Fabric Yo-Yo Mobil :)

Here is another one of my sewing projects! I decided to made a nursery mobile out of fabric yo-yos. I am not a huge fan of the mobiles with hanging plastic toys, so I wanted to come up with a shabby chic elegant option. These will soon be for sale on my {Etsy.com} shop - check back soon :)

Abstract Paper Sculptures

Amazing handmade paper sculptures by {Charles Clary}

Miss Ruby Sue

Lori, a 35 year old mother of 4, is the designer for {Miss Ruby Sue}. Her company first launched in 2008 and has immediately become a recognized national label - Small Magazine, Good Morning America, The View, and the Today Show have already featured her work, as well as celebrity clients like Tory Johnson, author of "Women For Hire", Courtney Love (no description needed), Joy Baher, co-host of 'The View', Letitia, CEO of Dujior Magazine, Kevin Laur from Etsy Administration, Elizabeth Kartchner, Sarah Miller, editor from the well know "The Knot" Magazine.

You can now find her "Angles Song' and 'Anthropology' necklaces (the first two designs above) in select Anthropologie stores in the United States.

Miss Ruby Sue creates beautifully charming designs in bold colors and artistic patterns, giving any woman who wears it a free spirit and making them stand out among a crowd. For those getting married, she creates high impact jewelry - which is currently making its way into the "wedding world". These pieces are specially made without striking colors if that is not your desire. She will work with you to create something that will help make your special day unforgettable.

Festival of Speed!

This is a pretty sweet {sculpture for Audi} at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England. It was created by designer Gerry Judah and stands at 32 meters high and weighing 44 tons! It was created to mark the car brand’s centenary, featuring a vintage Audi on one end and a modern car on the other, racing into the sky.

Bocci

Omer Arbel was trained as an architect in the late 90s - in 2003 he founded a multidisciplinary design studio focused on blurring the boundaries between architecture, industrial design, and materials research. In 2005, Arbel became Creative Director at {Bocci}. His creative approach, prototyping, fine craft, manufacturing and distribution, has led to creating a collection of conceptually driven lighting, furniture, electrical accessories and objects. His work has gained a significant presence and impact within the design community. Aside from the beautiful lighting, I love the new approach to electrical outlets not having the ugly cheap looking plastic cover!

Vintage Steel Letterforms

I always love finding great vintage items that would make awesome decorative pieces in a home - this is definitely one of them! These {stainless steel letterforms} were "rescued" from a 1950's era New York parking garage that was being demolished in 2002. They are in great condition after being cleaned up really well - they would look great on the wall, and many of them stand on their own.

Easter Eggs Revisited

I am a bit late with this one, but still thought it was so impressive that I had to share. Slovenian artist, Franc Grom, has incredible patience, attention to detail, skill, and of course steady hands! He is a true master of this craft. He drills thousands of holes into egg shells to create this beautiful Easter eggs! I came across this on one of my favorite sites to visit daily - Boston.com {The Big Picture}.

Noriko Ambe - Paper Sculptures

I am totally blown away and speechless after seeing the work of artist {Noriko Ambe} and I think you probably feel the same after seeing these. In her artist's statement, she explains that she has been mapping the mysterious land between physical and emotional geography in an attempt to attain something sublime. She focuses on extreme detail - detail being the key point of nature, and we are part of nature. She tries to avoid drawing or cutting mechanical/perfect lines in her work, believing that the subtle natural distortions convey the nuances of human emotions, habits, or biorhythm. It is because of all this that Ambe creates all of her work by hand. My favorite part of her statement was how she explained the importance of the process:

"Using the five senses, perceiving the natural qualities of the materials, I found that I am concerned less about the end, and more about "doing". The process of creating is equally as important as the finished work." - Ambe

This was a great find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Jaq Belcher - Paper Masterpieces

The work of {Jaq Belcher} is truly remarkable. Each piece of paper is cut by hand to create these amazing somewhat sculptural works of art. Not only do the cut pieces themselves create a unique and beautiful look, but also the shadows created by them. This is not only true talent, but extreme patience as well - I am inspired, that's for sure! Another special find from {Oh So Beautiful Paper}.

Megan Auman Designs

{Megan Auman} is an artist and designer focusing on jewelry, metalwork, and pattern design. She received her BFA in Metalsmithing from Syracuse University and her MFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University. She currently runs a studio based in Jonestown, PA. I love her work! From the cuffs/cozies to the ottomans and baskets - they are all creative and really well crafted. She is recreating furnishings and pillows using floral patterns rendered in steel wire - eliminating the need for internal structure. The idea is to create objects that visually signify the ideals of the home, rather than functional objects. She highlights the tension between comfort and display (when there is a loss of function), which is her opinion of the contemporary home.

Lace Chain-Link Fences

I can think of several industrial/functional things that are in desperate need of some cosmetic work - sprucing up, if you will. Chain-link fences are definitely high on that list. I'd say this is a pretty awesome solution. Dutch Design House {Demakersvan} are the designers of this - explaining that fences are signs of how we have cultivated and modified the environments we live in. They see it as "hostility versus kindness, industry versus craft." Now if only we can replace old, ugly chain-link fences with lace fences like this!

Pink Show

Last year, by a happy accident - driving through a part of Fresno in which you would not expect to find an art gallery, we found one! It is called {Chris Sorensen Studio and Gallery}, and
also has a whole metal shop where artists created all sorts of sculptures and iron fences/gates.
It is a really interesting co-op working studio amidst the industrial part of downtown Fresno. At the time that we went, they were having a show called "Pink" in the gallery. There were many different forms of art, not necessarily done by established or professional artists, all having to do with with breast cancer. It was a very emotional experience and I was so glad to have found this gallery and to have seen the beautiful work being produced there as well as by the artists' work exhibited in the show.

Hearts in SF Project

So in honor of Valentine's Day, a day that I don't particularly like due to the commercialization of it, I decided to dig up some pictures of the {Hearts in San Francisco Project}. This Bay Area-wide "heart installation" debuted in the Spring of 2004. San Francisco used hearts to symbolize the city that is recognized for its acceptance and tolerance. The goal was to not just be a fund-raiser, but to create compassionate community involvement as well as positive artistic expression. Over 130 artists, both recognized and emerging, transformed these heart sculptures into works art. They were installed all throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and were displayed from February 14, 2004 through October 2004, when there was an auction of the hearts. There are still a few hearts located around San Francisco today. I posted just a few of the ones I enjoyed.

Some Sweet Lighting

I think these are some pretty sweet lighting fixtures, some of which I would LOVE to have in my house one day! The unique forms of glass and lighting are both structural and functional. This is work by {AM Studio} - Architectural Art in Toronto, Canada.