Artist Interview: Merrilee Challiss

(veindeer)
merrilee challiss is one of my favorite artists. her work is always beautifully detailed and i love her use of woodland creatures and anatomical features. find out more about merrilee in the interview below.
(benezhir)
etsy site/website/blog address: www.myspace.com/merilka; http://www.manmadebrain.com/merilka/; http://www.thebottletree.com/

where are you from? birmingham, alabama, (nee cleveland, ohio;louisville, ky/st.louis, mo/memphis & chatanooga, tn/ mannheim & berlin, germany/ prague, cz/ philadelphia, pa)

hobbies other than your art? cats, plants, collecting anatomical ephemera, and all things sea-related

how did you start with art/and or why? i was terribly shy as a child--drawing was my means of communication & expression. drawing became a thing i could "do", so i stuck with it. i'm still learning to draw.

influences, favorite things to design? influences: folk & "outsider" art, indigenous crafts and handiwork, fred tomaselli, lee bontecou, louise bourgoise, annette messager, etc.

favorite things to design: anatomical structures and scarves using my very primitive crochet skills, and anything with sequins, sequins, sequins!
(lungs)
dogs or cats? cats. always 5 of them. cats work best in odd numbers. dogs in even

are you voting in this election? (did you vote in this election?) yes, i did, and it felt great!

favorite form of transportation and why? my dream car is a matte avacado-green bio-diesel el camino -- i'm afraid it only exists in my imagination. i currently drive a beat up kia rio cinco, silver. i also have a bike.

favorite color? i'm partial to greens, but i'm branching out.

which star wars character would you like to be? han solo

what is in your fridge right now? what i can remember -- a bag of hummingbird food syrup (my backyard was very popular this year), various half-empty condiments, a single can of PBR, a jar of ayurvedic bitter-tasting paste that my brought me from india. i don't eat at hom much...

last book you read? the changeling by joy williams

favorite movie of all time? beyond the valley of the dolls

if Hollywood made a movie about you who would you like to play you? probably a sea turtle

if you were a salad what type of dressing would you have? a simple rustic italian -- fresh lemon juice, olive oil, pepper, salt & balsamic, or carrot ginger

(endgame) (summer monster)
Thanks Merrilee!

Artist: Bombo!

maurizio santucci's 3d work absolutely lovely. i seriously want every single piece!

(via happy cavalier)

Interior: Engine's office

engine, a communications and marketing group, has an amazing office designed by architecture and design firm jump studios. i love all of the lighting design, fun unique seating areas, and overall use of crisp white with fun lines. read more here from thecoolhunter's article.

Accessory: Wallter Slat Rack

wallter has issued these fantastic slat racks. i find when i come into the house that i do not have a good "landing place" for my purse, jacket, keys, and mail. this is perfect and can hold them all!

(via d*s)

Architecture: Sustainable House Boat

the Schwimmhaus by architects Confused-Direction is one of my favorite architectural finds yet! it is a sustainable house boat designed to be stationary or mobile, made from salvaged wood from an old farm house, has a green roof, and just looks amazing. i want one! seriously.

(via inhabitat)

Lighting: Anemone Honeycomb Pendant

unica home does it again! i love these anemone pendants! they are tyvek-based, shipped flat and then pop out into the honeycomb shape and kept rigid by a steel sphere in the center.

(via cribcandy via design mind)

Furniture: DJ table by Cocoon

cocoon designed this dj table for red bull. the slots can be used to store records and there is added ventilation for a laptop. i would love to use this as a music playing station in my house with my record player and a few favorite records neatly placed in the holders, sans the red bull emblem.

(via designboom)

Etsy Lunch Hour: Knitting Organizers

Super Nifty Knitting / Crochet Project Bag by gomonkeydesign

if you like to knit, like me, you might have the same problem i do...disorder! i have a few random bags with yarn and knitting needles laying around. leave it to etsy to help you organize your knitting disorder. i want them all....now!

Double Point Knitting Needle and Crochet Hook Grab and Go Case by gomonkeydesign

knitting needle organizer - red houndstooth by sarahkincheloe

DIY: Egg Press Stitch Kit

i heart these little kits from Egg Press!
it comes complete with:
* two hand-screenprinted pieces of canvas (one animal side, one back pattern side)
* easy to follow instructions
* name tag
Cut out the pieces, sew them together, stuff with the filling of your choice and cuddle up. What could be more fun? Let’s Stitch!

(via swissmiss)

Artist: Two Bees Press

Two Bees Press consists of a husband and wife team that specializes in gocco, offset and letterpress. The husband is a graphic and web designer and the wife creates custom stationery goods. Both have a love for all things print-related and when combined, they form Two Bees Press. I first found them when a friend gave my husband one of their cards for his birthday and then ran into them again at a local art in the park show. They were so kind as to let me interview them! Thanks Frank and Rebekah! See below for images of their fun work and the interview!

Valentine Postcard

Bill Cosby Gocco - Screenprinted Cards with Envelopes

Trees Gocco - Screenprinted Cards with Envelopes

Etsy site/website/blog address:
Etsy - www.d2lgraphics.etsy.com

Website - www.d2lgraphics.com
Blog - www.d2lgraphics.com/blog

Where are you from?
Frank - Birmingham, Alabama
Rebekah - Alabama resident for 8 years

Hobbies other than your art?
Frank - Eating, sleeping, being outside, and making Rebekah laugh
Rebekah - Reading, knitting and paper crafts

How did you start with art/and or why?
We both needed a creative outlet and we wanted to do something together. Frank is a graphic designer and Rebekah loves creating paper goods so it just felt right to combine the two interests.

Influences, favorite things to design?
Frank - Currently, I love the clean and crisp edges of vector images. I am influenced by blogs that I read on a daily basis.
Rebekah - Blogs, for sure. Darling Dexter, Craft Magazine and Simplesong are just a few of my favorites.

Dogs or cats?
DOGS! We have two black labs.

Are you voting in this election? (or, did you vote in this election)
Absolutely!

Favorite form of transportation and why?
Frank - Scooter - even though I have never driven one, they look so fun!
Rebekah - Car - I seem unable to break my dependence on that machine.

Favorite color?
Frank - Blue
Rebekah - Red

Which Star Wars character would you like to be?
Frank - Yoda. By far the coolest Star Wars character.

Rebekah - Star Wars? I'd rather be a My Little Pony character.

What is in your fridge right now?
Milk, cheese, yogurt, fresh veggies and salad dressings.

Last book your read?
Frank - Tom Sawyer
Rebekah - Short History of Nearly Everything

Favorite movie of all time?
Frank - Such a hard question to answer. Shawshank Redemption, Forest Gump, Secondhand Lions
Rebekah - Love Actually (for today)

If Hollywood made a movie about you who would you like to play you?
Frank - Steve Carell
Rebekah -Steve Carell

If you were a salad what type of dressing would you have?
Frank - Balsamic vinaigrette
Rebekah - Champagne vinaigrette

The Fonz Screenprinted - Gocco Journal

Finish: Wallter

Wallter is packed with beautiful finishes for the home. The wave wool bedspread and the slats wall decor are my absolute favorites!

Architecture: Lavezzorio Community Center

Located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois is the Lavezzorio Community Center designed by Studio Gang Architects. The community center is part of the SOS Children’s Village, which provides counselling, daycare, and recreation services for foster care families. The budget for the project was low, and many of the materials were donated, such as various types of concrete, which resulted in a series of layers that give the exterior of the building some unique character. (via contemporist)

We did it!

Last night's election was amazing. The numbers that turned out to the polls, the excitement in the air and the landslide victory for Obama made for an amazing evening. Living in Alabama, I lived 4 blocks from the 16th street Baptist church and civil rights museum for 4 years. My parents generation saw the civil rights movement and now their children have voted in Barack Obama! I live in a red state and have not seen a canidate that I voted for elected in...ever...until last night. It still doesn't feel real. Thanks America and congratulations!

Accessory: Pedlars Kitchen

These are a few of the fun kitchen accessories available at Pedlars. Above is a bread bin and below is a tabbed cutting board!

Etsy Lunch Hour: Vote!

Go vote on your lunch hour if you haven't already! I love all of these voting related etsy finds!

Vote Buttons - Pick ANY Two (2) by molebabybuttons

Portable Voting Booth Brief Case Picture Frame by twentyfiveover

Obama VOTE Glow Jelly Birkin Bag by gigiz

Lighting: Flat Life

flat life by finn magee.

(via the girl in the green dress)

Happy Election Day!

I was on vacation yesterday, and got to work late this morning after waiting over a hour in line to vote. I am going to catch up on posts as best I can for you guys! I hope you all get/got to vote for your canidate today! Go vote! (image by ISO50)