I met Gina Triplett at Surtex this month. She was showing with an agency new to the show, and I noticed their booth because it looked very different than most booths. It was clear they were more of an illustration agency than a surface pattern agency (many of the agents work in textile prints) so their artwork stood out as singular art images.

The booth colours were striking and dramatic, and it was hard to look away. When I was drawn in and introduced to the artist, it was lucky that I so happened to want to see her book the most (because she was the only artist present).

 It made the conversation easy! Now that I am writing this post, I can't tell you much more about the artist from that short conversation, other than that I thought she was very sweet. Everything else I can tell you, I've learned from the internet.

Gina and her husband Matt Curtius live and work in Philadelphia, PA. They have shared a studio for over 10 years.



They have done work for lots of companies like IBM, Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, Target, Urban Outfitters...yes, the list is pretty incredible actually.

I wish I had asked the artist about her process. From the pictures I can find online, I think she paints in acrylic, but I am amazed by the look, because the way the strong black lines appear, I at first thought it must be woodcut or scratchboard or some sort of print. But I think after reading an interview, she must paint these. If you happen to know, feel free to comment!

My favourite has to be the work done for SmartWool socks though. Because, if you know me, you know how I feel about unusual socks. Weird socks. Printed, striped, polka dotted, fluffy...anything but those weird socks with toes, and I'm on them!




























The blog Print & Pattern has always been super inspiring to me.



Check out their posts on
Surtex and the National Stationery Show for some great images. I think the blogger will continue to update these categories for the next few weeks.

(pictured Carolyn Gavin for Ecojot)
My recent trip to New York was for work purposes, but I was lucky enough to take an extra day for being a tourist, and since the work that I have to do on this trip only requires my attention from 9-5 or so, I get the evenings to explore. Because the city never sleeps it is easy to find a lot to do outside of business hours. I also bring along a friend, which is great, because it is someone to adventure with!

I think I really fell in love with New York this trip. It is actually my fourth time in NYC, and the first time I really felt 100% comfortable and like I had my bearings about where I was all the time, and what direction I was pointing. That's a great feeling in a city because you can then just wander and know that eventually you'll find your way home again. I've never found NYC scary, but I've definitely found it disorienting in the past.

We flew Porter Airlines, which I do highly recommend. People think a drawback is that you fly into Newark instead of LaGuardia, but I found the taxi to downtown was the same price either way. If you take the train, I think the cost is the same as well. Newark is much brighter and nicer and significantly less busy. Porter is everything people tell you it is - the staff is friendly, snacks and drinks are included, and they even give you real ceramic or glass cups. You can carry on more stuff, your bags arrive before you get to the carousel, and security is much quicker to pass through. To top it off, the flight attendants wear those cute little pillbox hats, just like in the movies. I guess I shouldn't like that feature as much as I do but it really amused me. Everyone working there appeared to love their job, and that rubs off as well.
 
When we landed we had to get  to the hotel and then out again to the Javits centre, where the Stationery show was taking place. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the walk from 45th and Madison took us into Hell's Kitchen and through the 9th Avenue Food Festival. The festival closes the street down and various food vendors line up. We had a hard time deciding what to eat - there were so many amazing options like Brazilian, Cajun, Ethiopian, Thai, Turkish - but we ended up at a place with mini brioche sandwiches.








It was a gourmet shop and they were so tiny and cute. It might have been that everything they offered was miniature, but something was irresistible about the booth. We ended up with a variety of mini sandwiches and deep fried chicken fingers with a selection of dips. The brioche I found most memorable had buffalo mozarella, sprouts, chicken, a pesto-like sauce and red onions. Delicious. Of course I had my must-have-while-in-the-US unsweet iced tea. Iced tea is delicious but unsweetened iced tea is my favourite thing in the world. So refreshing, and good for you! I am planning to perfect my own home-brewed version this summer.

 After the day's work was done, we did a little shopping on Madison Avenue. I say 'a little' because we didn't buy anything. I really really wanted a Philipe Starck watch I saw,
but I managed to resist, telling myself there were going to be other things I might want on the trip. Plus, I need a watch like a hole in the head, and I don't really like wearing watches anyhow. I am still thinking about it though. So sleek and stylish!
I woke up thinking about it this morning.

Anyhow, we got changed and headed on foot to the Meatpacking District and took a walk through the Chelsea Market.
The market sits on the border between Chelsea and "MePa" and it reminded me of both the St. Lawrence market and the Distillery District in Toronto but with a dash of mustached-hipster. There was fresh fruits and veg, fish, meat and other delicious market things, and also tiny bakeries and art galleries and event venues. The Chelsea Market is home to the Food Network, but we didn't spot any celebrity chefs.


 As you can imagine, extreme hunger set in and so it was decided that we would have steaks across the street at the Old Homestead Steakhouse, which is 137 years old. Of course we both had steaks, and wine, but we started with the most delicious and garlicy bread I've ever had. It came stacked in tiny slivers like a Jenga game resting in a delicious alfredo-like sauce for dipping. Should we have eaten the entire tower, along with our crabmeat cocktail before the steaks arrived? Unlikely, but I'm glad we did.

Afterward we badly needed to walk off dinner so we hiked back to the hotel, stopping only to sit near the fountain in Bryant Park, in front of the public library, for a short rest (pictured above). Bryant Park was bustling even at almost midnight, and was lit up as bright as midday. The fountain is the Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain, dedicated in 1912. This was the city's first public memorial dedicated to a woman. 

The next day we were scheduled to go to Surtex, the art licensing show. On our way we had breakfast in a convenience store. I know this sounds odd (well, I know it sounds odd to Torontonians) but truly, there is no comparison between convenience stores here and in NYC. At first I thought I had stumbled upon something rare - a great hot grilled sandwich place, (including all day breakfast sandwiches) with a salad bar too, that just so happened to also have everything a convenience store had. I thought, it's like a Rabba Mart, but better, fresh cooked and more delicious. But they are beyond better than a Rabba Mart because they also have upstairs seating and hot soups and single serving cereal and things like sliced avacado and blackberries on their salad bar options. As it turns out, these are everywhere. I think there is virtually one on every block, and I've never struggled to find one for longer than 5 minutes walking. It seems this is attributable to New Yorkers being health conscious but I think it also has much to do with the fact that so many workers in Manhattan commute from the outskirts and need to buy breakfast or lunch. I love the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables in this town!

In the next edition, I'll talk about our trip that evening to Brooklyn, our adventures at Fishs Eddy and our final day when we took in Haunted at the Guggenheim.

(pictures mine)


The National Stationery Show is always a treat to walk through. Though I attend a number of trade shows throughout the year, I find the NSS to be the most interesting because it seems that a lot of the exhibitors are small start ups and independent companies. So many show in just a 10'x10' booth and are thrilled to even speak to you about their product.

One memorable booth I saw this year was a company called Flowerpot Press. Based in Canada and Nashville, they produce Children's books, Music, Audio Books, Paper products and Eco-friendly stationery. What caught my attention was their Harlequin Notables series. Last year a good friend of mine was involved in the creation of a Harlequin calendar to celebrate the company's 60th Anniversary. It was used as a promotional item so it was not available for retail purchase. It was really cool though, and featured some amazing book covers. Since I knew the designer I was lucky enough to get my hands on one. I guess I wasn't the only person to love it - due to the the success of the calendar, Harlequin has licensed the same selections from their archive to Flowerpot Press so that they could create a series of journals using the Harlequin Romance covers. 
You can shop for them here.







I'm back from a work trip to New York City and I'm working on some blog posts about various things I saw and did. I manage to fit in a lot! But it is easy in the city that never sleeps. While I work on the post, tool around the internet by checking out the links related to some of the spots I visited and places I saw...

National Stationery Show.
A Good Review of the Stationery Show found at Design*Sponge.

Surtex - Art Licensing Show 

Guggenheim Art Gallery 
We checked out the show Haunted.

Chelsea Market: The St. Lawrence Market meets the Distillery.

9th Avenue Food Festival.

 Prospect Park, Brooklyn.


Fishs Eddy (my favourite store in NY).

I've been looking for equestrian-inspired stuff all spring. I don't know why. I think it started with putting my hair in a side braid, which is trendy, but really I started wearing it that way because this is the first time in my life that I've had long hair. I'm really quite terrible at styling it and a side braid is easy. Anyhow I'm after blazers. So I headed into my local Value Village shop searching. While the blazer hunt was fruitless, I did have two great finds! I did some research on both items when I got home and so now I have to share.

I had heard of "Vera" scarves before. But I didn't pick this scarf because it had the name - I picked it first for the lovely colours.


The Vera Neumann scarf line began in New York in 1947 and became a mid-century success story. The scarves were beloved for their whimsical designs and bold graphics. Vera Neumann was foremost an artist, and her scarves display her sense of colour. She was ahead of her time in gutsy colour mixes, putting lime greens, chocolates and purples together, for instance. The painterly scarves became a highly collectible accessory, and almost as many people framed them and hung them on their walls as tied them around their necks.


In their heyday, Vera scarves were sold at 12,000 stores around the world, though they were mostly an American phenomenon. Marilyn Monroe, a fan of the line, was photographed naked but for some sheer Vera scarves. I'm feeling pretty happy about the $2 I spent. Forgive the wrinkles...it needs steaming.

Next I found a silver handbag. I was looking for silver recently because I have black dress I'd like to wear soon....ideally with bright blue shoes and a silver bag, though so far, only the silver bag has turned up. When I saw this little vintage number I was pretty thrilled, it's in perfect condition.


It's boxy and you can hide the chain inside and make it a clutch (likely how it will be used when I wear it) and best of all, it was hand made in Canada. This is my second vintage purse find of this sort. I know there are probably lots out there because at one time this wasn't really uncommon. But to me, it makes the item that much more special. Check out the label.


I think that is Toronto City Hall. I haven't been able to find out too much about this designer. What I can find out is that he was Canadian, and a Judy Award Winner. I learned that from an Etsy post, so I have no idea what that means or if it is even true. Some more research is needed. Anyone know anything about him? Anyhow, I love it. And $3. That's all!










My father is from England. I don't know my family there very well, though I have met a few members here and there. As an adult I realized it was my grandparents who were the ones who 'left' and 'lived far away'. It is odd to think of that way because as a child I thought of my extended family in England as being the ones who were far away. I do recall when I was growing up I would get occasional updates about my cousins. There was one second cousin right around my age, so I guess my family felt in some way I would be curious to know about her, though we've never met. Recently my father forwarded a clipping about my cousin's new business venture. I thought it was a really interesting project, so I looked her up on facebook, and now we're 'friends'. The internet really has made the world small. And it a lot of ways, it was small to begin with.



The company is called The North Circular, named partially for North Circular Road, which is a trunk road that crosses North London, linking West and East London. It, together with the South Circular Road, forms a ring road through the inner part of Outer London. The company is also named for their first product, the circular shrug



The brand is modern and forward thinking, because it is well designed, hand made and ethical. Everything is so deliciously drool-worthy. The line was created as a partnership between models Lily Cole and Katherine Poulton and knitwear designer (and Central St Martins graduate) Alice Ashby. The wool is ethically sourced from rescued animals at a Wensleydale sheep sanctuary in North Yorkshire, while the knitting is hand done in England by "real grannies". Which I can attest to, since my aunt and great aunt are two of them. The hand knitting process creates unique items each time.

Shop here.
Read more here.
Meet the sheep here.











My live-in partner in crime wants a wiener dog. He has for quite some time now. I won't allow it. I don't have anything against the funny-shaped pups, it's just that we live in a condo and both work full time. I just don't think it's fair to a dog to be left alone all day! It is an amusing coincidence that dachshunds are super trendy right now. Perhaps I'll get him a dachshund belt buckle, and that will help tide him over until we have more time and a house with a yard.

Some samples of the trend below!

Kerry Beary - 5x7 print

















Emily Bond Dachshund Print Pillow












Gama-Go Clutch Purse
















D is for Dachshund Key Chain from Pop Dog Press


















Belt Buckle from Lucy Blue Studio


















Keep Calm Poster from The Lobster Pot


















Red Leather Dachshund Purse from Dutch Design

















Pet Lamp from Offi







In the Netherlands May 5th is Liberation Day. Liberation day marks the annual anniversary of the end of Nazi occupation during World War II. The nation was largely liberated by the Canadians, assisted by the British and Americans. As a result, a friendship between nations has been established, and now that friendship is celebrated in a very appropriate manner.

To celebrate the 65th anniversary the Dutch Embassy commissioned a collaborative beer between Vankleek Hill, Ontario craft brewery Beau's Beer and De Koningshoeven  (a Dutch brand.)

The beer is a unique Belgian-style witbier brewed with juniper berries and organic maple syrup, ingredients representing The Netherlands and Canada respectively. My friend Jordan Bamforth is the in-house designer for Beau's and he created a very cool label for the bottles, and a lovely poster as well. I have long admired Jordan's style, but this I love because it captures the message of friendship between the Netherlands, symbolized by the tulip and orange colour, and Canada, symbolized by the red of the heart at the centre of the image, as well as the maple leaf found in the letter "i". It really is clever and attractive as well.


This week, Beau’s announced the name of the beer – Vrienden, Dutch for “friends” – and tagged it as being No. 2 in their Wild Oats series of experimental brews. The beer will be launched tomorrow - Monday, May 10th alongside the arrival of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands. It will be exclusively available at the House of Orange festival of Dutch and Canadian creative culture, taking place in three clubs at 56 Byward in Ottawa from May 10th to 23rd.

(source)




Here's the poster (as always, click to see full size).


My sister is painting her house. She has wisely hired a professional to do it - with some wide open spaces and....oh, nevermind. I was going to explain why hiring a professional for difficult spaces is a good idea, but really, it's always a good idea to hire professional painters if you've got the cash. They really do the best work. And if you are going to be doing dramatic colours or have colours meeting eachother on the same wall (say, at a corner) then it's probably for the best, because the tiny details can make all the difference.

I've been helping her consider some colour changes in her home and in conversation she asked me if I thought she could go with a deep cool teal green in her dining room, which is opposite, and open to, her yellow kitchen. I definitely think this can work - but the yellow in her kitchen is a bit too sunny - like a Hansa Yellow on the colour wheel below. Because a deep blue green like Aegean Teal by Benjamin Moore has what I like to call a "muddy" tone, I think her yellow will need one as well.

What do I mean by "muddy"? Well, all colours are combinations of dyes and natural elements. Colours aren't always warm or always cool. There are even cool reds! While yellow is warm, by conventional wisdom, it can also have cool variations. As you can see on the colour wheel at left, yellow sits between green and orange. If the yellow leans more to the orange side, it is warm, and if it leans the green direction, it's cool.  The combination I'm talking about in this post is in the ballpark of the Phthalo Blue and Cadmium Yellow shown on the wheel.

You have to be sure to pick a warm, orange based yellow against green/blue, or the yellow will look even more green and acidic.  Cold colours and warm colours can mix in a lovely, dynamic way and because my sister already has beiges and rusty reds as accents, keeping that antique tone to all her colours will really make it work. In essence, with a yellow beige base, she is adding primary colours: yellow, red, blue. In the primary palette, there are two warm colours and one cool. In her house, she would be doing the same thing, though with muddy (think velvet curtains in a castle,  not kindergarten playground) tones of these colours. Her red is just an accent in this scenario, limited to a chair and some wall art. The whole area - the dining room and kitchen - have white cabinets and fire surround, so the colour won't be too overwhelming.

Whichever way she decides to go, I'm now totally inspired by the mustard yellow and muddy teal combination and I made the below moodboard to work it out a bit more in my mind.

(click to see full size)

White always sets off yellow in such a lovely, clean way. The teal against the golden tones looks fresh and modern.  I really love this combination!




(via tasteologie)

Check out this delicious beverage, the CMYK cocktail:

This delicious designer beverage was the result of a colour themed event in support of the Food Bank For New York. I like any charity event that supports Food Banks. Having worked for one I know the great, and incredibly important work they do.

This event brought together designers and "mixologists" and explored how colour and flavour connect and determine how we taste and experience foods. Sounds like fun to me.


Earlier this week I tweeted about a great article on the trials and tribulations of being a trendsetter. The article focused on fashion - where the life cycle is so short that within weeks of any success story there are knock-off artists hovering around like a pack of wolves. Perhaps fashion has the quickest cycle like this, but the industry of knocking off other successful people is certainly not limited to the soles of shoes or a certain cut of dress.


Recently I had my first experience with this. In the gift industry there is a rule - create any new product, and you had better sell the heck out of it in your first year - because within that year there will be someone else selling your product too. With factories in constant need of work to stay profitable, in many cases your own manufacturer will produce your product for your competitor, even if they 'guarantee' you an exclusive. I hadn't reinvented the wheel - but I had come up with a look and packaging for a particular product that was successful. It started getting press in trade publications, and before you could say boo our major competitor had their own version.



I try to take this as a compliment. After all, someone has to go first, right? A product isn't the same as a brand - the knock offs pictured above (via geekologie) are a little different than what I'm talking about. But to me it comes back to the same concept - investment safety. All new business ventures are scary. And this is especially true if you are the first to venture out.



Knocking off someone successful - their idea, product, brand - is not only easier than striking out on your own, but it is also less frightening.

Karen at SmilePlayLove posted an article by punk-rock business consultant Johnny B. Truant this week about being the first to do something. Johnny has "coined an axiom":

"If you’re the first person in your group to try a given thing, you’re going to look like a total idiot."

Seems a little depressing, and also entirely true. Trendsetters are often teased. Misunderstood. People think they are weird. That they are making wrong choices. Because they aren't following the herd. If you've ever been a trendsetter - or even an early adopter - you'll know exactly what I mean. 

But it isn't depressing. Trendsetters and leaders are the ones that break new ground, create new things, that will be soon followed. How does one know if the thing they are doing is a good idea? They don't. And that is the fear, the risk one takes. Don't get depressed by it. Don't see it as a problem. To succeed you have to take risks, put yourself out there, and accept the fact that it might just fail.

(photo: dave wyman)

When it comes to consumer products like gifts or fashion, is it worth patenting your idea? Probably not. The time, expense and effort it will take you to do this will probably distract you so much from the actual business you are operating that your competitors will already have made all the money you wanted to. Besides - if your idea is not worth knocking off, you've now spent a mint trying to protect something worthless.  Obviously this doesn't apply to technical inventions - that's a different ballgame. Go ahead and patent your functional time machine. Your time is better spent thinking of your next trendsetting product.

When it comes to being an entrepreneur, your business idea might sound crazy to your friends. People will find reasons to discourage your ideas. They will remind you of how many people fail. But safe ideas don't change anything. Entrepreneurs aren't people that do safe things. If you want to strike out on your own you have to be willing to be told that you are crazy, weird and a dreamer. Think of almost any crazy successful business concept. Each had a unique idea that at the time seemed really weird. Make burgers using an assembly line? Create a magazine where the cover features the same person every month? Make a vehicle that flies like a bird?

It is entrepreneurs, idea leaders, trendsetters who make innovation happen. These are the people who drive cultural change and innovation. So you have a choice - you can take the safe road, and maintain, or you can take the rocky road on the edge of a cliff and do something spectacular. Not for the faint of heart, not for the self-questioning. Not for the thin-skinned.

I think the only way to be that person is to do it for the love of it. You can't do it for the money. You have to do it because it seems fun, or because not doing something would be worse. In that case, taking the risk is enjoyable regardless if you succeed or not.