and Some Thoughts on Relevance and Creativity
As promised, here are some of the samples I made for the Open House.
Here’s the funny thing about relevence and creativity. Us design-minded folks, particularly in blogland, are inspired and informed by many of the same sources. So it should come as no surprise that we often come up with similar designs or concepts or get ape shit excited over the latest thing, immediately wondering how we can reinterpret it for our point of view. But we should also bear in mind that some of the things that we love or similarly some of the concepts that we feel are overplayed have not even reached most people. For example, I have been working on skull prototypes for the holidays for the last few months – skull motif block prints, wine glasses, rocks glasses, and ornaments. Skulls have been popping up everywhere. And I think a lot of us agree that they are very cool and inject a nice little edginess to any space, right? I thought skulls would be a slam dunk. But when I suggested via FB that skulls aren’t just for Halloween, my sis responded, ‘what else are they for?’ Accordingly, the skull stuff got a passing glance at the show. Hmm, a bit of a reality check about the mass appeal of skulls at least for those who do not read blogs or pour over design pubs.
Then two days after my Open House where I debuted a lot of these new designs, I came across Southern Accents’ 2012 Christmas Decorating Guide. And there on page 88 and again on the back cover was an etched beverage bottle. Just like the one I had at my show – although I must admit that I like my design better as it is more interesting than simple initials. And here’s the funny bit, when I found these glass bottles I just knew they would be a huge hit for the holidays – I think they are super fun and perfect as a gift or for yourself. Not only can they be used as intended for wine, water, or juices but they would make great vessels for flowers or foliage. But most people walked right by the beverage bottle – except for one very discerning friend! I am guessing once any of these gals happen to see the Decorating Guide that I will get more than a few phone calls.
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| from 2012 Southern Accents Christmas Decorating Guide |
Similarly, I have been reworking the Mr. & Mrs. tumblers for more of a unique look than the very popular ‘stache and lips. The original inspiration for the tumblers came from the MR & MRS font glasses that Furbish carries. When I saw those, I knew something similar with a mustache & lips would be really fun. Anything ‘mr’ & ‘mrs’ has been gaining momentum as we are starting to see the bigger box shops stock the monikers. But I wanted a fresh look for this season so I went with a lipsmacker motif and a bow tie.
As another iteration, I came up with a holiday bent on ‘naughty’ and ‘nice’ with a santa hat dotting the ‘i’ and a cheeky rendition of a nightcap glass with Mr. Moon donning a night cap. Days after my first prototypes were completed, the brilliant Ms. Meares and her Furb crew released photos of limited addition Mr. & Mrs. glasses with red santa hats. Gah! So chic and so perfect. Seriously, how many times can I rave about how she rocks everything she does and everything she curates? I was instantly smitten and crestfallen at the same moment. So much for trying to do something fresh. I considered scrapping mine because let’s be honest, anything other than a Furbed rendition would be deemed a copy cat – and really mine are if you consider that the original thread of inspiration came from those first glasses that Jamie carried. But dang, I put a lot of time and creative energy over the last few months into developing new designs for this holiday season and my Open House. I do each piece by hand. So, for now, given all that time invested, I am sticking with the Naughty and Nice cap glasses and Mr. Moon Nightcap even though they are similar in feel. But it's back to the drawing board...
All photos and layouts by mrs. V
kisses, mrs. V
