From the Designer's Desk: NEON!

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As a designer, my aesthetic for paper and print items is constantly being informed by seasons, feelings, what I ate in the morning, etc. This is our goal as an artist; To take in, synthesize, our external world and reimagine it into something that we created. A concept that I hold dear. Recently, I have been inspired by so many things. But this week (maybe this month......even this year??!), I have come to adore pops of neon!!

Neon comes from a Greek wording meaning "new". It is a gas that was discovered in 1898 as one of three residual rare inert elements remaining in dry air (after nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide are removed) . Neon was the second of three rare gases to be discovered and was immediately recognized as a new element from its bright red emission spectrum. We get our fantastic bright neon colors based on the emissions spectrum. I love that this is such a small way that science has been incorporated into design, fashion, and art.

From the Designer's Desk: National Stationery Show

 

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I can't even begin to share the joy that I was filled with while attending the National Stationery Show in New York City this past weekend! It was a whirlwind of amazing color, paper, designs, and people!! Walking up and down the aisles meeting with new (and returning) print & design companies, paper vendors, and so much more, sparked the creative buzz in my head.

What I love most about the NSS is to be able to see how these amazing creatives have their own voice…and stick to it! There is nothing more beautiful then seeing the hard work of artists come out in their work. Just a couple of my favorite freebies from the show include two great frame worthy cards from Power and Light Press and Sycamore Street Press (who doesn't love a good copper foil?!?). And of course, luggage tags from Rifle Paper Co.

These artists, collaboratives, and business owners are truly inspiring to keep creating and stick to what I know and what I love. Passion and verve will always create the best stuff.

Until next time, from my desk to to yours!

xo

Caitlin

From the Designer's Desk: Coastal Treasures

As a native Southern Californian moving to New England, the coastline and vast ocean has always been a place for me to find solace and inspiration. Living in New England means a new landscape of shoreline, thousands of miles of beautiful coastline, with serene sandy beaches to precarious rocky necks.  The eastern coast has given me a new vision on the simplicity of found objects, informing my perspective and style when creating and designing. Glass broken and thrashed around to create velvet like gems; porcelain patterned shards from old shipwrecks becoming puzzle pieces to a past time; tiny pieces that easily get lost in the tide and the sandy shores.

Jennifer Booher, shop owner of Quercus Designs, works out of Bar Harbor, Maine. Collecting objects she finds along the tide lines to create stunning arrangements and portraits of her day. Her photography tells their history and breathes life back into the unique character. Her artwork of well organized and composed treasures have allowed me to breathe in the salt air and look more closely at the beauty that can be found buried in the sand or swimming in the waves. Her soft tones and unique textures remind me of the organic side of art and design, and my desire to bring that into my life and to just breathe.

Until  next time, from the designer's desk.

Xo

Caitlin

From the Designer's Desk: White Space

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Recently in the office, the Paper Moss team has been talking about white space. What every designer's heavenly dreams are made of. What is white space you ask? White space is what most people would call "empty space". It is allllll that white (or whatever color the "space" may be) surrounding your text and or images. Blank, empty, negative space that most people want to fill fill fill.

White space is intrinsic to good design. It is also what has been inspiring me, not just this week, but for a while now. As a designer, knowing how much or how little white space is crucial, for print design and even interior decorating. The space is used to separate disparate design elements and group similar ones together. In practical, every day use, white space is most obvious when you look at shelving displays or a bookshelf. It is the perfect "empty" space to separate small vignettes or books or drawings.

I am on a kick to redecorating my home for the summer, so I have been inspired by looking at these images of interiors :)

Until next time, from the designer's desk!

xo
Caitlin