Ring Ring...It's your bling calling

So last week I stumbled upon what I thought were really fabulous cocktail rings, and then found out they were minitaure cell phones! OK, not quite, but the new App and ring, "Ringly" has been buzzing (pun intended) around the internet this week and I was curious if anyone would really buy them? 

I love the design of the ring, and the design of the app is beautiful. I am a sucker for pink and white with reversed out type. I also like that it's a tech toy, so to speak, that targets women. Sometimes it seems like boys get all the fun toys. 

The device, which is actually the ring, can be set to vibrate for different alerts, say for incoming calls, texts, or social media activity. It's purpose being to allow the wearer to freely manage their phone activity while it is tucked away in their purse, say at an important dinner or meeting. I have certainly missed my fair share of important calls or texts with my iPhone buried deep into a tote bag, so I certainly see the marketability. 

Ringly says the app can also push alerts from apps such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Poshmark, Snapchat, Tinder, Tumblr, Twitter, Uber, and Vine if the wearer so chooses. Ringly will even alert wearers when they wander too far from their smartphone.

That said, will Ringly take off? Or is it just a fad, jumping on the success of similar wearable devices like the explosion of bracelet-like fitness trackers. I am sure they also have in mind to roll out bracelets, necklaces and other wearable devices based on the success of the rings, which could certainly be worth watching for. What do you think? Would you wear a Ringly? 

Images via Ringly

Minimal Mentalist

On Pinterest I stumbled upon these posters created by graphic designer Patrick Smith. I had seen them before but they really resonated with me this week. Anxiety is something I am no stranger to and I think these are such interesting design solutions. Such a simple execution surrounding a big and overwhelming issue. I also find the colors equally depressing and calming which is perhaps the point?

Either way I thought they deserved a share here on a hot and slow Tuesday afternoon.

Artist's I Met and Liked: Kyle Bean

carbs are the enemy 

incredible paper suit 

heavyweights

Edward Snowden (wow)

This is your brain on print

dangerous sugars

killing time

When I first stated blogging in 2006 I had a regular post called "artists corner" which I wanted to start again. Basically showcasing artists that I stumble upon that I really admire and inspire me. I figured if I met them I would put them in this handy book, thus the inspiration for the new column titile. 

Today's artist is Kyle Bean, a British artist whose work straddles the boundaries between sculpture, product design and illustration. A lot of his work is incredibly conceptually creative and I love his use of so many different materials and styles. The paper sculpture he created for The Gaurdian Weekend magazine cover is so brilliant and beautifully executed. I still can't believe its made out of paper. 

Now that I am venturing into magazine and book cover design, conceptual artwork is something I am striving to get better at. To tell a story in one image is a challenge, and I love Kyle's solutions to this type of work. 

For more of Kyle's work, click here. 

Hip Hip Hooray! The end of a challenge, an era and a commute

So I have been MIA for awhile, but for good reason.

I GOT A NEW JOB!

It was a big "to-do" item on my goal list for 2014, not because I was unhappy at my old job (i miss everyone there a lot!) but the hour plus commute was really wearing me down. So overall, I made the leap to another publishing firm that is in downtown Chicago and I think it will be a great fit! So far the environment / work I am doing seems very creative and collaborative which is exactly what I needed.

So, I had to give the blog a little break so I could find my pace and decide if I wanted to keep it going. I decided that the answer is a resounding yes and my goal is to be more committed to posting daily or every other day. In the short time I have worked on this blog I have gathered new skills and ideas which carried over into my professional work in a positive way, so I figure it's a win win! I get a creative outlet during lunch breaks or down time and it makes me a better designer.

So my final illustration for my "non 30-day challenge" is that above. Cheers, pop, fiz, clink, horray! I am a very happy gal at the moment. My next post I would like to address the 30-day challenge, how I would do it again if I could start over, and what i took away from it.

But for now internet, I am still here, and bursting with fresh ideas and inspiration that I think will really show over the next few months.

xoxox

K

illustration by Kaitlyn Bitner 

Help Wanted!

One of my goals for 2014 (at the encouragement of my lovely friends and family) is to open an Etsy shop! One of my amazing Christmas gifts was a professional printer and I have enjoyed printing custom stationery and cards at home the past few months, experimenting and trying new ideas. Some people even paid me for the work so I figure why not open an Etsy shop and see if anyone bites? Maybe start a Paris piggy bank with some extra mullah? So I decided I should make a logo, inspired by my family nickname and my old blog.

But I need your help! Designing for yourself is so hard and I am feeling incredibly indecisive. So which do you like? Logo 1, 2, 3 or 4? What would you like to see stamped on the back of a card? Opinions and suggestions always welcome!

30 Day Challenge? Post 29

 
Hello blog world! I haven't checked in awhile but I have been working away! My 30 day project obviously is very slowly coming to a rather anti-climatic end but I was really happy with the progress of this Mother's Day card I have been working on. I am really starting to push myself with hand drawing all my flowers and I can proudly say this entire card is 100 percent hand-drawn by moi in Illustrator! Crazy what a little practice can do. I really want to try printing this this weekend on a nice dark blue paper and seeing what I can come up with. Happy Hump Day!

30 Day Design Challenge - Post 28

Well kids happy Friday! And happy Good Friday! I used to love dying eggs as a kid. Let's be honest: if a "craft kit" was involved, I was pretty on board. Dipped eggs, crayon eggs, sticker eggs, glitter eggs, tie-dye eggs, paper-mache, I have done them all! Every year my poor, loving parents obliged to whatever new-fangled- lets be honest, mess making kit - I could get my grubbly little hands on at the drug store. Thank goodness Pinterest didn't exist when I was a kid or I might have bankrupt my parents with all of my fantastic egg decorating schemes. And yes I mean schemes. I rarely did a craft with less than 1000 percent enthusiasm bordering on obsession. Sorry mom and dad!

So this year I decided to make some digital eggs. I am sure there is some way to make these in real life that involve waashi tape, some dip dying, a sharpie and some twine. For now these will have to do. 

Hop hop hop!