The Aviary’s aviarium – an Etsy friend update…

Hey there, remember my old friend Victoria from Setcockahoop? Well, I just wanted to let you all know she’s moved shops and can now be found at Avarium, the new international shop for The Aviary.

Each item contains repurposed, rehomed or reinvented materials such as vintage ephemera. The ethos is definitely about recycling as much as possible to create unique, one-of-a-kind, lovely objects.

These reusable name rods are my favourite. Each features a garden bird and The Aviary will print one label for you, but blank labels made from vintage card are provided should you fancy a change.

Pop by for a look-see, I’m sure you’ll find some of those ever elusive Christmas presents while you’re there – the shopping list notebooks above would make great stocking fillers!

I’m a sucker for all things vintagey :)

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Lesley Toast

Meet Lesley: in real life she’s an award-winning animator, but after-hours she creates these fantastic bookmarks!

Lesley’s illustrations are amazing, and what better way to hold the page in your book? The chap above is the Green Lion, designed to guard your page.

Just like these fellas! Each bookmark is made from genuine leather and measures 6” by 2”.

How are you feeling? Is your current read making you laugh or cry? Now you can reveal your feelings with the Two Faced bookmark!

Not only does Lesley produce bookmarks, she also makes this wonderful giftwrap. The A1 sheet contains the pattern above, Diamonds For You in repeat. Perfect for any upcoming birthdays or even Christmas!

This animation, Herzog and the Monsters, was created by Lesley as part of her work at Glasgow School of Art which she graduated from in 1996. Herzog has since been shown around the world and has won numerous awards. You can see more of her work on Vimeo.

You can visit Lesley on Flickr or Twitter too!

Only 113 days til Christmas….

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Humbleraelord

Hey everyone, Etsy Wednesday is back after a short holiday. Please allow me to introduce you to Humbleraelord from Miami Beach, Florida…

Check out these magnets! They don’t just want to hold things to your fridge, oh no, they want to chat to you too! I love the way they are displayed for the photos, it makes them even more fun! Is it weird to feel a connection with a se of magnets? I don’t think so :)

Each measures approximately 2” by 2” so they aren’t teeny. They are made from fabric, envelopes and phone books and are all the faces are hand-painted.

Doppelganger Girl and Pink fish are blank greetings cards, but they aren’t your everyday printed cards either, they are individual watercolour and ink drawings on 6” by 4” 90lb paper.

They each come with an envelope, but I think I’d much rather frame them and use the envelope for saving seeds – they are much too nice to give away :)

Both cards currently have free shipping too (as if you needed an extra incentive) so pop over to the shop and have a browse along the aisles.

Only 120 days til Christmas…

Beccy

Etsy Wed-er-Friday: Poppieseed

Oh my gosh, I’ve had such a hectic week, I totally forgot to write my Etsy Wednesday post!

Never mind everybody, it’s here now and totally worth the wait :)

Kel from Poppieseed creates these wonderfully whimsical images from The House With the Purple Stairs in Oakland, California. Each image is hand painted or collaged and inspired by the people and places she has known throughout her life, and sometimes even her dreams.

This painting Birds On The Wire is one of those, based on a recurring dream where the landscapes become patchwork. I love the vibrant colours and rows of tiny ‘stitching’.

Germany, Oh How I Miss You is a collage on a wood panel. The buildings seem to be almost floating in those blue patterned clouds. Many of Kel’s images are very much like fairytale illustrations, but with with an edge.

Bicycle is one of Kel’s mixed media images. She has used scraps of ribbon to embellish this painting of a pennyfarthing.

The Robotic Arm of Childhood Fun is possibly the most whimsical of Kel’s images. Made from collaged fabric and envelopes, this image is fun but also slightly disturbing.

While the images are fantastic on their own, if you can see them en masse it is worth it. The simplistic illustrative style of her work really leaps out at you. Check out Kel’s website to see images of her latest exhibitions and to find out where you can see her work.

Kel’s also a singer and keyboardist too – like many creative people she doesn’t limit herself to one outlet! If you’d like to hear about her musical work, the evolution of her images and little snippets of her life, visit her blog Journey to the Edge of the Absencescape.

I urge you to give her a visit because I only have space to show you a few of her works and the choice was so hard!

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Cock-a-Hoop

I’ve got a real gem for you today - something outside the norm, a little bit different – don’t you just love the name?

Allow me to introduce you to Cock-a-Hoop, a lovely little shop from the land of my fathers (and me!), England. If you love beautiful collages made the old fashioned way then look no further. Even better, each collage is not only made by hand, but is made from vintage and recycled materials too!

Looking for new school stationery? These notebooks are perfect! They contain lined paper and come in a set of three, all with different collaged covers – one for maths, one for English, one for doodling?

Cock-a-Hoop’s series of Appropriated Envelopes (see Messenger Owl, above) are a stroke of pure genius. The idea is that the envelope itself is the main event. When you fold it up and seal it with the handmade sticker provided it looks like a normal envelope. Pop on a stamp and send one to each of your loved ones – I know I’d be thrilled to receive one :)

You can buy large ones individually, or a set of 3 mini Magic Mail Envelopes, each with a different design. Why send a boring email when something this charming is available?

Don’t want to hide the images within an envelope? Want the world to know you have good taste in stationery? Well, Cock-a-Hoop also produce these Fancy That postcard sets. Each set contains 5 cards, individually handmade using layers of vintage images, illustrations and papers.

Cock-a-Hoop also create pin brooches, bunting, editorial illustrations and one-off art pieces.

If you’d like to see more, visit their shop, or beautifully styled website where you can view the whole fantastic collection. If you happen to be in Kent, check out Boho, 27 High Street, Canterbury to see Cock-a-Hoop’s work in the flesh (so to speak).

Cock-a-Hoop also have work in the Margate Harbour Arm Gallery’s Art Auction, alongside pieces from Tracey Emin(!) which takes place on the 8th August and supports the charity Nicole’s Fund.

If you really love them, why not become a fan on Facebook too!

Go see (because my ramblings may not have done them justice!)

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Freeandbeyond

Welcome to Etsy Wednesday! I’d like to introduce you to Freeandbeyond and her lovely paintings. The one above is called ‘Lovebirds in the Morning’ – Don’t you just love the colours? If you know me, you know I like colour!

This one is called ‘Singing Solo’ – I love the zingy orange and those raw edges. As FreeandBeyond says herself,

  “I am a true Londoner at heart but love living the adventure of travel and therefore spend a lot of time on the move...This means my paintings have to be very small to be able to travel with me. I use intense colours and layer them. Each layer has to dry very quickly, so every morning when I paint, I turn to the sun, let the shadows fall behind me and they set while I illustrate in ink over the paint.

Although I paint quickly, I take ages to let them go. They become little friends that are hard to part with...!”

Don’t you want to help her part with them? I do! 

Each painting measures approximately 7cm by 7cm and is truly original and (discreetly) signed.

If you prefer to buy in pounds sterling, you can also find Freeandbeyond’s work at Folksy.

Go see!

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday goes local: Sarah Westwood

Hello all! This week’s Etsy Wednesday comes winging its way to you from all of thirty miles from my house. Sarah Westwood lives in Whitby, a lovely typically English seaside town, where she produces these amazing wall plaques.

She uses a complicated-sounding method which involves adding beeswax, paper and oils to wooden blocks which produces these strangely translucent images.

Her work has a peculiarly English slant. The above piece, Busy English Garden, is a complex layered piece which creates depth to the image, but isn’t it wonderfully whimsical? It measures 6.5cm by 6.5cm and 2cm deep.

Airing That British Laundry, above, is a great take on the Union flag and part of her truly British line. Each piece is painstakingly hand cut, carved, oiled and layered but they have the look of effortless freehand sketches. This one is a little larger than the others, measuring 14cm by 14cm.

Another in the British line, this piece, It’s a Good Drying Day, is my absolute favourite. OK, I’m not mega patriotic or anything (I don’t even know when the Queen’s birthdays are) but I have a thing for this painting. Maybe it’s the little socks, those circular flowers, that raggedy edge?

All of Sarah’s plaques come ready to hang and in a lovely gift box (if you could bear to part with one of them)

You may have noticed that I’m posting Etsy Wednesday early this week, that is to ensure you get a chance to check out Sarah’s special offer. If you spend $20 before Sunday, you can buy one of her Button Love plaques half price! They measure 6.5cm by 6.5cm and are one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen :)

Go look-see!

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: The Purple Finch

 

I seem to have a current obsession with subtly different plush toys. The purple finch is another Etsy seller I love who has the most amazing soft toys.

This little chap is Ruby the Snowperson. For a start, I have a love of anything called Ruby (my car is called Ruby) but look at that sleepy, cheeky, little face… look! So cute I’m breaking out in exclamation marks :) This toy is deliberately ambiguous – is it a boy, or is it a girl? You (or your little people) are free to decide. I don’t know about you but I see enough dolls and trucks and other supposedly gender-specific toys to find this idea really refreshing!

This is Kooshan the Bad Kitty, a plush toy based on a real puss-cat. As The Purple Finch says, “Kooshan is inspired by my real living cat, and yes he is really that naughty so I thought that I will put him up for sale. No not the real kooshan just a plush nicer version of him” Pop over to The Purple Finch’s Flickr page to see the real Kooshan (and lots more plushies), soooo cute, and not at all naughty looking (but then I am soft).

And finally, this is Heidi H-Bunny, another adorable cutie!

All The Purple Finch’s plushies are made from super soft polar fleece with embroidered felt faces. Some, like Heidi H-Bunny, have vintage fabric accents too. They are filled with poly fill so they are soft and squidgy and cuddly and huggable.

 

If you happen to be in Tasmania, you can get your hands on them from a real-life bricks-and-mortar shop too. Cocoon, in Launceston, stocks some of these lovely toys, as well as a few new things not yet seen in the virtual world of Etsy. Lucky Tasmanians I say!

You can become a facebook fan of The Purple Finch here or alternatively visit the Purple Finch blog where you can find out about local stockists, news, and have an insight into the lovely world of The Purple Finch.

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: thelittlestitch

Simplistic gorgeousness, that’s what these pillows are… And I want them :) Parkersewn, from thelittlestitch makes these pillows from quality Moda cottons and felt. I love the way they are so bold, they make a statement, yet they are so fantastically simple and clean.

   

The Pretty Red Flower Pillow, above right, is my absolute favourite – look at that zingy red against the vintagey green (but then. I’m a sucker for felt and go doolally over green things, so it was inevitable)

But wait, there’s more! Thelittlestitch don’t just make pillows, oh no, they make wallhangings too.

The blackbird wallhanging pictured above is part of a cute line of wall art. Simple black felt on simple unbleached cotton, illustration style, I love it!

If you also like their work, pop over to thelittlestitch and say hello, I’m sure they’d love to hear from you :)

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Rubypearl

IwantIwantIwant! These, my friends, are the work of Rubypearl and aren’t they super! They look effortless to make, but by god they aren’t. They are hand-pieced from crochet, embroidery, lace, knitting, vintage clothing, doilies – anything and everything fabric and they are perfect. 

The thing that makes them perfect is Sunny’s eye. She has this knack of picking just the right thing for the right spot, and she aint afraid of colour, or pattern, or probably spiders.

If you want to have a closer look, check out her shop,  if you’d like a window into her (incredibly funny) world, check out her blog :)

Go see!

Beccy

Etsy Wednesday: Friends of Socktopus

Welcome to my new weekly feature, Etsy Wednesday, because I find too many drooly things on there to keep quiet about them any longer!

I Looove these pincushions made from recycled ceramics, especially this kitty-cat (look at his eyebrows!) There are planters, dishes and mugs, all with added pincushiony goodness. You can visit the shop Friends of Socktopus to see more of Clarity Miller’s work.

As well as pincushions, Clarity also makes these lovely plush toys from recycled sweaters, all with international delivery. See that below? That’s a socktopus! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go have a look-see, don’t you want to be a friend of Socktopus? I do.

Beccy