motif mondays | no.8

Hello! I am once again a day late but this week I am officially revolting against the cold and rain and never-ending winter we are experiencing. Instead I am putting my brightest, most-Springy pattern up to hopefully lure in some warmer temperatures and some sunshine. This piece was inspired by the upcoming seasons, sandals, and outside events like picnics and food truck fairs.

Things are supposed to thaw out some here over the next few days and I hope that it helps get me back into a better routine of exercise and healthy eating, like some of the fruits pictured above. Here's to some sunshine!

motif mondays | no.7

I guess I should start titling this motif tuesdays, or motif biweekly, since I never seem to get my patterns up on Mondays. Maybe Mondays are just one of those days when you have far to many ambitious projects planned, in addition to school and life and being in the sunshine, and blog posts are just not on that top priority list. So I am giving myself a break but here is a really simple, recent pattern I worked on while our town was covered in ice and and branches of trees were breaking and falling all over our roof; leaving us without power for a few days. It sounds awful but now just three days later it is sunny and seventy degrees and while I'm still catching up with things from our time away (more on our SF trip soon!) I am just happy for the little bits of spring peeking through.

This was probably my most rambling blog post ever, here is a pattern for you. Winter trees.

motif monday | no.5

Well, I have already missed a week in my motifs! Like I said in my last post, things were getting pretty hectic here and I have been playing catch up for a couple of weeks. But I am here to share and I'll be back later in the week with another pattern and more in-depth post.  Today's floral pattern is an older, but personal favorite of mine, a design I created for my little sister's wedding invitation suite. I had the pleasure of working with her to create the entire suite for her wedding back in August and I think (hope) we really got her vision and color palette across with this design. I love nothing more than a floral pattern so it really was a dream to sketch these up and then turn them into the full invitation set. I'll try to post some photos of that soon, too! Enjoy!

motif monday | no.4

Just realizing that my next few days are going to be super busy and rather than freak out and do nothing (that's normal, right?) I wanted to pop in and share a quick pattern. No breakdown or fancy details, just a very simple design inspired by this month's day of LOVE. This is something I created for a dear friend for an upcoming event she has, check out her new blog here.

I haven't done much of it yet, but I am excited to browse through Valentines Day inspired imagery so I can get some new cards and artwork made this week.

motif monday | no.2

Happy Monday everyone! I'm back with my second week of my illustrated patterns. This is an adaptation of some work I did for a holiday box wrap for a client. Even though the holidays are over, I think the cool colors in this design are still appropriate for our chilly January weather. Speaking of weather, I am more than ready for this winter season to pass- it has been a cold one here in NC! My husband has had to put up with me complaining about how unfair having a January birthday is. No fun outdoor activities, no camping trips or pool parties, just trying to stay bundled up, which is also not conducive to fun birthday outfits. Ha! But enough complaints from me, enjoy the rest of your week!

motif monday | no.1

I often find myself working on new patterns and motifs of repeated designs and illustrations either for a client, a school project, or just for practice. Playing with positive and negative space, balance, and repetition is honestly one of my favorite things to do. It's like exercise for my brain, it's a work out that leaves me feeling renewed and stronger. I know that sounds kind of silly but I really do love it, and since I have so many of these patterns stored on my computer, I thought I'd start sharing some of them here. Each Monday (hopefully) I'll be posting a new pattern here. Either something I've saved from another project or something I just whipped up for fun. Colors may be changed to better display here and I'll let you know what the pattern was a part of. 

This design is one I created for a school project that was a direct mail piece for our downtown farmer's market. I used the pattern on parts of the background of this multi-paged piece. (I'll let you know when I have photos of the final piece up on my site). I illustrated all of the produce and items and tried to do a mix of irregular, organic drawings with some perfectly geometric ones. I duplicated and repeated the items several times until I had a playful mix of shapes and space. Since this was simply a school project, and not something for a client, I may hold on to this design and try to use it again for something else. Maybe fabric? Anyways, thanks for letting me share. Hope you enjoy!

new site and lots to do

Happy Holidays! I wanted to share that I finally got my site up and live! It is named Heart & Craft Creative and will hopefully be a name I can use for all of my art and design work into the future. It's still in the early stages and has some kinks to be worked out but it is finally out there living on the web. With the year coming to a close and this big task being almost crossed off the list, I am deep in reflection and planning mode. Planning next steps; such as bringing the new brand look across all platforms like here and my shop, and reflecting on what I've done in the last year since quitting my teaching job, taking on more freelance work, and going back to school; but that's another post for another day- maybe in another year like 2014.

Please take a second to pop over to my site and check out some never-before-seen work and projects. Cheers!

Bird Print for sale on Brickyard Buffalo!

Good morning! For the next few days my Bird Print is up for sale on the amazing pop-up shop site Brickyard Buffalo! I love this site, they feature such a great collection of items, and I was so happy to be contacted by them about selling one of my prints. Even more exciting- you can customize your own color of the print! I have a color chart with 30 color options so you will definitely be able to find something to perfectly match your style, mood, or home decor. They're really discounted, only 7.99, and there is a limited amount so hop over to Brickyard Buffalo and check out the sale!

Crop Hunger Walk and Run

Just a quick pop in to say a little bit about this great event that I was lucky enough to design this year's shirt and artwork for! Taking place on October 20th, the Greater Greensboro Crop Hunger Walk and Run is a 5k event that is so impressive because it has an impact here locally in our little part of North Carolina but also globally. This year's theme is One World, One Community, One Step. Here are some details straight from the Greensboro Urban Ministry site:


The Greater Greensboro CROP Hunger Walk and Run is a 5k (3.1 miles) community event that raises funds to fight hunger. 25% of the funds raised go to Potter’s House Community Kitchen at Greensboro Urban Ministry. With the 75% going to Church World Service to meet human needs and foster self-reliance in over 80 countries.

Pretty neat, huh? Also, here is a nice article that I was interviewed for to promote the event and share the story about the inspiration behind my shirt design. Find out more about the event or sign up to participate, donate, or volunteer here.

Print Collective

You guys, I have the most exciting news! After almost two years of contributing to this project, Print Collective, is finally here!  Print Collective is a book of Screenprinting tips, projects, and techniques that I was asked to be a part of, along with nine other (such talented) artists from around the world. It hits the market on October 1st and you can order it right here or here. Crazy, right? People keep saying "you've been published," and it sounds ridiculous every time I hear it but it's true! Along with the two projects I contributed to the book, I also sent in tons of images, doodles, and designs that are now part of a CD that comes with the book that you can use to make your own prints. I worked with the nicest people, especially Jenny Doh and Lark Publishing, during this project and I can't wait for it to be out to the public.


Here is a more-detailed description of the publication:

In recent years, printmaking- and screenprinting in particular- has been experiencing a renaissance among crafts, designers, and artists. The popularity of designer printed fabrics, limited edition runs of tees, art prints, and more has fed the interest of crafters.

In Print Collective, each featured printer provides readers with a project of two that teaches a core technique. Examples include overprinting, screenprinting text, painting your prints, creating high contrast prints, using alternative exposure methods (like cyanotype) and more. You can truly choose your own printing adventure; in addition to the technique, each artist provides 15-20 motifs on the enclosed CD.

And a sneak peek of a couple of my pages!

forming thoughts and making work

I've been doing a lot of reading lately about the process of design, not actually designing, but just the way we go about thinking, drafting, planning, and creating in the design world. Way too often I get wrapped up in having so much to accomplish, so many projects to finish that I don't really allow myself the time to just think about the design. My mind goes on autopilot, pulling inspiration from god knows where, and I end up churning out a design I am only halfway pleased with. The articles and posts I've been reading lately have inspired and challenged me to go about this whole process differently. To put the time into letting inspiration grow organically so your results don't feel like a hodge-podge of ideas you've seen somewhere before; and to just think about the early steps of design as being just as important as that moment when you sit down at the computer to execute an idea. I feel like this way of processing information and inspiration will also lend itself to a little more balance between life and work. I have a hard time processing inspiration I encounter on a day to day basis because I'm so rushed to instead be working, but now I plan on giving a little more breathing room to the simple acts of idea creation, sketching, and reflection.

Here are the readings that I am referring to, see if you can find the quote that I did the design below from.

AIGA: Beyond Craft & Tools

Inspiration vs. Imitation

The Fresh Exchange

Also a great video interview with Paula Scher.

What are your thoughts on finding inspiration, waiting for ideas to strike, and getting to work on any of your creative endeavors?

28 & 2013

Yesterday I turned 28 and officially started the new year.  I was a little behind getting my 2013 started because a lot of big changes have been happening; good, life-affirming types of changes.

This month I quit my job of full-time art teaching to pursue a career in art and design. It's been a change that I have been needing, wanting, craving, working towards, and hoping for for far too long now.  It's taken the mister and I years to get to this place where we feel comfortable and settled and ready to take this big step, I'm so lucky to have his support in my life.  And it wasn't until yesterday that I felt ready to sit down and reflect on the past year and look towards the future ahead of me, because my last day of work was the day before my birthday, hence the new year and birthday joint celebration.

Before I talk about goals and plans to come, let me take a step back.  As 2013 started I was transitioning from being a full-time teacher to a part-time student and part-time freelance designer.  I was working 40+ hours at my job while also going to new classes in graphic design and still working on projects for various clients.  The last few weeks were crazy, a whirlwind of tasks that were so spread out I didn't know where to place my focus or my energy.  While teaching was a wonderful opportunity for me, a job that paid my for school the first time around and an experience that took me from being a child to an adult with a real career, it just never felt like the right fit.  My heart and creative mind were always somewhere else- making, planning, aching.  So with this switch into a new phase of my life I am finally able to slow down and think and gain a little more perspective on what I want out of the future.

My plans in the next month, year, and years to come are not set in stone yet but I know that I will be more fulfilled in doing something I can truly enjoy, the exact thing I was trying to teach my students over the last 6 years!  So now I'll be working on expanding my own design and illustrations, building my etsy shop into what I've long wanted it to be, sharing my work here with you as well as on various client projects, and most importantly, I'll be gaining more knowledge as I put some time, money, and effort into my own education.  I can't tell you how excited I am for all of this and I'll be sure to share the journey here with you.  It feels good to do something good for yourself every once in a while.

xo- kat

instagram photo from my pre-birthday weekend with a dear friend at Wrightsville beach. 

inspired: for the walls

Lovely wall hangings by Justine Ashbee.

shop update

It's been a while since a proper shop update and I have some new items listed!  There are some new screenprints, garlands, and some super fun new printables.  Some are not as new but have only been in the shop for a month or so, so maybe new to you.  I have some simple new garlands up, but I am planning on phasing out most of the garlands as it seems that Etsy has had an influx of garland makers- you know how it goes when something hits big.  I am going to focus on more artwork and a line of printable invitations for now, both of which I am really excited to work on.  I'm also working on a few other decor items that I can see are starting to trend right now.  So as long as I can stay focused, expect to see some cleaning out and some adding of work to the shop.  I'll continue selling my garlands and work here in town at Design Archives. 

Besides that (because you know I can't do just a handful of things at once) I am still furiously posting over here, pinning here, and becoming addicted to Instagram.  I'm also finishing work up this month on a super secret design project that hopefully I'll be able to share with you by the end of the year.

Also- anyone in need of a super amazingly talented graphic designer?  My husband and I love working on projects together but he's just finished school and is looking for a full time position.  He's funny, cool, will make your work place an awesome environment (and I'm not just saying that- ask anyone who knows him) and he's open for business.  Check out his site and more of his work here.  Feel free to contact me with leads or inquiries for him.  xo

pretty pairings- double time

As I was pulling images for this peach & mint inspired pretty pairings post, I realized I had way too many pretties in this color scheme to just choose two.  So here are four lovely items in some fresh pastels.  Enjoy!

design, dress, planner, necklace

Meditation in the Park

Today I wanted to share a poster design I created for a local event that took place on New Years Day. It was a community meditation in one of our downtown parks. For the poster I wanted to go completely illustrative and hand drawn. I did a watercolor background and then designed a graphic that was supposed to be kind of a cross between a snowflake and a mandala- to represent the season and the idea of meditation all in one. I didn't make it to the event (I spent the first day of the year lounging on our couch...) but I know it was a beautiful, sunny day here in NC so I hope it was a huge success.

weekend invites

It's been a busy week that is leading into an equally busy weekend. Tomorrow we head to a wedding before going to celebrate my older sister's birthday! We have more fun events planned for Sunday but I'll wait and see how they pan out before sharing.
I did want to share the invitation I created for my sister's birthday party though. She decided at twenty-eight that she wanted to throw herself a real birthday celebration. With games, crafts, face-painting, and fortune-telling. It is going to be a bit of a vintage-inspired fall festival. As I said before, we are having quite a hard time pinpointing a description for this so hopefully I will get some great photos that will explain it a little better. Happy Birthday (weekend) Sister! Love you!

be still my heart

My hand-painted-flag-loving-heart that is. These new pieces by Jeff Canham for The Standard Hotels make me weak in the knees. The series is 26 nautical flags, inspired by his time as a surfer, one for each letter of the alphabet. This is what happens when craft and graphic design have a baby- and I love it. Read all about them here and buy them (for me) here.

*Seen on design*sponge.

pumpkin and goldenrod

In addition to adding some new work to the shop, last week also included working on some custom designs for an Autumn wedding. This is my favorite kind of work.

Every weekend for the next two months is booked solid for us and I am excited for the hustle and bustle of fall to start. Several of these days involve styling and design for some fun events that I am excited to work on; as well as a beach trip, baby shower, birthdays, engagement celebration, and a wedding to attend. I'll do my best to share our adventures with you here. Bring it on, Autumn.

birds of fall

Some new work inspired by my favorite palette for this autumn. I am glad color is still being embraced for this upcoming season. Should be up in the shop soon.