Cobalt Decor + Guest Blogging

August 6, 2015

I’ve been doing some guest blogging — contributing full articles on contemporary LA Design to Life in Sketch, and sharing ideas for editorial pieces with other writers, like Justina Blakeney and her blog, The Jungalow. I recently compiled cobalt interiors inspiration for a post on The Jungalow, and I thought I’d share some extra inspiration here. Above: you can’t deny the appeal of a beautiful blue fridge — this Smeg is a beauty.

The blue wall and ceiling in this outdoor lounge is stunning. Love the way the slats in the walls let light through, but the lounge still feels secluded.

Our Indigo Zig Zag pillow is a great way to add a pop of cobalt blue to your home.

No shortage of beautiful blue doors and gates — this door was spotted in Israel, and the gate in Puerto Rico.

Can you believe how bold this bathroom is?! All that beautiful blue tile, combined with gorgeous jungle plants… every shower would feel like an exotic getaway.

If you want to add a tiny dose of cobalt, a little planter like this one from Atelier Stella would do the trick.

New Patterned Notebook – Mega Size!

August 3, 2015

I’ve been so thrilled with the response to the notebook set I launched with Scout Books earlier this summer! Thank you for your early support while I was running the 826LA fundraiser — together we raised $100 to support their amazing after-school tutoring program!

Today I am excited to announce a new, larger notebook has debuted in the shop! It features my Grid design (which also appears on our linen tea towels), and is made using recycled papers by my friends at Scout Books. I love that they wanted to make a larger design, the pocket notebooks are super fun, but sometimes I like having a little extra space for drawing.

You can find these notebooks exclusively on cottonandflax.com for now. If they sell out, we may be able to do some fresh designs in time for the holiday season!

Supporting Childhood Literacy and Creativity in Los Angeles – Partnering with 826LA

June 29, 2015

As you may have seen back in May, I made a pledge to donate a portion of the profits from the sale of our notebooks to 826LA, to support their after-school tutoring program here in LA. $1 from the sale of each notebook will go directly to 826LA, and I’ve decided to extend that pledge an extra month, and continue the fundraiser through July!

This subject is close to my heart. I loved creative writing as a student, and I was lucky enough to have some fantastic teachers who nurtured my interest in expressing myself through writing. The tutors and volunteers at 826LA are doing more than just teaching valuable literacy skills to kids — they are also inspiring students to develop a lifelong love of reading and writing, and planting the seeds for the next generation of creative storytellers.

I hope to raise as much money as possible to help 826LA in their mission of supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills. 826LA is doing some amazing things here in LA, including some great summer programs to keep kids engaged in learning, working with volunteers on their writing, verbal, and reading skills. Visit their site to learn more about 826LA, and see the benefits of their after-school tutoring program for LA youth!

Visit the Cotton & Flax shop to grab a set of notebooks — through July, your purchase will support 826LA, and all they’re doing for LA youth!

New throw pillows debut today!

June 9, 2015

It’s been quite a while since I debuted new pillows! This year, I decided to change things up a little bit. Rather than debuting two big collections per year (one in Spring, and one in Fall), I decided to release a smaller number of products more frequently, so that things would feel fresher around the studio. It’s been pretty busy at Cotton & Flax HQ — this year, I’ve debuted new tea towels, lavender sachets (which sold out in record time), and patterned notebooks. Phew!

While there are no new patterns in today’s debut, I spent weeks choosing the colors I wanted to add to the collection, and I was surprised by the new shades I finally landed on. The biggest surprise for me was blush pink! I’m certainly not known for being very girly, but this mural by Michelle Weinberg on the Wolfsonian Museum in Miami was so striking, it convinced me that pink + black = next level modernity that needs to be in your home.

I also wasn’t planning to add more blue to the collection, but this bright indigo fabric was calling to me. It just feels so fresh, and adds a nice pop of color to the collection. Love the way it looks next to our gold pillows — really shows off the best traits of both fabrics.

Another new favorite: the dusty blue plus pillow on the top of this pile. This fabric has a subtle warmth to it — a result of being a yarn-dyed linen. I really enjoy this fabric paired with the indigo, or this grey pillow, which you may recognize…

… A return of an old favorite fabric, the black chambray linen! This fabric has a lot of dimension, due to the heathered weave of the chambray fabric, which adds a little complexity to the pattern.

I’m so grateful to have been able to work with Laure Joliet to shoot these pillows! She continues to be one of my favorite artists, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Hooray for collaborating with friends!

I’m excited to hear what you think of the new collection — let me know your favorites on Twitter or Instagram!

New Patterned Notebooks – A Collaboration with Scout Books

May 18, 2015

They’ve been months in the making, and today I finally get to debut seven new patterned notebooks, created in collaboration with Scout Books! The collection includes six pocket-sized notebooks in light blue and gold ochre, as well as one larger sized gold ochre notebook, with different patterns printed on each. It’s a great collection of my favorite patterns from recent collections, as well as a few new designs that have never been seen before.

I had so much fun working on these notebooks, it was my first foray into paper goods in several years. The folks at Scout Books are total pros, and they even let me tour their headquarters in Portland last month. They have worked with so many of my favorite illustrators and designers on custom projects — I feel honored to be part of their roster of designs for 2015.

I’m excited to share that for each notebook purchased in May, I’ll be making a $1 donation to 826LA, to support their after-school tutoring program here in LA. I hope to raise as much money as possible to help 826LA in their mission of supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. Visit their site to learn more about 826LA, and see the benefits of their after-school tutoring program for LA youth!

Creating patterned notebooks with Scout Books

May 16, 2015

If you follow Cotton & Flax on social media, you may have seen previews of a new product that debuts on Monday: patterned pocket-sized notebooks! I was so excited to partner with Scout Books to expand their collection of artist-designed notebooks, and to add these new pieces to the Cotton & Flax collection.

While I was in Portland in April, I met with the team at Scout Books as we worked to put the finishing touches on our collaboration. I had the pleasure of touring the Scout Books headquarters, and getting a look behind the scenes in their offices and workshop. You may have seen the photos I took over on Instagram, and Meg from Scout Books sent over a few extra photos for me to share.

Scout Books creates custom notebooks using 100% recycled papers in their SE Portland studio. After combing their archives, I was impressed with the wide variety of projects they’ve taken on over the years – so many awesome notebooks designs created in collaboration with some of my favorite artists!

The collection we created for this collaboration consists of seven notebooks, four gold and three light blue. The team at Scout Books worked with me to match the gold ochre and light blue inks with the fabrics I use for my collection. After looking around the Scout Books studio, I was really impressed with how efficient their setup is. It was so cool to see the presses in action, and to see how the notebooks were made.

The new notebooks will officially debut in the shop on Monday! If you’re planning to attend the National Stationery Show in New York this week, stop by booth #1340 to say hello to the Scout Books team, and see these notebooks in person. I’m a huge stationery nerd, so I wish I could be there in person – instead, I’ll just be cheering from the sidelines, and following along on Instagram.

Don’t forget to sign up for email updates, so you’ll be first to know when the new notebooks go on sale.

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