Magpie Monthly: Vol. 8
Spotted at Trader Joe’s 👀
Head to your nearest Trader Joe's to find this spooky-sweet greeting card. I LOVE this design, and I'm so excited to see it in stores! Hopefully it will be bringing big smiles this Halloween to all of your favorite little pumpkins. And big pumpkins.
Introducing six new weird, wacky and wonderful sticker sheets!
Celebrate your inner silly goose, pay tribute to all of your least favorite Halloween candy, say hello to some very weird jello (shrimp! olives! pineapple!), take home some houseplants that will never betray you by dying for absolutely no reason whatsoever when you definitely gave them exactly as much water and sun as they needed...oops, sorry, got distracted. Where was I? Ah yes, snag some funny faces to brighten your day, and finally, put a sock in it. On it. Put a sock puppet in/on it.
Exciting Moonbow Updates
Moonbow Creative Co. is a sticker and stationery biz with the best sticker subscription around. I am proud to be their Head of Design, creating many of the sticker sheets that go out to subscribers each month.
I'm super excited to share that Moonbow now offers a Build-Your-Own Subscription option! That means every month YOU get to decide exactly which stickers you want in your perfect pack. You can even add an extra sheet of your favorites! If you prefer to be surprised each month, you still have the traditional set-it-and-forget-it option. Choose from an 8-pack (designed entirely by me!), or a 15-pack designed by me and a mix of very talented global artists.
Here are some of my favorite designs from September AND the brand new October lineup:
Sketchbook Snippets
PSA: A sketchbook is a space to play, experiment, and try anything you want. Doesn't have to be drawings, doesn't have to be good. Doesn't have to be hard or skillful or feel like work. Joy is a valid outcome. You don't need to be a professional artist. You don't need anyone's permission. If you have the urge to express yourself through visual art, do yourself a favor and act on it.
Recently in my sketchbook I tried two things I thought I didn't like: neutral colors, and colored pencils. It turns out I like them both, under the right circumstances. I also tried out my new Kuretaki Gansai Tambi watercolor set (linked below), and I'm totally in love! I've never used a watercolor this creamy and highly pigmented—the coverage ranges from completely opaque to translucent. Creating this quilt-like pattern and applying colors randomly was a very fun, relaxing way to test out materials and color combos. Can't wait to make more of these...
What I’m Reading
Here are two standout reads from September. Connect with me on Goodreads to see the rest.
Piranesi
Susanne Clarke, 2020
Strange. Sparkling. Sublime.
Piranesi lovingly explores the infinite halls of his otherworldly house, filled with beautiful statues beyond counting, and an ocean trapped within its walls. He is alone, except for one mysterious visitor who comes and goes. There's nothing I can say that will adequately capture the magic of my new favorite book - you'll just have to experience it for yourself :)
Tender Is the Flesh
Agustina Bazterrica, 2017
English translation by Sarah Moses, 2020
Vile. Brutal. Compelling.
This near-future dystopia where cannibalism is government regulated is repulsive yet unputdownable. The writing is subtly beautiful, with a clinical precision that is a mercy for the reader, providing a slim buffer from the parade of atrocities. Read at your own risk.
