Colorbök

Trend Spotting Field Trip

While we all LOVE to browse blogs and pinterest for beautiful ideas, sometimes it's important to find inspiration away from the computer screen. With that in mind, the Colorbök designers ventured out into the heat for Ann Arbor's annual art fair last week. Here in A2, we're lucky enough to see 375 different artists during the art fair, which is technically four different fairs spread across the downtown area. One of the amazing artists was our own designer, Carrie Mather, who had a piece in the UofM alumni show!

Visiting the art fair was a great way to see all the different styles and techniques being used by artists today. It also inspires us to incorporate some of those ideas into the world of memory and craft! There were definitely trends that seemed to crossover from the fine art world into paper crafts. See below for a list of the popular trends we spotted at the show...

 

Top Art Fair Trends

• Steampunk Popular mix of Victorian imagery and mechanical elements, like clocks and gears.

• Reused/Repurposed Materials We saw painted dresses, recycled books or maps and other found objects used in a new and different ways.

• Fabric/Sewn Elements There were beautiful quilts, elaborate embrodered pieces and more. Touches of fabric or stitchery seemed to be everywhere.

• Organic Shapes These abstract forms draw inspiration from nature without being literal. Popular in many different media, especially ceramics.

• Primary Colors Whether in a graphic print or a collage style piece, bright bold colors where prevelent.  

Summer is the prime time for art fairs and festivals. Find one close to you and check it out! It's great to get beyond magazines and websites to draw inspiration from the "real world."

Where do you go to find inspiration for your crafts? 

 

March into spring with Antique Paperie!

March marks the month of the beginning of Spring, which means blooming flowers and warm sunshine will be here soon (Finally!!) To help get you in the spirit, we've got some pretty new desktop wallpapers for you to enjoy!

Choose between two designs from the new Colorbök Boutique collection exclusively at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Larger Superstores- Antique Paperie. The aqua blues and touches of sunshine yellow are sure to help you along  to a springtime state of mind.

Bonus- one of the designs includes a calendar!

Click here to download and be on the lookout in the coming days for more free downloads featuring our other sweet boutique, Victorian Parlour!

 

Our (not so) Extreme Kitchen Makeover!

With the arrival of the new season, we've all been busy Spring Cleaning here at Colorbök HQ. After a ton of elbow grease from our product management team, the upstairs kitchen was sparkling clean! Unfortunately, it still lacked any sort of character, warmth or style. The pinky beige walls and worn white cabinets just seemed so blah...

 

The Memory and Craft design team decided it was time to intervene! We wanted to do a quick and cheap makeover to help spruce the place up and make the kitchen a place that inspires creativity! Using extra paint from home and repurposed items from around the office, we created a space that seemed fresh and new.

 

The chevron stripes painted on the cabinets turned them from average to awesome and the taupe brown wall makes the kitchen feel cozy. We created chalk boards from ugly old frames we found tucked away in a closet (It's amazing what a can on white spray paint can do!) and recovered our old chairs in one of the new Woodhaven fabrics. The makeover gives the whole space a much more modern look while also giving us more counter space and making the kitchen much more user friendly.

What do you think? Do you have any easy and affordable makeover tips to share?

New Free Wallpapers...Fresh from the Flea Market!

If you're anything like me, any month that ends in "-ary" is a month I don't want any part of. Now that the holidays are over, I'm ready for spring, and I bet I'm not the only one.

The new Flea Market collection (coming to Jo-Ann Craft and Larger Superstores at the beginning of next month) is sure to get you in the mood for warmer temperatures and chirping birds. Really...spring isn't that far away!

 

 

To get these wallpapers now and get a jump start on all things spring, click on the images above or click on the "Free Colorbök Desktop Wallpapers" button on the left sidebar.

Art Festival Equals Inspiration!

 It's been a hot and muggy July here in Michigan, but that didn't stop the designers from venturing out into the heat to enjoy the summer art fair right here in Ann Arbor. We're so lucky to be right in the middle of one of the largest art fairs in the country! As you may know, the designers here at Colorbök have been participating in a creative calendar where we take a field trip or participate in an inspirational activity each month to keep our creative spirits alive and well! Going out to experience the art fair was a great way to gather inspiration to bring back to the studio, and with over 375 participating vendors, there was plenty of inspiration to go around!The fair boasted hundreds upon hundreds of interesting artists showcasing their craft. Everything from painting, sculpture, printmaking, furniture- you name it, the art fair had it. 

(Pictured Clockwise from top: Brittany, Shannon, and Kristina)

It was great to see all the different styles and techniques that are being used by artists today, and to think about ways we could incorporate those great ideas into the world of memory and craft!

Summer is the prime time for art fairs and festivals. Find one close to where you live and check it out!

Designers take a field trip!

Recently, the designers here at Colorbök have put our creative minds together and decided to formulate a calendar of events we can participate in to help keep us inspired, which means great products for you to enjoy in the future!

First on the agenda was Art in the Park. We designers were let loose to run wild and free through the gardens and trails of Ann Arbor's beautiful parks. Hundreds of photos were taken, many pages of sketchbooks were filled, and ideas for new art began to brew.

This is just a tiny sampling of the beautiful plants and flowers we encountered on our day out.

Pictured clockwise from the top left:
Brittany, Betty, Maria, Mack, Janet, Alisa, Maria, Kristina, and Amiee

Being able to sit in the fresh air and sketch was definitely refreshing and inspiring. (And I have to admit, I had a great time watching all the cute dogs walk by!)

There are so many shapes and colors in nature just waiting to be turned into beautiful new art! Take a cue from us at Colorbök and go for a walk in your local parks and see how it can inspire you!

Wallpaper Freebies for Spring

I'm so happy that spring is finally here!

To celebrate, here are some pretty spring wallpapers for your computer/gadgets. To download, click on the images below or click on the "Free Colorbök Desktop Wallpapers" button on the left sidebar.

 

These patterns are from one of my new art developments.

     

Hope you guys like it! =)

Holiday Wallpaper Freebies

Season's Greetings from the Colorbök design team. You've been very nice this year, so we made these festive desktop downloads just for you!
 

These first two designs coordinate with our Perfect Pages 12x12 Christmas Page Kit, find it at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Larger Superstore.

 
To download, click on the images above or click on the "Free Colorbök Desktop Wallpapers" button on the left sidebar.

Wishing all of you a magical holiday!

frequently asked...

i am most frequently asked one of two questions...

first: where do i find the time?  my response is always the same, "i don't sleep!"  it is true...i really do not sleep much.

second: what inspires me the most?  my response is usually, "deadlines!" also true..nothing beats the old deadline pressure to get the creative juices flowing!

but, i also most often say my children, 'things' and color.

in this case, my girls, cupcakes, and color...

take a look.

red and aqua...by far my favorites!

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peach...i am so drawn to this color lately?
 

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lime...oh, sublime lime.

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green...i love that this color is everywhere it is one of my favorites!

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aqua...i can never get enough aqua!

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red, pink, and peach...a super cute combo...hmmm, i see a collection in the works???

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blue..when royal and rich...it is stunning!

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black and white...constant and always classy.

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red...never lets me down.

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pale aqua...like i said, i can not get enough of it.

 

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Designer Spotlight: Jodi Berlin

Yet another monthly feature here on the Colorbök Studio Blog highlights one of our incredibly talented designers.  In the limelight for September is Senior Designer Ms. Jodi Berlin.  Tell us a little about yourself, Jodi!

"I love spending time outdoors in beautiful places.  I try to take vacations in adventurous places where my physical ability is challenged.  Sitting on the beach is great, but I would rather fly fish in the surf, take kite boarding lessons, or go water skiing.  Finishing a half iron man competition is on my "Things do do before I die" list."

Who or what is your greatest inspiration?

"My grandmother was a painter. I would go to her house every day after school and sit next to her as she was painting. She would mix colors on her palette and explain how "new" colors were made. She was my greatest inspiration!"

What five things can't you live without?

   1. Coffee

   2. Exercise

   3. My iPhone

   4. Chocolate  

   5. Friends, and of course my fiancé Peter

What is one of your favorite products you have designed?

   The EcoBright Scrapbooking Kit for mass market superstores nationwide.

 

To learn more about this dazzling designer check out the Designers gallery.  Thanks for letting us get to know you and your style a little better, Jodi!

Pretty in Pink

At Colorbök, we are passionate about supporting the fight against breast cancer and we hope to raise awareness with our newest collection of gift and stationery products.

Here are a few creative ideas to help show your support in everyday ways:

• Package a gift for someone special in our set of 3 nesting boxes
• Write quick notes of love or thanks on our boxed note cards
• Document your own journey or experiences in our spiral-bound journals
• Bookmark your summer reading while showing you care
• Host a pretty in pink bridal shower and use individual products as gifts or prizes
• Celebrate survivors by gifting any of our pink product, and remember. . .

A portion of the proceeds from these products will be donated directly to the fight against breast cancer.