Mint

These DIY thumbtacks are so cute, and a great way to use that pile of fabric scraps you can’t throw away.

(You have one of those too, right?)

My favorite three blogs for February reading!

Roger Allen is a super talented designer with a super inspiring blog. Roger says, “Constantly enamored by the small shiny objects that usually remain unnoticed in life, I´m a creative thinker, a tinkerer, and a genuinely nice guy. I like to make things, solve problems creatively, and lend a helping hand. I believe design should be both socially and environmentally responsible. I believe it should be honest in its purpose, source, and concept, and that it is the little details that can make something standout from the pack.”

I really don’t know a lot about ii-ne-kore, except that it’s a new-to-me find, its writer (Bree Claffey) is based in Australia, and I see all kinds of things there that I don’t see anywhere else. Sold. Bree says, “I embrace modern Japan, and cannot obviously relate to {the} deep yearning for the way of the old. But that tension, and the interface between tradition and modern is one of the most fascinating things about Japan and its culture, for me.”

I stumbled on Pugly Pixel just last night when I was looking for some good freebies. Katrina had just the thing, and although a few of her free clipart links were broken (but most can be purchased here), I found plenty of fun stuff to keep me busy. My favorite is the vintage fabric tape and the velvet bows and ribbons.

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Don’t forget to check out past blog favorites in the archives. Blogs chosen for This Month’s Favorite Three receive a free one month ad in the sponsor section.

images: maddison graphic via roger allen, aurélien arbet and jérémie egry via il-ne-kore, and fabric tape clipart by pugly pixel

pretty finds from scout & smith vintage on etsy!

I had so much fun working on Mary Beth and Dan’s screen printed save the dates, and can’t wait to see what happens with their invitations! Mary Beth and Dan met in high school, and now after 14 years of knowing each other, they’re planning a summer wedding.

Their home town, Akron, is the “rubber capital of the world” so we tried to infuse a bit of an industrial look with the Akron font. The save the date is structured like a fold-in, so that when it’s first pulled out of the envelope you get the brief details of the save the date, and when it’s unfolded you get Mary Beth and Dan’s story.

You can see this invitation and more of my work at Hello Tenfold!

One of Mint’s newest sponsors is My Sweet Muffin, an online children’s boutique specializing in unique, modern everything for kids (and some things for parent’s, too!). Stop by My Sweet Muffin to show your support and see lots more! There are so many cute, affordable Valentine’s Day gifts.

1. Birds Mobile, 2. Sock Monkey Hat, 3. Shark Bathrobe, 4. Dinosaur Shadow Puppets, 5. Crocheted Hat, 6. Socks and Suzette Dolls

Thanks My Sweet Muffin! Sponsors help make Mint possible, and I am so grateful for their support. If you’re interested in advertising on Mint, please get in touch by emailing mintdesignblog at gmail dot com, and I’ll be happy to give you all the details.

“density drawings” by katja mater

As a gift, we recently got a Breville Juice Fountain, and wow are we impressed. It takes seconds to make delicious, healthy juices, and many fruits can just be dropped into the machine whole. Easy.

So I’ve been on the lookout for good juice recipes but haven’t found a great source yet (does anyone have one?). This grapefruit, ginger, strawberry, and mint juice recipe from Green Kitchen Stories is top on this week’s list.