Papercrafthero! May 18, 2008

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not having written for such a long time. I’m smack in the middle of my exams, so I’m knee deep in paper and notes (and not in a good, notebooky way like today’s post is about). Studying has taken priority recently but I have a great Etsy shop find to share as my second point of address. Jengs Shop at Etsy does amazing paper goods such as notebooks, cards, prints and bound journals, all brilliantly designed, smart and minimal. My favourite just happens to be this Tree Mini Notebook (pictured) which is mini-size, so perfect for taking out and about with you for sketching what you see, or jotting down those crafty ideas that come at you from nowhere. What I also like about it is that the design on the cover is a digitally enhanced print of a photograph taken by the designer. Jengs Shop has lots of other smart and simple designs, such as a few other favourites : the Electrical Towers Mini Notebook in dark plum , the set of 6 Love Doves Cards and the Washed Lilies Blank Notebook in brown. It’s a great online shop and the owner, Jennifer is truly inspired. I love it

x 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.

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.