We would like just to inform you that we are going to do some maintenance to Moleskinerie's server during this weekend.
Everything should be run normally during these days, but if you are going to encounter any issue do not worry, we'll be back soon.
In the meanwhile you can enjoy your weekend by downloading the Moleskine "Do not disturb" sign.
]]>
It's one of the most famous signs all over the world. You can find it in every hotel, bed and breakfast or place to spend the night. It's the "Do not disturb" sign!
Why not add classy touch while telling that you do not want to be disturbed?
Now you can, with the Moleskine "Do not disturb" sign!
Ready to leave? Don't forget to download, print, cut them and hang on your door handle.
You can choose among a selection we've made from our myMoleskine gallery authors here. They are from different cities all around the world:
In addition to these we leave you a blank one you can personalize as you want!
What are you waiting for, go to the MSK Templates area, collect them all and send us pictures of your doors 
We often talked about handwriting in the past and since we consider it more than just a way to communicate, we keep on exploring this involving field that not only can improve idea composition and expression but also aid fine motor-skills development.
The project discovered today is The Hand Written Letter Project, and it's called like this because extended an invitation to designers and creative thinkers alike to simply write and make known their thoughts posed by this situation: in handwritten form and on their stationery (both of which were seemingly expendable to some, their idea taking preference).
This website showcases some of the correspondence since the projects initiation in 2007, containing the thoughts of some of the biggest and best designers and design studios from the world over.
That said, if you are interested in handwriting, keep on following us, we will have some interesting stuff for you very soon!
]]>Last week end we left you with the Urban Sketchers event and today we would like to keep on talking about sketching.
We received an email from Heidi , a children’s book editor and art lover, who highlighted us the launch of Uncovered Cover Art. And we are pleased to share.
A website designed for artists who want to show off their passion for illustrating children's books, art directors looking for artists, agents on the lookout for new talent etc.
This reminded us a couple of posts ago when we talked about the Monster Engine.
]]>
We just received this picture directly from Lisbon made by a couple of Italian bloggers (Domitilla and Maurizio) who are there for vacations.
It's from the 2nd International Urban Sketching Symposium where nearly 200 sketchers from more than 20 countries are gathering there.
From July 21 to 23 there will be meetings, lectures, exhibits, and above all outdoor sketching sessions with a team of artists, professionals and sketching enthusiasts, architects, illustrators, travellers, all armed with notebooks, sketch pads, pencils, watercolors, pens and brushes.
To those that still don't know Urban Sketchers, it is group blog with hundreds of international sketch artists who share the world through their notebooks. They explore cities and sketch them in every detail, capturing the essence of places and people on paper: images, scenes of urban life, crowded squares, ladies shopping, panoramic rooftop views, people seated in cafés or by the river.
Attend the event is the only way to get one of those...
CORTONA ON THE MOVE is a unique event held from July 21st to September 4th 2011, which is meant to become a reference point for photography in Italy and internationally.
This first edition of the festival is focused on photography in travel, developing a path through the old city and its surroundings and will offer visitors a journey of knowledge of the various facets of photography, of contemporary communication, of reportage and photo documentation through different events you can discover on their website.
For this occasion, if you have in plan to go and attend the event, you can download and print the opening days event's schedule in MSK format (July 21th - July 24th).
]]>
Lately we have been talking about Art and its different way of expression.
We have found the one of Kyle Bean really amazing. He is a Brighton based designer specialised in hand crafted models, set design and art direction.
Here you can read more about what's behind them.
Lovely!
Thanks to swissmiss we found out the website: The Color of.
As described on the website: this is a system created to find out the colour of anything, by querying and aggregating image data from Flickr. It is an attempt at answering a potentially complex and abstract question in an objective manner, by using simple algorithms on data originating from subjective human perceptions.
THE COLOR OF uses an averaging algorithm on the colour pixel values of the queried images, displaying the result incrementally as each picture is loaded. Taking the assumption that random images will average out to become grey, we can attribute any colour bias which deviates from grey, to the term as searched. Any further interpretation is then up to the user.
Have you tried it? Do you think the results are the colors you expected?
]]>After a little while you didn't heard about it, we are back with the "Author a month" initiative and it comes with a looot of content for you all.
As we wanted you to be more and more involved in the process for defining the best Authors within myMoleskine gallery, we decided for the first time to let you decide who to pick as "Author a month" via a Facebook entry.
You have chosen Rebecca Venn, and at this point we thought to go even further with your involvement by asking you here to choose three question we would have asked Rebecca.
Here she is, eventually. We let her speaking by helself.
Rebecca's background
Most of my artistic education, other than the basic college degree, has been attained through self-education...this is different from self taught because I have sought out artists whose work I admire and who I felt had something I needed to learn. I have always drawn and painted...watercolor is such a challenge and it really appeals to me with its quick intuitive response. Most of my work is very intuitive, whether it be the figurative work, for which I am known, or the plein air which feeds my soul.
At present I am preparing for a solo exhibition of my figurative work, but as weather permits, you will find me with my Moleskine watercolor book sitting in some beautiful place and having my thoughts lifted and my eyes recharged.
1. How do you use your notebooks?
I have found the 5" x 8" watercolor notebook by Moleskine to be my favorite as I do watercolor when traveling or sometimes when I need to get outside and clear my head. The paper takes the paint beautifully and I love the texture. The size is perfect for just popping in a small bag and hiking through the woods or into the mangroves. It is not heavy and, as with watercolor itself, less is more.
2. What inspires you the most during your creation process?
Nature. All the many varied textures, the way the light changes and keeps my heart racing trying to capture a moment. The peace away from technology. And the color...it is the color whether dark before the rain or the brilliant glow of a flower or light on the water. And the music of nature. I love the quiet of the breezes which calm my spirit and recharge my visions. I find that painting outdoors recharges my sense of colors. After spending time in nature my eyes are heightened when I return to the studio.
3. What are your sketching tools?
The less, the better. Of course the Moleskine watercolor notebooks or drawing surface is my preferred support. I carry a Winsor & Newton travel kit which contains an HB pencil, kneaded eraser, pencil sharpener and the pan paints which I use that come with the kit. I refill the pan paints with tube paint as it disappears. A small package of tissues and a thin black pen (permanent ink). I use a travel brush #10 or #12 which keeps a good point. I keep a small flat brush in the kit in case I need that kind of stroke but mostly I don't use it.
At this point you could think it's over...But, as we said, it's not all.
Not only we realized a custom Sleeve as before, but also created a custom Bookmark and left Rebecca the decision to fill up a blank Wise Dice or a M.Use Box. She realized a Wise Dice with some suggestions to follow to try to sketch like she does.
Just reach the MSK Templates section here and download the three files for free.
]]>This is the story about Jeff and his lost Moleskine notebook.
Jeff lost his notebook, someone found it thanks to the "In case of loss" page (you can download and print for free on our MSK Templates area) that Jeff filled.
It all made sense: the notebook had my name, phone number, and email address on the title page
As you can see by the image above it could appear a bit spoiled, since there are some car tire tracks on the paper. Well, a part from this, it's not.
It was clear that it had been run over by at least one car; the tire tracks professed as much. Despite that, everything was intact. The cover was in good shape, no pages were missing or torn, and the mechanical pencil was still inside (albeit broken). Yes, some of the pages were wrinkled, but that didn’t affect usability.
If you want to read the whole story, here it is.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar kind of situation?
Lost or found a Moleskine notebook? Did the "In case of loss" page saved your precious ones?
Tell us within the comments!
]]>
