Alethiologie - Original Graphics and Design

I've Moved

2010-04-04T18:29:00.002-04:00

New blog is here!

Soulsearching

2010-03-25T13:30:00.000-04:00

I've been doing a lot of soul searching lately and came across this blog: Magpie-Girl. I spent hours reading through the archives. On her site Rachelle talks about growing up in evangelical christianity and believing completely for years; even becoming a non-traditional ordained minister. She has since split from the strict teachings and beliefs she formerly believed in. (If you're reading this Rachelle I hope my summary is correct!) I too grew up in mostly evangelical churches and although I went to public school I was in youth group and church all the time and attended a christian college. It was at college that I started to realize something wasn't right but it took a couple more years for me to truly split from the church. I feel so refreshed to have found her site since the only sites I've found about ex-christianity seem to completely reject everything to do with god, the bible, etc. I have very liberal views about christianity but I do think I've moved past my extreme anger at the betrayal I felt (except when I see others being hurt or manipulated by made-up rules or beliefs). I'm working on a number of things right now including more writing about this topic as well as making some changes by combining this blog with my Saint Moxie blog and making a move to wordpress so more on this later.

Rachelle has a weekly post called 8 things. This week's topic is 8 things I know about standing in my own power.
Here's mine for this week:

1. Trust your instincts
2. Believe in yourself
3. Practice bravery
4. Be kind
5. Defy anything that hurts others
6. Spirituality is personal
7. Imagination leads to wisdom
8. If you want to be happy, be. - Leo Tolstoy

Giraffe rocker

2010-02-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

I want this for Gretchen!

via

Fab Find: Nido Hideout

2010-01-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

Check out this cool hideout for kids designed by Javier Mariscal. I would have loved to hideout in this with a good book as a kid, heck, I'd like to now! If it wasn't so expensive I'd love to have one for Gretchen when she's older...hmm, maybe it's possible to make something similar out of cardboard and papier mache. Available at Unica Home.

Free Valentines Day papers in 3 colorways!

2010-01-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

Here's a few quick Valentines Day patterned papers I whipped up. Clicking on the images will take you to Flickr to download a JPEG; if you prefer a pdf click on the image name to download from Scribd!

CLASSIC: Love

CLASSIC: Drops

CLASSIC: Beauty

CANDY: Love

CANDY: Drops

CANDY: Beauty

CHERRY: Love

CHERRY: Drops

CHERRY: Beauty

Beauties at Sundance

2010-01-14T08:44:00.000-05:00

I was checking out the Sundance catalog website recently and pleased at the amount of beautiful clothes they're selling right now. I've always liked the quality rugged style of most of their products but the seem to be adding a bit more of a feminine feel. My faves:

Isabella Peasant Blouse Love the sophisticated simplicity!

Czarina Tunic I don't usually like velvet but this has a modern maid Marian feel.

Scandinavian Fair Isle Highland Croft Pullover Modern and Traditional.

Minimalist Motorcycle Jacket So beautiful! I love the light blue color.

Downtown Petticoat Skirt Innocent and sexy!

Love: Pnut Jewelry

2010-01-13T11:09:00.000-05:00

Pnut Jewelry makes cool charms in shapes like knives, knuckles and cupcakes that are cute and feminine and still manage to maintain a bit of edginess. My faves:

Clockwise from top left: 1. Solid gold cupcake ring with diamonds. 2. Medium Lockheart bracelet with red stones. 3. Solid gold word ring. 4. Swallow Charm.

Featured on Print and Pattern!

2010-01-13T10:21:00.002-05:00

Aacckkk! I just found out I was featured on one of my favorite blogs Print and Pattern the other day! Awesomeness! Thanks, Bowie!

Gretchen Lily: The First Three Months

2009-12-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

Photobook I created in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop (and had printed at Shutterfly) for all the grandparents this year for Christmas.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Blog (and Etsy) Love: Handmade Charlotte

2009-12-20T09:20:00.000-05:00

I've never really tried following other blogs by rss feeds but I have thousands of bookmarks organized in a ridiculous amount of cascading folders that I love going down the lists as the mood strikes. I was recently reading through some in my baby gear blogs folder and rediscovered Handmade Charlotte. Author Rachel is a mom of five and finds the best, best childrens toys and gear and art from all over the world. I love the look and feel of her blog and she also has an Etsy shop where she sells awesome fantastical clothes for kids like this beautiful Duchess Skirt. Go check out her blog and shop and get your daily inspiration fix!

Make your own holiday sweater at KCAI

2009-12-19T16:09:00.003-05:00

Make your own cool holiday sweater (like mine above) from the Kansas City Art Institute.

Animal Fantasy Free Printable Bookplates!

2009-12-16T12:43:00.001-05:00

FYI: I posted free bookplates on my Saint Moxie blog! (Image above is low resolution. Follow link for high res. images.)

Free Christmas Tags!

2009-12-10T14:59:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! Since the Christmas papers were so popular I whipped up some gift tags to go with them. Download them here!
For more digital downloads check out my shop!

Free Christmas Printable Paper!

2009-12-08T10:26:00.000-05:00

In honor of my new Etsy shop I've created four free printable Little Christmas papers. Each paper is a 12x12 pdf file and can be used for personal projects and small commercial use.

Download here:
Little Wreaths
Little Lights
Little Holly
Little Leaves

New Shop Now Open!!!

2009-12-04T12:42:00.003-05:00

I just opened an Etsy shop to sell my patterns and other artwork as digital files for digital scrapbooking or as printables for all sorts of craft projects! I have a bunch of other items to list in the coming days but here are some of the current listings:

I also have a lot of great ideas of stuff to create with my products... unfortunately with my new little Gretchen I haven't been crafting very much. I hope to post some links to some cool craft tutorials that would work great with my patterns soon. I've got a couple freebies I'm working on too so check back soon!

Wearing a shawl

2009-11-20T11:03:00.001-05:00

I like shawls or at least the idea of them plus it seems they'd make great nusing covers. There are tons of great patterns out there however I never know how to wear them stylishly. Conversational Threads posted a great video by Knit Picks on different ways to wear different types of shawls.

Some of my favorite free shawl patterns:
• Berroco Celia... cami and shawl pattern with beatiful texture.
• Pattons Grace Floral Shawl... basic and beautiful.
• Rachel's Knot Stitch Shawl... not warm but very cool looking and would look awesome as a scarf.
• Coats and Clark Romantic Wrap... just beautiful. I'd like it best with jeans and a t-shirt.

Dare to Design contest entries

2009-10-20T07:13:00.004-04:00

Shabby Apple is holding a dress design contest. I'm very excited because I love their beautiful and fashionable but modest styles. Here are my entries to the Dare to Design contest for Shabby Apple dresses:

1) The "Gretchen" Dress

• Made of a lightweight cotton knit
• Features include pleated bib front with decorative buttons, tonal edging on collar and the slightly puffed sleeves and detachable skinny wrap belt
• Colors: Pewter and Rose
• Inspired by sweet feminine children's clothing mixed with the structure of 60's office silhouette

2) The "Parklane" Dress

• Made of crepe, 94% viscose 6% spandex
• Original printed pattern design with color matching neckline and ruched waistband
• Colors: Blueberry and Strawberry
• Inspired by a Spring day at the park with a picnic lunch

3) The "Green Gables" Dress

• Made of jersey
• Features modest puffed sleeves and tonal modern edging and shaping
• Colors: Wild Cherry and Green Tea
• Inspired by Anne of Green Gables. I always wanted to wear puffed sleeves without looking silly!

Hope you like them!

Missoni Spring 2010

2009-10-14T15:43:00.001-04:00

Love the pale colors and mixed textures. It seems rare to find warm weather clothes that exude mystery but I think these succeed.

Naartjie Kids

2009-10-14T08:40:00.001-04:00

I just stumbled upon the store Naartjie Kids (pronounced nar chee), a South African kids clothing company. Apparently a naartjie is a small, sweet citrus fruit found in Africa. Their clothes look soft, pretty and fun.

Diane von Furstenberg Spring 2010

2009-10-13T08:24:00.001-04:00

Beautifully patterned dresses from Diane von Furstenberg.

Anna Sui Spring 2010

2009-10-13T07:48:00.000-04:00

Tailored looks on happy prints and textures.

Cowshed

2009-10-12T09:12:00.000-04:00

Beautiful packging at Cowshed.

Awesomeness at Headict

2009-10-12T07:56:00.001-04:00

Headict has some of the most beautiful hats. My faves:

My Beautiful Girl

2009-09-28T17:31:00.000-04:00

Gretchen Lily

2009-09-14T08:19:00.000-04:00

Here she is! Gretchen Lily was born September 1 at 12:44 a.m. and weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces. She came out with a full head of hair! She had some jaundice and dropped a bit of weight but she is gaining it back now and doing well.

Big reason for lack of posts!

2009-08-13T09:35:00.000-04:00

Here's my reason for the current lack of posts:

I'm 36 weeks and two days along and ready to meet Gretchen! I've been working on a digital printable project but Gretchen is the biggest reason I haven't updated this blog much. If anyone out there uses digital printables or does digital scrapbooking is there any products you've wanted but haven't seen so far? If so, let me know! I'd love to work on somethings that are needed.

Playing catch up

2009-07-21T13:28:00.000-04:00

Finally settled in our new home in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. And I finally got my camera in the mail. It's a Canon PowerShot A1000. I wish I could afford this one but I need more picture taking practice before investing in something so expensive. So I've taken pictures of some of the projects I've been working on but a couple weeks ago I started developing carpal tunnel symptoms in my hands so I've been reluctant to crochet and embroider much.
I tried this recipe my dad made for fig bars but I had problems with the dough as well. But the fig filling was so good and looked beautiful!

Amigurumi bunny from the Crochet Today magazine:

Two hats for a child and one for baby made from patterns here.

And I've been working on a handbag pattern from scratch (as I go along). Here are the pieces but I haven't decided how I want to finish it yet. I'm also hoping I can read the pattern I wrote after I'm done!

I've been inspired to get back into embroidery as well; possibly combining crochet and embroidery. But for now I designed a transfer in Illustrator, printed it out, traced with a transfer pen and embroidered and embellished it on a pink onesie. Oh yeah, I'm having a girl and her name is Gretchen Lily!

And me at 33 weeks pregnant!

From Knoxville to Schnecksville

2009-07-02T08:35:00.000-04:00

Wow, this month has gone by so fast. We are now settling in (after numerous trips to Ikea and Target) at our new place in Schnecksville, PA and it is so beautiful here! Everything is green and Lehigh Valley has big open skies, mountains, farmland, and flowers everywhere. We've already had bunnies, chipmunks and a plethora of birds visit our yard.
On another note my old Fuji camera just stopped working. So I ordered a new Canon and can't wait to get it next week. I can finally post about the projects I've been working on!

Hold Me!

2009-06-03T18:19:00.000-04:00

I got kind of tired of crocheting baby stuff so I took a break and made a couple things for myself!

A small turquoise bowl:

A clutch which turned out to be the perfect size for my small sketchbook and navy blue sharpie:

A wood handled bag which turned out much better than I thought:

Etsy Love: Giraffes for Baby

2009-05-29T10:03:00.000-04:00

We've gotten a lot of wonderful gifts for Gretchen so far but I haven't really started planning her bedroom yet. I love this crib set from Target but I need to incorporate giraffes into the design! My husband is 6'8" and of course his favorite animal is a giraffe. His students and co-workers have bought us many stuffed giraffes, all very adorable. But I don't really like animal/jungle prints so it's a bit difficult to find commercial items fortunately Etsy artists have some amazing work out there featuring giraffes. Here are my faves for Gretchen:

1. Giraffe Sticky Wall Chart in light pink from Byrdie Kids. 2. Beautiful All God's Children print at Paint All Night Studio. 3. Red Polka Dot Giraffe Bib & Onesie from Bean Pickle Sprout. 4. Absolutely perfect My Daddy is Taller than Your Daddy onesie from Bugga Love. 5. Giraffe & Bluebird figure by Bunny with a Tool Belt. 6. Cute pastel Wooden Animal Gift Set by BB Crafts. 7. Wood & Felt Mobile by Out of the Box. 8. Gordon the Giraffe by Mirkah. 9. Sam by Creative Thursday. 10. Ice Giraffes Cuddle Blanket by So Sophia.

Quest for Stylish Maternity Clothes

2009-05-27T06:21:00.000-04:00

Since becoming pregnant with my girl (Gretchen Lily) I've mostly worn maternity jeans from Motherhood and non-maternity tops but now at 25 weeks I'm starting to need longer maternity tops. I think maternity designers expect you to want to wear completely boring basics or bold and funky colored prints or dress like someone off the Real Housewives of Orange County! I don't really want to spend a lot of money on these clothes but I did recently come across the brand Maternal America and I love, love their Country Lux collection! Unfortunately I can't find too many pieces available from that collection except this (1.) Silk Vintage Blouse at Euphoria Maternity. But they also make some different and stylish pieces that are probably more than I would pay but they aren't outrageous either. My faves:

2. Drama Queen Top at Euphoria Maternity. 3. Seersucker Dress at Pickles and Ice Cream. 4. Crochet Trim Top at Nordstrom. 5. Wrap Top at Nordstrom. 6. Lace Trim Knit Tunic at Nordstrom.

Even more baby crochet!

2009-05-22T07:49:00.001-04:00

Crocheting items for babies goes so much faster than adult projects which for me makes them more enjoyable... "instant" gratification! I made Yarny Days Every Day is a New Day Sweater but added button placket (not sure how well I like it) and some extra bottom edging.

This super cute baby bear hat comes from the Beary Cute pattern from Nadia's Crochet. And a cute baby crown from Drops!

Baby Crochet

2009-05-17T13:45:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated... I am planning to revamp this blog and update Saint Moxie but it will probably be another month or so! In the meantime I found this great baby cardigan/kimono pattern called Bombay Love from Rima at Yarny Days. I made three different versions and modified the pattern each time:

I made this citrus one with Vanna's Choice Baby in Goldfish. I found the great light weight wooden half-moon button which worked perfectly! I didn't have any cording to attach the button so I made up a little crocheted piece that worked well into the design.

This one I just went longer on the sleeves and wider at the neckline. I used Bernat Baby Jacquard in Spearmint Candy. Not my fave but it will definitely go with all the cute clothing we've received for Gretchen Lily.

This one I just used Caron Simply Soft Eco yarn in Natural. I'd gotten the adorable owl buttons from Joann's ages ago but hadn't had a project they worked for. I did a shell stitch around the edges to add some visual interest. Yarny Days has another great baby pattern I'm going to try next and I'll post pictures as soon as I'm done.

Long time no blogging

2009-03-17T09:13:00.001-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted on this blog! I've been busy working on a new project, revamping and updating the Saint Moxie blog, and dealing with first trimester sickness! Thankfully I'm feeling better and hope to post new patterns and printable documents soon. Also, look for updates on my new project coming soon!

Cool Link: I just came across Living Creatively an online magazine based out of Australia. There are some interesting articles and they seem to be updating their project lists with some cool stuff. Check them out.

Crocheting like crazy!

2008-12-15T10:59:00.001-05:00

I've been crocheting like a mad women lately. I didn't really realize how much I've done until I started taking pictures of all of it. Here's all my stuff:

A laptop cover made from leftover scraps of Lion Brand suede yarn.

A ton of scarves, mostly to practice stitches but a couple of these are gifts.

I also made some random accessories: Necklaces and driving gloves.

I got a new sewing machine not too long ago and still am somewhat intimidated by it. I've been working on a purse pattern but in the meantime I practiced on some refashioned pant leg laptop cases:

New Pattern, finally: LOVE

2008-12-12T07:06:00.000-05:00

Illustration: Air

2008-12-12T07:04:00.000-05:00

I've been working on this piece for a couple of days and I'm not sure it's done but I'm posting it anyway. I started it in Illustrator building the shapes and adding my patterns for color then adding more texture in Photoshop. I like the direction I'm headed but I think it needs a bit more refining.

Design My Room

2008-12-11T06:08:00.003-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. Anyway, I found a fantastic site this morning: www.designmyroom.com You can pick a room layout and furniture and accessories from all sorts of different companies to design your own room. Here's a couple of my favs:
Marilyn by Lisacat2 and It Was a Dark and Stormy Night by IndyIndy

Creepy craft links

2008-10-20T06:02:00.004-04:00

Plant a spooky garden at HGTV
Make a creepy floral bouquet at Dadcando
Carve a melon brain at Family Fun
Knit some gruesome eyeballs at Cut Out & Keep
Check out spooky cake pops at Bakerella
Tons of great halloween knit and crochet patterns at Lion Brand Yarn

2008-10-14T09:04:00.000-04:00

I met my friend Angie yesterday for coffee and she happily surprised me by bringing beautiful alpaca yarn and this pattern from Kpixie for an alpaca weave scarf. So we headed to Books-a-Million and made this great scarf. I added the dark brown flowered beads when I got home.

I'm planning to make another one using these two yarns:

and because he is so cute... a picture of my new kitten, Dorian.

Patterns: Metallic Shoes

2008-10-13T11:08:00.000-04:00

Loving: Matthew Williamson

2008-10-09T14:27:00.004-04:00

I noticed Matthew Williamson on Net-a-Porter recently and was immediately taken with is fall/winter 2008 collection of bright colors, embroideries and prints in a folksy glam style. My faves:

Vintage family photographs

2008-10-09T10:12:00.001-04:00

I have the collection of old Mikolajczak family photographs and have recently begun scanning them in and cleaning them up. I'm sad I don't have an exact time period or names but here are a couple of my recent favorites. I love the old swimwear and the couple with the Smart Set literary mag.

Pattern Changes

2008-10-07T10:32:00.001-04:00

I've really enjoyed creating patterns over the last several months but I'm going to begin only posting one pattern a week. I'd rather really spend time creating intricate well thought out patterns instead of some of the quick ones I've done lately. I also want to work on drawing, digital painting and other vector work which I'll begin posting on here too. So here's a quick vector piece I've been working on.

A Pattern A Day: Ancient History: The Elements

2008-10-06T11:02:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Simple Grid

2008-10-03T09:41:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Tendril

2008-10-02T09:44:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Craven

2008-09-30T10:35:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Urban Argyle

2008-09-29T09:09:00.000-04:00

Modern Bohemian Fashion Illustrations

2008-09-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Honey Flowers

2008-09-26T15:58:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Ruby Slippers

2008-09-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

IF: Clique

2008-09-25T09:19:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Plaids

2008-09-24T10:02:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Supernova

2008-09-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

The duchess and the jester

2008-09-22T11:45:00.000-04:00

We got a new 8 week old kitten last week, Dorian. He is a complete spaz and our older cat, Marek, looks on him with tolerant disdain... it's so entertaining.

A Pattern A Day: The Bangles

2008-09-22T10:16:00.000-04:00

La Mode Illustrations

2008-09-21T14:20:00.000-04:00

A series of quick fashion illustrations created in Illustrator.

A Pattern A Day: Splat

2008-09-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Polish

2008-09-18T11:03:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Victorian Lace

2008-09-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Camelot

2008-09-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Cocktail Rings

2008-09-15T09:52:00.000-04:00

New sewing machine and projects!

2008-09-12T16:19:00.002-04:00

So I got this new Kenmore sewing machine a little over a week ago. I don't really know how to sew and am completely intimidated by patterns. However, I roughly followed a tutorial and made a dust cover for my machine. The outside looks good which I'm happy about because I totally flubbed up the inside playing with all the different stitches!

My next venture is going to be trying to follow a pattern for this purse...
The orange embroidered fabric for the outside and the dots for the lining.

And then I got this great dark teal fabric and shiny brown lining to make this super stupendous dress (third in the row) that reminds me of Mad Men. The best show on t.v. right now for those who still haven't checked it out. Go now!

If you have any tips for working with patterns, I'd love some help.

A Pattern A Day: Lingerie Drawer

2008-09-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Roman Tiles

2008-09-11T11:12:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Patchwork

2008-09-10T10:02:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Squared

2008-09-09T09:42:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Peach Pit

2008-09-08T10:42:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Karma

2008-09-05T15:55:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Marie

2008-09-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Sunglasses

2008-09-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Swimsuits

2008-09-02T10:30:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Shoe Light, Shoe Bright

2008-08-29T10:57:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Favorite Heels

2008-08-28T11:30:00.001-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Perfectly Pretty

2008-08-27T12:18:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Roses

2008-08-26T10:05:00.001-04:00

For IF: Routine

2008-08-26T10:03:00.002-04:00

My morning hair routine!

A Pattern A Day: Vintage Vines

2008-08-25T11:10:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Stained Glass Floral

2008-08-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Flowering Vines

2008-08-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Summer Snow

2008-08-20T10:26:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Splash

2008-08-19T10:03:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Pinwheels

2008-08-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

For IF: Detach

2008-08-16T18:29:00.000-04:00

I decided to do a pattern for Illustration Friday this week. Hope you like it!

A Pattern A Day: Classic Tiles

2008-08-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Lacey

2008-08-14T09:49:00.000-04:00

Waterfall

2008-08-13T11:21:00.000-04:00

Quick pen illustration I did yesterday.

A Pattern A Day: Mona

2008-08-13T10:22:00.000-04:00

Random Recent Illustrations

2008-08-12T13:28:00.000-04:00

Some recent pen drawings from my sketchbook. I'm not sure which if any I'm going to develop further or how.

A Pattern A Day: Ariel

2008-08-12T13:03:00.000-04:00

For IF: Sail

2008-08-11T14:47:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Penny

2008-08-11T11:16:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Floral Lace

2008-08-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

Leta

2008-08-08T11:36:00.000-04:00

I've been drawing these women lately with no dip from forehead to nose... I think they look distinctive, like some sort of modern neanderthal.

Nouveau Girl

2008-08-07T10:43:00.000-04:00

I'd drew this art nouveau sketch in pen then colored it in Photoshop with and without texture. I think I like the wood texture version better but I can't decide. Any thoughts?

A Pattern A Day: Indian Summer

2008-08-07T10:33:00.000-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Lotus and Lily Pads

2008-08-06T12:09:00.000-04:00

For IF: Poof

2008-08-05T11:23:00.001-04:00

A Pattern A Day: Garden Blocks

2008-08-05T10:24:00.000-04:00