Z O E T R O P A

merry christmas!

2010-12-24T08:55:00.001-05:00

the office christmas party

2010-12-23T09:09:00.001-05:00

Around this time every year I like to re-watch a few of my favorite holiday films. This year so far I've watched The Apartment and Desk Set. I like these because they are not too Christmas-y and both happen to take place in office settings in New York City around the same era, the late 1950's. Not quite Mad Men territory yet, but close. I've always liked the office Christmas party scenes in both of these, they're both funny and sweet and a little bittersweet too (in The Apartment, that is). These movies kind of make me wish I was living in the big city in 1959, working in the reference department of some big ol' company and having Katherine Hepburn as my boss. Wouldn't that be fabulous?

bazaar bizarre pics

2010-12-21T07:40:00.003-05:00

Here are the few photos I managed to take (on my phone, sorry for the lousy pics) during Bazaar Bizarre this year. It seems so long ago now, although it was only a few weeks ago. I had a super time, it was pretty busy throughout the day, I got to chat with some friends and fellow crafters. I wish I had time to go around and check out each and every vendor, there were so many!

my table

I did check out a few of my favorite vendors though, thanks to a handy map the organizers gave everyone it was easy to find them. I even picked up a few goodies, like this little fella by VintagebyCrystal. He's by far my favorite ornament on the tree this year, his facial expression & little teeth make me laugh. :)

last minute gift ideas...!

2010-12-14T11:28:00.003-05:00

*lapland rainbow mittens by rainbow mittens*

With Christmas eleven days away, there's still some time left to purchase awesome handmade & vintage gifts! I made a fun etsy treasury inspired by the colors in the mittens above. I just love those mittens! Perhaps because they kinda match my blog. ;-)

*visit the treasury*

new gift wrap

2010-12-08T09:31:00.006-05:00

I've added a few new gift wrap items to the shop.

These are perfect for small yet very important gifts!

mini kraft paper bags w/red stripes : $4 set/5

little stockings gift bags : $3 set/3

red mittens gift boxes : $3 each

little stockings gift tags : $4 set/8

bazaar bizarre 2010

2010-12-02T22:48:00.004-05:00

I've been pretty busy getting ready for Bazaar Bizarre Boston this weekend. I decided to take a break and make an Etsy treasury showcasing just a few of the amazing vendors that will be on hand. Check out the treasury here. If you are able to come to BBB, please do!! It should be a rollicking good time! It's on Sunday, December 5th from 12-7pm at the Cyclorama. For more info, visit the BBB site: bazaarbizarre.org/boston

Hope to see you there!

holiday sale!

2010-11-23T08:27:00.003-05:00

Hello! I'm having a HOLIDAY SALE in the shop! Enter the coupon code HOLIDAYS2010 during check out and receive a 20% discount on your entire order (not including shipping.) The sale starts today and goes through Monday, November 29th (12 a.m. EST)
*
p.s. Sorry I've been MIA lately, I've been very busy but I hope to get back to the blog soon. I hope you are all well! :-)

:: we speak no americano!

2010-10-20T18:33:00.001-04:00

This video made me giggle. A lot. I hope you like it too! :)

(found via Pleasure of the Damned)

cute poster

2010-10-19T09:03:00.001-04:00

chotto omoshiroi poster

If I had my own studio or a child's room to decorate, I'd be very tempted to buy this poster. So cute and you can even learn a bit of japanese from it too!
Available at the new Pikabooks shop! :)

the berkshires: mass moca

2010-10-06T18:08:00.004-04:00

Our second day in the Berkshires (continued from yesterday's post) was spent taking a scenic drive for a few hours and then heading to MASS MoCA, a contemporary art museum in North Adams and a must visit if you are ever out that way.

MASS MoCA is housed in a group of 19th century factory buildings that are connected by enclosed foot bridges, elevators, and courtyards. The buildings have been barely altered, making it feel über-industrial which I liked very much. This large open room had one exhibit in it, an upside down mid century office/home enclosed in a glass box. The work is a project called Gravity Is a Force to be Reckoned With by artist Inigo Manglano-Ovalle. I thought it was very cool plus I really liked this room.

Above, the Sol LeWitt exhibit spied through the window and a teaser view below. The exhibit is titled A Wall Drawing Retrospective and consists of over 100 large scale drawings spanning the artist's career from 1969-2007. The show was installed by about 65 artists and art students over the course of 6 months. Read more about this exhibit in this excellent recent Etsy blog post.

Before hitting the road for our journey home, we made a final stop at the Natural Bridge State Park which is apparently the only naturally formed white marble arch and man made white marble dam in North America. It was very pretty, like a mini Niagara Falls. ;)

the berkshires: mount greylock

2010-10-05T07:57:00.004-04:00

I haven't been on a trip anywhere in ages so I was a little too excited to be taking a short trip three hours west to the Berkshires. My husband and I drove out Saturday morning but made a detour through Amherst to stop at Judie's Restaurant for a delicious lunch that included the most amazing popovers. We then drove to North Adams and spent the afternoon driving up Mount Greylock and taking in the gorgeous views. Perfect weather, warm, crisp, and refreshing. The foliage was just starting to show but in a few weeks it will be so much more colorful. May have to take another trip!

{please click on the pictures to get a larger view.}

Tomorrow's post: Mass Moca!

hollywood pets!

2010-09-29T21:32:00.003-04:00

I found some nice new photos for my pet project Hollywood Pets. Above is the child actress Virginia Weidler. Perhaps you recognize her? She's the one who steals many scenes away from Jimmy Stewart, Katherine Hepburn, and Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story. Brilliant little actress. If you haven't seen that movie yet, go see it now darn it!

Clarke Gable

Dolores del Rio

Paul Muni

I'm having a difficult time finding cat pictures. Bumming me out a bit. Hollywood was definitely more into dogs than cats, or at least posing with their dogs rather than cats. It's hard to get a cat to pose I suppose.

These dogs are awfully cute though. :)

notebooks

2010-09-28T09:01:00.004-04:00

I've added a couple of new notebooks in the shop. They are staple bound with blank pages inside and made of 100% recycled paper. I'm very excited about them and I'm going to make some more today with more cover designs.

In the meantime,
the Speech Bubble notebook and the Paper Clip notebook are in the shop.

ok go dog go !

2010-09-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

I'm sure you've seen this already, it's been all over the place since it premiered this week.
But hey, I like it so much I must post it! These guys have done it again, a most entertaining low budget video. Simplicity is the best. Enjoy!

P.S. You can buy this video at the price point you choose on the OK GO website.
All net proceeds will be donated to the ASPCA. Help support our animal friends!

Have a super weekend!

circus bear

2010-09-23T08:13:00.003-04:00

I recently purchased this circus bear from one of my favorite shops, The Good Machinery. I've been eyeing him for the past three years. He now lives in my kitchen! :)

knitting again

2010-09-21T14:18:00.003-04:00

Autumn is officially right around the corner and it definitely feels like it with the cooler weather. I've picked up knitting again, going to make a second scarf but this time using the knit and pearl stitches. Are they called stitches? Anyways, above is the yellow scarf I made last winter, it's a bit too short but it still works. I was smart this time and purchased two skeins so the scarf will be long enough. I'm using the same Merino yarn but in blue. I like how it is coming out so far.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. I had a bad bout with food poisoning and was bedridden much of the weekend. I'm so much better now though but boy it wiped me out. No clam chowder for me in the near future. :(

and now for something completely different

2010-09-17T07:57:00.005-04:00

Oh hi! How have you been? Long time no see...

I'm seriously going to get back to blogging next week. for real. pinky promise.

until then, enjoy something completely different.

runaway! ;)

100!

2010-08-26T22:10:00.005-04:00

Yeah!!!! 100 "official" followers on this blog! I try not to pay too close attention to the numbers of things, it can be easy to get caught up in it and read too much into it but hey, 100 followers is quite awesome. Thanks everyone!

So, I know I haven't been blogging so much this summer. Sorry, I guess I sort of took an unplanned break. Sometimes you need it, don't you think? I plan to get organized and get back to blogging regularly soon because I miss it.

The above photo is the view from my booth at last weekend's first ever Bizarre Bazaar Summer Fair. It was so much fun, the first two hours flew by, it was so busy and crowded. I can't wait 'til next year (hopefully there will be a next year!) By the way, I'm very happy to announce that I got accepted into this year's Bizarre Bazaar Holiday Fair. Hooray! Last year was my first time doing it and it was great fun, so I can't wait for this year. Mark your calendars for December 5th! :)

Have a super weekend everyone!

spool art

2010-08-03T14:54:00.016-04:00

Spools of thread are wonderfully colorful and industrious, but hey, who said they need only be used for sewing? Here are some trés cool spool-inspired art!

The two photos above were found on s kujeniece.com , a design studio in Amsterdam. The vases are so simple and pretty.

This picture is of writer Douglas Coupland's home which I found on Roseland Greene. I like this a lot, I'm a sucker for a clean white palette and lots of bits of color all neat in a row.

And speaking of being all neat in a row, artist Devorah Sperber created this commissioned work in 2009 which is currently (hopefully still) hanging behind the front desk of the Fashion 26 Hotel in NYC. It is entitled After Mondrian (Fashion 26), measures 59.5" x 59.5" and consists of 1632 spools of thread. Pretty awesome, no?

Christmas in July!

2010-07-28T08:22:00.004-04:00

I'm having a Christmas in July Sale in the shop from July 28-31! It's never too early to start your holiday shopping, right!?! ;) Visit the sale here: Christmas in July!

hollywood pets

2010-07-26T15:51:00.010-04:00

brigitte sleeps in

I've been sort of lazy today resting and relaxing. I'm worn out from yesterday's SoWa Open Market and I thought I would do something fun (involving the computer of course, can't get away from it apparently) looking up pictures of classic hollywood stars with their pets on and off the screen. I started to collect them all here on my new Hollywood Pets blog. Hope you like it!

audrey and her deer

william powell and friend

alfred and his four legged friend

I completely expected Hitchcock to have been a cat person. But nope, he liked his little doggies.

frame shop: part 1

2010-07-21T13:44:00.011-04:00

Hey there! I've been busy this week trying to reorganize my desk/work space for what seems like the seven millionth time. Ah, but this time I actually got smart and went to the Container Store where I spent three hours and too much money (but worth it I think!) on organizing materials. Mainly I purchased a whole bunch of plastic drawers that will go on the high shelf above my desk which will somehow magically make everything super organized and tidy. I labeled one of the new drawers Art+Prints. I have been gradually accumulating a collection of small art prints over the past few years and realized I need to store them nicely and also hang some of them up, they're just too nice to be hiding. And not just hang them with tape, I'm talking about, ya know, framing them. I'm starting with some Ikea frames that have just been hanging around under my desk for the past year or so. My husband and I were initially going to put some of our travel photos in them but, ah, apparently that never happened. Well, I thought it was about time to finally put them to good use. First I decided to frame the Camilla Engman postcard which I love and already had hanging up with just a thumbtack, string and a couple of clothespins. Well, I know it's just a postcard but I think it deserves a frame, it's just so sweet and her style here really inspires me. I used some japanese masking tape and a piece of dark pink paper for matting and done! Next up: I just had to put this great black and white illustration from Virginia Kraljevic into a frame. Isn't it wonderful? It's called Doodle Puff. :)

I'm going to hang these right over my desk!

{to be continued...}

friday5: a day at the beach, circa '77

2010-07-08T21:23:00.019-04:00

:: Photograph by Poco Loco Creativo ::

Heading out to the beach this weekend? Yeah, me neither. But I wish I were though. Hey, if I were heading out to the beach and I was suddenly magically transported back in time to say 1977, then I'd need to pick up a few groovy items before hitting the dunes, right? Besides the obvious necessities of a chevron bathing suit, an awesome beach towel, some suntan lotion (really, what were people thinking!?!), and a cooler filled with 7up, I think I'd need a few more items to make my trip to the beach comfy.

:: 70s Foster Grant Sunglasses from Cool Vintage Finds ::

:: Terry Cloth Dress from Twin Hearts Vintage ::

Well, an obvious other necessity for me is sunglasses. I go nowhere without them and hey these ones have an extra cool factor with the tinted pink shades. I think this cute aqua terry cloth dress will make a nice beach cover up too. And it can double as a towel too. ;)

:: Woven Rainbow Tote from Really Truly ::

:: Sunshine Terry Cloth Hat from ReCultivation ::

An awesome rainbow bag to carry all my things would be perfect! Along with a groovy orange and mustard yellow terry cloth (what else!) hat. Must keep my hair in place with all that seaside wind!

:: Sandy Dr. Scholl's from Marie's Vintage ::

:: Turquoise Dr. Scholl's from Sweet Clothes of Mine ::

Dr. Scholl's, how I love you! I would definitely need a pair of these wonderful sandals/clogs on my feet. When are these going to make a comeback? Hopefully soon. (What on earth have I been wearing to the beach since I've outgrown my beloved Dr. Scholl's!?! For the life of me I can not remember what color mine were but I think think think they were red. I hope they were red. Perhaps navy. No, red!)

:: The Beach Boys on vinyl from Meg's Muse ::

:: Hidden Flask/Radio from Pica Pica Found ::

Some tunes at the beach is always good, and a little drinky drink is nice too. May have to settle for listening to my fellow beach goers radio and be happy that this "transistor radio" which is in fact a hidden flask. ;)

:: Harlequin Romance from Young Hearts Vintage ::

:: The Hardy Boys from Fun In The Kitchen 7 ::

Well, yes it will be fun listening to Surfin' USA and mixing myself some gin and tonics and such but I think I'll also be in need of some literature too. I'm thinking perhaps some Virginia Woolf or Proust. You know, light reading. ;) Okay, I may slip into my bag a harlequin romance or more likely, a Hardy Boys mystery.

Well, I hope whatever you are up to this weekend that you relax, have fun, keep cool, read a good book, and stay groovy. I'll be at SoWa on Sunday, stop by and say hello. Here are the boys to play us out...

journal sale

2010-06-28T17:11:00.008-04:00

I'm going to phase out the moleskine journals in the shop over the next few months to make way for some new handmade journals for the fall. I've been thinking about doing this for a while and now is finally the time. The moleskine journals are on sale in the shop throughout the rest of the summer. $5 for the small ones, $8 for the large ones.

hello again...

2010-06-23T21:52:00.011-04:00

It's been a long time since I've blogged properly. It's been a long time since I've read a blog too. I feel very much out of the loop of things. I hope to get back soon though. I've been a bit busy lately with my new job (I'm managing an art gallery and art supply shop!) and I've also been doing a few craft fairs too, it's that time of year I suppose. And last week I went to the Etsy 5th Birthday Celebrations in my old stomping grounds in Somerville, MA. It was hosted by the wonderful ladies from Boston Bazaar Bizarre and they did an awesome job! You can check out pictures from the event here. I got to chat with lots of cool folks, eat delicious cake, and make some pinback buttons.

Last Sunday was the Printing Arts Fair at the Museum of Printing in N. Andover, MA where I nice time talking with the "Ladies of Letterpress": Angela Ligouri, Melissa from Pressbound, Shelley from Albertine Press, and Kelly from May Day Studio. The fair was a bit slow but still not a total loss because I bought a few engraved prints that I love. I will share with you soon.

in the meantime, some photos from the fair:

midweek video break: ok go

2010-06-15T21:05:00.024-04:00

Time for another midweek video break! I hope everyone is doing well so far this week. Why not take a break and enjoy the latest from OK Go.

Don't you just love their candy-colored jogging suits? I see a trend starting here, along with more 'staches. ;)

2010-06-10T21:03:00.006-04:00

Hey there! Zoetropa will be a vendor at the Providence Art Festival this Saturday. If you happen to be in the area, be sure to stop on by!

10:30-6, Westminster St., Providence, RI.

midweek video break: the moose!

2010-06-08T21:48:00.012-04:00

I used to own an audio cassette tape of Woody Allen's stand up routine. It's so funny, I should really get the cd or download it or something. Anyways, I've always liked this little bit about THE MOOSE. Enjoy. ;-)

doodling on the go!

2010-06-06T16:44:00.022-04:00

Hello! I feel like I've been gone from this blog forever. Sorry, I just haven't had time to blog very much lately because I've been busy as a bee at my job and I've also been getting ready for this weekend's Providence Art Festival on Saturday.

Last week I got an iphone for my birthday which is a huge improvement over the phone I've been using for the past five years which still has a little antenna on it and sans camera. It's been good to me though, I pretty much got reception everywhere and anywhere. I feel bad ditching it for the shiny new toy but I must move on. And I tell ya, I almost forget that the shiny new toy even has a phone on it because (as I'm sure you are fully aware) there are so many other fun things to do with it. For instance drawing! Over the past week I've been doodling away using the "draw 4 free" app, it's simple to use and helps keep my creative juices flowing while on the go. Here are just a few of the doodles and the rest are in this flickr set.

the art of origami

2010-06-02T18:13:00.009-04:00

The work of Swiss-based origami artist Sipho Mabona is quite beautiful, especially the surprisingly inspiring corporate video below. See more of his work on his website. www.mabonaorigami.com

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

(via P&C!)

SoWa

2010-05-25T09:12:00.021-04:00

I had a really fun time at SoWa on Sunday even though I was very exhausted from working at my day job on Saturday and getting up way too early on Sunday. I set out at 7am hoping to arrive early but just my luck I managed to get detoured through Cambridge because there was an early morning road race on Memorial Drive. Eventually I did arrive right on time and all went well! It was a perfectly beautiful sunny day so lots of people (and their dogs too!) were out and about enjoying the market. I didn't have much time to take pictures since I was by myself and needed to stay in my booth. You can see more photos on SoWa's flickr stream.

Just two tents down from me were lab partners Alicia and Tony from Chroma Lab. They had a fantastic booth set up with customized Chroma Lab tablecloths and all. Their clocks are so gorgeous in person, I especially love this one! Melissa from Pressbound stopped by my booth, along with her friend Julie, to say hello and have a chat. It's always nice to see friendly faces and actually talk to online friends in person. Overall a super day and I'm looking forward to the next time at the end of June!

The felt bunting in use, I think I need to make some more.

Also thinking I need a sign.

No, the grass is not for sale.

A few folks asked about it though.

I wish I had thought to purchase a second Orla Keily tablecloth

(for my second table) while they were still available,

it's so pretty and compliments the note cards well.

friday5: mid-spring

2010-05-21T07:32:00.005-04:00

polaroid photo

by brook schmidt

robin's egg concrete basin

by impure vessels

wheat linen dress with centrepleat

by pamela tang

daisy garland

by emma lamb

This is a good time of year, the days are finally starting to feel a bit sunnier, warmer, lazier, and relaxing. I'm looking forward to a gorgeous weekend. As I mentioned earlier this week, I will be at the SoWa Open Market on Sunday from 10-4. If you can, stop on by and say hello!

Have a super weekend everyone!

winner #3

2010-05-18T13:33:00.004-04:00

Hooray! Shannon is the third winner!!!

Please email me with your address.

zoetropa@gmail.com

winner #2

2010-05-18T13:21:00.008-04:00

Hooray! Megan is the second winner!!!

Please email me with your address.

zoetropa@gmail.com

winner #1

2010-05-18T13:12:00.011-04:00

Hooray! pencilshavings is the first winner!!!

Please email me with your address.

zoetropa@gmail.com

bunting

2010-05-17T12:01:00.007-04:00

Next weekend I'll be kicking off the spring/summer craft fair season by attending the SoWa Open Market. I will be there with ninety pound tent and all! (ugh!) I made the above felt bunting (using some twine, felt, needle & thread) to hang inside my tent to add a bit of color.

friday5 : ring ring

2010-05-14T08:17:00.011-04:00

cotton ring by kjoo

recycled skateboard ring by seven ply

tricycle ring by pizpireta

cloud ring by lost at sea shop

wooden puzzle ring by kimbarelly

I told my husband that I didn't want an engagement ring before we got married (we wed two years ago this weekend!) because I knew I would also have a wedding ring and the thought of wearing one ring much less two seemed over the top for me. You see, I don't normally wear jewelry EVER EVER EVER. Except now of course. I like my wedding ring and I think I can imagine wearing another ring, perhaps one of these fun ones above. hmmmmm........ something to think about.

Have a Super Weekend!

p.s. I googled "ring ring" just to see what would come up and found this beauty. Enjoy!

design your own

2010-05-13T08:14:00.007-04:00

I've been having some fun "designing" my own sneakers. Perhaps you'd like to try it too... keds.com

g i v e a w a y !

2010-05-11T14:30:00.018-04:00

Hello there! I am back from my week long break and it felt good. I was still online occasionally but mainly reading rather than writing. Well, as promised last week, it is time for a GIVEAWAY! And this is a Grab Bag Giveaway, so it's a surprise! Sort of like getting a present in the mail and who doesn't like that? All you need to do for your chance to win ONE of these three surprise grab bags (which include current items from my shop with a retail value of $19 each) is to leave a comment below telling me which item from the SHOP you like the best. That's it! For a second chance to win: post about the giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook page and then leave a comment with the link. You have until 12pm EST on Tuesday May 18th to enter the giveaway! The winners will be chosen randomly and will be announced on the 19th, 20th, and 21st. Good Luck!!!

break

2010-05-03T08:50:00.003-04:00

I'm taking a self-imposed blogging/internet break for this week. I need it, I think it will do some good. I'll be back one week from today with a GIVEAWAY! No special reason, just because. Have a great week and whatever you do, please don't break the internet while I'm gone, even if it's just for fun. thanks! ;-)

you can break the internet from Die Anmerkung on Vimeo.

Z is for Zakka

2010-05-02T08:30:00.008-04:00

fabric tray by petite maison

la belle paris pouch by simbiosis by julia

sunny side up place mats by coyote craft

happy stampies by happy doodle land

zakka inspired cloth by retro na na

Soooooo, I planned on posting this on Friday to wrap up the alphabet series and the month of April in a neatly tied bow but uhm, it didn't happen. Oh well! Also, this is the the official return of the Friday5 posts! Hooray!

Well, I can not believe that one third of this year is already over, that was fast. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Y is for Yellow (+Pink)

2010-04-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

The color series returns! I don't have too many things in yellow or pink so I thought I'd combine the two plus I really like them together. I am printing new pencil notes at the moment in yellow and possibly pink too, I'm still deciding. My trusty carving tool is shown above as well.

One more day in the alphabet series! Z is for ?

X is for Xylograph

2010-04-28T07:56:00.016-04:00

A xylograph is simply a wood engraving or a woodblock print. When I think of wood engravings or block printing my mind immediately turns to the Japanese artists Hiroshige and Hokusai. Both were artists in the ukiyo-e tradition, which is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and 20th century. The literal translation is "pictures of the floating world", referring to a world that is best described by the author Asai Ryoi: ... Living only for the moment, turning our full attention to the pleasures of the moon, the snow, the cherry blossoms and the maple leaves; singing songs, drinking wine, diverting ourselves in just floating, floating; ... refusing to be disheartened, like a gourd floating along with the river current: this is what we call the floating world ...

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) lived during the Edo period and during his time he was Japan's leading expert on Chinese Painting. Hokusai is best known as the author of the woodblock print series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji which includes the iconic and internationally recognized print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created during the 1820s.

Legend has it that Andō Hiroshige (1797-1858) determined to become a ukiyo-e artist when he saw the prints of his near contemporary Hokusai. From 1833-34, Hiroshige produced The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō. These designs were drawn from his actual travels from the full distance of 300 miles. They included details of dates, locations, and anecdotes of his fellow travelers, and were immensely popular.

Images above from top to bottom:

Fuji seen through the Mannen Bridge at Fukagawa (Hokusai)

The Great Wave off Kanagawa (Hokusai)

Shichiri Beach in Sagami Provence (Hokusai)

The Parting Waters at Mitsumata (Hiroshige)

25th Station : Nissaka (Hiroshige)

W is for Wildlife

2010-04-27T13:59:00.012-04:00

On Sunday my husband and I went for a walk through a local nature reserve and we spotted so many creatures out and about. Robins were everywhere, as well as many red-winged blackbirds. We happened upon a turtle who was kind enough to let me take his picture, and we saw many other turtles sunning themselves on rocks in the pond area. We laughed at the sight of a beaver swimming (and oddly enough I just spotted a beaver in my back yard!). We also saw ducks and frogs and geese and a mysteriously long fish in shallow water which we mistook for a snake at first. (eek!) Finally toward the end of our walk we found some trees with holes left from woodpeckers. Pretty wild Sunday.

(click on the pictures to get a closer view)

V is for Volcano

2010-04-26T09:49:00.011-04:00

Eyjafjallajökull - Fimmförduháls Eruption on Iceland from Marc Szeglat on Vimeo.

Hello, I hope you all had a lovely weekend. The weather here was so beautiful, I went for a long walk on Sunday and I'll share some photos with you tomorrow. The above video is footage of the volcano in Iceland, it is really quite beautiful.

p.s. I'm having a Hello Monday Sale in the shop from 9am - 9 pm (EST) today. 25% off everything!

U is for Uguisu

2010-04-24T08:15:00.008-04:00

My adoration/obsession for office and stationery supplies is evident when I spend a fair amount of time oohing and aahing over lovely little items in a lovely little shop like Uguisu. Such sweetness, it's hard not to want one of everything. Check out the paper balloons too!

1) Doughnut Tape Dispenser

2) Terrier Spool

3) Porcelain Stamp {Arigatou}

4) Mini Paper Bags {Music Band}

T is for Tas-ka

2010-04-24T07:47:00.007-04:00

T is for Tas-ka, a lovely shop to browse. I'm particularly fond of the kitchen items & the textile prints.

S is for Soirée

2010-04-23T13:00:00.004-04:00

Sit back and enjoy the music.

Happy Weekend.

R is for Reuse, Reduce, Recycle

2010-04-22T08:22:00.004-04:00

recycled billboard banner laptop sleeve

by notty pooch

reusable cone coffee filter

by evelyn fields

pretty wicked, upcycled storage container

by primary redux

recycled cotton canvas reusable lunch bag

by the craft pantry

repurposed wool bird

by for my darling

Today is the 40th year of Earth Day and what started as a grassroots idea has grown internationally. It seems with each generation more get involved and more are aware of the impact of man on our planet. Certainly it is evident on Etsy, where you can find many handmade goods (yay!) made from recycled or found materials (yay!) and made to be reused (yay!) instead of disposed. Above are some favorites: I really want that lunch bag, so cute and chic and perfect for my, well, lunch! Also like the upcycled container, it is certainly one of a kind.

Happy Earth Day!

Q is for Question

2010-04-21T18:36:00.005-04:00

vintage wood type by monkivintage

I have a question: Which of my alphabet series blog posts from the past sixteen days have you liked the most? Just wondering. :-) have a super day!

P is for Papercutting

2010-04-20T16:00:00.010-04:00

Something I've wanted to try for a while is papercutting which is simply the art of cutting paper designs. Recently I bought a second hand book titled Silhouettes: How to Make and Use Them by Jack Kramer and today I finally decided to try my first silhouette. Yay!

Apparently there is actual silhouette paper one can use with black on one side and white on the other. Since I don't have this I just used some pretty orange paper.

I don't have any carbon paper for transferring the design from the book so instead I traced the image with pencil onto vellum paper and flipped it over and rubbed it onto the orange paper. Then I outlined it again with pencil to make the lines clearer for cutting.

Voila!

O is for Oh, a revolution!

2010-04-19T16:01:00.019-04:00

Today is Patriot's Day in Massachusetts which basically means a lot of parades, reenactments, pancake breakfasts and hey, let's throw a marathon into the mix too! I grew up in Lexington where one of the first battles of the American Revolution took place. Every year on this day, there is an early morning reenactment on the town green (now known as the battle green) of the battle of Lexington followed by a church pancake breakfast for all the volunteers who participated in the reenactment and then a little parade at 7 am and another bigger parade in the afternoon. This was one of the biggest holidays while growing up and I marched in every parade from age six to seventeen. At first I was a brownie (kind of like a junior girl scout), then a baton twirler (see above!), and finally a flag twirler. I only saw the parade once when my friend and I skipped out on marching in the afternoon parade so we could actually watch it for once. I never did see the reenactment even though it was only a few miles from my home. People would come from all over to see it and once my friend and I decided to get up early and ride our bikes downtown to watch too. It was probably not even 6 am yet there were already hundreds of people crowded around the green, it was impossible to see anything so we turned around and went home. I found this video and it is the first time I have ever seen the reenactment. It's pretty good for an amateur made video, also very tense and sad. Try to ignore the police detail, the paved streets, the crowds, the camera flashes, the sign that says "battle green" and pretend it is a cold early morning in a small New England village on April 19, 1775.

Lexington 1775 from Santo W on Vimeo.

N is for Nice

2010-04-17T22:47:00.011-04:00

hope you are having a nice sunday.

◆◆◆

(i am simply stumped for today's letter, please settle for this nice picture taken by me about a year ago in my kitchen. i'm halfway through this alphabet experiment and let me tell you, it is EXHAUSTING. oh my, i thought it was going to be a little less challenging then it has turned out to be. ah, c'est le vie!)

M is for Miniature

2010-04-17T21:53:00.007-04:00

wild flowers via smidge house

mini recliner via bambi's minis

1963 dream kitchen via linda paloma

Every now and then I stop into my local second hand shop or antique shop to have a look around and I'm always intrigued by the miniature doll furniture for sale, they are so tiny and cute and so old. Usually they are locked away behind a glass cabinet because they are truly antiques. It makes me want to start a little collection of furniture but for what purpose and also, being the practical shopper that I am I really can not justify the expense. Still though, I did buy a little red chair and desk a while back (outside the glass cabinet so not so pricey) and I'm thinking a collection of miniature chairs would be really sweet. I've been browsing on Etsy and came across these little chairs that could possibly start the collection. Hmmm, still thinking about it though.

Don't you think the kitchen table and chairs could have come straight out of a Miniature Mad Men?!? :-)

L is for La Vie en Rose

2010-04-16T10:34:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week while driving around running errands I happened to hear on the radio an interview with the cover band Pomplamoose. The band, of which there are just two members so I suppose they are simply a duo, have actually been able to make a sustainable living from their DIY style videos they have posted on youtube. I especially like this cover of La Vie en Rose. You can listen to the interview here.

Have a great weekend!

K is for Kiosk

2010-04-15T20:00:00.012-04:00

So, what is it about everyday items from foreign lands that make them so appealing? Is it the simple novelty of it all or is it the difference in aesthetic design in the packaging? Or is it the item itself, so familiar yet with little differences making it seem better? Do you have any idea what I am talking about? Well if you do you may like exploring KIOSK, an online shop (& offline too in Soho, NYC) that stocks a limited selection of hand picked goods from around the world. It's a really fun site to browse and I highly recommend reading the product descriptions, they are very very amusing.

chalk and thermos

from Finland

licorice and licorice

from Iceland

thread and cream

from Germany

ball and shoes

from Hong Kong

rooster and notebook (and plane)

from Portugal

switch and monkey

from Mexico

(all photos via www.kioskkiosk.com)

J is for Japan

2010-04-14T20:04:00.028-04:00

Okay, I was sort of stumped for the letter J. So will you settle for some photos I just scanned into my computer taken from my trip to Japan back in the nineties (oh my, that sounds so long ago!)? These were taken with a regular old film camera, you remember those, right? ;)

My sister met her husband while at graduate school, they got married and moved to Japan (where he's from) and I went to visit them a few years later. They were living in Tokyo, which seemed humongous to me and actually the first major city I ever visited (not including Boston). I thought Tokyo was so ultra modern and I remember stumbling upon an amazing shop that sold all kinds of postcards covering every theme possible and they were all organized and labeled in neat little bins. The whole shop was postcards! I just loved that because I was sort of obsessed with collecting them at the time. One day I was left to my own devices to explore the city by myself and I immediately got lost on the subway. There were absolutely no signs in english, or french, or spanish, or any other language for that matter. Well, except for japanese of course! I wandered around different neighborhoods, found that postcard shop and then, afraid to get back on the subway for fear of being run over by the speedy and numerous commuters and also not really knowing which way to go, I ended up walking all over trying to find my sister's office building which was sort of ridiculous since there were a zillion of them. Somehow I found it or I found a pay phone and called her. Honestly I can't remember how I got out of that predicament, but I did thankfully.

My first experience eating sushi was at a little restaurant in Tokyo. The place had a counter top conveyor belt kind of set up with two chefs in the center prepping the sushi onto small plates. Each plate was a different color to represent the different sushi types, and you would just grab the plates of sushi you wanted as they went by on the rotating countertop. At the end of your meal a waitress would count the number of plates you had in each color and tally your bill. Pretty good system I think. I remember not really liking the sushi but I was so starving at the time that I ate it without complaint. Now of course I love sushi! :) Also, my first karaoke experience: in a karaoke bar in Kyoto. Which song did I choose to sing? Moon River, followed by Respect Yourself and then my sister and I sang a duet (can't remember the title at the moment) Oh my, three songs, I must have been very drunk that night! ;)

photos, starting from the top:

1. Buddha statue in a park in Tokyo

2. A view of Tokyo from my sister's office building.

3. A parade near the neighborhood where my sister and brother-in-law lived.

4. The Golden Temple in Kyoto

5. A water fountain with spring water for drinking, I think this was at a temple in Kyoto.

6. Tiny statues wearing bibs (also in Kyoto), not sure what they symbolized.

7. Riding swan boats in a lake north (?) of Tokyo.

I is for Internet

2010-04-13T08:00:00.005-04:00

Yeah yeah yeah, we all know that the internet is a powerful tool but come on, using it to ask people to send you cake (in exchange for a little publicity) has got to be the most brilliant idea E-V-E-R! Kudos to the über talented Jessica Hische for coming up with the idea, she started a website recently which is simply titled THE INTERNET SENDS ME CAKE. Ahh, my mouth waters just thinking about it, oh how I love cake. :D

{photo credit: Jessica Hische}

H is for Haiku

2010-04-12T07:40:00.002-04:00

afternoon catwalk

inquisitively he stares

hello, oh goodbye

G is for Gregory

2010-04-11T21:57:00.008-04:00

One of my favorite movies is Gregory's Girl. I remember watching it multiple times on tv when I was a teen. I thought the dvd was out of print but it seems to have come back into print, my awesome husband ordered me a copy and it is on it's way to my doorstep. yay! can't wait.

I like this scene, Gregory is getting some pretty good advice from his younger sister about dating. I like that he respects her opinion so much and she genuinely wants to help him. So sweet.

F is for Favorites

2010-04-10T07:25:00.000-04:00

yellow spotted loch ness monster on wheels

by pearson maron

miniature cabinet of curiosites 22

by miniature rhino

tiger by sian

Some favorites today from Etsy... sweet little items to brighten the day... hope your day is a sunshiny one!

E is for Earth

2010-04-09T08:58:00.011-04:00

Another video from the National Film Board of Canada: What on Earth! is an animated short from 1966 which takes a satirical look at earth from the view of extra-terrestrial visitors. The film is a little over 9 minutes long and most entertaining. It also makes you realize that things have not changed much since 1966, we are still overrun by cars! Something to think about with Earth Day coming up on the 22nd.

This animated short proposes what many earthlings have long feared – that the automobile has inherited the planet. When life on Earth is portrayed as one long, unending conga-line of cars, a crew of extra-terrestrial visitors understandably assume they are the dominant race. While humans, on the other hand, are merely parasites. An Oscar®-nominee, this film serves as an entertaining case study. (synopsis via nfb.ca)

D is for Decisions

2010-04-08T07:50:00.001-04:00

vintage llama from little veggie vintage

Hi! I have a favor to ask, will you help me to decide on the next animal or creature I should make and print? Just leave a comment telling me your favorite (preferably no rabbits, pigs, or cats), I'll pick the one I like best and then make a stamp. I'll also share in the process of making the new stamp from start to finish. Sound good? Good. :D

C is for Canoe

2010-04-07T13:00:00.004-04:00

I'm fond of objects made of wood & these wonderful finds from the CANOE shop are right up my alley. Simple. Neat. Clean. ➾ canoeonline.net

B is for Books

2010-04-06T20:10:00.004-04:00

B is for Books, Japanese craft books that is... I have a very small collection of them mainly related to hand made stamps and stamping. The pictures in these books are so beautiful and sweet and inspiring. I just love the ideas that are presented from stamping wooden hangers to place mats to toy blocks. I think I must have been inspired by these when I decided to make my wooden magnets.

Here are some Etsy shops that carry Japanese craft books for all kinds of crafty goodness:

Me Me Craftwork

Pomadour's Craft Cafe

Felt Cafe

1127 handcrafter

From Japan with Love

A is for Alphabet

2010-04-04T11:16:00.014-04:00

An Alphabetic Ode to Helvetica poster by ModernPop

For the past few weeks everything seems to have gone askew. This is partly because of the massive amounts of rain we have had in March which has caused flooding issues at my workplace and partly it is my own lack of focus. I have a strong urge however to reorganize, reinvent, and rebirth if you will. I guess it's this spring air that's doing it because finally the sun has returned and the temperatures are going up. This weekend was positively gorgeous and it just made me want to start fresh, get a new haircut, buy new shoes, clean out my closets, open all the windows, wash all the sheets, go for long walks, etc...

I also feel I haven't been giving this blog a lot of attention lately, so in an effort to renew my blogging habits and to attempt to reconcile one of my new year's resolutions to plan ahead and to not just wing it, I am going to prepare posts ahead of time. I rarely do this but this month I am going to try it out. To help with organizing and planning ahead I'm giving myself a guideline to follow which is simply: the alphabet. Hence, A is for Alphabet! For the next 26 days each day will represent a letter in the alphabet, starting with A and ending with, uhm, Z of course!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I plan to, I'm really excited about this and I already feel a little more organized for the month ahead.

Have a super Monday everyone!

Pam

cat + mouse

2010-03-30T13:10:00.010-04:00

Yay! Cat and Mouse finally make an appearance. This is the very first carving block I made way back in 2007. Ahhh, such a long time ago it seems. ;) Printed in my favorite color of course. The Cat and Mouse Note Card Set is now available in the shop!

pen pencil stencil

2010-03-30T10:18:00.004-04:00

A nice place to visit ➾ Pen Pencil Stencil

I love the color palette and shapes, so fun!

bittersweet

2010-03-29T11:42:00.004-04:00

I'm saying goodbye to my Cinema Sunday blog today. Sadly, I don't have the time for it, nor do I have the talent either I think. I'll be over at tumblr now ("the easiest way to blog") with the movie themed PHOTOPLAY. Come visit!

My two favorite films of all time are Local Hero and The Third Man. I like Local Hero just a teensy bit more, I've seen it probably about 20-25 times and I am not joking. I've seen The Third Man about 15-20 times. I plan on watching them again too, I never tire of them.

Here is one of the best endings in any film, it's sad and bittersweet and beautiful.

The Third Man 1949 from sinematek on Vimeo.

animal planet

2010-03-25T08:48:00.021-04:00

Last week I stumbled upon this sweet shop and was immediately smitten. Jeff Freisen, an award winning photographer from Nova Scotia, opened his Etsy shop in January and as he describes himself in his profile "In my other life I'm a serious award-winning photographer, much given to brooding and brow-furrowing. That part of my life is known as "Bert." Then there's the part of my life I spend hanging out with my little family, building sandcastles, jumping waves, and camping in the northern woods; the "Ernie" part if you will. Wild Life Prints brings "Bert" and "Ernie" together for the first time, along with a host of amazing animals in their, um, natural habitats!"

I had such a hard time choosing which photos to post here, they are all so good!

Check out all the other wonderful creatures in the Wild Life Prints shop. Be sure to visit his website too (www.jeff-freisen.com) which showcases his beautiful photography.

{photo credit: jeff freisen}

feist & kevin drew

2010-03-24T15:15:00.012-04:00

Time for a midweek video break! I hope I get a chance to see Broken Social Scene on tour this year. I'm not a huge fan and never really heard of them before I met my husband five years ago, but I really love, I mean REALLY love, their music played acoustically. Over the past few weeks I've been listening to a live acoustic set from a radio broadcast from a few years ago. I can't get enough of it, I've been listening to it on repeat over and over and over again. Well, there are only six songs! This video of Feist and Kevin Drew from a concert last summer is the only decent acoustic recording I could find to share with you. I hope you like it.

P.S. I took the plunge and started a Facebook fan page. I'll admit I'm not a big fan of Facebook, I prefer Twitter with it's clean and customizable look and the lack of ads and suggestions is preferable too. But I decided that Facebook can be okay too, I just need to try harder to ignore all the noise. I hope you become a fan, it would be so much more fun if you did! ⇒ Zoetropa's FB Fan Page

cosa verde

2010-03-23T12:56:00.004-04:00

sweet vintage scalloped party garland

by sparkle power

keyhole flats

by hydra heart

made in the shade (guitar) collection

by dolan geiman

rock squirrel organic onesie

by willotoons

eco-chic itsy-bitsy pouch

by la alicia

I just set up shop on Cosa Verde, an online site that showcases environmentally friendly handmade goods. It's a great place to browse eco-friendly goods (see my favorites above) all in one place and with every new store opened on the site, Cosa Verde plants ten trees. Yay, I love trees! Oh and by the way, in case I haven't mentioned it before, the note cards I sell are now all 100% recycled paper.

nice package

2010-03-22T14:45:00.017-04:00

Such sadness, one of my favorite shops is closing. I'll admit I haven't purchased anything from Nice Package yet but I've been wanting to for what seems like forever. Well, sadly now is my final chance to do so because Ez and Marichelle have decided to close up shop tomorrow. They are having a 50% off sale through the end of tomorrow in their shops at Etsy and Big Cartel. I just love the style, photography, and overall goodness in their shop and on their blog too, it's all very inspiring. Oh, I will miss it so.

{photo credit: Nice Package}

notes on a triangle

2010-03-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

Time for a mid-week video break courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada. A simple geometric dance set to a waltz made in 1966 by Réné Jodoin. This film reminds me of the geometrical coloring books that I had when I was a kid. Visit www.nfb.ca to explore more films.

erin go bragh!

2010-03-17T08:00:00.004-04:00

{green & turquoise! cupcakes via love-monkey on flickr}

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Seeing that I'm 3/4 Irish I think I'm legally obligated to celebrate today's holiday in some way. Well, I don't have any big plans and I'm not much of a party girl anymore, so I think I'll just treat myself to a green latte and perhaps a cupcake with green frosting (if I can find one). Hope your plans are a bit more exciting than mine. ;) Have a fun day everyone!! ♣

tom eckersley

2010-03-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

I heart these poster designs by artist and graphic designer Tom Eckersley. He helped create the first undergraduate courses in graphic design in the UK. See more of his work here, here, and here. Above posters found on the Visual Art Data Service.

hello monday

2010-03-14T23:17:00.012-04:00

{photo via the daily foto}

Hey there! Did everyone have a good weekend? It was super windy and rainy here all weekend, yesterday I didn't even leave the house and I stayed in my pajamas all day. I was very lazy but not too lazy because I did spend most of the day drinking coffee and working on my taxes. Not that fun.

I have a lot of bookmarks on my computer, so if you don't mind I'm going to share some with you today and also I'll be able to remove them from my bookmark bar. Ahhh, spring cleaning begins.

* Tretorns are back. I had a pair of these when I was in junior high school, they were white with a navy blue logo stripe on the side. They also looked a bit different from these, more like tennis shoes. (found via Good Measure.)

* Cute Keyholes and Keys for Secret Rooms.

* This is a nice shop to browse, and knowing Japanese will help but not necessary.

*Sweet stuff at Billet. I would like one of each please.

* Red Squirrel!

* This site Ringo is really cute. I'm not sure how I found it or what it's all about, but I like it.

* I'm a little addicted to free rice.

* Recipe Look is a new site of illustrated recipes. You can contribute too.

* Nice retro telephones. I want the orange one.

* This Platinum Lounge sketch is pretty darn funny.

spring forward sale

2010-03-11T07:22:00.008-05:00

☀ ☀ ☀ ☀

I'm so hap-hap-happy about the clocks springing forward this weekend that I decided to celebrate by having a SPRING FORWARD SALE in the shop. 25% Off Everything! Hooray! Spring is around the corner and it's getting sunnier every day, it's already broad daylight now at 5 pm and just think, next week it will be sunny at 6 and soon 7 and then 8. So happy!

☀ ☀ ☀ ☀

cuppa joe

2010-03-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

I wanted to let you in on a giveaway that Chaucee from the blog The Searched and Found is hosting. One, well actually the last one, of my Cuppa Joe Journals is up for grabs. Head on over to The Searched and Found blog and leave a comment for your chance to win.

Good Luck!

ira glass is a rock star

2010-03-09T14:10:00.016-05:00

Ira Glass is a Rock Star (via flickr)

I think we can all agree on one thing: Ira Glass is a Rock Star! And by rock star I of course mean in the "producing great storytelling for radio" kind of way. ;) I've been a dedicated listener to This American Life since the early 90's, yeah since last century, which is quite a long time but I never get tired of it, never ever. So this post is dedicated to Ira Glass, a.k.a. Rock Star. :)

Ira Glass listens to This American Life (via flickr)

You may be asking yourself, why all the love for Ira today? Well because of this post from Craft Magazine and the video clip below of Ira giving advice on creating good work. It mostly pertains to creating for tv or radio but it is relative to any kind of creative work. He gives some really great advice here and offers encouraging words. He says that if you are someone who wants to work creatively, it's because you have good taste. He says it takes a while in the beginning of the creative process to bridge the gap between your "killer" good taste and what you are actually producing which isn't all that great. It can actually take years to bridge this gap and the only way to get through it is to continuously produce a volume of work. Wow, I heard this and thought that is where I feel I am now. I've only been at this, meaning block printing and designing stationery, for almost three years and yes, I have come a long way from when I first opened up my Etsy shop, huge improvements really, but there is still so much further I want to go to reach that level of taste I'm trying to achieve. I knew all this already, subconsciously at least, but it really helps to hear someone say it. And who better than one of the most trusted and thoughtful people in the media. Thank you Ira.

hello monday

2010-03-08T21:33:00.014-05:00

What a beautiful weekend, Spring is definitely in the air!

Well, I didn't get to watch the Oscars on Sunday because I don't have cable and apparently it wasn't streamed online anywhere which I had hoped it would be. Darn. I even tried hooking up an antenna on the TV but no can do. So instead I gave up and watched Doc Martin on hulu which my husband and I have been watching over the past few weeks. I really like this show about a no nonsense surgeon turn small town general practitioner and I would love to live in a small seaside village like the one in the show.

I missed the Oscars but I did get up to speed soon enough this morning. I'm so glad Jeff Bridges won the best actor award, though I haven't even seen Crazy Heart yet. But he's one of my favorite actors working today and I just love his laid back and happy demeanor. He's a bit of a renaissance man as well. Along with his acting, he's also an illustrator, photographer, and a musician. He has a website which is fun to browse, his own handwriting and illustrations help navigate the site.

I know I said I was going to update the shop a few weeks ago but I'm pushing it back a bit, I've been in a very productive printing mode lately and I don't want to interrupt it. Also, I want to do a little shop makeover too, update photos and descriptions, etc. By the way, what do you think of Etsy's new look?

golden

2010-03-05T16:45:00.007-05:00

Do you plan on watching the Oscars this weekend? It should be a fun night with Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin hosting, I hope so at least. For this week's color series I wanted to give a little nod to the gold statuettes that are given out at the show, but I couldn't find any gold in my home except for a couple of foreign coins. So instead I made this simple golden colored mosaic. The button is of Jean Seberg kissing Jean-Paul Belmondo in Breathless.

Happy Weekend!

tumblr

2010-03-03T08:31:00.009-05:00

I started a tumblr account a few months ago. I don't have a special theme or anything, just a collection of goods and images that I like. It's kind of like my virtual inspirational cork board. Do you have a tumblr account?

hello monday

2010-03-01T09:56:00.004-05:00

Hello and Happy March! That's me pictured above hiding behind all those books intensely engrossed in a novel. This photo was taken in a bookshop (obviously!) in Venice during my honeymoon. Notice the boat holding the books!

Jen tagged me to share seven things that I love and make me happy, so here goes:

1. My first cup of coffee of the day. I sometimes look forward to it in the evenings before bed.

2. Reading a good book. I just read The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. Loved it.

3. British Detective Shows. My fantasy is to be an old lady detective in my golden years. Yeah, I dream big. ;)

4. Office supplies, stationery supplies, art supplies. I'm guessing I'm not alone in this?

5. The beach. I know, it's a cliché but really it's one of my favorite places to be.

6. A clean kitchen. Wish I had one right now.

7. Getting rid of things. You definitely can't call me a hoarder. I love to purge old belongings and clearing space and reorganizing. (Spring cleaning is around the corner!)

Now it's my turn to tag seven people to share what they love and makes them happy, so I'm tagging cindy of pretty neat designs, belinda of gretchenmist, alicia and tony of chroma lab, liz of made in lowell, virginia kraljevic, fric de mentol, & jenn ski.

white

2010-02-26T10:14:00.009-05:00

ahhh white, a very soothing color. I have few white objects in my home, most of these are from my kitchen. I think this is my favorite collection yet because it really gives me a calming feeling. See more photos here: color series. The rocks pictured are a small souvenir from a beach on the island of Crete. My husband and I visited there a few years ago, it was very beautiful. Wouldn't mind magically transporting myself back there right now.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

U900 !!

2010-02-24T13:16:00.016-05:00

Hands down the cutest amigurumi band that ever was and ever shall be is the Japanese Ukulele Duo U900.

I just love these little guys.

(found via youcanmakeiteasy.blogspot.)

hello monday

2010-02-22T11:08:00.008-05:00

This is what I was up to early Saturday morning: Printing & Project Runway!

New pencil notes in green, brown, and blue... yeah!

Just need to take some proper product photos and then add to the shop. Hopefully tomorrow. :)

monkey says

2010-02-19T07:00:00.015-05:00

I'm skipping out on the usual color series post today, I'd like to concentrate on getting some printing done and I'm going to stay off the computer all day. Expect a shop update in the near future with some new notes, magnets, and journals too. And yes, that's right, I have a sock monkey, say hello to Monkey. :)

P.S. >> Sarah from The Small Object is celebrating 4 years of her Steno Pad blog and is giving away an abundance of goodies to one lucky person! Run, I tell you, RUN!!! There is no time to lose, expires today at 12pm (EST).

>> the small object giveaway <<

wintery

2010-02-17T13:54:00.010-05:00

yesterday

today

paw print

(squirrel or raccoon?)

hello! Hope your week is going well. It snowed here yesterday which was nice, especially since it didn't snow too too much, yet just enough to make it feel wintery and cozy. I've been teaching myself needle felting and I'm almost finished with this little guy shown above. What do you think? Not bad for a beginner, right? It was really fun to make, although it is a bit strange at first poking a ball of wool with a needle. I bought a really cute book on needle felting (pics soon) and this polar bear caught my eye, so I had to make him. I still need to work on him tho, his muzzle is a bit too dark and he needs little claws on his paws.

red

2010-02-12T13:27:00.005-05:00

Hello! This week I am seeing Red, for Valentine's Day of course! I must say I really like the color Red, there's just something about it that is very energizing, sort of gets the heart pumping. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

(see more RED here.)

nina simone

2010-02-11T09:24:00.009-05:00

I ask you, is there anyone greater than Nina Simone? No, I didn't think so. ;) The first video is a student film which I think compliments her music well. The second video is a brilliant live performance. Enjoy.

knitting & printing

2010-02-10T08:07:00.007-05:00

I've been busy the last two days knitting, printing, and watching movies. I set up my portable table (a.k.a. craft fair table) in the living room to face the television, it's pretty funny. So far this week I've watched An Ideal Husband, Away From Her, and Sliding Doors (these are as chic flicky as I get). Also been watching Project Runway and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (quite possibly my favorite show ever!). All in all a very productive week so far, lots of printing done. Yay! I have lots more to do though. I ended up "hiding" my laptop from myself, didn't even need the husband to do it for me. Out of sight, out of mind seems to work.

matou en peluche

2010-02-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

the cat and the canaries

matching top hat and tail

robin kong

I really like the illustrated works in the etsy shop matou en peluche, (which apparently means plush tomcat in french), and I particularly like the various cats, dogs, and birds, all portrayed humorously. The flappers are fun too! I snagged another treasury over the weekend and included one of the flapper drawings in it. The treasury is filled with soft pinks (+reds). Check it out here and here.

Well, I'm feeling guilty for not getting anything done last week, so I'm going to try an experiment this week and ask my husband to hide my laptop before he leaves for work each day. Poof! No computer, no distractions. Well, that's my theory anyways. Wish me luck!

orange

2010-02-05T11:17:00.008-05:00

This week's color is Orange!!! Yay! I really enjoyed putting this collection together, it just made me so HAPPY. {I heart you Orange for your warmth and cheerfulness, keep up the Awesomeness!}

I thought I'd list here brief descriptions of what's in the collection, just for fun and to give you a tiny bit more insight into my life, even if it is all about orange.

(psst! click on the pics to enlarge)

* the polka dotted wrapping paper is from Paper Source (of course!). I've had that paper for a few years now and I'm just waiting for the perfect project to use it in, but I really can't bear to use it at all. What if I ruin it?! I did use a small square of it to wrap a gift once though.

* the colander (or strainer as some folks may call it) is from an estate sale I went to this past Autumn. I had two colanders already, but I couldn't resist this sturdy orange one, it's so unique.

* the bird illustration is a page out of the book Charles Harper's Birds & Words, a Christmas gift from a friend last year.

* the photo album with my cat's picture in the window is something I put together after my little Lewis past away (almost three years ago). It was part of my grieving process, I collected every photo of him that I had and pasted them inside the album. I adopted Lewis when he was five years old and he was at my side being the best cat (although crazy half the time) for thirteen years. Seriously, I'm going to cry right now, I miss him so.

* the graphic tin is from a set of three (in various colors/sizes) from Ikea. I keep sugar in this one.

* the little pin is from Fern Animals, one of my favorite etsy/handmade shops.

* the mug next to the tin is my coffee mug. My husband and I bought a pair of these a few years ago specifically for our morning coffee, I would have included the other one in the pic but it still has coffee in it!

* the Clairfontaine journal is one of many sketch/doodle pads that I own. I love the paper in these, so smooth. This one has graph pages inside & a little bird notepad sitting on top.

* the Martha Stewart cookbook, I bought this because it was at a huge discount and it's always nice to have some good hors d'oeuvres recipes on hand when you need them.

* the cookbook sitting underneath the Martha book is a collection of soup recipes. I'm pretty sure I bought this book because of the amazing photos inside and I think I remember craving soup that day.

* and some more odds and ends: bowls from anthropologie, kitchen aid measuring cups, scissors that I use for everything and have had forever, a little suitcase holding my sewing supplies, a mini "YES!" japanese self-inking stamp, a plastic knife that I bought for spreading frosting onto cupcakes in a super professional manner (at least that's what I tell myself), a couple of marvy pens, a mechanical pencil that I bought at the Rome airport (at the Fabriano store, which I almost fainted from excitement when I stumbled upon it during a five hour layover), and some orange felt.

Phew! That was a long list. Well, orange you glad it's Friday? hardyharhar. Bad pun, sorry, just couldn't resist. Have a super weekend everyone!

vampire weekend

2010-02-03T20:16:00.015-05:00

Sorry, I've been a little MIA lately. I've been working on my taxes and bookkeeping. Fun times! And I've also been feeling a bit blah and uninspired, I think it may be a case of the winter blues.

I have been listening to more music lately though, largely due to finally realizing it is indeed 2010 and sites like l ala and Pandora do in fact exist. I swear, I'm so behind on these things! Currently I'm liking Vampire Weekend, the "it" band of the moment. This fun performance (above) was produced by La Blogotheque and will surely help drive away any winter blues. It did for me. :)

turquoise

2010-01-29T08:34:00.011-05:00

paint «

car «

my collection «

So I'm guessing you've heard by now that turquoise is the Pantone color of the year for 2010. Hooray!! As you can imagine I am super excited about this because it is my favorite color after all. I hope this means that we'll start to see turquoise laptops, toothbrushes, painted walls, and dare I say it, cars too. I am being completely serious when I say: I would LOVE a turquoise toothbrush. :) Anyways, I thought I'd start a new Friday series devoted to color, which means each week I will feature a new color. I've seen many times on flickr photos of random objects that are all the same color and arranged nicely (like this amazing photo from Somethings Hiding in Here which inspired this post!) and have always liked this idea, so I'm going to try it myself. It will be interesting to see which colors are easiest to find around my home.

Happy Weekend!!

nina invorm

2010-01-26T17:14:00.009-05:00

Have you seen Nina Invorm's new "dots" and "bunting" ceramic pieces yet? I love them. a lot. Really, I love everything Nina creates. I have been inspired by her work ever since I found her shop on Etsy a couple of years ago. Her choices in color, subject, and composition are fun and delightful. Her style is definitely all her own, you can easily recognize one of her creations whether it's a collage, a teapot, or a photograph. Be sure to visit her wonderful blog.

Well, it seems that my little shop has been nominated for a Poppy! Woohoo! If you a cast a vote for me, I will be forever in your debt. Well, perhaps not FOREVER, let's just say I owe you a cuppa coffee and a cookie. But really I am forever in debt to Cindy for nominating me in the first place. Thank you Cindy! I owe you one!

all you need is love

2010-01-25T08:33:00.005-05:00

{love may be all that you need,

but some sweet art is nice too!}

I made a new treasury over the weekend. I wasn't planning on making this valentine-y one so soon, but I happened to check in on Saturday and saw that the treasury was about to dip below the magic number of 333. Let me tell you, I had a hard time deciding which ones to leave out as alternatives, so above I include them all! Hooray!!

The shops featured: Nan Lawson, Happy Doodle Land, Spinster Summer, Bonbi Forest, Julia Pott, Love Sugar, 3 Lambs Graphics, Ashley G, Virginia Kraljevic, Holli, Margin, Yael Fran, Geninne, Silhouetta Blue, & Brad Collins.

shop update

2010-01-21T22:07:00.010-05:00

Just a quick note today. I added some valentines to the shop this week. They are blank inside so you can use them for other occasions too, such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or even as a get well card.

They are $4 each or all three for $9.

>>VALENTINES<<

Have a nice weekend!

a ramblin' guy

2010-01-20T10:41:00.005-05:00

Something to cheer us up today.

I LOVE this Steve Martin soooo much...

Steve Martin: Live on The Midnight Special

****