We have another lovely lady and her desk over here at Pinegate Road today. I’m very excited to introduce you to Sarah Lenger, a design inspiration (and my former boss!). Sarah, Take it away!

My name is Sarah Lenger and by day, I am an Art Director at the University of Iowa, and by night, I am a freelance stationery designer with Shutterfly.com. I have a BFA in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. I live in Iowa City with my husband, Ryan, my dog, Shea, and cat, Gary. When I’m not designing, I am scheming on ways to improve my house and make it perfect. I love remodling projects!

What gets you jazzed?

Other designers. Etsy. Pinterest. Smart people. Good ideas. West Elm. Neon + neutral. Ombre. Stripes. Ikat. Fashion. Friends. Project Runway. Prada. Birthdays. Painting. Shopping. Wine. ;)

Where do you go to find inspiration?

It sounds cliché, but I find inspiration everywhere. I’ve been known to snap a photo of the print of someone’s blouse at a bus stop or in my office. I rip things out of magazines. I keep up with about 100 blogs on Google Reader. I pin. I browse (and buy!) on etsy. I keep in touch with designer friends.

Tell me a little about this project and how it was inspired: 

I was inspired by the painterly line of Anne Sage‘s dress and the illustration by Jenny Bowers. I made my own painted line design, scanned it in, and added in a vintage Japanese painting for color. I set it on a neutral grey background for writing. My typography options are limited to what Shutterfly offers their customers, so I chose the most painterly style they have, which is Liorah.

(find Sarah’s stationery here)

If you could give one tip to the rest of us, what would that be?

Never stop learning! Our industry is constantly changing…both trends and technology. Stay current tips and tricks in Adobe programs, as well as what’s going on stylistically in the design world.

Check out Sarah’s portfolio.