KidsHaus

The Small Object

The Small Object has got a few new clothespin people that are absolutely darling -- and I don't often use that word. There's something about the Cherry Dress that struck a chord. It reminded me of summers as a child when my mom would hang a pair of cherries over my ears pretending they were earrings...which reminds me that I haven't shared this tradition to my daughters' yet!

While on the subject...I was quite honored to read that Sarah Neuberger from The Small Object took my post about Ms. Bean's toothpick & marshmallow sculpture and revised it into a more permanent sculpture. Yes, I'm sorry to report that Ms. Bean's sculpture had slowly...slowly collapsed until I secretly disposed of it. Sarah used highly toxic epoxy (not recommended for children) instead of marshmallows but readers had suggested using blue poster putty that would be a kid-friendly solution and should be more durable than marshmallows. I think we're going to give it a try. By the way, if you've never read The Small Object's Steno Pad -- it's become one of my new favorite reads. Loads of inspiration and amusement.

Laura Zeck: Short Stories

Jana dropped me a line about Laura Zeck's new Short Stories. Laura will create a custom and affordable work of art depicting a special story. The picture below tells of Chloe's first trip to the beach. It is hand-printed on cream Magnani Pescia paper and framed museum style in a white frame. You suggest a particular theme (travel, garden, friendship, etc.) and Laura picks images to build your story. Laura will illustrate custom images for your Short Story upon request too. What a great birthday or baby shower gift. Laura does a wide variety of art and you can shop her online store.

Lotta Bruhn

Lotta Bruhn, a very talented illustrator and designer from Malmö, Sweden kindly sent me pictures of her owl tray two days after our return from Europe in May. Naturally, I was foggy in the head for several days (weeks?) and was a bit overwhelmed with email and getting back to daily life that I completely overlooked Lotta's email. Lotta deserves a grand spotlight on her fantastic owl trays and ABC animal poster (which doesn't appear to be for sale yet) -- cheerful animal illustrations to brighten up a room! As a side note, we coincidentally had a chance to visit Malmö for one day while in Europe. It was an amazing city that was clean, beautiful and had one of the best coastlines I've ever seen. I hope to visit again someday.

Xilocart

My (very lucky) husband is attending a trade show in England this week and called me this morning because he had wandered into to a small artists' trade show downstairs from where he had been. Apparently, most of it was rather unimpressive except for an Italian woman, Mariaelisa Leboroni, from Perugia who was displaying her xilography prints, otherwise known as wood block prints. Apparently business was incredibly slow and they were just pleased that he stopped by and showed appreciation for her craft. She also makes beautiful baby books, photo albums, notepads, etc. As a result, he bought a few beautiful pieces that I'm excited to see when he returns. I asked him to hunt down that lion print for me. Well, I'm proud of my husband for recognizing good art *wink*.

 

The Alphabet Letter Boards

The Small Object needs no introduction. I'm absolutely crazy about her Alphabet Letter Boards...my goodness, I believe I'm speechless.

Art: Molly Jey

Artist, Molly Jey, crafts these gorgeous one-of-a-kind paper sculptures delicately layered in a shadow box. It's tough to choose which one I like the most...they're all beautiful.

L'Affiche Moderne

If you're looking for some unique art from across the Atlantic, L'Affiche Moderne, a French company selling posters from mostly French photographers, graphic designers and children's illustrators, has recently opened the English version of their online shop. Each poster is a numbered limited edition of 300. There are some lovely pieces for a kids' space and a grown-ups' space as well...

Trish Grantham Nesting Dolls

We made it home yesterday and I'm feeling refreshed, believe it or not, after almost two years. Of course, giving birth and keeping up with two little girls doesn't allow much time to stop and recover -- so having my husband at arms length and stepping away from the daily routines at home was just what the doctor ordered. The girls' were awake and chirping for breakfast at 3 a.m. this morning so I just made myself a nice cup of espresso and started filling orders for eggs, orange juice and cereal. Good to be home.

So, though it's Saturday and I'm mentally preparing myself for Monday, I wanted to share Trish Grantham's new Russian nesting dolls on her etsy site. So adorable...

Art: Todd Karam

Local Seattle artist, Todd Karam, has got some sweet paintings that will be featured at his show entitled "Ordinary Objects" at the Suite 100 Gallery in Seattle this month...you can even purchase his pieces here. Todd's art has wonderful textures and layers...I love them...

Art: Stephanie Friedman

Hi! Remember me? We're getting close to wrapping up our European whirlwind tour and I'll be back to blogging on Monday...though my fingers are rusty and my brain a bit squishy. I would have written sooner but our internet connection has been horrible for the last week and a half. It was a good cleansing process to be completely disconnected though.

In the meantime, I've been fortunate to have had a handful of terrific artists email me their work during my holiday...so, until I return, I'd like to introduce you to Stephanie Friedman. Stephanie's sewn art pieces simply popped! They're cheerful, bright and would make brilliant art for a baby or child's space.

Art: Brian Demeter

When his kindergarten teacher displayed his giraffe drawing on the board, Brian Demeter knew he wanted to be an artist after all the kids wanted to trade candy for his art. I love stories like that because the child's mind has no boundaries. I was 6 when I strongly recall deciding I wanted to be an artist too and no one could change my focus. Brian's pieces are so fun and tell such imaginative stories...

Kiki & Polly

I couldn't pass up a quick blurb about Kiki & Polly because as I was reading through my email, I got a nice message from Lisa Golightly about her work. What's both funny and ironic is that I was watching Breakfast at Tiffany's at the same time -- and for those who aren't familiar, the main character's name is Holly Golightly. Lisa is a mother of two and and this is her way of capturing moments of childhood and family...with her own twist on the art of portraiture.

Funky Little Darlings

Mandy Colliss and David Quinton of Funky Little Darlings were hand-painting murals for children's rooms when it became apparent that it took much longer than clients expected, so Mandy and David found a way to digitally print wallpaper murals with the vivid colour, fine texture and quality that they demanded. They're a far cry from the nature scene murals that I lusted after as a kid...I can't imagine a child not wanting one of these to brighten up their space.

Clothespin People

It's the second time in one week that I've mentioned The Small Object but I couldn't resist these handmade, limited edition clothespin people. There are only 10 available and I have a feeling they won't last long...

Artist: Amy Hevron

Amy Hevron is a local Seattle girl that has showcased her work in several venues and, as a result, I've purchased a few myself...they''re all gracing the walls of Ms. Bean's room. Her paintings portray very sweet and whimsical animals -- some clad in suits! Amy also paints an array of lovely flowers. There are still a few for sale via Amy Ruppel's website, otherwise you can contact Amy Hevron and inquire about commissions, etc.

Chalk fun...

I didn't even know that chalkboard fabric existed (did you?) but Jessica Levin has taken this unique material and crafted some of the cutest dolls and mats to scribble with chalk. A fantastic idea for travel! Jessica's 6 year old daughter, Ayva Sunshine, even illustrated the rocket and fire-breathing dragon -- a little artist in the making.

Art: Trish Grantham

You'll find a lot of Trish Grantham posts on my blog because...well...I love her work. She's got a new batch of paintings on her Etsy site that are very affordable and endearing...

Project: Toothpick Sculpture

Ms. Bean brought this fantastic toothpick and marshmallow sculpture home from school a couple of weeks ago and I just loved it's organic shape. It's a fun and easy project that can be done at home with a bag of marshmallows and a box of toothpicks. Any shape, size or structure is aloud -- creativity at it's best! Unfortunately, because of it's edible nature, the one pictured to the right was nibbled on until it's structural integrity broke down (we had to bid farewell to it). So, the one on the left was a replacement model that we made at home. Obviously, there should be an age requirement due to the sharp toothpicks  -- so I will defer to you to make the call as to whether it's age appropriate for your child. Instructions are simple: connect the toothpicks to the marshmallows to build the structure of your child's imagination.

My Right 2 Write

My Right 2 Write emerged from a typical Friday staff meeting at The Design Farm when the topic of creating Uncommon Solutions for the Common Good became the inspiration. The idea is simple and the repercussions are great. My Right 2 Write makes handmade blank journals crafted from old-fashioned marble-covered composition books. You choose a design that strikes your fancy and for every journal sold, My Right 2 Write will donate an unadorned journal to a needy school. I could feel Jodi Bloom's excitement jumping off the page which is inevitable when you're making a difference in a child's life.

Art: Amber Alexander

I'm absolutely in love with Amber Alexander's watercolor paintings of animals that are reminiscent of fairy tales. They're both romantic and whimsical. I love the golden retriever wearing her bonnet and ruffled collar.