Artist Interview: Anna Bond of Rifle Design

by evie s. on July 2nd, 2009

I am so excited to share an interview I did recently with Anna Bond of Rifle Design. A girl with enormous amounts of talent, she works as an illustrator and designer based out of Winter Park, Florida. Visit her blog, or her flickr photos for even more inspiration. Here are the questions!

1. How long have you been creating art and design?
I suppose I’ve been interested in creating ever since I found a box of crayons but it became more serious after I got into high school. At the time I was very focused on painting/fine art but when I began college I decided to major in graphic design.

2. What are your sources of inspiration?
Oh there are many things! I love mid century design, folk art, the work of Matte Sephens, Blanca Gomez, the mountains & trees, architecture, vintage type, WPA posters, children’s book art, most things that came out of the 50’s, and on and on. I try to find inspiration from things that aren’t in my field as much as I can (such as nature or architecture) to help me be creative and find my own voice.

3. I see you are opening a new studio space and stationary shop. Congratulations! What products will you be offering for retail?
Thank you! It’s been so exciting (and liberating) to move into my studio from our small apartment. I’m planning on selling a line of greeting cards, recipe cards, art prints, wedding & event templates, and other misc. paper goods at the studio shop. I’ll also be opening an online store that will carry the same items. Both should be open around the end of July.

4. I know it’s probably hard to pick, but do you have a favorite out of the work that you’ve done?
I hate to pick favorites but I do have a soft spot for the Carly & Daniel invitation. I think it’s because it’s a bit different than my other invitations and when she first emailed me about her wedding and ideas I felt like I knew exactly what I would illustrate for her. What popped into my mind mind is pretty much how it turned out so that was fun. It just clicked.

5. I noticed you primarily use gouache to paint your illustrations. What are some other tools/supplies/mediums that you primarily use for your work?
Gouache is my primary medium. I absolutely love it and it really changed my style when I began painting with it a few years ago. Before then I mainly used watercolors (and still so sometimes). I also love working with cut paper.

6. Can you briefly describe your process for creating a new work of art?
I typically start by just brainstorming about the project and trying to find inspiration from what the client likes and wants. I then draw up a few pencil sketches for the layout, style of the lettering, and illustrated elements. This part is really important as I usually hand draw or paint everything in the final version so it saves a lot of time to get things set before then. Once the sketch is finished I use that to create the final illustration and then transfer it to the computer for some post work.

7. And lastly, a fun question! All artists have their quirks. Name one of yours.
I asked my husband to think of a quirk and he said that I’m shy. I don’t think that’s really a quirk though. I’m going to say that it’s how much I love figuring out how things work such as how traffic censors work and how tunnels are built (most have to do with roads and transportation because I collect curiosities while I’m driving and then go back and read howstuffworks.com).

Thank you so much for sharing Anna! Best wishes on your store launch and we look forward to seeing more lovely work in the future.

Grand Opening Giveaway

by evie s. on July 1st, 2009

I’m excited to offer this giveaway celebrating the launch of my handcrafted products! Someone will win this adorable handmade knit bunting that is available for purchase in the store.

Here is how to win: Simply leave a comment on this post, and make sure to include a website or email so I can contact you if you win. If you blog or tweet this and let me know in your comment, I will add 2 more entries for you, giving you even better odds of winning.

Comments will be closed on Sunday, July 5th and the winner will be announced on the following Monday morning. Good luck!

20’s Inspired Wedding

by evie s. on June 30th, 2009

The roaring 20’s are perfectly depicted in this beautiful wedding. The photographs are beautiful, you just have to see the rest of them.

Tomorrow I will be posting details about a special giveaway I’m offering to celebrate the grand opening of evie s. handcraft!

Free Download: Cardboard Bear

by evie s. on June 26th, 2009

I experimented with using some cereal boxes to create this cute bear with movable arms and legs. I’ve been wanting to create a project with cardboard ever since I saw this post on design sponge. So, I put together this bear pattern for you to try too! Just download this PDF and cut out the pieces and use as your template to trace onto cardboard. Cardboard packaging works perfectly.

Once all the parts are cut, you can use a needle and thread to sew the layers together. You could also use miniature brads to achieve the same mobility, it just wouldn’t look as cute as the buttons. I drew the flower freehand and used a yellow colored pencil to add some interest. I also threaded this together with needle and thread and used a button on top. I think it turned out pretty cute! Not sure what I’ll use it for, but I’m glad I finally got around to doing it.

Have a great weekend everybody! Keep your eyes peeled next week for some exciting posts about my new handcrafted products and a giveaway that you won’t want to miss!

DIY Hair Accessories

by evie s. on June 25th, 2009

I don’t post too much about fashion here (maybe I should start!), but I thought it would be fun to post a couple of the hair accessories I made. The first one is a cheapo plastic headband that I hot glued a feather on. That was easy enough.

The other one is an idea I had to make a braided fabric headband. Then I saw this post with a similar idea, and that was  enough motivation for me to do it. Here is what you need:

• Fabric
• Ruler
• Scissors

Simply cut three strands of fabric about an inch wide from fabric. Then, gather your strands so they are even and tie a knot at the top. Put something heavy on top and start braiding until you get to the end. Then make another knot and tie the finished product around your beautiful head. Sooo easy!

It’s a quick and easy way to add some flair to your look. To see full-size photos, go here.

Bokeh Beauty

by evie s. on June 23rd, 2009

Lately I’ve been captivated by photographic images with the Bokeh technique. What’s Bokeh you ask? Derived from Japanese, Bokeh is a noun, meaning “blur” or “haze.” It’s a photographic term that usually describes an image with an out-of-focus area taken by a camera lens with a shallow depth of field. Check out these stunning images with the Bokeh style.

From left to right:

Bokehland // Love is in the air… // Australia Day - fireworks //
dancing and dreaming // bokehfall // green party

I Heart Dad Handmade Onesie

by evie s. on June 22nd, 2009

Part of my husband’s Father’s Day present was this handmade onesie which Eli wore throughout the day. I drew the letters freehand onto scrap fabric, then cut, pinned and sewed them on to a plain white onesie. I really love how it turned out, and so did Kent.

What did you all do for your husbands/fathers?

Happy Father’s Day!

by evie s. on June 21st, 2009

I hope you all have a great Father’s Day and enjoy special time with your dads. Here is my little man helping me wish his daddy a Happy Father’s Day. It was tough to get him to cooperate holding 15 letters and not demolishing them before I got a good photo. He did pretty well though!

Cross Stitch and Needlepoint

by evie s. on June 19th, 2009

I love the use of cross stitch and needlepoint in design. Lately, it’s been making it’s way not just on textiles, but on print pieces and other uncommon destinations. Here are some of my favorites:

From left to right:

Faux Cross Stitch Yo-Yo // cross-stitch motif // darling card [ Via Smarts and Crafts ] // We Make Sense poster // Bargello Chevron Pillow //Needlepoint Book Cover

Have a great weekend everybody!

Our Five Year Anniversary

by evie s. on June 15th, 2009

This last Saturday my husband and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary. It was a very low-key relaxing day, no work, just play! There were several ideas I had in my head for a card, but I settled on this design.

I drew and colored the “5″ with colored pencil on gray cardstock and cut rounded corners. Then I chose a blue satin ribbon and cut “V’s” at the ends and hot glued the folds to make it look like a banner. I then used an alphabet rubber stamp to create the “Happy Anniversary” message. Soon I’ll post a photo of a carved wooden elephant that he made for me.

In short, we had a great day and we look forward to 5 more years together, and then some! To see a full-size photo, go here.