Bites and Bits 2016 | 02/52

I had a few meetings and appointments outside of the studio and I miss the studio... a lot

I started (and finished) this book. It was a page-turner. I was so into the story and the characters that I jumped into the second one in the series (you can see all the books I have in the series here)

The making of 2016 softcover planners. Yes, I'm still making planners.

and cutting and separating the inside of the planners.

One of the best things that arrived in the mail! I am so excited for this book! ❤ (oh and the illustrations are so awesome!)

One day of this week I had one of the oddest dreams. I dream that I had squirrels living in the studio backyard. When I woke I really wished it was true.

This was probably the only thing that I purchased in sales season. Two awesome beanies. (and I don't even care that they came from the men section of ASOS).

Best,
Mafalda!

In the mail | New Book Series In my shelves

I've been eyeing these series for awhile. Although I'm not the biggest fan of the TV show (mainly the actresses who have the main roles) I really enjoy Crime and Detectives books.
You might know the tv show - Rizzoli and Isles. These book series are the original thing.
These are short books, easy and quick to read.

All these books are in softcover format (note to self to one of these days to write why I like these sort of book format), from the Bantam Press and where bought in second hand.*
I'm quite pleased with these covers, usually crime books have more heavy looking covers, but these ones are white and minimalistic. It's not very noticeable in the photos but the letters are of metalic tone (which I usually don't like very much) but work very well in this minimalistic design.

Rizzoli and Isles Book Series

1 - The Surgeon
2 - The Apprentice
3 - The Sinner
4 - Body Double
5 - Vanish
6 - The Mephisto Club 

* the only book that is little bit more damaged and dirty is The Apprentice. It's also the only one that looks that is from other edition, because the typography is very different from the other books. It's my less favourite cover of these.

Bites and Bits 2016 | 01/52

In 2016 I want to try to photograph more. Specially other things than Nuts for Paper products. And if I'm not able to photograph more things, at least my daily life.

optimistic start of the week with loads of programmed things

created a new illustration with some of my favourite colours

packed and shipped a bunch of orders - and also had a meeting about designing a logo

organized Nuts for Paper pins/badges and magnetics. I'm loving creating these. I also need to remind myself that I need to take individual photos of them and maybe do some more.

a few of the books that I'm currently reading. I'm loving reading Lovecraft although I feel it's not the kind of book you read very quickly (it's a short stories book but each story is quite dense and full horrific details)

this week arrived to my mail some second hand books. in this case these are a new series for me. (more about soon in the blog)

on the top of my wishlist for 2016 was invest in new boots. the boots on the right are my old boots. I've used them a lot in the last eight years. They are still good but they are starting to rip apart. It's was time for a second plan and those beauties are exactly what I wanted. Now I only need to break them a little and walk miles and miles ;) 

The week started pretty much organized. With everything layout out in my planner. Although I didn't stick with all of it (in the days I had previously programmed). I was very tired during this week, and my sleeping pattern was a little messed up; which is why I didn't managed to be as organized as I wanted. But I have to accept that some days I'm not as productive as I wish for, and sometimes is better rest and have a fresh start.

Currently Reading | January 2016

Books I'm currently reading (that transition from last year) ...

Short Stories books

1) Gloria in Excelsis Histórias Portuguesas de Natal by Vasco Graça Moura (Editor)
It's an Anthology of Christmas Portuguese Stories. I've read a few already and I'm enjoying it a lot. Most of these short stories are so rich in descriptions that I just want to draw them!

2) Os melhores contos de H.P. Lovecraft, vol. 1 by H.P. Lovecraft

3) A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor (ebook)
Flannery O'Connor short stories are amazing, and never end they you think they might. To me they talk about human behaviour and also show how people lived in the US (so far the ones I've read more in the rural area).

Crime novels
1) Rapture in Death (In Death Series #4) by J.D. Robb (audiobook)
J. D. Robb is a pseudonym for my favourite romance novels writer Nora Roberts. It's a very interesting series set in the future. The main character is Detective Eve Dallas. The books are about her cases but also her personal life. I'm enjoying these books in the audiobook version.

2) The Killing by David Hewson
Yes, I'm still talking about this book. This book is huge (800 pages), and I know a big part of the story (because of the american TV show, although this book is written inspired in the Danish screenplay/TV show original version ). In February it will make a year that I'm reading this book. The written is not hard to read, you accompanied the daily investigation of a murder. But it's so information packed that one day seams a lot more time!

Fantasy & Horror
1) Horns by Joe Hill (ebook)
I read half of this book and then stopped and never reach it again. I might try to listen to the audiobook.

2) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
At last I'm reading some classics! I have this thing for reading the originals. And there so many things about Frankenstein in so many other works of fiction that I thought it was time for me to read the original thing. I've read before some short stories by Mary Shelley and I liked her style. However this time I'm trying it in english.

Non-fiction

1) How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
This book was actually started a few days ago. The first chapters were fun. Let's see how the rest goes.

Comics & Graphic Novels
1) From Hell by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell (illustrator), Pete Mullins (illustrator) (ebook)
Alan Moore comics are always very dense and well build. This one is about Jack the Ripper. I wasn't expecting it to be so awesome has it is. But it's so dense that I have to go slow so I don't miss on the details.

My 2015 ❤ Best Reads

This year I surprised myself by reading around 100 books. I never though it would be possible.
Last year I read around 50 and thought it was a lot. This year the goal was that. But as soon I got in the 50 goal I set it up, more 10 books, more 5 books, more and more until I reached the 100 mark.

I've read 29 Graphic Novels/Comics, heard 15 audiobooks, read 26 physical books and 59 digital ones. 11 books were in the Fantasy genre, 5 were romances, 19 were either Thrillers or Crime novels and 30 were related with art, illustration or design.

The most surprising one in the graphic novels genre was Locke & Key by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez (Artist)
At first I wasn't convinced with  the artwork and wasn't sure about the story. But then I got hooked!
I'm only missing one issue to finish the series. But my favourite is the Guide to the Known Keys.

Anya's Ghost, This one Summer and Through the Woods were my favourites in terms of illustration. Each one with it's own style. This one Summer artwork become one of my favourites artwork of all time!

In a more gory, brutal and violent style (which I also like) were The Strain; Southern Bastards and Outcast. These are ongoing series that I haven't continued yet. The Strain I've changed to the book trilogy. I will finish the comics after the books.

In the fantasy genre the bests were - The Strain, Coraline (I already knew the movie version, which make it hard to visualize something else while I was reading, but enjoy it a lot, and the illustrations by Dave McKean in this version are spot on). You might already know that I'm big fan of The Lord of Rings trilogy, more I read it more I like it. This time I've listened to the audiobook version of the Fellowship of the Ring and Two Towers and loved it! (I'm almost finished with The Return of the King, but I'm adding it already because I'm only a couple chapters away of finishing it).

I finally read three classical thrillers - Red Dragon and The silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris about the infamous Hannibal Lecter, and The Shining by Stephen King. I enjoy them all!

In the Crime genre these four books were a pleasant surprise - The Cove, 4th of July, The Redbreast and The Ice Princess.

and at last but not the least - four inspiring books that art/illustration related:
- Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon
- The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook by Alan Lee
- The Art of DreamWorks Animation
- I Love Paper: Paper-Cutting Techniques and Templates for Amazing Toys, Sculptures, Props, and Costumes by Fideli Sundqvist

What about you? Which books were you're favourites of 2015?

2015 - The year of the books

illustration by a outra mafalda | nuts for paper

This year was a year full of readings and new books.
These are some of the books that I've added to my shelves during this year.

From the Drenai Saga by David Gemmell
- Legend
- The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend
- The Swords of Night and Day

From Sherrilyn Kenyon Dark-Hunter series
- Dance with the Devil
- The Dream-Hunter
- Acheron
- Styxx

The Strain trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
- The Strain
- The Fall
- The Night Eternal

From Avalon series by Marion Zimmer Bradley
- Lady of Avalon
- Ancestors of Avalon
- Priestess of Avalon

The Killing trilogy by David Hewson

Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson
- 1st to Die
- 2nd Chance
- 3rd Degree
- 4th of July
- The 5th Horseman
- The 6th Target
- 7th Heaven
- The 8th Confession
- The 9th Judgment
- 1oth Anniversary
- 11th Hour
- 12th of Never
- Unlucky 13

I binged in Stephen King books
- Cujo
- It
- Bag of Bones
- Salem's Lot
- Nightmares and Dreamscapes
- Pet Sematary
- The Dark Half
- Night Shift
- The Shining
- Different Seasons
- The Tommyknockers
- Full Dark, No Stars
- On Writing
- Under the Dome
- Duma Key
- Just After Sunset
- Insomnia
- The Mist
- The Green Mile
- Boleia Arriscada

I also give in to Anne Rice books (specially in The Vampire Chronicles and also the Lives of the Mayfair Witches)
- Blood Canticle: The Vampire Chronicles
- Merrick
- Blackwood Farm:
- Lasher
- The Witching Hour
- Taltos
- The Queen of the Damned
- Interview with the Vampire
- The Vampire Lestat
- Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius
- The Vampire Armand
- Pandora and Vittorio the Vampire
- Memnoch The Devil
- The Tale of the Body Thief

I also got in my hands all the books about Hannibal Lecter written by Thomas Harris
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Red Dragon
- Hannibal
- Hannibal Rising

From Jo Nesbo I started to collect the Harry Hole series.

- The Devil's Star
- The Redbreast
- The Redeemer
- Nemesis
- The Snowman

From Fjällbacka series or Patrik Hedström series by Camilla Läckberg

- The Stonecutter
- The Gallows Bird
- The Hidden Child
- The Ice Princess
- The Preacher

From Tess Gerritsen I went with the Rizzoli & Isles series

- The Surgeon
- The Apprentice
- The Sinner
- Body Double
- Vanish
- Mephisto Club

I collected some classics too:

- Dracula by Bran Stocker
- The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Other Tales of Terror by Robert Louis Stevenson
- Frankenstein: Or, the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
- North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
- Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
- Moby-Dick: or, The Whale by Herman Melville
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The goal for 2016 is to read them!

Read in November 2015

1) The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo
Although this was the third book in this series about Harry Hole police detective/investigator of Norwegian Police, I started to read these series with this one. I enjoy it quite a lot, although I had to get use to the way the story was told.

2) 4th of July by James Patterson
Another book of the Women's Murder Club Series. I'm enjoying this series a lot, I just have to refrain myself of reading them all in (almost) in one sitting.

3) 20 ways to draw a tree by Eloise Renouf
Fun book with many ways to draw trees. It's good to remind myself that are many different ways to represent things.

4) Frank Miller: The Art of Sin City by Frank Miller
Perfect for fans of Graphic Novels and Sin City.

5) How to Make Book by Esther K.Smith
It's a pretty book, but some times is not that easy to follow the step to step guides.

6) The Art of Kung Fu Panda by Tracey Miller-Zarneke
7) The Art of DreamWorks Animation by Ramin Zahed
8) The Art of Megamind by Richard von Busack

Three books about the artwork and the work behind the scenes of animation films.

9) Pride and Prejudice by Nancy Butler (Graphic Novel - Marvel)
Beautiful covers, can stand the artwork inside.

10) I Love Paper: Paper-Cutting Tecnhiques and Templates for Amazing Toys, Sculptures, Props, and Costumes by Fideli Sundqvist
AWESOME book! Not just the design and photography of it, but the projects in it too. Great book for any paper lover.

11) The Walking Dead, Vol.01: Days Gone Bye by Robert Kirkman
I've never been very fan of zombies. This was a re-read of this comic book. Although I like the artwork and the story in the volume, I was never curious enough to continue read it.

Still reading:
1)The Killing by David Hewson
I'm reading this one since February. Still haven't finished. It's a very long book, but I'm enjoying it.

2) Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
I decide it was time to read some classics. This one was the first one that I've picked up.

3) From Hell by Alan Moore, Eddie Campbell and Pete Mullins
I wanted to read a quick Graphic Novel, unfortunately the one that I've picked was not that little or quick read. From Hell is about the Jack the Ripper case. As most of Alan Moore Graphic Novels is full with long and amazing text, which doesn't make it the quickest of the reads. Besides that it has around 500 pages.

4) The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
Yes still reading this one.

5) The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
I've started this one already in December and I'm almost finishing it. So far I'm really like it. More about in the end of December.