Etsy favs: Toonpoot

I hope you don't mind a bit of promotion, I have a very good excuse, it's for my beloved boyfriend.

He started painting recently under the name Toonpoot. And ever since I've been nagging him to open up an Etsy shop. He still has his doubts but decided to give it a try and start off with a limited edition print.

So what do you think? Was I wrong to force him onto Etsy or would you buy this?

(Any comments/opinions on his paintings would also be very appreciated. He's still a bit insecure about his work...)

Etsy favs: Skinny Laminx

Illustrator Heather Moore aka Skinny laMinx always comes up with the most suprising pattern designs. My current favourite is the 'I wish we had IKEA' teatowel, which features her IKEA wishlist.








Heather also runs her own blog with tonnes of inspiration and info on her work. It's definitely worth a visit!

I heart...

... this window decoration. Magazine VT Wonen had an illustration from Rob Ryan (see previous post) laser cut out of a triplex plate.

Etsy Favs: Rob Ryan

Let me start off this post by saying that I absolutely worship Rob Ryan and the ground he walks on. To me he's one of the most talented illustrators out there at the moment. I mean if you get to work for Vogue, you must be doing something right...



Rob has his own little shop in London but lucky for us non UK residents, he also sells his work through Etsy.



His screenprints are a bit pricey but luckily his tiles are a bit more affordable.

Etsy Favs: Abigail Brown

In the work of Abigail Brown, you really see this wonderful fairytale world – filled with cbirds and foxes – come alive.

Also be sure to check out her blog.

I heart...

... this gigantic mural.


Behance Network

I wonder how you keep track of what you're drawing when you work on a format as big as this

Etsy Favs: JennSki

I admit, I'm a retro chick. That's why I instantly fell in love with JennSki's giclee prints.



I love her basic, almost naive, illustration style and how it stands out from the rest thanks to her use of delicate details and patterns.



And she always get the colours exactly right...

Pixel library

My books are arranged by colour, but now you can get much more creative with your personal library.

Just download this dust jacket template and create your own pixelated bookshelf.


Through PicoCool

Written in ink

I'm a secret admirer of tattoo show Miami Ink on Discovery Channel. But even tough I have a fascination with tattoos I've never a design interesting enough to have on my body for the – hopefully – next 80 years...

But then I saw this...



This typographic beauty was designed by Marian Bantjes for a befriended couple. It actually spells out the name of their daughter Maya.

I wouldn't mind looking at this whole day long...

Pillow talk

Talk about coincidences, two of my favourite female illustrators have some amazing pillow designs out.

The talented Sanna Annukka has collaborated with Marimekko for a product range inspired by Finnish folklore.




And Catalina Estrada has some colourful limited edition art pillows for sale over here.

I heart: Josef Frank shower curtain

I love how this classic fabric design becomes the focus of the bathroom...



Through Remodelista

There's art in everything

Most artist use pencils and crayons as a tool to make art but there are always exceptions...

Australian illustrator Ghostpatrol uses his pencils as a canvas to draw on.



And Pete Goldlust turns crayons into little magnificent sculptures.



These are so wonderfully delicate...

I heart: Kitchen Wall sticker

These wall stickers from ferm LIVING are an easy and fun way to brighten up your kitchen.

Time to vote!

Relationships are all about support.

That's why I'm asking you to please, pretty please with a cherry on top, vote for my boyfriend's t-shirt designs on Threadless.


You can vote here.


And here.

Thanks a lot!

House Industries: Girard

House Industries is known for their fonts. But when they made a font collection based on the work of modernist designer Alexander Girard, they didn't stop there.



They took it to another level and made a whole product line including a memory game, dolls and even a nativity scene!





Mmm, do you think April is too soon to be buying Christmas decorations?

Discount: L'Affiche Moderne

Who doesn't love a good discount, especially during these times of recession?



L'Affiche Moderne is giving 20% off on their poster catalogue until April 8.




To enjoy the discount, simply enter spring2009 at the checkout.

Etsy Favs: Inaluxe

Recently I was going through my favourite sellers list on Etsy, thinking what great talent this site harbors. And at the same time I thought that it wasn't fair to keep this wonderful list all to myself. That's why, in this new series, I'll introduce you to some of my favourite Etsy sellers.

First up: Inaluxe.

When I first added this seller, it was for her lovely dresses, great was my surprise when her shop was all of a sudden stocked with gorgeous art. A woman of many talents...







Check out her Etsy shop!

A pattern a day...

Life is always better with some nice illustrations. Finnish collective Pattern Bakery share my opinion, and boy, oh boy, do they design some great illustrations!







Be sure to check out their Etsy shop.

Mural on the wall...

If you liked the photo wall murals from my previous post, you're going to love Surface View. They have a huge collection of images varying from art from the national gallery to Marvel comics. And besides bespoke murals you can also get the images printed on canvases and blinds.



I'm a big fan of the 'land of lost content' collection by Wayne Hemingway and Stella Mitchell. They have brought together an overview of British retro and kitsch images. Just my cup of tea...

The writings on the wall

I live in a 'university city' – lots of dorms – and there's no denying it, exams are here! When I think of all those students out there cramming for their tests, I almost feel sorry for them.

Almost because, let's face it, university has a lot of perks too: variety in hours (forget the nine to five mentality), a three month summer holiday (if you pass those exmans) and a lot of time (and energy) for socializing and partying... Not that bad!



But if you go to Wageningen University, it gets even better. Thanks to designer and artist Yomara Augusto, you will be able to stare at these cool wall illustrations!



Should be able to cheer anyone up, no matter how hard that last exam was...