Jazzy Goods for Dear Ol' Dad

Ahoy there!  Father's Day is June 16th!  Here's to all the coolest, suave-est, badass-est dads out there... a brand new illustrated card and coordinating gifts from Rive Gauche Craft.

For this year's card, I took a bit of inspiration from that era of the most handsome dudes of all...the Jazz Age.  This classy daddy-o cat sports a mustache, pipe, and a modern take on the pinstripe suit (more of a Basque horizontal stripe - equally fab, if you ask me) topped off with a bright summer flower in his breast pocket.  

The inside reads: "The coolest cat of them all".  

shop   ///   the card, $3.80   ///   the collection   ///  order by June 6 to ensure delivery by Father's Day!

Rive Gauche Craft | New Spring Cats

Whoa, this week has been hectic, hasn't it?  Or maybe every week is hectic, and I just have the memory of a goldfish.  (I hear they forget everything every five minutes - how exciting!) 

This is one of the projects I've been working on for the boutique- a new collection of Spring fancies for the home and office, featuring a sweet and mischievous new little cat who plunders all sorts of neighborhood botanical wonderlands.  See the full "Orange Tree Cat" and "Chrysanthemum Garden Cat" collections.  

As I move forward and continue to find my footing in the Rive Gauche Craft boutique, I'll be focusing more on stationery and paper products, and less on home products.  BUT!  I'm keeping a few items such as - mugs, tote bags, iphone cases, etc because they're just too pretty, and they make such lovely gifts.  A few things currently on the drawing board: organizational products (like labels, binders, notepads) mother's day & father's day cards, birthday cards, invitations, announcements, and wedding suites! 

1 /  party invites, $18 for set of 10  / 2 /  stationery, $10.50 for set of 10  / 3 /  xl notepad, $12.95  / 4 /  chrysanthemums note card, $3.15  / 5 /  orange tree note card, $3.15

See the full collections:

Orange Tree Cat  /  Chrysanthemum Garden Cat 

Illustration Prints | Special Promo!

Now through Sunday, free shipping is available on all of my illustrations in the Rive Gauche Craft print shop! I've added some new paintings and fashion illustrations, just in time for spring. Prints start at $22, and are available in several sizes, with or without frames.  So if you please, plunder away!

 

The Cat Lady Strikes Again

It's hardly a secret; I'm a cat lady in the making.  Apart from having one, I also paint them, design them, and pin them like they're going out of style.  Cats are pretty much my equivalent to crack.

How awesome are these old school gals?  All lined up down a Hollywood street with their matching cats, dressed to the nines at a casting for black cats in 1961.  

Photos from Life Magazine via OddStuff

I suspect Consuelo Castiglioni, of the glorious Italian label, Marni, is a cat lady.  I go nuts when luxury designers incorporate fuzzy felines into their work, particularly when illustrated in a sketchy, crazed, or child-like style (1 & 2).  You should see me drooling right now.

The other thing I'm addicted to (I'm almost, but not quite ashamed to admit) is temporary tattoos.  Yes.  I'm 25 years old.  Temporary tattoos.  Because four year olds can't have all the fun.  So, the obvious question: why not get a real tattoo?  Because I'm not a real badass.  I'm a temporary "badass". (?) 

Anyway, no matter what your age, I sincerely feel that there is a certain euphoric elegance about these temporary cat tattoos, designed by super talented illustrator Harriet Gray.       

1/  marni pink resin cat pin, $257  2/  marni cotton poplin "scratchy cat" floral shirt, $680  3/  madewell brass cat ring, $22  4/  tsumori chisato zippered cat pouch, $45  5/  cat origami pin by hug a porcupine, $25 (it's a british company, but they ship internationally!)  6/  temporary cat tattoos by illustrator harriet gray, $8.54  7/  forever 21 cat print cosmetic bag, $7

Rive Gauche Craft | Frank Valentines

I'm pretty excited about my newest creations (or abominations, perhaps?) for Valentine's Day.   

I've designed a line of snarky, but stylish cards, stationery, and little gifts that skimp on wordy flourish, and get right to the point.  I think you'll find them ridiculously hip. 

The Idea: A refreshingly humorous, yet supremely sophisticated twist on the concept of declaring one's affections for another, complete with sweet vintage animal silhouettes and elegantly scripted colloquialisms and curse words.   

As always, these cards (and more) can be purchased in the Boutique! 

1  /  Cats "I mean, damn"   /  2  /   Bunnies "Let's do it"  /  3  /  Birds "Lemme holla at you"

layout made with polyvore

Boutique | Dashing Cat in a Bowtie

Valentine's Day?  In other words: An acceptable reason to indulge in ooey-gooey sugary pink.  Hurrah!  Have a peek at my latest designs for the occasion...

Isn't it just like a cat to wear that sour face?  I love how he kind of caters to both the pro and anti- Valentine's day crowds.   

Oh, and from now through Thursday, all the CARDS in the Rive Gauche Craft Boutique are 40% off!  Use code "CARDS4LOVERS" at checkout.   Sale has ended!  

CLICK TO SHOP THE BOUTIQUE

Obsession | Kitschy Cocktail Baubles

A few of my favorite fanciful baubles of the moment...

Refreshing and playful without going over-the-top kawaii.  I'm especially enjoying sister designer duo Nach's combination of a delicate porcelain figurine atop a brass ring.  Take a look at their shop page to see loads more of their beautiful hand painted animal rings.

1  /  Kenneth Jay Lane Porcupine Ring   /  2  /  Oliver Bonas White Rabbit Ring, Similar by Nach  /  3  /  Mod Cloth French Bulldog Ring, Similar by Nach  /  4  /  LeiVanKash Tiger Ring  /  5  /  Nach Fox Ring  /  Layout made with Polyvore

Best Of | Ugly Sweaters

I guess there's not really any such thing as an "ugly sweater" anymore, since ugly became cool.

I'm going with these as favorites because they're just super.......sweater-y.  You know what I mean?  Either they have something big and hokey smack on the front of them, or they came right out of a log cabin. 

Best Log Cabin / Year 1970 Sweaters:  Isabel Marant,  Levi's,  J.Crew.

Left to right  /  Topshop petite cat burglar sweater, $76  /  Isabel Marant Vichy sweater, $655  /  Sheinside black & orange sweater, $33.55  /  Banjo & Matilda cashmere heart sweater, $345  /  J. Crew hand knit Fairisle sweater, $595  /  Levi's intarsia pullover, $88

Ensemble | WorkPlay

Kind of like an Edward Gorey drawing.  Lots of black.  A bit of red.  Elegant and timeless, amusing and clever.  

Romwe Dress  /  Charlotte Olympia Platform Shoes  /  Smythson Leather Tote  /  Kate Spade Silk Shawl  /  Mellor Ware Animal Teaparty Teacup and Saucer  /  Beach Photography by Lupen Grainne  /  Orange Stone Pearl Cluster Ring         /  Kate Spade Watch

CAT LADY

A little strange, a little whimsical, a little granny.  Cat ladies.  There's nothing quite like them.     

I'll be the first to admit, I'm crazy about my cat.  And granny sweaters.  Vintage thingies.  Awkward proportions.  Lipstick that is literally shaped like a cat wearing a porkpie hat.  Cats on my feet.  Cat portraits on the mantle. 

I take my cat for walks. Well, I do the walking while she rides in a basket under my arm.  And when she's bad, I shout in a loud Italian-Russian hybrid accent that I will make a pair of gloves out of her. (Not entirely sure where/when that bit originated).

And now I reveal my secret indulgence.  I love the Cat-Who books.  The ones by Lilian Jackson Braun.  They feature two crime-solving kitties : Koko and YumYum.  I don't make this up. And a newspaper reporter with a mustache.  And typewriters.  No cell phones.  No computers.  Good old fashioned kitsch.

But don't let me out-shine the original Cat Lady:

Ciao!

Wildfox Couture Cat Sweater  /  Charlotte Olympia Cat Shoes  /  Chloe Clutch  /  Paul & Joe Lipstick  /  Ibride Irina Cat Tray  /  Smallable Cat Tee Shirt  

Jugendstil Wonders

(Williamsburg only wishes it were this cool.)

Karen Elson?  Or Emilie Floge? 

By far my favorite image at this moment.  What can I say? That I want everything I do and own to exude this kind of cheeky poetic lushness?  Not that I could get away with wearing this delicious velvet Poiret-esque enseble, but it most definitely calls for a re-interpreted style moment.  In front of a glorious mountain of hydrangeas, no less.

Florals upon florals.  

These cats are just too cool.

Mountain of hydrangeas and velvet part II.  I'm so itching to do a photo shoot like this.

Cool cats part II.  

I guess we just need more hydrangeas in Brooklyn.  

Will the REAL Emilie Floge please stand up?

Portrait of Emilie, painted by her man (and MY man) Gustav Klimt.

And Judith, because Klimt's interpretation of her is so stunning.

(This was one lucky kitty.)  And a fabulous man.

Fashion photos by Ellen Von Unwerth and styled by Grace Coddington for Vogue via DustJacket Attic