Magpie Monthly: Vol. 1

So, what’s in a name?

For several years I went by ModMagpie on instagram, a nod to my tendency to collect all kinds of things: joker cards, fossilized shark teeth, pretty pieces of trash. If it’s tiny and mostly worthless, I want it. I’ve even been keeping what I call Magpie Journals since 2018. Magpie Monthly seemed like a fitting name for my newsletter. I'll be sharing more of my collections in future posts.

Project Launch: The Ramadan Edit

One of my all-time favorite projects I’ve worked on launched earlier this month. Sana Raheem, founder of The Ramadan Edit, set out to create festive, stylish products that bring joy and meaning to the celebration of Ramadan, after years of disappointment with what the marketplace has to offer (when there’s anything at all). It was truly a joy to help her bring her vision for vibrant, contemporary designs to life.

Sketchbook Snippets: Fresh and Fruity

My struggle to develop a consistent sketchbook habit spans two decades (more about that in the future). Though I am slowly making progress on that front, a blank sketchbook page can still be intimidating. However, I’ve recently discovered that drawing fruit is an easy win for me, so now I have something besides colorful scribbles to default to when I’m not feeling inspired.

Pretty in Print

I kicked off the year on a high note when my 2024 100 Day Project was featured in Uppercase Magazine Issue 64, in a call for art that deals with the subject of time.

Here’s what I said about participating in the 100 Day Project:

“In my career as a commercial illustrator, I typically have mere hours to at most a couple of days to spend with any one idea. Perhaps that Is why I am drawn to participate in The 100 Day Project year after year. Most recently, I drew one piece from my collection of small toys and objects every day for 100 days. Sticking with a long-term daily commitment pushes the limits of my creativity and endurance, but I’m helped along by a deep love for and trust in the creative process. No matter my chosen theme, every hundred-day project is at times boring, exhilarating, tedious, burdensome, surprising, enlightening, endless, and before I know it, already over.”

Sticker Sheets are live!

If you’ve been in my orbit for any amount of time, you know I’m obsessed with stickers. It’s been my dream for a long time to create my very own sticker sheets, and I’m so proud of myself for finally making it happen 🎉These six designs are in my etsy shop (every sticker order ships with a surprise sticker sheet and other goodies), with more coming next month.

If you like stickers but aren’t sure what the heck to do with them, here’s one of my favorite ways to use them: stickerbombed greeting cards! Cover an envelope with stickers and it becomes a work of art, zero skills required. I guarantee the recipient will be delighted, and will feel extra special.

What I’m Reading

So far this year I have read 20 books (and abandoned eight others). I cannot overstate how much I love and appreciate my local library. It was tough to pick just one book to highlight for now, but you can connect with me on Goodreads for more book recommendations :)