Miss Modish- Mojo Maker

What's better than five stars?

Journals by five and a half, that's what!  Made by Brooklyn res Judy who has an eye for detail and a sweet tooth, five and a half journals are handmade from recollected papers, such as vellum, graph paper and Chinese drawing paper, and put together between two pretty covers.  You can choose dual-tone covers in a few color combos like mustard/terracotta or indigo/mocha or customize your own!
And, cause Judy knows you like options, you can also choose between a small 3 1/2 x 5 1/2" size or larger 4 1/2 x 7" one.  Each journal is filled with about 100 pages for your writing/doodling/goal listing/pro-con weighing needs, and also comes with a pocket in the back cover to stash your little love notes.  See, they thought of everything!  Get your eco-friendly journal search on at five and a half!   

Site of the Week: Prickly Pear

Woah nally, I do believe I've hit the motherload of cute bags.  Hailing from Niagra-on-the-lake Ontario, artist Sibylle Hartmann has created a wonderful line of handbags, totes, clutches and home decor all 100% handmade by her, under the cute moniker, Prickly Pear.  From the fabric choice to the screen printed designs, the attention to detail and quality of her products is amazing!  There's so much great stuff to choose from, I can only give you a little glimpse of her offerings- let's go:

I'm in love with the style of these mockingbird handbags and totes:

And just adore this pretty sparrow wristlet and cute felt pouch:

And am relishing this modern pillow cover and sweet lavender sachet:

Apparently, they've got some genius spiked water up in Niagra-on-the-lake because this girl has cranked out an amazing number of awesome one-of-a-kind products.  Check out all the other designs (there's 3 other tote/handbag styles I didn't even have room to show here) in fresh colors and modern styling at Prickly Pear!

Another "look what I bought" post!

So, I bought these right after etsy week, before I made my pledge to stop buying so much stuff, so don't give me no grief!  And, I know it may be "uncool" to post 2 earring related posts right back to back, but that's just how it's gonna be because I have to show you what I got!  Check out these rad, uber-rad even, Deploy earrings from Nea.  Made from a real goose feather, they're sooo pretty! 
I wanted to wait till I received and tried them on before I posted about them and now that I have, I must say, they're just perfect!  I can't wait to have an occasion to wear them with a cute little black dress or my new scoop neck Mark Atlan Poketo tee.  They are very fragile though, and definitely would get tangled up in my crazy curls so it's recommended to wear them with your hair up.  Check out the other colors available in these along with other pretty jewelry at Nea!  And thanks, Janick, for my new earrings!  Love them! 

CRAFT/Etsy contest winner

You may recall the contest I mentioned awhile back that CRAFT magazine sponsored in order to find the best re-interpretation of their logo...well, a winner has now been chosen!  Er, five winners to be exact.  The winning entries will get a free subscription to CRAFT magazine, and will be featured in the debut issue, congrats!  Why does this matter to you?  Well, one winner, Cat, who won with her Retro Robot Waitress entry, has decided to have a little celebration sale!  Check out her etsy shop, Artsy- all the jewelry you see is buy two, get one free.
Just purchase two items and send Cat a message with the third one you'd like for free!  Easy enough, right?  Help Cat celebrate her winning entry with a little jewelry buying spree, eh?   

I'm torn

You sure can do a lot with paper these days to create wonderful printed cards, collages or a little bit of both, like this handmade card by Melissahead Crafts! 

Handmade by Melissa herself from torn fine linen paper scraps, then sewn and hand embellished, this card is sure to evoke a, "wow, where'd you get this?" from whoever the recipient may be. Plus the lime/black/khaki color combo is sophisticated and hip, and the contrast between the flowers and black striped paper makes for a cool design juxtaposition.  All the cards are blank white inside for use for any occasion and come with an envelope.  Check out the other lovely designs, including custom offerings, at Melissahead Crafts!

Perfect in pink

You're sitting at a little outdoor cafe sipping Earl Grey, wearing your new Victorian inspired lacy blouse, reading the latest Vogue and what purse are you carrying?  I believe it'd be this one, new from Emma Gordon's summer line:
This handmade bag is made from black wool and lined with black and white striped cotton.  It's young, it's hip, and you can use the cute pink handle to carry it with, or wear the bag as a wristlet.  I love the scalloped pink ric-rac trim and polka-dots on the clasp.  This is a very unique design that can only be from Emma Gordon who's bags are notoriously stylish worldwide.  Find this style in other colors and check out all the wonderful designs on the Emma Gordon site! 

I can't afford this blog!

Ok, I'm having a major problem sticking to my self inflicted rule of "no more buying stuff" (for awhile at least.)  I already broke it last night with an Art School Dropout necklace, and I've been scouring the vintage jewelry at day-lab for the past two days, trying trying as hard as I can not to buy this orange kitty cameo, or this little pea pod necklace, or this antique multi-strand necklace:

So so pretty with layers of long antiqued gold chains with wonderful flower and flamingo  accents to hold it all together, this necklace is feminine and super flirty, and would be perfect for a night out paired with your little black dress.  Oh, come on, you can pull it off, I know you can!  I love the length, the assemetry, oh geez, somebody please buy it so that I don't!  I have car payments to make, people!  Check out day-lab for more incredible vintage jewels, but beware, if you're in my situation, hide your wallet!

Is this day over yet??

I've had a rough day at work, full of craziness and inane repetition.  Sometimes I wish I had a tomahawk to threaten stupid people with, but alas, I might get fired for that.  Instead, I could just buy this super hot tomahawk tee and stun everybody into silence with my sheer sexiness...hey, it's a thought, right?  This tee is smokin' with it's bright white screen print and luxuriously soft hand.  It's made to be weathered, thinned out, stripped down and softened just like the per-fect-o thrift store tee.  The sheerness, fit and kind of gnarly design give it a "I may have violent tendencies but I'm still super hot" kind of vibe.  Check out all the amazing prints, from tigers to indians to deer antlers (oh my!) at my new favorite tee shop that I kinda wish I didn't find only because I can't spend any money right now, Nooworks!

We have a winner!

Hurray to Emily H. hailing from Australia who is the first Modish indie goodie box giveaway winner!  Emily won $450 worth of handmade goodness from all these lovely folks!
Krista Raak- brooch
Stiletto Heights- art piece
Valentina Designs- necklace
Young & WithIt- notecard set
Starchildcrafts- handbag & wallet
Shades of Violet- stationery set
Designs by Lisa- anklet & earrings
Yndigo Designs- bookmark
Olilo Designs- triple decker pouch
A Planet 4 Creation- earrings
Lushbox- body frosting, spray & bath salts
Whimsy Wool- felted purse
Binding Twine- necklace
Art2ArtColorado- 11x14 art print
Jewel Street Designs- bracelet
Bond Girl- tote bag & handkerchief
Prairie Luxe- perfume
Blissful- business card wallet
Muah Creations- felted bracelet & window cling
dear monday- birthday card
The Wing Thing- earrings
Shattered Glass- cabochon
White Stone Stitchery- mini bags
Lauren Goessling Designs- personalized stationery
Art School Dropout- necklace
+ samples/promos from other great indie businesses.

Thanks again to everyone who participated by entering or donating prizes!  Can't wait til next month! =)

Just a reminder...

I'll be choosing a winner for the August goodie box giveaway tomorrow (too too busy today!)  A person will be chosen randomly from the list of newsletter subscribers (those that have "opted-in" only- if you signed up but have not yet confirmed your subscription, you're not really subscribed yet...) and will be notified via the e-mail they signed up with.  They'll have 3 days to get back to me with an address to send the goodies to, and will be announced as soon as they're confirmed!  So, you have one last day to enter if you haven't yet, just sign up for the newsletter!  Thanks to everyone who's signed up already, you rock, and good luck!!

I'm im-pressed!

You'd be hard pressed to find a more simple yet stunning card collection than that from Letter Pressed.  Featuring modern, minimalist design, they have cards for every occasion.  I particularly like these ones just called "CARD" because of the awesome deep red that they're printed on.
Sometimes a simple sentiment is all you need, and the hip design is more adequate in this case than some cheesy, "I love you more today than yesterday and will forever love you more everyday" type of line (see, I just made that up on the fly, not hard to be ooey gooey hallmarky.)  Plus, with just a plain "CARD" you can use it for any occasion!  Happy birthday, thank you for dinner, I love you more today than yesterday...you get the drift.  These come in a set of two cards in each foil color (white, blue, orange and pink) with matching v-fold envelopes.  Find them along with other contemporary card designs at Letter Pressed! 

Where do bluebirds fly?

Where do bluebirds fly?  Think back to the answer you'd give if you were six years old and had just watched Wizard of Oz....somewhere over the rainbow, of course!  Why then, oh why can't you fly over the rainbow too?  Well, now you can, figuratively speaking at least, with this pretty art piece by Dream of Stars called Over the Rainbow.
Designed by graphic artist Emily St. Clair who's a recent Portland transplant (a girl after my own heart) and obviously very talented, this piece can become a 12x14 inch wall hanging for your bedroom or an awesome 3x3 foot screen print or fabric applique piece for your living room.  You can choose how to print it, how big to print it and what color background to print it on- I know how y'all like choices.  Check out this piece and other very lovely lady designs at Dream of Stars!

Site of the Week: Chearrings

I have long since adored Chearrings' jewelry which is feminine and flirty, alluring and antique inspired.  As a jewelry designer I've always been inspired by Olga's work, and as a jewelry buyer, I find myself in constant drool mode.  I'm not the only one who feels this way; Chearrings has been seen adorning the lobes of LC from Laguna Beach (which, yes, I do watch and just bought the second season of on dvd, shhh...) gracing the pages of magazines and was given Editor's Choice for best jewelry designer in Style Bakery's 2005 On the Rise Awards.  With one look at the jewelry, you'll see why!

From the luxurious designs of the new Suvine collection: 

To the sweet, flirty designs of fall:

And the romantic designs of spring:

The hand-designed, high-quality jewelry at Chearrings is sure to whet your whistle.  Check out all the lovely collections in their entirety on the site, and use code "SUVINE" for 10% off your purchase! 

Howl at the Moon

I feel like some spirit has taken over me as I've suddenly developed a thirst for blood!  MoonblooD that is, ooowwwwwwww! (that's supposed to be a wolf howl sound, if you couldn't catch the drift. ahem.)  This incredible line of tees features hand-drawn designs that are hand screen-printed onto sustainable Alternative Apparel blanks.  They're good for the planet, good for the soul and even better for your closet!  Check out this White Dancing shirt por ejemplo:
Featuring a totemic design printed onto super soft cotton/poly burnout fabric, (think the thinnest of the thin, most perfect thrift store shirt kind of material) this slim fit tee is stylish, sexy and evocative.  A tee with a tale.  As are all of MoonblooD's designs which feature Native American & Egyptian inspired artwork.  Take a look at all the incredible choices at MoonblooD.  You may find yourself a howlin' deal!  (I couldn't resist the pun. I'm very sorry, really.)

Faux is Mo'

Jade is so pretty, but so expensive (yes, the stone and the awful Top Model contestant from last season both apply to this definition. I can't be the only one who watches that show. Uh, right?)  That's why I actually kinda prefer the fake stuff.  I mean, who really knows the difference, and who on earth cares?!  Costume jewelry is fun, inexpensive and when it's vintage, it becomes totally unique.  That's why I love this faux jade vintage ring from Bella's Jewelry Box!
Not only is the deep green rockin, but the black rhinestones surrounding it add that special touch that says, yeah, it may be fake, but it's vintage and it's special and it rocks!  I can imagine this ring on a hand holding a scotch on the rocks or a cigar or something else frightfully debonair.  I may have to snatch it up if someone else doesn't beat me to it (please help! I can't stop buying stuff!!!)  Check out more loverly rings and other vintage jewelry at Bella's Jewelry Box.  And be sure to take a peek at the great sale page while you're there! 

Another thing to add...

A late but much welcome addition to the goodie box just came in- a pretty pink and white mini-juxtapose necklace from Art School Dropout!  Hurray!  With that, plus another item that I forgot to figure into the pricing, the goodie box is worth $450 worth of stuff!  Woah momma!  If you haven't signed up to win yet, now's your chance!

Don't zoom without Zaum!

Alright, I've been all wrapped up in the giveaway trying to spread word of that around all day that I forgot I need to actually post something!  So, here goes.  I've been waiting with baited breath for these folks to get back from vacation so that I could feature them.  Ready for it?  Zaum.  Just like Cher, like Madonna, they're just Zaum, and they're rad!  I love this travel case they call the Biglietto.    
It's handmade from pretty beige vinyl and lined with a cool retro print fabric.  The perfect size to keep your passport, airline tickets and other travel essentials handy, it makes me want to hop on a plane and jet outta here!  (That could be easier said than done, I suppose.)  Well, dream of a vacation is always on the horizon, or perhaps this will make the perfect gift for someone who does have the opportunity to escape.  Check out the full line of purses, messenger bags and more on Zaum!

August Giveaway Goodies!

The first indie goodie box goodies are in and, I tell you wut, this giveaway is already better than I ever could have expected!  25 independent businesses have donated goods for this first giveaway totaling $450 worth of stuff!  Say again?  Yup, you have a chance to win $450 worth of wonderful handmade goods!  Including a hand embellished brooch all the way from Estonia, gorgeous screen-printed stationery, wonderful handbags, original art, pretty jewelry, yummy bath goodies and so much more!  Just take a look! (click pic for full size)
Here's what's included:
Krista Raak- brooch
Stiletto Heights- art piece
Valentina Designs- necklace
Young & WithIt- notecard set
Starchildcrafts- handbag & wallet
Shades of Violet- stationery set
Designs by Lisa- anklet & earrings
Yndigo Designs- bookmark
Olilo Designs- triple decker pouch
A Planet 4 Creation- earrings
Lushbox- body frosting, spray & bath salts
Whimsy Wool- felted purse
Binding Twine- necklace
Art2ArtColorado- 11x14 art print
Jewel Street Designs- bracelet
Bond Girl- tote bag & handkerchief
Prairie Luxe- perfume
Blissful- business card wallet
Muah Creations- felted bracelet & window cling
dear monday- birthday card
The Wing Thing- earrings
Shattered Glass- cabochon
White Stone Stitchery- mini bags
Lauren Goessling Designs- personalized stationery
Art School Dropout- necklace
+ samples/promos from other great indie businesses.

That's a whole lotta indie goodness!  Please check out the sites of the contributors to get a better look at all they have to offer. 

Interested in having a chance to win all this stuff?  Just sign up for the Modish newsletter!  Easy peasy!  One winner will be chosen at random on Friday, Aug 25th from the list of newsletter subscribers to win it all, and once confirmed, will be announced next week!  So, sign up now, and hey, if you don't win this time, you'll be automatically entered each month as long as you're a newsletter subscriber.  Tell your friends to sign up!  Who knows?  If they win, they just might share! =)  Good luck!  I wish I could keep everything!!  (muah hah hah...)

(thank you thank you thank you to all the indie businesses who donated!! you rock!)

It's spreading...

The indie word, the indie fixation, it's catching, it's spreading and more people want to talk about it.  The handmade movement hath fury, my friends!!  I've recently discovered three, count 'em three new blogs that are focusing on indie designers and handmade goods in their own way.  So, in hopes to spread the love and spread the word about independent goods even further, I'd like to introduce you to them.  There's lots of amazing indie designers that deserve to be featured, so it's a welcome surprise to see three other ladies taking on the endeavor:

Indie Fixx- brought to you by Jen of Tilting Swiftly, this blog is a "celebration of the creativity, tenacity, and general spunky goodness that is the indie design movement."

Miss Malaprop- Miss Mallory of Dismantled Designs, a 23 year old craft enthusiast, created a blog to showcase indie products and support her hometown NOLA artists.

Handmade + Totally Awesome- Long since the slogan of Taryn's consignment shop MY MY, she created a new blog with the same name to feature things that are just that, handmade and totally awesome!

*new addition: Indie Obsession- Brandy, behind Oblivious Designs, brings you her own growing list of indie obsessions to help support independent businesses like her own! (thanks Jen!)

Each of these blogs are in their fledgling phase but are sure to become valuable supporters to the indie community.  So go on, click, search, and buy handmade!

L is for Likey

I like innovation, I like education and when you put the two together, cool things can happen, like these Mid-Century Modern Alphabet flashcards.  As a nerdy little only child I was addicted to flashcards and found it fun to quiz myself (not like there was anyone else around to quiz me, but that's another lonely little tale.)  I had math cards, alphabet cards, spelling and vocabulary cards.  They were fun, really, I swear.  Just like writing this blog is fun now, finding myself constantly on the brink of learning something new was exciting and always fulfilling.  That's why I found myself drawn to these awesome flashcards by Greg Chinn of Jargon Boy.  Created as an early art education for his 3 year old daughter, Greg designed these flashcards that can help educate children and adults alike, and are just plain cool to look at.
Aside from the fact that I think M should be for Modish (ahem), these flashcards are a great 26 step introduction of modern art and design.  Check out each letter at Jargon Boy.  Who knows?  You may just learn something.