Designalicious Jewelry & Craft

my owl friends

Aren't they cute? This is my little collection of stuffed owls. Two were gifts from friends and the other three I bought from fellow crafters at some of the shows I've done. See that's the problem with doing great craft shows, i just want to buy everything there. Anyway, here they are, my little cluster of owl friends. Whoot!

wish i was wearing

this today:

I'll give you one chance to guess my favorite color. For all the details on this sweet green outfit go here.

quick and easy infinity scarf

For just the cost of some matching thread you can turn any scarf into an infinity scarf in just a few minutes. I have this red jersey scarf that I've been thinking would look much better as an infinity scarf so I thought, why can't I just sew it together? I did just that, and it was so easy. Here are my simple steps.

1. Cut off any tags that might get it your way.

2. Pin together at the ends making sure you're not twisting the fabric.

3. Sew along the pinned edge, don't forget to backstitch and trim your excess threads.

4. You're done. Wrap your new scarf around your neck 2-3 times and go out looking lovely!

weekend project

I've been meaning to take a photo of my little art wall to show you and I finally remembered. This was a weekend project from a few weeks ago. I finally framed all the little pieces of art I've been collecting and hung them up together. I love how it came out and as you can see I sill have room for a few more. Etsy here I come!

wish i was wearing

this today:

I don't think I've ever been obsessed with a sweater before. A pair of boots or maybe a handbag, but never a sweater. Well, friends that has changed. I am so into Phillip Lim sweaters right now. They're all very sergeant pepper-meets-school band-meets-military uniform and I'd love to add one to my fall closet. But alas, it's a recession out there and who knows how long this trend will last. I'll just have to admire them from afar and that's fine by me. For all the details about this outfit go to my set on Polyvore.
 

photos i love

 

I'm adding these to my inspiration board. I love the colors, the glowy light, and the patterned wallpaper. I'd love to be sitting at that rustic table drinking a glass of wine, eating olives, and spreading cheese on that fresh baked bread. Both images by Mark Lund.

affordable wall art by Geninne Zlatki

Urban Outfitters' art buyer is at it again. Finding one of my favorites and offering adorable affordable wall art. The above left image called "Love Birds" is one of my favorites by artist Geninne Zlatki. And if you want to be super inspired, visit her blog. It's full of creative sketches and pretty photos of her studio. And don't even get me started talking about how cute her puppy "Turbo" is, he is beyond adorable.

seeing elephants everywhere

I'm a big fan of the elephant and I've been seeing them everywhere. My elephant obsession started with the cute tunic dress above by Wren clothing. I want it so badly. I'm lucky my size is sold out or I probably wouldn't be able to resist it's charms. Here are a few other adorable elephants I've come across lately.

{1} Elephant print dress by Wren clothin  {2} Elephant pillow by DwellStudio found at Fawn & Forest  {3} Elephant pillow from Anthropologie  {4} Good luck Elephant necklace by Archive Design found at Max and Chloe  {5} Elephant onesies by Tadpole Creations etsy {6} Elephant paper by Hambly

field trip: sedona, arizona

I just returned from an amazing trip to Sedona, Arizona. I'd never been before and will most definitely return. I met a dear friend from the east coast there and together we splurged on spa treatments, yummy food, hiking, and time by the pool. My photos don't do the views justice, it was nothing short of spectacular. I literally felt like I was in the Grand Canyon. One of the more interesting treatments I had at the spa was an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultation. I discovered my Vata is all out of whack, who knew? This trip was the perfect down time I needed to re-energize for my new job {that starts tomorrow} as well as all the other things I'd like to accomplish in the next few months. Now I just need to get my Vata back in balance!

happy anniversary

Today is my wedding anniversary! This photo is for my husband, who I am grateful for every day. I'm taking a few days off from the blog to reenergize and re-inspire. I'm in the middle of a big transition for me. I start a new job in a few weeks. I'm leaving the world of magazines and will be art directing and designing books. It's very exciting, I've been wanting to challenge myself with creating a book for a long time. I feel like this is a good time to give some new energy to my blog as well. So I'll be off thinking up some new ideas. See you soon!

illustration crush on catherine campbell

I think the next new print to add to my ever-growing art wall will have to be one by Catherine Campbell. Her pieces are a little haunting and a lot beautiful. I love how delicate they are but yet there is so much detail in her line work. Catherine is from Melbourne, Australia and lucky for us has a shop in etsy called My Folk Lover. 

wish i was wearing { and eating }

This today!

All I have to say is Yum! This is making me hungry for a sprinkles cupcake. For set details visit polyvore.

five books i fell for today

A simple trip to the bookstore to pick up a couple of books for vacation turned into hours spent in the craft, art, design, and photography sections. Oh and the magazines, can't forget those. I was there for a while too. Here are the five books I really wanted to march up to the counter with. PS, I can never seem to get out of a bookstore without picking up some kind of cute notebook or sketchpad for myself. This time I got one by Jill Bliss. It's really cute and the inside is graph paper.

{1} The Party Dress by Alexandra Black

{2} Zakka Sewing: 25 Japanese Projects for the Household by Therese Laskey, Chika Mori, and Yoko Inoue

{3} Bazaar Style: Decorating with Market and Vintage finds by Selina Lake, Joanna Simmons, and Debi Treloar

{4} The Art of the American Snapshot, 1888-1978 by Sarah Greenough, Diane Waggoner, Sara Kennel, and Matthew S. Witkovsky

{5} The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman

handmade burlap and type decor

I came across a great little online shop called mothology. Besides some gorgeous recycled and hand blown blue milk glass tabletop pieces, I found myself drawn to all of their handmade burlap linens. I love the round cushion with french type on it and the simple "post" bag with rope handles. Then I happened to see an entire spread in Country Living magazine featuring some of the same items I was drawn too, plus a whole bunch more. Must be a trend!

The September Issue

If you like magazines and fashion and you're looking for something to do this weekend go see the movie "The September Issue". It's a behind the scenes look at the production of Vogue's September 2007 issue, their largest ever. I think it weighed something like 4 pounds. The movie was fascinating and funny. I was most impressed with Creative Director Grace Coddington, girl sure can produce some amazing photos. I also loved seeing Anna Wintour in action. 

a brilliant idea for your date book

This is a look inside the date book of France Dushane. France is one of the most sought after hair and makeup artists in San Francisco. She has some serious skills with a curling iron and mascara. France makes everyone look their beautiful best. She shared with me a brilliant idea that she's been doing for years. Like myself, France loves her iphone, but prefers to keep all her important notes, appointments, and to-do lists in a pretty paper date book. This is where the brilliant part comes in, she uses the old pages from her book as a place to collage together her favorite images turning them into her very own portable inspiration and mood boards. When the year is up you have recycled something you would have thrown away into a creative and prized possession. Thanks France, I'm so inspired, I'll be doing this with my 2010 calendar for sure. 

{ for a glimpse at France's work take a look at her portfolio at Artist Untied. And special thanks to Chris Andre for photographing her book for me. }

wish i was wearing

this today:

A vintage pair of Ted Lapidus sunglasses, an arm full of bangles, and a killer pair of shoes from H&M. What more can a girl need?

photos i love

These images are by Chris Andre, a San Francisco based photographer who is just as lovely as the photographs he takes. These were taken in his own home. So stylish. I love the vases, I love all the craftsman-style wood, and the light is so pretty. I'm sort of obsessed with the bright green vase in the font... the one with the strap. I have to find out where that came from. 

no room for the blues

What's the best blue for my nails? Im on my way to get a pedi and I've been dying to paint them bright turquoise blue. I love to take a look at all the crazy Opi colors, especially the brights these days. I think the first one is closest to what I was thinking. I love that it's called "No Room for the Blues" Off I go! 

{1} No Room for the Blues

{2} Blue my Mind

{3} Sea? I Told You!

{4} Breathe Life

{5} Teal the Cows Come Home

tons of tutorials

I came across a bunch of DIY jewelry tutorials on Martha Stewart's web site today. I picked out my favorite four. {top left} the wooden bib necklace {top right} easy chain link necklaces, bracelets, and belts {bottom left} the bracelet belt {bottom right} recycled bib necklace. There are thirty more if you don't see one here you're dying to make, which ones are your favorites? 

did you know?

that Weldon Owen Publishing makes some really pretty books? Well they do. More on this later ;-)  The above images are from the Willams-Sonoma books "cooking for friends" and "cooking for baby".

wish i was wearing

this today:

I almost missed "Wish I was wearing Wednesday"! Well here it is and it's an Orla extravaganza. I know you'll love this outfit as much as I do. Seriously, I want that skirt so badly. She made a cute dress in the same leaf pattern too. Here are the details. 

texture and bliss

Recently I had the pleasure of working with Illustrator Olaf Hajek. His use of texture is gorgeous and his color palettes are total bliss. He has an amazing collection of editorial work work but I'm crazy for his personal work too. Can you guess which one is called "Fashionanimals"?

i'm loving wire racks

I've been having heart flutters for all things wire lately. I especially LOVE the idea of hanging a rustic wire postcard rack on my wall and using it to display postcards from all over the world. Even better, so many times I want to buy original art from my favorite illustrators and photographers but like everyone these days I'm trying to save money. Instead I often opt for a sweet post card or a small little print. This would be perfect for a collection just like that, and you can change it whenever you want. Love it. Now I'm on the hunt for one just like in this photo above from Real Living Magazine. I started my search on etsy in the vintage category. I didn't quite find what I was looking for but I did find this mid-century magazine rack from Roberta Grove. My magazines would look great in there. Okay, focus. The search continues. . .

spotted on the newsstand

I hadn't heard of Stampington & Company and Somerset Publishing until just a few months ago. I keep finding myself drawn to their magazines. Most recently I discovered "Green Craft". It's really well done with some very cute projects inside, like the re-use of dryer sheets seen on the spread above. I also love reading profiles of bloggers featured in "Artful Blogging". Each blog is different and creative in it's own way. They've turned me on to some great new daily reads and inspired me to be a better blogger myself.

busy bee

I've been working on a few projects that have been keeping me very busy and away from my blog the past few days. I'm trying to find the time to get some pretty posts up for you, who needs to sleep right? Well, I kinda do and I seriously need to tidy up my desk. Here are two photos of what I wish my cluttered desk looked like. For real? Are those supposed to be messy?  { Photos by Neo Vision }

photos i love

These stunning night landscapes are by Amanda Friedman, and LA based photographer that I have had the pleasure of working with. I usually think of Amanda as a portrait photographer. You should check out that part of her portfolio online, she takes the most beautifully lit portraits of real people and celebrities. But she was in town last week and she showed me her travel book as well as these gorgeous night landscapes that are her passion. Don't they almost not look real? So cool.

wish i was wearing

this today:

I put this set together a few weeks ago, I've been on the market for a cute plaid shirt, but haven't found one yet. I'm also always on the lookout for vintage jewelry. One of my favorite places to follow on twitter is Erie Basin. Owner, Russell Whitmore, has an amazing eye. I love being on of the first people to see what new treasures he's added to the store's collection, like the Bloodstone ring and jet leaf brooch above.

twinsies

I've always loved the look of the twin reflex camera. I love the photos they take too. I got one for myself about five years ago and had fun experimenting while on vacation. I had a little bit of a focus problem and most of the images came out a little soft. I still love them though and had fun trying something new. Hmm, seeing all these images I found is making me want to bust out that twin reflex again! 

{top left} capturing the past by mlephotos on etsy

{top right} flickr

{bottom left} zip up jogger sweatshirt from Vital Industries

{bottom center} photo print by ArtfulMagpie on etsy

{bottom right} earrings! from HModine on etsy

craft party friday night

I know it's Monday but I made these cute ruffle necklaces on Friday night. My husband was out for town so I threw myself a craft party! To make the necklace on the left I followed a simple tutorial by Happy Together that I found on one of my daily blog reads Coquette. Then I thought how sweet one of these would look if it was made with a lace doily. Sadly, I didn't have any doilies but I did have a fabric that sort of looked like one, so I cut it in more of an oval shape and followed the same steps as I did for the other necklace. They are both adorable and I can't wait to wear them. Here is the tutorial if you want to make one yourself.

photos i love

I love this new photo series by Rory Earnshaw and Julie Dodge. Rory is an extrordinary photographer and Julie is a talented stylist. It’s not easy to do such simple yet impecable styling. They almost look like still life paintings. You can see more on Rory’s web site, these are just a few of my favorites. A little bird told me there are plans to combine all the images from the series and print them as a poster. I know I want one if they do!

wish i was wearing

this today:

Are you as excited as I am that the new season of Mad Men has started? In honor of their fabulous fashion, this week my "wish i was wearing" is Mad Men inspired. Need to know where to find Joan's trademark pen necklace? Here are all the details. 

order up!

I'm busy working on a big order right now. 80 necklaces to make, what was I thinking? There will be many a night spent in front of the TV cutting paper, charms, and chains. 

lovely lace

All three of these remind me of delicate lace. The bed spread was made by Paul Lowe for Country Living Magazine. He sewed vintage doilies onto a linen fabric. If you love it you should also have a peek at his blog, Sweet Paul. Lots of pretty crafts, food and recipes. The porcelain earrings are by Sofia Masri and the stamped paisley t-shirt is by jcrew. 

class action

I mentioned earlier this week that I was taking a tabletop photography class, and it was fun. I will be very honest here, I am an auto girl. That's right, no manual settings for me. Well I actually took the above photo with natural light and used all my manual settings. Well okay, the teacher *may* have helped me a little bit. That's her, Nicole, in the photo on the left. Now I just need those huge french door-like windows in my house to secure the perfect filtered light for all my future photo shoots.

wish i was wearing

this today:

But truthfully, I don't have the legs to pull off those shorty-short-shorts, and I'd only last 5 minutes in those heels even though they are so fierce and fantastic. All the details are right here.

dish it out: the heirloom tomato

Just thought I'd share some pretty heirloom tomatoes I picked up today at the farmers market. I made them into a simple salad with a fig balsamic dressing, some fresh chopped basil, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Yummy. Though I'd much rather have them photographed by Sheri Giblin and styled by Erin Quon. 

field trip: mendocino

Ah, I'm back from a weekend away in Mendocino. We were very lucky and had gorgeous weather. The whole weekend was very low key. I got to relax on the deck overlooking the ocean and read "New Moon", the second book in that vampire series the kids are all talking about, and "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". Two very different books and I loved them both. My husband found out about a sea glass beach he thought I'd like so we took a little trip there. It was so strange, on this little beach, instead of sand there were only pebbles and sea glass. I picked out those few pieces in the photo above to take home with me. I'll have to try drilling a hole in them and turning them into jewelry. We also took a trip to a state park in the area and saw Harbor Seals and Sea Lions warming themselves on some rocks. Then back to our room at the Inn for more lounging ourselves, but this time by the fireplace.

class in session

I'm taking a tabletop photography class next week. I'm pretty excited about it. While I have plenty of experience art directing photo shoots, I have zero experience behind the camera. That is until I started taking photos of my jewelry creations, and they're okay, but I think I have tons of room for improvement. There is a blog that I started reading written by Nicole Hill Gerulat, a photographer in San Francisco, and she also teaches classes all over. I signed up for her tabletop session next week. I'll let you know how it goes! And if you're interested yourself check out her classes blog and pretty photography website. Those are her gorgeous photos above.

it's electric!

As promised, I've been adding more things to my etsy shop every day this week! I'm obsessed with electric blue, so I had to make my mod pod earrings in this eye-catching color. I'm showing off the silver pair above but I also made them in gold. Plus my sweet french-antique-inspired robin's egg charm earrings {above right} and my gold branch necklace with Amazonite stones. These were really popular at the Maker fair and this is my last one. {bottom right} You will find them all right here.

wish i was wearing

I'm turning that frown upside down people! I feel like it's been weeks and months of cloudy, overcast, chilly days in the city. Can there be a such thing as cheery clouds? I hope so and so does Stella McCartney.

upcycling

I love to unearth vintage treasures, take them apart, and recycle them into something new. This is exactly what I've done with these three pieces. Both of the butterflies were old brooches I found at a local flea market. I loved the way they looked, but who really wears brooches that often? So I carefully cut off the pins, did some filing to smooth the edges left behind so they wouldn't scratch my neck, and picked out the perfect chain to compliment each of them. I attached both butterflies to their chains with some simple jump rings, added clasps, and now I have two one-of-a-kind necklaces. For the locket, I chose not to polish it because I think the darker color it developed over the years just adds to it's vintage charm. But it would sparkle like new with just a little rub of a polishing cloth. I added a wire wrapped fresh water pearl just above the locket and attached them to a 24 inch chain. It's so pretty, I love the length of it. All three of these necklaces can be purchased in my etsy shop. 

delightful doodle

Every now and then i come across an illustrator that just makes me want to sit down and draw. I fell in love with James Gulliver Hancock's artwork around the same time I couldn't stop listening to Lenka's new album, he created all the artwork for it. He also just so happens to have designed one of my favorite Poketo t-shirts. What is up with this guy? Is anything he does NOT my favorite? Hmm, I don't think so.

new in the shop

I'll be posting new items in the shop all week, have a peek. These are my brand new twig earrings. I love the sweet combination of silver and purple. All handmade by moi, you can see the full listing here in my etsy shop. 

my apologies

For being such a slacker! It's not for lack of ideas, projects, or things to post, just a lack of time. I promise to get back to regular posts next week. Until then, spend some time on Eric Almas' photography web site. I love his work more than i can even say. Happy Friday, I'm wishing you all a wonderful creativity-filled weekend!

i love a good trade

I'm still recovering from a few furious days of jewelry making followed by two long days of standing behind a table selling said jewelry at the Renegade craft fair. I loved every minute of it though. Even when I thought I was losing my voice from talking too much. One of my favorite things to do when I'm taking part in a sale like Renegade is to check out all my fellow vendors. So much talent, I'm always blow away. I was especially impressed with Alice Jarry, a visual artist and designer from Montreal. Her silk-screen prints were so cool. I was overwhelmed by them all and couldn't really pick one. I ended up choosing one of her bicycle prints, but best part was, she was so sweet she traded me for a pair of my mod pod earrings. Like the title says, I love a good trade. 

it's official

I've changed my jewelry company name to moss and vine. It's been a long time coming and it's been a hard decision. When I started Designalicious it covered everything I did, my graphic design, sewing, knitting, and jewelry making. Now that I am focusing only on my jewelry and it's doing well I though it deserved a brand all of it's own. This is the sign I just finished for my booth and my new business cards came today too. Just in time. I hope it's well received and I don't just end up confusing everyone with the new name. ;-) Oh and I'm keeping my blog as is. I don't like change that much.

i'm a renegade

Taking a quick 5 min break from jewelry making to remind you that I'l be at Renegade SF this weekend. I'm not in a great spot this year, it looks like my booth is all the way at the back. I hope you'll still come find me and say hello! Just Look for the turquoise blue fabric covered table. 

total chaos

Okay, so, on most blogs you get to view photos of people's pretty workspaces and studios. Everything is organized and looks like a place you'd want to be. I'm always envious of those peaceful looking spaces. I don't know about the rest of you, but when I'm getting ready for a jewelry show or working on a craft project, it's pretty much total chaos at my house. Things are in piles, beads are rolling under the couch, I can't find anything, my cat is eating all my wire, and so on. It's sort of liberating showing you my mess, and also sort of like showing you my weeks worth of dirty laundry spilling out of my closet, which I definitely wont do. Promise.

well hello, new bedding

I've been in the market for some new bedding for a very long time. I'd look, but I couldn't commit to anything. Until today! I've been waiting to see what the new Amy Butler designs would look like and I am crazy for the "Coventry" collection, plus it's 100% organic. If I have any extra time this weekend I'm going to run to Bed Bath and Beyond and see if I can pull together something as pretty as these images above. Minus the apples. UPDATE: The Amy Butler Collection isn't being carried in stores you have to order online. I found out the hard way, but made my way home and placed my order. I can't wait for it to get here!