You Tube Gem- Bomb The Bass

In case you want to skip the video, here is a screen grab of it. The song- Butterfinger, is BTB's collaboration with Fujiya and Miyagi. This is the cutest video EVER!

I Heart Sophie

Sophie LeBlanc's illustrations are so lovely and elegant, her works have appeared in magazines and advertisements in France and Spain. I can't understand French well but on her blog, she posts a lot of works from her shows and upcoming projects.images: Sophie LeBlanc

Five Whats with APAK!

Every week I get really excited when I get my Five Whats answers back from artists/designers that I've been a fan of, and this week I give you APAK! from Portland, Oregon. When they are not busy working as illustrators, Ayumi and Aaron like to create cute paintings together. APAK! also sell their prints on Etsy, some of them are Gocco prints (yay!) Here are the Five Whats:

What did you have for breakfast?
We shared a perfectly ripened small pear, a big slightly under ripened banana, a small delicious apple with a spot of bruise. Also a cup of black tea from India and a bowl of cereal called Optimum Power!
What are your inspirations?
Nature, Animals including our dogs Peanut & Ocho, Artist friends, each other, the sun, and the 14 billion year old universe.What is your all-time favorite piece of artwork by Apak?
Each show we seem to have a new favorite but so far we agree on our "Seasons" series of paintings with Happy Hermits and Fluffo. We like them because they remind us to pay attention to seasonal changes and live harmoniously with nature in celebration of life. Also they are special because Ayumi's dad suggested the idea of a seasons series... So they are actually 3 way collaboration!
What fun projects are you working on?
We're currently working on a show at Giant Robot in NY, which opens May 17th. There are going to be tons of magical crystals and rainbow clouds! The work is range from a tiny affordable paintings to big paintings, also sculptures too.

What are your favorite colors?
Well we like rainbow!(bonus what) What are your hobbies?
We don't think we really have hobbies at the moment... We find ourselves working a lot and actually our work is our hobby. But when we take breaks, we like to go for a walk with our dogs in the woods. We like watching movies in bed and drinking tea at night. Experiment with plants in our yard when it's nice outside. We live very simply very much like little hermits.
images: APAK! (thanks guys!)

Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product

Did you know that there is a great show at Cooper-Hewitt?! If you are in the design business, you should be familiar with sample books and what an crucial role it plays in your career. Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product showcases sample books and other sampling tools used for marketing and for recording designs and techniques from the last three centuries. I have a collection of paper sample books at home simply because they are so beautiful. Can't wait to see these beautiful pieces (pictured here) in person!images: Cooper-Hewitt

Introducing Pacific Standard

If you are looking for some visual stimulation, Pacific Standard is a good place for that. Strath is a very talented Graphic Designer and Art Director who just started the blog. I visited it for the first time last week and it instantly became one of my favorite blogs. It's full of cool graphic references, from snap shots taken in random neighborhoods of New York, to 70's album covers with really good fonts. I also enjoy his music recommendations, like this Billy Ocean number (we could always use some laughs, right?!)images: pacific-standard.blogspot.com

I want this!

Fashion Wonderland by Victionary. This book features over 100 fashion illustrators whose works appear not only in print but also as art installations, interior decoration, product design, etc. The printed fabric cover is so gorgeous that you would want to display it on your coffee table.images: youworkforthem.com

The Best Summer Shoes!

If you were to buy summer shoes from only one label, it'll have to be F-Troupe! They are super comfortable, stylish and none of the shoes have heels more than 1 inch. And the best part is their prices- each pair averages about $100-$250. Check out their website for store listing.images: F-Troupe

What I'm Listening To Now

Le Monde Fableux Des Yamasuki. It's a crazy pseudo-Japanese concept album from French production duo Jean Kluger and Daniel Vangarde. Based on a dance named the "Yamasuki", the record was originally released in 1972, and became a useful tool for French students keen to learn Japanese. Le Monde Fableuz Yamasuki is a collection of beautiful pop songs sung by a Japanese choir. You can hear MP3 samples of the record here, I recommend track number 9- Abana Bakana, it sounds like a soul gospel song in Japanese!
image: finders keepers records

Great ad, iconic product

I found a magazine tear sandwiched inside Chad's book, on one side is this old Polaroid ad from the 70's. It's interesting to see that this ad was trying to create the same type of excitement as would an Apple computer ad, the iconic design of the product is the main focus. The tag line "If you wanted to invent the perfect Christmas present, this would be it" cleverly implies that the camera itself was a great invention. It is sad that the company that bought Polaroid several years ago has stopped producing its instant films last month, which means they will be completely out of stock by next year.

Five Whats with Lab Partners

This week's guests are my favorite Etsy Gocco artists Sarah and Ryan, the Lab Partners from San Francisco. I first contacted them because I blogged about their new Etsy shop, they were really friendly and we quickly became Etsy and Blog pals. I LOVE the pictures that Sarah sent along with the answers! Hope you'll enjoy this Five Whats as much as I did.

What do you guys do when you are not making Gocco prints?
In our time away from Gocco printing we're usually laying out in Dolores Park, rummaging for finds at the Alameda Flea Market and Urban Ore, tracking down Gocco supplies, and always looking forward to the next meal. What did you like to draw when you were little?
ID cards, rule books and maps for secret clubs, animal illustrations for a self published magazine (usually in editions of one) , and suns with sunglasses.

What are your inspirations?
Textiles, Japanese packaging, children's book illustration, nature, patterns on Scandinavian ceramics, beautiful window displays, science, matchbook labels, letterpress stationery, Hitchcock films, J.D. Salinger, Donald Brun, Olle Eksell, Alain Gree, Mary Blair, and Herbert Lupin. What websites do you visit regularly?
grainedit.com, cartoonbrew.com, etsy.com, printpattern.blogspot.com, wonting.com, Pandora.com, and Wikipedia.com.

What kind of music do you listen to? Favorite bands?
Lately we've been listening to Bill Fox, Edith Piaf, Andrew Bird, KDFC , The Supremes, Dan Bejar, and Joy Division.

images: Lab Partners SF

Ige Bird House Mobile

Last Saturday I went to Michele Varian on Crosby Street and saw this beautiful bird house mobile by Helen Ige and I instantly fell in love with it. The mobile is laser cut from high-quality museum board, I LOVE it in ivory. It is a perfect house warming gift because who doesn't like birds that you don't have to clean after?! Here is a better image of Ige's mobile called "Birds of a Feather".images: Ige Design and ohdeedoh.com

What I'm Listening To Now

The Virgins EP. I liked "Radio Christiane" when I first heard it but didn't like the other tracks, but they are now growing on me! They are the perfect upbeat music to listen to when I'm racing for my coffee fix on a weekday morning.
image: Amazon.com

MyCuppa

A spoof on the Pantone Matching System line of products, MyCuppa Tea and Coffee by Suck UK have color palettes inside the mugs to guide you how much milk to add to your choice of beverage perfectly. For tea, the colors are called "Just Tea", "Builders Brew", "Classic British". and "Milky", instead of PMS numbers, how fun!images: suck uk

Etsy Finds Via Poppytalk Handmade

lucky me beads- custom silhouette pendants (I love how they showcase the pendant on a chalkboard!)

kg&ab- Bears in Love

showpony- Vintage Purse

images: Etsy and Poppytalk Handmade

What I'm Listening To Now

"Celebrate" from DJ Shadow's "Schoolhouse Funk Raw II" compilations. It's a cd with funk renditions of pop and rock songs performed by high school bands from the 70's, and "Celebrate" is the most outstanding song of the bunch, I can listen to it all day! There's a slight cheese factor to the singing style, but I think that's what made the song so groovy. Another good one is "25 or 6 to 4". You can listen to the high quality samples here (tracks 2 and 23).
image: Amazon.com

Five Whats with April Johnson

Besides arts and crafts, I also love fashion, and I used to do lots of fashion illustrations. So this week's Five Whats is dedicated to fashion and my guest is April Johnson, a fashion stylist I really like, from New York City. April made her start in fashion at American Vogue and since then she's been working consistently as a high-fashion stylist with clients ranging from Marc Jacobs, John Varvatos, Helmut Lang, to celebrities like George Clooney, Bill Murray and The White Stripes. What did you have for breakfast?
2 cups of tea with soy and banana nut crunch near naked granola and vanilla soy in my tea cup after the 2nd tea.

What was your favorite fashion moment?
Snapping a 4 inch heel in front of Anna Wintour's office on day 4 at Vogue.

What was your favorite project?
Marc Jacobs ads with Michael Stipe and Juergen Teller in Georgia.
What was the best purchase you've ever made?
Every piece of Margiela I've ever bought.

What are your inspirations?
Friends, family, nature, art, music, flea markets, Paris, Martin Margiela....

(Bonus What) If you weren't a fashion stylist, what would you most likely be?
A dog rescuer or a cheese maker.

images: www.apriljohnsonstylist.com

I like Cindy

Another new talented Etsy artist I just discovered, Cindy Tomczyk's prints are so cute and unique, I especially love the ones drawn with gouache on kraft paper. These prints have a vintage look mixed with a bit of indie comic book style. You must check out her shop before she becomes an Etsy superstar! images: cindytomczykart's etsy shop

New Print

I posted the new print in progress on Tuesday, and this is the finished artwork, it's called "In the Garden". The little squirrel is collecting branches to build his first home! I used pearlescent pink Gocco ink for the first time, I really like the blossom pink with a subtle sheen, it's a great alternative to using metallic inks. You can get the print here!

Thanks!

I'd like to thank Jan from Poppytalk and Erica from Thoughtful Day for posting about my Five Whats with Sukie. I find Darrell's answers very inspiring and so genuinely sweet, and I'm grateful that these lovely ladies helped me spread the word, so now more people get to read them and be inspired! Because of this wonderful experience, I'm now 100% motivated and committed to doing Five Whats once a week (submissions are welcomed).
images: Poppytalk and Thoughtful Day