Three Etsy Things : Dog Art

Etsy is a great place to buy prints big and small. There's a whole world of amazingly talented artists and illustrators with Easy shops, just waiting for you to fall in love with their style. Plus they often offer a heap of options - from large originals to A4 prints to art cards - so you can normally find the right sized print to fit both your wall space and your budget. 

Right now I'm sitting next to a pile of prints that I've been meaning to get framed for months, and I'm wondering where on earth I'll find the wall space to hang them, so yeah, I'm on a print buying ban. But I can still look, right? 

1. Dogs Dogs Dogs A4 print | Surfing Sloth (Art by Luka Va) 

2. Plant Dogs risograph prints (set of two) | Sarah McNeil 

3. Dogs in a Floral Doodle Garden giclee print | Studio Legohead

Three Etsy Things : Clutches

I don't usually travel with a handbag - I prefer to take a backpack so I can carry my laptop, camera, chargers, hard drives and other fun stuff in there. But a backpack doesn't really cut it for a night on the town, so I always throw a clutch in my suitcase.

Something not too big and not too small; something that sits flat so it doesn't take up too much valuable suitcase real estate. It needs to double as storage for bracelets and the like, and it needs to work with any outfit.

Here's three on Etsy that I reckon tick all those boxes and more.

1. Leather wallet with gold dots | Raramodo 

2. Golden palm leaf leather pouch | Kertis

3. Tonala media clutch in black marble | Scout & Catalogue

ps. If you're looking for some more clutch, tote, zip pouch inspiration I've got just the collection of favourites for you here!

Three Etsy Things : Soup Bowls

As much as I love the long sunny days of summer (and living in the sparkling harbour city of Sydney how could I not?), I do get a bit excited when the nights cool and the light softens. I adore autumn. Partly because of the gorgeously coloured leaves and that misty, filtered sunshine. And partly because it means a chance to wear boots and scarves and jackets, long socks and big wooly knits. And partly because cooking in the cooler months is so much fun! Throw everything in a big pot, simmer for a few hours, serve with comforting carb of your choice - yum! 

Summer did take a long time to say goodbye this year, but autumn has now arrived with a bang (see #sydneystorm...). We've wholeheartedly embraced the cold and rainy turn with two stews and a mince pie under our culinary belts already. 

Next on the kitchen hit list? Soup! I'm thinking a creamy leek and potato, and then something a little mistrone-ish, with loads of veg. Maybe later I'll tackle the mother-in-law's two day oxtail soup recipe. And what better way to celebrate soup season than with these gorgeous bowls? 

1. Monopoli Porcellana vintage floral soup bowls | Verified Vintage 

2. Handmade nesting bowls | Urban Cartel 

3. 1970s Japanese floral bowls | Retro and Roses

Three Etsy Things : Baskets

There's a lot of Etsy angst going around right now (see here, for example). People are talking about how this once idyllic haven for artists and crafters seems to have become a mega site full of cheap mass produced crap. They're talking about whether it's still 'the world's most vibrant handmade marketplace'. Sadly, much of this angst is well-founded. Etsy has changed, and sometimes it does feel like it's more mass made than hand made.

But Etsy is still my number one go to place for ace things of awesome, because amongst all the resellers and faux crafters and copycatters there are a heap of really great artists and crafters selling really great things. 

So I'm reviving Three Etsy Things, to help celebrate all those sellers who keep the original Etsy dream alive (with a little vintage on the side too because...well, vintage!). 

In this edition - baskets. Colourful, cute and just waiting to help your organise all your bits and bobs. I'm lucky enough to have one of Raspberry Rainbow's rope sewn bowls and I love it!

1. Southwestern wicker basket | moon fossil 

2. Rope sewn bowls covered in fabric | Raspberry Rainbow 

3. Swedish beaded baskets | Hejsan Goods

New! Flora Postcards! + Sale! Ends Soon!

Due to my blanket Twitter and Facebook coverage of these things you're probably already aware but just in case there's a few of you that have missed the news - above is the result of something I've been working on for a little while, and something I'm rather pleased with. Flora notecards are now available in my Jorpins Handmade shop on Etsy - only US $5.50 for a set of three (there's eight different sets to chose from). 

And to make room for more stock like this I'm having a one week only massive half price sale on a bunch of stuff! There are so many great bargains to be had (including moleskine notebooks at ridiculous prices!). 

Once the sale ends on Sunday evening, all this sale stock will dissappear from my store forever, never to return! So if you like the look of something grab it now while you still can! 

New listings + Discount (yay!) + North Korea (boo!)

I've finally found some time to list a few new goodies in the Jorpins Handmade shop - pom pom gift tags (these are so happy and bright) and the lovely sakura mini cards (featuring Japanese fabric sakura against a textured paper background). 

And in celebration of the new additions (and in a nod to current world events) I'm offering a 15% discount on the entire shop - just use the code  SEAOFFIRE at checkout. If shipping is disrupted by resumption of the Korean War I'll let you know. 

But seriously...I am a bit over all the hyped-up reporting on Korea right now. Everyday I see headlines shouting about Korea being on the 'brink of nuclear war', when often the article that follows is actually quite a measured, balanced assessment. It's unsettling for me, and it's especially unsettling for my family back in Australia. 

Seoul is very calm right now (apparently so is Pyongyang). But yes, people are concerned. They may have been through this all before but this time there's a few differences which are a little unnerving. But - people are going about their daily lives, and the vast majority of South Koreans don't believe a war is likely. 

I think Andrei Lankov nailed it in this op-ed when he says 'the farther one is from the Korean Peninsula, the more one will find people worried about the recent developments here'. That's not to say there isn't a risk that it's all going to go pear shaped, and that I'm perfectly relaxed about the whole thing. I'm not, but I still believe that an attack by North Korea is incredibly unlikely (all of their war rhetoric thus far is prefaced by 'if you attack us...then we will turn Seoul into a sea of fire etc'). And  anyway, this article reassuringly suggests that if they do attack statistically there'll only be about 200 non-Chinese foreigner casualties. (No mention of dachshund casualties though.) 

I could go on and on - I've been reading a LOT of news and opinion lately - but I won't bore you anymore than I already have. Right now we're all waiting for North Korea's 'imminent' missile test. I'm not sure what that's going to bring, but for now things are good. Well, aside from the Spring sleet/snow, that totally sucks!

So...back to the Etsy pretties!

Photo gift tags + Polkadot notebooks : New in the shop!

I've been beavering away in the paper workshop (aka my dining room table) and as a result have two new products in the Etsy shop which I'm rather pleased with. Above is the new photo gift tags - my photos, blown up and turned into fun / abstract / pretty present toppers. Below is the new hand stamped polkadot notebooks. What do you think?

Three Etsy Things : Neon Triangles

I know some of you have mixed feelings about the return of neon, but I've been embracing it wholeheartedly - at least when it comes to the things I'm favouriting on Etsy anyhow... 

1. Neon geometric hanging ornaments by SketchInc 

2. Lovely Llamas paper ornament PDF kit by happythought 

3. Neon zipper pouch by Pamplemouss

Three Etsy Things : Patterned Yellow

The other day I was happily going about my Etsy business, favouriting things at random as I came upon, when I realised there was a bit of a theme running through all these items that I was showering love upon. And so, 'Three Etsy Things' was born! Welcome to the inaugural post, which is somewhat obsessed with all things patterned and yellow. 

1. Oregon letterpress print by dutchdoor 

2. Tote bag by SlideSideways 

3. Napkins from CoolVintageFinds

Good Things...

Kicking off another batch of good things with the heart-stoppingly awesome Uniqlo x mt collaboration. Uniqlo is a prolific collaborator, and they tend to find some pretty great companies and people to work with, but I think this kicks it to a whole new level. Look at those prints! Look at those colours! 

Unsurprisingly I've been a little swamped with t-shirt requests from my Australian friends and family, but I'm only too happy to oblige - got to make the most of Asian shopping while we're here! (Oh, and if you're buying these in Japan apparently each tee comes with a roll of tape!)

Next up is the fabulously inspiring book Street Photography Now. I've been increasingly obsessed with street photography over the past year or so, and have recently even plucked up the nerve to try my hand at it. Street Photography Now offers a great introduction to some of the best photographers working the streets right now, as well as a bit of an overview as to how the art has evolved over the years. Not only is it chock full of witty, poignant, beautiful street scenes but it also contains a number of essays which I'm loving reading. 

The first essay 'Stare, Pry, Listen, Eavesdrop' discusses the legal and moral issues of the art, and provides some insight in to the mind of a street photographer - it's reassuring to read that most practitioners feel some degree of nervousness about shooting strangers. I also liked that Nils Jorgensen often won't 'look at my street photographs for many months after taking them - years even - only coming back to them when I want to and feel its right'. Hey, if it works for him... 

(There has been some angst around how sources are cited in this book - it does have a list of further reading/blogs at the back but doesn't directly cite sources for quotes - but I get SO excited about all the creative possibilities every time I look at it, I'm kind of turning a blind eye to that...)

Then we have the artistic stylings of Lena Wolff - an 'interdisciplinary' artist whose influences include folk art, American craft traditions and the natural world. She works largely with paper, but often treats it in the manner of fabric, with references to textile art and quilt making in her work. All of which adds up to awesome. The work above ('Night Flowering Tree') is a paper collage, and the one below ('Mariner's Compass') is a piece of precisely drilled wood over a light box filled with hundreds of tiny light bulbs - amazing huh?

It's been out for awhile but Jon Klassen's kids book 'I want my hat back' is so very good it has to be a part of this post. It's not just his fabulous, personality packed illustrations - it's one of the funniest picture books I've ever seen (possibly even surpassing 'The Happy Hocky Family' in sly hilarity). And no, I do not have young children (and the dogs don't read), but this doesn't stop me from enjoying books for young children (or movies, for that matter). Also, in other Jon Klassen news, he's done the cover for the current issue of UPPERCASE. Nice one.

And lastly, a little dose of blatant self promotion - after a hiatus of several months Jorpins Handmade on etsy is re-open! Hurrah! The card above is one of the new range of photo note cards that I'll be listing over the coming days. I'm quite pleased with how they turned out - what do you think? There's also note books and gift / party favour tags (more tags in new colours coming next week!), and some push pins, magnets and more in the works... Exciting times!

Camera Bags Ahoy!

Look! It's my pretty new-ish camera bag!  Isn't it pretty and colourful and fun?  These days I am such an uber photographer (*cough*) that I have two whole lenses, so the trusty old Lowepro compact ain't going to cut it anymore.  I found this little cutie in the underground shopping centre just near our apartment - it's lightly padded and fits my DSLR and two lenses, plus various sundries (a back up battery, extra memory cards, that sort of thing).  

I love the bright colours and I like that it doesn't actually look like a camera bag.  If you're curious, it's from Ciesta, a Korean company that makes all kinds of fun camera accessories.  Click on over to their website to have a peak (no on-line shop I'm afraid, but there is a little hint of Konglish which might make you smile).

And if you're after a non-standard camera bag of your own, here's three that I found on Etsy that you might want to check out:

1. A rather literal camera bag from AijoEcoTotes

2. Canvas 'Aibo' camera bag from CanterBags

3. Vintage leather Kam-ra bag from LaceAnneQueen

A new year, a new discount!

Writing the looking back, moving forward post really did prompt me to have a good hard think about what I do want to achieve in 2012 (all you 'write your goals down' type people are on to something I think!).  As a result I've decided to put my Etsy shop into a kind of cryosleep for a month or three (or maybe more) so I can focus on other stuff.

But before I do that, for one week only I'm putting everything in my shop on SALE!  Hurrah! That's 30% off EVERYTHING in my Etsy shop for the next 7 days!  If you've ever had your eye on something, this is your chance to snap it up!

Good Things...

I don't mean to alarm anyone but in 76-ish short days xmas will be here!  I adore xmas and this year I am feeling mildly organised (despite the fact that October has so far been one crazy mess of a month) - I have already planned out my gifts and started organising the decorations.  And as generally happens about this time I've also started channelling Martha Stewart (the crafty bit, not the tax avoiding bit) and have been planning my gift wrapping 'theme' for this year.  This paper weave idea from one of the cutest paper blogs around - minieco - is my current favourite.  Wonderfully colourful, yes?

Also making me smile right now is the work of Swedish illustrator/designer Olle Eksell, as showcased in the awesome book from Japan.  I love the humour and liveliness that is so evident in his work (just look at those birds!  and the two awkward bathing suited kids, surrounded by fish!), and his packaging design is crazy good.

I may have mentioned this before but I'm a bit of a magazine junkie.  Being in Korea is a bit like going cold turkey - English magazines here are so expensive, even a basic month-old 'Who' can cost you US $17.00.  So I subscribe to my favourites, and there's a few local publications I love (including this great home decor one, this arty one, and this slightly insane fashion one).  And whenever I'm in Australia or Hong Kong or anywhere else with a decent stock of English magazines I'm always looking out for something intriguing - which is how I stumbled across the first bi-lingual edition of the French magazine Raise.  

I have no idea what the purpose or concept behind Raise is (it's tricky to find any information on their site, and the translation in the magazine leaves a little to be desired) but I'm a sucker for super cool images, and this features a ton of them.  Just check out these two photographers featured in issue 8 - Marc Da Conha Lopes and Liu Di.  Plus, cute kittens.

Aren't these illustrations fabulous?  They're all from The Painted Peep Show (aka Blake Roberts), one of the talented members of the ace Etsy Greetings Team.  I recently bought a set of the running dachshund note cards - Blake captures the energy and enthusiasm of the doxie so perfectly, I think. And yes, that is a portrait of The Golden Girls!

[Paris sunset by Elgarbo Art]

And lastly...I'm going to Paris!  Hazzah, hooray, and other happy sentiments!  I've been to Paris twice before - once traveling solo on my first trip overseas (fun, but a bit nerve wracking), and once with the step-sons and their Mum in tow (lot's of fun but definately not romantic!).  

I'm super excited about this trip as it'll be the first time the husband and I have traveled to the city of light on our own.  Plus, we are doing a quick road trip on the weekend to a little town near Reims (that's where champagne is made, my favourite beverage in all the world!).  And then the husband is heading off to Dubai and I get to stay in Paris for two whole days on my own - taking in the Musee D'Orsay at my leisure, visiting the flea markets, eating my body weight in macarons, checking out the fait main stores in Pia Jane Bijkerks 'Paris: Made by Hand' (with thanks to @TheCraftRevival for the recommendation).  Heaven!

Handmade Card Bonanza!

I think I may have mentioned this before, perhaps once or twice or possibly more, but the Etsy Greetings Team really is very ace.  Team member Susan, from Killam Creative, recently organised a card swap amongst the team and so it was that my mail box had a bit of a handmade card bonanza the other day.  I think these pretties just might be playing a role in my 52 Weeks of Mail!

  1. Unflappable Productions   2. AJ's Designs   3. Elves in the Attic   4.WyNotArts   5. PaperMoon's Designs

Death by Doxie: The Elfi Has Her Own Couch Edition

There is a couch in my office/study/craft stash/library/games room/disgrace.  It's a couch I bought many years ago in another life time - I was living in Balmain, Sydney and I so clearly remember finding the couch at a Freedom clearance centre.  It had a tiny little mark on it so was on sale for some absurdly cheap price, the only catch being that I had to get it home myself.  I can't remember how I got it home, I have a feeling I may have tried to carry it the 20 minute walk back to my little house. Or I may have tried to squish it in my Holden Astra.  Either way, it clearly was a traumatic process as I have now blocked it from my memory.

Anyway, no one sits on this couch unless the step sons are here and they're playing Wii (because the husband and I never play Wii without them here.  Of course not.  We wouldn't even know what Mario Kart was if we tripped over it.  Cough.).  And Ferdi is too short legged and physically challenged and, well, stupid to figure out how to get up there.  So Elfi is queen of this couch (up there she's sharing it with a little soft doxie friend, beautifully made by Kate Durkin).  

Wake up Elfi!

New in the shop! Plus, I need your help...

Hello!  How is everything going?  Are you enjoying the guest blog posts?  Found some new favourite blogs yet? Well, whilst I'm lying in the sun poolside neck deep in gelato and with some sort of fruity alcoholic drink in my hand rising at 5 each morning to do yoga and spending my days visiting culturally and historically significant sites across Europe, I thought I'd give you a little update on my Etsy shop!  Introducing the groovy new layered flower range!  The gift tags above are my favourite so far, I can't wait to make some more of those.  And I think the cards have turned out pretty sweet too.

But here's where I need your help!  I am not so good at describing my products and I'd really like to give this range/design a name but I have no idea what to call it or how to describe it without sounding like a total loon/loser.  So please!  Any suggestions, adjectives, names you might be able to throw at me would be so very helpful...brain storm away my friends!