got craft?

if you're in vancouver this weekend, make note: got craft?, a modern twist on the conventional craft fair dedicated to showcasing the best handmade items vancouver has to offer with over 40 local artists is happening this sunday, may 4th, 2008 at the royal canadian legion @ 2205 commercial drive (at e. 6th avenue) vancouver, bc. click here for more information. (images shown - clockwise: sunlit letterpress, the mustache press, olive, it's your life, and track and field).

a new blog in town

canada's hgtv has just started up a blog named, style sheet. a home decor blog offering up inspirational ideas, new finds, along with behind-the-scenes glimpses of hgtv's most popular programs. i'm already liking their splurge vs. steal category (see above photo) on two versions of summer desert plates. click here to bookmark!

phm studio spaces: miss natalie

Artist Name: Miss Natalie, a.k.a. Natalie Davis
Shop Name and Url: Miss Natalie, www.missnatalie.etsy.com
Website: www.missnatalie.com
Blog: www.missnatalie.com/blog
City: Oakland, CA


Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
I have a second bedroom in our house that I use as a studio, and sometimes I sprawl into the living/dining room for quilting. I'm eternally grateful that we have walk-in closets, as I'm able to hide/store my many books and tubs of fabric.

What equipment/tools do you use?
Sketchbook, sewing machine, embroidery hoop, stencils, gocco kit, computer, scanner, printer, exacto knives, digital camera, pens, pencils, needles, paper cutter



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
My inspiration board is somewhat of an explosion. I pin up fabric swatches, photos, vintage type specimen sheets, tear sheets from Vogue, prints from friends, and vintage packaging labels.


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I listen to audio books or radio stories to help me focus. My new favorite show is Radio Lab NYC (radiolab.org), but This American Life is my standby.



List (3) of your favorite artists:
Walker Mettling
Monica Canilao
Something's Hiding in Here

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
My perfect studio would be a small warehouse space with large windows. There'd be a screen printing room with a flat file and wash out sink to keep things tidy. The rest of the studio would be totally open, with space to permanently set up my quilting table, a wall of clear plastic tubs for fabric storage, floor-to-ceiling bookcases with a ladder to swing on, flat files to sort all my paper, a wall of cork tiles for my inspiration board, and a giant rod of ribbon spools. Basically I want to run around the space throwing fabric and ribbon and books a'la "Funny Face".

Thanks Natalie!

adorable baby things in the market

i've loved having all the baby things in the market this month and wanted to highlight a few of them here. so many adorable blankets, onesies, toys, hats... click here to see more.

(above: clockwise from top left)
french animal magnets, by simple
night vision tee, hayley gardiner
sunlight and ferns baby quilt, girl number twenty
sunlight and ferns baby quilt (another view), girl number twenty
rollerskate onesie, rabbit kinney
ornate deer onesie, pepperhem
peg bunny no. 8, one red robin



(above: clockwise from left)
cowboy burp cloth trio, sheppard girls
giraffe parachutes, miss natalie
lili dream catcher, nest pretty things
little bunny frou frou, mosey handmade
organic baby onesie, love monkey

beam me up

i fell in love with this image of a quilt today at a blog by quilt designer, valori wells. the quilt pattern, olive rose is available on her site as a free download (pdf format). how i'd like to be beamed up to this chair right about now.

loved this

from poketo's recent "glasgow artist series" launched a few weeks back at the glasgow international arts festival.

vintage finds of the week

gosia of blue bell bazaar sent in her weekly finds today from her flea market hunting over the weekend. some of them are available at her etsy shop already. click here to see more!

a match made in sweden

when i think of sweden, i think of the ultimate place to live if you love design. maybe i'm a little biased having a nordic heritage, but the latest product to come out of that country could very well be one of my favorites. camilla engman and karin eriksson present mr. black and mme. ochre an exhibition at manos in stockholm and available online at manos shop. karin's delicate porcelain work combined with camilla's (to die for) illustrations create the most unique ceramic set i've seen in a while.

a very nice package for a very nice lady

branch floral design and a small stump have teamed up to put together this very special mother's day package. a hand-silkscreened pansy puff (with a light lemon grass scent) along with this beautiful mix of seasonal flowers arranged in a genuine birch bark tube. all the goodies sit on a tray in a bed of fresh wheat grass. they will be hand delivered on saturday may 10th in the san francisco area. (there's a limited amount of sets so order early). click here for more information.

seconds at fourth + a good sister

i recently read about this most amazing ceramic sale going on in san francisco this upcoming weekend at fourth & clay in berkeley. potters, diana fayt, rae dunn, whitney smith and josie jurczenia along with two textile artists, susannah schnick and nancy la rose (sorry no site - but she makes beautiful bags) will be selling their seconds (and firsts) in conjunction with a "live mural production" by mel & friends who will be presenting a live graffiti production on the outside wall of the building of fourth & clay (during the two days of the sale). the dates of the sale are saturday and sunday (may 3 & 4).




also recently the sister of diana fayt (one of the potters) lost her home due to a house fire along with most of her possessions. she and her family are safe, albeit homeless at the moment. so diana has decided to give all the money she makes from selling off her seconds at the fourth & clay sale to help her sister get back on her feet. she is also selling her yellow vase collection via her etsy store in order to raise more money for her. these are her newest pieces and are also one of my favorites.

chez sucre chez

for the past few months, kimberly of chez-sucre-chez has been on a cross stitch kick and having trouble dropping the habit. each time she tries to get out of it and back to other crafts, she finds some other theme or inspiration to explore. her latest series is inspired by traditional motifs found on samplers done by pennsylvania dutch women from the 1700's and early 1900's.

she's gearing up for the renegade craft fair in brooklyn this summer and has a bunch of pieces in her etsy shop right now. she plans on going forward with these motifs and incorporating them, via block or screen prints onto bags and domestic goods (kitchen towls, aprons or whatever she ends of making).

if you get a chance, check out her work and blog.

phm studio spaces: jessica gonacha

Artist Name: Jessica Gonacha
Shop Name and Url: http://www.jessgonacha.etsy.com
Website: www.jessgonacha.com
Blog: www.jessgonacha.blogspot.com (called Treasuring)
Poppytalk Handmade: Table 47
City: Atlanta, Georgia


Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?

My studio is in a spare bedroom of the apartment I share with my fiance. Although projects sometimes spill out into the rest of the house, too!

What equipment/tools do you use?

I use a variety of materials and tools: acrylic paint,india ink, paper, linoleum block printing, wood, oil paint, glitter, resin, and gocco.



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us
what is inspiring you now?

Yes, I have an inspiration board, and I tend to just put new things up over the old things as I'm inspired by new images. Right now I'm inspired by illustrators that work in a child-like style, portraits, the colors of spring in Atlanta, printing on fabric, Lotta Jansdotter, and old memories.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)

I create best while listening to music in my studio with the door closed, so I can be in my own world. I also like listening to the Rachel Maddow show online while painting.



List (3) of your favorite artists:

This is so hard! There are so many. The ones who are inspiring me most these days are:

Burcuokay
John Solimine (Spike Press)
Hilary WIlliams

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?

I would love to have some more space and a lot of really great shelves. Other than that, mine gets the job done as it is. :)

Really great shelves. Other than that, mine gets the job done as it is. :)

Thanks Jessica!

pssssssst! lots of sales going on!

it seems this is the week for sales. i'm getting a good amount of emails telling me, so why not share?

poketo first-time ever warehouse sale
free shipping at you work for them
secret stoop sale....shhh at the bubble roome
three potato four - mother's day special (free domestic shipping on orders over $40)

let's go ironing!

fed up with boring florals? that's what the people at rockett st. george out of the uk ask when you read about these skullduggery ironing board covers designed by bombarock. known for her skullduggery chair, georgina has brought her textiles into domesticity designing household objects such as these covers, aprons and even oven gloves. available here.

thanks photojojo!

thanks to the imaginative folks at photojojo for including our mother's day gift guide on their "more fun stuff" part of their mothers day photo gift guide post! we love photojojo!

domestic bliss

uk designer, julie haslam designed these cotton graphic napkins and other domestic items such as aprons, tea towels and ironing board covers all inspired by her grandmother's handwritten recipe book and other vintage images. click here to see the rest of her domestic bliss collection. (via shine via remodelista).

villa home collection

villa home collection out of italy carries these pretty beech veneer trays which are perforated with geometrical or flowered designs which come round or square with rounded corners. (designed by naoko shintani). www.villahomecollection.it

laissez lucie faire

reading cote est this weekend i came across laissez lucie faire and this graphic fabric which has me longing for summer and even better if in an exotic country. known for their approach in fully personalized textile design, laissez lucie faire revamps old upholstered furniture, pillows, and even lampshades using a print of a photo or a made to measure pattern and turning it into textiles. or choose from their own creations. click here to see more.

until you die, please believe that i am your biggest fan

(painting on erasers, tangiene pohoko)

until you die, please believe that i am your biggest fan is the current exhibit (ending tomorrow - yikes!) at blim gallery here in vancouver by canadian artists, tangiene pohoko and linh truong. using unique painting surfaces, they paint favourite subjects (friends and family) and in this exhibit build a tribute to them, after years of being painted, scribbled, and manifested in multiple mediums unknown to themselves.

(paintings on dishes, linh truong)



tangiene has created her tribute using miniature paintings on erasers, recalling her past collected imagery which perpetually expires. linh uses dishes exploring the kitschy, iconic references of commemorative plates and collectibles.

the exhibit runs until april 26th at blim gallery, 197 17th ave. e, vancouver, bc, canada
blim.ca

P: (+1) 604 872 8180 E: info@blim.ca

(paintings on dishes, linh truong)

last guest blog day at d*sponge

it's been a whirlwind of a week guest blogging at design sponge (a HUGE thank you to grace for having me!). today grace posted my last four interviews from lisa congdon, bookhou, kate bingaman-burt and a shop tour of the regional assembly of text. click here to read the first two and here for the second.

phm studio spaces: blue poppy handcrafted jewelry

Artist Name: Blue Poppy Handcrafted Jewelry
Shop Name and Url: www.bluepoppyjewelry.net
City:Long Beach, CA

Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?

My backyard studio is a shared space with my husband Brady who is a painter/mixed media artist. We recently converted the 1920's bungalow garage for a dark little hole into an amazing place to spend the workday.




What equipment/tools do you use?

My flush-cutting pliers would probably win the award for most popular part of my production process. In close second is my very old FOREDOM flexshaft drill.



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?

My inspiration board is up but tends to be more of a family picture/children's art board at the moment. Mostly my inspiration comes from nature...Currently I am spending a lot of time watching the family of doves nesting in my yard.





How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)

I create best in the morning, barefoot with hot coffee and my itunes...I love love love Mr. Tom Waits, Feist, Sea Wolf, Luis Armstrong, Adele, Bosa Nova and almost anything Brazilian. My husband is the music master...


List (3) of your favorite artists

Brady Redman(site under construction)
Robert Parkeharrison
Lee Bontecou (no website but you can see her work in google images)


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?

I think I've got it--just add a bit more space, I'd like a thinking couch.

mother's day gift guide (part 3): jewelry

motherhood necklace, blue poppy jewelry, $64
wild rose no. 12 little black rabbit, $25
pillow ring, jimena rios, $40
vintage inspired photo pendant, modern mama, $68
wishing tree necklace, anne kiel, $83
ring of posies locket, bread and butter/twirl, $36
initial necklace, arete, $22
tiny poppy necklace, $36



personalized charm bracelet with children's names on each charm, by luxe design, (price varies)
slate necklace, amy olson jewelry, $43
monogram inital necklace by sweet addie, $50
gardening necklace, paraphernalia, $15
blackbird nest pendant, objects of affection, $11
kristina necklace, elizabeth williams, $59

lisa solomon studio space on dsponge guest blog

my next studio space interview at design sponge guest blog this week is with lisa solomon. her work is so thoughtful and makes you think. it was fun to see inside her place of work and hear what inspires her. click here to read.

helen dardik studio space at dsponge guest blog

i was interested in seeing helen dardik's studio space because her illustrations are so happy and cheery and i was wondering how her work reflected into her workspace and livingspace. everything about this girl seems so happy-go-lucky and i get a real pick-me-up everytime i visit her blog. click here to read her interview and see more pics.

diana fayt studio space on dsponge guest blog

my post is up on dsponge today on diana fayt's studio in san francisco. her space is really quite beautiful, serene and i love all the tools. click here to read the interview and here to see all the photos that didn't make it to the post. (i'm loving her new things below).

call for vendors (pomme-pomme fair) montreal

pomme-pomme is a craft & zine fair in montreal showcasing over thirty crafty vendors and organized by amy johnson from atelier woodenapples and tom devlin from drawn & quarterly. the actual fair will be running july 12th & 13th at la sala rossa in montreal and they are looking for vendors and are taking applications until may 15th. click here for details.

phm studio spaces: bellis studios

Artist Name: Denise Johnson
Shop Name and Url: Bellis Studios, www.shop.bellisstudios.com
Website: www.bellisstudios.com
Blog: www.bellisblog.com
Poppytalk Handmade: Table 24
City: Chicago Burbs


Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
I live in an 1860 Italianate home and my press lives on the first level.




What equipment/tools do you use?
I mainly print on a Vandercook No. 3. I also have a tabletop Sigwalt Ideal #3.





Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
No inspiration board. I like to look at things around me a visually take it all in. I keep a sketch book and jot down ideas before they get away. But lately I've found it easier to carry my point and shoot camera with me and take a quick picture. I have enough clutter in my life and I like everything in clean digital folders.


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I create best when I carry an idea around with me and just let it brew in my brain for awhile. I used to think I should just sit down and create on demand. But that just uses part of your mind. Carrying it around lets your subconscious knock the idea around a little bit!




List (3) of your favorite artists
Marian Bantjes: amazing typography (www.bantjes.com)
Kate Hoyer: love her use of color (www.katehoyer.com)
Sharleen Heist: brings beauty to everything she touches and I'm lucky I get to call her sister (shartreuse.wordpress.com)


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
It would be perfect, if I just had more space.

Thanks Denise!

uppercase studio space at design sponge guest blog

janine from calgary's uppercase did a studio space interview with me for design sponge's guest blog this week. take a peek inside her shop and workspace, she has a great eye for design and display. and i'm so typewriter jealous!

phm studio spaces: kaybu

Artist Name: Meghan Burch
Shop Name and Url: Kaybu, www.kaybu.etsy.com
Website: www.kaybu.com
Blog: www.kaybu.com
City: Chicopee, MA

Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
My husband, illustrator Robert Burch, and I made the largest room in our apartment into our studio space. My printing, however, is done on a large table in the kitchen. Luckily our kitchen, (and my husband!) can accomodate my work taking over the whole apartment.




What equipment/tools do you use?

Pencils, pens, notebooks, binders, sewing machine, seam ripper, a good pair of scissors, a rotary cutter, squeegees, large ironing board and a good heavy iron, digital camera, and a Macintosh computer with Photoshop. I also like to experiment, so next I'd like to get an eyelet punch. On my wish/save up for list is an industrial sewing machine and a Mac laptop.

Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
Changing my board is an important exercise. Lately I've been exploring color families with my students, so to herald in Spring and a renewed energy following a vacation in California, I've started to pin up bright paint chips from the hardware store, though a small collection of things from my board's last incarnation remain. They help me keep the vision for the type of feeling I want share through my work. My board also holds small templates that would otherwise be lost.





How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
My best time is the morning, but I always have a note/sketchbook with me to jot down ideas wherever/whenever they strike. I turn into a pumpkin around 9:30 pm, so I try get the "thinking" work done before then. Many a piece has needed much help from the seam ripper when I've tried to tackle the tricky work well past dark.

My music listening is mostly dictated by what my husband puts on. Usually it's Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, M. Ward, A Fine Frenzy. Sometimes I want some uptempo to match my energy. One of my favorite mixes includes sounds that transport my imagination to far off places me of places: Ali Farka Toure, Alison Krauss, Yann Tiersen, musicians of the Buena Vista Social Club.




List (3) of your favorite artists
Jacob Hashimoto
Alice Provensen
and of course, my husband, Robert Burch

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
My dream studio would have a screen washing sink and lots of large table space, sufficient heat in the winter, a couch for thinking, a large tack board, and course, it would be cleaned by elves at night.

Thanks Meghan!

just a few things

1. tree identification wall art with hooks, curiosity shoppe
2. recycled glass beverage jar, crate & barrel
3. mustache key holder, curiosity shoppe
4. family lace t-towel, reform school



5. years of fun & misery print, restless things
6. soap dish, rae dunn
7. laundry sign, jack and friends

camilla engman studio space (d*sponge guest blog)

camilla engman was wonderful enough to do a mini studio space interview with me for design sponge's guest blog this week. there's some new photo's of her new collaboration with karin eriksson (ceramics to die for) and molly of orangette. click here to see!

phm studio spaces: jasna

Artist Name: Jasna
Shop Name and Url: www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5070157
Website: www.jasnart.com
Poppytalk Handmade: Table 42
City: Vancouver, BC, Canada

Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
granville island, vancouver,bc

What equipment/tools do you use?
kiln is my only serious looking piece of equipment, and even that, some people would laugh about this statement. I like to improvise, so, my tools are pretty basic. I use whatever comes in handy for creating textures and leave marks in clay. I do use silk screen to transfer images, but also, other, more loose techniques.




Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?

little details that I see, hear or feel during a day (or night): marks on concrete, song lyrics, broken heart. Whenever I get a chance, I look at other people artwork, all different mediums. Lots of illustrations and street art

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I usually get my "big" ideas just before falling a sleep, then they keep me awake. I always listen to music when making work.



List (3) of your favorite artists
this is so hard, there are many artists that I would call my favorite. Here are three that have been on my "inspiration board" for the longest time:
Antonio Gaudi
Banksy
Cole Morgan


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?

for a city life, my present studio is really great. it is located 7 bike minutes from my home and my son's school. i am sharing it with Jessica, who is a textile artist www.propagatelove.com and a great friend. we also have a store front, which has great exposure but, if we lived in a perfect world, my studio would be in an adobe house, in a super sunny country and very close to the beach! ha, ha

Thanks Jasna!

collecting: somethings hiding in here

i still have some collecting posts in my back pocket, and this one will not disappoint. from the philadelphia duo, something's hiding in here. in addition to their charming products, this couple has the most amazing home/workspace and now we've got the scoop on what they collect! here's our interview:

1. images of your collection(s)
a. vintage plastic deer
b. vintage school globes
c. wood knots
d. zines, artist books and small works
e. vintage illustrated dictionaries
f. vintage photos with dogs in them

2. how do your collections start?
most of our collections start by accident. we find a second of
something that we already have and it just seems like they should be together.
before you know it there are a whole pile of them. we don't hunt for
pieces - they just find us.

3. how do you display your collections?
we treat each collection differently. some fit nicely in a frame, some
live in a cabinet and others need something built just for them. it
depends on the object.

4. what is your favorite collection?
that is so hard... right now our favorite collection is the wood knots.
Stephen was noticing loose knots in lumber and started pulling them
out putting them in his pockets. i would discover them when doing laundry
and now we get excited every time he finds a new one.

5. what piece are you most looking for?
there's nothing we are on the hunt for... but always things we would
love to find. at the top of the list is: metal doll houses from the
1950's.

www.somethingshidinghere.etsy.com
www.somethingshidinginhere.typepad.com





thanks shauna & stephen

the anonymous photo project

the anonymous photo project is a vancouver-based project where disposable cameras are left in public places around the world for people to find. then, hopefully, they take pictures and mail the camera back, using the self-addressed stamped envelope. they develop the pictures and post them on the project website: anonymousphotoproject.com.

it's a project of discovery, and chance. people come across the packages by chance, and, if they're willing, they join the project. they don't know who takes the pictures, and they don't know who the project person is.

so far, 97 cameras have been placed around the world, and 26 have made it back. click here to see the results!

(camera no. 25 - roads end state park, lincoln city, oregon, u.s.a. - the first camera returned)

fred flare's next big thing

as it says on their site, "fred's fourth design competition is on. do you make stuff? you could win! click here for deets!" (i just couldn't say it any better.)

guest blogging at design sponge!

i'm super-psyched to be guest blogging this week at design sponge. thanks to grace for inviting me for a second time. it's always a thrill! it's going to be an amazing week with some studio space tours from artists camilla engman, lisa congdon, lisa solomon, canadian's, bookhou design, uppercase (vangool design) and helen dardik, san francisco's diana fayt, missouri's kate bingaman and one of my favorite letterpress designers, yee-haw industries. click here to read! (above image from the regional assembly of text; bear card, $2).

old school, new use

i was sent a couple of really nice journals from five and a half last year which were wrapped in old school writing chart paper. i've been looking for some of this paper myself ever since, hoping to fall upon a stash at a local school auction or something. yesterday, while checking out what was new at the regional assembly of text, here in vancouver, i came about as close as i think i'm going to find! only this paper is even more special, because it's actually screenprinted (and to perfection) to look just like that. at $5 a sheet, i'm so happy to know where to find a stash when i need one.

and on the note of old school writing chart paper (once you notice or look for something it's like you see hints of it everywhere), i came across this really sweet dinnerware inspired by the writing tablets we grew up with from fishs eddy via at home on shine. from graph paper to memo pad patterns, prices range from $12.95 per mug to $24.95 per plate/tray.

mother's day gift guide (part 2) papergoods

it's always fun to do a papergoods post, and it seems like it's been a while. so i'm happy to post about all the amazing mother's day cards i've been spotting at the market this past weekend. they're a great addition to the mother's day guide i'm putting together and the images have to be posted big to get the full feel for these (hence the longer post). they are just a sampling of the many papergoods featured this month which can be checked out under the papergoods category.

papered together


modern printed matter


tallulah


two guitars


turtle papers


cabin + cub


jengs shop


bellis studios

phm studio spaces: hayley gardiner (poppyseeds)

Artist Name: Hayley Gardiner
Shop Name and Url: PoppySeeds, www.shoppoppyseeds.etsy.com
Blog: www.shoppoppyseeds.blogspot.com
Poppytalk Handmade: Table 112
City: Phoenix

Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
In our office/den of our home. It is pretty much where my girls and I spend most of our day. My 2 year old draws at her table and plays make believe while I sew and work on the computer. My 9 month old crawls around on the floor getting into everything.



What equipment/tools do you use?
The most basic Singer sewing machine that you can buy. I think it costs around $70. My mom got it for me 6 years ago and I'm currently saving for a major upgrade. I use plenty of needles, thread, thimbles, (my fingers were getting pretty sore), and I'm armed with a glue gun.

Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
I wish I had a beautiful inspiration board full of fabulous photos and prints, but let's just say that mine is a work in progress.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
Listening to a couple of my favorite playlists that have a combination of classic songs as well as what I have recently downloaded.



List (3) of your favorite artists:
Oh, I have so many. Right now it's probably Studio Globe,
Modica Design
and Lucy's Place

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
Somewhere with tall bright walls, huge windows, wood floors, and loads of fabric. Oh, and with a beautiful Bernina sewing machine like the one my grandmother owns. I really do like where I'm at now, though.

Thanks! Hayley

affordable art for kids (from phm)

i've gathered a collection (and there's so much more) of some of the art at poppytalk handmade this month featuring children's affordable art. there are so many sweet pieces to choose from, it was one of the more difficult posts to do. (reading clockwise from the top):

hello world print by vol. 25, $20
giraffe floral, ditazol, $18
how to be a mermaid by jessica gonacha, $15
ehno print by melissa moss, $25
breeze print by yellena, $18
blue monkey art, by simple, $18
kite, by dripstick, $27



chie by melissa moss, $25
flora + fauna print, trace my face, $22
commissioned work, studio lab, $350
red cabinet by wonting, $10
dancing dolls, flossy-p, for artstream studios, $50
bathtime, shelby healy, $18
personalized woodburned name art, cabin + cub, $40



he says... print, by hide n seek, $23
kids + birds series by cabin + cub, $25
yummy pear, petit collage, $140
vintage puzzle, ladies and gentlemen, $32

the three bears revisted

such a sweet little print of the three bears revisited (which comes in girl and boy versions) by utah-based artist, sarah jane. a great nursery art piece for the design-minded family. image measures 7x9" printed on 8 1/2x 11" paper, leaving a margin perfect for framing. printed on hahnemuhle museum etching paper using archival pigment inks. $24 (available here). come back this weekend where i will post about some affordable children's art from phm's mother's day and kids market!

phm studio spaces: laurie cinotto

Artist Name: Laurie Cinotto
Shop Name and Url: lalalaurie.etsy.com
Website: lauriecinotto.blogspot.com
Blog: lauriecinotto.blogspot.com
Poppytalk Handmade: Table 60
City: Tacoma, WA USA



Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
I converted one of the bedrooms of our house into my "hobbies room". This is where most of my crafting happens.

What equipment/tools do you use?
Craft punches, hot glue gun, sewing machine, crock pot ( for warming wax), many varieties of scissors, paper cutters etc.




Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
I don't have an inspiration board, but I tend to surround objects that inspire me at my finger tips. In addition to being a art making space, the Hobbies Room houses many of my collections. I need lots of eye candy around me. I collect lucite paper weights, vintage birthday candles, incomplete craft projects found in thrift stores, floral tea tins, matchbooks, just to name a few.

I am inspired by vintage millenary trims, vintage craft magazines and patterns, decorations for proms, birthday parties, and weddings from eras gone by, wall paper and fabric.



How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I create best when there's lots of light pouring in my workspace and the kittens are asleep. ( We foster kittens, and it's often difficult to work if they are stirring about) I listen to music while I work, or I listen to archived episodes of This American Life. Some of my favorite bands to craft by are: Velvet Underground, Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, Mama Cass and Wes Anderson movie soundtracks. I also listen to KEXP and KCRW online.



List (3) of your favorite artists
Here are three of my artist friends who make amazing and inspiring work.
Stephanie DeArmond
Nicholas Nyland
Saya Moriyasu

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I am pretty content being in my space. I worked hard to make it a comfortable space to be and work in. I wish I could make it larger though. I would love to have room for another work surface and more storage. My tables fill up quickly when I start making messes.

Thanks Laurie!

free mask illustrations

loving these thai mask inspired illustrations which are free to download from you work for them. these drawings were early concept drawings for the later developed thaiglish font. and, although not free, these mismatched, thrift-store collection of cups and tea related vector images (below) are so sweet. thanks lisa!

phm studio spaces: petit collage

Artist Name: Lorena Siminovich
Shop Name and Url: Petit Collage, www.petitcollage.etsy.com
Website: www.petitcollage.com
Poppytalk Handmade Table: Table 111
City: San Francisco




Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
My studio is in the Mission district in San Francisco, 10 blocks from my house

What equipment/tools do you use?
Scissors, papers, wood, more paper



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
Yes! (Pic is in flick link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/petitcollage/1527944612/in/set-72157600225823310/)
I'm lately inspired by 50's children books, my dad collection of graphis magazines form the 70's, Enzo mari, alexnader girard.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
When I manage to forget about the computer and emails, i'm golden! I listen to NPR in the morning and music in the afternoon.



List (3) of your favorite artists
that's too hard! a few current favorites:
Lisa Congdon
steven harrington
jen corace

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I love my studio because is small and cozy but i could use some huge windows and tall ceilings in a more industrial space. Ah! and more storage please!

pattern print book cover project at bkids

loved this little d.i.y. project posted over at bloesem kids by canadian artist, arounna Khounnoraj of bookhou design. using kraft paper and a lino block, she makes it seem so simple, i may even try it! click here to see how.

country living's "win the cover" look contest

what a fun idea, to give away the items on the front page of a magazine and that's just what country living magazine is doing on the may 2008 cover, giving away most of the items you see here. details on how to enter to win are on page 168 or go to countryliving.com/coverlook.

kate bingaman-burt and mike perry

Kate Bingaman-Burt and Mike Perry from Ethan Bodnar on Vimeo.

okay, i totally missed this. so here it is, in case you did too. an interview with kate bingaman-burt and mike perry (two of the best hand-lettering people i know of) recorded by ethan bodnar on vimeo. (via swissmiss).

80 years of chatelaine

i picked up the 80th anniversary issue of chatelaine magazine (canada's first magazine for women) over the weekend, drawn in by all the different covers they had on the cover (below image). an amazing array of illustration, typography and photography throughout the years. i'm drawn towards the 1940's and 50's mostly for the cursive and decorative type. here is a link to the cover gallery and if you wish to investigate further, there's some interesting articles through the decades they posted online here.

what's on your inspiration board? douglas jones

continuing on the inspiration board series, we're thrilled to share canadian artist, douglas jones' board today and explained by his wife, cartolina card's, fiona richards:

Artist: Douglas Jones
Website: www.douglasjones.com

Doug likes to keep figurative objects around him for inspiration because most of his illustration is human figure-based. He likes to keep inspiration right in front of him when he is drawing and really likes "timeless" vintage imagery, rather than images that are stuck in a specific era. The images on his wall are from some of his favourite illustrators including Jean Dupas and Rockwell Kent. He likes to keep vintage comic and magazine covers close by and he also collects miniature figures, animals etc., which he photographs to help him visualize figures in weird angles.

phm studio spaces: melissa moss art

Artist Name: Melissa Moss
Shop Name and Url: Melissa Moss Art, www.melissamossart.com
Website: www.melissamossart.com
Blog: www.melissamossart.blogspot.com
City: Los Angeles

Where in your home/apartment/city is your studio located?
My studio is in what used to be the dining room. I have a 9-month-old son (Sam) and gladly gave up my studio to turn it into a lovely nursery for him.



What equipment/tools do you use?
I paint on wood with acrylic. My favorite brush is a tiny 20/0 Princeton brush. I use it for all of my detail work.


Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
No, I don't have an inspiration board. When an idea hits me I try to quickly jot it down in my sketchbook before I forget it. Sam is all the inspiration I need at the moment. The love I feel for him is overwhelming and he's delightful to be with all day. The ideas are flowing. I just have to find the time to paint them.


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
It's strange but I work best with the TV on. I don't watch, I just listen. I prefer any of the Law & Order shows or what my husband calls DBTV (Dead Body TV). It doesn't seem too inspirational but somehow it's better than music when I'm painting tiny details.



List (3) of your favorite artists

Amy Sol
Luke Chueh
Darren Waterston


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
This is definitely not my perfect studio. I dream about a bigger space where I can be messy and work on larger pieces. My husband and I have a fantasy of owning a house with a big red barn on the property. He's a musician so both of our studios would be in the barn. But I would also settle for just a room of my own that isn't in the middle of the house!

Thank you Melissa!

milk bottles for action against hunger

i saw these milk bottles on oh joy earlier today and am now loving them even more knowing that one dollar of every bottle purchase will be donated to the action against hunger organization. click here to read more.

take flight in italy! (workshop)

join artists kelly rae roberts and mati rose for what looks like an unforgettable week of creative bliss and discovery as they instruct a workshop in the heart of beautiful tuscany. oh, this sounds like such a dream and it's all happening this fall, oct 25th to nov 1st, 2008. click here for all the plans!

new amy butler pattern for mikasa

stephanie from design healing sent me a link to some photo's she took from the ny tabletop show she attended last friday featuring amy butler's new pattern, vintage botanica for mikasa. thanks stephanie!

mother's day gift guide (part 1)

with all the cute things in this month's market for mother's day gift ideas, i decided to put together a mini-guide of some of my favorites! starting with part one, housewares (top to bottom):

lavender blend sachets, jewelweeds, $10 each
porcelain milk bottle, alyssa ettinger, $25
doily coasters, beehive kitchenware, $45
flower wall plaques, jasna, $35 each



doily print, ditazol, $15
bird cake stand, whitney smith pottery, $130
spring apron, decorative instincts, $30

this week's affordable art picks

here's a few picks i came across the last couple of days which i'm loving and stay tuned for a special "kids affordable art" post soon with all the latest artists at the mother's day and kids market at poppytalk handmade.

in the dark print by restless things, $17.50

a love song antique style cross stitch pattern sampler, ShakespearesPeddler, $15



espresso, by monkfish, (sold), via sfgirlbybay.


we are shaped by our thoughts print by vol. 25, $20


margaret in a penny covered boat by amanda blake, $24

ceilingpaper by lisa bengtsson

i love this idea of ceilingpaper by lisa bengtsson emma had posted about on her blog today on a visit to bjorklund & wingqvist a new wallpaper store in stockholm. via apartment therapy sf.

kareem's missing birds

blueflip art just released the "missing" two bird prints that make up the australian collage i posted about a while back. available as archival giclees for just $24.95 each. as with all of kareem's prints, 10% will be donated to the starlight children's foundation of australia. more info here and here.

so much going on!

it's hard to keep up! if you have any news worthy "design related" news, feel free to submit at poppytalkblogATyahooDOTca.

old school: call for participants, click here for details.


apartment therapy has a new book out which i'm just dying to have! it includes pictures of fellow bloggers, sfgirlbybay and happy mundane. available through here.


robots: evolution of a cultural icon, an exhibition put on by the board of trustees of the san jose museum of art (including the works of lisa solomon).

welcome to the mother's day & kids market!

today we launch our 7th monthly theme at poppytalk handmade, "a mother's day and kids market". another fun market to put together, especially after seeing all those very cute baby models being loaded up! the market starts today, april 14th and runs right through to may 9th! so enough time to order those special mother's day gifts and things! happy shopping and thanks for supporting handmade! click here to visit.

nantaka joy for mom

such great mother's day gift ideas, from nantaka joy, a mingle of platinum and copper woodcut patterns on kraft stock, creating a unique combination. the i love notebooks are one of my favorite and if you order before april 25th, they'll arrive in time for mother's day.

artstream gallery five year anniversary promo for poppy readers!

in celebration of their five year anniversary as a gallery, artstream out of new hampshire is offering a coupon for poppytalk readers! from april 15-30th they will offer free standard shipping worldwide on any purchases made from their online shop. enter the code: poppy (lowercase) to take advantage. they have a great exhibition there right now called "at home" featuring artists, jessica gonacha (work shown), megan bogonovich, joe blajda and rebecca litt. click here to see the opening show.

www.artstreamstudios.com/shop

nice

i came across this cute little etsy shop called, nice today by caitlin holcomb. she makes these adorable shades using carefully chosen assortments of vintage and found handmade doilies. this shade shown (above) and named, bouquet has a selection of colors that bring to mind a handpicked garden bouquet. the smaller doilies have a bit of silver thread woven into them for a tiny bit of sparkle. also in this photo, a couple sweet wood burning wall art pieces with acrylics. a couple others that caught my eye shown below: daisy chain shade and hooray banner.

what's on your inspiration board?

fiona of cartolina cards emailed me with a great idea on a post series. she suggested everyone's inspiration/bulletin boards are constantly changing and it would be fun to see what other artists currently had posted on their boards, and i couldn't agree more. so with that idea to start off, i asked her to send me hers as my first post and introduction to this series. so if you have an inspiration board you'd like to share, please shoot me an email at poppytalkblogATyahooDOTca. i look forward to seeing them!

Artist: Fiona Richards
Company: Cartolina Cards

"My board is a large piece of galvanized roof flashing that I screwed to the wall and painted. It is 3ft by 4ft. Basically I need to have modern and vintage inspiration around me when I am designing. So the board changes often. And what comes down from the board ends up in one of my many boxes of clippings that I rummage through late at night for inspiration (it's an alternative to pulling my hair out!) At the moment the board has a destinctly multi-cultural look which reflects the most recent design phase at Cartolina. Everything from kimono fabric to vintage cowboy imagery. I use the board in a strategic way - placing patterns and images together to see how they look before I work in my sketch book or on the computer."

last day of green pop!

everytime the last day comes at the end of each monthly market at poppytalk handmade i'm taken by surprise, as the time just seems to fly by. with so many amazing designers using earth-friendly materials to make their goods, it was a great experience to contribute to all things "eco" and the common good. we also launched our studio spaces (a sneak peek into our phm artist's studios) which we hope to continue as we go along here, adding more features like it! the market will stay online till 9pm tonight, and then we'll be busy sweeping up and getting ready for our next virtual craft/flea market with our "mother's day and kids" theme launching this monday, april 14th and running through to may 9th, 2008! see you monday for opening day!

font friday

sketch rockwell by artill



oh ashy by ashley cole



saloon by robert schenk



ft rosecube by fenotype

seeking vendors (montreal craft mafia)

montreal craft mafia is seeking vendors for their fringe bazaar taking place this june21st and 22nd in montreal in collaboration with the montreal fringe festival. for more details visit http://craftmafiamontreal.com/en/event/fringebazaar.

d*sponge on good morning america

so fun to see grace from designsponge on good morning america today on a segment called "going green. i missed seeing it live, but was happy to find it online here. she featured some great products, including canadian collective, loyal loot's log bowls and fellow blogger, oh joy's papergoods line, nantaka joy.

new favorite artist: cathy cullis

loving these collages of mixed media textile works and wearable art from u.k. artist, cathy cullis. beautiful hand dyed linen with handwriting in thread with loose ends that add extra interest. she also has beautiful original paintings at her other etsy shop, http://novembermoon.etsy.com. (via emmas blogg).

cathycullis.etsy.com

set design: one chair - two ways

A chair I've been eyeing for a while is the Antwerp chair from Anthropologie. It's so versatile with it's flowery fabric. For my set design this week, I'm placing it in a couple of settings. Above with accessories: Hello April print by Ashleyg, Leran pendant lamp from Ikea, and Roost Terra stool from Velocity Art and Design. Below: Vintage French "Tip" trays, Paris Hotel Boutique, Red Sculptor's dinner plate, Anthropologie, Robin Egg Blue Plate, Sweetgirlythings Etsy shop, Trailer Park plate, Trixie Delicious Etsy shop, Finsbury wallpaper, Cole and Son, and Scenic Dinnerware plates from Anthropologie.

flybrary bedside table

Canadian House and Home had this great idea in their special feature publication, "Condos, Lofts & Apartments" recently with this Umbra Flybrary bookshelf, by placing a tray atop the books and then using the books as a shelf for a bedside table, placing an alarm clock and flowers on it. Available at Umbra.com.

(photo by Felix Wedgewood from canadian house & home)

i heart crafts bazaar

locally if you're in vancouver this weekend, jeanette of the beautiful project tipped me off on what looks like a little gem of a craft bazaar being held this sunday, called i heart crafts bazaar. put on by the seamrippers craft collective, it happens this sunday apr 13 from 11am - 6pm in beautiful strathcona at the ukrainian hall (805 e. pender street), vancouver b.c. by the sounds of it there are a lot of other vancouver area etsy'ers taking part and jeanette who will be selling her cards there will also be selling some of her homemade cupcakes too! yum!

phm studio spaces: claire elizabeth: embroideries

Artist Name: Claire Elizabeth Platt
Shop Name and Url: Claire Elizabeth: Embroideries http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5102189
Blog: http://xfreshbatteryx.livejournal.com
City: London, England


Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
I recently moved back in with parents after finishing my studies and subsequently my studio is based on what sometimes seems like the world’s smallest desk in my tiny little bedroom! My embroideries themselves are pretty mobile which is quite handy so I like to take them around with me so I’m not always so restricted with space! My desk and shelves tend to get quite messy and have piles of miscellaneous items hiding amongst my work.

What equipment/tools do you use?
Lots of different needles and threads. I tend to use medium-heavy weight fabrics to support the embroidery and I adore using sequins and beads! I like flexi-hoops to hold my pieces. On occasion I may use my sewing machine, but I prefer to work by hand generally.



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
At the moment I’m particularly fascinated with Military Aircraft’s so I’m trying to surround myself with recognition guide books, my own drawings and photographs I’ve taken at airfields and museum. I’m quite keen to incorporate more cross-stitch into my work so I’ve been practising with those cute mini cross-stitch kits you can get!

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I absolutely love listening to music when I’m working! I got a digital radio last year so I can pick up lots of different stations, which is quite fun! I’m currently enjoying Yael Naim’s album very much, I also quite like listening to the spoken-word programmes on BBC radio 4.



List (3) of your favourite artists
Three was difficult especially as I seem to change my mind a lot; I spilled over a little…

Jill Bliss
Lizzie Finn
Lisa Solomon

Gelitin
Particularly their knitted rabbit piece situated in Italy, which is so big in size, you it can be seen from outerspace!
www.gelitin.net/mambo/index.php

Jeffrey Milstein

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I would love to have either a separate/spare room in a house that I could use solely as a studio, though currently I would happily settle for a large desk space… and perhaps a nice big bookshelf!

Thanks Claire!

how to make an art frame from decor it yourself

meg of the "decor it yourself series" has done it again, this time giving us a diy guide to indie art and some inventive ways to display it. click here for the link.

domestikate + a bubble clock

i'm doing it again, posting about something i really like and then probably start kicking myself a little later for doing so (wishing i had it in my hot little hands). but i just can't resist sharing this adorable little 3d bubble glass vintage clock i just came across form domestikate (a cute little vintage shop on etsy). lots of more goodies from her here.

non fiction design collective

non fiction design is a collective based in columbus, ohio merging the worlds of ceramics, printmaking and the remaking and reuse of industrial cast-offs. they combine outdated processes like thermofax and letterpress with CNC milling and rapid prototyping and have come up with some pretty unique design objects such as porcelain lighting, invasive species tableware, and decor items using bricks and wallpaper swags using abandoned wallpaper.

www.nonfictiondesigncollective.com
www.nonfictiongroup.blogspot.com

antonisse ceramics

valerie from shine (yahoo's new women's site on everything from fashion and beauty to home decor) posted about a designer that caught her eye at the inaugural brooklyn flea this past weekend and i just had to do a little post on her myself. her name is michelle antonisse and she makes these very special stained-glass like ceramics. all available at her etsy shop as well if you're not in the ny area. click here to see more.

yee-haw and yippee-ki-yay!

fun to see yee-haw industries (liking those frames) with an etsy shop now. just ran into it over the weekend! lots of fun papergoods (tennessee style)! YeeHaw.etsy.com

new papergoods at satsuma press

i always love a poppy design, and especially if they are letterpressed. these ones from satsuma press are especially sweet. you can find these along with other beautiful botanicals at their etsy shop at www.satsumalynn.etsy.com. and if you're in the portland area this weekend they'll be at the buckman art show, friday april 11th and saturday, april 12th/08.

new craft collective - portobello west

a new craft collective is a group of five professionally trained artists and entrepreneurs from western canada who have been showing collectively for the past four years. this weekend of april 11- 13 they will be at the first portobello west (calgary) fashion and art market. artists in include: sabrina o'donnell, kari woo, cathy terepocki, lisa brawn and karen klassen.

Portobello West
April 11 4-9pm, April 12 & 13 11am - 6pm
Big Four Building, Stampede Park,
Calgary, Alberta
newcraftcollective@gmail.com
a new craft collective

banquet

banquet is a vancouver-based graphics company designed by sarah edmonds. from papergoods to silk screened tee's, her designs are full of spring with a pacific northwest coast persuasion. she also has a sweet blog here.

Banquet.etsy.com

awagami +1

Asian-based, American designer, Craig Anczelowitz has just completed a new project in collaboration with Awagami, a 300 year old traditional washi paper factory located in Tokushima, Japan and run by 7th generation master paper-maker, Yoichi Fujimori and his family. Awagami had asked Anczelowitz to develop a line of contemporary stationery and gift items for their new product line "awagami+1". The items will be available in June at Kate's Paperie (U.S) and Itoya (Japan). Other interested shops may contact Anczelowitz himself at anczelowitz@yahoo.com or Miss Aya Fujimori at Awagami directly for catalogs/pricing at: aya@awagami.or.jp.

There are 3 collections in the awagami+1 line; two of which are made with traditional stencil-printed "Yuzen" papers and the third from Awagami's eco-friendly "syuro" (rice straw) papers. The assortment includes journals, albums, memo-organizer, and desk accessories. See more pictures here and at www.awagami.or.jp

phm studio spaces: two trick pony

Artist Name: Laurie Mee and Carrie Siegel
Shop Name and Url: Two Trick Pony, twotrickpony.etsy.com
Website: twotrickpony.com
City: Boston



Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
Our studio is located in Laurie's basement, which is great when we're doing light-sensitive work like burning screens.




What equipment/tools do you use?
Steel and aluminum screen printing frames, water based screen printing ink, assorted recycled papers for production, and a combination of hand-rendered and digital illustrations for design work.


Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
We don't have a display board (though we just hung one up, ready to be filled!) but we've both been really inspired by some vintage typography books that Carrie found on a trip home to Florida, as well as "New Vintage Type," Steven Heller's new book.




How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
Laurie is a huge fan of NPR, and we've both been digging The National's latest album, "Boxer." The first track especially has a complex rhythm structure that's brought up all kinds of pattern imagery in Carrie's mind...




List (3) of your favorite artists

Charley Harper (oh, my gosh...Charley Harper has a MySpace page!)
Maija Louekari
Jason Munn

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
Our studio was recently finished, so all it needs a patina of spilled inks before it's "perfect"...



Thank you Carrie and Laurie!

my pinboard at dawanda

my pinboard at dawanda is up on the front page there till the end of this week. you can catch it here till sunday. next week designspotter takes it's place.

poketo: glasgow international artist wallets

If you're in Glasgow this upcoming week, Poketo (an online company that promotes emerging artists/designers through wallets, apparel, stationery & many other design objects) is hosting an event there on April 17 in Glasgow, Scotland.

Glasgow International (Scotland's equivalent to Whitney Biennial) invited Poketo to be part of the arts festival and to celebrate the occasion, they collaborated with 7 of the best Glasgow-based artists to create a limited edition wallet series. They'll be celebrating the launch of the Glasgow International Artist Wallets with a show of original artwork, and music (performance by Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian at the launch event).

Click here to find out more!

www.poketo.com

desk notepads from night owl paper goods

i just saw these desk notepads from night owl paper goods in the poppytalk handmade market today and am finding them so adorable. such a sweet desk accessory! lay flat, prop up or create your own wall hanging! made from eco-friendly sustainably harvested birch and blank 100% post-consumer recycled pages.

nightowlpapergoods.com

tea time

i've always found it hard to find nice tea cozies. so when i came across these ones from gloaming designs, i was thrilled when they showed interest in joining us at this month's market. lined with an insulating layer of batting taking unused, often vintage, pieces and making them into something new to love.

GloamingDesigns.etsy.com

phm studio spaces: indiefixx

Shop Name and Url: Indie Fixx Shop
Website: indiefixxshop.com
Blog: indiefixx.com
City: Newark, DE

Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
I have the whole downstairs as my studio/office.


What equipment/tools do you use?
Well, I do different things in my studio. I work on writing Indie Fixx,
running the online boutique the Indie Fixx Shop and I create my own
jewelry designs, so I guess my main tools are my laptop and my jewelry
pliers. ;)



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
My walls are covered in indie art prints that inspire me (pictured: work
from INK & WIT, The Black Apple and Yellena). I do have a little
inspiration board for mementos that make me feel all warm and fuzzy,
including some of my favorites from Calvin and Hobbes (http://www.marcellosendos.ch/comics/ch/index.html).


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
I listen to npr.org and pandora.com mostly. I love Radio Times, Talk of
the Nation and This American Life on NPR. On Pandora, I have hundreds
of stations set up but some of favorites include Sufjan Stevens, Elliott
Smith, Django Reinhardt, Neil Young, Surf Music and the Shins among so
many others.


List (3) of your favorite artists

Artists taken from my walls!

ink and wit
the black apple
yellena


If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
One that is hella neater and with more windows!

Thanks jen!

new shop: nourish

just a little mention for a new shop out there. nourish is a new shop in athens, georgia run by artist, lylou (who makes some amazing bags). it features highly crafted products from apparel to photography linking emerging designers to the folks living in this fine southern city.

Mon-Sun 11-6
1377 Prince Avenue, Athens, GA 30606 (706)224.1820

jaime derringer prints

i'm loving this new rocky mountain print by san diego artist, jaime derringer. they are a limited edition print printed on premium matte paper (8" x 10"), $18. she's also go these fun "it's not me it's you prints" (with one of my favorite fonts), also $18.

affordable art for spring

prince print, iris schwarz, $25

It's been a while since I've done an affordable art post it seems, and so when I flipped open my well I was pleased to see all these beautiful varied tints of ochre and black themed images around. The colors all seem to be pulling me in at the moment.

girl with skinned knee by atwhim, $15

hello april print, ashleyg, $20

skyscraper, seasprayblue, $17

bloom by yellena, $20

bear print by hide n seek, $23

catching rain, denise simon, $20

phm studio spaces: creative thursday

Artist Name: Marisa Haedike
Shop Name and Url: Creative Thursday www.creativethursday.etsy.com
Website: www.creativethursday.com
Blog: www.creativethursday.com/blog
City: Los Angeles

Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
In a sun room at the back of the house, looking out into the back yard and garden

What equipment/tools do you use?
I use acrylic paints, with details of black conte crayon, on my favorite surface, wood, in particular the natural maple, ready to hang panels made by a wonderful company called art-boards. Sometimes, my former life as an interior designer inspires me to include beautiful papers and fabrics in with the paint to create a mixed media painting. I've also been hand sculpting the little characters who live in my paintings, using polymer clay. It's a nice change sometimes to switch from 2-D to 3-D creations.



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
I do have one ~ two actually! One that is my vision board filled with visions, of course, of where I am, where I'm going, my dreams still unfolding. And then I have this new board that I'm presently refining that you can see in this corner of my studio with the colored index card squares. You see I've been on this complete organizing kick since January 2008...that is just now, in early April, beginning to wrap up (it was a serious attempt at re-organization of my life basically, including everything from files to photos to music and more) The board that you see was an idea from my boyfriend Sean as a way to visually "see" my week ahead ~ makes sense for an artist doesn't it? to "see" their schedule? ~ and the little squares that represent each project, appointment or activity can easily be rotated from day to day. The look of it is still evolving, and I'm not sure if it will be better as a magnetic board or a pin board that it is presently. All I know is that it also has to be pretty and have room for me to hang the latest magazine clippings, cards and images that I always save and scatter all around my studio from my desk to my windowsill.
I can never really narrow down what's inspiring me from day to day, as it's so much. I would say the use color of in any form is always an inspiration, nature, interiors, and animals because I love painting them.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
Mostly I'm happiest creating in silence with the sound of the birds singing. Living in a big city like Los Angeles, one begins to crave more stillness. Otherwise I listen to music that is shuffled through my Itunes, and one of my favorite things to do while I paint is listen to podcasts and online radio programs ~ especially those with thoughtful and uplifting content and of course This American Life! For some reason when I paint, I can hear audio programs so clearly. I'm guessing that the particular creative focus I use while painting helps me to hear things differently, maybe it's a right brain vs left brain shift?



List (3) of your favorite artists
Cathy Nichols
Emily Martin
Ashley Anna Brown
and as so many people have already said, the list is endless.... I can hardly narrow it down.

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I just moved this past October and I have to say I absolutely adore this studio space. It's so cozy, with its painted wood panel slanted ceiling and the room is filled with gorgeous light. It's the best, actually the first true studio I've had! Before I was always carving out spaces in our living areas....as I tend to work in more than one location. I have to admit that I still spill over into the dining room from time to time...The only additional changes I could ask for is to have a door that I could close from the rest of the house to leave it messy sometimes and also have better focused quiet creative time ~ and maybe a little bit larger in size so I could have a huge long table to spread all the creativeness out on one surface.

Thank you Marisa!

new prints at little paper planes

looking like some yummy new art prints up at the little paper planes shop this week!

giveaway at a punkin card co.

amie at a punkin card company blog is hosting a giveaway at her blog with donations from various etsy shops. click here to enter.

the science of culture

the folks over at five and a half couldn't resist jumping on the vintage bandwagon, as they told me today and have created the science of culture exercise books set. three very skinny exercise books, each filled with 25 blank pages of sugarcane paper. pastel paper covers printed with our original designs pairing vintage images with sage quotes from "the science of culture" (a stuffy book on etiquette published in 1923). each set comes wrapped in a recycled kraft paper package. these little booklets are a fun side project they cooked up before they officially launch their new spring/summer 08 collection of signature photo-cover journals, which are coming soon!

jasna's spring

it's sort of magical when you see them here, these clay flower bubbles (i'll call them) floating against the rugged worn outside building by vancouver artist, jasna sokolovic. her newest wall installations bring a sweet promise spring flowers are on their way soon. she also has some of her beautiful plaques (very bottom picture) available at her shop. click here to see more.

www.jasnart.com

phm studio spaces: mosey handmade

Artist Name: Jes Anthonis
Shop Name and Url: Mosey Handmade www.mosey.etsy.com
Website: www.flickr.com/milkteeth
Blog: www.moseyhandmade.blogspot.com
City: Belfast, Maine

Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
on the second floor of my house overlooking the garden.

What equipment/tools do you use?
pinking shears, sewing machine, felting needles, just got a gocco printer (horray)!
i use my washing and drying machine fairly often - for felting and fulling my wool sweaters. and i use my hands. over and over.




Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
yes. right now there are a few old letter (love old fashioned cursive), old postards (the language of old postcards has the neatest syntax)
some bits of ribbon, and some polaroids of the ocean.
i also have a little shelf that has some seashore finds, bits of moss, felted beads, and old postcards.
i am really inspired by nature and my surroundings. things that are growing, seed catalogs. hollows,nest, nigh and all things never never.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
i create best when i have some backround noise.
"ponies in the surf"
here's their myspace
and the finches (recently reformed as the palms)

and i'm a big time sucker for ira glass. i have all the 'this american life's' on my ipod,episode 199's is a must hear.
i also love to have my old black and white transistor teevee going. you know the kind with bunny ears. something about it just reminds me of being a kid- i am instantly quieted. it almost hardly matters what is playing- i just love it's old skool vibes.



List (3) of your favorite artists
cotton and felt:
stephaniecongdonbarnes.com
canvas and paper:
amandablakeart.com
modern by hand furniture:
jrusten.com

now- that was a tough question!

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I used to have a studio on my parents land that was all made of old recycled windows. it had the most amazing light and feeling and even it's very own bee's hive (they were friendly) tucked into the eve of the roof. imagine the sound of the stream and the hum of the bees. better than my old black and white teevee.
wish i could have that place back.



Thanks Jes!

vintage finds for the week

gosia of blue bell bazaar sent me a few pictures of her vintage finds this week. framed gas station numbers and wooden dominoes to name just a few. she always finds the mosts unique things and does an amazing job packaging them out (having just received a lovely letter "e" i ordered). click here to see more.

set design: one couch two ways

i found this milo sofa today at anthropologie which has so much character i immediately thought of a bohemian sort of pad and put together the scene below. (accessories: honeycomb lanterns, blondie poster, red vintage pottery ashtray). above i've been dreaming up the idea of collecting handheld mirrors and then hanging them above a sofa like this. (accessories: laura ashley hand-held mirror, vintage hand-held, lost heart brigade print, antique frame no.2 and the letter e).

new betsy walton wallets + prints

being a betsy walton fan i was all giddy when i saw these wallets fly into my mailbox this past evening from our friends at poketo. betsy's eye for all the colors i just love mixed in with playful illustrations are just the right combination to make just about anything more fun! she's also got nine new prints up in her etsy shop!

phm studio spaces: sushipot

Artist Name:
Suzanna Scott

Shop Name and Url:
Sushipot Art Objects
www.sushipot.etsy.com
www.sushipotparts.etsy.com

City:
Mobile, Alabama USA



Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
In a corner of the 10' x 8' bedroom that I share with my very patient husband. I also tend to take up every other large surface area in the house unless we're expecting company.

What equipment/tools do you use?
The tools I use on a daily basis are my scissors, xacto knife, needles and a cheap paintbrush.
I wouldn't be able to create anything without my stash of old books, papers, piles of junk and lots of glue!




Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
Yes, I have two large boards beside my workspace. All sorts of collected images and objects are pinned to these surfaces creating an ever evolving collage of inspiration.

How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
Ideally I prefer to work uninterrupted in complete silence but that is rare unless my 3 year old is asleep and my husband is not around. Usually I'm creating in snippets of time throughout the day and late at night. I don't watch TV and I don't answer the phone during my blocks of studio time. It is sacred!



List (3) of your favorite artists

Louise Bourgeois
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louise_Bourgeois
http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/louisebourgeois/default.shtm

Clyde Connell
http://www.sculpture.org/documents/scmag98/connel/sm-connl.shtml
http://www.arthurrogergallery.com/artist_pages/Connell/connell_press.htm

Joseph Cornell
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Cornell
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/cornell/

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
A large room all to myself with lots of natural light, tables, bookshelves and an ergonomic chair.

bertrand sallé

i recently took a detour (via emmanuel polanco's site, an artist i mentioned yesterday) and came across the work of bertrand sallé and immediately fell for these scenes. colorful illustrations contrasted against the greyed and subdued photographic backdrops creating such magical environments.

bertrand sallé

new diana fayt for spring!

one of san francisco's favorite potters, diana fayt has some new products in her shop for spring that recently caught my eye. etched with her various signature markings, her pieces are made with lead-free food safe materials using beautiful colored glazes inside and out such as violet, lotus, ice blue, canary and ivory to name just a few. the small shallow bowls would look amazing on the wall i'm thinking as a grouping!



the process she has developed and uses is very labor intensive which includes thirteen steps from beginning to end and can take up to seven hours to complete which doesn't include the twenty-three hours of firing time in the kiln. all of her etchings are freehand illustrations and her pieces are intentionally made irregular in shape to leave evidence of the handmade being an integral part of her work.

she is also participating in a group show called "line and color that is at mudfire gallery in decatur, georgia that opens on april 5th featuring pieces with native californian flora species (below).

diana fayt etsy shop
oneblackbird.blogspot.com

california dreaming at rare device

i can't believe it's april! but i'm soooooooo happy it is because it means warmer weather is so much closer, and with it lots of sun. and speaking of sun, california always comes to mind and there's some california dreaming happening at rare device san francisco in a couple of days (april 3 - april 27, 2008, reception: april 4, 2008, 6-9pm.) a new show co-sponsored by the beholder and rare device sf featuring nine artists who live and make art in california. participating artists include:

Timothy Buckwalter
Mike Monteiro
Jennifer O'Keeffe
Scott Barry
Eric Scheib
Suzanne Husky
Lisa Congdon
Noaki Mitsuse
Martha Rich

rare device (www.raredevice.net) is located at 1845 market street between valencia and guerrero streets. store/gallery hours are tuesday, wednesday and saturday, noon to 7 p.m., thursday noon to 9 p.m. and sunday noon to 6 p.m.

phm studio spaces: gaia conceptions

Artist Name: Andrea
Shop Name and Url: www.gaiaconceptions.com
Website: www.gaiaconceptions.etsy.com


Where in your home/apartment is your studio located?
My second or Guest bedroom is now my studio.


What equipment/tools do you use?
sewing machine, my beloved serger, pattern making tools, local organic fabric, low impact and natural dyes, washing machine!



Do you have an inspiration board, and can you tell us what is inspiring you now?
I don't have an inspiration board. I'm mostly inspired by long walks each day with David and my two dogs Nikki and Marcel. I also get many of my ideas from my travel and whatever books I'm reading.


How do you create best (e.g. do you listen to music while you create and if so what?)
Most the time I'm listening to NPR or Jazz. Now that the weather is warming up I can open my widow and watch the birds as they eat my strawberries.

List (3) of your favorite artists

Jackie Brookner
Andy Goldsworthy
Micheal Pollen

If yours isn't, what would be your perfect studio?
I nice big space that opens up to an outdoor natural dyeing area. With a pond system or living machine that helped to clean all the waste produced from my artistic process. Basically, I would love to have a studio that was environmentally sustainable.

thanks andrea! (and puppies)

april's card

the third of yes press's four annual cards featuring emerging artists is up in their shop now. the art card for this month is by a woman called nikki ruddy, and it's just a really graceful, elegant image. the printing really compliments it. available at yes-press.com.