The New Year

Every time January rolls around we get contemplative. We set goals. We attempt to reconfigure what’s right, what’s wrong, what needs an overhaul. Having just returned from an adventure of a lifetime (to the end of the world…quite literally), with a brief family-related-life-hiatus beginning today, a 32nd birthday around the corner and aggressive to-do lists carrying over from last year, I’m trying to prioritize life’s juggle.

We all are, aren’t we? My oldest brother’s probably grinning to himself saying, just wait til you fit kids into the mix. As I reconfigure, agency and client work will take a bit of a back seat this month (and maybe next) to Role Modolls – a new business I’m launching this year. I’m also looking to expand Pattern Pulp to include a boutique…and while I’m at it, it’s probably not a bad idea to update my portfolio…it’s 2yrs and counting. Yikes.

With that, I’ll leave you with 3 lessons to live by, written by Ariel Kaminer to David Rakoff before he died of cancer earlier this year. It’s a touching reminder of what matters in life.

January 2, 2013 | By: Shayna Kulik

Our Favorite Patterns from 2012

It’s no secret we’re big fans of texture here at Pattern Pulp. Though we see thousands of patterns every year, here are some favorites that struck a chord from 2012.

What were some of yours?

1. Jonathan Saunders: “The drugged-up housewife has changed into a very wealthy, eccentric young lady.”

2. Mr. Porter’s collection of pocket squares.

3. Soft, organic watercolors that are reflective of nature.

4. Folk Clothing‘s spring prints for men.

5. Fun, arty-farty wallpaper from Minakaniwalls.

6. When plaids take a translucent turn.

7. Custhom’s embroidery; specifically, their CMYK stitched posters.

8. Buki Akib‘s Fela inspired bags (and wallpaper) at The Darkroom.

9. Carolina Herrera‘s fluidity and whimsical watercolors.

10. Insley & Nash‘s bespoke patterns.

December 31, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Friday Quick Links!

1. Surreal black & white photos by Alison Scarpulla via The Fox is Black
2. Striking use of cutouts and holograms via Plenty of Colour
3. Cacti in striped “bag” pots via Poppytalk
4. Ed Fairburn’s works of human geography via Yatzer
5. Never underestimate a pair of warm ( & cute) gloves or mittens via Design Crush
6. Digging this glow-in-the-dark full moon credenza via The Laughing Squid
7. These socks are right up our alley via Style Bubble
8. Definitely swooned over Ilott’s vintage cameras via design-milk
9. Linn Olofsdotter’s colorful, dream-like illustrations via Pattern Bank
10. Charmed by Anders Arhøj’s tiny ceramic piggy banks via The Jealous Curator
11. Kelly Wearstler’s pre-fall shape and texture play via Honestly WTF
12. Simon Beck’s snow art via Colossal

Contributed by Emily Gup

December 28, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Colors that Spoke in 2012

We live in a colorful world, but don’t often think about how these hues reflect the mood of the times. Here are some of the colors and combinations thereof that caught our attention in 2012.

What colors resonated with you this year?

1. The love affair between orange and red pop with pomegranate.

2. Louise Belcourt’s delightful mounds of color (p.s. we referred to this quite a bit when making tech-inspired palettes).

3. Getting glitzy and warming up winter with a gold rush.

4. Imagining a country life and thinking of Brazil’s influence with evergreen.

5. The vibrancy of “hawt” pink isn’t just for Parisians.

6. Palettes inspired by aztec culture.

7. The still life and pops of color in product photography.

8. Mike Meiré‘s balancing act in Economy of Attention.

9. Finding inspiration in Alighiero Boetti’s muted geometrics.

10. The rich and vibrant combinations from this Tibetan Sand Mandala Demonstration.

December 28, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Textures in Media from 2012

Nowadays, with all of our forms of media, we are constantly confronted with a barrage of images, sights and sounds. All of these combine to create the visual & societal texture that will come to define our time.

Here are some of the year’s most interesting textures in media:

1. Gap & JCPenney’s bright ideas for Spring.

2. Die Antwoord & T by Alexander Wang collaborate for Spring ’12.

3. Diet Coke revamps their cans hoping to reach a fashion customer base.

4. Investigating the increasing abundance of textures in advertising and infographics.

5. J. Crew’s walk-through of the process of painting and pattern-making for product and social content.

6. Hound Design & INDO’s inventive backdrops.

7. Ian Hall’s Patterns of Science presents a mashup of cultures through pattern.

8. Watercolor and photoshop for clothing label Mimi & Maximus.

9. Does the ease of smart phone photography fuel or hinder our creativity?

10. Meara O’Reilly uses cymatic effects to reflect the texture in sound through vibration in matter for Björk’s Biophilia world tour.

December 27, 2012 | By: Shayna Kulik

Places that Intruiged in 2012

To creative folks, inspiration can be found pretty much anywhere and in anything. That sentiment is heightened when we’re traveling. New environments intrigue the senses and ignite our curiosities.

Get inspired with some of the places we visited in 2012: