Remember yesterday when I said I’d have a gift guide for you? Well never fear, that day has come. Unsolicited gift guides are a longstanding blogger rite of passage. Due to the nature of our fun year, I’ve decided to share gift guides in six different categories, highlighting some of my favorite small businesses that are doing amazing things. It’s very hard to navigate the holiday shopping noise so I hope I can introduce you to some fun shopping ideas, not only during our generic winter holiday season but all year-round.

My Holiday Shopping Must-Haves

My go-to candle provider is Kismet + Charisma all year-round. It has been so difficult to find a soy candle company locally that provides scents that appeal to me. My friend and co-producer Charisma has done just that. I am not just saying this to be nice, these are actually really good candles. They just as long as my favorite bigger box candle company which is a big deal for me, as someone who has candles going all of the time. She will be sharing her winter/holiday collection very soon but I wanted you to bookmark the shop and come back to check this out.

Unfortunately, this is a Central Florida-local thing, but my dear friend Kim of Chaos Bagels makes the very best bagels I’ve had in this state. I am not a bagel-snob by any means but I have had bad bagels here. If you have friends in the Central Florida area, do them a favor and order these bagels for the holidays. I gifted my husband bagels for his birthday which is how wonderful they are. Also, who better to trust with your bagel providing than a mom of three boys?

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide

2020 gave us a unique perspective on living indoors for prolonged lengths of time. Now that we’re heading into cooler weather that is typically a tricky time for many people health-wise, we are extra-vigilant on keeping our outdoor time to a minimum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some fun things to keep you occupied while you make the best of your physical distance winter season.

1. Snack + Go Organic Cotton Tote by Project Pop | 2. Blue Dottie Adult Face Mask by Sarah Hearts | 3. Save The Post Office card by Creative Future Studio

4. The Sampler Kit by Haus | 5. In Therapy and Thriving Greeting Card by Curated Dry Goods | 6. Postal Service Crew Neck Tee From Natalie Reales Designs

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide

Fellow art nerds, assemble! Some of my favorite items to express how much you love the visual arts. If none of the things vibe with you, I recommend donating to your local theaters and community art groups as they are all looking for support while keeping their artists safe.

1. Postcards do Bem by LOJA by Barbara Astrini| 2. Thank You Stamps by Dana Tanamachi | 3. Basquiat Corkcicle Canteens

4. This Joy I Have The World Didn’t Give It by Christa David | 5. “Stop Stealing Tote” by Jasmine Mans

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide

Your entrepreneur friends always need a gift, no matter what they say. We are running around and we’re thriving in making it up as we go along. Supporting small businesses while uplifting your friends who own small businesses is a win-win anyway. 10/10 would recommend.

1. Emma Design Squarespace Kit by JDS Creative Studio| 2. Classic Polka Dot Customizable Planner – Undated / Open Dated by June Paper Market | 3. Grinding All My Life Pin by Adé Hogue

4. Explore: Journey from Fear to Happiness by David Yarde | 5. In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney| 6. DSA Magic Girl Keycaps Round 2 by Mintlodica

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

If you follow me along on my very rare Instagram sharing journey, you probably know that I, too, have fallen into the trap of millennials with plants. What better way to raise your serotonin levels, than with plants that spark joy? If you’re not sure where to start, never fear, I’ve got some gems below.

1. Jungle Dreams Notebooks by Castlefield Design| 2. Ficus Elastica Burgundy Rubber Plant by Botany | 3. Wild at Home Book by Hilton Carter

4. Buried In Plants Where I Belong Tote Bag by Jungalow | 5. Macrame Plant Hanger No. 1 by Eco Vibe| 6. Tall Painted Clay Planter by The Jungalow

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

If you don’t interact with kids, it’s not the easiest to just jump in and buy a gift for one. There are various things to consider and so many places to buy gifts. Here are some fun things I’ve found that aren’t your typical pickup in your local superstore.

1. Constellation Kids Tee by Jessica Hische| 2. The ABCs of HBCUs (Board Book) by HBCU Prep School | 3. Who Will You Be? by Andrea Pippins

4. Double-Sided Pre-Writer Shape and Squiggle Board by Schoene and Son | 5. Black Lives Matter – Love ASL Print from Nicole Marie Paperie 6. Little Likes Kids – Fun Outside 48 Piece Floor Puzzle

Home Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re looking to try some fun things at home or buy for friends who may be living in a new space, here is the gift guide for you. It’s been a good time to try some new products from companies you may not ever have had the opportunity to support to help make your living space a home.

1. Rose Body Scrub from Luna Nueva Apothecary| 2. You Are Your Best Thing by rayo and honey | 3. Rise & GRND – Coffee Blend, Medium Roast by Blk & Bold

4. Matcha Set by Junbi Matcha| 5. 2021 Sun Wall Calendar by Under the Sunlight 6. Playful Marks (Golden) Tea Towel by Ritual Morning Studio

The post 2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are continuing with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is someone who I’ve been following in the blog world from way back when. She has been so inspiring to me, personally, and I’m grateful to have been following her journey via Instagram. She’s grown so much creatively since I stumbled upon her blog and she is so supportive of other creatives.

Nikkita Cohoon is an artist who designs holistic brand identities for business owners with big vision to help them convey their value with clarity and build trust with their people. She also designs patterns, art, products, and planners to help you find the ritual in the everyday and make the everyday a ritual.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

For branding, I work mostly digitally, but I always start in my sketchbook because I love working by hand. I love trying a variety of techniques including printmaking, playing in Procreate, painting on ceramics, and working with ink.

How did you start Ritual Morning Studio?

After getting my MFA in poetry, I started work as a communications director for a non-profit management company. My writer friends often needed posters for readings, banners for their blogs or websites, and different promotional materials, and I also started designing books for a few poetry presses. I realized I loved helping creative professionals and businesses translate their vision into holistic design, so branding was the natural combination of those things. I started creating patterns for some of my clients and fell in love with surface design as well.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

I take a lot of walks and am always snapping pictures of different elements of nature that I encounter, or even collecting specimens. I’m inspired by architecture and the geometry found everywhere you look. I love the bold graphic appeal of vintage paperbacks, and I used to collect lots of collage material and inspiration from a book repository in grad school. I’ve always loved patterns found on textiles, wallpapers, and inside book covers. Really I’m just always filing away visual information!

How do you find a balance between your service-based offerings and your retail business?

My clients are always a high priority for me, and I truly gain inspiration from the collaborative process of creating a brand identity. But I also find it necessary to follow my own creative curiosity, and I love seeing things I create on tangible objects that can enter people’s homes and give them a moment of joy, pause, or reflection. I find with each season the different things I do ebb and flow, so I can focus on what is most needed at the time.

How do you find your voice among all of the design trends?

While I’m aware of some trends because I’m part of the design community and love seeing what my friends are doing, my design work is always informed first and foremost by my clients themselves. We spend a lot of time in the discovery phase developing a strategy that considers who will actually be seeing the designs, how they will interact with it, what they’ll be attracted to, the impression the design might make. Those are the driving factors for choices like color, type, and the design itself. For branding especially, we’re trying to create designs that will hold up as time passes, and grow with the business. So I’m using my voice to express that, rather than speak to a trend.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

I’m a very creatively curious person, and for the most part this serves me well. But I don’t have time to do all my ideas justice (at least at one time), so my biggest challenge is focus and what to give time to when.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

First, is it something you truly want for yourself, and do you have something to offer that people need or want? Sometimes people see a person creating, doing, or making something unique and tell that person they should start a business. So I want to say first it’s great to do something just for the JOY of it and it doesn’t have to be a business because someone told you it could be.

But there are also people who just have that entrepreneurial bug and they will feel that calling regardless of what those around them say. For those people I would say make sure you’re ready to wear all the hats, because early days of running your business especially you’ll be spending just as much time on accounting, administration, client/customer management, and logistics of running a business as you will with the creative component (and sometimes more). Make sure you take a lot of notes on what’s working and what isn’t, track your time so you have a realistic picture of how you’re spending it, and set up systems to help automate what you can.

Connect with Nikita: Portfolio | Instagram 

The post Artist Showcase: Nikkita Cohoon of Ritual Morning Studio appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hey friends! We are back with the Artist Showcase series after five years of hiatus. I’m thrilled to restart this series to interview and showcase amazing creatives that I’ve found influential for me and are willing to share information about themselves. It’s 2020 and I enjoy having a space to showcase creatives without having to do so many things or even pay to be featured. It’s a bit of the old-school blog vibes that I miss.

Today’s guest is hyper-local as another Osceola County resident. I was thrilled to find Kristine’s Instagram and have really enjoyed following her journey as an artist. She’s very transparent with her process, how she creates her work, and she’s undoubtedly talented.

What are your favorite ways to create? 

I started with gouache and acrylic paints but have really loved learning digital illustration. I am mostly using my iPad and Procreate to do it.

How did you come up with Curated Dry Goods?

I wanted something that could grow with my brand. I have big dreams to put my art on lots of different products and didn’t want to limit my brand to just paper products. So, I chose Curated because I make art and Dry Goods for all the future products I’ll put that art on.

Where do you often find inspiration? 

Gardens! My mom has always been a gardener of exotic fruits, plants, and flowers. I grew up surrounded by nature. So I love to visit botanical gardens and her home garden to find inspiration when I need it.

Why is important for you to have mental health greeting cards that give back to the Mental Health Association of Central Florida? 

Four years ago, I was Baker Acted for suicidal ideation and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. At the time, my friends and family didn’t know what to say to support me. They loved me and stood by me, but no one knew how to talk about it – I didn’t either.

So I created mental health greeting cards to make those conversations easier for people who have experienced the same thing themselves or with their loved ones. It’s so important to have a support system because caring for your mental health is challenging sometimes. We need our loved ones to say “You’re doing great, I’m really proud of you.”

Going to therapy, taking medication, and making art have been life-saving for me. Giving to organizations like MHACF, who make finding treatment possible for everyone, is the least I can do to pay it forward.

How do you have a voice among all of the design trends? 

I thought about this a lot when I first started and to any artist who is struggling with their style or voice – it will come with time. I’m doing a challenge where I’m only posting old artwork on Instagram for 30 days. I’m surprised to see each of them together creating a cohesive look when I thought I didn’t have a voice or style at the time I made them. So, every artist has it even if they don’t know it! Keep honing it.

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative?

Comparison and perfection! Hands down. I have to remind myself often to create imperfect things just for fun because it makes me happy.

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Do something you really love and find a way to pay it forward.

Connect with Kristine: Shop |Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

The post Artist Showcase: Kristine of Curated Dry Goods appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

One: No Idea Print – Watersounds | Two: Flowers and the Moon Print – Katie Daisy | Three: Bloom Print – Studio 404 Paper | Four: This Girl is on Fire Print – Live Love Studio

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Happy Monday! I’m so excited about today’s interview with a local artist I met at Artlando this year. It’s always been important to me to support local artists and with the weather now cool enough, there are plenty of local art festivals to attend. It makes for a great outing with a little one and allows room to allow me to be inspired. Andi was one of the few artists who was warm and welcoming. She didn’t mind my crazy lady invasion and was happy to do this interview. I’m so excited to use my platform to share Andi’s work and her story here and I hope you all enjoy her as well.

When did you become interested in design?

I became interested in Design when I realized I wanted to create things that would not only showcase my love for Jesus, but also my love for making everything pretty ! I also find it really relaxing and refreshing to create things, it recharges me.

How do you stay connected with the local art scene?

I have a lot of friends who create things around the area, so mostly through social media or by hanging out around social church events.

Which creatives inspire you the most?

Rifle Paper Co is definitely a big inspiration for me! It’s a dream!

What has been your favorite project in your career thus far? 

My favorite project so far has been creating a self promotional mailer for a class I took spring 2015. It was so challenging, yet really rewarding. It also made me realize how much I love lemons ! (:

How do you have a voice among all of the design trends? 

I believe the voice I have among other trends is just making sure the heart of my company and all art is the heart of Jesus. I want nothing to do with negativity. My goal is to encourage people by loving on them and letting them know the value that they hold. 

What has been your biggest challenge as a creative? 

My biggest challenge as a creative is being able to manage my time productively. I am always so busy with my jobs, school and with my freelance business. Life is hectic!

What advice would you give other creatives who are thinking about opening their own business?

Don’t be afraid to look stupid!  seriously, this is something I struggle with sometimes. Post whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want ! just do it !

Connect with Andi: Portfolio | Behance | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest

The post Artist Showcase: Andi of With Love Andi appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

Hi friends! I shared a little snippet yesterday and today I’m excited to add three new prints to the shop. I’ve been holding in some creative ideas for the shop since the beginning of the year and these are just a little look into what I’ll be adding in the future. I’ve been testing a new brush and practicing some new things which I am so glad to share with you.

Remember, all e-book customers get a discount on the Studio 404 shop through the end of the week. Enjoy!

The post Studio 404 Shop: New Brush Prints! appeared first on Studio 404 Paper.

TGIF! This week has been full of ups and downs for me but I’m still here and posting! In case you’ve missed any of the amazing 12 Days of Christmas posts, check the tag and get caught up.

Today’s freebie is brought to you by the very talented Kory Woodard. I’ve been reading Kory’s blog for the past two years almost and have really come to enjoy her as a designer and blogger. She’s extremely talented and is working towards building her business helping brands.

Connect with Kory: Portfolio | Blog | Dribbble | Google+ |  Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

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