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So apartment therapy and Blueprint magazine are bringing their arty, crafty, DIY and design powers together to sponsor The January Jumpstart Project.
I need just this kind of think to force me to finish all those projects that are quietly sulking out there.
Possible projects: refurbishing a garage sale cabinet, updating a suede jacket and reconstructing a skirt.
There's more paper goodness to be had out there, people! I'm not even trying to find this stuff, it just shows up on my (virtual) doorstep.
First, R (previously mentioned here) and I had some paper snowflakes to make. Of course, that lead me to make my own virtual flakes. Scissors and paper are still my preferred tools, but it is a fun way to try out new shapes.
Then Apartment Therapy links to these amazingly simple in concept, yet beautifully complex chandeliers. I'm thinking I have some boring fixtures to replace.
Then there's the Crate & Barrel Marimekko wrapping paper that Happy Mundane found. But I'd frame mine, or try it as a little accent wallpaper. How do you feel about wallpaper? Is it something that you're always destined to regret?
And finally . . . a totally unrelated round of internet puttering brought me to this. Some people want to run away to the circus, I want to run away to the magical studio where Isabel de Borchgrave makes her creations. Oh yeah, like every other fabulous designer, she has a line of goodies at Target.
Marble or other stone tile + stamping + matte sealant = schmancy coasters
This was just an experiment, but I was going for a distressed vintage look. I also thought the allover design would help to hide the inevitable stains from tea, coffee, red wine . . .
As usual, a more simple approach would probably have more impact. You could probably do any type of decoration, not just stamping. I bet colored sharpies, India ink or other permanent pigments would make a pretty stunning image. A little spray of sealant and you're ready for action.
Who doesn't need a few extra coasters this time of year?
I've been obsessed with the Free Rice vocabulary game. I've only made it to Level 48, but I've heard it goes to 50. I guess my elementary Latin can only take me so far.
I'm spunky.
I like my oatmeal lumpy.
I'm sick wit dis, straight gangsta mack
but sometimes I get ridiculous
I'll eat up all your crackers and your licorice . . .
References to oatmeal show up in the some of the most surprising places. But who doesn't like oatmeal? There's something wonderful and wholesome, rib-sticking and cozy about a bowl of steel-cut oats. I like mine with a little lump of butter and some maple syrup.
I also love to cook it with some dried fruit (which swells as it heats). Then I add toasted nuts and yogurt. I think of it as my "hippie breakfast."
There's a lot of amazing paper art going on out there.
Just this week I've run across Rob Ryan, a great paper artist from England (via Design*Sponge) and fabulous foliate Rorshach-like cut-outs (by Kako Ueda). Check out the fantastic papel picado from California and Wisconsin too.
Of course, there's always Tord Boontje and I always think about his work during this time of year.
I'm also inspired to play with construction paper when I see pretty paper creations like this.
In the end, my favorite is the quietly beautiful Little Robot.
P.S. I've been so busy, I just got around to noticing that this issue of Craft is all about paper. More proof of the collective consciousness?
*I just had to throw in a little liger action!
I have some wonderful prints in my sitting room (or front room or living room or . . . ) that remind me of Highlights' Hidden Pictures. I love love love the artists who created them. Kozyndan are a husband-wife team who make fantastic paintings that often become magazine covers, cd jackets and illustrations.
They are obsessed with bunnies and I love obsessive people. They're passionate, silly and they'll sneak bunnies into everything. Just look at their bunny zodiac signs!
Holy crap, I just got back from seeing Anthony Bourdain. I wish I could be all cool and nonchalant about it, but I'm sorry, he just kicks ass. He was funny, smart, self-deprecating and didn't even flinch when one woman called him arrogant (it was in the form of a question).
He was very gracious about signing books and was even happy to chat a bit with fans. So I told him I needed to ask him just one question.
Me: Can you answer an off-the-wall question?
AB: Sure.
Me: While you were at Vassar, what dorm were you in?
AB: Noyes, and then I got kicked off campus.
Me: Ahh, I wouldn't expect anything less.
AB: Why? What would you've guessed?
Me: Raymond.
AB: Nah, I wasn't that cool.
Priceless.
As previously promised, here is a shot of my beloved Japanese souvenir print. Please excuse the drunken perspective, but I was trying to avoid the flash glare.
It's a five color hand-blocked print from the early 1960s. I know it was probably cheap and a bit tawdry when it was purchased, but I still love it. It was brought back from Japan by my grandmother's brother-in-law. He died before I was born, but he left behind some great travel photos and retro trinkets.
Reading this blog, you may have been lead to believe that I'm a nice person. I guess this is technically true, since I do the right thing most of the time. I wash my hands after using the bathroom, I come to a full stop at stop signs and I floss.
But all this pales in comparison to my vices. One of which is dressing Nikita up in costumes.
What could be better than a weiner dog in a hot dog costume?
I usually feel lazy when I do a links post, but I just realized that they're some of my favorite posts to read. So, I'm giving 'em to ya' guilt-free!
- The most beautiful "Oh my god, give me another" martini glass I've ever seen. Oh yeah, but there's no chance I'm going to spend $55 for two glasses.
- I love love LOVE these snarky little bits of art. They're spamariffic! Craft loves them too.
- My Paper Crane has made some adorable little pickle ornaments and inspired me for the Second Annual Holiday Ornament Swap.
- These are just so fabulous, it hurts!
- Everyone's talking about this IKEA lamp and I can't say that I blame them. It's hawt!
- These grilled cheese recipes make me hungry for a sammich NOW!
Bathrooms can be tricky places to decorate. For example, my somewhat blah pink bathroom has developed a 1950s Polynesian/Asian feel to it. I didn't really plan it that way, but how else was I going to tone down the pinky pinkness of it? There's a barkcloth vanity skirt, a few plants, etc.
You've already seen the wall pockets, but there's also a great Japanese print from the early 1960s (I'll post a pic later).
So, I wanted to tie it all together with something that reflected the tropical feel without being too tacky. After finding some great images from Smithsonian (one of my favorite magazines), I revived a seriously lackluster tissue cover with a bunch of great vintage images and some white glue. I'll decoupage just about anything and this application really worked well. Plus, I can pretend I'm on vacation while taming the sniffles.
It's official!
Nikita is on her way to fame and fortune.
My free copies are on their way, but I've already taken a peek at the bookstore. She's got three pages of Chiweenie fabulousness to show off!
I'll tell more of the story once the surprise is revealed to her fans.
