until the day comes when i can purchase this clock, i will drown my sorrows in beer and use the bottle caps to make these fabulous mid-century clock magnets.
step-by-step, DIY instructions and graphic downloads courtesy of the always talented how about orange.
cheers, kittens.
maybe not the most sturdy table, but as we all know...sometimes pretty trumps practical.
{more lego love at humble ablog via casa sugar.}
kittens, i'm one lucky gal. not only is my man super foxy...he crafty, too.
every valentine's day, we traditionally forgo reservations and gifts and instead make dinner and cards for each other. however, little did i know my fellow was a master folder until i witnessed this...
this year, steve's card came in the form of orange origami lilies. xoxo! and since they're paper, i can keep them forever and ever and ever and ever.
thank you, steve! not only are these flowers lovely, but they make your hair look fabulous.
love you!!
{psst -- steve learned how to make his paper posies here.}
one of my fave artists, andrea d'aquino, just sent me a delicious set of subversive valentines, and i must say -- i'm in love.
best news is, you can send them to your special someone, too! yep, miss andrea has lovingly made her valentines downloadable for all to enjoy. decorate your
desktops, send them out as VD emails, or print them. simply visit her flickr site here and click on "all sizes" to get the largest image.
and, of course, all of andrea's work is also available as high quality prints for your year-round amour enjoyment. visit her store here.
happy valentine's day!
pink tape hearts -- punch 'em and stick 'em in all of "the dirty areas" around your neighborhood.
{project by color me kate via fastplay.}
i found this item called "the best" at the curiosity shoppe. it reads:
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE:
1. BORROW A LOVED ONE'S CLOTHING
2. SEW LABEL INTO LOVED ONE'S CLOTHING
3. UN-BORROW THE SAID ARTICLE OF CLOTHING
i followed said instructions, and here are the results...
john waters & divine -- simply the best.
{to see what i gave john waters last year for christmas, click here.}
the fabulous miss helen dardik crafted a collection of dashing & smashing holiday labels fit to print from your computer -- FOR FREE!
simply click on over to orange you lucky, download the high rez label, resize, print six to a page, tag your gift, and feel the love.
thanks, helen...you're the best! (and your holiday hair looks magnificent.)
i'm usually not this easy...but who do i need to sleep with to get this winterscape stamp set? i've searched all over los angeles and san francisco with no luck. i knew i should have gotten them off of velocity last month.
i've got crafting to do, people -- time-sensitive, last minute, hardcore crafting.
call me. my number is written on the bathroom wall at michael's.
if you love someone, make them pancakes.
if you really love someone...take polaroids.
{from poppytalk's "made this for you" series by stephen and shauna of something's hiding in here.}
i wanted to take this moment to worship the best halloween costumes of 2009.
every year, my friends angel and ewan make their own halloween costumes, and each year their costumes get more and more elaborate. this year, ewan utilized a monster mask making class (a gift from angel) and constructed the head of carol from where the wild things are. he then sewed both carol's and max's suits.
yes, these costumes are handmade! needless to say, my 1960s-airline-stewardess-outfit-dug-straight-out-of-my-closet looked pretty lame next to them.
tip of the tiara to you, ewan and angel! your talents are truly to DIY for.
{top images of max and carol by WHORANGE. bottom image via warner bros.}
our favorite DIY, mid-century makeover maven and gal pal, morgan at the brick house, made this truly craveable bookshelf (pictured above) after being inspired by the shelving unit at the ace hotel (pictured below)...
...miss morgan and her man macgyvered their own fabulous unit using plumbing pipes, wooden boards, minwax, drills, math, and whole lot of brilliance. for full instructions on how they did it, click here.
now, not only can you build yourself a fancy bookshelf but, you can come over to my house and build one for me, too!
that is what i call a win-win situation!
now that sir jonathan adler has a dandy customize-your-own-craving feature on his website, i can get totes, rugs, and pillows in various whorange combinations.
unfortunately, my fantasy rug hovers around the 3200.00 range, which in WHORANGE currency, is about 30 squirrel lamps.
yep, the high price of pretty is oftentimes ugly.
okay, kittens. here it is -- my letterpress class report. i know i promised to write about my adventures in letterpress about five thousand years ago, but ye ole wedding and computer meltdown slowed me down. as a result of my tardiness, i will make this a two part series.
also, to those lovely readers who contacted me regarding class details, thank you for your patience. a special tip of the tiara to you.
now please keep in mind 1). this was a beginning letterpress class at otis art & design in los angeles, therefore, i don't know what other schools/classes are like; 2). all notes are stored precariously in my head, so proceed with caution; and 3). pictures were taken with my camera phone under fluorescent lights, so details are not fabulous.
okay, let's boogie...
the class supplies several ink colors for student use. most are soy based and can be mixed to achieve the color of your dreams. black ink, however, tends to print on the dark gray side (at least it did for me), so if you want a true black, you may need to test out different inks or consult an expert. also, inks print a lot lighter than they look on the mixing plate. if the ink looks orange, most likely it will print yellow. if it looks red, you may get pink.
you will learn how to set up a press bed. above is a set up for photopolymer plates, which is what i used to print my designs. my instructor and letterpress guru, gerald lange, makes excellent photopolymer plates. prices vary, but my plates ranged between 38.00-65.00 depending on the size and intricacies of my design. some students didn't create plates, and instead worked with the array of metal and wood type available in the classroom. more on that in a later post.
after peeling and sticking the reusable photopolymer plate to the metal grid plate, it's basically like a game of tetris getting it into place. you take different lengths and widths of metal and wood blocks (called "furniture") and set your bed.
then you dab a little ink on your rollers and let 'em spin.
the longest (and least glamorous) part of the letterpress process is adjusting your rollers and aligning (or "registering") your image to the paper. it can take hours. the actual process of printing is the payoff.
students supply their own paper. other printing materials and machinery are available in the classroom.
i made about 60 of these pink "thanks, deer" cards in one night...
and here is another thank you card i printed one day, because you can never say thank you enough.
prince todd oldham's DIY video series "handmade modern" is not only addictive and informative, it also features some of the best celebs in town.
for example, who better to show us how to decoupage a fancy pants tableaux table than miss hostess with the mostess amy sedaris?
be sure to check out all of todd's guests and other bits of design delicousess here. and, as a handy companion, pick up a copy of todd's fab book "handmade modern."
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