school days, rule days

CARRIE: I love this photo collage from flickr. There are so many fun details to study! This was a project for the Old School project at Uppercase Gallery.

book art

MORGAN: This perpetual date book by Art School Girl features modified vintage book art paired with one-line narratives, such as "do it by hand" and "exercise free speech". The school bus yellow accent color is actually hand-colored and can be customized! And, (as if you needed another reason to order your very own) an extra bonus is that this calendar is also printed with soy-based inks and on recycled paper containing 50% bamboo! A+!

too cool for school

CARRIE: These two gocco prints by Chicago-based designer/illustrator, Jesse Hora, are called "Lead Ain't Dead" (top and "Old School Tools" (bottom). They are available at Jeese's etsy shop.

If i were going back to school...

MORGAN: ...I would definitely be sporting this outfit by Us Rags. What better way to brag to the teacher about perfect handwriting skills?

Susy Jack

CARRIE: Even though we aren't in school anymore, we can still have fun supplies. Susy Jack makes grown up versions of some favorites like the pencil can. The little "ring jotter" (middle) is a nice way to keep notes handy.

ruler, set square, protractor,...

MORGAN: I don't know what it is about school supplies, but shopping for them was always my favorite part of going back to school! I still get excited when I need to get some new office organizational tools. These geometry notebooks by Present & Correct are the perfect fix for those of us who cannot let go of our school-supply-list-nostalgia! I'll take the protractor notebook, please!

CARRIE: When I was little, we would occasionally get lost on road trips and my mom always said that "getting lost is part of the fun." A good mantra for travel and life alike.

MORGAN: ...inspired by the love of traveling in which one is in a constant state of never really knowing where you are...

en route avec Alain Grée

MORGAN: The influential works by French illustrator and author, Alain Grée are just as relevant now as when they were first published. Grée was born in Eaubonne near Paris in 1936. He published over 300 children's books most of which in the 1960s and 1970s. His books were translated around the world into 20 different languages! They have become collectible and many have been reissued due to a huge following in Japan. Grée's work has recently been licensed in Japan and in the UK at lapin and me. Visit his official website here , purchase vintage books here, or see more of his work on flickr. 

This is...M. Sasek

CARRIE: I love the "This is..." series of books by Miroslav Sasek. He had a very fun way of looking at the world through his illustrations. Many of the books have been reissued and the originals are collectible.

destination anywhere

MORGAN: great scrapbook travel patterns and icons by American Crafts.

air mail

CARRIE: These notecards from Blue Cake and Buttercup at Etsy are made up of images of vintage airmail labels. The way she packages them is too cute.

kate spade: par avion

MORGAN: A while back I came across this cosmetics pouch by Kate Spade and I just haven't been able to get it out of my mind! It's a stylish alternative to the clear quart-sixed plastic bags that we are required to put any liquids in to pass through security lines at the airport. Oh, and, in true Kate Spade fashion, the tiny details are the most fun--this little bag is trimmed in cowhide and features 14-karat gold plated hardware. Only problem is, it's currently not available! But we'll keep checking for it's return.

bon voyage!

CARRIE: Since we will both be out of town over the weekend, my mind is on traveling. We are staying in the US, but these passport holders from bridget davies' etsy shop would be great for an international trip! The pieces are all hand embroidered.

CARRIE: We are both into the song lyrics for this exercise! Just like Morgan, I sketched this out quickly. Mine was on a notecard. It's fun to just play and not think about what the outcome will be. Happy Valentine's Day!

MORGAN: Hand-lettering is not really my thing, but I just forced myself to not think about it at all and just get out a pen and sketchbook, and here is what I came up with! Clearly I need some additional practice, but this was actually really fun--I just told myself that I have to scan in the first thing that I get down on paper, et voila!

Keri Smith

CARRIE: These are a few images by Keri Smith. Keri has written/ illustrated many books and she is always great about incorporating her hand lettering into her designs. She also has a great, insightful blog.

Chris Piascik's doodle art

MORGAN: Graphic designer and artist Chris Piascik never seems to stop designing! He has a flickr photostream where he posts an original "doodle" in his sketchbook each day! He's also a designer at Alphabet Arm and part owner of Print Brigade. To top it all off, he is an adjunct professor at Hartford Art School. We definitely need to keep our eye on him...if we can catch him! 

Nate Williams

CARRIE: These are just a few examples of the hand lettering of Nate Williams. Nate has worked with some impressive clients—Converse, Urban Outfitters and the New York Times, to name just a few. There is also an interesting Q&A about his hand lettering right here, on his website.

hand lettering by linzie hunter

MORGAN: Linzie Hunter is an incredibly talented illustrator who just happens to also have a knack for really fun hand lettering. She has a truly unique sense of color and layout! If you want a first hand look at her ideas in the making, check out her lettering sketchbooks right here on flickr.

Mike Perry

CARRIE: These are some examples of the amazing hand lettering of Mike Perry. Be sure to check out his book, Hand Job: A Catalog of Type if you haven't already. His website is also packed with all kinds of inspiring work.

all you need is love

MORGAN: I thought this card from Julia Juliette's esty shop was so much fun! There is something so refreshing and personal about all of the hand-lettering that is cropping up on printed materials. Who knows if it is a cognizant rejection of the mass-made, or if it is just a natural trend to move away from computerized type, but it definitely makes me want to find a pencil and remind myself that I once took handwriting classes!

MORGAN: I decided with Valentine's Day less than a week away, I would work on a collage piece for my husband: U & ME as 1. It was such a good exercise to just find some random things around the house and force myself to make something out of them! I used tissue paper (from my giftwrap bin) for the hearts and cardboard, paper & metal letter stencils for the words. The metal stencils are my dad's, so now I have to admit that I've "borrowed" them for a little longer than he might've expected. I'll return them next Sunday, Da!

CARRIE: These collages include sewing patterns and packaging that were my Grandma's. I love taking these elements that remind me of her and putting them into a new context.