A Tail of Two Monkeys. April 17, 2008

[See what I did there, with the title?] I would like to begin by saying, if you are ever bored online, Orisinal is the place to go. It’s a bunch of games on one site with the sweetest objectives, like this one, where you control a mouse falling from a tree in a leaf, trying to open cocoons to release butterflies. Maybe a little twee, but I think it’s cute. And all the games have an awesome soundtrack.

However, back to the crafty side of things and today I present to you another Etsy artist (and yet again, not a diy project, but bear with me) by the user name of AYMK Crochet Critters. They caught my eye due to the two crochet monkeys; Pepito (pictured) and Sabino. I admit I have a slight bias here. My mother loves monkeys. I mean, goes doe-eyed when they come on TV, has a Paul Frank jumper just so she can have a monkey jumper, her-best-present-ever-was-the-monkey-I-adopted-for her loves monkeys.They are her favourite animal. And as such I often look for monkey related presents for her (although she’s not insane, she draws the line at monkey posters and little ceramic monkeys, etc.etc.) But this cute, gangly crochet monkey is perfect. And I love the colours of it too! And the little tufty bit on top of his head.

Anyway, go check it out. It’s not just cool little crochet monkeys they have, they also sell crochet cats and tadpoles. S.

I’m Smitten… April 15, 2008

It’s odd to say, but I’m smitten with “I’m Smitten” a company owned by Ashley Alexander that sells t-shirts, handbags, stationery and prints decorated with children’s-story-book-like characters with a twist. Giraffe-boy, antler-girl, swan-boy, elephant-girl, all children with the heads of animals that come into play in Alexander’s designs. It should be creepy. It’s really not. It’s just a slightly bizarre fantasy take on design that I for one find enchanting. Now, favourite items (like I always do). Of course, it would be unlike me not to mention a stationery item, so here’s a gratuitous Giraffe-boy Greeting Card that I love. I’m also a fan of the range of Antler-Girl t-shirts and the handbag that accompanies it. However, overall I have to say my favourite item is the unframed Elephant-Girl print (pictured, left). Maybe it’s because I love elephants (but then, giraffes are my favourite animal), but I think this is beautiful, if a little weird by most people’s standards. Anyway, check it out.

Also I’m aware that this is becoming, if it wasn’t already to start with, a blog more about the crafty endeavours of others than of those you can do yourself. But I’ll keep trying to find diy projects to post about. Until then, enjoy seeing stuff that you don’t have to spend hours making yourself.

S.

Little Otsu April 14, 2008

Lack of posting has been down to a break in college, an extreme amount of procrastination on my part and then a hurried rush to get all my homework done before I get a beating from my lecturers. And what better way to get all that homework done than to surf the net for cute stationery products a la Little Otsu? Okay, so I might get no work done but at least I will have a handy stockpile of planners, journals and notebooks to do the work in when (if?) I eventually get around to it. Little Otsu is really, really cute. I mean, all little recycled , comic character designed, trees-and-birds motifs cute. Some of my favourite items in the shop include the Tour Diary by Allison Cole, a journal with handy week-planners, journal and scrapbook space and lists of time differences. It may be “necessary” for this summer’s planned trip to Paris for my birthday with The Boyfriend. However, my number one favourite item in the whole store has to be the Non-Planner Datebook by Keri Smith (pictured) which I absolutely must, must, must have in all it’s cool doodly glory. It’s sprawling and artistic in a way that I am not and is definitely a fabulous, unstructured and guilt free (recycled paper, soy-based inks) alternative to your basic page-a-day diary. Little Otsu comes highly recommended from a stationery freak such as myself. Oh, and they ship to US, Canada and foreign countries like the UK, much to my delight. Yay!

S.

Heather Bailey, Craft Superhero. April 3, 2008

Heather Bailey really deserves the ’superhero’ title. From what you can read on her blog, she manages her own Freshcut for Freespirit fabric collection, a hair accessory line by the name of Trash Ties, is currently working on a paper and scrapbook collection for Autumn Leaves. Aside from all of this she still finds time to keep up with regular blogposts and spend time with her husband and two children. On her blog she gives free-to-download patterns for anything from quilts to booties, from papercrafts to party favours. My favourite free-to-download are the cute paper globes pictured below, which you can download in PDF form in Heather’s sidebar. They’re really pretty and fairly easily made. My boyfriend desperately wants me to refer to all the Craft Superheroes as ‘Lara Craft’, so there you go. It’s there. Heather Bailey, Lara Craft.

S.

Handmade Jewellery April 3, 2008

I think that jewellery is always so much nicer and far more special when it’s not mass-produced. Of course, on a student budget, the few jewellery items I buy are little plastic necklaces and bracelets for £3, but when you want to give a gift or buy yourself something pretty and unique, handmade one-off jewellery is really the only way to go. I also have to profess my newfound love for Etsy an website in the same vein as Ebay where online crafters sell (at a fixed price, as opposed to auction) their handmade and vintage goods. I bring up Etsy because I found a seller that does gorgeous handmade jewellery at a range of prices - SilverMonk. Chimin, the independent artist who creates and sells the jewellery, handmakes pieces that are both charming and unique, such as the gorgeous Organic Charm earrings and the beautiful Song Line Pendant Necklace, pictured below. S.

Now I Know My ABC’s… April 2, 2008

I know this isn’t a do-it-yourself craft post but, when I got my innocent smoothies email newsletter yesterday, I was cheered as always by the links to interesting internet stuff that they add at the bottom. One of these was an awesome book called ‘ABC3D’ by Marion Bataille which comes out this October, but is available for pre-order now. Click on the link above and it will take you to a Youtube video showing you the ABC’s book in all it’s creative pop-up glory. I want one for myself, and I’m considering getting one for my little sister for her Christmas (although she will only be about 2 and a half by then, so I don’t know if she won’t just tear up the book, or even if it will just confuse her…). These are definitely the coolest alphabet books out there though, definitely worth taking a look at. I bet you’ll fall in love with them and pre-order just like I am planning to. I love that it’s a piece of art as much as a book. Brilliance.

Pinhole Cameras April 2, 2008

Pinhole cameras are really, really cool. I’ve never made one before in my life, but got linked to this site which does the best ready made designs for some well-designed pinhole cameras. Corbis have 3 patterns currently free to download, with two more to follow, and give instructions on how to set your camera up and get your photos developed. My favourite of the three currently available has to be the Peyote camera design pictured. I don’t know how long it’ll take to make but it should be worth it if it turns out anything like the picture. I also don’t know about the quality of the photographs but I’ll be sure to test it and let you know. I love the spikey paper folds on the top and the square ‘lens’ on this pinhole camera but I also love the Photos of Your Mother design with it’s faux-old-fashioned design. These are definitely one of the best crafty things I’ve ever seen.

S.

Mine, Mine, Mine. April 1, 2008

I must confess to being a complete stationery freak. I’m obsessed. I literally have to avoid stationery shops and websites in the fear that all my money will be spent on pads of paper, pens, journals and post-its. One of my favourites online is All This Is Mine, run by Sugene (author of the ‘All This Is Mine’ zine) that sells the zine, stationery, thrift and wearables. My favourite item on the whole site are these Postal Parcels which are little packages containing, amongst other things, 12 different airmail envelopes (including rare and vintage pieces), 3 sheets of hand-stamped stickers, vintage gummed labels and a notchy postcard for your own mail art. It’s a little unique stationery set of the sort that I love to find online and would love to own for my own letter writing purposes (although I would probably be selfish and keep them for myself!). For the stationery geek this site is awesome.

S.

More Mochimochi! April 1, 2008

I have to begin by plugging one of my favourite craft websites of all time – Mochimochi Land. Mochimochi sells patterns for the cutest knitting toys like “Tubby” pictured , and make the best projects and sweet handmade gifts. I would recommend that you know a little about knitting beyond the basics if you’re going to attempt a Mochimochi pattern, since they often call for knitting in the round on double-pointed needles and so on. Here’s a good knitting tutorial  website if you need any help. I personally like the Sausage Dogs pattern and plan on knitting some soon for my little sister. I love Mochimochi for the cute, quirky designs that are hard to find elsewhere. Awesome.

S.