The Craft Begins

1.  I’m not typically an advocate of spending a lot of money on a wedding dress, because you only wear it for one day, and then you put it away, blah blah blah.  I think I would make an exception for this dress.  I would frame it, or buy it a mannequin and display it all over my house.  It isn’t painted, it’s quilted, and with lovely organic fabrics on top of that.  You can find this masterpiece courtesy of Threadhead.

2.  My favorite thing about Etsy is finding out about other shops when they heart you.  This particular seller, Studio Megu, was discovered just this way.  I love smokey quartz no matter what the context, but these earrings make the stone look especially fabulous.

3.  Really good patterns take my breath away.  Add that to an alarmingly massive stash of fabric, and I’ve got a problem.  I think that’s only going to get worse now that I’ve discovered Cicada Studio.  These bold designs and great colors really get my juices flowing – and even better, they’re printed in the good ol’ US of A.

4.  If you read this blog a lot, you know I’m also enamored with ceramics.  I really respect the process, as I don’t have the patience for dealing with it.  If something blew up in the kiln for no particular reason, I’m pretty sure I’d break down and have a hissy fit.  I love the mixture of two great art forms here – ceramic and lacework.  Pop on over to Prince Design UK to see more of this creativity.

5.  Found Paper Co has just launched their new Etsy shop and I have to say I’m in love.  I hunger for all things paper.  Everything in this shop is in really good shape, there are some really good finds.  The mind just wanders thinking about all of the delicious possibilities.

Here’s a list of favorites for this week!

1.  I’ve always admired the work of Feaverish.   A welcome sight in the age of digital everything, his photographs are taken with various old formats of cameras – 35mm, polaroid, and the like.  I’ve taken a lot of photographs with an old 35mm camera that I love and there’s just no creating the sort of exposure that you can get with a real camera.  A collection of whimsical and everyday photographs mean that there’s something for everyone.

2.  I read about Who Made It on someone’s blog (I can’t remember, sorry) but I was instantly struck by the originality of their products and the clever re-use of a material that we see everyday.  Their jewelry stands are the pinnacle of pretty shabby chic (I could see Anthropologie jumping all over this idea).  Since all of my jewelry ends up finding itself in containers all over the house, this makes clutter look classy.

3.  I’ve been following Modesign since I first signed up for Etsy.  I love the interesting re-use of vintage lace.  The dye jobs are gorgeous and the interesting lace patterns are always paired with beautiful stones.  I think this would be great for someone who liked feminine things with a little bit of spunk.

4.   Atelier BB has recently come to my attention.  I love handmade ceramics, and I love color, and she combines the two oh-so-well.  All sorts of cute little plates and interesting patterns and bright, happy colors.  This would be the ideal accessory for any kitchen (all of my plates and kitchenware is white and wood for a reason).

Since I wasn’t able to do it on Friday, I figured, why not start out the week with some lovely fresh new finds?

1.  I can’t believe that I just now found Tiny Bazaar.  She has these beautiful prints in a really great color palette that are just full of fun and whimsy.  She has some great prints and photographs in addition to some really creative jewelry. Apparently everyone else in the design world has taken notice, as she’s been featured in some great design blogs, but I thought I’d share in case anyone else was as out of the loop as me.

2.  I’ve just discovered 5 Dollar French Market and I’m delighted to report that everything is actually just $5!  They have all sorts of chic finds, like beautiful seam binding and vintage laces, all packaged really nicely.  Would be a beautiful way to wrap a present or embellish an art project you’ve been working on.  And you won’t break the bank!

3.  If what you’re looking for is fun and funky paper goods, then Earmark is the place.  This shop is chock-a-bock full of beautiful graphics and tongue in cheek humor.  I love their colors and the variety of fun things that you can find.  My favorite is their dinner party kits. What a great idea for a hostess gift!

4.  Photo Bird has long been one of my favorite photographers on Etsy.  I bought a set of her breakfast series cards a while back and have yet to actually send them to anyone, I love them so much.  Her photography is always slightly shy and disarming – lovely little quiet moments in our everyday lives.

Thanks to this week’s favorites for all the beautiful work that they do!