Score!

I stopped by a flea market on the way home today and picked up a ziplock bag full of old matchbooks for $5.00. I couldn't really see all of them when they were in the bag, so I wasn't sure what I was going to get. As soon as I got to my car I dumped them all out and started going "oooooh!" and "aaaaah!"

I love the Ohio Blue Tip books. I'm in Ohio, so I'm not surprised they were plentiful. They're so pretty! There are actually a few more that I found after the scanning was done, so I'm pleased.










And then how could you not totally dig the Ladies? I was so excited to find them! (Is the redhead a lady? I've been thinking so, but now that I look more closely I'm not so sure. Actually, let's face it, it's a guy. We'll say "the Ladies and the cute androgynous fellow.")

In terms of history, my husband was impressed by this Wendell Wilkie matchbook. He was (I've just discovered on Wilkipedia) the Republican nominee who lost to FDR in the 1940 election. Wilkie was. Not my husband.

Finally, there's just a great assortment of other styles, some with great graphics or a "period piece" feel to them.
















I knew I had to have these when I saw them. The question now is, what on earth am I going to DO with them?

And no, you can't win them with a logo. Unless you talk me into it. 'Cause even though I've gotten some great designs, we're going to have to extend the deadline. More on this tomorrow.

tags:
matchbook covers
memorabilia
ephemera

Erica Waverly Wallpaper

Way cool wallpaper by Erica Waverly.

tags:
Erica Waverly
wallpaper

Double Take

Above, Dart Coat Hooks. Designed by Anthony Chrisp, circa 2006. Available at SUCK UK.

Below, ad for Alexandra Neel feathered suede sandal. Vogue Magazine, May 2004. Design and photo credit unknown.


Great concept, great execution. In both instances.

tags:
Dart Coat Hooks
Anthony Chrisp
Vogue Magazine
Alexandra Neel

Container Store: Lap Desk

*gasp!*

. . . lap desk . . . must have . . . Container Store . . . must have . . .


tags:
lap desk
Container Store
must have

Calling All Creatives--Logo Contest Continues

All right, are you ready for some more book prizes? 'Cause I'm sure ready for some more logos! I'm referring, of course, to the logo contest I announced last week. I've gotten a few nibbles and a submission or two, but wow, I hope this picks up! I would really encourage people to make a submission. What's the worst that can happen? If you don't win, the only person who'll see it is me. If you do win, you'll receive five books, an announcement of your stupendous powers of creativity, and a logo credit on the blog for as long as I use it.

A text-based list of all the books the winner can choose from is a work-in-progress here. So far it includes all the books depicted last week and most of those shown above. If you have any questions at all about the books, email me: lisaj32@yahoo.com. If you have any questions about the contest itself, email me.

So far I haven't thought of any changes to the rules, except the addition stated above about the winner getting an ongoing logo credit on the blog. Is there anything I've forgotten? I guess I should add that winners outside the USA will have the books shipped via the most economical method available, and delivery may take four to six weeks.

I would love to get a flood of submissions this week and be able to stick to the original deadline: submit by Friday, 3/16/07, and the winner will be announced on Monday the 19th. Gosh, I would love that. But I will extend the deadline if I deem it necessary.

So tell your friends, tell your co-workers, give your kid a crayon. Let's not forget: the Apartment Therapy logo looks like this:

And the other books to choose from look like this:
























So lets all put on our thinking caps and see what we can come up with. Okay?

tags:
Logo Contest
graphic design

Pylones Doormats

I have been terribly remiss in my duties, and I apologize. How could I possibly post about Pylones and not mention these adorable new doormats?

Please forgive me.

tags:
Pylones
doormats
housewares

Artist Steven Harrington

This morning I find myself enchanted by this print by Steven Harrington. Such a lovely, happy print, with a subtle complexity that in no way detracts from its childlike joyfulness. (I ought not try to write before my first cup of coffee.)

Harrington was interviewed recently by Profile Magazine, a project by the folks at YouWorkForThem:

Beyond visual interests, I enjoy creating objects that other human beings can relate to- not quite nostalgic, but closer to a personal photograph or memory. I've always felt a stronger connection to tangible, printed objects, so that's what I like to make. Most of the ideas for my personal works are created from past experiences and childhood memories. But I prefer creative freedom in my personal work so the concepts and ideas are different from piece to piece. I feel like my process is very intuitive, so many of the meanings or messages are often revealed after the piece is created.

Harrington is a highly prolific artist, but I'm going to make you go to his site or the interview to see the more of his work. This morning I'm really just digging this one.


Its title, by the way, is "somehow, we all seem connected."

tags:
Steven Harrington
Graphic Art
YouWorkForThem

New Pylones Stuff

Hysterical new bags and umbrellas at Pylones.

tags:
handbags
raingear
Pylones

All Around the Blog-o-Sphere

Here is a mere tiny sample of great posts from the blogosphere this week. I hope you enjoy them!

Beautiful pink and black bedroom designed by Anna at Absolutely Beautiful Things. (I'm on a pink and black kick just now; in fact you can expect a post before long.)

Check out this great idea for a wall treatment at the purl bee.
I could actually picture myself doing something like this. I mean, I won't, but I can picture myself doing it. . . (via decor8.)

Check out these especially wonderful wall stickers, a great find by Another Shade of Grey.

I love tile. (Why haven't I posted on tile designs? Hmmm, note to self. . . . ) If you do too, you'll looooove this design featured on Apartment Therapy.

The award for discovering the best online store this week goes to (drumroll please) Bloesem, for the discovery of Corolla Cream.

Di over at Designers' Block found a stupendous painting via StumbleUpon. I don't want it to be a painting. I want to own the object that is the subject of the painting.

Check out the shoes at the bottom of this post on ma vie en rose. Oh, for heaven's sake, just do it. You'll love them.

Any scrapbookers in the crowd (and there's one in every crowd) will love this post on print & pattern. Heck, I love it and I don't even scrapbook.

Too many great posts to list. I'll have to try again next week!

Must-See Blog: Woogle Works

Woogle Works is a blog by product designer Wai Lam Wong, which focuses on design for people with disabilities. Oh, my, what a GREAT idea!

The picture above is of a design called "mouth artist." It is for people who have no hands but can use their mouth to hold an instrument for writing, drawing or painting. How many product designers even think of this population?

I am passionate about the topic of design for the disabled. This springs from two experiences I’ve had with being disabled--or, in my case, having a temporary loss of function. The first was when I was twelve years old and broke my leg skiing. I spent the better part of forever on crutches (my bones are slow to heal). My biggest problem at first was getting up and down stairs, a process that would have been made easier by Wong's "rocking crutch," which has a "foot" that flexes as our own do:

I also couldn’t do certain things while walking, such as carrying things in my hands. Every act of taking something somewhere involved removing my backpack, putting the object in, and putting the backpack back on. As an impatient twelve-year-old, this was incredibly frustrating. I would often ask someone, “Would you please carry this for me?” This resulted in a comment that I’d certainly become dependent since the accident.

*sigh*

Things like this really make me appreciate Wong’s addition of functional features to, for example, an arm sling:

Where you see the panda’s head poking out, there is an actual pocket sewn into the sling, allowing small objects to be carried. What a great idea!

My second loss of function was about five years ago when I had a very bad fall while hiking and shattered my wrist. As it healed, I had to do a lot of things one-handedly—and with my left hand (I am right-handed). When I could use it again, the wrist was very weak. So for a long time I couldn’t do things that take two hands. I couldn’t open the child-proof cap on a medicine bottle. Actually, I couldn’t even open a new box of cereal, a new music CD, or certainly not an electronic device encased in the plastic packaging they use these days. In short, I lived in a world designed for people with two functional hands, and I only had one.

All of this makes me appreciate some designs Wong is working on for doing things with one hand, like opening a pop bottle with a twist-off lid . . .













. . . and even riding a bicycle!

All of these things are wonderful. But one that is exceptional Wong’s commitment to inspire others to design for the disabled. He is working to put together a design competition in this area, and has already assembled a formidable team of judges for the event. What’s needed now is a sponsor, and I wish him the best of luck in finding one.

So today, kudos to Wai Lam Wong, a pioneer in a field that needs one!

tags:
Woogle Works
Wai Lam Wong
disability design

Cool Rose and Radish Tabletop Porcelain

The April issue of Lucky Magazine just came through the mailslot, and I was immediately struck by this beautiful Bird's Wing Dish designed by Ted Muehling for Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg.

From the same manufacturer, I also love these Unique Wildlife Plates designed by Hella Jongerius:
























Love them but not sure I could eat off a plate with a bug on it. Might get icked out.

If you'll excuse me, I'll be spending the rest of the afternoon exploring what's in at Rose and Radish.

(By the way, Lucky Mag, word to the wise: pull the cigarette ads. Is peddling addictive poison really your style?)

tags:
Rose and Radish
porcelain tableware
Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg
Ted Muehling
Hella Jongerius

Contest: Eclectic Detective Needs A Logo!

Friends, I need your help. This little detective needs a logo, and has no money to pay someone to design it. But what I do have is books--an almost endless supply of used books. The picture above is an initial sample of the books available to the winner, who will receive five books of his or her choice. Do click on the picture to make it bigger. More books, and a text list of titles and authors, will be added over the next few days.

The official rules are also soon to be published, but here is the gist of it:
1. Anyone can submit a design, and they can submit as many as they want.
2. Submit designs as an e-mail attachment in jpeg format. My email address is in my profile.
3. The contest prize is five books from among those I've posted to choose from.
4. I'll pay to ship the books, and will ship them via media mail.
5. If I ask for and receive a revision to a submitted design, the designer will get to choose and receive one book per revision. If the final design wins, they can choose five books plus the number of revisions as their prize. If the design does not win, they can choose a book from those that remain after the winner has chosen theirs.
6. I'm the judge and my judgments are final.
7. Keep a copy of your design because I won't send them back.
8. If I don't like any of the designs, I don't have to use any of them as my logo. However, the design I deem "best" of those submitted will win the contest and the books.
9. E-mail any questions to me, but I won't give you any guidance on what I want in a logo. I have no idea, and won't know it 'till I see it. I'm like most annoying clients in that way.
10. The closing date for submissions will be March 16, with the winner announced on March 19. I reserve the right to extend the submission deadline if I feel the need to.
11. The winner will give over all rights to the logo for any and all purposes to me in a licensing agreement. However, they will retain the copyright and the right to use the logo as an example of their work.
12. Let's none of us get nasty or litigious if we have a disagreement or misunderstanding. We're all lovely people who can work things out fairly and decently. (If you're not, you're invited not to participate.)

So, how can you help? First, get to work on those designs! Submit them starting now! Tell your friends! Fellow bloggers, you can really help me out by letting people know about the contest, and you will have my undying gratitude if you do so. Let me know of any design forums and such where I can post about the contest. Tell me any other ideas you have for getting the word out--let's brainstorm here!

And I am so very grateful to any and all who submit designs, help get the word out, or offer a bit of encouragement in this effort. I hope we have some FUN with it!

tags:
contest
logo
used books

International Women's Day

Today, March 8th, is International Women's Day. I think that makes it a great day to post a fairly random assortment of women-related links:

Bust's Girl Wide Web

Femina

National Museum of Women in the Arts

The Women's History Zine

Femail Creations

Women of Color Quilters Network

The Mom Blogs

Netmums

I'll probably post some more later, but for now I truly gotta go eat somethin' before I collapse.

tags:
International Women's Day
women's links

More Melody Johnson

I'm delighted to inform you of some other sites where you can see what Melody is up to. You can view (and buy!) Melody's most recent work at her New Works site. Above is my personal favorite, "Via Violetta." (How could I not love it--those are my colors.)

Melody also has a blog, Fibermania, on which she shares not only her life, but links to pages where she gives "how-to" instructions, as well as other pieces of information and inspiration. Well worth a visit!

Finally, despite her shift to quilts, Melody continues to paint, and the results are quite lovely. Visit Melody's Paintings to see this dimension of her work. Two of my favorites, "The Road" and "Sugar Cube," are below.

tags:
Melody Johnson
Art Quilting
Paintings

Melody Johnson: Art Quilts

If you have any love for beauty, color, quilts, design, or fine art craftsmanship, you simply must go over to Melody Johnson's website. From the artist:

As a child I thought being an artist meant only being a painter, so I did everything necessary to live out that role. Painting realistically was my aim and achievement, but it gave me no great satisfaction. In my last semester of art school, a classmate introduced me to quilting and something about its scale, process, and non-pictorial geometry attracted me. Once I made that first quilt I found an excitement that was missing from my painting experience. I switched to making quilts and have never had a moment of regret.

I can't imagine that anyone has had a moment of regret over Melody's choice of medium!

tags:
Melody Johnson
Quilts
Fine Art Crafts

Quote of the Day

In movies about artists, you know when something big is about to happen: The music swells climactically as the artist's creative destiny becomes clear. In real life, it's all about the smaller moments--a tiny stitch here, a small snip of the scissors there, and eventually the design of a life takes shape.

--Creative Home Magazine, Fall 2006, p. 57

tags:
Quotes
Artists
Creative Home Magazine

Pins (Or Do You Say Badges)

Monday. Yuck. How about a light, fluffy little post on pins/badges? I say yeah! Above are among my favorites from Copacetique: "alphabet letter buttons" and "45 adapter buttons," both by copacetic.

Next, we absolutely must visit the Pixelgirl shop, where we find these lovely Alien pins from the wonderful Kid Pirate.


Moving on, let's have a quick visit to day-lab, where we find this wonderful pin by Amy Shutt, called the "58008 Pin." Not sure what made them so bashful--it's clearly a Boobie Button!


Finally, over to Etsy, where, let's face it, we could be there all day. Here are some of my favorites, and the places I found them:






Top left we have "This Would Look Cute On You" by snowconecollective. And I bet they would! Top right, a six-pack of retro musical instruments from ChristineRenee--which I fell in love with immediately. Finally, and ya gotta love this, we got the "got" collection from dottyral, sold in packs of two at a time. Aren't they great?

They remind me of my very, very all-time favorites of all time, and I hope against all hope that someone can help me with this. I found these "mores" pins I know not where--thought I had grabbed the link, but somehow can't find it anywhere. Can anybody help me out? If so, please please please let me know via "comments." Because they're wonderful, and I want to give credit where it's due--as well as get myself a bunch, which I should have done from the get-go.


And with that I find it's not even Monday any more. I wanted to post this before work, but you know how things go. Instead, posting them before bed. 'Night, owls.

tags:
pins
badges

Pamela Barsky Journals

Don't you just love Pamela Barsky? I bought myself the "really mediocre writing" one for Christmas. Why? It's the perfect cure for writer's block!

tags:
Pamela Barsky
writing
notebooks

Jun Kaneko: Advice to a Young Artist

Q. What advice would you give a young artist?

A. Well you know, it's pretty simple. To be a visual artist, you have to make something visual. To make something visual, you have to spend your energy. Make your own statement with whatever materials you want to use -- clay, steel, wood or whatever -- and just keep on doing that. There are a lot of complex issues that come up. Once you make it, you have to have the ability to evaluate your own work and increase the part you like about each piece. The pieces will get better and make better sense for you.

If you start talking about the value of art, this is a confusing thing because there is no set value. It is wise to stay with your intuitive feeling and value judgment of your own work and always start from there. We are not driven by ourselves in this world. Other people's opinions will start influencing us. But in the balance between the artist's self to other people's opinions, I think it's wise to stay with your intuitive feelings to evaluate your own work. ... There is no magic; it is hard work, like anything else.

- Jun Kaneko

lastplace.com

tags:
advice
artist
Jun Kaneko

The Seventies

Aren't we glad the seventies are over? "Be adventurous with paint!" is the section heading for this groovy number.

As a child of the seventies, I took this advice to heart: I insisted that my bedroom be painted in my favorite color, orange. (I have since discovered it is not my favorite color, but my favorite flavor. My favorite color is purple--and I do not like grape.)

My mother was sensible enough to convince me that bright yellow walls and orange accessories were the best way to go, for which I was later profoundly grateful, as the color scheme did not change until after I had left for college. She did, however, allow me to have orange and yellow carpeting with shag up to my ankles. She was pretty cool. Still is.

Can you imagine attending a dinner party in this room and not being self--conscious? At least our derriers would have covered up those butt-ugly chair cushions.

But this window treatmnt is, I think, rather clever:

Though I might like it better against a painted wall. I like a kitchen window whose curtains can be closed. The neighbors don't need to see my hair before I've showered.

And, finally, this next one is actually very sweet:

It would work just about as well in a current child's room as in one from 1977. The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Aren't we glad the 70s are over? Yet at the same time, aren't we glad they happened?

All images are from the Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book, Meredith Corporation, 1976.

tags:
the seventies
interior decorating
Better Homes and Gardens

My Ikea Story

All right, all right--you win! Due to overwhelming popular demand (ok, none), I find I must post a link to my Ikea story.

A couple of notes. First, it's longish (ok, needs editing badly), but I encourage you to stay with it to the end. Second, I have cleaned up my language a lot since writing it. And third, I did not use capital letters on my old blog. I know not why. In retrospect, the decision should have gone the other way. So sorry.

tags:
Ikea
nonfiction
doodle-y-doo

Kudos to Ikea

I'm diggin' Ikea today, and it's not just because of their pretty Arv Idyll bowl (above), or their lovely Alvine Flor quilt cover and pillowcases (below).























It's not because of their Bibbi blanket (which I'd love to see unfolded),
























or their PS Lomsk swivel chair, also available in blue.
























Why am I diggin' Ikea today? It's because of this:


That's right, the compact fluorescent lightbulb, or CFL. The CFL has gotten a lot of press lately due to its incredible energy-saving ability, resulting in lower costs for consumers and fewer demands on the environment.

Now, Ikea didn't invent the CFL. They aren't promoting the CFL. And I have no idea how their CFL prices compare with those of other retailers.

What Ikea does that other retailers do not is this: Ikea recycles the bulbs.

You see, CFL bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury, a neurotoxin especially harmful to children. Now, I really do mean a very small amount, especially compared to the mercury thermometers we used when I was a child. But enough that their presence in the garbage is, in some places, illegal, and regular curbside recycling programs won't take them.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approached a number of major retailers, including WalMart, encouraging them to accept the bulbs at their stores for recycling. So far, the only one that has started such a program is Ikea.

So kudos to Ikea today. I wish they had a store closer than 108 miles away from me. But what the heck--some things are worth the trip.

via NPR's All Things Considered.

tags:
Ikea
Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb
recycling

Unspeakably Beautiful Anthropologie Couch

When I win the lottery. When my ship comes in. When I inherit a vast sum of money from someone whom I barely knew but had been kind to once. When I write that bestselling book. When I design that unbelievable website. When . . .

. . . pigs fly, most likely.

Meantime, I can enjoy that it simply exists. Here's a detail view:





















See, now I'm going to have to look up that word again. Exquisite. "ADJECTIVE:
1. Characterized by intricate and beautiful design or execution." Yeah, that's the one.

tags:
anthropologie
couch
furniture