FamilyFun Magazine's art department commissioned some wonderful work from illustrator Helen Dardik when I was there. It turns out she has prints and original art that regular people can buy, too! And I do mean "regular," not super wealthy; her prints are only $20 or $25. Here are four of my many favorites of her prints. Click on each image to go to Helen's Etsy shop's page. Helen also sells original watercolors that are just delicious. They're also affordable, with most in the $90 to $120 range. I am also enjoying exploring Helen's Etsy finds, which are mainly mid-century-modern-ish, Scandinavian design pieces that I totally adore. And she has a blog, Orange you Lucky.
Go get some Helen into your life! xo I love baking, especially in the winter. I am usually too lazy to do drop or cut-out cookies, but I might make an exception if I had cookie cutters like these from Printmeneer. (As always, click on the image to go to that product's shop page.) They're made in the Netherlands, on a hand-built 3D printer that's run on solar power. Pretty neato. My favorite might be the tangram, so you can play with your food! There are a bunch of geometric cutters that can fit together, too, if you want to try making a 3D cookie assembly. They aren't super cheap, and you have to hand-wash them. But just look at how cool they are! You can even get a letter set in Helvetica font (of the letters in "helvetica" so you can spell tea, live, velvet, cat, hella, chat...). Super cool!
xo Without really planning it, I ended up in NYC's Chinatown on this past Monday, the Lunar New Year. Though it was cold and clammy and snowing on and off, the festivities were in full swing. Pairs of lions, accompanied by bands of percussionists, roamed the streets. The lions entered open shops and restaurants, and usually, they got fed red envelopes in return. I happened to be inside a Citibank, taking money out from an ATM, when a pair of lions came in, looking for treats. An employee talked to them and seemed to come to some agreement with them, as one went into the back, and the other swooped up the stairs. Every shop was selling confetti cannons, two for $5, and there was confetti everywhere. God bless NYC's sanitation workers.
I was all set to show you some cool and creative temporary tattoos you can buy via etsy (click on each image to go to its shop)... ... and then I realized that the adhesive manufacturer's R&D departments had probably already figured out how to make temporary tattoo paper. And lo, they did! Here's a highly-rated one on Amazon: Silhouette Temporary Tattoo Paper. Read the top reviews for some important tips for using this paper without a Silhouette machine. (It doesn't sound difficult, but the paper packaging doesn't make it obvious what to do.) This looks like a perfect birthday party activity. Draw a tattoo, and wear it all day! Have any of you (and/or your kids) tried making your own temporary tattoos?
xo I came across these beautiful, precise paper decorations for sale from Frazier + Wing, and thought they'd be a nice companion (and contrast) to my somewhat rough pajaki adventure. As always, click on each image to be taken to the item's page. These paper sculptures are inspiring, but I could not reproduce them myself without many trials and errors and hours and tears. The paper pieces are die-cut, and each one (and there are more than a hundred in the piece above) is hand-knotted in place. But, an amateur-level DIY version of one of these mobiles may have to happen, once my pajaki fever has died down. Gorgeous!
xo Hello! I took a bit of a holiday break/staycation, there. I hope you were able to find some time to relax and enjoy yourself. To ease back into things, I wanted to share one of the cool, crafty gifts I got, a tiny jar of Bad Luck Cats: Before opening the jar, it didn't seem possible that there were 13 inside. I am still in awe. It would be one thing if these were mass-produced plastic things, but each cat is hand-sculpted in polymer clay. How tiny are they? Take a look at the dime in this photo. I love the teeniest one. Making something this small takes serious patience. My brother-in-law gave them to me, though my 11-year-old niece was a big influencer in the selection process. They bought the jar at the Bust Magazine Holiday Craftacular. The brand name is Timid Monsters, which has a slogan I can really get behind: Timid Monsters is sold via Trish Czech's etsy site, and she's still on holiday break. Check back in a day or two to see everything she has going on.
xo I see more and more houses every year with solar panels on their roofs, so it makes sense our children's toys would reflect this new trend. Enter Casagami, a small company in Paris. (As always, clicking on the image will take you to that product's shop page.) Casagami's tiny model homes are made of cardboard and shipped flat in an envelope, saving on shipping and energy costs. To make this even more of a feel-good gift, the cardboard can be recycled, and the company employs people with special needs. And, they're affordable; the basic model, shown above, is just $7.92 (though shipping doubles that amount, it still feels like a good price.) Place your assembled house on a windowsill and let it charge in the sun. Each hour of sunlight equals an hour of light. (There's an on/off switch.) They're meant to act as night-lights. I love the many different styles of homes they offer, like this Alsace chalet, and this ultra-modern dwelling. There's a Moroccan-inspired ryad, and a lovely castle. For the extra-crafty kid, they sell a plain white house that's made for decorating. The company just came out with an "autogami," a solar-powered car! Like the homes, it's made of cardboard and packed flat. Very cool. There's way more to see than I can share here, so go take a look!
xo I am loving these bags and pouches from MinneBites! Check out this ladybug purse, perfect for the cute little bug in your life. If you need a bit more storage space, try a whale! For the perfect pencil case, try a shark pouch, available in multiple colors and patterns. They have regular grown-up lady bags too, like these two that I'm particularly fond of: xo!
What's better than a squishy, wrestle-able, moldable chair? One that is also adorable, of course. Italian maker Il Saccotto makes several animal-headed beanbag chairs for about $200 each. Not cheap, but these are high-quality items, with features such as removable covers and zipper-concealing pockets. Did you notice that the chosen animals these chairs are based on are all big and sturdy enough that you wouldn't feel guilty sitting on them? (Just me? I anthropomorphize inanimate objects a bit too much? Ok, I'll own that.) They have an even pricer, limited edition, gold-vinyl elephant that wouldn't look out of place in a spread in Dwell magazine. Make a child's holiday season the Best Ever, here: Il Saccotto.
xo A few years ago, these cardboard deer head mounts were seemingly everywhere. The company that makes them, Virginia-based Cardboard Safari, is still going strong. They offer many different wall-mounted species, from elephant to dragon, in cardboard that's natural brown, white, or the occasional print. Most of these are also available in wood. I am a believer in the awesome power of cardboard, so it's not surprising to find the company now offers actual furniture. Namely, this rocket-inspired table. I dig their retro aesthetic, which is shown most richly in its iPad stand. Resembling a space-age TV set, the case has the added advantage of giving a subtle, "hands off, we're watching something" while it is in use. These sets make great gifts for tweens and teens, who (as you may know) can be particularly tricky to shop for. Do I need to even mention that once your cardboard item has run its course and has become no longer wanted, it can be recycled? They have many more items to see, so go browse around!
xo |
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AuthorI'm Debbie Way, an artist and writer who enjoys making things. |
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