Some good ones from some of our favorites!

+ Lovely artwork by Kees Goudzwaard via Pinterest

+ Really cool mobiles like this one by AM Radio via Old Brand New

+ Mini Golden Cake recipe in this month’s issue of Styled Mag

+ Ephemera valentine DIY tutorial on Design*Sponge

+ Storage boxes from bookhou at home, pictured above

+ LOCAL STUFF: If you’re in Raleigh then you should definitely check out the First Friday Gallery Walk while the weather’s still nice! // If you are up for some early morning entertainment, the annual Krispy Kreme Challenge is going on in Raleigh on Saturday // It’s the last weekend to see the first year MFA students’ exhibit Built Forged Faked at UNC

Have a good weekend!

Leah Goren is a California native who currently resides in Brooklyn, New York where she is finishing up school at Parsons The New School for Design. Leah’s work is very reminiscent of her sunny California roots, with lots of bright floral patterns, girls and niche culture illustrations. She first caught our eye with her scarves and headbands, and continues to excite us with new illustrations and textile prints. There’s no doubt that she will continue to do great things in the future, and we are happy to share some insight into her work as she’s on the way there!

When did you first become interested in illustrating/drawing?

My mom is an artist, a painter among many other things, so I grew up always making and creating. Some of my first memories are making large-scale paintings with her. One of the photos I included is a really epic one – I painted my family, and my grandma is the one in the center with the huge brain. The other is me looking really serious next to my chalk board – it looks like that may have been my first cat drawing.

Anyway, I kept with art my whole life, and realized around age 16 it was actually a viable career path. I took life drawing classes outside of high school, and did the Pre-College Program at California College of the Arts for two summers. After studying drawing, painting, and printmaking at CCA, I knew art school was where I wanted to be.

You appear to wear so many hats; student, artist, blogger…what keeps you motivated and going every day?

Making my own schedule and keeping it balanced.  I’m an obsessive planner, and I keep lists and daily schedules of what needs to get done. I only have school two half-days a week this coming (and final!) semester, so everything else will fit around that. It’s more fun making time for a variety of projects, than just one thing over and over again. As soon as I get tired of one thing, it’s on to the next! I also spend as much time as possible doing things I want to do, rather than things I have to do.  Etsy is a time-consuming, repetitive job — making multiples of objects is rarely creative — so I have to set limits for how much time and work I’ll put into it. I recently stopped making the cat dress, at least for now, because it was interfering with making new things. Coming up with my own projects is usually exciting and motivating.  I also love working with others. Kaye Blegvad and I recently did a project together, and now my boyfriend, Dylan Ousley, and I are working on a couple jobs together, as well as our new blog, A Future Present.

Who, would you say, is/are the biggest influences of your work?

I’m always inspired by California, where I grew up, and how it seems so much bigger and brighter now that I’m not there. My work is very colorful, which reminds me of that – New York can feel so drab. I draw a lot of flowers, plants, and girls with this in mind. As for inspiring artists, Sonia Delaunay and Vera Neumann are always on top. I also love Matisse, Tina Berning, Maira Kalman, Leanne Shapton, and tons of young illustrators I’m always finding on the internet.

What piece of work are you the most proud of?

That’s a tough question! I get so tired of everything after looking at it for so long. I am pretty proud of the pattern portfolio I’ve put together so far, and the girls faces print is one of my favorites.

I think that the Internet Girls installation you did is so interesting. Do you have plans of exploring this subject any more or creating new pieces that tie in with the internet girl phenomenon?

Thank you! The pieces I created and the exhibit feel specific to where I was last summer, right after I was thrust into this whole internet girl blog world because of my work on Etsy. But, the themes are still constant through my work. Many of the pieces I make, unless they are for a specific assignment or client, refer back to that type of girl, what she likes, the kind of illustration and textiles she’ll want to buy or blog about.

You’ve been sending out some signals that you’re partnering up with a big shop! When do we get to know who/what it is?

Oh man, I didn’t think I’d said a word! The project should be out late spring or early summer, and I’ll definitely let everyone know when it is.

What are three things you never leave your house without?

iPhone, keys, and wallet. And also chapstick, I can’t go anywhere without that.

What is your favorite part about living in Brooklyn, NY?

Living in Brooklyn, I feel like I’m a tiny part of a something much greater that’s happening in art, design, and the current handmade movement. So many people I admire live right here, and even if I don’t personally know them, and I’m nowhere near as great as them (yet), at least I’m here making it happen too.

Thank you, Leah!

All image credits: Leah Goren

- Katelyn

Going through old linens is one of my favorite things to do. I love the colors, textures, patterns… these are some more shots from last week at my grandparents’ house.

I spent a few days last week at my grandparent’s house, going through some old things with family, and taking lots of pictures. This week I thought I’d share some of them with you, starting with these beautiful dresses. Such fashionable women in my family, no?

We have a few tea towels leftover from this weekend’s craft market, and they’re now in the shop. Hurry before they’re gone!

A round-up of gift-worthy items from some of our featured sponsors!

1. Good Timers Ceramic Mug by Kin Ship Press / 2. North Carolina Necklace by Vespertine / 3. Thunderbird Ring by Ruby Lane / 4. Zig Zag Postcards by The Change Factory / 5. Western Meadowlark Specimen Letterpress Print by Mossière / 6. Spring Court Velcro Trainers from Smallable / 7. Snow Angel Letterpress Cards from Felt & Wire / 8. Peaceful Snowflake Cards by Juniper Berry / 9. Looking for Beauty Print by Creature Comforts / 10. Hana-Hukin Kitchen Cloth from Uguisu

Thanks, all! 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 ellie at mintdesignblog dot com, and I’ll be happy to give you all the details.

November and December are kind of crazy months… invitation design work slows down as people focus on the holidays rather than their weddings, and I’m busy writing up quotes and meeting with potential clients about Spring and Summer events. It’s a nice change of pace and gives me a few spare minutes to think about this year’s successes and failures and what 2012 might look like.

Now that Hello Tenfold has a line of everyday notecards, I thought I’d give the whole craft fair scene another go (I seem to have finally recovered from my first craft fair experience in 2009) and so Hello Tenfold will be making an appearance at Rock & Shop in Durham on December 17th. Because I have a secret burning desire to design textiles, I decided to dip my toes in those waters by having some fat quarters printed for tea towels, just in time for the market. Above is a peek of my very limited first run, which will be available at Rock & Shop and maybe, maybe, maybe available online at some point, too. I’ll admit this has my head spinning (mostly thinking of all the pillows I could make for our house)! It’s always exciting to work with a new medium. More photos to come once these are all sewn up!

One of our favorite sponsors Felt & Wire has some really great gifts for everyone on your list this year. They also have a large selection of cards and tags that would put the perfect finishing touch on any gift! Here are some of our favorites for the holidays, and be sure to check out their entire shop!

1. Heart Cushion Cover / 2. Holiday Music Card / 3. Yellow Candle Holder / 4. Kids Letterpress Color-in Clock / 5. Recycled Canvas Bucket / 6. A Year in Caps 2012 Calendar / 7. Fern Art Print / 8. Italian Grapes Journal / 9. Letterpress Holiday Cards (set of 6)

Thanks F&W! 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 ellie at mintdesignblog dot com, and I’ll be happy to give you all the details.

Chomp is a one lady textile and pattern design shop, created in 2007 by Dana Fehsenfeld during a fellowship at Penland School of Crafts. Dana first takes her hand drawn patterns and turns them into screen printed textiles, which are then turned into one of a kind sewn goods (or sold by the quarter).

Thanks to artist Ele Annand for the tip!

Leah Duncan wants sugar in her tea and is darn proud of the city she now calls home: Austin, Texas. Her eye-catching prints and folksy illustrations are what initially pulled us into her shop, and her plethora of inspiring new designs is what keeps us coming back. We thought it only right to feature one of our favorite artists in our new interview series, and we are sure you will love her and her work as much as we do (if you aren’t already in her shop daily)!

When did you first become interested in drawing?
I spent my days in school daydreaming and doodling, but drawing was never something I saw myself as particularly good at. I remember loving my art and English classes the most and looking back I feel like I’ve always known deep down I would do something creative with my life. I worked for a screen-printing company as a graphic designer after college where I slowly started to get back into drawing. When I moved to Austin in 2008 I began to screen-print my work and put it on Etsy. Luckily, after a lot of hard work my business took off. I’m ever-so-grateful.

For many, it can be a challenge to continually come up with new and fresh ideas. Where do you find your inspiration?
Color, nature, animals, and the small moments in my life are what inspire me the most. I love taking a moment of my life and translating it into my artwork by humanizing a creature or just capturing something I see from day to day. I think my style comes from several different influences that include children’s illustration, folk art, my east Austin neighborhood which is predominately Latino, and the fact that I’m part Cherokee. If I’m feeling a sense of panic from a lack of inspiration I find spending time outdoors helps me cope and brings me back with a different perspective so I can regroup, focus, and hopefully look at everything with new eyes.

Who, would you say, is/are the biggest influences of your work?
There’s so much talent out there. It’s hard not to be inspired by every single piece of it. Beyond that, I picked up a love for Frida Kahlo from my sister that has never faded.

What piece of work are you the most proud of?
I’m very proud that I took the leap to attend Surtex, an art licensing show, in May. It’s an enormous undertaking and I jumped in with both feet, regardless of how overwhelming it felt at times. I spent day and night for three months straight creating new work. The only way I survived is that my husband threw pizza in the studio from time to time! Looking back, I kind of can’t believe I did it and I’m still not really sure where it all came from. But I’m glad it happened.

You are launching a new fabric line, Maya, in February. What sparked your desire to do a line? What’s the story behind Maya?
I’ve dreamed of having a fabric line for some time now and since I work so closely with textiles it seemed natural. Maya was inspired by my neighborhood and my morning walks with my dog, Oslo. I hope it gives a sense of the festivity and vibrance that I see in Austin day to day, from brightly colored, quirky buildings to piñatas and amazing mexican food. Maya is purely a reflection of that spirit and I hope the feeling it brings is quirky, beautiful, and vibrant – just like the place I call home.

What is your favorite part of working for yourself?
I’m in control. It’s all up to me and my determination. And I can dance whenever I want to.

What are three things you never leave your house without?
Burt’s Bees chapstick, a Bic pen, and my keys + iphone. That equals four, but the last two seemed equally important. : )

You live in a city I’ve always wanted to visit, Austin, TX. I hear so many wonderful things, what do you love about it?
You should visit! Austin is quite a unique place. There’s a weird sort of cowboy meets liberal hippy thing going on that makes for an interesting dynamic. The hike and bike trails which wind through the city are probably my favorite thing since I often go for a run or walk on them. It keeps the stresses of owning a small business at bay. There’s also an attitude here that is unlike any other place I’ve been. It’s perfectly OK to go to the grocery store in your pajamas. In fact, people probably won’t even notice. I kind of love that. The breakfas tacos, sunny weather, and cowboy boots don’t hurt either.

Thanks, Leah! 

Photo credits: 1 & 2: Leah Duncan, 3 & 4: Paige Newton