Boho Bandwagon

We be the judge

2012-01-25T22:52:00.001-08:00

This year, I am most excited to have been invited to sit on the judging panel for the DIA (Design Institute of Australia) GOTYA (Graduate of the Year) awards. I love seeing the work produced by wide eyed, passionate students: I always find it really inspiring to see their fresh creativity, and interesting to see what trends are working their way through design schools. The work will be judged in two phases, and we will be meeting with the shortlisted students in the second phase. I intend to be as intimidating as I possibly can!! He he...

Water for Elephants

2012-01-24T16:12:00.000-08:00

This book was the last one we read last year and was enjoyed by all. It's the story of a young Polish man, Jacob Jankowski, who after short series of unforeseen tragic events, finds himself working for the circus. Being a veterinarian student, he works with the animals and makes himself two particularly special friends: Rosie the elephant and Marlena, the prettiest girl he's ever seen. Marlena also happens to be the wife of the header trainer, August.

I watched the recently released film version of this story after reading the book and it was just as spectacular. Both book and movie come recommended from Team Boheem. Next book: Catcher in the Rye.

Typeface

2012-01-19T00:34:00.000-08:00

Think I'd like to see this film. I don't think this is the official poster, but it's nice eh? Check out the trailer on youtube.

Cut it out

2012-01-16T14:21:00.000-08:00

Kicking off 2012 with a focus on a charming little design studio in the UK. Cut It Out has a great online shop with limited edition prints of hand-made collages and what not.

Last one 'til 2012!

2011-12-18T21:29:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of our faithful blog followers for sharing another fantastic year with us. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and see you in 2012!

Bill Granger's Chicken and Mushroom Pie

2011-12-12T22:51:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd share this recipe as it's been the flavour of the month – literally – in our household. I had a friend send it to me after she made it for us. It's from a Bill Granger cookbook. It's a bit fancy with porcini mushrooms but I left those out and it was still outstanding! Best thing is you can freeze it easily and bring it out again and again, night after night. I'm not sick of it yet…

Serves 4

10g dried porcini mushrooms

500g skinless chicken breast fillets

60g plain flour

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

25g butter

1 small onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

150g mushrooms, sliced

80ml white wine (or water)

125ml cream

1 tablespoon chopped sage

300g ready-made puff pastry (I used shortcrust)

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten, to glaze

Soak the dried porcini in 250ml just-boiled water for 30 minutes. Cut the chicken into 2-3cm dice. Combine the flour, cayenne, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat, shaking off any excess. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned and sealed (not cooked through). Remove and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic and fresh mushrooms to the pan and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are coloured. Add the wine and let bubble for 1 minute. Chop the porcini and add with their soakage liquid and the cream. Simmer gently for a further 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the sage.

Roll the pastry in a lightly floured surface until 4mm thick. Cut out 4 rounds large enough to line 4 pie tins, 9.5cm in diameter, and 4 smaller rounds for the pie lids. Line the tins with the larger pastry tops on the pies and press the edges together to seal, then crimp with a fork. Make a slit in the top of each pie using a sharp knife.

Pies can be made and refrigerated or frozen in advance to this stage. If cooking now, brush with egg yolk and bake in a preheated oven at 180c for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

To cook after freezing, allow the pies to thaw in the fridge for several hours or overnight then brush with egg yolk and bake as above.

Serve with green salad.

Dunlin Home

2011-12-05T14:15:00.001-08:00

Well if you're looking for gift ideas this Christmas, and hoping to find something with classic, understated and original style for your loved ones (or me... he he!), check out new Australian homewares store, Dunlin Home. It's a collection of elegant pieces inspired by the olden days in the country, when milk jugs were actually used to serve milk, and fruit from the orchard was collected in a pretty woven basket. Check them out!

Flickr Find

2011-11-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

This prolific photographer from Bulgaria is a bit of an enigma. I can't find any information about her, but her work is astounding. With a large collection of self portraits as well as other photos and paintings, she calls herself "Foxe" on Flickr, and her photostream can be viewed here.

One of the testimonials on her profile page best describes this talented artist and her intriguing work: "Foxeto is a beautiful girl with the soul of a poet; the maker of images haunting and unforgettable. I love her work so."

Hurrah

2011-11-17T20:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a crazy few months here at Boheem. Lots has changed, the days are flying by and somewhere amongst it all we found our work published. {Graphic Design} Australian Style Manual is the first textbook for tertiary students written with an Australian and New Zealand focus. In a constantly changing and inspiring design environment, it's good to see something like this available to young designers -and we're stoked to be included for our work on Everything in Common.

California Gold

2011-11-10T19:55:00.000-08:00

I just came across these posters the other day and instantly fell in love with them!

The design duo who also happen to be a husband and wife team over at Lab Partners are responsible for these beautiful prints. This series is all about California's natural wonders, the mix of gold and geometric shapes are stunning and work so nicely as a series. All five screen prints will be printed with metallic inks. They're not available yet, but I'll definitely be purchasing them when they are!

Spoonflower

2011-10-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Do the words 'custom printed fabric' make your heart skip a beat?

A good friend of mind recently told me about Spoonflower, which we now (at Boheem) consider somewhat 'life changing'. This site allows anyone to design, upload, print and create custom made fabrics.

There is no minimum order, they have a selection of really nice natural fabrics, the printing process is eco-friendly and yes, they ship internationally.

The website is extensive, well organised, with thousands of samples of past prints and projects.

Spoonflower will even send you a swatch and colour sample book for just $2.

Amazing and definitely worth a look: www.spoonflower.com

Plank and Trestle

2011-10-24T02:59:00.001-07:00

Whilst being away from the studio I've been creepily checking in on the progress of some of the projects which were underway when I checked out. Just hopped online to see if furniture designers Lana and Mike Hall had launched the branding for their new venture: Plank and Trestle. Sure enough – a spiffy new landing page. By the way, the range is stunning… I can't wait to order one of their pieces for myself!

Luca Turns Two!

2011-10-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in the blur of the past 12 months Luca started walking, talking in sentences, selecting her own clothes, riding a scooter and can count to 10.

Her favourite colour is green.

She loves Greek yoghurt.

Carrots the rabbit still remains her most loyal friend.

Happy birthday big girl!

The Distillery Letterpress Excursion

2011-10-10T04:14:00.000-07:00

On my past few visits to New York City, I have paid a visit to Greenwich Letterpress in the West Village (visit their blog greenwichletterpress.blogspot.com). I have wondered why we didn't have a similar printing press/store in Sydney, this was true until now.

Last Thursday evening, Chantel, Kat, Mei, Jo and I went on excursion to the grand opening of The Distillery Letterpress in North Sydney.

The smell of ink greeted us, and after a short demonstration where we saw the 1959 Heidelberg Windmill Press in motion we were sold! There is a special place for letterpress in every graphic designers heart, the textured, pillowy paper subtly debossed brings design to life.

We were impressed by the team at The Distillery, they really seemed to know their stuff - and their passion for the fine art of letterpress was inspiring.

To put it simply, letterpress printers are to printing what artisan bread makers are to baking - yum!

www.the-distillery.com.au

100 Days of Typography

2011-10-06T16:56:00.000-07:00

Spanish designer Lucia Soto set herself the ultimate challenge when she set out to create 100 posters in 100 days using fonts that could be downloaded for free from the internet. I love some of the work she's come up with and it's interesting to see how each font has inspired the style of each poster. See all of her posters here

Sasha Hearts Paper

2011-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled across these beautiful geometric patterns by Sasha Prood. Sasha is a designer, illustrator and artist based in Brooklyn. She creates detailed illustrations, patterns and hand rendered typography using pencil, pen and watercolour. Her work is organic and natural with an amazing use of colour!

It's a girl!

2011-09-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

Claire and Aaron welcomed baby D'arcy Ruth into the world during the early hours of Saturday 10th September. 4 weeks early she took us all by surprise, but we are so happy she arrived safe and sound.

D'arcy is as cute as a button, and has become the 3rd Boheemian baby girl to add to our growing list.

Regular visitors to the blog will realise Claire does most of the posting for us… However with Claire now out of action for a few months, you are stuck with the rest of us! We are not as articulate as Claire and are sure to have apostrophes' out of place and possibly the odd spelling misstkae, but stick with us and hopefully we will come up with some insightful bits and bobs.

Just a thought, if anyone would like to be included on the Boho Bandwagon send through your info and a couple of pics to studio@boheem.com.au

PS 'It's a girl' featured card can be purchased at

www.etsy.com/listing/47710894/its-a-girl-letterpress-notecards-set-of

On Saturday...

2011-09-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

Kat and I headed to The Papermill on the weekend for our type drawing workshop with Gemma O'Brien. We spent three hours working through some pretty fun exercises with Gemma and 20 or so other creatives - and we left feeling inspired and like we'd achieved a lot for a Saturday morning! It was lovely to get off the computer and use our hands to generate type - and it definitely made us want to draw more. This is a not-so-great photo of the result of Saturday's final exercise where we each had to focus on a letter. Bet you can't guess which ones are ours!

Periodic Table of Typefaces

2011-09-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is typography nerdism at its absolute finest. Click on the image if you'd like a larger version. Unfortunately I can't find the name of the designer, who I'd love to credit. But well done, whoever you are! Although, is that Gill Sans I see in the heading? Can we just forget that font was every invented please??!

Gemma O'Brien Workshop at The Papermill

2011-08-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

Bright young spark, Gemma O'Brien (aka Mrs Eaves) is currently representing we designers and lovers of type, and residing at The Papermill in Angel Place. She's running a "Drawing Letterforms" workshop 10th September, which Kat and Chantel have signed up for. Check out Gemma's blog: fortheloveoftype.blogspot.com/.

RawSpace

2011-08-23T15:53:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this site the other day, and have added it to my list of places to visit when looking for the perfect gift idea. A great variety of homewares and goodies at a wide range of prices. Actually, some of the prices seem a little odd to me – I'm pretty sure the replicate Eames Rocker shouldn't be $549 for example...! But anyway lots of great ideas in one place – I'll definitely be heading back to Rawspace this Christmas.

Mats Ottdal

2011-08-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is a self-initiated conceptual hand-drawn typography project by Norwegian designer and illustrator Mats Ottdal. I love the colours he's chosen as much as everything else.

Clip Art

2011-08-11T00:30:00.000-07:00

Found this recently in an online image library. It's just one of the many treasures to be found under the clip art banner. Who knew.

Bondi Beach House

2011-08-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'm always telling people how lovely Kass's home is, and what an amazing eye she has for interior styling. I thought it was about time I shared some pics of her pretty little pad online. She took these photos as a bit of a keepsake, because she's (+ her man Matt + daughter Luca) on the move. Their 2nd floor art deco apartment is currently for sale – pass it on!!

Fancy joining the Boheem Team?

2011-08-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

All good things must come to an end, or so they say. Bec's moving on at the end of the year: so we've begun the steady, careful hunt for a replacement. It's not going to be easy! But we're hoping that an oober-organised multitasking manager extraordinaire is out there, somewhere. If you think that you might just be that person, please check out the position on Seek to find out more.

Orange Poppyseed Cake

2011-08-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

This recipe originally came from Jane – and I've been meaning to share it for a while. It was a crowd pleaser at a recent family birthday party...

Ingredients:

250g butter

1.5 cups caster sugar

2 cups plain flour

2.5 tsp baking powder

.75 cups milk

.5 cup poppy seeds

1 tsp vanilla

Finely grated orange rinds from 2-3 oranges

2 eggs

Dark chocolate shavings to decorate

Glaze:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange

1 cup caster sugar

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar

2. Add eggs and milk, individually beating well after each

3. Sift flour and baking powder, and fold into butter mixture

4. Fold in poppy seeds, vanilla and orange rind

5. Spoon into greased round tin or ring tin

6. Bake 180c 40-50 mins

7. Stand in tin 30 mins and turn out to cool

Glaze

1. Combine in saucepan and stir till dissolved

2. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes

3. When cake is cool, pierce all over with a skewer and pour half of syrup over cake

4. Serve cake with cream or syrup

Shortlisted!

2011-07-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

Just a little cheeky brag to end the week: Boheem has been shortlisted in 4 categories for this year's Desktop Create Design Awards. We are tickled pink. These are the images which went with our entry for the Sustainability category, which is judged on "how the entrant is improving their “Triple Bottom Line” – social, economic and environmental footprint". Check us out in the Sustainability category, Identity, Commercial Print and Creative Print. Winners will be announced 22nd September 2011.

Next book: Water for Elephants

2011-07-28T01:09:00.000-07:00

For anyone wondering what book we're reading next, it's Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. Get amongst it people! We're shooting for a Thursday 8th September afternoon cuppa and review.

The Burning House

2011-07-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

Here's a thought: if your house was burning, what would you take with you? These charming little arrangements are made by contributors from all over the world, and then posted to The Burning House. They're snapshots about what's valuable, sentimental, beautiful and practical. Or maybe they're just expressions about people's 'personal brands' and the objects they feel best represent them.

2011-07-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

Quite possibly, many of us have heard of the Renegade Craft Fair... the luckier of us will have experienced the hand-made spectacle first-hand. But did we know that the Renegade also has an outstanding online store? At renegadehandmade.com you can see all the goodies listed here, plus many more. 1. Paper Series Print by Gold Teeth Brooklyn: $50, 2. NYC Rubber Stamp Set by the Yellow Owl Workshop, $12, 3. Coin purse by Calico, $20, 4. Alphabet poster by 1 Canoe 2, $39, 5. Thank you cards by 1 Canoe 2, $12, 6. Hello Vase Throw Pillow by Leah Duncan, $54

The Decemberists

2011-07-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

I've recently taken a liking to the folklore-esque music by The Decemberists, an indie band from Portland, Oregon. Today I thought I'd have a look around to see if their album and poster art are as creative and intriguing as their music... and happily, it is. Seems that the band employs a host of illustrators and designers for their many shows, and the result is a varying and charming collection of posters from around the world, which is apparently continuing to build.

Blue and green should never be seen...

2011-07-11T15:56:00.001-07:00

...And yet sometimes these two said colours really do work well together, don't we think? This is the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition Strategic Plan, and it's hot off the press. AYAC is funded by the federal government and undertakes a range of activities including advocacy, research and policy development, youth sector development and youth engagement. We love an opportunity to get the felt tip markers out and have a play with some crazy typography!

Sketchbook Project: now online!

2011-07-05T19:37:00.000-07:00

Remember this? In December last year I shared with you some of the visual delights created for our team's entry for the Arthouse Co-op's Sketchbook Project. Just this week they've launched it online; you can see it here.

THe Writers' Group website

2011-07-03T17:25:00.001-07:00

We've recently completed a website for The Writers' Group, a collective of corporate copywriters who 'share a passion for words'. We're really enjoying working with the director, Siobhan, and are thrilled with how the site has come together. Check it out here.

Bluebirds fly

2011-06-27T16:12:00.000-07:00

Just because Joplin, Missouri happens to be an American mid-west town close to my heart, I thought I'd share these lovely prints. St.Louis Based Moosylvania put together a series of posters to benefit relief efforts in the recently tornado-stricken city. Each poster is signed by the artist and screen printed by hand to order. All proceeds will be donated to the Southwest Missouri chapter of United Way to aid in the economic reconstruction.

Support UnitingWorld in the 2011 City2Surf

2011-06-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Asking any of the Boheem Team members if they're interested in running the City2Surf is like asking if they could please run a quick errand to North India. I put the question out there, and all it does is start a conversation about what running "used to be like", and the comparing of notes of when the last time any of us actually ran for a bus.

I digress. Rob Lutton of UnitingWorld is taking one for the team and running the City2Surf to help raise money for Relief and Development and their work among those living in poverty in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Click here if you'd like to donate.

Dear Photograph

2011-06-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Ever looked at your old pictures and wondered what happened to your favourite treehouse, park or the front porch of your first family home? This blog is dedicated to user submitted photographs re-shot in the same location as they were originally taken. The result is a cute glimpse into past childhood memories and family moments. It's amazing how little some things change. Can't wait to dig out some old photos and try it myself!

http://dearphotograph.com

Wanna be a Movie-Maker?

2011-06-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

These infographics made for Canal+ take the cake. I'm not sure if the point is to make clear just how easy it can be, or just how hard it is to make a movie... but I've got a feeling it's the latter. One thing I know, is that I like the designer's approach and I wish I knew who he/she was. In any case, next time you find yourself thinking your true unearthed vocation is actually in making horror movies, simply refer back to the relevant diagram and wah-la! You'll be underway before you can say "Texas Chainsaw Massacre".

Oliver Nieder

2011-06-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

Brrr! It's c-c-c-cold in Sydney at the moment. Ok, so maybe not nearly as icy as it becomes in other parts of the world... or even other parts of this country. But my 50% wool jacket just doesn't seem to be cutting the mustard early in the morning when I leave for work! Check out these beautiful wintery shots by Oliver Nieder. His work has an eerie stillness to them which makes me feel a little uneasy but lured in at the same time.

Marise Maas

2011-06-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's the horses which make me love this artist's work so much. Marise Maas lives and shows in Melbourne, and her paintings seem to hold a happy naivety which makes me wonder how she knows where to begin and when to end.

Boris Pelcer

2011-06-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

Beyond having a wonderful name, Boris Pelcer is very talented and I adore his self-promoting business cards. Wish I'd a) thought of that and b) had the time and patience to create something so thoroughly detailed and beautiful for our own studio...

Type Feast

2011-05-30T17:30:00.001-07:00

Stumbled across this very inspiring Tumblr site the other day called Twenty-Six Types. It's the brainchild of Craig Wills and is simply about celebrating beautiful letters. So very inspiring... I can't see what'll be posted next. Thanks, Craig!!

My type of typewriter

2011-05-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

The typewriter is dead... long live the typewriter. This old, beloved letter-making machine has captured the hearts of a handful of illustrators and gift-makers: Christine Berrie, Rachael King Birch, Tabitha Emma, The Bold Banana, and Ask Alice.

Wallpaper from the 70s

2011-05-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

Bling it up, people! I'm not really sure if decorating with wallpaper is on its way in or out, but honestly I don't really care. These designs from Wallpaper From The 70s are just beautiful. I'm sure I can find something to cover with some of these gorgeous patterns...

Knock Knock

2011-05-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love a list. As far as I'm concerned, if it's written down somewhere it's as good as done. Check out these quirky note pads from Knock Knock: they make a quirky gift idea... but in the interest of achieving ultimate order in my own life, I think I might grab a couple for myself. Order online from the US Knock Knock website or here in Oz from Hart and Heim.

Chocolate Cheesecake – Yum!

2011-05-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a great recipe my neighbour Rachelle is locally famous for. She was kind enough to share it with me, even though it's officially her trademark dessert dish...

Chocolate Cheesecake

Serves 8+ Prep 20 mins Cook 50mins

Ingredients

200g digestive bicuits, crushed

105g unsalted butter, melted

500g light cream cheese at room temp

200g vanilla yoghurt

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

150g dark chocolate (or chocolate bar) melted, cooled.

1. Line a 20cm springform pan with baking paper. Combine biscuit and butter and press into base of pan. Chill for 20 mins.

2. Preheat oven to 160C. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, yoghurt and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

3. Pour half of cheese mixture over crumb base. Spoon over melted chocolate. Top with remaining cheese mixture. Using a skewer, gently swirl chocolate into cheese mixture, taking care not to over-mix.

4. Bake for 45-50 mins, until cheesecake just sets. Turn off oven and cool in closed oven. Chill overnight before serving.

From the December 2009 Australian Good Food Recipe Book.

Thinking outside the 1080px window

2011-05-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.daniel-ng.com/home.html

http://www.correapablo.com.ar/

http://www.cheesecupid.com/

http://www.screenbites.co.uk/

http://noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com/

Just thought I'd share with you some of the very creative, quirky and clever websites I've stumbled across over the past week or so. The last one was pointed out to us by our client, copywriter Siobhan Doran. Thanks, Siobhan!

Should I work for free?

2011-05-05T00:10:00.001-07:00

Today I'm wondering if Jessica Hische is actually one person. She's so prolific I'm not sure how she could be. Or perhaps she really truly loves her craft so much that she can't help but come home on a Saturday night and get to work creating more beautiful, timeless typography and amazing illustrations.

Apparently, when she has an extra minute to spare, Jessica creates online joys such as this diagram for us all to have a giggle and do a little self reflection. This one's about whether there are, in fact, circumstances we designers should work for free. Go to the link and ensure to start in the middle. I checked through and as far as I can see, the pro bono work we've just begun for Unicef qualifies...

Ink Alphabet

2011-05-02T01:11:00.000-07:00

Giuseppe Salerno is an Italian Graphic Designer whose beautiful hand-made letters and numbers have me smiling. They're drawn with chinese ink on smooth paper, and each character has been made with confidence and care. You can buy and download both collections on the Behance Network.

Flashkus

2011-04-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Flashkus is a disposable cardboard USB flash drive designed by Art Lebedev, a Russian design studio based in Moscow. This great concept for a flash drive comes in a set of four that can be easily detached along a perforated line. They can then be personalised and written on. The Flashkus is only in concept stage at the moment, but what a great idea!

Emma Leonard

2011-04-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

Emma Leonard is a very clever person indeed. She's based in Melbourne and you can buy her intriguing illustrations printed on heavy-weight cotton rag paper here.

Exsqueeze me...

2011-04-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love a good ol' fashioned creative collaboration. This project, "The Exquisite Book", is a fold-out series of illustrations by no less than 100 artists and illustrators. The deal was that each contributor was only allowed to view the page before their own. For more, see the website: www.exquisitebook.com. Honestly I'm not so keen on the book's title, they can be forgiven seeing that the pictures are so very enticing...

To Kill a Mockingbird

2011-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

The most recent book we read for Book Club was the American southern classic, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was nice timing, too, seeing that the story celebrated its 50th year in print only last year. I've just collected a few book cover designs for us all to enjoy; some of them are real and some of them are concepts.

We all thoroughly enjoyed burying ourselves in the lives of Scout, Jem, Atticus and Boo Radly. It's completely understandable why this book continues to be a favourite for so many people. The language is beautiful, the characters endearing and the themes poignant and relevant, 50 years on.

Sebastian Lester

2011-04-06T20:58:00.001-07:00

Another clever typographer. Sebastian Lester is based in the UK and specialises in creating fancy type for a range of different companies and their projects and promotions. His website is worth a look at, because he not only has a great portfolio, he uploads images of 'found type' he collected along the way.

Poor Little Trees

2011-04-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

These sad little faces are a reminder of our impact on the environment. France-based artist/designer Steven Burke paints on trees that have been cut down. A simple design with a strong message for us all. Reduce, reuse and recycle.

A mini MINI

2011-03-30T16:32:00.001-07:00

Gotta love some extreme depth of field, and photographs taken with a macro lens. Here's one shot by Aaron Anderson – and it's not any of the fancy tilt-shift stuff making something look miniature when it's not (or the Photoshop cheat's method of doing the same thing)... this is the real deal.

Craft's not dead

2011-03-28T16:07:00.001-07:00

Canadian-born Brooklyn illustrator and artist Jillian Tamaki has just finished this adorable suite of book cover designs for three of my favourite Penguin Classics. Long live craft.

Tin Tiles

2011-03-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Back in the 90's we had the 'feature wall' – it was when just one wall in your home got to be a different and much more interesting colour than the other walls. Then we had a wallpaper revival – and golly there have been some beautiful pattern designs emerge over the last few years as a result of that. We've also seen timber panelling make a pretty solid comeback. I don't know, but I think there's a place in our homes, bars and retail spaces for some of the good ol' aluminium ceiling and wall panelling. It's shown here in its raw metallic form, but it looks really great when painted, too.

Sweets Workshop Summer Hill

2011-03-21T17:19:00.000-07:00

You know, I do love living in Sydney's Inner West. Besides the outstanding handmade noodles in Ashfield and the quirky, gritty, character-filled pubs in Newtown... every so often there's a store which opens in an unlikely place selling interesting, beautiful and unlikely things. The Sweets Workshop opened in July last year and holds an indeed sweet collection of homewares and artworks, made by desingers Australia wide. Featured illustrators, jewellers and crafters include Emma Jane, Allira Tee, Genna Campton, Anna Nakalevu and Zoe Churchill.

A Heritage in Typesetting

2011-03-16T18:43:00.000-07:00

For some people, it's the happy tune of Green Sleeves as the ice cream truck comes hurtling down the street which reminds them of their childhood. For others, it's roller skating up and down the driveway for hours on end in the afternoon, and refusing to remove said skates at dinnertime. For me, it's the smell of fresh ink, climbing on dusty piles of paper in storage rooms, and the loud CLUNK - CLUNK of the letterpress machines which takes me back to the good ol' days.

I don't know about the whole nature/ nurture debate, but I believe I was quite possibly destined to be a graphic designer. It's in my blood. Back in the days before 'graphic design' was even a career option (and one could change a font with the quick click of a button), my grandfather, Alf Pausey, was a typesetter and printer. He ran his own print business, and donned his blue overalls every day to head to "Poppa's work", where he'd carefully set letter by letter, line by line using copper and zinc printer's blocks. I remember his hands were always covered in ink. When the pages needed to be collated, it was done by hand in the back room – overseen by Margaret (who always had an Arnott's biscuit for me).

When Poppa wanted a new typeface, it wasn't quite as simple as downloading what he wanted from myfonts or dafont. He had to invest in a few new timber drawers full of letters – in all the different point sizes he thought he'd use. And I get the feeling that when a client made a change, it was never as simple as opening an Indesign file and re-typing.

Thanks, Poppa – for the precious heritage you've passed on to me.

Moody Bored

2011-03-10T20:34:00.000-08:00

The iced coffee packaging we designed last year for One Tree Coffee Co was featured a few days back on Lovely Package. Since then the vintage-styled branding has spread like wildfire: it's been blogged, reblogged, tagged, reviewed, liked, saved, commented on, ffffound, hearted, tweeted and tumblr'd. We're also due to appear this week in the UK Lifestyle News Network.

Since everyone has shown a little interest I thought I'd share for your viewing pleasure the mood board we built when first establishing the colour palette, styling and general feel for the espresso bar. The completed design work can be seen in our portfolio online.

SketchType

2011-03-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Who needs the smell of fresh pencil shavings, the sound of lead as it scratches out your uniquely handcrafted words and the feel of textured, cold paper at your fingertips? Now with Sketchtype, you can quickly and easily recreate the beautiful and hand-drawn... without the beautiful part of the hand-drawing... With each letter being cut out and placed on a transparent background, we are all now able to hand set and compose artwork in half the time. A bit of a sell-out, I know...

Take a closer look here. You'll be hooked.

Back to the Future

2011-03-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Irina Werning has turned her obsession for vintage photographs into an amazing series of portraits. By getting her friends and family to re-enact childhood photographs, with immense attention to detail, we are left with a series of incredible and hilarious images.

"I love old photos. I admit being a nosey photographer. As soon as I step into someone else’s house, I start sniffing for them. Most of us are fascinated by their retro look but to me, it’s imagining how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them today"

Check out the entire set of portraits here.

Meet my lover, Colour

2011-03-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes a striking colour palette is the difference between mediocre and brilliant design. And with a gazillion specks in that rainbow gamut to select from, it can be an overwhelming experience to choose the right combination. That's why colourlovers.com is our go-to for all things colour. You'll find over 1 million palettes created by other colour lovers to inspire your creative projects.

These palettes pay hommage to my favourite colour of the month... mint.

Meet Verner

2011-02-28T18:24:00.000-08:00

Verner is such a delightful typeface find, we just couldn't keep it to ourselves. With a set of automatic ligatures, swash characters and a selection of ornaments, what's not to love about Verner. Try or buy it at myfonts.com.

Top Dog

2011-02-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

To the outside world Trevor White (aka 'Trev' as he is affectionately known in the Studio) may look like any other toy dog, but looks can be deceiving. Trevor is a valued member of the Boheem team, and wears many hats in the Studio including; Mascot, Children's Entertainer, Model, and Confidant. But I guess his most important role is that of Manager, 'Person in Charge', Top Dog (unofficially of course), this role is particularly useful when the studio is busy and we need to pawn off those pesky sales calls, then Trev's our go-to man. And while he enjoys taking sales calls, as you can imagine, he is almost always unavailable to speak, usually out of the office on important business trips and the likes. But fear not , if you can't catch Trevor over the phone, you can always get him on email.

Treasure Trove

2011-02-21T15:34:00.001-08:00

You can't really tell from the entrance way, wander through the doors of 122 Redfern St Redfern and you'll feel like you've both stepped back in time and into a carefully arranged collection of things which might have been saved from a well-travelled pirate ship. Seasonal Concepts is owned and curated by florist Ken Wallis, and if you fancy a trip down memory lane I recommend you give yourself a good half an hour in this magic place.

Boheem to present at AGDA information evening

2011-02-16T20:29:00.000-08:00

Here's one for the diary: Thursday February 24th, Kass and I will be doing a little song and dance at an AGDA event, to be held at Southern Colour printers in St Leonards. We will be presenting examples of our work "that embody sustainable practice without sacrificing great design". We'll be talking mostly about the work we do with UnitingWorld and the way they prioritise using recycled paper stocks. Tickets can be purchased through the AGDA website. Moral support welcomed!

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

A rather lovely illustration to brighten up an otherwise grey Valentines Day. Love from the Team at Boheem!

Boheem website updated

2011-02-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

We've finally found some time to add the design projects we've completed in the last 12 months or so, to the portfolio. Have a look here.

Zine it up, kids

2011-02-07T14:07:00.000-08:00

There are so many visual delights to be found on the web, in the most unexpected places. I must admit I can't actually find the names of the clever people who put this curious little online zine together, but I know I found it at issuu.com (check out the "creative" link). With the print production no longer being an obstacle for some wanna-be magazine editors, there are now limitless opportunities for anyone with a good idea who wants to publish something special and unique.

Wordmark.it

2011-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Wordmark.it is a super useful tool that installs your fonts and lets you view selected text in a clean and simple grid online. Invert the contrast to have reversed out text, change the size of each tile or isolate selected fonts and compare them.

Have a play here on their website.

Exposed!

2011-01-31T16:56:00.000-08:00

This Norwegian interior wallpapers company has taken the idea of woodgrain-vinyl-laminate to a whole new level. These prints are exceptionally realistic-looking, and are claimed to have no pattern repeats. Love it! www.concretewall.no

2011-01-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

I have that feeling again. That feeling of pure admiration for a beautiful piece of work combined with that faint tinkle of envy for not having thought of it myself. This campaign was created by DDB in China to encourage more walking, less driving -a message cleverly conveyed in this beautiful, creative, interactive artwork. If you can't tell by looking at the photos, those green leaves are actually the footprints of pedestrians crossing the street. Genius right? For more info, or to watch the video, have a look at this link.

Beci Orpin

2011-01-24T10:00:00.000-08:00

Perhaps it is all this sunshine, summer vibes, and the fact we now have an inflatable paddling pool in our back garden - but at the moment I am loving anything bright, colourful and fun! Beci Orpin, a Melbourne based designer/illustrator and creator of many of wonderful things recently caught my eye. Beci's projects and clients are diverse yet she manages to always stay true her unique, colourful, bold collage style. www.beciorpin.com.

Diem Chau

2011-01-19T14:25:00.000-08:00

Diem Chau is a Vietnamese-born American artist whose amazingly intricate work combines common, art-and-craft materials and objects to create nostalgic, delicate pieces. Have a look through her online gallery here.

Comic Sans Criminal

2011-01-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

This simple, quirky site made me smile a few days ago when I found it, I had to share it with you. Are you a Comic Sans Criminal? Head to www.comicsanscriminal.com.au to find out! I'd like to see a site for the Apostrophe Criminal after this...

(One of) the way(s) of the future

2011-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:00

Now, I don't consider myself particularly web-savvy, but I do like to stay up-to-date with what's being made available online which is going to make my life better, and make my clients' stuff as cutting edge as possible. I don't think I know what HTML stands for and quite frankly, I don't care. What I do know, is that Flash (the thing that makes some fancy websites animate and what-not) is a royal pain in the butt. It takes ages to load, and doesn't work at all on my iPhone.

Enter HTML5. I don't know what the H, the T, the M, the L or the 5 stands for, but I know it makes my life easier, my web browsing quicker and me generally happier. Apparently it's the thing which is going to make viewing videos sooooo much better online from here on in. So I can watch all the Double Rainbow home videos I want without having to wait for anything to load. Hurrah!

Above is a little drawing I did using some HTML5 code at this site: http://mrdoob.com. Have a play, it's a lot of fun. Would love to see some other creations... feel free to email them through!

Just Ace

2011-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Portland, Oregon. Home of good coffee, squirrels and rose gardens. Also home to the Ace Hotel, described as ‘a little modern, and a little bohemian’ - it’s no wonder why we’ve fallen in love with it’s charming styling and vintage touches. The boutique hotel chain was designed by Mathew Foster, Fritz Mesenbrink and Jeremy Pelley; a trio of Portland based designers with a penchant for clever, modern branding.

Check it out here and be inspired.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

And so that's a wrap for the year, and this is my chosen festive Christmas image, albeit a little creepy! Thank you to all of our readers for checking in with us through the year: in our blog's first year we have picked up quite a number of followers. Boheem is back on January 10th, so we'll ensure to have lots of new, interesting and inspiring things to share then. Hope you have a lovely holiday and some special time with loved ones.

Gingerbread House extravaganza!

2010-12-19T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Boheem Team enjoyed a fun Christmas activity on Thursday last week. Using supplied gingerbread house kits, we each made our own little candy home. The studio looked like Santa's workshop – we were floor to ceiling lollies, icing, and all things colourful and sweet!

The Lowercase

2010-12-14T02:35:00.000-08:00

Friends of Boheem recently launched a lovely online store called The Lowercase. Featuring beautifully designed children's bed linen, contemporary artwork, tableware and many more little treats. Their whimsical site is definitely worth a look and for all those in need of some last minute Christmas shopping they have a 25% off sale this week. Hooray!
www.thelowercase.com.au

Hennie Haworth

2010-12-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

Just delightful. Hennie Haworth has nailed the ability to allow her imagination to run wild and free. Check out more of this very talented illustrator's work at www.henniehaworth.co.uk

The Sketchbook Project

2010-12-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

This year, Boheem is participating in the Arthouse Co-op's Sketchbook Project. It's a basically a massive, global collaborative artistic event whereby artists and designers from all over take a Moleskin Journal, fill it with stuff and then release it to tour around the US and then end up in the Brooklyn Art Library. Our journal's theme is "Secret Codes", and so far the team have come up with some really lovely, playful (as well as clever and conceptual) compositions. The books will be available to view online after the tour finishes.

Kenzo Christmas

2010-12-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

I don't know who Kenzo are, but I sure like this Christmas promotion created for them a couple of years back by the Cosfibel Group.

UnitingWorld Everything in Common Catalogue 2010

2010-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

We recently completed the UnitingWorld Everything in Common Catalogue and all of its associated material. The campaign features a range of overseas aid projects you can choose from, the idea being that you can sponsor a project as a 'gift' to a loved one. This year we went with a newsprint as a recurring background pattern as a reference to the way newspaper is used as warmth for some and as a source of information and awareness for others. If you're stuck for Christmas gift ideas this month, head to the Everything in Common website and buy a gift with a difference... to make a difference. You'll be sent a card with a description of your nominated project.

Mmmmmmm!

2010-11-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

My mum is sending cards out to her friends soon for her birthday, and she asked me to design it for her. Her name's Marianne, and I designed a M-mmmmmonogram for her. Here are a few of the other decorative M's I found along the way.

Farewell Glenda

2010-11-24T17:43:00.001-08:00

Today we heard the very sad and shocking news that our team member and dear friend Glenda Duncan passed away earlier this week. Glenda was our extremely diligent book keeper and worked with us in the studio every Tuesday for about five years. She looked after the accounts here at Boheem, and I like to think we did an ok job at looking after her too. This picture is a painting Glenda finished in June this year. Its title is "Viva La Vida" which means "Live Life".

We are so sad she is gone and will miss her hugely.

Sydney Terraces Tea Towels

2010-11-21T22:15:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile at Boheem, we've been busy making things. This year our studio has put the retail  wheels in motion, our online store has just made available these thick 100% cotton tea towels, featuring hand-drawn illustrations of Sydney terrace houses. They’re SO Sydney. We’ve got 100 tea towels currently in stock, so be quick. We’ll be printing more next year along with some other designs, so watch this space...

Available for purchase online at www.boheem.com.au/shop.html.

ps. Feel free to leave a comment... we'd love to hear your feedback!

House Industries

2010-11-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

Charming plywood prints featuring retro typefaces and using an unlikely colour palette available from House Industries. This online store is the perfect place to find that special something for the graphic designer in your life!

Claire... squared

2010-11-15T22:33:00.000-08:00

You'd think that one Claire would be enough. Since about three weeks ago, your chances of getting the "Boheem, Claire speaking?" greeting when you call the studio have exactly doubled. Claire Robinson has joined our ranks and is already proving to well compliment our already strong team. She studied at St George TAFE and has since worked at Frost* and Ok Sony, and has also squeezed in a few overseas adventures as well. Her interests and design aesthetic aligns perfectly with ours, and her strong conceptual approach is already bringing a new exciting dimension to our clients' projects.

Next Book Club Book

2010-11-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quickie: We've decided on the next book club book, and it's (drum roll please): To Kill A Mockingbird. We'll probably shoot for a late January meeting. Clients and friends most welcome, please let us know if you'd like to come along!

Eye Magazine

2010-11-10T01:37:00.000-08:00

Tell me, is it just me, or does everyone else's heartbeat quicken just a little when they see elegant, flowing typographic shapes, so perfectly balanced and oozing in confidence? These spreads show a collected feast put together by Eye Magazine in the UK.

A few old tickets to ride

2010-11-08T13:10:00.001-08:00

We've been working on some packaging at the moment and for reference I have been using old train and bus tickets. From small and conventional to ornate, each ticket has some really interesting typographic and decorative elements. I also love the colour palette it creates when they're all together.

The best things in life are free

2010-11-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

I'm the sort of person who'll keep the discount DVD hire voucher on the back of my Franklins docket, just to save a couple of bucks on a Friday night in. So you can imagine my glee after finding this lovely, free typeface called Matilde by Typedepot. Download it here.

Oliver Jeffers

2010-11-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Oliver Jeffers is one of my favourite children's book creators. These images are from his book, "The Incredible Book Eating Boy", a book about a boy who becomes smarter and smarter, the more books he consumes. Jeffers' series of books are delightfully illustrated, and feature some beautiful hand-drawn typography too.

Jaqk Cellars

2010-10-31T00:04:00.000-07:00

Quite frankly, I wouldn't care if this wine tasted terrible... the packaging and the overall concept is just delightful. Jaqk Cellars have a 'packaged' marketing approach – they sell really great merchandise (including beautifully designed packs of playing cards, of course) along with their varied wines. Have a look at their website and online store here.

Jon Contino

2010-10-27T14:14:00.001-07:00

Here's some more clever hand-drawn typography, loaded with personality and charm. Have a look at the New York-based creator's portfolio here or his Tumblr here.

Lady Rene Typeface

2010-10-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

Here's a lovely new font designed by Laura Varsky and Alejandro Paul which you can find at Myfonts.com. As part of the promo there's a darling pdf booklet you can download. It's a story about a black cat, which is perfect for Halloween.

Love your work

2010-10-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Boheem Design was recently featured in "The Transit Lounge", which is part of the Uniting Church of Australia and an online magazine focussing on relationships, reflections, lifestyle and culture. Check out the editorial here. Not sure how big their readership is, but we feel a little bit famous in any case!