Miss Modish- Mojo Maker

And the winner is...

Again, thank you thank you to everyone who entered the 2nd round of the November giveaway!  I appreciate you all taking the time out to explore the sites of the contributors and to post about the giveaway on your own blogs too, how awesome are you!?  And an extra BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated prizes!  You're amazing, all of you!

And now, the winner of the $805 worth of handmade goodies, chosen randomly from the 2050 comments left (yOWza!) is...

#708: Katie!

Congrats Katie!!  Please contact me with your mailing address so I can send all your goodies out!  jena @ modishblog.com.

The rest of you, stay tuned for the December giveaway (or giveaways??) to be announced next week! 

And psst: December is going to be the last of the big giveaways like this on Modish!  You read that right, no more humongoid gargantuan up all night organizing eye crossing giveaways like this, starting in Jan!  So make sure you check back next week for your last chance to WIN BIG!

And just as I'm trying to stop spending money...

...two new must check out shopping sites for indie and handmade goods have popped up!  Wha?

1000 Markets

Artist Tricia McKellar emailed this site to me a couple months ago- I checked it out then but there wasn't much going on yet...I tucked it away in my "check on later" folder only to forget about it.  Luckily, Andy Mathis reminded me of it again this morning and when I hopped over today, woah!  How it's coming along!  Amazing!

In Andy's words, "It's like flickr, indie public, and the good things about Etsy, all rolled into one."  And I must agree.  It's stylish and chic, looks very well put together and houses a juried selection of goods by "small, independent, artisan businesses who love their craft."   It's very community oriented encouraging shop owners to blog and interact with one another to create "markets" which house a collection of goods from various shops under a specific theme- markets include Modern Simplicity, Inspired by Nature, Wearable Art and more.

I'm still finding my footing, searching around, but it's already proving to be a wonderful new outlet to discover indie talent and shop for handmade goods.  And the fact that it looks so beautiful makes it all the more appealing to hunt around!  And for you shop owners, it's free to set up shop there!  Might be cool to get in on the ground floor, hmm?  I'm excited to see how this site grows!

Some picks from 1000 Markets:  1- rococo shawl from Tickled Pink Knits  2- little house pendants from Stone Soup Jewelry  3- yarrow messenger bag from ink lore  4- sea urchin tryptich from Littleput

Shopflick

I've been receiving emails from this site for the past few months but I honestly just marked them all as spam and went on with my life, thinking it was some netflix type subscription shopping service, or something?  Shopflick?  But this morning in my pre-coffee, not yet lucid state, I opened their latest gift guide email and actually clicked a link.  Thank goodness.  I've been missing out on this amazing site for way too long! 

It houses some pretty high end independent fashion labels along with more inexpensive handmade accessories and other good stuff.  The coolest part about it tho, are the flicks!  You can watch video interviews with the artists and designers, learn more about their line and where they came from- it connects you to them on a whole different level.  I understand now, Shop-flick!  Rad.

The first video I found that drew me in to discover more is about Raquel Allegra, a designer who makes edged out t-shirts (at a hefty price, wow! but I digress...) from reclaimed prison tees- it's rocker eco-chic for the fashion hounds out there, and pure inspiration and entertainment for the broke wannabes like me.  Take a peek below, and then head to Shopflick to watch and shop some more!  Too fun!

Shopflick: Visit this store | Get your own Store!

Picture Perfect: Kcoline

{the most perfect winter red I ever did see...}

Handmade Holiday (from around the web)

Here are some more awesome ideas for you crafty folk to make this holiday a handmade one!  It's inexpensive, fun, and such an incredible feeling being able to present a gift that you made with your own two hands, to enliven your home with handmade decor, to put a little more "you" into your holiday festivities...

Make some calendars and gift tags to match with these inexpensive printables from Little Brown Pen.  Watch this video to see how, it's beyond awesome!

Refashion a silk scarf you don't wear into a beautiful pillow for someone else!  The awesome d*s diy team Derek & Lauren show you how.

Present your gifts with this handmade wrapping paper, made from paper scraps and decorated with a celery stamp.  Yes, a stamp made from celery!  Ez over at Creature Comforts will show you how.  (Ez, you're just too much!  So inventive!)

Decorate with a festive bunting made from scrap fabric, or your children's old clothes- it's a great way to save memories and show them off at the same time!  Head to Joyful Abode for the full instructions.

Add some holiday cheer to any room with these adorable shrinky dink night-lights from Readymade!  You can download these designs at Readymade.com or create your own!

You can make these eco-friendly notebooks reusing office paper, vintage wallpaper or wrapping paper scraps for anyone on your list!  Megan and Jill from Potbelly Sandwich works show you how, over on d*s.

Incrrrrredibly easy, yet super stylish "snowstorm curtains" by Jeffrey Ruddel of Craft Stylish.  All you need is some dental floss and 1" circle labels.  Even I can make these! :)

Snazz up your gift wrap with this pretty Mizuhiki Cord knots- so pretty!  Zakka Life will show you how to tie it right (via craftzine)

Make these beautiful and simple paper evergreens to don your mantle or table this season, from master crafter Martha!

 

Super cute fabric flower hairpins for the super cute ladies on your list- Kayte Terry from Craft Stylish will give you the deets!

Lighten up with these pretty recycled egg carton fairy lights- chic and eco-friendly!  See how-to at esprit cabane (via craftzine)

Use some scrap paper to make a picture perfect paper snowflake, just like in grade-school, but better!  According to this video, the trick is in how you fold it- watch below, from Curbly!

Have fun crafting!  I'm gonna get to it myself! :)

<3 jena

Mad Mags

Yay!  The latest issue of NEET magazine is out now, and it's rockin, as usual!  And guess who has a special contribution in it?  I do!  Check out page 32-33 of the online zine to see my special handmade picks for winter.  Thank you Stephanie for letting me be a part of it, it was so much fun!

And, the ever talented Erin over at Design for Mankind has just released the 6th issue of Mankind Mag!  It's "the consumption issue" looking at how how we spend, why we spend, and what we spend so much on.  Good stuff, and very timely!  Way to go Erin, you have another amazing issue to be proud of!

Handmade Holiday with Jessica Jones

I'll have some gift ideas rounded up for you next week, curated by some of my favorite shop owners... but I also thought it a good idea to have some inexpensive and easy diy tuturoials of handmade gifts you can make yourself this year!  And who better to show us how to make something quick, easy and stylish than Jessica Jones of How About Orange?

Here, she'll show you how to make easy fabric covers so you dress up a plain vase or shotglass for maximum cuteness and make a sweet gift for family and friends.  I'm sure you can find some vases/glasses to cover at your local craft store, Goodwill, or hey, even in your own recycling bin!  I'm going to try this with some of the POM tea leftover glasses I've been hoarding away...

Alright then, Jessica, take it away!
 

1. Cut a piece of fabric large enough to wrap around your glass or vase once, plus about an inch of overlap. Make it as tall as your vase is, plus an extra half inch. (Of course, vary this depending on how much glass you want to show at the top.)

2. Fold over and press a half inch at the top and bottom of the fabric; then sew a seam across it to hold it down.

3. Wrap the fabric around your vase, right side to the inside, and pin it exactly where you'd like your seam to go. Slide the vase out and draw a line along the pins to help you sew where you need to.

4. Sew the tube along the line and press the seam open.

5. Flip the tube right side out and put it on your vase.

Et voila, pretty hand-covered vases!  Deliver them with flowers in tow, seasonal berries and twigs or a plant cutting, as seen here, for an extra special gift.

And, if you're not into making things yourself, Jessica can still help you out with the prettily patterned goodies she sells in the How About Orange etsy shop- hand-sewn reversible totes for your favorite loves-to-shopper and cute mousepads and postcards as inexpensive stocking stuffers for anyone on your list!

Thanks Jessica, for sharing your project with us!

Ninu

Oh ninu ninu ninu, you're calling my name...  With your stylishly unique shapes, your soft, supple fabrics in luscious winter colors and your maker with the wildly fabulous (and kinda familiar :) hair... oh, and your awesomely awesome photographs- I was going to choose one for "picture perfect", but yours are all too perfect in everyway.  Ninu, I'm so glad I found you.  And maybe you'll find your way into my welcoming arms too, soon :)

Thank you!

Just wanted to give a special thank you to Allison from Rocklove jewelry who sent me a special holiday treat- a wonderful gift box filled with handmade goodies galore!  My favorite items from what I received:

Rosemary and lavender infused soap from Anderson Soap Company :: little bean sprout earrings from Nova Design :: silver and copper hoop earrings from Discomedusa :: and a mineral makeup kit from Pink Quartz Minerals (which came complete with a little kabuki brush that I was really excited to use, but discovered the next day mysteriously broken and chewed and ickied and slobbered upon...strange...I wonder who could've done such a thing?)

Thanks everyone!  And thanks Allison for putting it all together!

Handmade Spaces: Sprout Studio

Today I'm so happy to bring you a glimpse into the creative space of one of my long time favorite crafters and artists, Jenifer from Sprout Studio!  Jenifer creates all manner of cute things for you and your home and has an amaaazing space to do it from in the even more amaaazing city of San Francisco!  Let's take a look, shall we?

What do you create in this space?
i create all manner of things!  mostly i use it for making my found image necklaces & bracelets and whatnot for sprout studio & also my collage based artworks.  i also sew here (albeit novice-ly) & collect all sorts of inspiring ephemera to look at and inspire.  i've also been known to break out the paints, watercolors, linoleum cutting business, tee-shirt printing, illustration stuff, felting, ...ya know, all manner of creative business!

Where is it located?
i live in an old converted warehouse (an old hat factory actually) so i live where i work.  my husband is a master scheme-ster and builder so we built the "deck" in our loft space as well as all sorts of other things, but underneath the deck loft is my studio.

What sort of tools/equipment do you use?
the list would be crazy long if i listed everything, but generally speaking:  mod podge, paper ephemera, tapes, scissors, paints, sharpies, watercolors, fabrics, sewing machine, xyron, paintbrushes, reclaimed wood panels and trim........& much more!

What inspirations do you keep nearby?
i like to pin up all sorts of visuals that inspire me.  aesthetically speaking these range from images from art books, magazines, design journals or photos snapped of wandering around in san francisco. 

i also like to have a good amount of books - art books, old vintagey kids books, design annuals, illustration books, etc... the other stuff i surround myself with is artwork by the huge list of admired artists i have and have been lucky enough to purchase some of their artworks.

What do you like to listen to/watch while creating?
mostly i listen to music - i'm all over the place in my music tastes (just don't play that new country stuff! ;))  so i have a wide variety depending on my mood.  lately i've been all about pandora though; i simply love plugging in a music muse and listening to what else comes up.  occasionally i'll watch a movie while doing more mundane things for the business.  i don't own a tv so i'm never watching that!

How do you feel when you enter your handmade space?
sometimes i feel overwhelmed; i'm not the neatest artist in the world so i feel that urge to have everything cleaned up which can inhibit that creative urge.  however, a lot of the time i'll spread out beyond my studio into my living space and can get lost for hours paging through old books and paper flotsam & jetsom looking for just the right string of words or image for a collage or necklace piece.

i love my studio - i always feel lucky too to have a space all my own with all my creative stuff around me.  i just need an intern or a maid to help me get a little more organized -- any takers?!  :)  since i work full time it's always a challenge keeping up with the tidy factor :)

Be sure to stop by Sprout Studio and the Sprout etsy shop too for goodies galore!  There's a sale going on in the shop right now and lots of inspiring (and inexpensive) gifts to be had.  Thanks Jenifer, for sharing your wonderful space!  ps: Nice to see I'm not the only messy person around here! :)

Picture Perfect: tiny-toadstool

{She's happy it's December 1st, and so am I!  That means only one more month to go til 2009 is here, and boy am I excited for the new year to begin!}