What a compliment!

The Society of Publication Designers is presenting a round-up of magazine art directors’ favourite magazines: “We’ve asked a lot art and photo directors from around the world to tell us the magazines or apps that they really love. The ones they can’t wait to get their hands on, the ones that fire their creative spirit: you know, the ones that make you jealous, or supremely happy, or both.” 

Thank you Deb Bishop for selecting UPPERCASE (She designed Blueprint magazine and Martha Stewart Baby and Kids — remember those? So amazing! She’s now at More.) 

I’ve chosen Uppercase because I love the whole package. It is playful and “up,” without being over designed. I tip my hat to Janine Vangool who is the publisher, editor and designer. She has created a beautiful format and each page is kind of a feast for the eyes– not just the design but the featured content. If you love “how-to,” and are the “curious sort,” about how beautiful graphic things are made it’s hard not to enjoy this publication. This issue included intricately carved crayons and the art of paper cutting. Loved the “handy guides,” collection.  I admit that I am seduced by the beautiful paper and even the smell of fresh ink when I open the package. In this time of troubled publishing it’s nice to learn that this wonderful publication, is created by a small team (3 people I think!) in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 

Collecting social media

I’m on the Herman Miller blog!

Thank you to Amy Feezor of the Herman Miller Lifework blog for inviting me to share my playlist and pictures of my workspace.

Scissors screenprint is by UPPERCASE contributor Alanna Cavanagh, click the photo for her shop.

dottie angel reviewed in 91 Magazine

page from 91 magazineTif Fussell, aka dottie angel, is interviewed in the new issue of the digital 91 Magazine. They’ve also devoted two pages to a review of our book.

Featured on Mom Inc Daily

I am happy to be featured on today’s Mom Inc Daily, Cat Seto’s blog. “Mom Inc Daily is a creative and business sanctuary for moms. Cat and her community of “Designing Moms” share their daily posts about their love for motherhood, design and the intricacies of running a creative business.” Thanks, Cat and Annie, for asking me to be part of it.


I decided to provide a true-to-life snapshot of our living room. Although it is fun escapism to see perfectly presented homes, wouldn’t you rather see what things are really like? I know I get frustrated by seeing “family” homes with nothing out of place, no clutter, no books, no mess. We certainly don’t live like that!

Guest Blogger on Elements

photo from the Elements website
Elements
, a creative firm in Connecticut, recently invited me to submit some page layout examples from UPPERCASE magazine for a book they’re working on for Rockport Publishing. They also invited me to be a guest blogger on their site and that post is up today. I invite you over to their blog to read a bit more about me. Thanks, Amy, Alysson and the Elements team.

Covet Garden

Just spotted UPPERCASE in the latest issue of Covet Garden featuring the home of illustrator Sandra Dionisi. Thanks, Sandra!

Where the time goes…

Woah, things are busy around here! The past week has flown by, but not without a whole lot going on:

Last Thursday celebrated the release of issue #8 and the Letterpress Sampler — more pictures posted soon, I promise!

I’m reviewing the printer proofs of A Collection a Day, I got to see the printer proofs of the Shoegazing Notecard Set published by Chronicle Books later this year and Work/Life 2 is off to the printer in a matter of days.

The Elegant Cockroach by Deidre Martin and Stefanie Augustine made it to #3 on Calgary’s Bestseller list! (hey locals, let’s get it to #1!!! Check the book’s page for local bookstores.)

Martha Stewart Living is hosting an amazing contest on their website, called Prized Collections, in collaboration with A Collection a Day: 

“In the February 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living, we celebrated the collections of some of our favorite tastemakers. We were especially taken with Lisa Congdon, whose assortment of midcentury kitchenware only scratches the surface of her passion for collecting. An artist and illustrator, Lisa spent 2010 blogging a new collection every day; in spring 2011, Uppercase will publish her book, “A Collection a Day.” Now it’s your chance to share your collecting artistry with us. Upload photos of your prized possessions by March 28 for a chance to win one of three line drawings from Lisa, plus a copy of her new book. The finalists will be featured on MarthaStewart.com.”

Tif Fussell’s blog, dottie angel, got a nice mention in the current issue of the Australian magazine Inside Out. (Also exciting: the style director of the magazine will be featured in the next issue of UPPERCASE.) Tif has some really nice notebooks for sale in her shop. We also got some great news about the foreword to her book, but we’ll save that reveal for later!

And on a personal note, at nearly 11 months old Finley is finally cutting his first tooth. Which means that I barely slept a wink last night, but at least he’s feeling happy right now. He also began standing by himself this week.