Modish Guest Blog

a super handmade collection - portland's edith and edna

i'm wrapping my guest blogging stint up today with a final post about one of my favorite places in portland to find handmade goodies.

edith and edna on exchange street in the old port is a bright and cheerful space full of local and web-favorite handmade items.

local favorites include bobbin bags and clothing by betsy scheintaub, milo in maine adult + kids shirts, lulubeans yarns, buttons by pixiegenne, handmade baby clothes + bags by soulemama, pinecone + chickadee shirts and papergoods, sewn goodies and mixed media collage by betsy thompson, and much more.

they also carry  dovetail ceramics (a personal favorite of mine - i love the square mugs,) collages and owls by leya at curious bird, nikki mcclure prints and calendars, walter and veronica scarves (i got one for christmas and haven't taken it off since. really) and cd cases, lovely stuff from alena hennessy, wonderful books from if'n books + marks, a wide selection of craft books, and tons more.

my pictures are a bit dark because it was a rainy day when i visited, but i bet you can get a sense of how wonderful the shop is. most definitely worth a visit next time you're in portland!  thanks to shop owners brandie and julie for letting me come by and snap some pictures.

i've had a great time guest blogging this week, and i hope i've given you all a good sense of what a great town the east coast portland is. i didn't come close to covering everything here, but i've tried to show you a good smattering!
thanks so much to jena for inviting me to make these posts this week.
cheers, jen

i spy :: apartment tour with lucky tangerine's jennifer muller

today i am very excited to show the interior of one of my very favorite apartments in portland (or anywhere, for that matter.)  graphic designer jennifer muller of lucky tangerine designs and her photographer husband michael heiko have lived around the corner from me with their son finn for several years since moving to maine from brooklyn, new york, though we only met this past summer. i'm so glad we finally did - i've recently had the pleasure to work with jennifer on several graphic design projects and am in love with her eye and style. when i saw their wonderful apartment for the first time i was totally smitten.
their kitchen is full of sunlight and a big pantry houses a terrific selection of thrifted 50s dinnerware and glasses. there's a huge array of wonderful artwork everywhere - i especially like all of the prints with big and bold typeface throughout their house.

((you might enjoy the wee busts of charles and ray eames on the kitchen shelf if you look closely.))
in the dining room jennifer has taken over a china cabinet with new and vintage fabric stash + some beautiful yarn. doesn't it look terrific?
 
the hallway has a great angela adams rug and some wonderful prints on the walls.

in the living room they have several different pieces of karen gelardi's work on display, nestled amidst sea urchins and milk glass - karen is one of my favorite local portland artists.

i love the hable construction pillows on their sofa a whole lot.
their house is cozy and inviting, full of great eye candy, and feels like a real home.
thanks so much for the peek, jennifer and michael!

she's got book :: meg rooks of pixiegenne

as it happens, some of the coolest people in my life are either librarians or librarians-in training. today it's my pleasure to introduce you to meg rooks: artist, crafty blogger, inspired vintage collector + childrens librarian living here in portland, maine with her husband and two children. {{in the spirit of full disclosure, she also happens to be my best pal.}}

meg has many crafty + creative talents. perhaps her signature item, she has made many decoupaged suitcases and pails (sold on etsy and at mahar dry goods) - all done with vintage childrens book ilustrations.

she also makes buttons, cosmetic bags, pin cushions (you can see her pincushions in this recently released book,) vintage ornament wreaths, tissue holders, sock monkeys + other fun plushies, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy.

she has an extensive collection (i think of it as treasure trove) of art/craft supplies: a super-huge stash of childrens books -most collected at yard sales or on ebay - and lots of vintage fabric.

her house is has wonderful collection of largely thrifted antiques and vintage finds, with warm paint colors and cozy corners.

i asked meg for some of her favorite book recommendations, and for some other favorite librarian-ish goodies. here's what she had to say:

favorite picture book authors:

1. william steig - all-time favorite. wonderful read-alouds
2. ruth krauss - poetic and quirky and sweet
3. leo lionni - magical, love his artwork
4. brian wildsmith - beautiful, beautiful
5. arnold lobel - simple and sweet stories and illustrations. frog and toad are the best.

close runners-up include maurice sendak, kevin henkes, russell and lillian hoban, lois lenski, and trina schart hyman.
(and astrid lindgren)
(and margaret wise brown and tasha tudor)

favorite chapter book authors for kids:

1. roald dahl: i love his kid vs. mean rotten adult style.
2. katherine patterson: really beautiful stories. her books have stuck with me more than anyone elses.
3. madeline l'engle:  i've never been super into fantasy books but i love her "wrinkle in time" trilogy.
4. e.b. white: you can't go wrong with any of his books. all classics.
5. laura ingalls wilder: it kills me that my daughter has no interest in these books. kills me.

(those are all older authors because i'm a nostalgic freak. some newer authors i love include sharon creech, karen cushman, philip pullman. ok. i'll stop there.)

adult authors i'm into lately:
miranda july, jonathan safron foer, kazuo ishiguro (which you recommended. i loved "never let me go" and an earlier book of his, "when we were orphans" is next on my list). i'm just finishing "what is the what" by dave eggers and "the history of love" by nicole krauss; both are great.

fun book-geek websites:
good reads
bookcrossing
library elf
library thing

other artsy/crafty library geekery:
matryoshka book plates by corabelle
catalog cards by elfrida
hidden book belt buckle by maxine dear
library card journals by lollipoopdesigns
public library by suchandsuch

thanks, meg!

Maryink Votives

Votive holders by Maryink feature a silkscreened image wrapped around a glass votive holder. They can be used as votive holders for a candle or just little containers for odds and ends. I thnk they'd look great with a candle inside illuminating the printed image. Talk about ambiance! Shown are the Arcadia Votive and Woodlands Votive. Click on the pics for links to purchase.

If you like ______, then you'll love _____ (The Ornament Edition)

I'm nearing an end, here in Modish guest blog land, but when I accepted the week long gig, this is the post that first popped up in my mind!

Woodcrafts and Candles ornament is just acorn-y enough to satiate all of your nutty desires, but when (and if) the acorn trend leaves you feeling sick of them, it's also different enough to have lasting visual interest. 
Another ideas is the Something's Hiding Here acorn charm, available in a scrumptious array of colors, that cou ld just as easily be used as an ornament. 

You can count on sister companies Urban Outfitters (fabric owl ornament) and Anthropologie (sewn bird ornament) to have a good mix of small batch and mass produced goods, but if you're going for the handmade look, why not get something you know is handmade, where it's from and what the artist's name is?  The Owl Gourd ornament from Kellee's Art and Jessica Gonacha's Partridge ornaments are both fantastically adorable, lasting designs.

West Elm's fairly simple, clean designs put them in the design world spotlight immediately after parent company Pottery Barn dreamed them up, but if you're going for geometric, modern, and bold design with clean lines, visit Scorch's etsy shop for an ornament with an appreciation of design movements both past and present.

I don't know which is cuter, Martha Stewart's ornaments at Macy's or KMart, they're both so tempting AND YET(!!)  I would bypass both collections for Little Bitsy's vintage sewing pattern cottage ornament.  Also on the ornament home front are Stephanie DosReis adorable hand stitched cottages.  Her now-defunct shop Ponies and Sugar Cookies was the first shop I favorited on etsy.  Thankfully she's since opened her namesake etsy shop, full of the sweetest folksy, stitched cottages and paintings around.

Five under Ten

Tis the season for holiday parties, a little too much imbibing and the need for quick and easy gifts, no?  So here you go: My top 5 under $10.  The best part about all of these?  Their affordable enough you can buy one for them and one for you!

Jaime Zollars is a-okay in my book, her silkscreens are amazing in person and her subjects are a smidgen of fantasy and a hefty emphasis on beauty.  Ask for Underwater Circus for yourself, and load up on the Sampler's collaborative print, perfect for a hostess gifts on the fly.  A mere $7!!

The Small Object's Mighty Tin Can comes in right at $10, but I don't think you could find a cuter way to package up an assortment of holiday sweets.  Much cuter than a paper plate, this tin is a sure fire holiday keeper.

 

Heyday Fashion paired up with Crafters for Critters to make a DIY knitting needle kit. $10! And, even better, you support handmade, while the proceeds go to a variety of organizations that help animals in need!  After you buy, you're more than welcome to pat yourself on the back for a long long time with all the good you'll be doing by supporting this shop!

Paula Weigel of Plays With Mud (NC Crafty ladies represent!!) makes affordable ceramics intended for everyday use.  The pictures on her site are beautiful, but let me tell you, you can't appreciate her work until you hold it.  Delicate in appearance but durable, she offers Wee Bowls individually or as a set ($8 for 1, $22 for 4) BUT the Hand stamped Wee Tray just might be the best bargain you'll find this year for a mere $6!

There is nothing hotter on the design scene right now with typography.  A little something for the designer on your list?  $5 CAD, this little notepad is made up of print job offcuts and found sign pieces and absolutely eco-awesome! Available from Uppercase Gallery. 

Remember those perfume commercials. . .

the ones where they say, "If you like _____, then you'll love. . ."
In support of buying handmade, i thought it might be fun to do some of these throughout the holiday season.
Let's play, shall we?

If you like Anthropologie, then you'll love Sew Bliss Sew (left: a view of Bliss's table at the Handmade Market; right image: Anthropologie)

If you like Room Service Home's Holiday beauties (below left), how about Maggie Kern's cute creations over on Makool Loves you? (below, right)

If you love Jonathan Adler (image below, right)  then you'll adore George Ryan (below, left)!

If you like a bright and cheery desk (see left, 3-M brand post it notes) then you'll (REALLY) love boygirlparty's notepads (see right).

If you like Tord Boontje's work (remember the special guest Target designer everyone loooooved last year around the holiday season?; black and white image on right) then fall in love with Rob Ryan's (red and white image on left) work, then clickity click through his etsy shop an swoon!

And, finally, for this installment, if you like Crate and Barrel's birch bark candles, perhaps you'll love the longer lasting birch bark picture frames from Annemarie Sandstrom's etsy shop!

What have you seen in the great big world of shopping that reminds you of a mass produced Indie Crafter's work.  Anyone out there have any "If you like _____ then you'll love _____?"  I'd love to see what you've come up with, and what better way to draw a bit of attention to those out there working so hard to make quality handmade goods? Post a comment and please share!