Hel Looks is a fantastic homage to the street fashion of Helsinki, a great spin-off of the Japanese street fashion phenomenon Fruits, created by Liisa Jokinen and Sampo Karjalainen. I had meant to post about Hel Looks earlier this week, but time (as always) got the better of me. I've always loved people watching... so many individuals with really unique styles. This website makes it even more interesting with it's written quips about the people featured in the photos. I really love it.
I found Hel Look's website last weekend via Hobby Princess's fantastic blog. Who's also written a fantastic piece called the "Draft Craft Manifesto", that you really shouldn't miss!
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Speaking of the craft world, it's really touching to know that so many people have come together to donate handmade things to raise money for hurricane Katrina's victims through CraftRevolution's Etsy Shop. I've been brainstorming about things I can donate too... if you're interested in buying some of my paper creations while helping a good cause.
Pictures on Walls is another really interesting photo project website that I've come across recently. Not your average graffiti by far, this collaborative group also has it's own manifesto.
Look At Me is a "found" collaborative photo project. Lost, forgotten, & discarded images of the past can find a home here.
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Three more incredible images I've found recently: Paris by Night (use the scroll at the bottom to see the whole panoramic view of Paris by night), and this fantastic display of books organized by color. A little over the top never hurt anyone... how about this colorful tree cozy?!
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 8:40 PM
8.25.2005
On the left is a stack of interior decorating books I have laying on my office coffee table, and on the right is the super thick collaborative book project I'm currently working on for Collective Souls .... A Journal's Journey. A great idea spun up earlier this year by super creative, Jess the sweetpea. You can tell just by looking at the outer edges of this book, that a lot of time and thought went into it's pages.
The participants of this project are strung about all over the world. It's quite fascinating to look through the pages that have added pieces of the state or country that they live in, such as music and postcards. I'm especially fond of this hand-drawn collage by Karen of Kraf-o-la, and the poem "Warning", by Jenny Joeseph included on one of Yvonne's lovely cloth pages... but really there's so many great things inside I could barely even make a dent in talking about it. Stephanie of Creaturebug , created a really great album featuring all the pages up to her turn, you can also find some of the newer pages that have been recently uploaded on the Creative Souls flickr community, if you'd like to take a peek.
I've been hard at work this week trying to get a fix on how to make resin pendants, with some really great Chiyogami paper that my parents gifted me with from their recent trip to Japan. I got so jazzed over the paper, it even spurred on a new flickr community. It was only a matter of time, before I created... Paper Fetish. I could not resist. If you'd like to join please do, I'd love to see you there!
I really need to invest in a scanner to take advantage of all of the lovely patterns in this book, I took a few photos instead of some of the pretty Chiyogami designs for my jewelry making. Aren't they lovely?!
I'm also VERY excited about Jenny's new collaborative blog called Tag Sale Tales. Please go over and visit, very soon there will be some really great surprises in store!! It's going to be so wonderful, I seriously can't wait.
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 4:03 PM
8.18.2005
On Saturday, the sweetest belated birthday package came from my favorite Sweetpea in Maine, Jess. She sent the cutest book called "Fairy Island", that I couldn't help but photograph outside in the miniature garden. Everything in the book is made from organic materials, in miniature form...you know, for the fairy folk! She also sent a great assortment of lotions, herbs from Maine, teas and a pretty teapot too. I can see where she was going with this one, and I took her up on it... outside with a book and a cup of tea... that's my cup of tea.
Yesterday I got another fabulous belated birthday goodie package from Hope too. I'd been eyeing the postcards in her shop for some time, and was so excited to see that she had sent me quite an assortment of them, and a pretty keychain too!
I've been collecting books from the Dover clipart collection for the past 7 years, and my library of is steadily growing...so how giddy was I to see she had included one with Chinese motifs. Take a look,it's so pretty! Amanda of Frenchtoastcake also sent a cd trade package that came the same day, the mix was really fantastic and I loved all of the handcrafted touches. She personalized a ribbon purse charm for me too!You can see a pic of the goodies she sent here.
And to top all of this goodness off... Yvonne surprised me with more belated birthday treasures from a recent shopping trip to Amsterdam. Pictured is my new favorite bag, from the Netherlands Kitsch Kitchen. I adore it's Chinese papercut design. It's printed on colorful oilcloth that's so wonderful and bright, you can't help to smile just to look at it. She also sent some lovely vintage tea tins from her own collection for my kitchen, and this really lovely journal by Suki.
Thank you so much Jess, Hope, Amanda, and Yvonne for all of these precious goodies, I feel so spoiled & lucky! If you'd like to see them a little closer and read my little captions/notes you can check out the new album I created in flickr today Mail Love (or click on these photos themselves to see the bigger versions).
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 3:30 PM
8.10.2005
I've been storing up so many lovely postcards and handmade charms that I've been receiving from my online friends this year, and displaying them on my inspiration board. I'm sure you'll recognize a few! My thumbtacks were made from different vintage clip on earrings, that were once worn by two very special ladies in my family. It's amazing what can be done with a glue gun and a little ingenuity.
I feel so lucky to have such kind & talented friends. Just look at this creative stash of birthday treats that Giao recently sent. Her Piece des Resistance was this original bird painting, I just adore it!
We had joked around a bit recently about our secret late night viewings of "the N" (the nighttime network for teens) so she really gave me a good laugh with this cleverly titled mixed cd, "Degrassi Lover". It's such a great mix, it opened my ears up to some new bands like Nouvelle Vague. Who does a really great cover of one of my favorite songs by the Cure , "A Forest". (You can listen to Nouvelle Vague's version here).
She also sent a yummy green apple solid soy scent from her online shop, The Walrus & The Carpenter with all of these other lovely treats pictured left.
Just Jenn also sent a package of sweets the same day (well yes, I was in a chocolate state of bliss!) from her recent trip to Hawaii...although those disappeared very quickly you can still have a peek!
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Just added to the shop last night: bird motif notecard sets. Will add more soon....I need to go on a paper buying spree!!
posted by Liquid Sky Arts at 1:41 PM
8.03.2005
Tuesday was an incredible day, thank you so much for sending out such warm birthday comments, emails, and shout-outs (just look at this fabulous collaged message from Hope!). They really put my head in such a positive mindset. We really did enjoy ourselves. In the morning I set out for a little birthday ritual of mine, visiting the salon to have a "good hair day". Shawn and I ended up arriving home at the same time and took off for Disneyland to experience the re-fabbed ride space mountain, and watch the 50th anniversary fireworks. It ended up feeling like such a bust at first. The summer crowds coupled with the heat were rather obnoxious. When we finally made our way over to space mountain to grab a fast pass, it was broken down. I'm not one who loves crowds, and there were a lot of smelly people there which was further killing my senses! So instead we walked ourselves out of the park and into downtown Disney to look through the shops until the weather cooled down and the crowds dissipated. The sparkly building in the photo above is a jewelry store called Something Silver, where I found a (real) four leaf clover set in resin pendant. My new lucky charm.
We can hear the loud booming sounds of the Disneyland fireworks going off every night from our house. In our last house you could look out the upstairs bedroom window to see them sparkling over the distant palm trees at night. Our new house is too low to see them, we can only hear the sound effects. So we were quite thrilled to be able to buy annual passes this year so we can visit to see them whenever we feel like it. I think they must have every kind of firework imaginable on display in honor of their 50th anniversary. The castle even breathed fire at one point. The fireworks were done in a panaoramic type fashion, so you kind of felt as though you needed to keep turning around in circles, as not to miss something. Incredible. I loved watching the children in the crowd pointing to the sky in their excitement. The next day felt like a bad hangover though, I was truly wiped out from everything!
On Tuesday I also got the most fabulous package from one of my favorite internet pals Leslie.
She sent two of the most incredible Asian beading books I've ever seen. Looking through the pages I got so excited, as I realized that I already had all of the components. I just needed a kick start in ingenuity. I really can't wait to dig into my beads to try my hand at some of the projects.
Leslie also sent the most wonderful stash of cards in a cigar box from her newly re-opened shop the Paper Princess. Go check it out, it's wonderful!
Last but not least, Giao tagged me for this "5 things" meme (so here goes):
5 CDs in your Player:
� Bloc Party ~ Silent Alarm
� Kings of Convenience ~ Quiet is the new loud
� Six Feet Under Soundtrack
� Feist ~ Let it Die
� Radiohead ~ Hail to the thief
5 Movies You've watched Recently:
� The closer you get (*Irish flick)
� The Life Aquatic
� Me without you
� Bewitched
� Rushmore
5 Nice Things That Happened To You Lately (I want to put >>>!!!!
� Yvonne made Martha Stewart blow out the candles for me on my birthday...she always makes me laugh!
� Got out of debt. No more old student loans, or car payments. That's enormous. I'm ready to get back into rennovation mode, our little old lady of a house needs some TLC.
� Was treated to an outdoor summer concert by a really good friend last weekend. Our picnic was invaded by some very brave peacocks, who came face to face with us! I posted a few pictures of them on flickr.
� Recieved 4 of my cd swap 2 mixes in the mail, all gorgeously designed and very thoughtfully put together (will post about these soon!)
� I found out there is a paper source close by, I'm in paper heaven.
5 MP3s on your playlist (click on the links to see & hear the music):
� So here we are ~ Bloc Party
�Hide and Seek ~ Imogen Heap
� Barabas ~ Hooverphonic
� Mushaboom ~ Feist (live kexp session)
� Loro ~ Pinback
5 Friends You're Passing This To: * I thought I'd pass this onto some of my new internet friends, be sure to visit them!
