1. The New Artisans: Handmade Designs for Contemporary Living by Olivier Dupon
2. A Collection a Day by Lisa Congdon
3. Various Illuminations (of a Crazy World) by Maira Kalman
4. Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life by Julia Rothman
5. Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

I found the most perfect gifts this year! Excited to share:

1. Kate Miss jewelry
2. Remedy Quarterly
3. Communal Table book 2

If you are in NY this weekend stop by my agency’s booth: 11 (right up front). Their gallery (Hanahou) will be selling lots of great items that could be purchased as gifts for loved ones or…eh..hem…yourself! They’ll be carrying some limited edition prints of mine, hand bound journals (did someone say stocking stuffer!) as well as t-shirts, magnets, correspondence cards and other items with my designs on them.

Bust Craftacular:

• the Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street New York, NY
• Sunday 10am-8pm
• $2 admission and free goodie bag

Tonight is the Sparkle Lab retrospective at Gallery Hanahou. I was thrilled to be asked to customize a few Papertronics Lunar Modules. Here’s one of them. He’s got LED eyes and is known as Salty Sailor. I’ll post the others after the exhibit (Ms. Kitty and Mr. Slick).

If you are going to come check it out tonight rsvp to: info@galleryhanahou.com.

Also come to the DIY Electronics workshop with Ariel, at Hanahou, on Saturday 11/13.

I was so excited to receive Meg Mateo Ilasco’s new book Crafting a Meaningful Home. My family banner is one of 27 DIY crafty projects featured. It’s hard to believe that last summer while very pregnant Meg and her creative team came to my house to shoot the project and here on my desk the finished book sits. You must pick up a copy to see clever ideas from my pals Anna and Sean of Sub-Studio and many other fabulous artists.  The link is in my shop too!

Yesterday morning I was making some baby food for Henry with a nectarine, yellow squash, blueberries, a red apple and a red pepper (I throw them all (chopped up) into boiling water for a short while, then puree them). When I took them out of the water the most beautiful color was left behind. I couldn’t just toss it in the sink so I grabbed some drawing paper and dipped it, soaked it and then laid it out to dry. I tried it with watercolor paper too but it would not absorb the color so I wound up putting the water color paper on top of the soaked drawing paper and it left a cool hazy shape. It kind of looks tie dyed. I love this. I should do it next time I make food and then use the paper as backgrounds for drawings.

Try this at home!!!

Make Frauenfelder (editor of Make and founder of Boing Boing) is guest curator over at Etsy, plus he has a great new book about DIY out now called Made By Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World. He recently spent a year trying a variety of offbeat projects such as keeping chickens and bees, tricking out his espresso machine, whittling wooden spoons, making guitars out of cigar boxes, and doing citizen science with his daughters in the garage. His whole family found that working with their hands and minds helped them feel more engaged with the world around them.

I have to add that my husband edited Mark’s book. He’s been asking me if we can keep bees and chickens. He thinks I’m mean for telling him no. Our little Brooklyn apartment could not contain them! Nonetheless, it’s a fascinating book on the ever-growing DIY movement. And I’m totally on board if he wants to make us espresso.

Here are my favorite picks for dad’s day from Mark’s Etsy round-up:

1. Aged leather sheath for the ipad
2. Wooden ipod doc with speakers
3. Espresso tamper
4. Gentleman’s custom pocket knife
5. Pick up a copy of Mark’s book for your dad, husband or self here.

How amazing is this fabric by the talented Heather Moore? I want to upholster a couch with the deep turquoise and then have a corresponding chair upholstered with the red. Have you seen her latest design?

You’re the best Heather. Hope to meet you when you visit NY from sunny South Africa.

Readers, have a splendid weekend!

Have you seen the latest issue of Parasol Magazine from the creative mind and hands of Yasmine Surovec? It features a story about Nice Package, “a gift packaging line designed to offer simple solutions for infusing creativity and beauty into their customers’ homes and lives. The line includes a unique collection of gift-packaging essentials that will add sparkle to gifts, and home décor items sure to bring a touch of whimsy to any home”. Founded by bloggers Ez Pudewa and Marichelle Burdman, Nice Package has some gorgeous inspiration. My favorite package is “I left my heart in Paris” kit featured above.

I never expect anything extravagant for Valentine’s day. A heart felt note and perhaps something sweet to eat are perfect for me.

I think it would be a really really sweet idea to take an old love note, or even a section of that note and blow it up to frame and then gift to your partner. I love the way little scribblings look when blown up. If anyone does this, I’d love to see it, so send over a snap shot.

image via Le Love

tomorrow a recipe from the amazing Kelly of Eat, Make, Read

Ruffian Paper Doll is the latest historical costume paper sculpture by acclaimed artist Eloise Corr Danch. Paper Doll was exhibited in October at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York for the Paper Ball, the gala opening of the paper exhibition SLASH! Paper Under the Knife. The Victorian era–inspired dress features pages of the book Ruffian: Inside Out (Assouline) and Le Monde newspapers were used to papier mache the body. For the bodice, Eloise cut an intricate pattern and devised an internal wire bustle to create the bottom shape of the dress, giving it a dramatic 1870s silhouette.

Eloise’s paper sculpture work was exhibited at the Macy’s 2009 Flower Show. That installation featured swirling floral garlands composed of more than 2,500 paper flowers as well as ornate floral headdresses, all filling 23 windows along 34th Street. As a result, Eloise was invited to appear onThe Martha Stewart Show to make paper poppies with Martha. Eloise’s interest in historical costume was on view in 2008 when she exhibited Lady Dulcinea, a life-sized paper dress sculpture at the gallery in Anthropologie’s flagship Rockefeller Center store.

For more information about Eloise’s work, please visit:     eloisecorrdanch.com

Other posts on Eloise:

1. Las Meninas dress at Anthropologie
2. Paper Flowers at Macy’s
3. Surtex
4. Ruffian dress at Museum of Art and Design

Soon after Henry was born we decided to pick up a rocking chair at Ikea. So I can sit next to his crib in our bedroom and feed him in the middle of the night. I love Ikea but don’t like to leave the items I buy from there plain so I decided to create a print to turn into upholstery. It was fun to hand draw a cable knit. From a distance perhaps the cushions with the print on them will look really cozy and soft but up close they won’t be itchy like a sweater.

We have been looking to move into a new apartment thinking that we could get lots more space for a little extra money in the neighborhood we currently live in. Unfortunately we could not find any place we love so we decided to extend our lease here in our cozy little nest and re-work some of our space so that we’re happier and less cramped. Living on a lovely tree lined street in a sunny apartment near the subway for me to get to work on time is really nothing to scoff at. So we’ll stay put for now and have fun playing around with our space and making sure Henry has room to play when he’s up for it.

Hope you had a lovely weekend!!

Vicki wrote to tell me about her beautiful notebooks.

I love them so much.

Wouldn’t they just be the most perfect holiday gift?

Grab them now so you can give them out in time.

For green gift giving this year check out one of my sponsors igreenwarehouse. They carry all of my favorite green products and offer some great earth friendly holiday gift sets (including Burt’s Bees, my fav). I’m going to pick some up for friends.

Enter code “Maquette” to add 10% additional off with any order from the HOLIDAY GIFTS + SETS category of $49.99 or more. Valid for one week until December 18th to assure timely holiday delivery.

Then grab some hand screen printed 100% Post Consumer recycled paper cards from Foxy and Winston.

How awesome is this amazing poster and tote from my Brooklyn brunch mates?

Spoon Me, Love Me is a collaboration between friends and talented artists Caroline Hwang and Bryn Smith. Pick up their goods online or at the Bust Craftacular this coming weekend.

Check out some other Caroline Hwang posts:

1. Embroidered Illustration
2. Art Show
3. Etsy shop announcement

I was saving this post for today and accidentally published it- back in time- in Oct. So sorry if you are seeing it twice. I’ve got a baby on my lap and it’s toying with my brain. I love having him here though!

I’m so lucky to have the fabulous Kate Miss guest posting for me here on Maquette. Her aesthetic is so enviable. Now I want all of these things for my new baby! Welcome Kate.

Hi, I’m Kate from For Me, For You! In honor of Samantha’s little one, I thought I’d use my guest post to highlight some of my favorite baby things I’ve come across that I love. I am in no way an expert in this area, having no kids and no plans for them for a while, but like a lot of girls I swoon over all things pint-sized and store cute things in my head for the future.

Clockwise from the top left:

1. Baby Hank Vintage stocks the best vintage on Etsy for little ones -
2. This “Fluffy Little Clouds” art print has little otters all over it (eep!) and
3. would be cute for a kids room. Or my room. – I love everything in the
4. baby line at DwellStudio, and most of it is very bold and colorful,
5. but this simple organic
6. knit blanket is probably my favorite – tiny leather
7. slippers at flora and henri, for chic babies obviously – sculpted
8. wooden animals, for playing and display – All the knit clothing at
9. Oeuf is cute as can be, especially this wolf animal hat
10. and booties, for your little wild thing. – Tiny Warbler hand makes
11. lovely soft animals, like these sweet
12. bears.

How stunning are these paper mobiles and garlands?

I want one for myself and perhaps for above the baby’s crib.

Frazier & Wing

p.s the photo styling is pretty compelling too. I love the little vignettes.

I’m making it a tradition to offer free downloadable Halloween cards, see the ones from last year and grab them if you like.

I have always adored Halloween. This year we won’t be dressing up or hitting the town as most likely we’ll be enjoying our brand new baby. He could be anywhere from a week old to a few days old by then. I’m excited to paint a moustache on him.

Go ahead and grab one of these or all to download and print or email to a pal. Have fun!

If you are an avid Maquette reader, you know I’m a big fan of Spoonflower (a custom fabric printing on demand company founded by a husband and wife team). I’ve had a bunch of stuff printed by them such as:

1. Fabric for hand bound journal collaboration with Tyler Bender
2. My custom print for Craft Magazine (here’s the article about that)
3. And for my home, this pin-up print fabric to reupholster a chair

Now Bust Magazine is telling their readers about Spoonflower. They came over to shoot the chair this summer, we had a fun time trying to keep my dog out of the picture. The article is in their latest issue. Check it out online or from your news stand.

Just because I have a little one on the way doesn’t mean that Maquette’s going to turn into a mommy blog. However, I’m more tuned in to kid and baby design items so  I can’t resist showing you some things that cross over into the adult realm nicely. For example I love all of these wooden items and with or without baby could see a place for them in my home. How about you? Have you ever picked up something that was designed for a kid just for yourself? Or for your kid but secretly for you too?

1. Alexander Girard Alphabet blocks- SF Moma
   
2. Wooden forest animals- Oompa
3. Wooden picture book- Romp
4. Blank Matryoshka (paint it yourself)- Romp
5. Sculpted wooden animals- Romp
6. Organic wooden airplane- Nuno