flourish

Do It Green magazine

2009-12-02T16:05:00.006-06:00

Do It Green magazine has hit the shelves! Check out my illustration on the cover of this green guide for the Twin Cities. Do It Green wanted to go back to their roots for their 10th anniversary issue and speak to the theme of Live Simply. Live Green. I designed a hand illustrated cover featuring a family tree type of structure to hold the text with a plethora of curly roots to give it some structure and a whimsical nature.

Pick up your copy of Do It Green magazine at your local co-op and the Twin Cities Green store.

Brody Designs New Site is Live!

2009-11-19T16:00:00.003-06:00

Brody was looking for a gallery with no clicks and plenty of bling. Image swaps allow the viewer to simply roll over each thumbnail slice and instantly see the jewelry in all it's glory below. Check out his new site at brodydesigns.com. Watch out for shiny objects!

Pivot :: Logo + Stationary

2009-10-06T11:38:00.005-05:00

PIVOT: Financial Planning for Life's Turning Points. I really enjoyed working on this naming and branding project with Lisa Werner. She is an amazing financial planner that has a unique approach to planning your financial future. She looks at the big picture, keeps your goals in mind and offers advice to keep you on track through life's turning points. The name and tagline allude to the trust you can put in Lisa to guide you to your goals through each phase of your financial life. The logo and branding carry out the look with a fresh green pallet, a modern and dynamic logo, and a pattern inspired by bank envelope security patterns. In a field that doesn't normally branch out into new-fangled naming and branding conventions, Lisa really took a step in the right direction with a strong name and smart look for her new business! If you'd like to take Pivot for a spin with your finances, you can email Lisa at lwerner@finsvcs.com

Red Seat :: Stationary

2009-10-06T11:32:00.004-05:00

And here's how the Red Seat logo was applied to the stationary system, including letterhead, envelopes, label, notecard, stickers and a post-it note. We wanted to keep the look fun and bring the witty writing to life. A nice sunny yellow was added to the pallet to accomplish this and to allow the red accents to stand out.

Red Seat :: Logo Options

2009-08-26T16:29:00.005-05:00

I've just completed some work for Talley Flora's freshly rebranded company, Red Seat, through Kazoo Branding. She is a hiring expert for companies that need assistance and expertise in hiring great employees.

Many times I am asked how the design process works and I think this is a nice example to show you how I work. To start off, I gather as much information about you and your company and its branding as I can. Even obscure details, stories and any style cues I might notice are good clues to get me started sketching logo ideas. After I sketch for a few hours, two or three logos usually come to the surface as the smart solutions. Those are the ones that I take to the computer and start working with. Sometimes they evolve from paper to computer, and sometimes they work perfectly just as I had sketched earlier. Below are the three logo designs we showed Talley.

A concept that shows the support and teamwork that is needed to fill the seat with a great employee. This is the direction Talley chose to move forward with.

A more abstract and energetic representation of a company or hiring team.

A more personalized concept that fills the modern looking seat with a different pattern that reflects the characteristics of the client or candidate. I like how the chair looks like it is smiling.

And this is the final logo after a couple of color tweaks to make the red pop more.

Stephanie Dunn

2009-07-07T10:37:00.007-05:00

Stephanie Dunn is an amazingly talented gal. She is a great photographer. She enjoys photographing cultural celebrations, doing portraits and weddings and travel photography. She also enjoys designing invites and materials to support her photography endeavors. AND, she even designs and builds furniture in her spare time. She does it all! So, she needed a logo that could encompass all of her talents. The simple square shape pattern works to symbolize all three of her talents and her style. You can find her at design.dunn@gmail.com if you'd like to inquire about her talents.

Word Savvy

2009-06-09T10:59:00.007-05:00

I've just finished some work for the lovely Kathleen West of Word Savvy! She is a very talented writer who decided to open her own Marketing Communications business. Flourish helped with the naming and design for Word Savvy. For those of us word-challenged people, I think Word Savvy says it all. Words come easy to Kathleen and she has a witty way of delivering them. So, put down that pencil and call Kathleen. She will make it look easy.

The logo was so much fun to work on. The "punctuation flower" came to life through sketches and seemed to be the smart and witty direction that Kathleen was looking for. You might not notice the punctuation at first but that is the wit of it. I enjoy the surprise in design when you look closer and realize the details. Savvy, eh? The color palette came naturally from the most basic of writing tools - the pencil. Pencil yellow and a metallic graphite grey.

We kept it modern and clean on the business cards and simply wrapped the logo around the edge of the card, creating the balance between the words and the savvy of Kathleen's writing.

Nature Palettes

2009-05-20T12:23:00.004-05:00

I thought it would be fun to look for new color inspirations outdoors since it's spring and everything is so vibrant these days. Here's my first...

Iowa

2009-05-20T12:02:00.005-05:00

We went to Iowa last weekend to play on the farm with Chad's family. Brutus had a blast, as you can see! He loves asparagus and riding on golf carts. He tried to make friends with the cows too. On Saturday we went morrell mushroom hunting and found a ton of them! They grow on and around dead elm trees and are sooo yummy! We also went asparagus picking on a cold windy Iowa morning. I'm going to pickle some asparagus today. I can't wait!

Driftless Folk School

2009-05-08T11:10:00.003-05:00

Cheese making class - this is my calling. I'm originally from Wisconsin (and my husband loves cheese) so I think we need to go back to the homeland to learn the ways of homemade cheese making. The Driftless Folk School is in beautiful Viroqua, Wisconsin. On June 27th they will teach you how to make butter, feta, mozzarella and several soft cheeses. That sounds like an amazing day to me. You'll also head home with samples of the cheeses and a culture to make some at home. I'm in!

Shade Perennials

2009-05-07T11:46:00.010-05:00

Hakonechloa/Japanese Forest Grass

Tufted Hair Grass

Cohosh

Elderberry Sambucus

(sun or part shade)

Black Chervil

Palm Sedge

Gray's Sedge

Angelica

(sadly, friends school had a crop failure on this one so none at the sale this year)

Maiden Hair Fern

Hakonechloa/Japanese Forest Grass

Lily of the Valley

Hosta

Japanese Painted Fern

I found some good shade/part shade perennials this year and had to share them. It's hard to find shade plants for zones 4 and 5 that have some flair. So, enjoy! And don't forget to go to the Friends School Plant Sale this weekend. I'll be volunteering in the rare plants area Friday from 3:30 til 8:00. Stop by and see me!

Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles

2009-05-01T17:13:00.006-05:00

Just had to post about my favorite band ever! The first time I heard Lucy sing was last year at the Hootenany in Java Jack's basement. There was a big crowd so I couldn't see the stage, but heard the most beautiful voice singing the most amazing songs ever! Her voice is loungy without the chain smoker raspyness plus a hint of innocence. As if it couldn't get any better, the band is based here in mpls so live shows are a plenty! They have a Cinco de Mayo (that's May 5th) show this week at Eclipse Records in St. Paul.

Ikat

2009-04-30T15:05:00.004-05:00

I love Ikat patterns! I'm going to try to draw up some for my graphic needs. Here are some awesome pillows from Uzbek Craft. They also sell fabric too if you're into sewing.

DIY Lamps

2009-04-29T16:12:00.004-05:00

I've got a little affinity lately for electrical work and making lamps. I've been (trying) to fix outlets and switch light fixtures. I took a pottery class on making lamps with pottery creations awhile back and made a log lamp for my bathroom. Now I want to make some sconces by combining pottery with some of these fun lamp parts from Mohn Electric Co. I'm undecided on the design, but think I'll sketch it out. I can't wait. Soon everything in my house will be made from pottery. Hot damn.

Peacocks

2009-04-29T16:01:00.003-05:00

Meet my peacock friends I made at Schells Brewery in New Ulm, MN. They're so pretty yet modest. I wish I had a tail like that. Chad and I celebrated valentines day this year with a brewery tour. It was so much fun — and the fried sauerkraut cream cheese nuggets at the german restaurant in town were amazing. Sometimes I want to hide in the corner like this lil' peacock lady above. Like today. It's raining. Blah.

Brewing with Chad and Dad

2009-04-29T15:58:00.004-05:00

My dad came to visit in February for a Father/Daughter/Chad weekend and we taught him to brew beer. We brewed a wheat beer with coriander and orange peel, then added lemon zest later on. The best one so far! It was a lot of fun and so nice to have dad to hang with all weekend!

Hello World

2009-04-29T14:35:00.010-05:00

Hello world! That's what Chad's mom likes to say when she wakes up. We've become fond of it and have started saying it too. It starts the day off with a goofy laugh! Anyway, my little plants are coming back up to see the world. It's so darn exciting to see that they actually survived the whole winter outside in Minnesota. I don't know how they do it, but I'm always ecstatic to see they've come back up to see me in the spring! The plants can be so pretty when they're coming up from the ground and budding.

Purple Peruvian Potato

(planted around easter)

Horseradish

Lovage

Colewort

Hops Vine

(we're harvesting the hops this year to make beer)

Hops Vine

(grows insanely well. these little guys will be engulfing the garage in about a month)

Hops Vine

(the main part of the plant)

Stonecrop

Green Peonies

Rhubarb

Onions

(planted around easter)

Radishes

(planted around easter)

Spinach

(planted around easter)

Sambucus/Elderberry

Arctic Glow Thistle

Made It: Porch Couch

2009-04-28T14:52:00.005-05:00

I recovered this couch that my neighbor was giving away last fall. It was brown cane with horrid ripped brown floraly (so not like my new brown floraly cuteness) cushions. I forgot to take a before photo. Oops. But, I would like to high five myself for actually making a decision on the fabric in less than a year. We plan on painting our house this summer - school house red with white trim - so I think it will look even better then. But now, I'm going to go sketch out there with my dog!

Microcosm Publishing

2009-04-27T12:10:00.002-05:00

This is the cutest hand drawn and hand written home remedy zine from Microcosm Publishing. Make Your Place, written and illustrated by Raleigh Briggs includes remedies for first aid, house cleaning and gardening. It's so entertaining to read and the illustrations are delightful. If you're looking to concoct some earth friendly potions for the home, you'll love this.

Flora Grubb Gardens

2009-04-27T11:56:00.005-05:00

Some succulent and air plant inspiration. I love the hen and chick art and the huge air plants from Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco.

Seedling Pot Maker

2009-04-27T11:33:00.002-05:00

Check out this cute little pot maker. A little wood stamp turns your old newspapers into lil' seedling pots! I've already planted my seeds this year but might try this next year.

Want to Make: Poncho Tee

2009-04-27T11:23:00.003-05:00

I love this poncho shirt and of course would rather try to make it myself for $3 rather than $39 (that's even the clearance price). I don't think a t-shirt should cost more than $20, so I'll be cutting up my xl mens target tees tonight and trying my hand at the poncho. I was describing it to chad yesterday and used the word "cape." He asked what I needed a cape for. Sometimes I perplex him with my craftiness.

Want to Grow: Shiitake Mushrooms

2009-04-23T17:23:00.003-05:00

If you didn't know already, I have a fondness for growing things. I'm totally into the kitchen garden this year, with plans to do more canning than just my jellies. I can't can mushrooms - or maybe I can - but I'm pretty sure I could eat all of these mushrooms before they ever need to be canned. Check out this mushroom growing kit from Gaiam! It's rad! You just set it in a dish and add water - and viola - mushroom crops sprout up every week to two weeks for up to 16 weeks. Damn! They come in Oyster or Shiitake for the low low price of $39.00. I'm not sure what they go for per pound at the groc, but it seems like a good deal.

New Flourish Pottery

2009-04-08T11:45:00.008-05:00

I've got a new crop of pottery to post on etsy today! Not all of these will be for sale but if you see something you like here that is not for sale, I can make you another one. Enjoy and don't forget to buy mom a gift for Mother's Day!

Isabelle Sicart

2009-04-08T11:18:00.007-05:00

I've been trying to concoct something of this nature for awhile. I was ready to give up and use real branches - see my floraly twiggy earthy post below, but if Isabelle can do this in porcelain then I'm determined to keep trying. Patience, grasshopper. (A good place to get lamp supplies is Mohn Electric Co. in uptown. They're quite nice and will help you find all the little pieces you need for your project.) Isabelle also apparently has a thing for taxidermy (see below). I love me some good taxidermy that avoids the whole killing the animal part.

Moroccan Patterns & Stencils

2009-04-08T10:47:00.006-05:00

I love Moroccan patterns and found some stencils on the Royal Design Studio site. What will I stencil first?

Read more about Melanie's painting trip to Marrakech on her blog, Designamour. I'm so jealous. Here are some photos of the stencils on panels that are applied to a staircase. Makes for a fun trip up the stairs, eh?

A beautiful mural by Melanie in Morocco.

And some beautiful lamps/lanterns that light up the room with their beautiful patterns. I'm going to try my hardest to make this happen in clay (maybe not so intricate) so I can light up my dining room Morrocan style.

Made It: Wrapped Rock Necklace

2009-04-07T17:49:00.004-05:00

I've been wanting to try this wire wrapped rock technique for awhile. I took a class at Bead Hive last night. The class was a racket in my opinion. They fail to mention that you should bring a rock, that it should be irregular shaped (although I'm awesome enough to pull off a regular shaped one without problem), that you should bring wire and that they don't really sell any appropriate rocks for this class there. Then they rip on you for bringing a Bead Monkey bag into their store. WELL, sell some good rocks folks and I'll skip the Monkey. Ok, that was clearly a rant. But I learned what I went there to learn and was in and out in a half hour with a snappy new necklace. Yee ha! Check out my bling...

Art Crank

2009-04-02T14:09:00.006-05:00

Right now my friend Charles Youel is probably delirious from various bike poster extravaganza preparations. He started Art Crank three years ago. It's an amazing event! Each year, different artists design posters having to do with the lustiness towards our fabled bikes. Here's a sneak peak at some thumbnails of posters this year. I'm loving the simplicity and rainbowy-ness below. If you'd like to swing by, the show opens this saturday night at 7pm at One on One Bikes + Coffee + Stuff at 117 Washington Ave. N. in Minneapolis. It's sure to be packed so come early if you're wanting to purchase and enjoy some libations and cupcakes.

Joanne Grobe, velvetpeel.com

Katherine Lamm

Kelly Munson, kellymunson.com

Aesthetic Apparatus, aestheticapparatus.com

Want to Make: Belt

2009-04-02T13:45:00.006-05:00

I want to make a belt out of this lovely chain. Do we think it's too dominatrix? Too Paris Hilton? Or way hip? Necklace, anybody? Please comment.

Floraly Earthy Twiggy Supplies

2009-03-31T19:43:00.004-05:00

Ok, so the name Save on Crafts doesn't do this place justice. Do yourself a favor and go right to the Lavender, Naturals, Branches link. Oh, good fun! I was looking for some branches like the ones below and found this awesome site. They have great earthy items on the cheap! Some of the things below remind me of the scanner art that Katherine Lamm created. I think I'm going to get some of those green fan looking stems to decorate my barren dining room... And most def will create some pottery inspired by the fans. I'm always inspired by earthly items!

GE's Smart Grid

2009-03-30T14:35:00.005-05:00

GE's Smart Grid microsite discusses and illustrates so nicely the logic behind updating the power grid. It shows how alternative energy and smart meters work together to reduce co2 emissions, and use power in smarter ways, thus creating the Smart Grid. I'm quite excited because I've started investing in (and using) wind power and other green energy funds with my green financial advisor, Mark Cheeley at Ameriprise.

Guinness Cupcakes

2009-03-29T17:41:00.003-05:00

For St. Patty's day I made some Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes. Wow! I will never make regular chocolate cupcakes out of a box again. These are the most amazing cupcakes even if you don't like beer. Try them. Guinness is good for you!

Ornamental Rhubarb

2009-03-29T17:29:00.006-05:00

I noticed some Ornamental Rhubarb in Vancouver last fall and loved the huge leaves and fragrant tropical red flowers towering above. This variety below is good for zones 3-6, grows quickly to 6' tall and 6' wide in sunny areas or partly shady areas.

Great Gunnera is similar to the Ornamental Rhubarb. The leaves can grow to 5 feet across! The plant can reach up to 9' tall and 12' wide, grows quickly and likes full sun and lots of moisture!

Sheela the Cupcake Lady

2009-03-27T15:19:00.006-05:00

If you'd like to indulge in the best cupcakes ever, Sheela of Miel y Leche is your gal. She dreams up the best and most interesting cupcake flavors and admits to not sleeping much as a result of her over-active cupcake imagination. I love the Tres Leches with Honey Buttercream. Some other flavors I'm amazed at are Chocolate Salted Caramel, Lemon with Orange Chili curd, Citrus Bomb, Blackberry Lime, Snowball, Banana's Foster, Chocolate Rose, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Whiskey and Vanilla with Lime Curd and Basil Buttercream. Oh dear, that's an amazing line-up! She bakes different flavors each week and you can get them at The Triple Rock Social Club on Thursday, The Golden Fig on Friday and Mitrebox on Saturday. Check out her blog for the flavors and locations of the week.

Friends School Plant Sale

2009-03-26T16:00:00.006-05:00

The Friends School Plant Sale catalog is online! It's my very favorite place to find my plants for my Garden of Megan. It's often much cheaper than the garden centers and it benefits the cute little Friends School. And the cover is quite cutely designed this year. I'll be volunteering in the rare plants area on friday from 3:30 til 8. Stop by and I'll wow you with my knowledge. One of the cooler new plants this year is a black pussy willow. Coooool! I highly recommend going on friday as early as you can, as the good plants sell out quickly. And you can see me!

Girl Cave

2009-03-24T15:32:00.003-05:00

The Girl Cave is nearing completion. This is where I will be creating my pottery now. I tried to girl it up so that it seems less "basementy" and has good atmosphere for being creative. I'm planning on jig-sawing a fun shaped chalkboard for the bare wall in the background. Then I can draw my pottery ideas while I'm rocking out in my girl cave. Watch for more pottery coming soon on etsy.

Another place I want to be...

2009-03-20T15:59:00.007-05:00

La Cucina Que Canta cooking school/organic farm/spa/retreat in mexico. Hmmm. Yes, totally want to be there and make everyone call me Margarita (and serve them to me) for a week! I even saw a 5 day pottery class on the calendar! Hot damn.

Happy Spring

2009-03-20T15:43:00.004-05:00

I want to be in this adorable tent right now smelling the flowers, reading a girly book and eating a lemon popsicle. My dog would, of course, join me because he is obsessed with following me. And my husband would be running around outside being hilarious and trying to get my attention. Or sitting in a kiddie pool. Both are very realistic and tempting options for him.

Maybe in a month or two I can try making this tent, but for now I am spring cleaning and admiring the brownish dog poo tinted grass and grey skies. Cripes. Maybe I'll have to settle for a lemon popsicle and a book indoors. Check out my favorite new blog Make Grow Gather for some domestic cuteness where I found this dreamy tent!

Flourish Pottery

2009-03-18T14:57:00.006-05:00

I've been working on my pottery lately and have some new photos to share. My etsy shop is also open for business. Mother's day is coming up and I'm sure Mom would love a vase and flowers to brighten up her day!

Spanish Graffiti

2008-12-05T16:12:00.001-06:00

I came across this beautiful graffiti in Valencia, Spain last summer. I love that the graffiti is so happy and more of an illustration that the angry gang related graffiti of the States. Enjoy!

2008-12-05T15:55:00.002-06:00