Etsy Friday Five - 6/3

I love Etsy for a lot of reasons; but by and large , my favorite thing is discovering new (to me) artists. Painters, Illustrators, Photographers – Etsy is a seemingly never-ending treasure trove of innovative talent. My walls (and my wallet) can testify that I can always find a new print, a new canvas to purchase.

This week, I found a few more artists for my must-have list.

Susana Parada of Parada Creations has a store full of whimsically delightful prints.  I really like how she treats the feel-good sayings so often featured in her work.  Her font choices are fresh and unique and really make the prints pop.  She has a lot of variety in her store, so I am sure you will find something you love.

Life is a beautiful ride by Parada Creations  - $19

I just adore J.C. Spock’s take on mixed-media. Her pieces are feminine and heartfelt without being schmaltzy. They are beautifully layered and complicated, much like we all are. Her work crosses over easily into note cards, journals and postcards – all available in the store.

Hopeful Girl by JC Spock  - $17.50

There is something provocative and tantalizing in the woman’s eyes in this piece by Claire Mojher.  Like she is just daring you to be shocked by her.  I love it.  All of  Mojher’s work has this same sense of story and drama.   Her pieces leave you wondering about the subject's back story.  So intriguing. 

Eliminating Rivals by Clair Mojher  - $20

Elle Moss is going to get me in trouble with my husband.  I have already bookmarked several of her pieces and forwarded to him as future purchases.  This particular piece really caught my eye.  I love the fluidity and the almost surreal serenity of it.  It is no wonder her work is used often by fashion magazines – it is so beautiful composed and her lighting is wonderful.  She has fast become one of my favorite photographers.

Dive by Elle Moss - $15

You may have seen the work of Maia Chavez Larkin in a gallery or your favorite magazine before. She is a well-known children’s fashion illustrator and her work has been published all over the globe. Her work is still intimate and personal, though and I was totally drawn in by this piece. All of her work has an incredible level of detail and craftsmanship that really denotes Chavez Larkin as a master of her field.

Anouk on a Cold Day by The Voyagers  - $25

All images courtesy of their respective owners

Etsy Friday Five - 5/27

Happy Friday everyone!


Some weeks the Friday Five has a definite theme (beauty, travel, brunettes) and some days the theme is “ohhhhhhh – pretty – I totally want that.” That is what is going on this week.

Like this amazing bracelet by Mad River Designs. How pretty is this? I love the juxtaposition of rugged and delicate, in the leather and natural stones. And the color palette is my new favorite for the summer, the colors of sky and water.

Triple Wrap Turquoise, Adventurine and Faceted Prehnite on Leather by Mad River Designs  - $66

This is my favorite time of year to have guests over for dinner.  We have a big table in our garden, and we love to eat al fresco.  I can just see this lovely serving bowl by Susan Rodriguez being passed around the table, heaped full of fresh Jersey corn on the cob, or a nice green salad.   Rodriquez’s store is full of wonderful pieces, but for me, the sgraffito floral design makes this a stand out piece.

Made to Order----Large Ceramic Blossom Bowl by CeramicaBontanica - $98

I have had this piece pinned on Pinterest for a while now (btw, how addicting is that site?) and it gets re-pined all the time.  No wonder, it is such a great image.  Claire Cimbora’s illustrations are all widely imaginative and fun, seemly set in a dream world where a little girl can cuddle with Pandas and Elephants can rock a tightrope.  Her work would be perfect for a kids room, but would not be at all out of place on a gallery wall.

Stars in Jars by Schmooks - $29

Love stories and typewriters are two of my absolute favorite things.   No wonder this brooch by Tilly Bloom caught my eye so quickly.   Her jewelry designs are so original and quirky; you really have to take the time to browse her shop.  Each piece is a wearable piece of art and a total conversation starter.

How to write a love story brooch by Tilly Bloom  - $17

Now that my daughter is out of the “I am going to spread hazardous waste on the couch” stage of life, we are looking to purchase a new couch. I like the idea of a neutral couch with piles of funky pillows and this one by Alexandra Ferguson is high on my list. All of her pillows are fun and irreverent, and would give some pop to any living space.

Be Nice or Leave Pillow by Alexandra Ferguson - $89



All images courtesy of their respective owners



14 pieces we are coveting from Buy Olympia.

I stumbled across Buy Olympia in an totally random way.  I had a lyric stuck in my head for a week, from a song that an ex-boyfriend used to play all the time. While using my google-fu to figure out the song was “Olympia, WA” by Rancid, I found the awesome site, Buy Olympia.

Buy Olympia was started by four friends in 1999, as a vehicle to help their artist friends sell their handmade items online. It has grown to become a go-to site for quality indie products and music, carrying wares from people like David Eggers, Nikki McClure and Emily Winfield Martin and from record labels like Kill Rock Stars, Black Yo-Yo Records and Anonymous Monk.

No matter what you are shopping for, from books to belt buckles, be sure to swing by Buy Olympia. You will be glad you did.  They have a ton of diverse products lines from some really amazing artists.

I did a little browsing last night and found 14 great items I am adding to my “need to buy list.”

1. Sexy Librarian Pattern by Sublime Stitching - $5; 2. Kill Rock Stars Tee - $15; 3. Cassette Tape Pint Glass by Bread and Badger - $12; 4. The Wife of Bath Soap - Arcana Soaps - $7; 5. Floating Shift Necklace by The Weekend Store - $36; 6. Otter Print (5*7) by Ryan Berkley - $10; 7. Bring a Snack postcard by Trish Grantham - $1.20; 8. Teach by Heidi Hopfer - $18; 9. Periscope Notebook by Tenth and Grant - $9.50; 10. Vintage Camera Photo Album by Galison - $10; 11. Handbag by Puckish - $68; 12. Crafty Lady by Sarah Utter - $14.95; 13. Peahoodie by Abigail Adams - $60 (on sale); 14. This is Venice (illustrated children's travel book from the 60's) by M. Sasek - $16.95



All images courtesy of their respective owners.



Etsy Friday Five - 5/13

Hello and Happy Friday to you all.  I am SO happy that it is Friday and that Blogger is finally up and running.  That was scary, huh?

Well - off to this week's Friday Five.

I am seriously in love with the raw beauty of this ring by Laura Treloar  Her store is full of lovely jewelry -  all with an original, organic feel.  She uses unusual materials for her work and it really makes it stand out from the millions of listings on Etsy.

Sky Blue Apatite Crystal Ring by Laura Treloar - $55

How beautiful is this print by Cori Dantini?  I am so happy to have found this artist.  I have really fallen in love with her work, which is whimsical and so imaginative.  Luckily, she is also a  prolific artist, so buyers have a lot of pieces to chose from.  

She flies with her own wings by Corid - $20

A deep rooted love of Ironstone has left me with beautiful, but mainly white, serving pieces. I am determined to inject some color into my kitchen, and these cracker bowls from Atelier BB would be a great start. They are made from white stoneware clay and are dishwasher and microwave safe.

4 Cracker Bowls by Atelier BB - $54

 

I follow a lot of blogs and recently one* did a great post on Cathrineholm Enamelware and I am so hooked now.  I love the bright colors and clean, graphic style; it is like eye candy for your kitchen.  I have started scouring the estate sales and vintage stores in my area for it, but I haven’t found a piece.  But, I can still bring some Scandinavian style to my kitchen with this print from Jan Skácelík. 

Cathrineholm - From Norway with Love by Handz  - $19

I remember having so much fun making Ojo De Dios (Spanish for Eye of God) in my 3^rd grade art class, and I was so excited to find Jay Mohler's shop.  He creates oversized, intricate Ojos De Dios, paying special attention to the cultural traditions of the pieces.  Originally, the Ojos were made by the Huichol people of Mexico.  The piece would start when a child was born, and new pieces would be added every year until they turned five. 



Gray Fox, and 18 inch, 12-sided, Ojo de Dios by Jay Froggy - $90



All images courtesy of their respective owners

* If this was your blog, please let me know.  I can't find the link and I would love to give you credit.

Supermarket - Dangerous for my wallet

We all have sites that are dangerous to our wallet. Supermarket is one of those sites for me. It has become one of my go-to places for products by innovative and creative designers. Every time I go, I find another piece, another designer to love. I could spend an entire paycheck in an hour. See what I mean, dangerous.

But, today, I limited myself to calling out some terrific products from 13 of Supermarket’s talented designers.

 

1. Purple Morning Glory Earrings by k.o'brien jewelry - $68; 2. Iphone/Ipod case by Bryd & Belle - $26 ; 3.Constellation Necklace by My Sunset Road - $88; 4. Back to Roots Stacking Rings by Lunaticart - $49; 5. Scattered Punctuation from Atelier by Barbara Giles - $76; 6. Sous La Pluie by Labokoff - $30; 7. Wall St. Noonie Baby Gift by Lalas Pequenos - $52

1. The Skipper Pea Coat by Rover - $70; 2. Whale silkscreen print by Mengsel - $63;  3. Summer Fun by Mina Georgescu - $30; 4. The Girl with the Feather Dress by Poketo - $39; 5. Cuff by Fosterweld - $20 6. Logan Tote by Po Campo - $100

All images courtesy of their respective owners



Art Star Craft Bazaar - You can't miss this!

If you are within a 3 hour drive, train trip or camel ride to Philadelphia, I highly recommend you leave the weekend of  May 14^th open and plan a trip to the City of Brotherly Love.   For that is the weekend of the Art Star Craft Bazaar. **

Art Star is an outdoor Art/Craft market run by by Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique.  Over 100 local and national artists take over the Waterfront at Penn’s Landing for this two day event.   This is not your typical stuffy craft fair – these artists have a decidedly Indie bent and the crowd is a happy blend of tattooed hipsters, crunchy granola moms and people who know that supporting local Artisans is a great thing to do.

Live music and great food (including Vegan options) round out the day's offerings. 

Below is just a small sampling from a few of the talented artists scheduled to participate in the show.  Hope to see you there!

 1. Blue Superstar Necklace by Jen Roder -$65; 2. Hipster Bingo Cards by Hipster Bingo -$8; 3.Elephant by John Murphy - $35 ; 4. Baby ball with linen and cotton by Namoo - $24.50; 5. Small Deer Trivet by Peppersprouts- $32; 6. Sour Cherry Soup by Claudia G Pearson - $20

1. Whale Pillow by Kate Durkin- $26; 2. Wine Cork Necklace by Olive Bites - $18; 3. Broken Plate Necklace by The Broken Plate - $50; 4. Rosemary Mint Goat's Milk Glycerin Soap by Liliths Apothecary - $4.50; 5. Set of 4 flower dippers by pinkkiss - $30; 6.Philadelphia Map Print by Peaceful Traveler  - $24; 7.Nap Pillow Cases by Shopdirtsa - $55; 8 (and 9). Nighttime in the city 2 by Nate Duval - $50; 10. Butcher's diagram floursack towel by Girls can Tell - $12; 11.Reel around the fountain sampler by Chez Sucre Chez - $72; 12. Circle Fawn Necklace by Figs and Ginger - $45

All images courtesy of their respective owners

** If you can’t make it over to the actual event, still head over to the Art Star website.  They have many of the vendors listed with direct links to their online stores – so everyone can shop!

April Showers brings Great Shopping....

April showers bring May flowers....and a chance to do some shopping.  Stuck inside on a rainy day?  Here are 16 fab floral picks to spend a little time with. 

1. Mini Snapdragons from Potting Shed Creations - $8.00 2. Florapolooza Vase by Red Hot Pottery - $54 3. Out on a Limb Cherry Blossom Necklace by Block Party Press - $55 4. Tapestry Storage Container Set by French Bull - $32 5. Cherry Blossom Market Tote by Modernest - $18 6. Anais Bloom 14x14 Giclee by Papaya Art - $48 7. Butterflies Limited Edition Print by Sabinar - $40

1. Dumpling by Laura George - $15 2. One Spring Day by Yoote - $25 3. Secret Garden Embroidered Book Cover for Penguin Books by Jillian Tamaki (Not yet available for Sale) 4. Tea Mugs by Claire Coles - £25.00  5. Rose Wellies from Victorian Trading Company - $49.95 6. Breathe Eau de Parfume by Lollia - $46 7. Rob Ryan Umbrella from Bloomsbury Store - $22.99 8. Baby's Breath Ring by Ruche - $35.99 9. Fox in the Flowers Bath Bomb by Lush - $6.00

PS - Don't forget to enter the Jao Giveaway!

All images courtesy of their respective owners



Half awake by Erin Tyner

I recently saw these pieces by photographer Erin Tyner and was so struck by them.  They have a surreal and slightly ominous feeling. Each scene could be a still from a suspense movie.  I love how she plays with mood and proportion.

Erin describes the series this way "In my Half Awake series I construct scenes by combining household items, natural objects, and train figures under one inch in height. By pairing figures and context I create characters that are engaged with an unfolding narrative."

Prints start at $25.
Shop here. Website here. Blog here.

All images courtesy of Erin Tyner