Archive for December, 2009
Hope you enjoy today’s picks. Hard to believe Christmas is just a week away (for those that are celebrating). For more info on the items above, click here.
Giveaway! Today we have another awesome giveaway from the folks over at Roll and Tumble Press. Christie and Caleb have generously provided this Love Nest Hand-printed Letterpress Poster. This poster measures 11×14 and features an original Roll&Tumble illustration and Four color linocut, painstakingly hand cut, paired with a beautiful French Clarendon antique wood type (hand set). One lucky winner will receive this unframed print. Retail value $20.
How do you enter the giveaway?
There are several ways to play and you may enter up to three times. First, visit the Roll and Tumble shop and browse around for your favorites, then come back here and tell us which ones you like most. Second way to play, answer this question in the comments: Who do you love and why do you love them? Third, twitter or blog about this giveaway or Christie and Caleb’s shop and leave a link in the comments here.
The giveaway will end on January 1st at 11:59 pm eastern time.
…Visit Roll and Tumble Press…
This week, Room by Room with FormFire Glassworks takes a look at an icon of modern architecture and furniture design, the Egg by Arne Jacobsen.
From time to time, I flirt with the ideas of minimalism. Not a cold, scientific minimalism, but one in which items are paired down to a limited number, and that each piece brings something critical to the table in terms of use, joy and beauty. This brought me to the thought of a single chair. Not one that you want a set of, just one that is so strong in its personality that one can anchor an entire room. Designed in 1958, the Egg is such a chair. Although it was originally designed to be used in groups for the SAS Royal Hotel in Denmark, the Egg is the perfect conversation piece. Available through The Republic of Fritz Hansen in leather and fabric options, this is a pricey piece that will last a lifetime. Its sinuous lines and body-enveloping shape take a very striking piece and imbue it with some softening feminine qualities.
This strength of form requires that items paired with it be strong and geometric as well. An op-art wall hanging gets a warmer twist when made as a quilt, while a handmade painted bowl references the circular patterns. Strong graphics for a set of cards echo the color and design of the chair. A handmade chalkboard is simple in its layout, and adds some depth and personality to the selections. A ceramic egg hearkens back to the chair’s name, and reminds us to strive to be our best.
Next week I will choose a new iconic piece and give you my picks for accessorizing your modern home.
Shop of the Day: I love these full and half aprons from Pamwares. The fresh fabrics are super cute and have a bit of an anthro vibe to me…only better because they are handmade. I am currently coveting these two aprons (one and two). They would make great gifts for women with a variety of interests… cooking, crafting, painting, even gardening.
Right now Pamwares is offering free shipping on all Christmas aprons until December 20th. And if you see something you like in the Pamwares shop but want a different size or even a matching apron for your daughter (how adorable) just ask. How cool is that?
For more from the collection, visit Pamwares on etsy…
Here are today’s earthy, pastel picks. For more info on the items above, click here.
Today’s last post of the day is a great one, I must say. I interviewed Jan Avellana of Hazelnut Cottage, a sterling jewelry shop and a blog by the same name, for the latest studio tour. When Jan isn’t working on Hazelnut Cottage or another blog that she writes for (which you will read about in the interview), she is busy being a mother to her two small children. Oh, and did I mention she currently hold two degrees (one in graphic design and the other, a Master’s, in education)? I don’t know how she find the time. Here’s the interview…
-How did you get started with Hazelnut Cottage?
Hazelnut Cottage has gone through many permutations over the years; graphic design, bookbinding, dried flowers, soap making and even potted plants (really)! The version of Hazelnut Cottage that exists now came into being when my second child was a newborn baby. I’d put him in his moses basket under my computer table and I’d alternate between nursing him and surfing the net, desperately searching for a way to work from home so I wouldn’t have to go back to teaching. I stumbled upon Etsy and found my calling and my tribe. I had been making jewelry off and on for the last dozen years or so, but Etsy made me realize that living the indie life was indeed possible.
-Is Hazelnut Cottage your full time job? If it is not, how do you balance both?
My full time job is being mommy to my two young sons, wife to my husband Steve and learning to be an almost growed-up person! But seriously, Hazelnut Cottage is my main gig for now, and I do put in full-time hours some weeks, mostly part-time hours the rest of the time. I am also the in-house graphic designer and contributing writer at Hawaii Traditions, a blog featuring Hawaii’s unusual local traditions, values and culture—stop by and say “Aloha!”
As far as balance is concerned, I have none! My self-care borders on atrocious (I am working on it), when I am busy with work for Hazelnut Cottage or writing for my friend’s blog I feel guilty that I am not more attentive to my children, and let’s not even talk about my (lack of) housekeeping! And that poor cat. Sigh…
-Name your three favorite makers/crafters.
Just three?! Gosh, I don’t think I can name just three. I adore the artwork of painter Joseph Blake, illustrations from Aliette and whimsical wire work of De Beaux Souvenirs. I connect with the spirit behind Crystsal Neubauer’s OPF Studio, the originality and business acumen of Kelly Rae Roberts and the charm of Middleburg Folk Art Studio). Oh, I guess that’s more than three…I could go on and on!
-Who or what do you draw the most inspiration from in your own work?
I read lots. Esoteric books on art, on art and faith, on living a creative life. So writers and books and words, always words, inspire me…I am also a sea creature by nature, and prefer being in the water to being on land, so the bits of the ocean permeate my work and color choices. As far as my other artistic endeavors (I am secretly a painter at heart, or maybe an encaustic or papier mache artist!), I find that my children inspire me. When I sit down to paint or create, I have all these grand intentions of creating Serious Art, and what comes out of me are silly bits of candy colored childhood innocence…I realize that through my work I am attempting to capture the fleetingness of my children’s childhood, while redeeming my own less-than-perfect memories.
-What advice would you give to others who are looking to start a craft business or trying to promote themselves as artists? Any tips you can share?
I think, just begin. This is always a huge one for me. Just start. Try it. If it doesn’t sell, or you grow out of the media, allow yourself to try something else, to grow, to evolve to enjoy the process of creating rather than getting all bent trying to do everything ‘right’. I struggle with this every day! I think there is something very important about the idea of work as play. Hmmm…as far as promoting goes, I am learning everything by trial and error; advertise on blogs, kindly introduce yourself and seek out blog features, create, create, create and keep putting yourself and your work out there into the world. I believe the right people will find you at the right time.
-What do you like most about your studio/ workspace? What do you like least?
What I love most is all of the natural light that floods my art studio. I love my tansu‘s (Japanese storage chests). Oh! And I am in the process of painting my bulletin board wall!
What I like least is my own slob-ness. I am a slob. It was a truly H-E-R-C-U-L-E-A-N effort to clean up my space for this photo shoot. I am still traumatized and in therapy because of it!
How do you get any work done in your studio with such a gorgeous view (yes, the above image is the view from her window)?
Oh, HA, HA. I am the most disorganized creature, and quite easily distracted to be sure. It’s wonderful to be able to look out of my window and see the marina and a sliver of the ocean in the distance. I do try to be productive…writing lists helps (when I don’t lose them), keeping all of my orders on a clipboard in chronological order and inviting people over so that I am forced to clean up, and keeping my yummy artstuff in constant view to entice me to play—these are my secrets for artistic productivity and uh, organization!
Thanks for the tour Jan! I love Jan’s tips about starting a new venture and that view…wow!
To view more of Jan’s work, please visit her shop, Hazelnut Cottage, and her blog.
Shop of the Day: Alison Winterroth of Lemon Grove has been making jewelry for the last five years but has been creating far longer than that in plenty of other mediums, including lampworking, metalsmithing and precious metal clay. And Alison sticks mainly with beading for her unusual and unique jewelry and accessories pieces because of the variety of materials readily available and the wide range of techniques that can be used.
I am completely in love with the repeating link chains that can be seen throughout the collection and these brooches- amazing! I don’t think I have ever seen beading used quite this way for jewelry. Have you?
Visit Lemon Grove for more of Alison’s work…
