Monday, January 29, 2007

Sculpture in a Box



I found this fun toy in the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC. It's also for sale in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

"Sculpture in a box" is a collection of Calder-esque shapes that snap together and interlock. I nearly bought one, but then I remembered my budget. As in, I'm broke. Depressing.

Also in the Hirshhorn was this really fun novelty by the people at Optigone. It's a portable, personal, no-electricity required hologram device. I had to buy one. It's currently in my foyer, and my new favorite thing to do is watch as guests try to figure out why they can't grab that chocolate...

In other news, Luster has some new collections in time for Valentines Day, and Zlanarama has a bunch of new trinkets in.

Monday, January 22, 2007

And now for something completely off topic...

Who here likes bubble gum?

I personally adore bubble gum, but since my braces got put in (stupid genetic lack of permanent teeth) I've not been able to indulge in my favorite candy. So I'm here to share it with you all.

The best gum I have ever tasted in my entire life is Marukawa gum of Japan. In the variety pack, you get two of each kind of gum: orange, melon, strawberry and grape. In each little box, you get four gumballs. Each of those gumballs are like heaven.

Here's a picture of the packaging:

Stay tuned for more constructive posts, when I've not been awake since 4:30 in the morning!

Curse you, snow! Curse the need to shovel you off my walk!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Interview with Zlanarama

Here's another interview, this time we're hosting Betsi Goutal of Zlanarama.

MFT: Where do you get your ideas - and beads! - for your original pieces?

Z: Basically, there are two steps I tend to follow; refreshing my memory
about all the different techniques for jewelry making I've learned or
thought of on my own, and then getting inspired. I keep a notebook where
I write down general ideas of all the ways I can put together a given
type of jewelry. I've learned a lot from craftster.org and from the
projects section of www.rings-things.com, where I buy my components. For
inspiration, I have a folder on my computer where I save images of
jewelry. Most of them are from other indie designers, like dollyday and
milkbell. I find the images on livejournal and eBay mostly. Don't get me
wrong, I don't keep these images to rip off other designers; I just like
to look at the colors, and designs and just let my mind wander and get
into a creative, jewelry-designing state. Other times, I'll just dive in
looking through my bead stash to get inspired.

Which I guess brings me to your other question of where I get my beads.
I get my beads a lot of different places really - you'd be surprised how
many stores carry cute plastic beads in kits or small bags, aimed at
little girls. Mainly though, I get my beads from eBay and from craft
stores. Most of the vintage '80s charms I work with come from eBay - I
buy them in big lots and take them off their clippies. One of these days
I'm going to sell off the ones that don't really work for me as jewelry
components. They're considered collectible these days, which makes me
feel pretty old - I had these as a kid! My other biggest eBay score was
a large wholesale-style lot of party favor necklaces and bracelets. I
seriously jumped out of my chair cheering and hugging my boyfriend when
I one that one. I'd seen necklaces like them at the local party store
for a dollar each and managed to get them for about 15¢ each! As for
craft stores, I buy craft beads in the big variety packs, as big as I
can find. I also look for craft kits with lots or really bright colored
beads. I still love bright, sparkly, plastic beads. My taste in jewelry
really just never grew up.

MFT: Do you make all your own jewelry, then?

Z: The majority of the jewelry on the zlanarama site is handmade by me,
yes. There are some items that are bought from wholesalers that caught
my eye, and I just couldn't resist. I do make certain any mass-produced
product that's offered on the site meets the same standard of both
cuteness and sturdy construction as the original designs.

MFT: Do you have any favorite jewelry-making tools?

Z: Round-nosed pliers have made working with eyepins a dream! I believe it was this page on Connie Fox's website that led me to realize how vital they are for closing off eyepins. I've also recently discovered J.B. Weld, an epoxy adhesive that I just love. Initially, I hesitated to try it as it seemed complicated to mix the two parts, but it's really pretty straightforward and the bond it creates just can't be beat. I need to glue slick surfaces together, like rhinestones to metal, and it's hard to find a glue that'll handle the job well enough to hold up to the wear and tear on jewelry.

MFT: Where does your inspiration come from?

Z: Lots of different places, but to name some of the major ones: other jewelry designers, funky costume jewelry from the '60s and '70s, Japanese street fashion (especially the style called decora), toys of all kinds but especially those from the '80s like Rainbow Brite, little girls' plastic dress-up jewelry, the Lisa Frank stationery and party favors I remember form when I was a kid.

MFT: Turquoise or purple?

Z: This is a really tough choice for me, these are two of my very favorite colors, especially together. In fact, the past couple of month my hair has been purple and turquoise! I guess if I have to choose, I'd say purple, as I like any shade of purple at all, but sometimes turquoise is a bit too green.

MFT: Are you influenced by any other designers?

Z: Definitely. For high-end designers, I love the work of Tarina Tarantino and Steven Shein. Indie designers I admire include Kris from Luster Studios, Lindsay from Kid Pirate (though these days she's focused on her graphic design, and not jewelry), and the girls behind Starshine Candy.

MFT: Do you snack while you work?
Z: A little - only while I'm doing work that's computer related, so if I get greasy snack-fingers on anything, it's just my keyboard or mouse.

MFT: Have you read any good books recently?

Z: For fiction, I just finished Split Heirs which I found hilarious in a wacky, parody, dark humur kind of way. Really engagingly written, but a quick read. For non-fiction I just read Confessions of an Organized Homemaker. The author totally gets how crazed and messy a house can get, and doesn't come off as judgemental about it. I've been using the advice in it to get both my home and myself organized and more productive.

MFT: How do you design your pieces?

Z: Randomly. No really! About half my designs come to me out of the blue. I think my brain is always thinking about design possibilities, at least on some level, so new concepts will just bubble out of me at the strangest moments.

MFT: What are your other hobbies besides crafting?

Z: Gosh, something not crafty? I'm not sure I'm wired that way. Like a lot of crafters, I was raised by a creative mother who was always giving my siblings and I one craft project or another to keep us entertained. And was always making things herself, for that matter. It was a really creative atmosphere and I think most of my hobbies are creative in one way or another. I guess the one non-crafty hobby I have is gaming, though. I love games; board games, card games, computer games. I have a whole bookshelf devoted to board games!

Friday, January 12, 2007

Eggling - Mini Growable Garden



This is another cute find from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Eggling comes in a box, complete with growing instructions and an extra packet of seeds. Simply tap on Eggling's head with a metal spoon until it cracks, put on the terra cotta tray and water. Stick Eggling in sunshine and pretty soon you have an adorable growing plant. Eggling can be stuck into the ground or a full-sized pot, and the egg breaks down as fertilizer.

Available plants are herbs (basil, italian parsley, mint, thyme) and flowers (chrysanthemum, lobelia, phlox, petunia).

The makers of Eggling also manufacture Nyokki a plastic animal who grows grass out of its head. You trim the grass and style Nyokki's hair.

Sort of like Chia Pets, but cuter.

Monday, January 8, 2007

Interview with Cotton Candy Vomit

I recently held an interview with Amber K. Green of Cotton Candy Vomit. This was my first time holding an interview, and hopefully I didn't muck it up too badly! Check out her site for handmade and crocheted goodies.

MFT: A lot of your products seem to be nature-based. Do you look to nature
for inspiration?

CCV: Yes I do! I just love turning something you may see every day into something awesome.

MFT: When did you first begin to crochet?

CCV: I started crocheting when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I gave it up for a long time but picked it up again when I was 16.

MFT: What are your interests outside of crafting?

CCV: I love going out with my best friends and my hubby. Music, good movies, trying new things, playing with my dogs and my rat... Crafting is a big interest, though. Between crafting for my business and going to work, that takes up atleast half of my time!

MFT: Do you listen to music while you work?

CCV: Sometimes. Or have the TV going in the background. I need background noise or I can't concentrate as easily.

MFT: Has there been a project for Cotton Candy Vomit that stands out in your mind?

CCV: Recently I was offered a chance to have some of my pieces in a fashion show. So I made a couple scarves... I made one rainbow and one tree scarf. I worked really hard to make them fancier and nicer than the ones I usually sell. The tree scarf has little red hearts (like fruit) in the leaves, and a knotted texture on the trunk. And the rainbow scarf has super soft clouds with a scalloped texture on the stripes. They are so cute that I want to keep them! I have a lot of fun with special things like that. It's a nice break from doing the same old thing over and over. Especially because I get a lot of large orders for rainbow scarves. I get really tired of making 20 at a time! I just get sick of seeing those rainbows. LOL.

MFT: Do you make homemade presents at birthdays and holidays?

CCV: I used to. But now that I run my own business I don't really have as much time to. I still try to make a few here and there when I can't think of anything nice that I could go out and buy!

MFT: What's your favorite children's book?

CCV: Green eggs and ham!!

MFT: Do you have any advice for people who are interested in starting to
craft?

CCV: It's great! If you need to relieve stress, or just want something to do when you're bored, it's really awesome. It's so satisfying to complete something. In my opinion, crafts are art!

My advice for starting a business to sell your crafts, is to read into it before you even think about starting one. I picked up all my knowledge about running a business just by observing others, asking around, and just using common sense. I got lucky, though. Not everyone is successful at selling their crafts, and the first year or more when you're starting out takes a lot of time and money. Some businesses never make it that far. This sounds mean, but if you're serious about selling your crafts they need to be original and good quality or they probably won't sell. Also, it seems natural to price your handmade items really high, but you won't sell to that many people unless your prices are reasonable. I know you see some ebay sellers making hundreds on a cute shirt that they made (like Supayana, for example.) You have to take in consideration that she's been doing this for a long time, and her name is out there! So, what I'm trying to say, is if you want to start your own business, don't quit your day job until you know what you're getting into.

MFT: How much of a perfectionist are you? An extreme perfectionist? An extremely extreme perfectionist?

CCV: Extreme perfectionist. I wouldn't say I'm so extreme that I'm extremely extreme because I do try to sell some of my mess-ups (at lower prices, of course) because someone might buy it! But I have thrown things away, taken apart jewelry, unraveled scarves, and more, just to start over. I take pride in making quality items!!!

MFT: If you could describe your work in a single word, what would it be?

CCV: I couldn't describe it in one word if I tried!! But maybe two? "Time consuming."

Thursday, January 4, 2007

New Stuff by Luster!

Well, the world is a good place, because Kris has new jewelry in her Charming collection. There are new necklaces, bracelets and earrings and they are all very happy to see you. I really like the White Hearts necklace. Very cute.

In other news, I've started up a few interviews with various other crafters in the online community. I'm excited! Future articles include magazine, book and recipe reviews, as well.