Born in a small coastal town in Liguria, Italy, to a Filipina mother and Swiss father, Giordano describes himself as a tireless globetrotter (and a restless person), who now lives and works in Tokyo. After studying at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and at the European Institute of Design, he earned a Master in Animation in Turin. He now works for a number of magazines and publishing houses around the world, illustrating book covers, designing toys, and creating children’s books and animations.

“Tokyo is a box full of colorful things from all over the world, a concentrate of interesting selected stuff, which catch my attention,” reflected Giordano, describing his inspirational surroundings in an interview with Sense of Creativity. “When I need some inspiration I immerse myself in this rich minestrone soup. I like walking around the city and pick up some little treasures, like a vintage Japanese book from a second-hand market, a delicate ceramic from a hidden tiny shop,  or a little crazy character stored in a forgotten box.”

“Since my childhood, I  had the dream of traveling and drawing animals and plants as an explorer of the nineteenth century, with the aim to become an illustrator for magazines such as National Geographic,” he admits. “For me, illustrations meant the naturalistic ones, born from a close observation of nature. That is why I have never drawn the human figure, avoiding it for years from my works. Only by participating in a tour organized by my school to the Bologna Book Fair, I discovered the world of picture books. I was surprised by the idea of expressing something I had inside, telling a world of pure imagination. I thought: ‘Let’s try to make a book!'”

Take a look at some of his colorful observations in the gallery below:

The post This Illustrator is a Tireless Globetrotter appeared first on PlayJunkie.

The author of various children’s books, Coppo uses a mixed technique combining tempera, pastels, and digital collage. “I began studying illustration from zero,” she relayed in an interview with The Picture Book Review. “I didn’t know much about the world of picture books. Let’s say it was a bit of a gamble. Fortunately, when I opened the door to this world, I fell in love with it.”

Coppo says that the form and structure of picture books are unique and extremely stimulating. “I love reading them and the idea to give this form to my stories came quite naturally,” she admits, adding that making picture books is a hybrid between writing and drawing: two worlds in which she feels at home.

“Creating a book is an incredibly exciting and terribly frustrating experience,” she adds. “The aha-insight moment is amazing. I’m not a very methodical person and I tend to scribble down stories. When I first come up with a story, it seems perfect (it never is). Then comes the part that I have to make concrete all of the things that I have in my head and that’s when the trouble begins.” According to Coppo, working on a book can be a taxing exercise. “Often I fall in love with the idea and lose sight of the bigger picture,” she notes. “In practical terms, it comes down to making compromises.”

A fan of irreverent stories, free camping, mountains, and tenderloin with green pepper, this is one illustrator you’ll want to follow on Instagram, if nothing else.

The post Marianna Coppo Has Mastered the Art of the Picture Book appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I like to draw and make things,” she writes on her website. “You’ll usually find me with a brush and ink in hand.” Inspired by pop culture and animals, as well as the mundanities of everyday life, her designs and illustrations can be found on limited edition prints, greeting cards, badges, pins, stationery, tote bags, and more.

“I started doing freelance illustration and set up my Etsy store back in 2013,” she shared in an interview with the Printed blog. “Back then I didn’t have many products or sense of direction, but my business and portfolio has since continued to grow more and more.”

Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2014 with a degree in illustration, she also takes commissions, with her selected clients including Walker Books, Arts Council England, and The Guardian. “I feel like nowadays with social media it doesn’t feel as lonely,” she says. “I’m part of a lot of online communities now and feel much more connected to my peers. I think it helps to understand that even the people you look up to are also struggling.”

Follow her creative journey through Instagram:

The post Add Some Cuteness to Your Feed with Sophie Heywood appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I have always had a passion for illustration & design for as long as I can remember,” writes Kay on her website. “I wanted to pursue this as a career but found jobs few-and-far-between and when a job did come up, I found it was someone else’s creative vision rather than my own.”

And so, after a lot of research, she decided to open her own e-commerce store, which allowed her to have full control of the creative reigns. “Slowly but surely, I have created designs, from custom portraits to hand-printed mugs (which I do myself in my little studio),” she says. “I can honestly say this is my passion, I am so thankful everyday that I get to create and illustrate cute things with some of my favorite colors & inspired by the things I love the most (Anime, coffee, books & animals) “

Aside from her commercial work, she’s also working on her first children’s book for a small publisher up in Scotland. Her style – playful, naive, and very kawaii – tends to stick to bright, pastel colors. “By zoning in on the things that make me happy, illustration cute pastel happy stuff made me happy, so I decided to explore this route,” she writes. “I believe my style is forever adapting and changing, even if its subtle as my skills and techniques change over time!”

Check out her work on Instagram and follow her day-to-day on YouTube:

The post Enter Katnipp’s Pastel Universe appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A multi-instrumentalist, Trench can play the guitar, harp, cello, and a dozen other instruments, while his loyal furry sidekick is an accomplished musician herself with the drums and a few other instruments (or at least so it seems!).

The two are known for covering popular songs (anything from Disney to rock and roll) and have a huge catalog of music videos that they post on various platforms online, which include a YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram page.

In some of their more recent videos, you can spot the latest addition to the family: a rescue pup named Cherry. “She’s very shy & timid as she had a tough life before adoption but with lots of love and patience she’s learning to trust again and she has become very attached to Maple,” Trench wrote on his Twitter page. “She’s tiny and sweet, she’s Cherry.”

You can support this independent duo on Patreon, where you’ll also be able to download mp3s of all of their music.

The post A Dog and a Musician Make the Best of Friends appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I am a smooth coated Brussels Griffon, which is a type of dog, not a woodland critter, gremlin, ewok or other mythical creature,” reads his website (you didn’t think he didn’t have a website, right?)

Based in downtown New York City, his hobbies include sidewalk cafes, rooftop parties, Central Park, and sleeping on the subway.  “On occasion, I engage in dog-like behavior, namely, playing fetch, barking incessantly at toys I have intentionally dropped off the couch, and zooming around the living room for no apparent reason,” says his website.

His nicknames include Sproutie, Sproutito, Bandito, Puppito, Puppers, Sweet Potato and, sometimes when he’s feeling especially cheeky,  Sir Sproutie Von Brusselington. According to his owner, he gets extraordinarily pouty when he’s tired. Which naturally, makes for a very cute photo op.

Follow him on Instagram, you know you want to.

The post This Pooch is Extraordinarily Pouty appeared first on PlayJunkie.

But even though he is now an Instagram sensation, life wasn’t always easy for Norbert. In 2009, when he was 4 months old, his mom Julie Steines adopted him through PetFinder.com. He was not in a shelter or rescue, but needed a special kind of home due to his tiny size. The only puppy in his litter, when he was born his fur was dark brown and slowly changed color over the first two years of his life. 

Named after the dragon from Harry Potter, the American mathematician and philosopher Norbert Wiener, and Saint Norbert of Xanten – little Norbert has a lot to live up to. His special gift? Making people smile. With a recent DNA test showing he is part Chihuahua part Small Poodle, he’s truly one-of-a-kind!

A trained therapy dog, Norbert currently volunteers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and by special request. A special pooch and one worth following on Instagram.

The post Norbert’s Cuteness is Overwhelming appeared first on PlayJunkie.

But with more than 759k followers on Instagram alone, he’s kind of a big deal. Aside from his Instagram page, Crusoe is best known for his wacky videos often featuring his unique homemade outfits which together have topped over 1.1 billion views, many of which reaching 30+ million views individually.

His celebrity lifestyle includes traveling around the world, visiting places like Maine, the Bahamas, Florida, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico, as well as having toured all across the US & Canada. Oh, and he’s also the “author” of a self-titled New York Times Bestselling book.

His parents, Ryan and Lauren, are also his acting managers and promoters. Born in Montreal, he was raised near Mont Tremblant, Quebec for the first couple years of his life. He has since moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Shortly into the first year of his life, he had his first debut on television for winning best trick at an annual wiener dog event. After that, his life snowballed into that of a renowned international celebrity. He has even won a People’s Choice Award for Animal Star of 2018!

But he also had his fair share of hardship. In 2016, Crusoe underwent surgery on his back for a ruptured disc followed by months of rehabilitation. Many considered it a textbook example of rehabilitation, and his owners say that he is now back to 100% his happy little self. Good for him!

The post This Miniature Dachshund is Kind of a Big Deal appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Aiming to add a little bit of sunshine to this funny old planet, while making a few people smile along the way, her website brings a refreshing twist on what we typically know as “news,” reporting on positive changes and truly inspiring people. She also runs an Instagram page, where she shares uplifting mantras and quotes.

“Without really realising I started on my little happy mission,” she admitted in an interview with Virgin. “I thought if I could make a few people’s worlds a little happier then that’s what I would do until I figured out what I was going to do for a ‘proper’ job. I set up a Kickstarter to fund the first issue of The Happy Newspaper, a newspaper to celebrate all the good stuff going on in the world.”

Since launching her project, Coxhead has appeared on BBC, HuffPost, and more, released a range of greeting cards and merchandise, published her book Make Someone Happy with Penguin Random House and is continuing to expand all things happy from the worlds tiniest, most rainbow-filled office. 

“The fact that I can do what makes me happy for a living whilst also making others happy surely has to be the best thing ever!” she exclaims. “But also cups of tea, biscuits, and sunsets make me happy.”

Follow her Instagram page for more good vibes.

The post Emily Coxhead Adds a Bit of Sunshine to the World Around Her appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A self-taught illustrator, Kitagishi made an illustration every day and posted it on Instagram for a whole year – a practice which pushed her creativity forward. “I often draw characters like cats, owls, rabbits, girls with bobbed hair and men with mustaches,” Said Kitagishi in an interview with Flow Magazine.

Her Inspiration comes mainly from children’s picture books. “I love the bright colors you find in them!” she exclaims. “And from the fairy-tale books of my childhood. But I also find pleasure in my daily life, like eating delicious food, chatting with my friends and family, and coming across cute cats in my neighborhood.”

But her illustrations aren’t just drawn on canvases. She also paints careful illustrations on her nails. “I love drawing, and I draw on any blank space I can find,” she says. “So one day, I l decided my nails were just a good a canvas as any. When I started, I soon realized that it’s just like drawing on paper. I haven’t studied anything specific about nail art; I simple learn a little more each day through trial and error, and the details get better all the time.”

Follow her Instagram page for more.

The post Yumi Kitagishi’s Art is All About Cuteness appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Born in a small coastal town in Liguria, Italy, to a Filipina mother and Swiss father, Giordano describes himself as a tireless globetrotter (and a restless person), who now lives and works in Tokyo. After studying at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts and at the European Institute of Design, he earned a Master in Animation in Turin. He now works for a number of magazines and publishing houses around the world, illustrating book covers, designing toys, and creating children’s books and animations.

“Tokyo is a box full of colorful things from all over the world, a concentrate of interesting selected stuff, which catch my attention,” reflected Giordano, describing his inspirational surroundings in an interview with Sense of Creativity. “When I need some inspiration I immerse myself in this rich minestrone soup. I like walking around the city and pick up some little treasures, like a vintage Japanese book from a second-hand market, a delicate ceramic from a hidden tiny shop,  or a little crazy character stored in a forgotten box.”

“Since my childhood, I  had the dream of traveling and drawing animals and plants as an explorer of the nineteenth century, with the aim to become an illustrator for magazines such as National Geographic,” he admits. “For me, illustrations meant the naturalistic ones, born from a close observation of nature. That is why I have never drawn the human figure, avoiding it for years from my works. Only by participating in a tour organized by my school to the Bologna Book Fair, I discovered the world of picture books. I was surprised by the idea of expressing something I had inside, telling a world of pure imagination. I thought: ‘Let’s try to make a book!'”

Take a look at some of his colorful observations in the gallery below:

The post This Illustrator is a Tireless Globetrotter appeared first on PlayJunkie.

The author of various children’s books, Coppo uses a mixed technique combining tempera, pastels, and digital collage. “I began studying illustration from zero,” she relayed in an interview with The Picture Book Review. “I didn’t know much about the world of picture books. Let’s say it was a bit of a gamble. Fortunately, when I opened the door to this world, I fell in love with it.”

Coppo says that the form and structure of picture books are unique and extremely stimulating. “I love reading them and the idea to give this form to my stories came quite naturally,” she admits, adding that making picture books is a hybrid between writing and drawing: two worlds in which she feels at home.

“Creating a book is an incredibly exciting and terribly frustrating experience,” she adds. “The aha-insight moment is amazing. I’m not a very methodical person and I tend to scribble down stories. When I first come up with a story, it seems perfect (it never is). Then comes the part that I have to make concrete all of the things that I have in my head and that’s when the trouble begins.” According to Coppo, working on a book can be a taxing exercise. “Often I fall in love with the idea and lose sight of the bigger picture,” she notes. “In practical terms, it comes down to making compromises.”

A fan of irreverent stories, free camping, mountains, and tenderloin with green pepper, this is one illustrator you’ll want to follow on Instagram, if nothing else.

The post Marianna Coppo Has Mastered the Art of the Picture Book appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I like to draw and make things,” she writes on her website. “You’ll usually find me with a brush and ink in hand.” Inspired by pop culture and animals, as well as the mundanities of everyday life, her designs and illustrations can be found on limited edition prints, greeting cards, badges, pins, stationery, tote bags, and more.

“I started doing freelance illustration and set up my Etsy store back in 2013,” she shared in an interview with the Printed blog. “Back then I didn’t have many products or sense of direction, but my business and portfolio has since continued to grow more and more.”

Having graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in 2014 with a degree in illustration, she also takes commissions, with her selected clients including Walker Books, Arts Council England, and The Guardian. “I feel like nowadays with social media it doesn’t feel as lonely,” she says. “I’m part of a lot of online communities now and feel much more connected to my peers. I think it helps to understand that even the people you look up to are also struggling.”

Follow her creative journey through Instagram:

The post Add Some Cuteness to Your Feed with Sophie Heywood appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I have always had a passion for illustration & design for as long as I can remember,” writes Kay on her website. “I wanted to pursue this as a career but found jobs few-and-far-between and when a job did come up, I found it was someone else’s creative vision rather than my own.”

And so, after a lot of research, she decided to open her own e-commerce store, which allowed her to have full control of the creative reigns. “Slowly but surely, I have created designs, from custom portraits to hand-printed mugs (which I do myself in my little studio),” she says. “I can honestly say this is my passion, I am so thankful everyday that I get to create and illustrate cute things with some of my favorite colors & inspired by the things I love the most (Anime, coffee, books & animals) “

Aside from her commercial work, she’s also working on her first children’s book for a small publisher up in Scotland. Her style – playful, naive, and very kawaii – tends to stick to bright, pastel colors. “By zoning in on the things that make me happy, illustration cute pastel happy stuff made me happy, so I decided to explore this route,” she writes. “I believe my style is forever adapting and changing, even if its subtle as my skills and techniques change over time!”

Check out her work on Instagram and follow her day-to-day on YouTube:

The post Enter Katnipp’s Pastel Universe appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A multi-instrumentalist, Trench can play the guitar, harp, cello, and a dozen other instruments, while his loyal furry sidekick is an accomplished musician herself with the drums and a few other instruments (or at least so it seems!).

The two are known for covering popular songs (anything from Disney to rock and roll) and have a huge catalog of music videos that they post on various platforms online, which include a YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram page.

In some of their more recent videos, you can spot the latest addition to the family: a rescue pup named Cherry. “She’s very shy & timid as she had a tough life before adoption but with lots of love and patience she’s learning to trust again and she has become very attached to Maple,” Trench wrote on his Twitter page. “She’s tiny and sweet, she’s Cherry.”

You can support this independent duo on Patreon, where you’ll also be able to download mp3s of all of their music.

The post A Dog and a Musician Make the Best of Friends appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“I am a smooth coated Brussels Griffon, which is a type of dog, not a woodland critter, gremlin, ewok or other mythical creature,” reads his website (you didn’t think he didn’t have a website, right?)

Based in downtown New York City, his hobbies include sidewalk cafes, rooftop parties, Central Park, and sleeping on the subway.  “On occasion, I engage in dog-like behavior, namely, playing fetch, barking incessantly at toys I have intentionally dropped off the couch, and zooming around the living room for no apparent reason,” says his website.

His nicknames include Sproutie, Sproutito, Bandito, Puppito, Puppers, Sweet Potato and, sometimes when he’s feeling especially cheeky,  Sir Sproutie Von Brusselington. According to his owner, he gets extraordinarily pouty when he’s tired. Which naturally, makes for a very cute photo op.

Follow him on Instagram, you know you want to.

The post This Pooch is Extraordinarily Pouty appeared first on PlayJunkie.

But even though he is now an Instagram sensation, life wasn’t always easy for Norbert. In 2009, when he was 4 months old, his mom Julie Steines adopted him through PetFinder.com. He was not in a shelter or rescue, but needed a special kind of home due to his tiny size. The only puppy in his litter, when he was born his fur was dark brown and slowly changed color over the first two years of his life. 

Named after the dragon from Harry Potter, the American mathematician and philosopher Norbert Wiener, and Saint Norbert of Xanten – little Norbert has a lot to live up to. His special gift? Making people smile. With a recent DNA test showing he is part Chihuahua part Small Poodle, he’s truly one-of-a-kind!

A trained therapy dog, Norbert currently volunteers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and by special request. A special pooch and one worth following on Instagram.

The post Norbert’s Cuteness is Overwhelming appeared first on PlayJunkie.

But with more than 759k followers on Instagram alone, he’s kind of a big deal. Aside from his Instagram page, Crusoe is best known for his wacky videos often featuring his unique homemade outfits which together have topped over 1.1 billion views, many of which reaching 30+ million views individually.

His celebrity lifestyle includes traveling around the world, visiting places like Maine, the Bahamas, Florida, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico, as well as having toured all across the US & Canada. Oh, and he’s also the “author” of a self-titled New York Times Bestselling book.

His parents, Ryan and Lauren, are also his acting managers and promoters. Born in Montreal, he was raised near Mont Tremblant, Quebec for the first couple years of his life. He has since moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Shortly into the first year of his life, he had his first debut on television for winning best trick at an annual wiener dog event. After that, his life snowballed into that of a renowned international celebrity. He has even won a People’s Choice Award for Animal Star of 2018!

But he also had his fair share of hardship. In 2016, Crusoe underwent surgery on his back for a ruptured disc followed by months of rehabilitation. Many considered it a textbook example of rehabilitation, and his owners say that he is now back to 100% his happy little self. Good for him!

The post This Miniature Dachshund is Kind of a Big Deal appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Aiming to add a little bit of sunshine to this funny old planet, while making a few people smile along the way, her website brings a refreshing twist on what we typically know as “news,” reporting on positive changes and truly inspiring people. She also runs an Instagram page, where she shares uplifting mantras and quotes.

“Without really realising I started on my little happy mission,” she admitted in an interview with Virgin. “I thought if I could make a few people’s worlds a little happier then that’s what I would do until I figured out what I was going to do for a ‘proper’ job. I set up a Kickstarter to fund the first issue of The Happy Newspaper, a newspaper to celebrate all the good stuff going on in the world.”

Since launching her project, Coxhead has appeared on BBC, HuffPost, and more, released a range of greeting cards and merchandise, published her book Make Someone Happy with Penguin Random House and is continuing to expand all things happy from the worlds tiniest, most rainbow-filled office. 

“The fact that I can do what makes me happy for a living whilst also making others happy surely has to be the best thing ever!” she exclaims. “But also cups of tea, biscuits, and sunsets make me happy.”

Follow her Instagram page for more good vibes.

The post Emily Coxhead Adds a Bit of Sunshine to the World Around Her appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A self-taught illustrator, Kitagishi made an illustration every day and posted it on Instagram for a whole year – a practice which pushed her creativity forward. “I often draw characters like cats, owls, rabbits, girls with bobbed hair and men with mustaches,” Said Kitagishi in an interview with Flow Magazine.

Her Inspiration comes mainly from children’s picture books. “I love the bright colors you find in them!” she exclaims. “And from the fairy-tale books of my childhood. But I also find pleasure in my daily life, like eating delicious food, chatting with my friends and family, and coming across cute cats in my neighborhood.”

But her illustrations aren’t just drawn on canvases. She also paints careful illustrations on her nails. “I love drawing, and I draw on any blank space I can find,” she says. “So one day, I l decided my nails were just a good a canvas as any. When I started, I soon realized that it’s just like drawing on paper. I haven’t studied anything specific about nail art; I simple learn a little more each day through trial and error, and the details get better all the time.”

Follow her Instagram page for more.

The post Yumi Kitagishi’s Art is All About Cuteness appeared first on PlayJunkie.