Happy Earth Day! {illustration}

Today is the day people around the world think about how to take care of our beautiful home, the earth. I recently saw a segment on TV about a family who has practically zero waste. (Read about them at Sunset Mag.) While I admire how they live, I'm not sure I can take living green that far.
Here is what I know I can do for now:
• bring my own bags to the store
• limit buying bottled drinks - use re-usable bottles for my water
• use microfiber cloths to dry hands and wipe down counters - minimizing paper towels
• recycle as much as possible (duh)
• limit plastic baggies by using re-usable snack bags

Speaking of snack bags - my friend Alyssa from Semilla Snack Bags is having a sale for Earth Day. Check out her site and see the adorable patterns she has available for her bags.  Next year, I'll add to the list - we are looking in to powering our press with solar! Now, go out and live every day as if it were Earth Day!

{I did the illustration above for The Union-Tribune on Earth Day in Balboa Park}

Big Wave Wedding {letterpress}

We designed and printed these Big Wave wedding invitations for a wonderful couple recently. Angie and Costas were absolute dream clients - easy to please, quick with their decisions and prompt with their wording, proofing and payments. Did I mention how nice they were?  We printed the main invitation on the double thick 100% reclaimed cotton Crane's Lettra in Fluorescence White. The deep impression we got with this design was awesome. I think this is the design we would use if we could do our wedding invitations over again. We wish Angie and Costas the best on their upcoming wedding. Mahalo for being the best clients ever!

Just for Kicks {illustration}

 

Here is an illustration I did for Cabaret, the musical, that is playing now in San Diego. Believe it or not, I have never seen Cabaret or really knew what the story was about until I did my research. I can't believe I didn't know it was about the rise of the Nazi party and was set in a cabaret in Berlin. My first sketch was rejected - it was a swastika made up of sexy legs. My art director and I settled on this version because it was less controversial but still hinted at the Nazi theme with the legs in a "saluting" position. The  hot pink color was a happy accident that ended up feeling just right. I thought this illo would be perfect for kicking off the weekend! Have a good one!

Only one month until Mother's Day!

We printed a new Mother's Day card a few weeks ago. I was working on a wedding invitation with this daisy and got inspired. I really love how the green and yellow turned out. The little accent on the back is actually an extension of the daisy on the front. This design lets us print two cards per full sheet of paper and not waste any paper when we cut them in half. I love being able to get a bleed without waste! (A bleed is when a design runs off the page.) Don't forget your mom this year! Or in my case, I shouldn't forget my "mom-friends" and sisters. Thirty days and counting!

Put a bird on it! {letterpress}

Here are some new bird cards we printed recently. They are both in the more petite A1 or 4-Bar size (3.5 x 5 inches.) They are printed on thick 100% reclaimed cotton paper. We got a great impression on these cards - nice and deep. I just love how the highlight on the balloon turned out! For the "put a bird on it" reference, see this hilarious video of Portlandia.