Great giveaway for all you art lovers out there!

I have a really great and unique giveaway for you guys.  I haven’t held a giveaway since before I left for Spain, so I figured I’d make the return of the giveaways a really good one. 

The giveaway is a chance to win a framed print of your choosing from the carefully curated print collection at Thumbtack Press.  Thumbtack Press is an “online art enclave that exists to create a community of like-minded art enthusiasts,” and features some really talented artists.  The focus is illustration, which is very near and dear to my heart, as I graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in Illustration in 2006.  I even recognized names of fellow RISD grads and professors on the Thumbtack Press artist roster!

The new owner personally curates the collection and looks forward to expanding to even more genres in the future. In fact, be sure you visit again in June when they will be launching a new and improved Thumbtack Press site.

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment on this post listing your favorite work/artist from the Thumbtack site (I really love the “Randomizer” feature which shows you an array of various artwork), and then make sure you “Like” Thumbtack Press on Facebook.  This is very important because they will be contacting the winner directly this way.  Click here to go to the Thumbtack Press Facebook page and “Like” them.

Below are a few works I really admired

“Born” by Gina Triplett

Ken Wong’s “Stay and I Will Love Thee”

I like anything octopus related..

Linzie Hunter’s  “Spam One-Liner’s: Happy Life”

“Amsterdam” by Matt Mills

“Tree of Joy” by Paul Barnes

Luis Melo’s “Empty Beach” 

You have until May 31, 6 PM EST to enter.  Don’t forget to both comment on this post (scroll to the bottom of this post and right above "Labels" you will see a number followed by the word "comments." Click on the word "Comments." Or, you will see a link, "Post a Comment," which you click on to comment), and “Like" Thumbtack Press on Facebook.  Good luck!

Minimal but not cold - gorgeous Scandinavian spaces

Today is a hectic day, and these spaces just emanate calm and order. However, like some spaces that are super orderly and clean, these still have warmth to them. What do you think?

That green is just the right value to compliment the wood tone but not compete with the black.



Love the coffee table




I'm usually not a fan of "stripes" or other painted graphics, but in the hall like this is doesn't seem trendy to me. Notice how it goes up the molding? It's like the owner's personal little gallery space.

image via KML Design

Hapy Friday - Beautiful art for art's sake

Having majored in illustration from RISD, my first love has always been painting and drawing, and it'll always be close to my heart. So occasionally I like to feature painters and other artists that I discover and like. Here are my most recent finds

Beautiful collages by mixed media artist Kristen Neveu



This one is my favorite. Isn't it gorgeous?
See more at KristenNeveu.com


These striking floral oil paintings are by Jo Beer. I discovered her while working on a design for a wedding invitation and needed a reference photo for ornamental kale. I ran across the painting below




See more of Jo's work at Jo Beer Art


For those who are more into graphic design and poster, check out Fieldtrip's etsy store.


I love this origami heart poster

...and the peace cranes. So pretty.

A beautiful new way to display art and photographs

I was recently introduced to Fracture, which is "A one piece picture and frame made from printed glass that mounts directly to your all quickly and easily." When I was offered a chance to try it out I was really excited because I have so many great photos from Chris and my travels and it was something different than a typical framed or mounted print. Other than being glass, the most striking part about a fracture is how rich and glossy it is. The printing process makes vibrant colors really pop.

You can upload your digital images, which really means you can have anything printed. You could design a pattern and even create your own glass tiles or a unique wall mosaic. I also think fracture is a good solution for areas or rooms with high humidity, like the kitchen or the bathroom. I am going to mount mine in the bathroom because it is small and gets very steamy - also the blue of the wall really pulls out the blue in the print.

Here are some photos of Fracture in my space -


Here's the original digital photo, as seen in a previous post from my trip to Morocco last winter.

The photo printed by Fracture - it looks and feels like a glass tile, with tidy beveled edges.

A side view so you can get a sense of the thickness. The glass has some foam mounted on the back to act as cushion, and comes with everything you need to hang it.

Aside from the depth of the color, the details are very crisp too. I think fracture would look particularly good in modern interiors.




What do you think? Good idea? Currently Fracture offers 5 sizes -all the common sizes of digital photos, and 3 different shapes. To see all the options and more prints, visit Fracture.

Disclosure: I received fracture as a sample

A chic and timeless Scandinavian home

This home comes pretty close to perfect in my book. Enjoy!


What do you think of the coat closet just being a clothes rack? (I hope those furs are fake)

This living room is so unique, the more I look at it the more details I notice
A detail from the back of the couch. The lamps on the console behind it is a great idea


Love the basket with the art - great if you frequently rotate out your artwork



via Skona Hem

A REALLY gorgeous house tour - a mix of haute and rustic

This is American designer James Huniford's Hamptons retreat. I love it-'nough said.




This is a rare example of a stark room that still manages to be warm


Love the clipboards as a way to display art

This dining room is simply dreamy - the bench...the table...the art



What do you think?


via Elle Decor