good morning! i’m so happy that it’s friday because this will be my first non-working weekend since september- woohoo! i wanted to kick off friday’s posts with this great series of posters from artists at greenpoint’s pencil factory studios. “15 uses for newsprint” is a promotional newsprint poster zine by 16 of the artists in the pencil factory. i love too many of them to run here, so i’ll just send you to their site so you can check out the full set and shop online. it’s a really fantastic collection of artwork for only $10, check it out (and click here to check out all the spreads, with artists listed below, on flickr! thanks to alex for the tip!

i really miss the days when cd packaging was something that was a part of music buying. my first job out of college was at a record label and i remember going to a packaging meeting with an artist and having them basically tell him “don’t waste money on packaging, no one buys cds for art anymore.” i had to stop myself from yelling “not true!” but it seems that cd artwork is quickly being replaced by digital thumbnails and itunes-ready artwork. so i was happy to hear from artist chris delorenzo about a piece he did for the band grimis.

chris designed their album artwork and decided to focus on a contemporary spin on folk art. his hand-cut newsprint (on top of corrugated paper) is just gorgeous. how amazing would that be if you actually got the paper cutting with the cd? i’m assuming a photograph of the piece, but i would pay for the real deal if it came with the music. you can check out more images of the grimis artwork right here on chris’ site. thanks, chris!

also, click here to check out brooke’s guest post on writing paper-related craft projects over at the d*s guest blog!

the lovely elisabeth dunker of fine little day recently launched a series of artwork called “fine”. the first in the series is this beautiful print called “rebuild square”. each of the prints will be focusing on a mix between old embroidery, ornamental folk art and modern pixelated graphics. in december elisabeth will be adding cutting boards and mats with the same theme, but until then you can pick up elisabeth’s first print right here for $35. thanks, elisabeth! [click here to see elisabeth's beautiful home]

ps: i’m so thrilled to welcome brooke of inchmark to the d*s guest blog! click here to check out her first post. welcome, brooke!

having grown up at the beach, i will always have a soft spot for anything water or nautical related. so when i saw brainstorm’s new print i fell for it hook, line and sinker (sorry, bad water pun not intended). you can pick up brainstorm’s new “red sky” print, along with a number of other new prints, right here for $30.

i’ll never forget stumbling upon an old family tree when rummaging through my grandfather’s above-garage storage space one day. i was really young, but remember staring at all the bonney names listed and marveling at the types of names people had and the elegant handwriting that wrote each one. ever since i’ve been dying to find an original copy and frame it at home, but lately have been tempted by something slightly more modern. so when i saw these pieces from vermont designer jen o’neill i had to smile.

jen started researching her family history when she became a mother, but couldn’t find a contemporary way to display the genealogical information she uncovered. so she decided to start “my tree and me” a business she runs that designs and customizes modern genealogy charts. each piece is a custom giclee print of on acid free watercolor paper, but there’s also an option to purchase a blank pre-made chart to fill in yourself. the older i get the more i appreciate the history behind both sides of my family, and designs like this are a great way to honor the people that shared your name years, decades and centuries before you. click here for more information on ordering a modern genealogy chart from jen.

good morning! i wanted to start today off with these sweet, simple framed prints from coulson macleod. the team at coulson macleod prints each piece onto wood and then frames them in rough-saw solid oak. i love the worn-in feel to each of them, and the lovey-dovey text. because sometimes it’s nice to have something sweet to see at home. if you’re in the market for one of coulson’s prints click here for purchasing information. thanks, hannah!

ps: jill has a fantastic post on the ware-home that belongs to pinball publishing- as well as a portland bike-home! click here to check out her second post of the week….

the lovely jen hill just launched her brand new “places i have never been” wall calendar for 2010. the 11×17 calendar features one pattern per month, along with tidbits of information about each never-visited location. you can pick up one of jen’s calendars right here for $28. great work, jen! [photos by elizabeth vaughan]

last week i feel a little behind on email and wasn’t able to announce julia rothman and jennifer judd-mcgee’s new show “flora and fauna” at nahcotta in new hampshire. after watching this sweet stop-motion video of julia and jennifer drawing on the front of nahcotta’s windows, i was so bummed because it looks like the opening night was wonderful! julia and jennifer are both showcasing beautiful illustrations of flora and fauna at nahcotta through november 1st, so if you’re in town be sure to stop by and check it out in person. if a trip to new hampshire isn’t in your immediate future, you can check out more info on the show right here, julia’s work right here, and jennifer’s work right here.