tord boontje jewelry: charming

i don’t think i would feel like i was wearing a lampshade around my neck if i had this lovely necklace from iconic dutch designer tord boontje. this charming collection, entitled, er, charming, consists of delicate whimsical charms with a nature motif, and is available in packages of 3, with a 18k gold or silver plated finish.

tord_boontje_design_jewelry_charming_collection

the collection is being distributed by artecnica, and will be available in may. if it’s a must, you can hop on the presale wagon over at charles and marie.

valentine shopping fun (round up)

late to the party, my head is swimming with all the vday goodies i’ve seen floating around here. some of these items might not make it to your mailbox before the big day but you can still enjoy looking at some of my favorite categories…

valentine_photography

romance in photography from jennifer squires, art of whimsy, kayleen michelle and alyson jones

valentine_jewelry

Â inspired jewelry from laurie chapman, margaux lange, victoria buckley and stephanie simek

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ceramic and glass bliss from lily pottery and jeri goodman

valentine_textiles

soft-sided accessory love from las lopezlas, fringe, stewart and brown, and linda lye

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poetic paper from l2 design collective, porterness, amy blackwell (via) and able and game (via)

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love spray from reed seifer

Â valentine_chocolates

chocolate creations from jean philippe maury, christopher elbow and knipschildt

valentine_illustrations

sweet and funny illustrations from laura george, seaspray blue and le papier

valentine_pillows

pillows: pooh, humble and veronique

mark poulin jewelry

very witty sterling and enamel jewelry from california artist mark poulin. i love his zodiac series!

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purchase these pieces at mark’s etsy shop. you can also find select works at uncommon goods. and don’t forget to visit his website too while you’re surfing around.

brevity jewelry by anna corpron

loving this white and gold collection of acrylic jewelry from anna corpron for brevity. for those of you who are not aware, anna also happens to pen a brilliantly inspiring little blog known as sub-studio. i admire her simple, stylish and modern aesthetic.

Â anna_corpron_sub-studio_brevity_acrylic_jewelry

find these pieces and see much more at the brevity website, and while you’re clicking around get your paper fix on at the sub-studio shop. and don’t forget her blog either!

one of a kind chicago: 2008 highlights, pt. 3

installment number 3 of 3 of beautiful things available at the 2008 one of a kind show in chicago, continuing through this weekend only…

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futuro-organic jewelry by melissa finelli

jessie_eisner_kleyle_photography

photography from jessie eisner-kleyle

faith_wilson_mixed_media_art_floorcloths

mixed media work and handpainted floorcloths from faith wilson

hiroshi_ariyama_screenprints

handpulled screenprints from hiroshi ariyama

kris_jones_mixed_media_art

obsessive-in-a-good-way mixed media work from kris jones

alison_mackey_resin_photo_jewelry

jewelry by alison mackey made of resin and photographs

circa_ceramics_combo

Â ceramics you can count on from circa

one of a kind chicago: 2008 highlights, pt. 1

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polymer clay and wool creations from debra de wolff

i made my way through the seriously substantial one of a kind show yesterday, which was not easy, because the thing is HUGE. there was quite a lot of inspiration to be found, and there were quite a lot of high end craft and assorted seasonal things that were tasteful but didn’t necessarily fit into my aesthetic or budget. this helped to quicken my pace. the other thing that pushed me along in a more speedy fashion was the fact that we were jammed in like sardines in the aisles here, which i was happy to see but which also made it a challenge to take photos. i had to ditch my camera after a while.

i also have to add this: many more people at the renegade and bucktown shows knew what a blog was and what you can do with it. i was met with a few suspicious gazes in telling people i was blogging the show at ooak. not unkind, but a tad weird, because i am usually yeehawing and high fiving the air when i hear that someone wants to write about me. like my camera, i actually quit mentioning it after a while. i prefer to be more stealthy when it comes to blogging shows anyway.

back to the point though: there were some wonderful finds there, both in the one of a kind/handmade area (which encompassed an entire enormous floor in the merchandise mart) and the artist’s project, featuring compelling artworks one floor down. it’s going on all weekend, so if you like what you see here and are local you should definitely have a look in person!

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serene maritime and still life photography by dale m. reid

susan_hinckley_textile_works

susan hinckley’s whimsical works in wool

poesi_jewelry

beautifully presented feminine jewelry by julie and koeun for poesi

Maras_glass

gorgeous blown glass from thomas and rebecca maras

george_raab_etchings

skillful aquatint etchings by george raab

i’ve got another post coming later today with more highlights, so stay tuned!

off to the ooak show

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i am off to the one of a kind show today and tomorrow to see beautiful things from talented exhibitors, including jewelry by holly rittenhouse, pottery by joe christensen and flashdance mittens by moira and obbie (all pictured above).

i’ll be bringing you a summary of what i saw over the next day or two, and i will go out on a limb and warn you ahead of time that you may overdose on eye candy after you see it all.

spooky shopping, halloween fun (round up)

I have seen a ton of awesome Halloweeny things in my travels in the computer ranging from funny and clever to slightly off-putting to downright creepy. I think you’re going to like some of them too.

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