New Art for Me!

I bought a painting today and it looks like this:

(can you hear me squealing and making little clapping motions just below my chin in delight?)

It's a painting by a Canadian artist from Toronto who has a shop on Etsy called greasychickenface. This is a teensy painting--just 4"x3"--but I love it and it will be perfect to smoosh into my salon-style grouping of art in my office/studio. It's great having new inspiration in there.

Anyhoo. . . greasychickenface's art is great. Colorful and that kind of artwork that's some unusual mix of cute/sad/ugly/playful that makes me sort of nostalgic for how I saw the world as a kid. You should check the shop out!

Ouch That's Cute!

Man, do I love Hine Mizushima's work. Hine has been my favorite shop on Etsy pretty much since I discovered Etsy. The work is so smart and ridiculously cute.


I saw this little guy--Ectoplasm No.1--just today, and I thought I would have to chew my own hand off to get out of the trap of its cuteness.

It was shipped to its buyer in a specimen tube.

Can't. Take. The. Cuteness.

(not to mention 10% of the shop proceeds help out Japan Relief!)

Oh, the Cuteness

Trolling through Etsy this morning and very early on I found Runaway Dreams--a shop run by Julia and David, two artists in love in Mexico City. And their work is so cute it makes me want to chew my own arm off.

See:

"I'm floating" (Is it wrong to love that his balloon is tied to his hand rather than him holding on to it? It's kind of a creepy cute touch that I adore. . . )

"Getting ready for the party"



"Marcel--the mushroom collector"

Marcel apparently collects mushrooms for his girlfriend. I can hardly take it.

I wish there was a children's book starring the little hairy critters. I would surely by it--good story or no.

Check out their work on etsy at runawaydreams.

Marketing I Can Get Behind

I love finding original product images on etsy--not just the typical object perfectly lit against white or gray or other solid color background. The off kilter images are the ones that catch my eye and make me want to find out more about what the artist is doing.

So, today, I'm posting images from bless that dress's etsy shop. All of the images I'm posting here are images this fun shop from Spain is using to sell clothing. These skirts aren't my size, but if they were, these photos would undoubtedly have sold me.

I love that the images are beautiful and sort of nostalgic while also being pretty dark. . .





What is that. . . mustard gas? I'm completely jealous of these photo shoots.

On top of that, she's selling some pretty cute clothes! Go check it out.

she read my mind

Wow. It's as if Judy Kaufman has made artwork especially for me. You can get this as a print on Etsy, if you, too, love your city. But don't buy all of the prints, please. I want one to still be there once I get past my husband's-b-day spendy rush.

It's February. In Chicago, that's traditionally the month when everyone starts to go a little out of their minds with cabin fever. The cold has gone on for too long. Spring is just around the corner. . . but it still feels like it will never arrive.

So, you do what you can to get over the hump. Dan and I tried the direct approach yesterday--going out into the face of winter, hanging out by the lake and walking about. Today, I'm taking the indirect approach--by searching out bright colorful things online that make me happy. . . and maybe by making a few colorful things as well!

Speaking of bright, colorful and cheerful, I found this adorable pillow cover at sukanart's shop



And it would be hard to stay crabby sleeping under this quilt by Ozark Quilters every night:



Or maybe just take a second to remember how excited you were to wear fall clothes and your new coat back in October with Michele Maule's "Little Red Coat" (available as a print in her shop on Etsy!:

Holy Cow! Shut the Door! That image is hard to turn away from, right? I mean you must have a dog who you would like to make this warm/cute/sad, no? If so, you can purchase your very own doggie cowl at the etsy earthwalkers shop. . . and if that photo doesn't do it for you (because either you're all dead inside or you care more about your dog's dignity than its cuteness), then maybe this next regal pic will make you think again. . .



Go buy a cowl. Your puppy will thank you (probably because his increased cuteness will make you snuggle him way more frequently than pre-cowl ownership. Trust me. You'll see)!

The Very Brilliant Hollie Chastain

I had a great Christmas--wonderful time with family, nice to be out of town, and I received more than my fair share of amazing gifts. But one of my very favorite-est gifts has to be Hollie Chastain's print, "Something We Shouldn't Be Doing."

My sister gave it to me. . . and unlike most of the art I buy or am given that languishes in a pile for a year before I get it into a frame and hung on a wall, this one was framed right away--beneath a gorgeous deep grayish brown mat. I swear it glows. It makes you stop and think about years ago. It makes you dig deep down into your memory and dig up warm and nostalgic impulses. It's a joy to have in my home.

Check out the very brilliant Hollie Chastain's work in her etsy shop, and treat yourself to one of her prints. You'll be thrilled that you did.

Ingenious Lounge

When the weather was crazy hot here in Chicago, I found this ingenious couch on ruffhouseart's shop on Etsy and thought how lovely it would be to have a couch with cold enamel sides.



During the winter, though, I'd either have to retire this particular couch or make a giant woolen cozy for it. . . Just so long as I could still see the juxtaposition of red feet to sky blue exterior. Brilliant!

Caught unawares. . .

by the cuteness.

can't. . .pull. . .eyes. . .away.
can't. . .stop. . .heart. . .from. . .melting.

(if you want the same experience, check out the cute-opolis that is adorably kawaii's shop on etsy)

Sky Paintings

Still in the market for sky paintings. Dan bought be me a beautiful piece for my birthday, but I think it needs friends. Someday, I would love a whole wall (mounted salon style) of sky paintings.

Here are a few I've been dreaming about making part of the collection (though, if you beat me to it, my loss. . . ):



Toward the Cape, by Erin Spencer (check her work on etsy. Beautiful and affordable.)



J. Shears paints custom abstract sky paintings for customers. I love this one. . . the brush of french vanilla in the cloud tops? Gorgeous. Check her etsy shop for the variations she creates.



Mr. Stooshinoff's Cloud Shadow. His shop on etsy is called Paintbox and each jewel of a painting is more lovely than the next. . .

A room filled with sky? As long as I live in a bungalow, I'm not going to have some spectacular kitchen that flows into a ridiculously open and inviting back terrace. So, walls full of sky will have to do in their stead.

Nina from the Netherlands

Gee Whitakers, I love Ninainvorm's designs. Her screenprinted re-purposed ceramics are so filled with joy. . . I want to fill my kitchen up.









Check out her charming blog, too!

The Milk

Hot off the crochet hooks! A new little luchador is available at the fivetrees etsy shop.

And that's right, his name is la Leche! Ole!

I have one more luchador doll in the works, just waiting for a name, persona and glittery personalized cape. But then that's it for a short while on luchadors.

I have new plans for an even more fabulous crew of animal dolls (sketches coming very very soon to the blog, because that's usually just the kind of public promise that will keep me on track to making sure that sketches eventually become real 3-D pieces), plus a big old gift to make for dear dear friends.

I love Brooklyn Rehab

I've loved Brooklyn Rehab for a while, but there were a few pleasing things in the Etsy Shop today that made me want to post. Alyssa Zygmunt's brainchild, Brooklyn Rehab makes old things new again and proves that white porcelain can "upscale" nearly anything.



I have a decent number of friends and colleagues who don't buy into the easy divide of boy/girl, man/woman, he/she that so many in the world love. So, I'm torn by these napkin rings. I love love love them, but am I politically allowed to own them? Could they be put out on the table, but people could choose any gender they want and have fun with it in that way? Further subverting this silly dichotomy?

I don't know. . . I just love love love them.



There's a picture on the shop of this being held in hand and it looks like it's just about palm sized. Wouldn't you want to hold it all the time? Would it ever get to actually be a knick knack or would it just become your safety owl, carried with you everywhere you go?



There aren't words for this guy. Yeesh. Lovely.

zukzuk illustration

I have loved this zukzuk print for a year or two now. A Toronto based artist who makes work that feels at once nostalgic and joyfully celebratory. Check out her Etsy shop or her lovely blog.

And I think in the midst of a cold snowy winter, I am also missing my extended Ohio family. I have a new niece now and I'm very tender hearted towards her. I feel extraordinarily like an aunt and I wasn't expecting this--the love, I think I expected, but the feelings of responsibility towards her are a real surprise. And so being far away from her, makes me feel like a slacker. . .

This print reminds me of my brother, sis-in-law and wee Morgan. And it breaks my heart a little.

But here's another zukzuk illustration for good measure:

Interview

Crazy. I just did an interview with local Chicago CBS about selling things on Etsy.

They may take this logo down for copyright infringement. . . but even if they do, Chicagoans, please tune in to CBS local news this coming Monday to see how twitchy and weird I look on camera talking about my work.

And thanks Dorothy and Jerry! It was super great meeting you and talking in my wee office in Cicero. Happy Day!

kid*a*collective

Who has a little girl that wouldn't want this dress?



So beautiful. Subtle color. Birch Trees. . . are maybe the prettiest trees (and not just because I only see them on vacation and so are attached to the happiness of being away). This dress and other ridiculously cute/fashionable baby/kid clothes at the kid*a*collective shop on Etsy.

Milimbo Etsy Shop

I have been finding myself attracted to lots of Spanish illustrators and printers on Etsy of late. I don't have a good explanation for this other than that the work is excellent and much of it follows a similar aesthetic principal of very modern and minimalist. So much of it makes me nostalgic for design from the 50's and 60's. . . from France. Weird, but it delights me.

This print is from Milimbo's shop on Etsy. This one is called "Lost"--little Red Riding Hood. But you have to check out the shop, because he's also created a gorgeous modern picture book of the whole Red Riding Hood story in pictures--no words. Check it out here.

Feed the Birds by Neesha Hunter

this is a perfect illustration. everything is calm and subtle and cute. and it's funny and charming. the expression on the tall bird's face--sort of happy and smug--and the perfect eager tilt of the parakeet?

Yeah.

Neesha's etsy page says that she's working on a career as a children's book illustrator. I, for one, hope she makes it!

Tres Magnifique!

I love blancucha's work (found on Etsy)! I have to admit that I am attracted to cute art and our house is probably filled with way too much cuteness considering that I am an adult without a child living in the house yet. But blancucha is special--though the artist is from Madrid, the work feels very french and 60's to me. It makes me nostalgic for a time and place I've never lived.