Mon Mon sent me a link to Lama Designs, a site filled with adorable latin american goodies including my new favorite little toy thingee called "friend in nut". How ridiculously cute are those little ceramic drops!!
Or this "teapot with a cold" — painfully cute!
This stuffed striped monkey is also pretty darn squeezable.
Ok and what is this mommy giveaway website I found on her blog?? Gotta check that out later, whoa on the cool free stuff.
While checking out a cool new site called poppytalk that sells handmade stuffs, I found these lovely little painted photographs. They are by a french designer named Fabien Labokoff. I'm loving these little beauties, the vignetted images are so serene and the paint is so swishy and soft. I'd like to jump in and float away —au revoir! I've been in such an art buying mood as of late so I couldn't help but get the three pictured above. They will inspire me to dream and enjoy life's simple pleasures.
Technorati Tags: art, painting, photography
We did a driving nap today. While the kids slept we toured Treasure Island by car. I'd never been. The view of the city from there is amazing. The island was probably once really lively especially in its navy heyday, but now it looks pretty run down and the few people who live there seem really isolated. However there's lots of decrepit beauty to find— like this gorgeous arched tiled doorway. The aqua color was stunning in the afternoon light.
Technorati Tags: Bay Area, San Francisco
I just picked up a copy of Yoshitomo Nara's first children's book, the lonesome puppy from Therapy. It's such a sweet story about determination and friendship, the message: there's someone for everyone. I love Nara's disturbed child characters. His simple illustrative style, painterly hand, and beautiful palettes inspire me! I can't get enough. I'm psyched that I now get to look at his work while Im reading to my kids.
Technorati Tags: art, illustration, inspiration, painting, children's books
I first saw these wonderfully illustrated embroidered pillows in a magazine. Then I saw them in person at Nest and I really coveted them. So when I got home I went to the k studio site and found her paintings too....uh oh...then I clicked on the etsy link and well next thing you know I just had to have one. I bought this one, called " alone thinking of love." I can't wait to get it! I still want a pillow too, don't you?! My favorites are the woodland, birds, rain, crying, and the families. I'll be saving some pennies so I can spurge again.
Technorati Tags: art, embroidery, illustration, inspiration
And it did! I worried that I'd get duplicates — but I didn't! In fact, I even got one with 10x luck called "Super Malfi" ok so very fun! I feel an addiction forming. Plus Vivi loves them too, so I have the perfect excuse.
I saw these little wobbly toys called Wish Come True in Cookie Magazine and wanted them (and finally found something in that magazine I can afford!). Turns out they are in a random "blind" box assortment which make them have that super fun surprise factor. I bought a few in the hopes that I'll get some different ones. Watch, I'll probably get three of the same! Ah life's cruel sense of humor.
Technorati Tags: toys
Not only is Vivi "couture" as seen above but Vivi is also, apparently the hottest fashion magazine in Japan — well, according to some (and moccasins are "in" too). There's also Vivi "timeless decor," a Final Fantasy IX character named Vivi as well as a Manga/Anime character in One PIece named Nefertari Vivi, there's also Vivi Anna the erotic romance novelist, the town Vivi in the democratic republic of Congo, Lake Vivi in Russia and finally the super cutesy Vivi's pixel shop. Oh how funsies google searches are!
Links I want to check out next time I'm surfing...
Design Mom
Wondershop
The Artful Parent
Pepper Paints
and another book to get by Taro Gomi
Technorati Tags: web surfing
Happy birthday to lawyer Lexi, may all your wishes come true!
Technorati Tags: family
While cruising through a wonderful neighborhood gift shop called Aldea, I saw these lovely new creations by blabla called boogaloos. It's fun to watch blabla's products progress since the days when we bought the darling munkay. These new toys are a little more hip being that they are slightly weird and amorphous like the über famous ugly dolls and they have more quirky details in the stripes, patches and patterns. Seeing these knit stuffies gave me chills of regret wishing I had followed through on my beastie bunnies which I drew back in 2006 but never made. Oh one day soon I hope I'll have time to knit again!!
Technorati Tags: craft, knitting, puppy, San Francisco
From old wool and cashmere sweaters are born darling little loveies by Maiike. I saw one at Fiddlesticks this afternoon and fell deeply in love. Sadly the price was too high for me @ $88, yikes! But I did admire it and give it a big squeeze. These so make me want to start sewing and knitting again — one day soon I hope!
I came across a magazine article on Rebecca Urias's painting and I was really struck by her delicate illustrations. I really like the seemingly sweet imagery that when you look closer is a little bit of a nightmare— plus I see bunnies!
Technorati Tags: art
I've really been enjoying my morning stroller walks at Crissy Field. After I drop Max off at preschool, I drive to the Warming Hut, park and feed Vivie. Then we stroll to the St Francis yacht club or if she's sleeping deeply I walk to Divisadero and then back. The weather has been beautiful recently, making the walk that much more enjoyable. Moments like these remind me just how lucky I am to live here — and to enjoy these days because one day not too far from now she won't quietly sit in a stroller for an hour and half!
Technorati Tags: Bay Area, motherhood, San Francisco
I love the few weeks at the end of winter when the cherry blossom trees bloom. It's a magical time. As I walk under them and the wind blows they rain pink petals — It's hard to feel anything but happiness in that moment.
Happy Leap Day!
Daddy came home with Valentine treats for all of us, how sweet. For me, a card that made me smile. It's weirdly funny and oddly right on. It's photo of a deflated looking coconut in a random urban non-coconut setting that says "try to be happy" on it. I like the simple message and he's poking fun at me 'cause I have a tendency to worry myself into a tizzy and then declare life hard and act like the sky falling.
The above poke came with a little box of gorgeous art chocolates by Christopher Elbow.
This adorable handmade onsie by lali was actually an exchange, but nice picking eh? Sadly the red magic mushroom version we were gifted ran horribly on the first washing. Nice that Lavish has excellent customer service.
and here's Vivienne with her valentine softie "Fluke" by Woolyhoodwinks, also from Lavish.
Now don't be thinking that we forgot Max. He got an awesome wooden french puzzle set by Vilac and a set of three construction trucks by Plan Toys from Lavish's older sibling store Fiddlesticks. For whatever reason I just wasn't as keen on photographing the boy toys — just blatant girle favoritism I suppose.
Technorati Tags: San Francisco, shopping, softies
By way of a groovy modern parents and their lucky offspring site called coochicoos, I found these darling handmade stuffies by Le Train Fantome (out of England). I love her retro avant-garde site design too.
Technorati Tags: bunny, inspiration, stuffies, textile
My fabulous friend and colleague, we'll call her "pony" (neigh neigh!) sent me these glamorous painted copper dangly earrings from Bangkok. She got them at the night market. I love them! The colors are so bright and shiny and the painted details are darlingly delicate — a perfect combination. Thank you, thank you for sending them! xo * bunny
Hubby brought me back some fun finds from a store called Kiosk @ 95 Spring Street. The store has a country theme and rotates it's goods every six months. This time it's all about Finland. My favorites in the package are the beautifully printed polkkajam card and the hefty red sotka chalk box.
Check out these knitty marzipan creations [by way of "uncle yaya" via Design Sponge]. Well done eh?! The site is complete with tutorials too. I'm no vegan, in fact I'm a hardened carnivore, but Lolo's lovely site does a lot to convince me that vegans do have some good eat options. By way of her site I linked to Slashfood, lots of interesting eat inspiration and information on there.
Yaya also turned me on to tiny showcase, so now I'll be checking their site on tuesdays to see what fabulous little illustrations are popping up. Detail from "Thou Shalt Not Treat People Like Dirt" by Andy Kehoe.
How do we crafty types love Etsy...too innumerable to count eh? It's so fun to cruise the site and admire all the wonderful handmade items from handspun yarns and knit toys to beautiful illustrations and other artworks. Hmmm what fun. Here are a few favorite finds from today's surf trip — all knit stuffies.
Ah this Etsy seller Debi van Zyi [and her other site] has adorable knit beasts, "Joost & Piet," love the use of big buttons — see the other fabulous creations "Miles" and "Serge."
Elefelt, custom sewn felted elephants from old sweaters.
Elise the elephant. Love the whip stitch felt ears together with the knit body — and what a great shape that up stands so well.
A cute brown bunny. This site links a treasure site of knit toys patterns by Barbara Prime @ fuzzymitten.com.
A couple of weeks ago I was perusing an interior design magazine while waiting at a dr appt (something pregnant women do all too often - waiting at the Dr's that is) and I saw an article on Lynn Gessaman [another link]. I had a visual love pang when I remembered my early 90s post-college days working in an art gallery and I would stand in the small photo room and gaze lovingly into her black and white work. She's now doing images in color and it's even more idealized, painterly, romanticized, and just as beautiful as the images I remember. She has a couple of books now too, Gardenscapes & Poetics of Place — must get!
Technorati Tags: art, inspiration, photography
Just surfing around, like I often do, looking for knit toys. I happened upon this cute bunny (a blog full of interesting photography too) and link to the pattern and more.
I've been reading Max lots of Golden Books (I had some of these as a kid — probably my parents did too), and quite a few have adorably magical illustrations of bunnies. I had to post some of my favorites —bunny love!
Technorati Tags: bunny, illustration, inspiration, toddler
Eeeck here's an absolutely waistline-fattening but mouth-watering find, an entire blog dedicated to cupcakes! Found by way of moopy & me. Oh my, scroll to the end to see all those delicious recipes, mmmmmmm butter cream frosting is so good. Psst, honey you reading this?
I've been visiting the bloggers in my links list and seeing what many are up to (all fabulously inspiring things of course — where do you all find the time?), but just had to post these darling bunnies and shrooms made by Stephanie Barnes (Little Birds by way of Loobylu) so cute eh? Here's her etsy shop. Really, I need to master sewing.
Serious serendipity! two days ago I blogged about Donna Wilson's fabulous hand knit toys and then on my way to work I look in the window of the CandyStore and there they are! Boy the world works in mysterious ways. Top is Cyril squirrel & Rudy raccoon, middle is Rill (Assuming raccoon too) and on bottom is Charlie monkey. My favorites from her site are bunny blue, sleepy pom, mitten kitten and then I can't decide Olive owl is pretty darn cute and those raccoons are pretty funny too. Her designs rock.
Technorati Tags: inspiration, knit toys, San Francisco
I just found these knit animals by 'i golfini della nonna' which translates roughly into 'the little sweater from grandma'. I'm partial to the cute animals, especially the floral pattern on the bear, but there's also an interesting robot, fire truck and more.
I love the proportion of these bunnies and elephants ears and their overall shapes though they are made of fleece and not knit. It says they're handmade by israeli artists? Interesting eh?! I'm always skeptical of the handmade label, being one who actually makes things by hand, I just wonder if they sew on on eye and consider it "handmade"? Guess I just under estimate the exploitation of things made by cheap laboring hands.
And here's a cute knitted (looks like crochet too) bunny face from Mamas and Papas in the UK, that lamb's face and whip stitched ears are pretty sweet too.
These are a special sweet treat find for my donut aficionado husband...found at Forest & Zoe.
Technorati Tags: inspiration, knit toys, knitting
all found via Karin's style blog...
Wonderful designs from Nadia Sparham, I adore this little birdie.
Oh what a find! Fabulously unique knit toys and illustration by Donna Wilson and it's a great website to explore. I just downloaded the questions & answers PDF to learn she's basically my knit toy hero — she's living the artist life, ah I aspire. I must order one!
Illustrations in thread and more by Paula Sanz Caballero. And later when I'm not so sleepy — here are a few sites to explore: a blog: PoppyTalk, an embroidery illustrator Lizzie Finn, illustration by Caroline Hwang, still more by Karin Mårtensson and a very cool site with more embroidery illustration by Angrad South.
Technorati Tags: illustration, inspiration, knit toys
I've been craving heirloom tomatoes by the bucket full, so we've been eating this delicious version of a greek salad just about every night over the last two weeks. I'm still not tired of it.
Technorati Tags: eating
'Twas plain old luck that had us dashing to the De Young museum on what turned out to be the last day of the Vivienne Westwood fashion retrospective. I'm so happy to have seen the show. It was well curated and filled with amazingly relevant fashions and beautifully sewn goods. I coveted many pieces and walked away inspired.
Technorati Tags: inspiration, fashion, San Francisco
What a wonderful surprise! While procrastinating work, I was google searching for knit toys (confession: : I do this quite a lot) and I found something new — well new to me — apparently Julie's been knitting these beloved bunnies and other knit toys for quite awhile as she has a serious collection all of her own design. Her knitted cakes are delightful as well. Not surprisingly she won a 2007 softie award. There's a great long list of links to explore too, enjoy.
My little mochi is an adorable site filled with all kinds of treats. I love looking at the darling and often teeny objects she's made plus the foods and recipes, mmmm delicious. Today I was struck by the sweet chibi kitty and bunny pattern she's made available (download in pdf format). I love it when fellow bloggers share their creations so the rest of us aspiring crafters can make it too.
I snuck off during lunch to the downtown galleries. It was eerily reminiscent of my bygone days working in the gallery world while simultaneously aspiring to be a fine artist. All seems so much the same. There are still snotty but well dressed girls at the front desk and haughty entrepreneurial gallery owners lurking behind the scenes, but it felt like home. I was moved by most of the artists at Stephen Wirtz and Catherine Clark — my two favorite galleries by far. They each have such strong stables of artists both established and emerging and their shows have such a high level of quality in concept and artistic execution. Anyway, I was also quite taken with the photographer, Luis Gonzalez Palma who was part of a group show at Rena Bransten, who does work that's a little like my old stuff — manipulating photographs with paint, in this case gold leaf and resin. I was seduced by the romantically dark images and sumptuous surfaces of dark gold with hints of vermillion at the edges of the gold leaf squares. I also love the dark somewhat creepy church-like spaces, the sepia old photo feel, and the intense portraiture. I couldn't find any images of the work I saw today, so I hope these older pieces give you enough of a feel for his work.
Technorati Tags: art, photography, San Francisco
Found these lovely sketches by Emily Payne while surfing through Apartment Therapy San Francisco. Apartment Therapy is a nice site full of great interior design ideas and local bits of info plus lots of links. I like these commissioned sketches for their sweet simplicity capturing what I consider subtle moments of happiness.
Technorati Tags: illustration, San Francisco
By way of cake + pie's excellent blog full of design and letterpress inspiration, I clicked on a commenter name and found another designer blog freshly blended. While perusing her entries I had to go see Kat Heyes portfolio for myself. Kat's illustration style is quite inspiring. I love her use of color against monochrome, layering and line quality. Her blog is worthy of checking out too, I love seeing who artists are inspired by.
Technorati Tags: illustration, inspiration
I'm crazy for this illustrators collage style and vision — it's so fun, subversively revolutionary and cool. Wow, look at all the projects he's done and is willing to inspire and share with us - superb! If only baby could print money!
Technorati Tags: illustration
While revisiting a favorite blogger and illustrator's site, Alex Noreiga, I saw a posting about his desire to become a comic book artist (you can do it!)— but for me the posting represented the brilliant marriage of two beings that I mentioned just a few days ago while blogging about some awesome Canadian ceramics I am coveting: robots and bunnies, yep that's hubby and me, and apparently it's a connection others feel go together too. Alex —an inspired idea and stunning illustration as usual!
bleep bleep :: boing boing
Technorati Tags: illustration
Cool ceramics from Canadian artist Laura Mckibbon whose studio is on Grainville Island. This is our perfect "if only we found you ten years ago" registry place settings, "when a bunny married a robot," ya that's us, we need four of each please :-)
Adorable amigurumi by the wonderfully talented Camilla Engman. Links to both her blog (but they are all sold out) and some quirky "how to" crochet instructions on the whip up site.
and linked from her site, fun illustrations by Leo Hillier, very nice.
!
Technorati Tags: crochet, illustration, puppy, yarn
migrating songbirds recalibrate their magnetic compass daily from twilight cues
I'm your guide
Even though San Francisco artist Dana Robson is probably receiving insane web hits today via Daily Candy's promotion, I too want to include her on my site as she's doing sweet little artworks with ink, needle and thread. I'm completely enamored with freehand embroidery and thread drawing these days. Besides her website's title is Aqua Rabbit and anyone who says, "I’d like to be a rabbit. Just for a day or two, to see what the world looks like as a rabbit." rates very high on my bunny love list. I also resonate with this quote from her process statement "Paul Klee said that drawing is only a matter of taking a line for a walk.” How I love to meander my pencils and brushes through the landscapes of my mind. Just reading that quote really makes me want to go for a long luxurious stroll.
A lovely quilt, an inspiring photostream, and lots of Japanese crafts to admire by moving hands.
Gorgeous fabric designed by Naomi Ito also found via moving hands site, ah the water color image is so delectably delicate. So much pretty pretty eye candy to devour yum, I've really got to get myself to Japan.
Technorati Tags: craft, embroidery, inspiration
Sharing the link to my favorite ebay seller, Meukin Co. I love her collection of Japanese craft and pattern books, especially the zakka and embroidery books. She also sells sweet vintage ribbon and retro fabrics.
Technorati Tags: craft, embroidery, zakka, textile
Whie clicking around the www I came across a blog titled stitch marker with wonderful knits and other goodies that feel similar to the things I love. She had a fun posting on recycled sweater things to admire. I clicked through and found a little gold mine of cute stuffs including these sweetly sewn toys by scrappy nation. Her flicker set is a treature trove of inspiration. Her shapes are smiliar to my beastie and the pockets are the same as my other animal sketches. Well it just proves to me that there are no new ideas, just great new executions.
I just bought this book of remixed plushies Neighbourhood. Each stuffie was started from a blank canvas, created by one then passed on three times and redesigned by each artist who got it. Some did radical remakes, others made just a few tweaks but seeing the progress of the whole process is very very fun. Some are quite brilliant and really give you a glimpse into the artist's mind. The site has a great list of participants links to explore.
I aspire! I'm adoring these artistically embroidered textiles with an eco-friendly approach by british designer Maxine Sutton. Read more about her at design turf and at design sponge. Anthropologie is selling a reproduction (photo above top), Inhabit features her pillows and so does this eco-blog fabulously green.
Technorati Tags: art, craft, embroidery, illustration, inspiration, textile
I'm loving my new subscription to Selvedge (thank you MonMon)! It's filled with inspiring images and full of wonderful textile resources. I'm most taken by the stitched illustrations by Claire Coles. I'm loving her work it's beautifully layered, intimately feminine, and you can see all the handwork so you know how much work went into each piece. Loverly!
Technorati Tags: art, craft, illustration, textile
Christmas credits...I've got them all over town. So yesterday I tried to spend some at Anthropologie the darling retro la la la frenchy but also terribly over priced mega boutique. Critique aside I couldn't find a thing to buy, whoas me. I did happen to see a sweet little stripey elephant who seemed to be made with a super soft micro fiber (but turns out it was polyester!) and lightly stuffed so that he was perfectly squishy and cuddly. The little cutie could almost fit in my hand so I was shocked to see they wanted $32? of course I passed on the purchase but thought I'd snap a picture to remember him. Made by kit + lili. Now that I'm cruising through Anthropologies stuffie selections I also see an super cute love bunny and another stripey toy sibling named zeebo zebra, too cute.
Since the whole fam-damily is sickly (oh what fun I've been having visiting doctors, doling out medicines, taking temperatures, wiping snotty noses and more) we opted for some hot ramen soup as the perfect cure-all lunch. Our favorite place is Sapporo-Ya in the top north west corner of the Kinokuniya building. We usually order the chashu or the soy sauce ramen and gyoza, super yum. It's always a treat to check out all fun shops after we eat, especially the amazing bookstore and stationery store. I could spend hours and hundreds in that place — very dangerous. There are also lots of fun dessert spots like the crepe place and the Hawaiian shaved ice cart. Today I saw these adorable light box illustrations on the doors of a cute little japanese goes western diner spot called "on the bridge". I thought they were just too cute to pass up photographing even if it was using my low resolution Treo. Perhaps next time I'll eat here?
Check out this great listing of all the restaurants, bars and markets in Japantown.
Technorati Tags: Bay Area, illustration, San Francisco
