High Five #6

Winter pressings (2005-2006)  - handmade paper bundles left under winter snow

Arroyo muds - books of earth and root

Roots arroyo (one-of-a-kind book of handmade paper, ink-jet print on kozo paper)

Cloud/Root/Paper (3 suspended handmade paper sculptures)

 

Language bound artists' books

A small selection of beautiful work by Mary Ellen Long.

A mixed media artist creating environmental installations outdoors and in gallery venues, she also makes artists' books and collage-assemblage. I hope you will find the time to explore her inspiring blog and links, rich in artistic discoveries and new resources.

A special find for me.

I will be following from now on.

via here & here.

Jungle Fever

Forever a lover of grey and white, how can I resist these animal felt carpets and panda cushions that have just made there way on to the virtual shelves at Serendipity? Handmade by craftsmen using ancestral techniques, the rugs are 100% felt and would look striking anywhere in your home. Add an organic cotton panda pillow and a papier mache animal mask or two and your little ones will be set for many an adventure.

The animal felt rugs and beautiful panda cushions cost 195 and 51 euros respectively and can be bought from Serendipity's store in Paris or via its bilingual (FR-ENG) e-shop. 

Please note: stuffed gorillas, toy Machete knives and Tarzan and Jane costumes are not included...

High Five #5

Admittedly Lithuania probably isn't your number one online shopping destination but Medinisarkliukas (The Wooden Horse) has one of the best selections of eco-toys I have ever come across. Wood, cardboard, linen...beautiful natural materials for beautiful handmade educational toys, accessories and decorative objects.

Browsing is easy with the aid of an online translation tool like Google but you will also find a smaller version of their shop on etsy (remember the swing?). Medinisarkliukas accept wholesale orders if you are interested in carrying their Lithuanian eco-products.

I love this little typical hut for kids, it would be perfect for our garden!

 

  Happy Baltic browsing!

Friends

I'd like you to meet Edgar and Erma, two brand new character cushions made by the lovely Kate Hindley. They're both very sweet and would be a fun addition to any child's room.

Vintage lovers might be tempted by my other boy and girl friends,  

waving from a 1972 Russian poster.

Not quite the same price tag, but oodles of charm, nonetheless...

Happy Colour My Monday!

Package Play

Oscar Diaz's Tube Toys, designed for NPW and presented at the New York International Gift Fair earlier this month, are all made from a standard cardboard tube. Based on the idea that kids often enjoy playing with the packaging as much as the actual contents, Diaz has created four easy-to-assemble toy sets (a fire engine, a tractor, a car and a train) which make use of their tube container. All the parts needed to build each vehicle are included in the tubes, which have slots and holes to place the wheel axes and other components. The only part of the product that will be discarded after purchase is a single stripe of paper displaying all the shop information (brand, product name/description and barcode).

Tube Toys are made entirely from recycled or recyclable materials, and reduce the added cost that traditional packaging involves. 

Smart, n'est-ce pas ?

 Reduce - Reuse - Recycle, any excuse to remind you of my favourite three Rs...

Via

Fun With Fables #14

Good Morning!

It's been a while since we had a fable so I hope you'll enjoy this Panchatantra Tale,  

The Foolish Lion and The Clever Rabbit, illustrated by Pinselblues and Miga de Pan.

I also love Cam Dup's recent commission, have you seen it?

Today #14

Today

The sun came out

And we headed for the beach...