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Lately, I've been extremely visually inspired.

 Here are some images and artwork that are feeding my hunger to create. 

Truly // Sarah

Winter Greens & Wisdom Teeth

Yesterday morning I got my wisdom teeth out, It hasn't been too bad. I'm doing my best to keep up on my pain medication and I'm attempting to keep myself busy so I don't get a crazy case of Cabin fever. A Major Video is going out of business this week in town so the other day I went and bought the majority of Wes Anderson's films to keep me entertained. Today I am swelled up like a chipmunk, it's a rather silly picture. 

The last couple days it's been f-f-f-freezing in Springfield! It's way below zero with the windshield, so I guess it's a good few days to be stuck inside. I've constantly been craving that Spring air and outside adventures again. The other day I went to one of our local green houses in town, Wickman's Gardens and got a few succulents for a sun tea jar I thrifted months ago with a friend! I love the way it turned out. In-door Plants and flowers are such a nice way to keep from going bonkers during the winter season. It's always so nice to see the way the morning light reflects off of your window greens. I hope your week is going well so far, my friends! 

Truly // Sarah

Project : Nightstand Restyle

Furniture is expensive. If you're like me... a poor college student, you know that furniture is one thing that you must find at a flea market or salvage left overs from a family member to furnish your space. I was fortunate enough to receive my brother's hand-me-down nightstand and dresser for my room. I wasn't complaining, I love the western styled handles and cuts they have. One thing that bugged me though was all the damage on the table top. There were markings with crayon and pen, scratches, and ring stains. I wasn't expecting any less... it was already a miracle that it lasted through my brothers child hood! Yikes! 

 So I decided to challenge myself to a little (Super easy!) project to make the nightstand mine and to hide some of it's blemishes! I have always been a fan of my parents' childhood photos, so I visited my Granny and looked through some of her albums. I scanned my favorites and started assembling a collage. I incorporated some polaroids from my instax and some pretty magazine clippings as well.

 Once I organized them on my nightstand, I decided to add some flowers that I had dried. After this I pressed on a glass table top that I had made in town to seal it all up, protect the pictures, and keep it all in place. It turned out nicely.

I'm excited with the outcome. I think this would look lovely on a living room coffee table! What a fun centerpiece to a room and a great conversation starter. Friends and family would love to look at these.

Do you have any fun projects planned to improve your space this summer? 

Truly // Sarah

Odds & Ends

Some pictures from this past week.

Truly // Sarah

Q & A

I’ve recently come to know & love Scottish Illustrator (based in Brooklyn, NY) Katy Small. Her work is a vast inspiration for my self. She illustrates the most lovely, dainty pieces. Her photo collaborations are phenomenal and one of my favorite things she produces, along with her new Bespoke Stationery that is absolutely novel.

I got a chance to know Katy on a deeper level through a little Q & A and was excited to dig into where all this beauty and creativity stems from.  Here is a little bit about this lovely soul.

Describe your childhood & where you grew up, how did it attribute to where you are now in your creative profession? “I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland until I was ten; it is a small and very beautiful city. I think that the winding, cobblestone streets and rising gothic castle in the midst of the city crept in and cemented a lifelong tendency towards the old and the melancholy. It is a special city because it is very green, with lovely museums surrounded by the sea, woodland and beautiful gardens. We moved to a little village in the Scottish Borders when I was ten and lived in a ramshackle house surrounded by a wild, sprawling garden. There was magical woodland, rivers, wildflowers and purple hills all around. Of course, it was Scotland, so it was rainy and grey 90% of the time which meant a lot of indoor time reading and playing make believe, too…I grew up with three little brothers, so a lot of our time was spent playing make believe together; we were always making dens, putting on plays and generally living in a world of our imaginations. We would spend our weekends taking trips to museums and botanical gardens; places that still inspire my work today.”

Is there anyone significant in your life that has shaped you? “My mum is such a creative person, and was always encouraging me to tell stories in my homework assignments, to think in a magical way. My dad would take me to the ballet and music recitals from a young age. They both encouraged me to draw, act in plays and learn the piano.... all things that shaped my creativity. Growing up in a small village also installed in me a very strong sense of ambition; to travel, to do great things and to 'escape'. 

I was never "good at art" at school, and was going to study acting or English. My first love was the school art star and he really opened me up to the possibility of art, to the insatiable need to create. He took me to foreign movies, interesting exhibitions and we would draw together. He stirred something in me that is still growing. Also, when I was 16 I finally got an art teacher Mrs. McCann, who told me I was good at drawing. I had never heard that before, and that was the beginning of it all, really. A little love and support is like magic!”

What inspired you to be an illustrator? “So many things! The decision to study illustration, specifically, really came from my desire to work with words and stories. It seemed like a good way to combine my love of literature with my desire to draw.”

What inspires your illustrations? “So many things! I love the flicker of excitement right at the beginning; the hazy outlines of inspiration that you can’t even squint to see but feel so real and exhilarating. I love clutching to the coattails of that feeling, starting to research & draw in a world that doesn’t quite exist yet. It can come from a book, an exhibition, a movie or just the light upon a bended bloom. I am forever inspired by the representation of women; their portraits, their stories and the historic role that florals play in the telling.”

How do you explain your artistic style? “Bittersweet, dreamy, poetic. Stories told in layers of winding botanicals, paper petals and regimented patterns. Studies of women whose wild, steely eyes flicker under the groomed beauty of strict gardens. Untamed vines of paper hair cascade upon ladylike lace. Fragile blooms clutch neat wildflowers and gaze from iron frames unto the creeping wilderness...”

Are there any other things that you like to do creatively, besides illustrating? “I enjoy clothes and fashion, and assist my talented friend Ariel Dearie with floral design. I collaborate with a lot of lovely people on different projects so end up doing many different creative things from set design and styling to flower arranging and window dressing. The variety is what I love about what I do.”

What was the main inspiration/thoughts behind your new Bespoke Stationery? “I love when someone comes to me with their own story, their own favorite flowers and colors and I get to be part of designing something which is truly made for them. It is lovely to feel like I can bring some joy, and help to make an event feel really special. I have always loved pretty paper, letters and cards and I think that receiving beautiful mementos in the mail is one of life's loveliest pleasures. Wedding invites are the most popular request, but I also do personalized holiday cards, thank you notes, custom portraits for gifts, event stationery....anything on paper really!”

What do you hope your creations do for your clients? "It really depends. If it is a wedding invite I hope to honor a special moment and time and create a treasured memento, if it is an illustration job I hope to bring a sense of grace and joy into unexpected settings. In my personal work, I hope to stir a little emotion, to suggest a story and, hopefully, to bring a little beauty into someone's day."

Katy's work is beyond magnificent. Give her a visit and check out her full portfolio and the rest of her new Bespoke Stationery!

Truly // Sarah