Hot Off the Presses!

Check out some of my newest wares! I designed a poster series for Chautauqua Institution...a nearby vacation/resort/community/cultural center on the lake. The prints feature iconic landmarks from the Institution including the Amphitheater, the Athenaeum Hotel, the Miller Bell Tower, the Bestor Plaza fountain, the Hall of Philosophy, and the lake itself. Each 12x18 inch design is available in yellow, gray, green, or blue.



I think they are simple, but clean....in the best of ways! Hopefully their modern design will provide a fresh and appealing art option for the vacationers this summer. The Chautauqua Bookstore is stocking the prints and they are hot off the presses! It's an honor to have a real live brick-and-mortar store stocking my goods...hopefully they'll sell like hotcakes!



I've got the posters for sale in my Etsy store as well, so check them out if you are interested!

Well Done Postal Service

I'm typically not a fan of the US Postal Service and have had countless negative experiences with postal workers that basically seem pretty pissed-off that they have a job that requires an ounce of human interaction. I have however encountered a handful of postal workers who have been an absolute delight to work with and who have gone out of their way to bring service with a smile, namely a certain delivery man in the 60625 zip code and the wonderful clerk in 14720.

Well, they've given me a new reason to like them, and it's their newest "forever" stamp. Look how awesome it is...just take it all in.

Abraham Lincoln started 1863 off right and signed the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in the United States to be free and the 2013 stamp commemorates the 150th anniversary of its signing and emphasizes its powerful statement on a design similar in style to the broadsides from the Civil War era. It is part of a civil rights set being issued in 2013 and I've already gone out an bought up a bunch.

If I could just use this stamp for the rest of my life, I'd be a happy citizen that would probably be inspired to mail actual letters again. "Henceforward," you can expect these beauties to adorn the front of my envelopes!

Johnson Made

One reason my blogging has been sparse (I know, that's a generous adjective) has been due to a job I got about two years ago. I started a new position at my organization as its Web Content Manager, and basically it means that I'm responsible for the text, timeliness, and content of their website. As a librarian, this has been a great match for me since I love organizing information. As a girl who grew up wanting to be an artist and as someone who's been into textile arts, the job has also exposed me to the art of web and graphic design.

My director/co-worker/friend Ben has been instrumental in mentoring me in my new-found interest and I can't thank him enough for his patience, willingness, and interest in showing me the ropes. He's an amazingly talented artist who is always curious about new techniques, knows solid design (but also when to "break the rules," and works his butt off.

Since starting my job and practicing this new "craft," I've also been doing freelance work on the side to bring home some extra bacon...Mama's got mouths to feed. I've also pursued my side-work to continuously learn more; "practice makes better" is what my mom always says, and I agree. I plan to share some of my work and the new things I'm learning here on the old blog too if you don't mind!

If you're interested in my work or need a website built, check out my portfolio and information here at Johnson Made...I'd love to hear from you!

Just My Type

Knowing of my growing appreciation for all things font, my friend Alli told me about a new book that she thought I might like...and like I did! I ordered a copy post-haste.

It's titled Just My Type: A Book About Fonts and it was written by Simon Garfield, a British journalist. If you loved Eats, Shoots & Leaves or were a fan of the documentary Helvetica, you're in for a treat.

Here's a review from Amazon:

Simon Garfield’s Just My Type presents an entertaining history of fonts, from font "pirating" dating back nearly as far as Gutenberg to the creation of Comic Sans and Ikea’s font-change controversy. With a variety of recent, news-making examples and font samples throughout, Just My Type explains how and why certain fonts can elicit emotions or gut-instinct reactions. Garfield’s humor and historical anecdotes add to his deep understanding of how something as simple as font choice can speak volumes about our cultural climate--and why it’s so easy to agonize over what font to use on a party invitation. Whether you’re already a font aficionado or can’t tell the difference between Times New Roman and Arial, this entertaining history will give you a greater appreciation of the typefaces that surround you every day.

DROOL...order your copy today!

Type.Face.Lift

I'm a huge fan of Scrabble. My mother-in-law and I discovered "Bananagrams" together and now have an standing tournament that will go on into infamy. Like I've said in the past, I'm a puzzle girl.

I'm also a font girl. I can't say it's to a level of snobbery or ridiculousness, but I've got my preferences and appreciations. When my friend Aune sent this info my way, two worlds collided! Puzzles and typography combined into one glorious amusement.

Check out the A1 Scrabble set, designed by Andrew Clifford Carpener. LOVE! I hope it will actually be available post-haste. It's when things like this come out that you just kick yourself for not having come up with the idea first.