Posted by mandarific on Nov 17, 2009 in
Featured Artists Every year as the leaves start turning and the sun starts setting earlier I find myself having a harder time forcing myself not to celebrate Christmas months too early – or at least not until Thanksgiving has finally passed! I’ll spare you any preemptive tidings and joy, but when I spotted this list taker over at Erleperle’s blog I couldn’t keep it to myself.
Hand sewn, this cute little folding book-style pouch holds not only a blank notebook for your own lists, but has little pockets for any other lists, receipts, or flyers you may need to carry around. I tend to be really disorganized this time of year, so something similar would certainly do me good. :) Be sure to check out more of her work at Erleperle as we get ready for holiday season!
Are you already starting to plan for the holidays? Let us know in the comments – whether you’re preparing handmade gifts and decorations, starting to unpack the tree trimmings, or getting ready to travel or visit family. We wanna hear about it!
Tags: christmas, holidays, housewares, quilting, sewing
Posted by mandarific on Nov 16, 2009 in
Featured Artists As an avid fan of all things plush and cute, when I came across Chelsea’s “adoptable” monsters, it was love at first sight. With their distinctive features and bug-eyed creature stares, what’s not to love?
All of her monsters are hand sewn and stuffed with a whole lot of love and personality – eachone is terrifically unique and the collection comes in a variety of shapes and sizes – from your standard yeti to curious creatures called “monstroctopuses,” they seem like cartoon characters come to life. She even brings her not-so-scary beasties to other mediums with adorable earrings, big-toothed scarves, and other impressive creations. Chelsea will be attending her first craft show in New Hampshire on the 21st, so check out her DeviantArt page if you’re interested in seeing these cuddly cuties in person.
Looking for more of these guys? Check out her projects on DeviantArt or get an early start on your stocking stuffing at her Etsy store, Love and a Sandwich. If you’re looking for a bargain, you can also check out her discount plush shop at Lump and a Sandwich, where you can find her adorable buck-toothed “Lump” monsters for just $5.
Tags: craftster finds, plushies, sewing, toys
Posted by mandarific on Nov 15, 2009 in
Featured Artists At first glance, Helena’s artfully photographed knit wear looks like an advertisement for an expensive catalog – carefully counted stitches with beautifully selected yarn, it’s a wonder she does it with such ease and perfection. Her latest offering, a pair of matching garter rib socks, look so cozy that you can almost picture yourself snuggled up by the fire with a good book.
Helena not only displays her completed projects, but also gives detailed hints as to how she completed them, including the size needles used and her choice of yarn. A good blog to follow, she continues to wow me with every single post. If you’re interested in checking out more of her work or seeing how she completed these snuggly socks you can find it here at Ignorant Bliss.
Tags: clothing, knit, knitting, socks, wearables
Posted by mandarific on Nov 13, 2009 in
Featured Artists Miss Moose has been a good friend of mine for many years now and always seems to have something up her sleeve in regards to photography. Whether it’s trekking across the country with complete strangers or helping a friend dress up as her for halloween, her whimsical artistic ventures always make you think a little bit.
One favorite series Lis has done involves tiny plastic dinosaurs going on a myriad of adventures, and sometimes just hanging out. The tiny toys are photographed so well that you’re not sure if they’re real or not – her clever angles and lighting give the impression of life happening: dinos at work, dinos at play, dinos being dinos.
When I offhandedly mentioned to Lis a few months ago that it would be cute if she had a dinosaur calendar, I had no idea that it would be this awesome – with Lis’ eye for the obscure, the Zazzle flip-top calender is totally cute – and the best part? It’s got twelve all new dinosaur photos taken just for the calender. Dino’s playing with ice cream and violins, scaling potatoes as if they were mountains, and getting x-rays, it’s got all the amusement of childrens toys and is just serious enough to be hung in any office.
Looking for more of these eclectic photos? Check out Lis’ other work at her blog or on flickr.
Posted by mandarific on Nov 12, 2009 in
Featured Artists It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of sweets, and who doesn’t love cupcakes? So when I saw Obitay’s Crafster Post, my eyes (and stomach!) were immediately enticed. But unlike some of the other treats you’ll find on her blog, these certainly aren’t edible. In fact, the tiny treats are made of polymer clay, and fixed with a hook to be used as a charm. The cakes are so artfully crafted that at first glance one might think they weren’t to scale, or were glazed with real icing. The tiny sprinkles and decorations on top really make the cakes, adding a whimsical touch to the charming sweets.
Though there’s not much to her blog yet, I certainly will be keeping an eye on it – in addition to these tasty treats she’s decided to share her baking adventures as well! As for the charms, this Canadian currently in the UK decided to take her minuscule munchies one step further: forever immortalizing the goodness of Tim Horton’s in a wearable, delectable doughnut charm!
Want to see more of her sweets or clay work? Tobi’s blog can be found at Obitay and Ukelay.
Tags: clay, craftster finds, food, miniatures
Posted by mandarific on Nov 7, 2009 in
Featured Artists It’s Iron Pour day at East Carolina University today – I just got back from helping some of the students unload and reload the low melt that had been full of molds to be cast, and in just a few hours the furnace will be heating up to bring the iron to a molten, bubbly liquid. My fiancé was nice enough to walk us through the mold making process – not exactly a “Do it Yourself” project, but it’s certainly interesting to see how it’s done.
After what can be a few hours to a few weeks of working on detailed wax molds, the sculptors pack their “blanks” in a fine sand to create the mold. After this, the wax is melted out in a special kiln so that the leftover space in the packed sand can be filled with metal to create a casting.
It’s a detailed process that you can read all about at Landon’s blog, as well as check out some of his other work. As for me, I am off to get some sleep – I’m looking forward to today’s pour and can’t wait to bring you all some of the pictures of the process! :)
Tags: casting, iron, sculpture, tutorials, wax
Posted by mandarific on Nov 4, 2009 in
Featured Artists One of my best friends, Miss Moose, is an avid dollhouse enthusiast – she’s made several houses and when she began her current project approached me to help her browse through ideas online. This is how we found Call of the Small – in a world where most dollhouse projects include dated wallpaper and couches that look like the ones found in your Great Grandmother’s livingroom, these tiny homes feature ultra modern decor and rooms that we wish we lived in.
One favorite of mine is her Kaleidescope House – colorfully assembled with pre-bought dollhouse furniture and a few things re-purposed for tiny living, these scenes make it easy to forget that the entire thing is to scale!
Interested in seeing more of this house or other similar projects?
Check out Chris’s blog – Call of the Small.
Tags: dollhouse, miniatures, toys
Posted by mandarific on Nov 3, 2009 in
Featured Artists While it’s hard to believe that it’s already November, this time of year always brings reminders of pinecone turkeys and paper pilgrim hats. It’s the time of year when we start thinking about holiday gifts, decorations, and keeping kids busy in ways that won’t *completely* ruin the kitchen table.
I came across Paperglitter’s designs while looking more for Thanksgiving and Harvest craft ideas to decorate – and found her wonderful crafts that you download, print from your own computer, and assemble yourself. It’s more than just a cute idea – she’s designed toys for many huge companies, including mass market lines such as Hello Kitty, Disney, and My Little Pony. Her free projects include stationary such as envelopes, letter paper, and address labels that are too cute for words – smiling cakes and bunnies that remind us of Hello Kitty characters are sure to make any note stand out in the mail.
If you’re like me and looking to put together some projects for fall, her Etsy Shop has plenty to choose from – whether it’s for yourself or to keep the kids table busy while you’re doing the last-minute turkey prep, her Thanksgiving designs are to die for. Here are some of my favorites – check them out, you won’t be disappointed!
Tags: crafts, diy, paper, printable, scrapbooking, stationary
Posted by mandarific on Oct 29, 2009 in
Featured Artists The last few days have been fairly busy for me – getting ready for Halloween and working on getting several new design projects off the ground, this blog has been a blessing to be able to relax and enjoy some good art. One of my favorite hobbies that I don’t have nearly enough time for is needlework – I love cross-sitch and embroidery, and am often looking for new ideas beyond the pre-packaged patterns available at most craft stores. I was pleasantly surprised today to see that Apple and Eve had posted a wonderful tutorial for her satin stitch.
Eva’s designs are gorgeous – she creates personalized dolls, bunnies, and other such characters that are decorated with beautiful embroidery. All lovely keepsakes in their own right, the critters are decorated with swirls and flowers reminiscent of traditional embroidered patterns, but so that they stand out against the spikey edges of a hedgehog or the floppy ears of a bunny.
Eva’s Satin Stitch Tutorial gives us several large, clear images of how she completes her stitch, as well as reference for how much thread she uses for the stitching. She’s also welcomed anyone to ask questions of her work and how she completes it.
Though she refers to this style as being “challenging,” it seems like a nice basic style that can be added to anyone’s repertoire, and a must-know for those looking to do more detailed embroidery and “filled in” areas. Are you an embroidery guru, or just learning how to stitch? Share with us some of your favorite projects and needlework tutorials!
Tags: crafts, diy, embroidery, tutorials
Posted by mandarific on Oct 27, 2009 in
Featured Artists I’ve been considering getting into jewelry making as of late, so my “research” has led me through all variety of Etsy shops as well as a stroll through Michael’s. One of my favorite artists I’ve stumbled upon uses a unique “metal clay” to create interesting beads with powerful images inspired by cultural influences such as the American West and Japanese art. “Hint” even makes a visual reference of inspiration in her blog, showing the creative process behind why she chooses the imagery that she does.
Beth’s “Home Harvest” necklace is one of her latest pieces and you can almost feel the autumn breeze in the air- the citrine colors give off the warm glow of fallen leaves to accent the hand-crafted silver beadwork.
Though her assembled jewelry can be a bit pricey, the handcrafted beads range in affordable prices to accent your own handicrafts and bring together any project. From clever fall designs to adorable “anytime” styles, she has over a hundred beads to choose from – all created with the same metal clay firing technique.
As noted in her Etsy Shop, Hint also gives back with each purchase by giving to non-profit organizations that help make a difference in today’s world. For more information on the causes that benefit from Hint’s work, check out her Love Dogs blog. We’re glad to see someone who does such beautiful craft giving to help those who need it!
Tags: beads, causes, crafts, jewelry, metals, sculpture, wearables
