Vintage Cards and Postcards - Auction over Easter weekend

One of my favourite things to do on the weekend is go to the auction with my mom. I am never usually looking for something specific, but am always surprised at the treasures we find. This past weekend, my husband and I both attended the local auction with my mom.

After bidding on a couple of fun items (A full library of Thomas the Tank Engine stories in one hardcover book and a vintage suitcase), my husband and I left to enjoy the sun while my mom, who could not be deterred, stayed until almost the very end.

When we went back to help her load up her purchases, she presented me with her best find - two boxes full of vintage cards and postcards from as early as 1909!!! The beautiful photos and illustrations are just the start of what makes this find so amazing. Reading the words on the back and inside of each card tell pieces of a story of a person's life. I tried to photograph a few of my favourites but they don't do them justice.

Love the Design

Just discovered this new vintage store, Love the Design, that opened on Queen East in Toronto this past weekend. From graphic design and stationary design to now opening a vintage interiors store, each of Christine Flynn's passions have become successful businesses.

Love the Design looks like the kind of store where I would spend hours looking at each object because everything is carefully curated and unique. Her website, lovethedesign.com, is just as enjoyable to browse featuring photography and stationary design as well as a blog featuring her work as well as other store within the Toronto area.

[Love the Design Website]

[Love the Design - Photography Portfolio]

New Oscar Envelope Design

I think it was Tom Hanks who, while presenting, commented on the re-design of the award envelopes at the Academy Awards. A good image of the envelope finally surfaced online so you can see it without someone holding it. Check it out below and read about it on the blog Redesign Related.

[Oscar Envelope: Redesign Related]

Lee - reusable bags (no, seriously, this is the world's coolest bag!)

With a focus on not using bags when we shop, it is easy to see why this concept is so clever. Instead of shying away from handing out a shopping bag, why not make every part of the bag something reusable? That is exactly what Happy Creative Services did for Lee. Check out more about this project and the inspiration behind it on The Dieline.

[image credit: Happy Creative Services via The Dieline]

Logos that use punctuation

This is a great round-up of logos using punctuation. As seen on Naldz Graphics. Check out some of my favourites below and see the rest here.

[image credit: Jimsbee]

[image credit: Tabitha Kristen]

[image credit: Brandstack]

[image credit: Creattica]

[image credit: Jerron]

Clever shopping bag design

Very clever idea for a shopping bag...by Canadian designer Kate McLaren as seen on the Canadian Design Resource.

[image credit: Kate McLaren]

Positive Posters Project

This is a great idea.


Positive Posters is a non-profit international poster competition, that "gives graphic designers an outlet to create freely, and to use their skills to inspire, challenge and make a positive difference in a non-commerical way".


This year's theme was "A glass half full" 


Check out a few of my favourites and see all the finalists and find out more about the competition here.

[designed by Woo Jin Lee]

[designed by China Stylus]

[designed by Carlo Mussett]

Gorgeous colour chart

This beautiful colour chart (above) seen on DesignSponge, originally posted on Imprint... 

...and my not-as-elegant-looking-but-useful painted version from university!

October Desktop Calendars - Smashing Magazine

I meant to post this sooner, but here it is better late than never...

Dress up your desktop background with these calendars from designers all over the world - compiled by Smashing Magazine. I've included a couple of my favourites below. All of the calendars can be found for download here.

[Designed by Anna-Lena Lewerenz]

[Designed by Pietje Precies]

[Designed by Nishith]

Very graphic poster from the Canadian government. The website isn't active unfortunately so there isn't more info available. [post originally on The Canadian Design Resource]

[image credit: www.organiccanada.ca]

Dog Logo Designs

Great examples of dog logo designs compiled in an article by Naldz Graphics. See the other logos here.

[image credit: Logo Moose]

[image credit: Brandstack]

[image credit: Creattica]

More Inspirational Business Cards

Smashing Magazine did a great post about unique business cards. See my favourites below and click here for the full article.

[image credits: Smashing Magazine]

Wine Awakenings

A friend of ours gave us a wine aroma kit from Wine Awakenings used for wine tasting with Pinot Noir. It has the little bottles with each scent and cards to explain their origins. (I keep thinking about that scene in French Kiss with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline...) Anyways, the box, bottles, and accompanying printed material are gorgeous! Have a look below and check out their website for more photos. (Thanks Shawn!)

Autumn colour inspired by nature

Loving these colours and the way the tomatoes are arranged to create the rainbow on DesignSponge. Check out the full article here for more great images of colour gradation with nature here.

[image credit: DesignSponge]

Burton Kramer - CBC Logo

When it comes to famous logos (and controversial due to changes made later), you can't beat the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) logo designed by Burton Kramer. This great article from Aisle One features links to more of Kramer's work as well as an archive of the CBC logo as it has progressed since the original design debuted in 1974. Check out the full article here.

[image credit: CBC and Burton Kramer]

The Landfit Logo

Landfit matches people who have gardens that they don’t use with people who don’t have gardens who want to use that space to grow flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Design agency Good People received a request to design a logo to accompany this idea and with a very, very tight deadline. I think that the resulting logo is just as great as the idea itself. (via LogoDesignLove)

[image credit: Good People]

"P.S.-I made this..." by Erica Domesek

P.S. -I made this... is a blog (and now a book) by Erica Domesek based on her motto "I see it, I like it, I make it" where she creates things to wear, use or look at based on something she has seen (that is often very expensive!!) and makes it with things that you may already have or are easy to find. Her latest post is a handbag charm. Each post is also accompanied by a collage with the theme of her post. Check out her blog here and let me know if you make one yourself!

[image credit: P.S. -I made this...]

Birdy Juice - Jeksel

Isn't this concept packaging adorable? By Matt Ottdal of Jeksel via The Dieline.

[image credit: Jeksel]

The Sketchbook Project

This is a really great idea. Thousands of sketchbooks get displayed in galleries across the country during the tour. The subtitle is "It's like a concert tour but with sketchbooks." See a few examples below and click here to get more information and participate.

[image credit: Ken McCarthy]

[image credit: Duncan Reid]

[image credit: Kate Castelli]

Daily Drop Cap - Jessica Hische

Typographer and illustrator Jessica Hische has a fantastic blog called Daily Drop Cap where she posts an illustrated drop cap every day. It is a great way to start your day with bit of typographic inspiration and the letters are available for use in blogs (follow the instructions she includes below each image). Here is today's post which is an adorable illustration and seen below is a more traditional drop cap with gorgeous typography. Check out the full blog here.

[image credits: Jessica Hische of Daily Drop Cap]