Blog Makeover

I've made over my blog, and it's even got a new location ----> My Blog

Check it out!

Complete!

I've come to discover, that it is my tendency to come up with a "brilliant" idea for a project, get really excited for it, gather all my materials, and lose steam after a couple of days. I do this, over and over again, and have my whole life. Example? I know that in my closet, I have a baby bib that I was making for one of my nephews - he is now old enough to drive. Sooooo.... I am so happy to say, that for the first time (since I can remember?) I began and completed a project in one week!

I was on a mission for a perfect tank to wear to on my weekend trip to Cincinnati. I had one I loved, in black, but I wanted something fun and colorful. You'd think it be easy to find a tank top, but I came up empty handed. So, ambitious little me came up with the idea to make one! I don't know what's gotten into me lately, but I worked on it a little bit each night and was actually was able to complete the project. 

Not too bad considering I had no pattern and I haven't sewn in a year or two. (The best part?? I saved a lot of money making it myself.)

I bought fabric to make another tank - we'll see if that gets done. But I also managed to finish a painting last week, too (and I've blogged twice - so I'm on a roll!) 

The pictures of that painting will be up soon.

Intricacy

Tord Boontje fascinates me. The intricate details of his work and the repeating patterns are exactly the type of thing I love. And I really appreciate that he hasn't ventured too far away from his theme of the flower/vine pattern; instead, he explores it in as many different mediums as possible: papers, textiles, lighting, furniture, jewelry, home products, installations, etc.

I had to buy his book and I when I received it, I felt like I got a piece of art. The cover is wrapped in a mesh fabric, and once you get past the pages and pages of glossy photos, the inner pages have his vine patterns perforated right into the page.

"Art for everyone" seems to be Boontje's thing. In 2005, Boontje also did a collaboration with Target for dinner wear and Christmas decor, and you can get his amazing Garland Light at the MoMA Store. I want it so badly - it's a little smaller in person than I thought it would be, so I'm saving up to buy 2 :)

Or I could get this amazing Blossom Chandelier that I saw in House & Garden a few years back. It hangs over Gwyneth Paltrow's dining room table, is made of Swarovski crystals, and starts at... $22,500. I think I will stick with the Garland Light.

You can view the rest of Boontje's work here.

Shopping List

I've found yet another place to shop, and it's called Supermarket. Very similar to Etsy, in the sense that it's an online store featuring clothing, jewelry, furniture, prints, and all things of an artistic nature. Unlike Etsy, Supermarket is curated, so you're looking at nothing but unique, creative, and as they say, "awesome" design. I love it!

seller: melanie favreau

seller: chroma lab

seller: gneural

seller: brevity

seller: delica

seller: re-surface design

A Creative Education

Completely disregarding the fact that I have not blogged in months, I wanted to share this video with you:




Yes, it's 20 minutes. I know I'm asking a lot to sit through it. But if you have the time, it's worth it - very thought-provoking and entertaining.

In fact, the whole site is great if your searching for some motivational speaking. Check it out here.

Wish List (courtesy of Etsy)

There are so many wonderful artists/creators on Etsy, I have a list of favorites that goes on for pages. I've narrowed it down to a couple things I want the most and decided to share! (If you haven't checked out Etsy yet, you must!)

I have a special place in my heart for artsy, emo pictures of birds on telephone wires (nick knows all about this!) /// seller: eyefull

I actually already purchased 2 of these little bags, one for myself and one for a friend, but I still want more! /// seller: madebyhank

Cut paper art is fascinating to me, and Essimar's work is no exception. /// seller: Essimar

These tiles and bowls all take influence from sea creatures. Painstakingly detailed and beautiful. /// seller: elementclaystudio

Yellena's drawings are all brightly colored and intricate... each one is better than the next. /// seller: Yellena

I'm certainly past the days of stuffed animals, but this guy is awesome and I want him. /// seller: Zygopsyche

Just what I need - more clothes. But this pretty ruffled shirt is like nothing I already have! /// seller: artlab

Megan Auman's creations vary from furniture to jewelry to fine art, but the theme of these black petals carries strong throughout her work. /// seller: meganauman

New Design

Here's a piece of design work - a mock layout for the Cleveland Zoo, both main page and a content page. The webpage design is new for me, so I'm pretty happy with this!

I've been working on some drawings for my sister, more black and white drawings, and hopefully some notecards/greeting cards, soon, too. Maybe a painting.... more to post soon.

New Inspirations

Today was a wonderful day on the internet - I found quite a few new sites and artists worth sharing. Check near the top of my of 'My Favorite Places' for Tauba Auerbach and Richard Sarson, two artist/designers, as well as Pitch Design Union, yet another blog to obsessively check!

More Love for Etsy

My blog has been much neglected now that I've been posting my work on Etsy. Many relistings have resulted in a sale... although just one sale, its been enough to keep me believing in it. Here are some of the pieces I've been putting up for sale:

Busy Busy Busy

I've been adding a lot of images into cyberspace, mainly through Etsy, and now, Flickr. I'm really happy to have work for sale on Etsy again. Check it out!