If there's anyone out there still checking in on this blog, I wanted to take this opportunity to formally sign off. After a lot of thought and a fair amount of agonizing, I've made the bittersweet decision to move on from More Ways to Waste Time.
More importantly, I wanted to give my sincere thanks to you for reading, whether it's been for the entire two-plus years and 1,500 or so posts that have elapsed since I began this blog, or whether you found yourself here just recently. I've truly enjoyed highlighting the work of so many inspired artists, craftspeople, and independent retailers, delighted in every last one of your comments and emails, and cherished the many online friendships that have resulted.
All my best to all of you.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Goodbye, and Thank You
Friday, July 17, 2009
Mark Your Calendar: Your Weekend of Art, Crafts, and Wicked Cool Pyrotechnics
Photo by Lane Hartwell
Heads up, locals: There's tons of great stuff going on in the Bay Area this weekend.
Friday, July 17
* Learn more about Italy's Alessi housewares at the first Summer Design Series presentation at Old Oakland's Entrez! Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Alessi wares will be 10 percent off during the event, a Michael Graves tea kettle will be raffled off, and drinks and snacks will be served. RSVPs are required.
* Stop by the opening reception for Alex Rosmarin's A Daily Operation at Oakland's Cricket Engine Gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. The show will be up through July 26.
* Get your pyro on at the Crucible's ninth annual Fire Arts Festival. There will be ten acres of interactive fire art, performances, live music, and the largest collection of outdoor fire sculpture on the West Coast. The fiery spectacle runs from 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday, and wraps up at the same time on Saturday night. Tickets are $35 to $50.
* If you're in San Francisco this evening, join the Flower Weaving Workshop with Cathy of California at the Curiosity Shoppe from 5 to 7 p.m.
* While you're there, don't miss Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough's pretty Little Pink Houses in the Curiosity Shoppe's gallery space. The show will be up through July 31.
* Swing by Congdon's own shop, Rare Device, over the weekend to check out its new art exhibit. The Buddy System: A Conversation in Art was curated by Little Paper Planes' Kelly Lynn Jones, and features work from Aline Cautis, Caitlin Gallupe, Clare Grill, Matt Momchilov, Bridget Moser, Nathaniel Russell, David Wilson, and Jess Wheaton. The show will be up through August 30.
* Kill two birds with one stone at the Mission's BellJar, where you can mingle at the opening reception for Ian Huebert's The Shape of Content from 6 to 9 p.m. and shop the store's Summertime Sale. Huebert's show will be up through August 11, and the sale lasts through July 23.
* Stroll down the street to see Ocean + Beach at Needles + Pens, featuring work from Charlie Callahan, Jeff Canham, Misha Capecchi, Alberto Cuadros, Amy Jo Diaz, Kyle Field, Christopher Gentile, Rachel Kaye, Jeffrey Manson, Aaron Mason, John McCambridge, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Dave Muller, Jay Nelson, Lana Porcello, Nathaniel Russell, Orion Shepherd, Mason St. Peter, Augustus Thompson, and Isabell Weberbauer. The show will be up through August 9.
Saturday, July 18
* Grab some great bargains at Modernica's mammoth 20th Anniversary Warehouse Sale. It's online from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time (and in L.A. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
* Don't miss the second annual Renegade Craft Fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. This year's Renegade extravaganza will showcase more than 200 independent artists and crafters, and continues through Sunday.
* After you've taken in all that Renegade has to offer, pop over to Fort Mason's SFMOMA Artists Gallery to see its current exhibit, Pipeline: Art, Surfing, and the Ocean Environment. The show features artwork by Jo Ann Biagini, Leo Bersamina, Charlie Callahan, Terry Hoff, Reuben Margolin, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Adrienne Keahi Pao, and Charles Valoroso, surfboards by Jeff Clark, and photography by Frank Quirarte and Doug Acton, and will be up through August 28.
* Check out L.A. street-turned-fine artist Becca's True Colors at White Walls Gallery, up through August 1. (Pssst: New, limited edition prints from Becca available here.)
* Cap off your day at the opening reception for Theo Ellsworth's new exhibit, Imaginary Friends, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Giant Robot. The show will be up until August 19.
Whew! Have fun out there, kids.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Object of Lust: Enzo Floor Lamp
Reminiscent of the vintage Kaiser Idell and European counterbalance task lights I often stalk on eBay, Anthropologie's industrial-chic Enzo Floor Lamp has me drooling.
It's $398 right here.
Etsy Find: Munstre Lightboxes
Loving these cool lightboxes from Etsy seller Munstre (aka Boston crafter Chris Elsasser). Each is handmade from Munstre's custom graphics or from vintage x-rays and medical lithographs and each is mounted in a ready-to-hang, solid wood frame with a pre-installed lightbulb and plug. Above: Follow Me to Heaven, $95
En Cloude, $70
However Long the Night, the Dawn Will Break, $130
Old Fashioned Bicycle, $95
Lift Your Skinny Arms to the Sky, $140
Anatomical Heart, $65
On a White Lake, $140
See all of Munstre's Etsy offerings right here -- and check out more of his lightboxes, prints, and other creations here.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Cool Stuff: Madison & Grow Eco Wallpaper
I'm smitten with this eco-friendly wallpaper from Los Angeles's Madison & Grow, launched last year by Connecticut transplants Teresa Grow and Erin Yasgar. Each design is hand-drawn and hand-printed with water-based inks, and the recyclable paper is harvested from sustainable forests. Above: Eleanor
Maggie
Eloise
Michelle
Margot
Erin
Elizabeth
Madison & Grow wallpaper is available through these retailers. See the entire collection right here.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Etsy Find: New Prints From Hannah Stouffer
Wild new limited-edition prints from Etsy seller Grand Array (aka L.A.-based artist Hannah Stouffer). Look closely -- there's a whole universe in these images. Above: Black Roses Tell a Story, $12 if you order during July, $25 after that
Bonne Nuit, Crystal Cave, $12 until July 31
Leaving the Crusade to Fate, $12 until July 31
See all of Stouffer's Etsy offerings right here -- and check out more of her work here.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Artful Home: Art in a Box
North Oakland's Compound Gallery has devised a novel way to get affordable pieces from emerging local artists into the hands of collectors on a budget: a monthly subscription service called Art in a Box.
Here's how it works: Subscribe for the pick-up-only or nationwide-delivery packages, and every month you'll receive an 11-by-17-inch box containing a painting, print, photo, mixed media work, drawing, collage, ceramic piece, or sculpture from one of 11 Bay Area artists.
The art and the artist will be a surprise, but you can let the gallery directors know your preferences ahead of time and they'll do their best to send you something they think you'll like.
Participating artists include Ben Belknap, Jake Gillespie, Alissa Goss, Kerri Lee Johnson, Obi Kaufmann, Crystal Morey, Lena Verderano Reynoso, Matt Reynoso, Audrey Roy, Eric Sanchez, Tallulah Terryll, Adrian Van Allen, and YaChin Bonny You.
The service costs $30 or $50 a month, with a three-month minimum. Find out more about Art in a Box right here.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Cool Stuff: Criss Cross Lamps
I love a good Bubble Lamp, and am especially digging these new reissues of George Nelson's Criss Cross Lamps. They're just like the midcentury design icon's classic Bubble Lamps -- but, you know, fancier.
The Criss Cross Lamps, which run $359 to $405 apiece, are available from Modernica.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Etsy Find: Tine Wiggens Textile Art
Sweet and simple textile art from British Columbia-based Etsy seller Tine Wiggens. Above: Time to Bake, $24
Summer Rain, $30
Tea Time, $24
Two Tall Seed Heads, $25
Flowers in Watering Can, $30
Mini Rain Cloud, $15
See all of Wiggens' Etsy offerings right here -- and check out more of her work here.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Set-Design Drool: True Blood
Are y'all watching True Blood on HBO? I can't get enough of this soapy, Southern-fried vampire series.
In fact, I'm a sucker -- so to speak -- for pretty much any well-done, intelligent vampire tale. Unlike seemingly half of the adult female population, though, I'm utterly immune to the supposed charms of the Twilight saga and its sparkling (non)bloodsuckers. I like my vampire fables complete with sex and blood, thank you very much. (As for what's behind our collective obsession with the undead, this recent New York Times article attempts to psychoanalyze the fang fixation.)
Anyway, there is plenty of sex and blood in Bon Temps, Louisiana -- the fictional setting for the show, which centers around clairvoyant barmaid Sookie Stackhouse; her 170-year-old vampire boyfriend, Bill Compton; Bill's newly undead "daughter," Jessica; shape-shifting roadhouse proprietor Sam; Sookie's formerly demon-possessed BFF, Tara; mysterious Maenad Maryann; vampire head honcho Eric and his tart-tongued sidekick, Pam; gay and fierce short-order cook, hustler, porn-site entrepreneur, and erstwhile drug dealer Lafayette; Sookie's dumb but sexy brother, Jason; and a collection of other odd -- and often oddly lovable -- characters.
Of course, being the design geek that I am, I'm nearly as fascinated by the physical spaces the show's characters inhabit as I am the steamy storylines they become entangled in. Let's take a little tour, shall we? (Warning: Mild spoilers ahead.)
Bill's digs -- no surprise -- are my favorite. Imbued with the sort of dark glamour and crumbling grandeur that makes me go weak in the knees, it's a fitting home for Bon Temps' resident Victorian-era vamp.
Bill's home probably looks much the same as it did when he last resided here as a human in the 1860s. It's all florid, peeling wallpaper, dark-stained woodwork, fine-but-threadbare rugs, flickering gaslight, and aged, ornate furnishings. In a word: Yummy. (And yeah, I think I'd find it hard to resist in such lushly Gothic surroundings, too.)
Bill plays the piano like any well-bred Southern gentleman, and doesn't seem terribly interested in current decorating trends. But he is starting to outfit his home with modern amenities like a Wii system, with which he rather heartbreakingly plays virtual golf on a sunlight-dappled course.
Daddy is no fun at all. But his sumptuous red velvet settee is pretty sweet.
This is where the magic happens, people. Though if I were Sookie, I think I'd quietly remove the portrait -- presumably of Bill's Civil War-era bride -- from the mantle. It might put a bit of a damper on their frequent, torrid make-up sex, after all.
Eric the Viking vamp kicks back in Bill's bathtub. Yes, please.
Sookie's family home, by contrast, is all warm, cozy Granny style.
Photo from TrueBloodNet
And I mean that literally. Sookie lived in the pleasantly dilapidated farmhouse with her late grandmother, and from the looks of it, she hasn't made many changes since her beloved Gran was killed in the kitchen during Season One.
Still, the Stackhouse home represents warmth, family, and normalcy in a world that's gone a bit mad. It may not push any design envelopes, but it's homey and welcoming, and that is as it should be.
Eric's bar, Fangtasia, is a redneck roadhouse-turned-tawdry, over-the-top vision of vampire cool.
Blood-red walls, flocked upholstery, and faux-goth accouterments complete a look that seems geared more to satisfying the leering tourists' idea of what an undead hangout should look like than a place that (incredibly hot) thousand-year-old Nordic vampires would call home-away-from-home.
OK, I guess what really completes the look is a floor full of gore from a messily staked vampire bartender. RIP, Longshadow.
Photo by jaded*mystery
Sam's restaurant and bar is the setting for much of the show. It's where the townsfolk meet and where many of the main characters work or play.
Can you smell the beer and burgers?
I can't tell you how despondent I was when it appeared that Lafayette had met his maker in last season's cliffhanger. Love. Him. (Anna Paquin may have won a Golden Globe for her grating, overly accented Sookie, but Nelsan Ellis brings it week after week. The man was robbed, if you ask me.)
Oh dear, it looks like a thrift store exploded in here. That said, Lafayette always does the best he can with the tools available to him. Not surprisingly, he's turned a dreary little abode furnished with garage sale castoffs into a funky, colorful crash pad with attitude. Who knew that he had a Tiki Fabulous side?
Photo from TrueBloodNetWhat is that on the wall -- some sort of Santeria shrine? Oh Lafayette, you are so ... complex.
Given the untamed bacchanalias that take place here, Maryann's stately spread is deceptively buttoned-up.
The classic architecture is accented with touches of exotica that presumably provide clues to Maryann's past and true identity. There's the fresco depicting Pan in the courtyard, for starters, as well as the tribal masks and the ancient fertility statue inside.
Come to think of it, the shape of that statue is oddly reminiscent of the horned, demonic-looking bull creature that attacked Sookie. (Get out of the house now, Sam!)
Overflowing trays of juicy, delectable food are ever-present at Maryann's. (Was that a human heart in the stew her houseboy was preparing for last week's poolside party-turned-orgy?) What is this woman up to -- and is she really a woman at all?
What other clues do you think True Blood's sets reveal about Bon Temps' residents and the town's supernatural goings-on? Any southerners out there with quibbles about how the region's architecture and interiors are depicted on the series? Most importantly, could Eric be any hotter?
If you have theories, thoughts, or opinions on the show, its set design, and/or Eric's hotness quotient, please post a comment and share them!
P.S. Tell me these opening credits aren't awesome.
eBay Finds
Achille Castiglioni Floor Lamp
Klein Reid Ceramic Book and Logs
Holmegaard Art Glass Vase
Second Wife Painted by First Wife Framed Oil Portrait
Pair High-Back Tufted Lemon Velvet Chairs
19-Inch Marquee Channel Letter
Four Vintage Faux Bamboo Chairs
Danish Modern Light Fixture
Hans Wegner Sibast Chair
X-Base Chrome and Wood Desk
George Nelson Dresser
Florence Knoll Side Table
Industrial Cage Lamp
Gustavberg Coffee Cups
Baldinger Britannia Drafting Lamp
Bertoia Diamond Chair Plus Ottoman
Raymor Pottery Lamp
Pair Red Eames LCW Chairs
Brass Desk Fan
Authentic Knoll Womb Chair
Woodard Sculptura Lounge Chairs
Antique Carved Santos Head
Eames DCM Chair
Note: These auctions end between Monday afternoon, July 6, and Thursday evening, July 9. Happy bidding!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Over and Out
Have a lovely long holiday weekend, everyone! I'll see you back here on Monday.
P.S. If you're local, don't miss Evan B. Harris and Alisha Wessler's new show, Back Channels, opening tonight at Johansson Projects as part of the monthly Oakland Art Murmur.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
eBay Finds
Vintage Mercury Glass Apothecary Bottle
Hadrill & Horstmann Counterbalance Lamp
Orla Kiely Scribble Stem Cushion Cover
Paul McCobb Room Divider
Antique Demijohn Bottle
Vintage Industrial Stool
Antique Fireside Accent Chairs
Goodform Aluminum Desk Chair
Jack Lenor Larson X Stools
Conran Mac Lamp
Ernst Dragsted Silverplate Elephant
Exit Lamp
Sortie Lamp
Stig Lindberg Spear Dish
Danish Modern Lounge Chairs
Pair Vintage Plaster Lamps
Luxo Drafting Lamp
Milo Baughman Scoop Settee
Vintage Factory Milk Glass Drop Light
Pair Frederick Cooper Turquoise Lamps
Spectacular Hollywood Regency Lounge Chair
Vintage Trouble Light Stand
Vintage School Light Fixture
Vintage Wire Basket
1960s Geovanni Bragolin Crying Boy
Note: These auctions end between Friday morning, July 3 and Monday morning, July 6. Happy bidding!
Cool Stuff: Pandora Deluxe Cutlery
Are there picnics and barbecues in your future this holiday weekend? Too bad you don't have a set of these uber-fancy plastic utensils. After all, you don't want to dig into that potato salad with just any old supermarket spork, do you?
Next time, be prepared with these chic forks, knives, and spoons from Italy's Pandora Design, which take the form of fine silver cutlery but come in a variety of poppy plastic hues. Bonus: The lightweight utensils are dishwasher safe, so they'll serve you well for many al fresco meals to come.
Right now, they're on sale for $18.90 per four-piece set from Rose and Radish.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Objects of Lust: Victoria Morris Pottery
Inspired by both Scandinavian and Japanese traditions, Los Angeles ceramic artist Victoria Morris creates beautifully subtle, organic pottery that recalls a midcentury aesthetic and yet feels utterly modern.
Morris's pieces are available through L.A.'s OK Store (where the hand-thrown vases above run $65 to $195 apiece) and Zelen.
Check out more of her work right here.
Etsy Find: Jane Heller Photography
I adore the quiet, contemplative quality of these images from Montreal-based photographer and Etsy seller Jane Heller. In her work, Heller focuses on "the nuances of everyday life, the small details that go unnoticed, light and shadow, humor and sadness, and everything in between." Above: I Love Thread
A Day at the Museum
Lingerie on the Line
Family Threads II
Free as a Bird
Blue Wedgwood
Sweet Dreams
Thread
Each signed and dated, archival-quality 8-by-12-inch print is $35. Other sizes are available on request. See all of Heller's Etsy offerings right here -- and check out more of her work here.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cool Stuff: Muralettes Wall Decals
Genevieve Smith and Anna Conklin -- the women behind San Francisco's Magpie Decorative Painting company -- have just introduced Muralettes. Unlike most other wall decals, Muralettes appear to be hand-painted, showcasing subtle color variations and delicate brush strokes.
Designs include Branch and Bird (top), Garden of Posies (above), and Fishies (below). Though they were designed for kids' rooms, I could definitely see the branches in an adult space, and the posie design in a whimsical, feminine room.
The decals are $85 a set right here.
Monday, June 29, 2009
eBay Finds
Antique Grain Sack Fabric
Vintage Glass Fishing Float
Knoll Womb Chair
Vintage Scout Stapler
Midcentury Lounge Chair
Zebra Handmalat Cups & Saucers
Wooden Map Cabinet (pick up in Albany, New York)
Milo Baughman Lounge Chair (pick up in Raleigh, North Carolina)
1940 School Map of Europe
Vintage Florence Prolon Melamine Bowl
Original Bertoia Diamond Chair
Midcentury Writing Desk
Dollhouse Miniature Medical Charts
Pair Italian Murano Glass Lamps
Set of Two Giant Clamshells
Norm 69 Large Artichoke Lamp Kit
Syrocco Sunburst Mirror
Danish Modern Magazine Table
Alphabet Letterpress Blocks
Christian Dell Wall-Mounted Lamp
Antique Balance Scales
Kaj Franck Cruet Set
Antique Oak Printers Cabinet
Note: These auctions end between today and Thursday evening, July 2. Happy bidding!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Cool Stuff: Honesty Stamps
Heartfelt communication is just so ... time-consuming. Enter Honesty Stamps from British artist Dominic Wilcox, which let you express your deepest feelings without any of that pesky soul-searching or tedious word-crafting.
The sentiments range from sweet to snarky, and the wooden stamps come in a pretty white gift box -- making it all that much easier to let that special someone know how you really feel.
They're £15 (about $25) each from London retailer Thorsten van Elten.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mark Your Calendar: Friday Fun
A trio of great art events happening in San Francisco Friday night:
* Artists Annie Galvin and Eric Rewitzer, ceramist Diana Fayt, furniture maker Brad Boggie, and jewelry designer Cheryl Freeman showcase new pieces during their Renegade Preview Party from 5 to 9 p.m. at 3 Fish Studios in Dogpatch.
* Alexis Mackenzie's Never Be Sad debuts at Park Life in the Richmond District. The opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m., and the show will be up through July 27.
* Battle Royal -- a group show featuring Julian Callos, Anthony Clarkson, Joshua Clay, Patrick Gannon, Gene Guynn, Walt Hall, Martin Hsu, Aaron Jasinski, Marcus Schafer, and Jeremy Tinder -- opens with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. at Gallery 1988 in Polk Gulch. The show will be up through July 18.
Have fun!
Retail Therapy: L.A.'s Voila!
I first became acquainted with Los Angeles shop Voila! when I visited their booth at the last SF20 show. It was filled with gorgeously repurposed vintage industrial furnishings and darkly glamorous objets, and it was pretty much love at first sight.
I was excited to visit the Voila! showroom on North La Brea during our last trip to Southern California, but alas, it was closed the day we stopped by.
These new photos of the shop, shot by Sam Frost for a recent feature on 1stdibs, make me more determined than ever to get there.
I'm absolutely mesmerized by store owner Katrien Van der Schueren's inspired mix of dark, weird, and wonderful Belgian antiques and curiosities. And though I'm positive that everything here is way out of my price range, I could definitely kill an hour or two furtively fondling it all -- not to mention taking inspiration for future eBay scouting missions.
Read the 1stdibs article on Voila! here -- and browse the shop's online offerings here.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
eBay Finds
Two Lime Green Eames Shell Chairs
Finel Enameled Mushroom Bowl
Set of Six Vintage Modernist Chairs
1970s Chrome and Glass Chandelier
Retro Burl Walnut Salad Bowl and Servers
Herman Miller Orange Shell Chair
Cathrineholm Enamel Bowls and Teak Tray
Four Plycraft Bentwood Children's Chairs
Vintage Painted Wood Birdcage
Vintage Social Realist Painting
Eames DCW Chair
Vintage Royal Dux Porcelain Owl
Nude in a Pink Dotted Room by Andre Grill
Jielde Blue Modernist Desk Lamp
Vintage Industrial Tripod Flood Lamp
Francis Kughler Nude in Profile Oil 1940s
Industrial Metal Table Lamp
Vintage Shoe Molds
1950s Architectural Drafting Table
Vintage French School Chart Moss
Vintage Tractor Stool
Midcentury Modern Floating Arm Sofa
Atomic Two-Tone Tension Pole Lamp
Pair Knoll Saarinen Side Chairs
Set of Six Kai Kristiansen Solid Teak Dining Chairs
Vintage Leather Toiletry Case, Leather Overnight Case, Black Leather Suitcase, Tweed Striped Suitcase, and Black Leather Train Case
French Vintage School Poster
Note: These auctions all end between Thursday afternoon, June 25, and Sunday evening, June 28. Happy bidding!
Objects of Lust: Anna Sykora Ceramics
The minute I saw these, I fell hard. I mean, yum.
Handcrafted by Berlin ceramist Anna Sykora from Limoges porcelain, each piece is covered in a fine layer of earth-based terra sigillata clay that Sykora mixes herself before being inscribed with a delicate pattern and fired at ultra-high temperature.
Available in a variety of colors and patterns, the bowls are 40 to 44 euros (about $56 to $62), the vases are 198 euros ($278), and the platters are 120 to 190 euros ($169 to $267) from Craft2Eu.
See more of Sykora's work here.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Cool Stuff: Graham & Brown Peony Wallpaper
I really like this Peony Wallpaper from Graham & Brown's new eco-friendly collection.
It's $60 a roll right here.
Etsy Find: Felt Storage Baskets
Made from high-quality, ultra-thick and sturdy industrial felt, these handy baskets from The Felt Store are great for containing clutter. Use them to hold your bedside or living room reading stash, yarn and other craft supplies, desk accessories, or even bread or fruit on the dinner table. Above: Large Felt Storage Basket With Handles, $90
Gray Felt Table Basket, $15
Lined Felt Table Baskets, $25 each
Medium Storage Baskets, $65 each
Check out all of The Felt Store's Etsy offerings right here.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Cool Stuff: Frou-Frou & Claude Screens
Dramatic, functional, and versatile folding screens from London designer Shelley McDonald of Frou-Frou & Claude.
Use them to divide a room, to cordon off a dressing area or work space, or to serve as a interesting visual backdrop for a bed or sofa.
They're £425 (about $699), plus the fabric of your choice, right here.
eBay Finds
Danish Modern Walnut Coffee Table
Parzinger Mirror
Hollywood Regency Tufted Occasional Chairs
Widdicomb Gibbings Magazine Rack
Illum Wikkelso Chair
Vintage Original Oil Painting
'70s Campaign Desk
Vintage Metal Sunburst Wall Sculpture
Baker Midcentury Modern Sofa
Paul McCobb Wine Rack
Pair Jielde French Task Lamps
Goodform Aluminum Side Chair
Vintage Siena Ware Teapot
Note: These auctions end between today and Wednesday evening, June 24. Happy bidding!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Cool Stuff: Found Paper Journal
Oakland art gallery and art bookstore Rowan Morrison has just released a third edition of its Found Paper Journal.
The journal features 128 subtly patterned pages assembled from old accounting ledgers, graph paper, legal pads, letterhead stationery, sheet music, grammar-school writing paper, loose leaf, Braille, job application forms, certificates, and other vintage papers. No two journals are entirely alike.
They're $10 apiece right here.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
How To: Make a Knitted Pouf
I am totally going to make one of these.
Go here for step-by-step instructions. If you can knit and purl, it actually looks incredibly easy. And even though it requires 18 skeins of super-fat yarn plus stuffing, it'll still cost a heck of a lot less than the $800-$1,600 Flocks Poufs at DWR.
There's a smaller version, too.
(From Norway's Pickles blog -- don't worry, the instructions are in English -- via Tikoli's Twitter, via Craft, via CasaSugar.)
Etsy Find: Tiny Sparks Design
I'm crushing on these screenprints on wood from Etsy seller Tiny Sparks Design (aka San Francisco furniture designer and builder Brad Boggie).
Using sustainably (and often locally) harvested lumber, non-toxic inks, old-school woodworking tools, and plenty of elbow grease, Boggie creates each ready-to-hang piece by hand. I especially like his functional items:
Solid Birch Coat Rack, $50
Oak Keyholder With Skeleton Keys, $35
Bird and Trees on Figured Birch, $45
Rain Clouds on Elm, $45
Tree Rings on Oak, $45
Three Stitched Leaves on Birch, $35
See all of Tiny Sparks Design's Etsy offerings right here -- and check out more of Boggie's creations here.
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