Portrait: Sam McAdam-Cooper.

Tracy Lines is the owner of Tracy Lines Creative. Previously a lifestyle publisher at Murdoch Books and longtime creative director at InsideOut magazine, her love of words & pictures, a bit of nostalgia, simplicity, and a lot of heart is what makes Tracy's style so sought after. During the week she's designing and art directing exhibitions, books, websites and corporate identities, and at the weekend transforming her girls into wild cats. Here's a peek into her week...



Monday
Start thinking about ideas for the next edition of The Quintessential Magazine. Our Christmas edition is live now. I conceptualised and launched this online magazine alongside Leanne Carter-Taylor last year and we're up to the 6th edition. Each new edition becomes my favourite. We commission all the content and I particularly love this cover designed by Racket, the imagery of Stephanie Somebody and the beautiful lead Christmas story which my dear friends Glen Proebstel and Sharyn Cairns shot  for us.



Tuesday
A meeting about a new book project. I really enjoy going out to meet clients. It gives me the opportunity to appreciate what's around me... I'm so inspired by nature and natural colour. I realise I love driving under these trees in Rozelle, which I do every day. Back home, I'm feeling Christmassy and pull out the decorations. The combination of linen Christmas stockings for the girls, vintage baubles and my beloved ceramic tags, stars and birds from Paper Boat Press make Christmas magical.



Wednesday
A delicious breakfast meeting with Martin Boetz at his new restaurant Rushcutters (10 Nield Ave, Rushcutters Bay) for which I created the identity. Good food and a relaxed vibe. It feels local and friendly. I've been working with Marty building his print identity and produce range since he started his inspiring new venture Cooks Co-op last year. I love working with clients who stand for good quality, ethical business and are a pleasure to work with. His new collaboration with the Keystone group has made working on this project even more rewarding for me. In the evening, I write a quintessential magazine blog post for Martyn Thompson's inspiring new book WORKING SPACE published by Hardie Grant. Beautifully written & shot, it's definitely going to be in my friends' Christmas stockings this year.



Thursday
Every day I sit down at my desk and feel so grateful I'm working in a space I love surrounded by my things and old photos of my family. To be working with friends and clients who are talented and inspiring is a joy. Today I'm designing a book with Karen McCartney. I love this project. It will be such a beautiful and thoughtful book. Because Karen and I have worked so closely for so long, we virtually finish each other's sentences. It makes working together effortless and very satisfying. When we meet we also squeeze in a cup of tea, a debrief on both the exhibition we're working on, and the book projects we have in the pipeline. More images of my working space & home will be published in InsideOut magazine early next year.



Friday
My working week is (kind of) over. It's pretty intense and sometimes round the clock for me throughout the week in order to spend Fridays with my gorgeous little Stella. We go to The School to have a last look at Lara Hutton and Jacqui Fink's beautiful and emotive Sea Art exhibition and deliver some postcards which I designed for them.

 

The weekend
Our weekends are family time. We generally hang out at home and around Rozelle. Today we take the girls to Taronga Zoo and once home, they want to be transformed into snow leopards and lions. We all enjoy a bit of dress up and facepaint and while they are prowling around, I sit in the garden and squeeze in the reading of a manuscript for a book I'm helping one of my clients self publish. We go to Luna Park to see our talented friend Ava in her annual ballet show. Excitement all round. The ferry journey is the icing on the cake. It never ceases to amaze me how lucky we are to be able to travel around our city by boat.

See more of Tracy's style at the Tracy Lines Creative website or follow her on Instagram @tracylinescreative.