roadside scholar

stuff i found on the highway of life

• Home
• about gigi leonard, aka the scholar

Posts about 'for kids'

michelangelo’s kite by atypyk

what am i on a michelangelo kick today? maybe. how funny would it be to look up in the sky on a breezy summer day and see the hand of god sistine chapel style, courtesy of the fun folks at atypyk?

pretty darn funny, i would guess.

this product is not quite available for sale yet, but in the meantime, see all of atypyk’s other fun products right here — great stuff!

---

best of the week on roadside scholar

o hai there. i’m so glad you’re here! i apologize for the lame amount of posts this week. i know i still owe you a flowery round up too. when i travel i have a really hard time keeping up with my (self-imposed) writing schedule, and i was traveling, am traveling and will continue to travel in fits and starts from now through mid june. don’t ask me why — that is just how things are working out (and it is lots of fun too)! i am planning to hit the writing hard on monday though, and this weekend i’m in michigan opening the cottage, but for now please enjoy some of the most popular posts from the week. as always you can click on the photo to read the article, and click on the hyperlinks beneath the photos to find out more about the artists, companies and items.

works on paper from bill frederick and 3 questions for lapomme

a great interview and excellent works in oil from from michelle armas

i want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy week to come by and see me. next week is going to be a big fabulous one here, so please stay tuned!

---

la pomme sewn toys and pillows: miniview

i am back from my weekend in nola, which was lovely (more on that later). equally if not more lovely are these soft linen and cotton pillows, sachets and toys from philippines-born, french-based artist apol lejano-massebieau, aka etsy seller lapomme. many of the pieces in apol’s dreamy collection are crafted from rescued and recycled materials and stuffed them with delicious dried lavender. each and every piece also has a wonderful and quirky story behind it. i wanted to know more of apol’s personal story, so i asked just three questions…

q: where do you live, and where do you make your lovely things?
a: i live in a little village in southwestern france, and i used to sew on my dining room table, until it stopped being fun finding pieces of thread in the salad. so i recently bought myself a little mobile home and installed it on the property, beside my dry garden. i painted the walls a shade called raspberry, and from march to mid-april i have a view of flamingos feeding in the marsh in front. it is wonderful to finally have a space for all my mess!

q: do you have an art background? how did you get into making these sachets and pillows?
a: what i am, mainly, is a writer, who had always had a deep appreciation for the visual arts and the fabric arts. sewing was something that i did on-and-off, and had always wanted to do more of, except that life had always been too busy.

when i was a child, my sisters and i would prepare for christmas by making handmade toys to give to cousins, although sometimes the toys were so freaky our cousins would cry. then at university i was part of the costume department of a theater group, and i got to make fun objects like a stuffed octopus and metallic dance suits. then i stopped for more than a decade as real life and a high-pressure job happened.

after a serious rearranging of my life, finally, after a long iI am able to again handle fabric, needle, and thread. this time, i have no plans of stopping.

q: would you rather sleep with lavender or eat it?
a: lavender in food requires a light touch, otherwise you feel like you’re eating a garden. so unless i really really trust the kitchen, i’d rather just sleep with the herb.

purchase these pieces and see the full collection at apol’s etsy shop, and say hi to her on her blog too.

thank you apol!

---

presto bingo prints

these vibrant limited edition giclee prints from baltimore artists (and husband and wife team) joyce hesselberth and dave plunkett were made specifically for their children’s line, presto bingo, but i think they are terrific for kids of all ages.

purchase these prints and see a few robot originals for sale here, and be sure to check out joyce’s and dave’s individual portfolios and their collaborative work, at their spur design website — great stuff!

via fragmented

---

gypsy and twink collage art: miniview

pssst. let me take you into my imagination for a moment today if you will: a dappled candy forest filled with dark chocolate trees and gumdrop leaves, a rambling dulce de leche river, cotton candy clouds and tiny meringue mushrooms that the sprites regularly whip up into a tasty risotto. if such a place existed i do believe it would be populated by the charming birds, little ladies and other creatures crafted by kirsty macintosh, aka etsy seller gypsyandtwink. equally fitting on a shelf in a child’s room or a family room, these enchanting three dimensional collage pieces, with their vivid colors and patterns, just make my imagination go cuckoo. ever curious to know more about the brains behind the operation, i asked a few quick questions…

 

q: where do you live and what is your inspiration for these happy creatures?
a: i am a scottish lass living in the north of england. as far as inspiration goes – its everywhere isn’t it? i just love colour and pattern and shape in and amongst all that these things seem to pop up. i want to make nice things that put a smile on your face.

q: do you have an art background?
a: yes my background is art, i have a masters of fine art, and for the last 10 years or so i have worked in art education, community art and public art. i like to help other people bring their ideas to life. now i’m having a go at making my living through the things i make…the “art” world as such scares me a bit so i guess making the things i do. i like their simplicity, they don’t need to be “understood” because they just are… does that make sense?

q: who are gypsy and twink? are they the owl and the elephant in your shop?
a: gypsy & twink were actually my two siamese cats i had when i was growing up… their names go together so well in my head.

purchase these pieces and see kirsty’s complete collection over at her etsy shop.

thank you kirsty!

---

best of the week on roadside scholar

well, hello there lovely people. did you have a nice week? i hope so. if not, maybe this wrap up of some of the most popular posts this week will cheer you, in case you missed it… you can click on the photo to read the posts and click on the text links for more info about the companies and items.

a few questions for jared may and soner ozerc’s cmyk lamp shade

thomas broomé’s wordy illustrations and wallpaper animals from inke heiland

a fun and informative visit with the women of the excellent better living through design

this week chicago welcomed the beginning of spring with a heaping serving of wet, heavy snow, and what i thought was beginning to sprout was buried beneath a sparkling white blanket. it hasn’t deterred my zest for finding new and interesting things though – yee haw! thank you for always helping to grow that spark by stopping over and saying nice things all week. i wish you a good weekend and look forward to chatting with you about next week’s selections, including a miniview with a fun collage artist, a great let’s chat! with a spectacular glass artist and a beautiful necklace round-up. ever forward!

---

spin designs mobiles

please enjoy these gorrrrrrrgeous mobiles from portland’s spin designs. these pieces are made from laser cut museum mat board, taken from original illustrations.

 

hang one in a dark corner with one of those inexpensive floor uplights from the depot and i bet you’ll see some fabulous shadows.

you need to go look at their etsy shop and website to see more cool stuff, including their awesome jewelry. seriously.

---

bei le xian paintings

i like eggs, which must be part of the reason why i am enjoying the simple curves of these watercolor, pastel and acrylic paintings from singapore artist bei le xian. i see eggs. i also like the playful themes.

 

the hiding elephant is my favorite.

see more original works and prints at bei le’s etsy shop.

---

« previous page next page »