Archive for February, 2011
Currently, I am drooling over the latest women’s collection from Toast (affiliate link- I am only an affiliate for products I love). All the pieces (tops, dresses, footwear, pants, and more) are a great transition from winter to spring. And now that things are starting to heat up (just a tiny bit) around here, I am wondering how many new items I can stuff into my closet without feeling guilty. I am thinking at least three. What do you think?
Visit the latest women’s collection from Toast now to browse for what’s sure to be new favorites.
Lisa Zador has a vivid imagination – painting these “curious portraits” as she calls them. Formal portraits of unusual critters and things that wind up being anything but traditional. Here’s what Lisa has to say about her work…
“Whether it is a beloved pet or a cherished childhood toy I try to bring out the unique beauty of all of my subjects. Some of the subjects belonged to me as a child and some are part of my ever expanding collection of vintage items. I hope that they bring the same joy and sense of nostalgia to you as painting them did for me.“
For more from Lisa Zador visit Curious Portraits on Etsy now.
This week, I am just leaving you with this inspiration. No weekend links. I think this is really all we need for an inspiring start to the weekend. So enjoy it. And have a wonderful weekend!
“Make it your habit not to be
critical about small things.“
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polaroid image c/o Parker Fitzgerald
My little family is preparing for a big move soon and I’m excited because that means I get a blank canvas to decorate. And I will decorate this time, instead of leaving everything “industrial beige”. I’ve been looking for prints for every room in the house and Steph Says Hello has a few that would be great. I’m thinking one for the master bedroom, a couple for the play room, and one to inspire me at my creation station!
Visit Steph Says Hello on Folksy to see her entire collection.
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Post written by Rachel Anne Williams. Rachel Anne is a 20-something wife and mother of one, who enjoys making things for her embroidery and tiny handmade goodies shop called Goose and Trisser.You can visit Rachel Anne on her blog here.
This might be old news to you. But just in case you haven’t heard… Recently, I was interviewed by Srini at BlogcastFM. If you are not familiar with BlogcastFM already, you really should check it out. It’s a great resource for bloggers and small business owners alike.
But anyway, as part of the interview, I shared some info that I’ve never really discussed on the blog (or anywhere else) before. Here’s what we touched on in the 40 minute podcast:
1. How Teaching a High School Art Class Inspired the Creation of a Blog
2. Putting together Killer Tutorial Posts that Get TONS of Traffic
3. How to Become a Regular Contributor on a Blog
4. How get Repeat Business and Freelance Work from Magazines
5. And more.
Listen to the podcast interview with me now on BlogcastFM.
And please retweet the interview if you like it.
A guest post by Ania of Paper Cut Works.
Block printing is the exact opposite of paper cutting, a new adventure for my “x-acto knife-wired” brain & hand. You begin by transferring a soft-pencil sketch onto the block, then using a chisel to carefully carve out the portions of the design you’d leave intact in a papercut.
To stay true to my papercutting roots however I began with creating a stencil of a heart and then transferring it onto the linoleum. A drawing of the design does not create the same lines as an x-acto knife and I wanted to make sure to keep this piece in my original family of anatomy-inspired hearts.
Since this was my first attempt working with this century+ old technique I had to stop in the middle of the process several times just to think through the steps and make sure I’m not ruining my print! When I cut through paper, I’m used to being able to elongate a vein or thicken the artery if the proportions don’t look right. Here however there is no turning back. You can start out bigger and then slim image parts down, but you can’t do the reverse.
Linoleum sheets are fairly soft and easy to navigate, an interesting change from paper! & I really enjoyed discovering a new cutting/carving tool and working through its limitations. Printing & pulling are skills of their own! I had to experiment with the paint quite a bit – not only the shade but also the amount to get the color and texture just right.
And here it is. My first limited edition hand pulled block print. Big thanks to my best friend Robin, a talented print maker, for teaching me this new skill!
A limited edition of 50 Heart Anatomy prints is available at PaperCutWorks.
About Ania: She has been re-purposing outdated cartography and vintage lexicography into paper-cut art for the one you heart for years now. You can also visit her blog, Paper-Cut Hearts.
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For more ideas for quick and easy projects, click here to visit the craft tutorials and diy page filled with more than 50 diy’s. If you like this diy project, please help Ania and I spread the word by using the twitter and facebook buttons below. Thank you so much.
Last week on Interior Obsessions with FormFire Glassworks, we took a quick look at ottomans, benches and poufs, looking at a low-sitting way to add seating space without a lot of visual clutter. This week, we dip ourselves into the pool of color that is aqua. Once a strong statement, aqua in its lighter and darker tones has become almost a new neutral, setting off oranges, greens and pinks to great effect. Aqua is a soothing color reminiscent of sea and sky, a cool tone that doesn’t come across as sterile and cold. Superb against white, browns and blacks, it has become a master of versatility in the world of interior decor.
Like other bright colors, the amount of impact that your aqua accent has will often be determined by the sheer amount you use. A fully-painted wall is a super backdrop to wood furniture, but really makes a statement, while aqua touches in smaller scale accessories can add just a jolt of bright to and otherwise neutral space. From walls to floors to furniture, light to dark aquas really open up your living space.
(above) Aqua Wall with Mid-Century Modern
Ultra Light Workspace + Poulsen Lamps
Backdrop wall + Floor Carpet Tiles
