I heart Anthropologie

I have to say, I haven't been shopping for clothes much lately. Mostly because I can't fit into anything cute for the season, and I don't want to spend any money on maternity tents :) However, I went into Anthropologie yesterday to pick up a gift for a friend and was reminded of how much I really love the store. Even though I couldn't enjoy any of the clothes, I spent a good hour perusing their jewelry, accessories and home decor. They have such an eclectic mix of goodies. It's almost like shopping at a flea market, without all the junk.

Take a gander at these lovelies, and gear up for the shopping season!
These fabric bound classics would make a stunning bookshelf collection (whether or not you actually read them).
Original framed collage by Trey Speegle. Anthropologie has teamed up with various artists, and you can now shop their "gallery" online. I love that they are supporting artists and giving the public a great venue to buy original artwork. You can view the gallery by clicking here.

I love, love, LOVE this mirror made out of old found mirrors. I've been looking for the perfect one to hang over our fireplace, and this may be it. I think it's a project I could even accomplish myself.

Seriously? A wool sweater clock? Could this be ANY cuter?

Ok, I'm probably the furthest thing from a 1950's housewife. But I can't help finding these aprons terribly charming. Now all I need are some pearls...

I'm afraid I could be here all day pulling gorgeous items to oogle, so I'll stop now. Just know that there are hundreds of other gorgeous items just waiting to be discovered. Have fun!

Jenn Ski

Apparently my head is still in baby-land & decorating-land, but I was smitten as soon as I saw these illustrations by Jenn Ski. I love her color palette and how she incorporates texture into her illustrations. I also love innocence & simplicity of her work. They have a retro flair which is so much fun, and something I've been really into lately. Her animal prints would be completely adorable in a baby's room, while her other artwork would brighten any room in the house.

Luckily for us, Jenn has an Etsy shop where you can buy one of the beauties for yourself! The holiday's are coming... happy shopping!

Click here for Jenn's website.
Click here for Jenn's Etsy shop.

Simplicity

We live in a crazy age. It seems like everything we come into contact with on a daily basis is disposable, convenient, plastic, etc. We live in an age when growing your own food and recycling is a trend, not a way of life. But maybe it should be. I'm so taken with items that go back to basics. Products without plastic, noise, lights, batteries and plugs. There is a joy in simplicity.

So I was struck when I saw this rocking horse on Etsy (via NOTCOT). Created by Stil Novo Design, the horse is made from reclaimed oak wood from French wine barrels. Stil Novo is a family run business dedicated to:
"creat(ing) the highest quality wood crafts and specialty pieces. We love the fact that we are able to help the environment by recycling the raw material and to turn it into an object of practical elegance at the same time."

Reuse, Recycle

This seemed like an appropriate post for Earth Day. I recently received an email highlighting the work of Lynn Weller... an artist from New Jersey, who owns Seven Ply. Seven Ply reuses and recycles broken skateboards by turning them into funky and unique pieces of jewelry. They like to say that they're "turning Thrash'n into Fashion."

Here is a peak at some of their pieces. You can purchase items on their Etsy site. Click here.

Back in the Day

This is really funny. Well... if you're a Photoshop user, this is really funny. I just saw this on the blog of my friend Miki... who is a super-talented photographer in Phoenix. Here's a depiction of what Photoshop was like before the advent of computers.
This was created by an art agency in Indonesia called Bates 141 Jakarta. Creative Director--Hendra Lesmono, Art Directors Andreas Junus and Irawandhani Kamarga.

I'm very happy I live in the age of computers. Though, they will never take the place of a hand-made look. Every medium has its place.

Miki's Blog: click

Hope

I love, love, LOVE this print by Rebecca Puig of Sugarboo Designs. Sugarboo creates beautiful rustic prints and home decor. Everything has a crafted feel about it. This particular pieces contains a quote is by Emily Dickinson, and has always been one of my favorites. It can be purchased from Pottery Barn Kids.

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul, and sings the tune without the words, and never stops at all."

Cute overload

Love, love, LOVE these adorable paperweights from züny, whose tagline is "Makes your life funny & easy." What a nice sentiment to strive for :) These are the type of items that just make me smile. I love collar as an added touch. I'm having a hard time picking a favorite. Donkey or elephant??? Maybe the giraffe?

Unfortunately I don't see any US retailers listed on there site. Perhaps you can have them shipped. It would be well worth the effort!

Click here for the züny site.

You can judge a book by it's cover

I shop for wine and books in the same way... by their covers. But while there is a lot of coverage in the design world around wine label design, you don't hear quite as much about book covers. However, books are the epitome of design. They have to draw a reader in and give them a real sense of the book before they open it. They are highly conceptual and often painstakingly illustrated. Many covers are works of art in their own right.

Recently, I found a blog called FaceOut Books that focuses on the product and process of book jacket design. I love the detail given on each project and the design process. It's a great source of inspiration as well. Below are just a smattering of interesting covers I found on it. Click here for the website.

Designer: Paul Buckley
Photography: Fredrik Broden


Designer: Jennifer Wang

Designer: Philip Pascuzzo

My Guys

A friend just sent me a link to the work of Meredith Dittmar who creates intriguing art (some cute, some disturbing) through polymer and acrylic. Aside from the wall art and sculpture, she also has a cute line of "my guys." Think ugly dolls made out of clay and you'll get the idea. Very cute. I used to work with clay a lot back in the day, this may inspire me to take it up again.

From her website: Dittmar's work is featured in the books Dot dot Dash and Mascotte 2, along with numerous magazines and online publications. In conjunction with her artwork she works as an independent character designer and maintains her company Corporatepig, through which she continues to create thousands of unique handmade characters called "My Guys".

Click here for Meredith's portfolio. Below are some of my favorite of her artwork and her guys. Thanks, Lisa.

Take Two

You can't turn on the TV, or open a newspaper, without hearing some reference to "being green", reducing your carbon footprint, reusing, recycling, etc, etc. I advocate this and try to apply it to my daily life. But here are some people who take it to a whole new level–ART. (Found via NOTCOT.org)

Jeremy Mayer de-constructs old typewriters to create fantastic sci-fi creatures.

Beverly Ng's "Spark Lamp" collects solar energy by day, and becomes a night light once the sun sets. Additionally, it provides digital feedback to your home computer to track your energy consumption. Pretty smart little lamp!

Recycled skateboard jewelry by Maple XO. I love their motto: "Save Landfill Space in Style."

A new use for the everyday lightbulb. Who knew they were so pretty? Buenos Aires-based sustainable design studio Minimahuella creates these smart reminders of the choices we make.

Now, what will you create? {Submissions are encouraged!}

Art Star

Here's a great link that a friend sent to me. Art Star is a gallery, boutique and on-line shop based in Philly. They exhibit and sell handmade items from artists around the globe–everything from prints and ceramics, to jewelry and clothing. You can find a really great variety of work on the site. It's so addicting to look through. I'd love to get to the shop one day. The exhibits rotate every 6 weeks, so check back often for interesting new finds.

Click: Art Star Philly
Here are a few of my favs:

Bud Vase – by Little Flower Designs

Giclee Print – by Jen Corace

Necklace – by Jenna Colby

Print – by Bella & Boo

Print - by The Black Apple

Words Are Pictures

London-based designer Craig Ward creates amazing art blending words and images... creating meaning beyond the words. Stunning.

Click: Words Are Pictures

Jen Skelley

I found the work of Jen Skelley through a friend, and I was immediately smitten. Her illustration style is so sweet... with a great use of shapes, patterns and colors. You can view her portfolio online, and even shop for some goodies to decorate your own home.

Click here for Jen's site.

Paper Sculpting

Jen Stark creates some amazing paper sculptures with colored paper and layering techniques. Her work has been written up in numerous magazines, and she has held solo art shows of her work. I would LOVE to see this in person, but for now the internet will have to do. Enjoy.

Click here to explore more of her work.

Typographic London

I've been seeing these posters around London for a while now, and they never fail to catch my eye. They're so well done, and they highlight iconic features of London in an extraordinary way. The concept and design is simple (from the iconic standpoint), but they are intricate in the information they contain. It is a great example of what design is supposed to do: simplify the message and use imagery to enhance understanding.

The series was designed by Oscar Wilson (a specialist in hand-crafted typography) for the Mayor of London's campaign to promote tourism. From the Creative Review Blog: Each image is composed from multiple lines of hand-drawn copy, which includes the names of famous places, pursuits and – as with the somewhat psychedelic guitar – some of Camden’s most famous music venues. The work, commissioned by agency RKCR/Y&R, is currently doing the rounds on buses and tubes throughout the city.

You can see more of Oscar's work here.

Paper Source

I {heart} Paper Source. It is such a great resource for gorgeous papers, cards & envelopes, albums, and crafts. I wish I lived near one of there stores. I went to the one in Boston once and spent hours perusing the goodies that it held.

Luckily they have a great online shop as well. Click here to see for yourself.

Felt Rocks

There is an interesting company from Vancouver, Canada called molo. From their website, molo is: is a design studio dedicated to materials research and an exploration of space making. As a design and manufacturing company, molo creates and distributes unique and innovative products to clients around the world.

I saw some of their work featured at 100% design. And while I'm not sure exactly what you would do with it all, it's was beautiful and worth sharing. I particularly love the felt rocks! The soft seating is also intriguing. Made from kraft paper with a flexible honeycomb structure, piece can compress like a big book for storage, and fan open for use into stools, benches and loungers. It's also made with 50% recycled materials, so that make me happy.

Click here for their website. Below are products from their : Soft line, and the felt rocks.

Brooker

Claire Leonie Brooker was one of the artists who caught my eye at 100% Design. She is a print & pattern designer, but her digital work is amazingly intricate. From afar her prints look like colorful snowflakes, and her friezes like traditional patterns. Up close, you can see the layers upon layers of design elements and an organic flair. Her work has been translated into wallpaper, friezes, and prints.

From her website:
Claire’s intention in developing these designs is to encourage the viewer’s imagination to take hold and reflect upon the many associations that these images inspire: artistic, architectural, cultural, crafted and illustrative. Their aesthetic is contemporary yet they are at home within both modern and traditional interiors.

You can see more of her work on her site. Click here.

Paper Power

I've seen Robert Ryan's work before, but it was brought to my attention again in the October issue of Elle Magazine UK. He creates beautiful, whimsical, and sometime irreverent paper cut illustrations. He has created a number of commissions as well for the likes of Vogue and Paul Smith. AND... he now has a book out, called "This is for You." It's supposed to be a gorgeous coffee table book. Perhaps a nice holiday gift for someone artsy? Click here for the Amazon link.

You can purchase a his artwork for yourself through his Etsy shop here.
Check out his website here.
And his blog here.

Here's a peak at Rob's work:

Friday Fun: Swirl me, Twirl me

Gorgeous work from California-based artist, Reed Danziger. These are unbelievably intricate paintings. They are organic, fanciful, lacy, but most of all, beautiful. The more you look at them the more you notice. If you read the articles on her website you'll learn a bit about how she works. Apparently she does a lot of initial reference, but then "closes the books" once she begins a project and works only from memory.

You can see more of her work on her website. Click here to view.

100% Design (Part 4)

I love Lizzie Allen. Ok, well, I don't know Lizzie Allen, but I do know her work and it's wonderful! She creates really iconic, hand screen-printed wallpaper. Some are more traditional, but my favorites are the fanciful scenes of city life. She takes the ordinary and makes it into something special indeed.

Below are some snaps of her London collection. But she has launched a New York line, and does commissions as well. Check out her site here.

Etchings

These past 4 days, an annual show called 100% Design has been going on at Earl's Court in London. From the website: 100% Design is the UK's premier contemporary interiors event for the contract market. There is no other show that connects the worlds of architecture and design with innovative, contemporary interior products, creativity and an exciting mix of new and established talent.

I was lucky enough to visit yesterday as a member of the trade, and all I can say is WOW! I have so much to go through, and tons write about, but it will take a little time. In the meantime, I will entertain you with one last find on our Scandinavian trip... this time from Helsinki, Finland.

Helsinki has a lovely little market down by their marina. Stands are set up by local artists and crafters. In the midst of the craziness, we we lucky enough to find the stand of artist Maarit Kontiainen. She creates beautiful hand-painted etchings of wildlife and nature. She was also a pleasure to talk to. Unfortunately, her website is still under construction, but I've posted the few pieces that I could find. The deer is a piece that we actually bought, and I just adore it. There's something whimsical, and sweet about her work.

You can visit her current web page here, but it's more of a CV than anything else. Here are the pix...

Trend: Watercolor

Ok, I'm going to go out on a limb here and highlight a "trend" that I'm seeing a lot of these days –Watercolor. That's right, remember those runny paints that you used to play with in kindergarten? Some of us have even gone so far as to try them again in more recent years. Personally, I'm TERRIBLE at it. I always end up with a big runny lot of colors. But, luckily some people have a far better flair for it than I do. And now, I'm seeing watercolor used all over the place... from websites to advertising... and I love it. It adds such a nice, personal touch to mediums that are often impersonal and digitally rendered. I'm ALMOST inspired to try it again.

(You heard it hear first. Above is the beginning of the latest edition of the Nori Studios website.)

Here are some sites currently leading the way. In order: Anthropologie, Daily Candy, and Kasil Jeans.

Pretty Pretty Paper

Neisha Crosland is a pattern and textile designer in the UK. She is inspired by historical patterns and paintings, but certainly adds her own contemporary flair. In addition to gorgeous wallpaper and fabrics, she is available for bespoke work... we're talking stunning hand painted silk wallpaper, tiles, rugs, etched furniture. Oh, if only I had a house to put it all in!!

Click here for here website and more samples.

Trunkt

Here's another online shop, similar to Etsy. It's called Trunkt. It was originally founded by Ayesha Ahmad as a physical trunk show event around NY for independent designers. Now you can search for for art by category, artist, or even color. Finds include jewelry, photography, note cards, prints, bags, ceramics, etc. You can create wishlists, or shop the featured designers. So have fun browsing, and supporting independent artists!

Work featured below: silver necklace from Twigs and Heather, gocco card from the Printshop Girl, print by Wolfie and the Sneak

Doin' it all

Sandra Isaksson is an extremely talented designer and illustrator in the UK. She creates some great patterns, and adorable illustrations, but my favorite work, by far, is when she combines the two. It adds such a nice texture to the illustration.

I admire that Sandra works in design, illustration, surface patterns, products and photography. And she has taken her products to the consumer. I aspire to similar achievements. However, you often hear people say that you need to focus... to be great at one thing. Well, I think that's all a lie, and Sandra is proof :)

Click here for her site. (Just click on the little deer in the corner to scroll forward or back.)
You can purchase some of her work online through ISAK.

Patterns, patterns everywhere

I'm Loving Linda Lo (Linda Sjödin). She creates such gorgeous patterns in beautiful color schemes. Some of her work has a fantastic hand-drawn feel to it, and all of them are slightly unexpected. Below are some of my favorites. I hope they brighten your day. Since it's raining for the 5th week in a row here in London, I'm just going to look at these and find my happy place.

Check out more of her work here.

PErfeCtly ImPerFect

So, I have a set of mugs from Pottery Barn that I absolutely love. They are the perfect shape and weight to be cupped in your hands. Their shape and finish is slightly imperfect, in an appealing way. And they have adorable little paintings of trees on them, with words such as inspire, grow, create and believe. I LOVE these mugs. I often pick the mug for my day based on its saying, and on what sort of inspiration I need. I have used these mugs for several years, and for the first time yesterday, I turned it over and read the bottom insignia. It turns out that they were designed by Rae Dunn. So, after a little more research, I found her website and proceeded to drool over her gorgeous wares.

Here's a snippet about her work:
"Her inspiration comes from the earth and she finds beauty in simple shapes, natural forms, and found objects. Her work captures the simplicity and playfulness that are the cornerstones of her own life...Her work is strongly influenced by the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete."

Click here for her website.
Some samples of Rae's work:

Luscious

Founded by Marie Rodgers & Maria Livings, the UK-based Lush Designs, is a company that truly specializes in what they do best. In this case it's lamp shades. I know it doesn't sound terribly glamorous, or exciting, but just take a look at the gorgeous, hand-painted works of art. This is such a great way to add a bit of pizazz to a room.
You can check out more products on their website.

BODIE and FOU

Here's a great site that I read about in the June issue of Maria Claire UK. It's called BODIE and FOU and their mantra is all about: "Bringing together European designer home accessories and furniture with the best of chic French homewares. We aim to make your online shopping a pleasurable experience and hope you enjoy our chic, stylish and unusual range of home accessories. "

They have some really great products to browse, and the best part is that they ship internationally! Yippee. I just love the tiles & lamp shown below by Brazilian ceramicist and textile designer, Flávia Del Prá.

A to Z

I was alerted to this site just a few days ago while browsing Print & Pattern. A to Z is an interesting blog all about the setup, distribution and running of a craft/design business. It discusses things like choosing a logo, creating business cards, selling online. But, beyond that, they have adorable products and prints. I love their use of silhouettes, pattern and color. They are truly running the type of company that I aspire to have one day. (Except for the sewing part. I'm very bad at sewing.)

Here are some items from their etsy shop. Click here to see more.

Sign Language

With all the technology we have at our fingers, it's nice to see someone go back to basics. Darwin Bell creates art from Polaroid pictures. About Darwin, from the site:

"... And so he began taking pictures of words from the urban environment surrounding him. With those words, he created phrases that were either twists on well-worn clichés, or personal statements, both serious and humorous in nature. The end result has been a unique, fresh perspective on a familiar idea..."

Below are some of my favorites. You can see the rest of Darwin's work here.

Mail Art

MAiLmeART.com

Here is another fun site to browse through. It's an initiative which uses standard mail as its medium. Some beautiful work has been created. The founders have also made it into a contest, and will be holding an exhibition in London later this year. Here's a description from their site:

"MAiLmeART.com was created by Darren Di Lieto, the founder and editor of LCSV4, after toying with the idea of doing a collaborative project that everyone involved in gets something out of. MAiLmeART is a little project designed to test your skills, make you some money and give you the chance to have a bit of fun. Oh!.. and win some really cool prizes.

In 18-24 months MAiLmeART will be holding an exhibition in London (venue to be confirmed). The show will include submissions from you guys and girls which will be on sale at the exhibition. The creators of items that sell at the show will receive 70% of the price their creations sell for, less the landlord’s cut. I can only offer 70% because I need to cover costs. The project will carry on and continue after the show with possibly another show the year after and the year after that. Hopefully the first show will be the first of many."

And some samples. Top envelope is from Tommy Kane, the second is by Catalina Estrada.

Cut it out

I was originally sent some of these images as part of a forward (thanks, Jeff). After a little research, I found out that the artist is Peter Callesen from Denmark. His work is beautiful, smart, and simply amazing. In researching this, I came across a lot of wonderful paper artists. But the thing I love about Peter's work, is that he uses both the positive and negative space to tell a story. Nothing is wasted and it all has meaning.

Here are some of my favorites. Take a look at his site for some more eye candy.