Check out the Premier Issue of Pack Rat Magazine!

Not all of us can be graphic art majors and design students. Thankfully, the people at Maryland Institute College of Art are aware of this and the faculty and graduate students have brought all of their creative talents to bear on D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself, a book that covers all things design related, especially those that deal with the written word. And, in true cutting edge fashion, the publishers have provided a website with some serious resources as a companion piece to the book. Totally free and chocked full of useful information, the DIY website gives you the basic run down of most of the books topics. Design guides for blogs, business cards, flyers, gifts, housewares, invitations, logos, newsletters, presentation, press kits, stationary, t-shirts, websites, ‘zines (whew!) are just the tip of the ice berg. Plus, the website has all sorts of fun downloads like the the tea party invites, or a bevy of images you can print on to iron-on paper (below). While the reading is a whincy bit dry, it’s totally worth powering through because there is a crap load of good information there. It’s like an introductory course in design…for free.

Check out the Premier Issue of Pack Rat Magazine

I found an outrageously innovative crochet site today, a blog by Gooseflesh. Full of amazing, truely unique pieces, this blog will inspire you and drive you mad with jealousy. Her crocheted sea creatures are sublime. Check out the “Medusa nematocysta,” the “Cephalopod,” and the “Coral Garden.” Gooseflesh also has (joy of joys) an etsy shop. And, she spreads the wealth with handy tutorials, like how to make plastic yarn out of grocery bags.