me do some work for you.

decoylab

decoylab have some fine clocks and what not at their etsy store, but i would like to bring some attention to their shipping label (click header). magnifico.

orgut cayli

thanks to chantel ingram of BCIT’s school of computing and academic studies for bringing to my attention the work of orgut cayli. orgut pulls off the “maximalist” look with minimal clutter.

brad surcey

brad surcey via the ever-fresh serif. so very beautiful, i’m gettin’ misty-eyed just looking at it. this one made it into all three categories; print, ornament, and type.