blythe fashion : deep purple @ etsy
Blythe Shearling Amelia Earhart Hat & Vest by bonspielcreation @ Etsy.
This is just so beautiful ! I have already posted one of her creations in my article “Funny Hats & Bonnets” but this is getting undoubtedly better. Only the vest is sold there but more – including hats – is to come near March 10. Apparently there is already quite a demand for them so you can write bonspielcreation to make a reservation. [edit 07 March : the previous listing has been removed, I now give you a link for a set including Hat + Vest.]
And since I noticed there were quite a few other gorgeous purple articles for Blythe, here is a small selection :
Deep Purple Fluffy Beret by Tibiloo.
Hat and Scarf Set in Pink and Purple by Pinkmint Dolly.
Day to Evening Purple Shift Dress for Blythe OOAK by Blythe’s ocd Closet.
+ a bonus – not Blythe related :
Purple Starfish Felt Magnet by Felt In Love.
blythe fashion : funny hats & bonnets @ etsy
Golden Yellow Gnome Hat by neuart @ Etsy.
Blythe dolls seem to have been made for hats & bonnets. They simply look great in them, obviously it has to do with that big face of them, and they might look funny or gorgeous but one thing is certain, Blythe fans will never be out of inspiration when it comes to creating something, anything, to put on those heads.
I know some great creators have their own shop, but on Etsy alone there are plenty of great shops so this is only a tiny selection of what’s to be found there. Starting with one of my very favorites, neuart (see photo above) who has always the most beautiful knitted stuff, be they hats or sets, ponchos… She also has a Flickr by the name of miss modular and you can see more of her creations in various files there.
And some more wonderful stuff :
Shimmery Sparkly Sequined Helmet for Blythe by flissy666 + Green Pointy Bonnet for Blythe by loou.
Crochet Hat for Blythe by Sassylassie + Knitted Ear Bonnet for Blythe by xoxo,Blythe.
Blythe Hat – Lime Green and Red Pompom by CannonBelle.
“Sarah Jessica Parker” Blythe Hat by lado.
Blue and White Fleece Helmet Hat for Blythe by nectarine.
Blythe Rectangle Pom Pom Hat, earthy tones by CannonBelle.
Decadent Mohair Hat for Blythe by Ttttemma.
Cream Beret by PinkPetal.
And I only saw this one this afternoon while finishing this article, I just couldn’t resist :
Luxurious Fuzzy Hat Hood for Blythe OOAK by bonspielcreation.
To Be Continued…
yumi yumi : the tenderness of colors
Happiness is a field of Poppies (edition 1) by Yumi Yumi
When I created my first Treasury on Etsy I had included this beautiful print by Aline *Yumi* Yamada. I love the sweet combination of colors as well as the pure simplicity of the drawing. If you look at the girl alone, how much more simpler could it be ? (And as you may know simplicity is one of the hardest things to achieve in art.) And even the background which is much more elaborate and decorative, because it is only composed of white lines upon a gradation of one single color, emphasizes this sense of graceful simplicity. The overall impression is really one of peaceful serenity.
Now if you browse through the yumi yumi shop you’ll notice that all prints come in a variation of colors. The print above is labelled “edition 1″ but there are 2 others. Here you can see edition 2 and edition 3 of the same print. Aline Yamada says in her shop that “she loves color so much it’s hard to decide on just one” and when I asked her about her creative process she wrote back to me :
I start all my illustrations with a pencil drawing then work on coloring them on the computer. so I guess the ‘originals’ are in graphite pencil and the final is digital. The tiny animal prints are small gouache paintings I’ve made into prints and my bird and flower prints have elements of watercolor that are incorporated into the final piece.
I must say that although I like her “Bird Prints” my favorites are really her “Girl Prints”. I especially love that one :
and her last ones – named after her little sister Lily – but I can’t seem to decide which version I like most between edition 2 and 3 :
Lily White (edition 2) + Lily White (edition 3)
You should also check out her Monster Prints, her “monsters” being of course the sweetest creatures ever.
And at the time I am writing this article she has a couple of originals for sale in her shop including this one which I totally love :
Aurora
the yumi yumi shop
Aline Yamada’s blog : Yumi Yumi
the world in technicolor #1 applepiepussy
Phony Pie – “Gerry Glitter” + Phony Pie – “Tom Pussy” by Applepiepussy on DaWanda.
I’m a sucker for colors. I just seem to never get enough of them. They’re one of the reasons I started buying toys and as a photographer I don’t think I will ever want to use black & white much more. So of course when browsing sites like Etsy, DaWanda or Flickr colors are mostly what I am looking for and my lists of favorites are bursting with them.
This is why I’m starting this series called “The World in Technicolor”.
They’ve got names such as “Crazy Cupcake”, “Phony Pie”, “Female Chauvinist Pig”, “Lucky Bastard” etc and for the most part they are meant to get attached to your phone (or whatever you like). They’re wonderfully cute, beautiful and full of colors. They’re not expensive. They are made by Mariko who has started Applepiepussy to be able to create “cute accessories” while she is mainly working with her boyfriend in their design agency Loaded ink in The Netherlands.
Edit : On March 2nd 2008, Applepiepussy no longer has a shop on DaWanda, you will now find all her creations on applepiepussy.com + she also has a great gallery on Flickr.
Edit 2 : March 2012. I’m in the process of re-uploading all my old images because they did not show in my wordpress media library following the database import I performed in February 2008 when I decided to switch to an English-only version of the blog and editing this post I am noticing that Applepiepussy is now called Applepiepieces.
nanacompany… pretty little things
ice flower tank for girls + camilla, crazy dot, half-apron for girls + playtime sugar cookies in a lil bakery box + playtime sugar cookies in a mini-valise style lunchbox, limited edition by nanaCompany on Etsy.
Those are only a few of the exquisite items you will find in Amy Sinibaldi’s shop!
I first noticed the cookies because I am only just discovering “felt food” so every time I come across one of these things, I feel like a child and look with amazement. But very often having said “how cute” well, there’s not much more left. I mean these things are “cool” and “nice” indeed but, so what? You see them and like them, and then usually forget about them.
I think Amy’s cookies go beyond the “cuteness thing”. They have this special quality, a kind of perfection achieved no doubt with carefully chosen materials and great care and love making them. Look at the full sized image on her Flickr here. Aren’t they just the nicest cookies you ever saw? Don’t you feel like touching them? I myself am not into pinky things and yet they appeal to me in a way I cannot totally explain.
Somehow I think there is something magical in Amy’s creations. She writes :
My husband likens me to a magic elf who only works when everyone’s asleep — pretty little things “magically” appear on the kitchen table in the morning!
I like the Fairy Tale imagery, because I think it acounts a lot for the beautiful world nanaCompany proposes. Those creations seem to me to be more related to a fantastic and ideal world than to the “real” world.
They are meant to be gifts :
a unique and special gift… perfect as a birthday present, end of school surprise, or merry happy un-birthday treat!
And this is exactly what they are, “unique and special”, thus clearly stating to the child you are offering them “you are unique and special and deserve to have beautiful things because I care about you”.
Amy Sinibaldi is making them for little girls, and the modern woman in me – noticed how I managed not to say the word “feminist” here, oops now i’ve said it – the modern woman in me is wondering why it is still only girls who should get offered cooking ustensils (the miniature “just-her-size” wooden spoon) and aprons. Some might argue that the fabrics nanaCompany uses have definitely “girly” patterns and colors. I am not so sure. And anyway, cookies are not just for girls, are they ? And the kitchen is no longer the realm of women exclusively, at least not in my world…
This being said, Amy Sinibaldi’s creations are more modern and less “conservative” or “nostalgic” than they might appear at first sight. The fabrics she uses are elegant and I particularly like the from tokyo with love apron, and pink lemonade is fresh and nice too. There is also another tank with a bit more color and less classical feel to it : pretty posy tank.
Note that she can customize your order. For instance you can ask for your favorite color for the buttons on the ice flower tank. You can also order an adult size apron for 28$… (Anyway she pretty much makes everything upon order, so that you have to allow 2 weeks for your order to be ready to ship.)
Enjoy !
and everything nice
Designers of Tomorrow : Ragnheidur Osp Sigurdardottir
I stumbled upon Ragnheidur’s work on This is Blythe Forum and even though she showed only a few pictures of her work – she is still young and is currently studying product design at Cranbrook Academy of Art, Michigan – those few pictures clearly pointed to some strong personality and a great talent. Ragnheidur was born in 1981 and comes from Reykjavik, Iceland which accounts for her Northern sounding name : Ragnheidur Osp Sigurdardottir.
Her work is both elegant and familiar. The objects she makes are beautiful without being intimidating. They have something of the obvious in them – a quality not easily attained and which requires work and talent. They have not yet been produced but you wish you could already find them in shops.
Amongst those projects she would like to see produced, the Pick Me chocolates look very promising. She has thought of making them herself and selling them, but what she really wants is to work with a chocolatier that makes premium chocolate. There is also her Aromalarm, an alarm clock that wakes up and puts people to sleep with aroma. Here is what she wrote to me when I asked her how it was really working :
The Aromalarm is still a concept but I thought of it working in a way where you buy little capsules containing different aromas and inserting them inside the clock (on bottom). They would then get attached to tubes that would release the aroma depending on if you are falling asleep or waking up. If it ever gets made and could really function, I would like there to be all kinds of different aromas to buy.
And although it is not exactly the kind of things I like, I must admit that the way she worked on the BENJAMIN stool designed by Lisa Norinder and produced by IKEA by drilling holes in it and decorating it with brodery – she calls it Bentey – is very interesting. I came to think about it afterwards which is always a good sign with objects. I think it works better with some color and the brodery on top so that you don’t get to see the reverse side of it, but on the other end, this version has a more modern touch and is really inspiring.
And I love her digital patterns for ceramic tiles! I think it goes way beyond what you usually see that has been made with a computer. (Edit : The tile patterns are not available any more on her new website. You can only see this one on her Portfolio at coroflot.com. 27 August 2007)
Ragnheidur Osp Sigurdardottir’s links :
Umemi : her website.
Her Portfolio.
And Everything Nice, part of her research for her thesis on cuteness.
And would you believe it, she has a pug too! Hers is called Panda, you can see pictures of her on Ragnheidur Osp Sigurdardottir’s Flickr.
