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Want it need it
Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can't help but stalk on the regular.
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Here at Coveted HQ, we've got Oscar night on the brain. Apparently, so does everyone else.
Glourious, glourious poster art: We just saw Best Picture-nominated Inglourious Basterds the other day, and while we kinda thought it felt like two separate films (one about lovely, heart-wrenched Shoshanna; the other about kicking Nazi ass and taking names), we're still rooting for the underdog. Last month, L.A.'s Upper Playground Gallery auctioned off 13 amazing Quentin Tarantino-signed Basterds posters with proceeds going toward Haiti relief, and we covet them all. $300 (sold out), upperplayground.com, first spied at bestweekever.tv.
O-82!!!: Here's a fun game for pajama Oscar parties with friends: Oscar Bingo, courtesy of DIY blogger Jessica Jones of How About Orange ... . It's full of hilariously predictable Oscar-night happenings — think "George Clooney Seen Sporting a Beard"; "Someone Mentions Haiti"; "Patrick Swayze Appears in Dead Person Montage" — in PDF form for easy printing. Good luck! Free, howaboutorange.blogspot.com.
Julie or Julia: We weren't fans of Amy Adams' annoying, cloyingly self-centered portrayal of Julie Powell in Julie & Julia. (Perhaps this is why Meryl Streep's the one who got the Oscar nod.) Adams groupie or not, though, you'll like Etsy artist NOOBOO, who's replicated the Subway token necklace that Julie wore throughout the film. The old-school token (from 1953) hangs inside an antique brass filigree circle ring, upping the ante from the simpler version in the movie. (Alternatively, you could always just read the book.) $50, etsy.com/shop/NOOBOO.
Fantastic Mr. Badger: Die-hard Bill Murray fans would have recognized that voice anywhere, and even though the Wes Anderson mainstay won't win any Academy Awards for his voiceover of a nebbishy attorney, Fantastic Mr. Fox (nominated for Animated Feature Film and Music/Original Score) would've felt incomplete without him there. Illustrator Michael May's Eros Inc. shop on Etsy features sweet, vibrant Mr. Badger, Demolitions Expert prints, plus one of Mr. Fox himself if thieving carnivores are more your scene. $5, etsy.com/shop/erosinc.
PREVIOUSLY >> One of These Things Is Not Like the Others
Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can't help but stalk on the regular.
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We may be ripping off the title of CP contributor Amy Strauss' delectable food blog here, but bear with us: Posters and tees, we think, are an excellent combo for a sludgy Friday afternoon spent blog-browsing.
First, and most angry-making: The Lost Valentine's cards we showed you earlier today got us thinking about the show (and how we're pretty damn sure Sayid is the new Jacob and why the hell was Desmond on the alternate-universe Flight 815?). Lo and behold we found these amazing vintage-y Lost-inspired posters — like the polar-bear-meets-smoke-monster style, above, and the infinity bunny, right — but, judging by the psycho comments on Mattson Creative's site, they're not for sale. Come on! It's not nice to tease. mattsoncreative.com, spied first at sharesomecandy.com.
Speaking of vintage-y: Book-jacket design is half the reason we get so mad when we hear the word "Kindle." There's something magical about the old-school-iest covers of our favorite novels, and we are just plain sad to see them electronified. Out of Print understands our bookish woes, and thus has created an assembly of iconic and out-of-print books made into tees. We're partial to Slaughter-house Five, but there's something for everyone (for now, only men's sizes are available, but they're remedying that in the spring). $28, outofprintclothing.com, spied first at designworklife.com.
While we're on the topic of Design Work Life: Big ups to local illustrator Dan Judge, who got shouted out on the design blog this Wednesday. He's created posters for Jay Reatard, Parts & Labor and many more, and for the past few years has contributed to Philly-based Screens 'n' Spokes, an annual bike-art fundraiser benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Doesn't look like Judge has any work for sale on his site, but hit up Etsy's Screens 'n' Spokes shop to check out his '09 contribution, plus tons of prints from previous years. $15, etsy.com/shop/screensnspokes, spied first at designworklife.com.
Before we go: We've seen this shirt before — it was given to this friend by this friend as a birthday gift last fall — and trust us, it's a winner. Indie clothing blog Hide Your Arms has compiled a list of 200 foodie T-shirts, so even if you're more in favor of anthropomorphic cupcakes than garden shovels, you'll probably find something that suits you. The "Grow Your Own Food" tee, sez Hide Your Arms, is available at Metro Three. $18, hideyourarms.com, spied first at thekitchn.com.
Thanks for the shout-out Carolyn! I have a few prints available on my Etsy page. Check it out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/danjudge
Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can't help but stalk on the regular.
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Valentine's Day is just around the snowpocalyptic bend, so we thought it timely to point out a few gifts appropriate for sweethearts, honeys and steady crushes.
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First up: Across the pond, self-described "U.K. design junkies" Rockett St. George host a huge line of V-Day-inspired goods, including these customizable Scrabble tile throw pillows. The covers and insides are made from 100 percent recyclable material, and they come in cream and black. If you're made of money, go ahead and load up on you and your one-and-only's monograms; then see what words you can spell. Hours of fun. (By the way, if anyone's got a tip on a Stateside company that sells something similar, let us know.) $71 each (approximately), rockettstgeorge.co.uk. Spied first at Poppytalk.
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Also: Because we're bookish, we particularly adore Brookish's collection of Pride & Prejudice (and not zombies) gifts. She's got stylish black-and-white bangles and ornaments with typewritten Jane Austen quotes; a tea towel boasting that "There's nothing like staying at home for real comfort"; and, most romantically, a Mr. Darcy proposal mug, on which the start of Darcy's memorable, sorta-pathetic speech to Elizabeth Bennett is is handwritten: "In vain I have struggled. It will not do." This applies to other struggles, too. Like cutting down on the coffee. $15, etsy.com/shop/Brookish.
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And then: The economy still sucks, so grand gestures ought to be put on hold this year. Your lovely will understand. Instead, send off the smallest, and therefore most adorable, valentine ever: Leafcutter Designs' clever World's Smallest Letters. Send them your message, and the address to which it should be sent, and they'll transcribe your love note onto teeny 1.5-by-1-inch stationery. A magnifying glass is included with every order, so no squinting; they've also got a World's Smallest Package, which comes with a hand-written note, tons of little buttons, and fits into the palm of your hand. Squee. $8-$10 plus shipping, leafcutterdesigns.com. Spied first at Design*Sponge.
Oh, P.S.: If you're in the mood to spruce up your Twitter homepage, check out Ollibird's free downloads. She's got loads of heart-tastic backgrounds, plus less sicky-sweet ones that'd be pleasant all year round. Free, blog.ollibird.com. Spied first at How About Orange.
RELATED POSTS: Hedgehogs, BookBooks + Haiti, Oh My
Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every Friday, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we can't help but stalk on the regular.
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| twelvesouth.com |
Before we let our nerdy design hearts get carried away with themed Coveted roundups (letterpress Valentine's cards, your time is nigh), we'll start simply with a quick tour of lovely things to lust after, both locally and not-so.
First up: Twelve South's BookBook (pictured, above), a charming, old-school laptop case that snugly encases MacBooks and MacBook Pros, shielding them from the elements. No two hardback leather cases are alike, and since the BookBook looks like an old musty library volume, it's not likely your neighborhood thief's gonna think to swipe it from you. (Books are so 1997.) Watch Twelve South, a company that makes computer accessories solely for Mac users, for the inevitable BookBook for iPad. How meta. $79.99, twelvesouth.com. Spied first at designspongeonline.com.
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Next: We blogged about the Etsy Hearts for Haiti shop last week, but here's a friendly reminder that the site — which donates 100 percent of proceeds (except for PayPal/Etsy fees) to Doctors Without Borders — is still up, and there's a ton more stuff to choose from this week. We think it's pretty great that Etsy artist-crafters are so willing to donate their wares (we bought goodies from Shagpile and Iktomi so far, and we ain't done shopping) to such a great cause, especially Hightower Botanicals, whose rosemary necklace is molded straight from the real thing. Snap it first, before we cave and snatch it ourselves. $79, etsy.com/shop/heartsforhaiti. Spied first at balancedcrafts.com.
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And then: By the time we turn 30, we will have approximately 8 million unframed prints hung haphazardly on our walls. We cannot stop buying them; we have a problem. Fine. But look at this: The Working Proof's This Land is Your Land 8-by-10 digital print, a much greener vision for these our United States. Fifteen percent of sales go to American Forests, a nonprofit conservation org that promotes healthy forest ecosystems. Really, everyone wins. $45, theworkingproof.com. Spied first at poppytalk.blogspot.com.
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Oh, also: Local gal Sarah Louise Hunt, proprietress of Mouse Trap Vintage, may be keenest on mice (she's got city and country mouse pins for sale, in any fabric imaginable, on her Etsy site), but they eek us out a little. We much prefer hedgehogs, or at least the idea of hedgehogs, which is why we are sweating hard her vintage 4-inch hedgehog dish, all crackly and sunny and not likely to be found sniffing around our apartment, unlike some critters. Does this mean the owl fad is finally over? $12, etsy.com/shop/mousetrapvintage.
P.S.: Speaking of cute, Philly sculptor Darla Jackson, who created an anthropomorphic under-the-sea bunny world at Mew Gallery last year (we miss you, Mew; we miss you, anthropomorphic bunnies), is back — this time at the Philadelphia Art Alliance, with the new exhibit "While You Were Out." Her blog is worth checking out, too — it's where we found her "Surprise Party" installation, featuring gorgeously crafted, anatomically correct wild animals wearing vibrant party hats. We can't afford Surprise Party (Birds) by any means, but we can make it our desktop background, thankyouverymuch. $300, darlajacksonsculpture.com.
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We want to know what's on your RSS feed. Hit us up (carolyn.huckabay@citypaper.net) with tips and treats.
Thanks for including me in this post! Awesome, totally covetable stuffs! :)
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| Octopus Hat, $34, Our Yellow House |
If you still haven't made a donation to the Red Cross or any number of other relief organizations in the name of helping post-quake Haiti, there is, of course, still plenty of time, and still plenty of people who desperately need all the financial help they can get.
Etsy's jumped on board with Hearts for Haiti, a fundraising shop where 100 percent of the post-Paypal-fee proceeds go directly to Doctors Without Borders, which has been working in Haiti for 19 years and operates three emergency hospitals in Port-au-Prince.
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| Haiti relief pendant, $18, Olivia Moon |
Some details from the site:
This is an Etsy collective of donated items from hundreds of Etsy shops to raise money to rebuild Haiti. 100 percent of the proceeds from this shop (minus Etsy fees and Paypal fees) go directly to Doctors Without Borders in bi-monthly increments.
All items include seller-donated free shipping (most worldwide, see individual listing); because the need is SO great, we want you to buy and help support Etsians helping Haiti. The theme for the next few weeks is on heart items, but we have more than just that. Please ... know that your purchase in this shop not only gets you a great Etsy item but it also helps alleviate the needs in Haiti.
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| Hedgehog sculpture, $27, Iktomi |
So far the little shop that could has raised more than $6,000 — but it still has a long road ahead. If you're an Etsy artist who'd like to donate to the shop, e-mail etsyforhaiti@gmail.com for more information; if you're a shopper, click here and spoil yourself, your friends and your family totally guilt-free.
I've included a few of my favorite products in this post; click on the image to visit the site. Tons and tons of baby stuff, jewelry and Haiti relief-themed crafts, but poke around for a few minutes and you'll discover a vast array of goods, from paintings and prints to pins and buttons, costing anywhere from $250 to $1.50. Happy hunting.
Just a clarification - ETSY has not jumped on board, ARTISTS have jumped on board to help those in Haiti. ETSY is still collecting a fee for every sale made in the shop - but I guess it is a small price to pay to be able to help the victims of the earthquake. So please give all the glory to the ARTISTS who have shops on Etsy and made donations of art to help those in need. Thank you.
Thank you for your post. In an effort to get the word out quickly, it is papers like yours who help as well. We can donate items but if you don't know where to go, it doesn't help. The support by etsy artists as well as the general public has been overwhelming. We only need to see photos from Haiti to be inspired to do all we can. Sincerely, Judy Danford
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| orkposters.com |
A couple months ago I started drooling ' in print ' over Chicago-based Ork Posters, with their lovely, block-text-heavy city maps (and a particularly charming map of the human heart).
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| go eagles! (click to enlarge) |
They've finally debuted their Philadelphia design, which is so beautiful I need to get my hands on it, like, now. Good thing it's hella cheap: $22 for a poster, $27 for a signed screenprint, both 10 by 24 inches. (Color choices: Black and white; light and dark blue; green and white; and even Eagles-themed teal-and-tan.) Gimme.
Says Chicago-based Ork maven Jenny Beorkrem, Philly, with its 8.1 million itty-bitty neighborhoods, wasn't easy to wrap her head around. "Philly does have a lot of neighborhoods ' it ended up looking similar to D.C. with the street grid diagonal to the compass and bisected by creeks/rivers," she says. "You have to spend more time on the type to make it look acceptable."
What do you think, CritMass readers ' has she passed the city-shaped-like-a-pork-chop test?
We can't really understand any reason you wouldn't go flocking to Mugshots this Thursday (7 p.m., free, 2106 Fairmount Ave., mugshotscoffeehouse.com) for the annual Screens 'N' Spokes charity art sale. Sixteen talented artists from across the U.S. ' including Greg Pizzoli, Leia Bell and Decoder Ring Design Concern ' have created bike-inspired illustrations and letterpress work to benefit the National MS Society, and we kinda want one of each.
They're gorgeous prints priced fairly, and the cause is a great one. Team Screens 'N' Spokes has an almost-up-and-running Web site, blog, Twitter account and Etsy site (where the prints will be available for purchase as of the week of August 10), but they've also shared with us a handful of previews that we, in turn, will share with y'all. Here goes, with accompanying Screens 'N' Spokes-provided captions:
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| First off is a sexy number from Renee Fernandez of the Decoder Ring Design Concern, hailing from Austin, Texas. Renee is an avid biker and her print uses cool greens and yellows to fill your wall with double entendres. | Next up is a bright blue print from John Vogl, who works under the moniker "The Bungaloo" in St. Louis, MO. | From SNS veteran Leia Bell, we've seen two red bikes ' a tricycle and a road bike by the shore ' but this year she's going for a pretty shade of green in a sweet close-up. It's still instantly recognizable as Leia's work. |
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