Fun on Etsy

If you ever need to kill some time, trot on over to Etsy and you'll whittle away the hours perusing the endless array of handmade arts and crafts. Not only does Etsy have tons of unique items by independent designers and artists, they also have a lot of supplies to make the aforementioned stuff, like vintage fabric, beads, etc. It does sometimes take awhile to search to find exactly what you need/wantdidn't know you wanted, but it's usually worth the wait. Here, I've culled some of my favorite finds that have caught my eye.



BerkeleyIllustration has lots of quirky animal prints, like this little Squirrel Lady above, and the well dressed Raccoon below. They're a little bit Alice in Wonderland and Peter Rabbit. And these are only $10 - perfectly recession friendly!



Now on to some wearable goodies...these fried egg earrings by Inedible Jewelry are just adorable!



This very cute ruffle sleeve top by Econica is so versatile and looks so comfy, I would totally wear it everywhere.



And this pleated blouse by Modaspia is simple, elegant and looks wonderfully made - I am definitely putting this on my birthday wish list!

Speaking of Cake

If I can scrounge up the time, I just might enter this erotic cake contest at The LAB, coming up next month......And digressing to non-erotic cakes.... did you know that Marshmallow Peeps come in chocolate mousse teddy bears!

I love this kitty cake from Culinary Delight Catering! I'd love one for my birthday!

Spandex!

Happy new year, folks! What better way to start 2010 than with SPANDEX? I recently learned about Spandex World through a classmate in my patternmaking class. As the name implies - it's a vast world of all of the stretchy delights you could ever imagine! The actual store is located in New York, but thanks to the miracle of the interwebs, you can have yards of stretch sequins shipped right to your door. The inventory ranges from simple solids, vinyl, wild prints, and of course sequins:



This eye catching spandex would make a lovely catsuit, no? I imagine that many ice skating costumes are created from Spandex World's wares...



In case you don't think the neon animal print is flashy enough, it's also holographic!



And my fave of the day is this peacock sequin print - perhaps some leggings in this would spice up your wardrobe for the new year? :)

Be Green

I recently started taking courses in patternmaking, and just finished a textiles course, so I've been much more aware of how clothing is constructed and what kind of materials are used. Like, did you know that 50% of all wool used for textiles is recycled from wool garments and unused fabric? I never knew! And, the textile industry has been known to contribute to a lot of pollution and water contamination, so I'm trying to be more environmentally aware when buying new clothes.

So, I decided that from now on, I will try very hard to buy natural fibers, and organic ones when possible, though that is still not very mainstream. There are some stylish options though, and I've culled a few of them to share. Happy early new year everyone! :)

This cute dress by Loomstate is made from 100% organic cotton, and will easily blend in to match your existing wardrobe. I'd wear it with black tights and knee high boots.

I love this EDUN hexagaon dress, made of 100% organic cotton. It's has super cool unusual graphic detailing and is versatile enough for work or for play. Plus it looks really comfy and could take accessories really well - a wide belt or long necklaces would work great.

This 100% organic cotton dress by EDUN is quite chic, and would look great over leggings or skinny jeans. And it's on sale at 50% off to boot- I think it's time for some post-holiday shopping!

Real Luxe

I really love The Opulent Project's latest jewelry creations like their sterling silver Cocktail Ring, below. As you might know, Red Cake sells some of their fab laser cut earrings.

Is it too late to add this silver ring to my Christmas list? It's certainly more affordable than the "real" thing in gold or titanium....And while cubic zirconia may get a bad rap as being a shoddy imitation of diamonds, these resin dipped CZ earrings may change your mind. Happy holidays everyone!!

Cute n Creepy

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone! I discovered Deryk Thomas' cute but creepy art today - I'd say Deryk's work is a slightly sunnier version of Mark Ryden's style, I thought I'd share these darling and naughty works with you. This well dressed puppy below, in the giclee print Happy Birthday Puppy, is enjoying a solo birthday picnic at what appears to be a gravesite, with a rather disturbingly large human looking bone in his paw...

In No Use Crying, I sense that this kitty cop is about to go all Chris Brown on that bird's ass and incite a riot.

In Consolation, this kitty girl appears pretty guilty of disturbing the peace of those adorable little chicks - thought not sure why she's hankering after that lollipop when there's some tasty chicken morsels at her feet?

More Small Art

In my last post, I mentioned The Lab's Annual Postcard Show, which features a plethora of small format art. They are partnering with the Museum of Pocket Art, affecionados of even smaller art...yes, art that fits in your pocket! Founded by graduates of the San Francisco Art Institute, the MOPA features art from new and emerging artists, and for the most part, the works are business card sized to fit snugly in your wallet.

Works by Jean Reece Wilkey and Julie Nelson. Many more interesting works are found on their site. Check it out!