cool necklace round up

gather round kids, it’s time for the weekly round up, and today we’re having a fun look at some clever and unique contemporary necklaces…

fine tune metal pendant from antlitz design

english summer necklace from mixko

elizabeth scott’s shallow water necklace; moskow necklace from charlotte tollstén

sherry truitt’s bull’s eye blue spirit necklace

catherine chandler’s pod necklace

branch necklace from sharma designs; hedgehog button necklace by the magpie’s nest

zipper necklace from frans van nieuwenborg and martijn wegman

small petals necklace from yoko izawa

nesting box necklace by ruth baillie for her birdland creations

gold knit collar necklace with semi precious stones by barbara silverstein

silicone star planeta necklace

know yourself pendant from melanie favreau; small glasses necklace by small things designs

third time’s a charm necklace

18k gold vermeil adage necklace from kimberly baker

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rebecca cornish handbags: miniview

i enjoy looking at vintage goodness especially when it is upcycled into something different so i am pleased to show you the lovely handmade purses and bags by local artist becca cornish, aka etsy seller rebeccabags. becca uses all kinds of different fabrics, and lots of vintage fabric to create her collection, which has thoughtful details like embroidery and contrasty linings. i also appreciate the fact that her change purses are roomy enough to substitute as a bag if circumstances call for something cute and little. ever curious to know just a little bit more about the brains behind the operation, i asked three quick questions…

q: where do you create your collection?
a: i create my collection in a smoke free, pet free home, in a dining room/workroom nestled in the fabulous logan square neighborhood in chicago. (ed.note: with a fabulous fabric wall!)

q: how did you get into designing handbags?
a: i have always enjoyed sewing and crafting. i started making bags about six years ago. i was embroidering a skirt pocket and realized what a cool bag it would make. i created my first tote and the rest is history. friends and family wanted bags for themselves which led to their friends and family and so on. it has now evolved from hobby to business and love. even my four year old gets into it by “helping” mommy sew. although not very helpful, it’s really cute.

q: what is your inspiration?
a: i am a textile junkie. i can’t go anywhere without looking for fabric options. i have to touch and visualize what i can do with it. i have even smelled fabric… you heard me. my inspiration for my creations comes from the world around me — flora and fauna, my kid, food, fabric patterns, colors, word associations, the need for certain containers, and of course special requests. there isn’t a day that goes by without me sketching something out. the world is a beautiful place, might as well have accessories to match.

see becca’s current collection at her etsy shop. you can also see more samplings on her website. contact her in either place to collaborate on custom work too - her specialty!

thank you becca!

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robot stationery by moonmum

please enjoy the talents of bendigo, australia crafter belinda, aka etsy seller moonmum. she makes these sweet and funny little robot cards with a combination of machine and hand stitching. some of them even come with bonus robot doll! i love how some of them look like their mouths are open - they’re greeting cards after all, and have something to say!

if you have a girl or guy friend who likes the geekery, science or electronics, these might be a great gift for her or him. i do believe they are guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

purchase these cards and see more delightful samplings here.

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jardin chair from crate and barrel

hear me now and believe me later: my dream house would be nestled in the midst of abundant trees, have multiple outdoor spaces and 360 degree views of nature, be made of wood, slate, metal and glass, and have this jardin chair from crate and barrel somewhere inside of it. the painterly fabric was inspired by an original artist’s pastel drawing and reinterpreted into a lushly textured vintage style landscape, and the curvy feet and wings just enhance the effect.

this chair is not just good looking either; it’s eco-friendly. look under the hood and you’ll find a sustainable kiln-dried hardwood frame and a cushion and back made from multiple layers of soy or plant-based polyfoam. all these things contribute to a wholly (feel) good experience.

$799 right here.

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carmel killin textile design: miniview

i enjoy the work of sydney artist carmel killin, aka etsy seller feedthedog. there is something hopeful and inviting in the appealing limited edition and one-off screenprinted cushion covers and wall hangings she creates. i like her textures and earthy colors and simple art styles, and i like the natural fabric she uses. ever curious to know a little bit more about the brains behind the operation, i asked two quick questions…

q: how did you get into designing?
a: the truth of it is, i’ve been “seeing” and visually “re-imagining” the world around me since the dawn of time, or at least since the age of 12 when my parents (who have no taste whatsoever, god bless ‘em) moved the family to a hideous new brick house in a freshly created suburb with no trees. the unbelievable ugliness of my interior and exterior surroundings at such an impressionable age had me begging my parents for years to follow my fabulously detailed design suggestions. to no avail. at the same time i was writing short stories and had a spurt of published fiction in my 20s. at university i dabbled in photography and film making, which led to many years working in the film industry. i’ve had no formal training as a designer, i have just always been attracted to the visual world and the desire to interpret what i see, give a common object a new visual story. as a devotee of DIY philosophy, i love doing short courses. knitting, sewing, screen prining, felting, welding, dyeing… done it. with a few non-design-related degrees under my belt i fell into tertiary teaching, but after learning the basics of computer design applications started teaching graphic design to university students. i still teach design, though these days it’s all studio-based and hand-crafted projects. which of course i adore.

q: what inspires you?
a: i think my love of story telling informs a lot of my visual work, though not in any obvious way. i’m also really captivated by the wonderful skewed shapes and lines of children’s drawings and their rough, scribbly colouring-in technique. i love odd creatures, plain creatures and silhouetted shapes. old national geographic magazines from the 60s and 70s have fabulous animals with wonderful personalities. a blank piece of highly textured fabric excites me with all the possibilities and challenges it presents. i love shapes and lines in the landscape, shapes and lines in common, plain objects. details, like stitching, shading, trims, buttons, are delicious to me. so too, unexpected combinations of pattern and texture, objects and things. oddness, whimsy, humour are very attractive to me.

well, after reading her answers doesn’t it all makes sense now!? two thumbs up!

if you’re a local, you can frequently find carmel at the paddington market in sydney. if not, see and purchase the available collection at carmel’s etsy shop, and be sure to check out her humorous, well-written blog too!

thank you carmel!

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textile design by anupama swaminadhan

look at these fabulous handpainted pillows from montreal-based designer anupama swaminadhan for her self-titled textile line. these cotton and silk cushions are crafted in the traditional indian kalamkari technique. they’re freehand paintings made with vegetable and mineral dyes, and they are made with care by artisans in the srikalahasti region of southern india. all the pieces from anupama have a one-off feel, since the colors are mixed by hand and are painted individually. the result is a dreamy collection with an timeless, earthy feel.

purchase these pieces at environment 337 in new york, the spotted zebra in toronto and botanik in summerland. and be sure to go to anupama’s website to see more beautiful things.

via masala chai

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summer salt design

i like these sweet little one of a kind birdie arches from california crafter nicole peterson for her summer salt design company. they measure about 5″h x 7″w and include embellishments like vintage millinery flowers and glass beads. i think they’d be cute in a child’s room.

hold on - nicole makes cute reuseable shopping bags and purses too!

i like nicole’s eye for fabrics, finishing and color combinations. these are bound to bring the spring on just a little bit earlier!

check out nicole’s blog here and purchase these and other cute items over at her shop.

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whiting and davis mesh fabric

i don’t know about you, but whenever i’ve gone to a slightly-cold-but-modern-and-trendy hotel or restaurant, i frequently spot striking 15 foot tall curtains that divide the rooms and really set a sophisticated tone for the joint. they are too cool for school (school being my house in this example) but boy do i love looking at them! these huge swaths of fabric really are not fabric at all, but actually supremely chic metal mesh materials, just like these examples from the massachusetts company whiting and davis. they began making chain mail by hand back in the early 1900’s, and have since developed a machine technique to create large swaths of the stuff for residential, fashion and industrial purposes. the material comes in aluminum, brass, and stainless steel in a rich tones of silver, gold, platinum, and bronze. if your needs are more specific, three of the patterns can be enameled in a pantone color especially for you!

if you’re looking for a way to create drama and glamour in a room, i do believe this will help.

ed note: it’s been a dog’s age since i posted something luxe up in here. it feels pretty good!

via trendir

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holiday ornament swap - #8

better late than never, even with a damaged beak, right?

thank you so much, jenna!

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holiday ornament swap - #6, #7

i’m still getting fun packages in the mail from the swap!

thank you brandi!

thank you christine!

i actually think i should have a total of 9, so i am hoping for two more… but i did get a bonus (show ya later…)

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fleece princess leia wig

i don’t care that halloween is coming, there is no reason why you couldn’t wear this $49 fleece princess leia wig from california artist ansley as your winter hat. you might could use those hair buns as earmuffs on super cold days if you live near me!

if you squint really hard at it, that hair looks like delicious cinnamon buns.

she’ll be selling these this weekend at the brewery artwalk in los angeles.

find it and other funky handmade things in her etsy shop.

via craft

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transportation friday: plane

n.b. this is the last day in a week long series on methods of transport and how we feel about them, created by a dear friend.

of course i have to start out by saying that all week long i felt like i was a day behind and had planned to catch up with my transportation post challenge. well that certainly did not happen, due to that taxing thing called life. too much work and too many obligations! so i’m a day late with this last one. i do need to say that i have enjoyed peppering this space with a little bit of personal anecdotal stuff, and i had a ton of fun dreaming up these posts. maybe someday i will make that a more permanent thing. the question is just how much personal voice is too much personal voice in the blogosphere? curious…

planes. well, i find traveling on them to be exciting and exhausting at the same time. i always try to slather a moisturizing mask on my face that doesn’t make me look like the hulk to the other passengers, because it is so drying up there in the sky. usually if i am flying somewhere it’s pretty far away and hence the excitement. but that frequently means that the flight is a long one and that is the exhausting part. i am brand loyal, and typically save my miles up from my shorter trips to purchase upgrades for longer flights. i don’t like the air quality. one time i was flying in a puddle jumper and for the ventilation they said to open the tiny little windows by the seats. that was so bizarre to me. but refreshing.

caudalie and fresh moisturizing masks

oil and mixed media paintings by rachel austin at her etsy shop

hand silkscreened pillows from charm school design’s etsy shop

flight home original photo from blair fethers‘ etsy shop

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