P’Home d’Amour Finds
For the lovers of a romantic, nostalgic look then you should not miss P’Home d’Amour of France. Although their collection is small each item is a real delight. I particularly love their vintage photo hang tags and engraved tea light latern. Pretty.
Vintage Hang Tags - Petite Fille - each - 3 euro
Vintage Hang Tags - Joyeux Noël - each - 3 euro
Engraved Container - large: 24 cm - 26.50 euro
Tea Light Lantern - 25 cm - 14 euro
Salt and Pepper Shaker - Silver - 6 cm - 15.50 euro
Suspension Vase - Glass - diam. 7.5 cm - 8.50 euro
P’Home d’Amour ships internationally from France
Website in French
• Related Post: New Romantic: A Palette of Glass and Pastels
• Related Post: Shabby Chic
• Related Post: French Labels Botanique Editions
The Collection France
The Collection founded in 2000 by Allison Grant on the rue de Poitou in Paris has an online site offering a selection of design pieces by both well- and lesser known talented European designers.
Escalier - Kavel Rafferty - heat transfer on tablet - 15×15x3.5d cm - 129 euro
Little Bang Lamp - by Black + Blum - 26h x 48d cm - 66 euro
Eat Series - by Tracy Kendall - 56w x 3.30m long (motif 2.2 m) - 169 euro
T-Towel Drainer - by Unity Peg - 76 x 46 cm - 17 euro
Bird Ball - By Blue and Grey - Ceramic - 17 cm diam. - 59 euro
T-Towel Débardeur - by La Cerise sur le Gâteau - 79 x 53 cm - 26 euro
The Collection ships internationally from France
Website in English and French
• Related Post: Fresh Take: Modern Tea Towels
Messenger Bird Press
I came across Messenger Bird Press while perusing the Poppytalk Handmade May 2008 Market Showcase. Instant love! Messenger Bird Press incorporates many of the things I love about printed cards… letterpress, bold inks, retro designs and a deep emboss.
The Brooklyn, NY husband and wife duo, do all printing entirely by hand on antique presses using (tree free) 100% cotton paper and hand-mixed ink. They also do custom, wholesale, consignment and bulk orders. Now who in your life wouldn’t love to receive one of these beautiful cards in the mail?
Link to order and see all available designs visit the Messenger Bird Press
Cherry Print Apron Card - $4
Aqua and Tan Card - 4 Pack - $12
Flower Coasters - 8 Pack - $12
Mini Notebook - $11
Dress Form Card - $5
Retro Yellow Flower Card - $4
Matryoshka Doll Card - $4
Bold Red Flower - 4 Pack - $12
Messenger Bird Press ships internationally
Website in English
The Dieline Packaging Design Blog
This morning I was reading the blog Oh Joy! and came across a post about The Dieline, a packaging design blog. Btw, if you are not familiar with Oh Joy!, it is a must read because Joy Deangdeelert Cho always has the most interesting finds and the blog is so beautifully laid out, it really is a joy to read. Be sure to also check out Joy’s Nantaka Joy shop full of beautiful paper products. Yummy.
The Dieline is a blog dedicated to packaging design from around the world. If you are a graphic designer in this field then this really is an inspirational site or if you are just a lover of all things beautiful then you can appreciate that packaging can be more than just a box, bag or bottle to hold product.
Carol Lee Designs JunkMail Greetings
“For fun or for spite” you can say it with the assortment of greeting cards offered by Carol Lee Designs. I love the idea and her designs! The cards are professionally printed and many have embossed elements and wording, a very elegant way to convey your feelings. If you want to express your truest thoughts then really what better way than on a beautiful piece of stationery - at least the recipient knows you took the time and effort to tell them like it is. The JunkMail Greetings website offers a large collection of witty one-liners perfect to send to that “special” someone in your life.
If you are having trouble making a decision, because well, there are just too many in your life deserving of such a beautiful, witty card, then check out the following Carol Lee Design HateMail product listing where you can find a fantastic pack of 16 cards, the “Spring 2008″ collection, with messages such as:
- You go, girl. No, really. Go.
- It’s a good thing you’re pretty.
- I admire your low standards.
- Jesus loves you… but I hear He’s not picky.
- Congrats to you and the baby daddy.
- When I found out, the fourth person I thought of was you.
- Karma called and she didn’t sound happy.
- Why can’t you be more like your sister.
- A little birdie told me you suck.
- You say ‘tomato’. I say ’shut the hell up’.
Single Cards - Envelope included - $3
Hatemail Spring 2008 - Pack of 16 Cards & Envelopes - $24
Junkmail Greetings ships internationally from Canada
Website in English
Little Paper Planes
Little Paper Planes is an online art, t-shirt and accessory portal for artists. The artists are primarily from the USA with a broad range of styles. Most of the prints are limited runs of digital prints on archival paper.
Living Room Sessions - CDR - Digital Print - 20 x 20 cm - $20
Music Lesson Print - Im Smitten -Digital Print - 51 x 51 cm - $40
Trailer #3 - Veronica Press - Etch/Chine Colle - 20 x 28 cm - $115
Birch Forest - Lisa Congdon - Digital Print - 20 x 25 - $35
Birdcages Print - Traci Edwards - Digital Print - 28 x 35 cm - $30
Little Paper Planes ships internationally from the USA
Website in English
My Little Underground Digital Prints
My Little Underground is the online shop of Christopher David Ryan… a Brooklyn-based graphic artist, and founder of the one-man design studio, Atmostheory. How clever are these Commands posters? For the computer user these are just brilliant. My Little Underground sells many other beautiful posters such as the Leafy Mysteries Series… so sublime. Be sure to check the site out. Well done.
Commands - Set of 3 Digital Prints - 13 x 18 cm - $15
Leafy Mysteries Series 1 - 15 Digital Prints - 28 x 43 cm - $20 each
My Little Underground ships internationally from the USA
Website in English
• Related Post : Screen Prints
Bungalow Graphics Retro Design
If you are lover of retro design then check out Bungalow Graphics located in France. The design mind behind this great site is Charlie Adam and boy has he made a nice site and some really swanky products we can purchase. To buy products from his collection visit the “Boutique”. His playful, bold colored retro design collection includes t-shirts, posters, magnets, melamine trays, postcards and greeting cards.
Jazz Element Art Print - 30 x 40 cm - 22 euro
Ski Art Print - Limited Edition - 50 x 70 cm - 100 euro
Vertical Greeting Cards - Pack of 8 - 7 x 21 cm - 12 euro
Bird or Bottles Melamine Tray - 38 cm - each 35 euro
Bungalow Graphics ships internationally from France
Website in French and English
• Related Post: Screen Prints
Flickr Finds : Displaying your Art
So you have been collecting prints, posters, photographs, textiles, paintings and objects and you need a little inspiration for displaying your treasures. Be sure to browse through Flickr for the Flickr members are truly an inspiring lot.
There is so much great art work out there that if you want to start a collection of your own it is really only limited by your budget and not by the artist resources available to you. I will be creating a series highlighting artists and places such as Etsy, Dawanda, Supermarket, and various design studios that offer some really fantastic art for you to begin or fill out your collection.
FLICKR Members:
jadeblade / kimhas5cats / sfgirlbybay / .melanie / revolutionarygirl / the_opoponax / pOlkadOt / kaylovesvintage / ninainvorm / TypeFiend
Screen Prints
Screenprinting involves creating a stencil on a taunt piece of fabric and pushing one ink color through at a time. Due to the nature of the medium the prints often have minor variations and unlike slick glossy posters from standard offset printing the silk screen inks create a tactile texture to the poster. Often screenprinted posters are printed in limited numbers thus making them a collectible or at the very least a unique piece you won’t find hanging on someone else’s wall.
Hand pulled prints are categorized into intaglio prints, (including etching and aquatint, engraving, drypoint, and mezzotint), serigraphs (silk screens), relief prints, (wood block prints, linoleum prints) and planographic prints, (stone and plate lithographs).
Posters shown are appoximately 46 x 61 cm but each company has dozens of posters in a variety of sizes and prices.
The Bird Machine - $20 to $50
Patent Pending Press - $30 to $50
Large Mammal - $20 to $100
Seripop - $18 to $25
Scorsone Drueding - $45
Strawberry Luna - $25 - $100
Angry Blue - $20 - $40
The Heads of State - $10 - $100
Nate Duval - $20 - $35
Superkonductor - $25
The Little Friends of Printmaking - $20 - $40
RESOURCES
Technique Information:
• How to Screen Print a Poster by Anthony Skirvin is a detailed overview of the process.
• Cheap Screen Printing Tutorial by Kristy is a quick and dirty method.
• YouTube has loads of videos. Search “silkscreen”, “screen printing” or “silk screen”.
• All About Printmaking is a Squidoo Lens to read up on various printmaking techniques and to see an extensive list of artists.
Online Portals (Original Artwork):
• Gig Posters offers an extensive showcase of products and artist’s portfolio.
• Etsy searching with the keywords “silkscreen posters” on Etsy returns a plethora of finds.
• deviantArt an excellent resource for all things art and design related. Great resource.
• Hand Pulled Prints is a small resource for non-digital reproductions that are for sale.
• Mass Consumption is an online portal for Massachusetts artists with work for sale.
Archival Prints: (Digital Prints of Original Artwork):
• Thumbtack Press offers affordable archival prints direct from the artists.
• 20×200 - limited archival print runs of 200 for $20 each. Nice concept.
Linzie Hunter Spam One-Liner Archival Prints
Linzie Hunter has taken spam mail one liners and turned them into a work of art. I love this idea and her creations. Originally from Scotland, Linzie now lives in North London. “A graduate of Glasgow University, she was a theatre stage manager before studying illustration at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Her freelance illustration work is created digitally but when away from the computer she enjoys traditional print-making and book-binding.” Her work has been seen in many magazines such as Time and Adorn.
Thumbtack Press carries 18 of Linzie’s illustrations. Her prints measure approximately 30 x 43 cm and are printed on an archival bright white stock. Thumbtack Press also offers a framing service.
Spam One-Liner Prints - $24.99 to $29.99
Thumbtack Press ships internationally from the US
Website in English
Designer Love : blue ant studio Posters
If you are a lover of classic designer furniture then you should check out blue ant studio based in Miami, Florida for their collection of vector drawn posters. The ‘Chair Exam’ poster is a clever reinterpretation of the standard eye chart but with a collection of classic designer chairs. Can you spot the Emeco Navy chair or the Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair or better yet how many can you identify? This would make a perfect gift for the design aficionado in your life.
Another hip poster would be the ‘Alphabet of Design Classics’ poster, one of my favorite letters would be the letter ‘I’ for Isamu Noguchi Coffee Table. Blue ant studio also does single designer classic posters such as the ‘Side Eames LCW’ as pictured above, top right.
To round out their collection would be the fantasy assembled ‘NYC Subway Sign’. It is only available as a digital vector file, due to it’s length (2.28 meters long x 27.5 cm wide) but then you can resize it yourself if need be and have it printed locally by a foil maker in your area.
All Posters shown (inc. shipping) - 30.5w cm x 45.7l cm - $50 = 32 euro
NYC Subway Sign - Vector Data via email - $10 = 6.50 euro
All posters can be found at blue art studio link
blue ant studio ships worldwide from the USA
Website in English
Keeping Track : H&S Perforated Calendar
Alright it might be a little late to purchase a 2008 wall calendar but this little gem is just my aesthetic - simple, clean, with a touch of whimsy - The Perforated Calendar by UK based letterpress printers and designers, Harrington & Squires. Founded in 2002 by Chrissie Charlton and Vicky Fullick, Harrington & Squires, is a small private press specializing in small format limited editions.
Gotta love the clothes pin that is included to mark the date!
Perforated Calendar - 6w x 64l cm - £16.50
Harrington & Squires will ship internationally from the UK
Website in English
French Labels : Botanique Éditions
The little French company Botanique Éditions is primarily focused on garden supplies and garden themed products carrying a huge assortment of wood, plastic, metal and slate labels for use in- or outdoors. Today I was reviewing their collection of table place setting labels and I was so charmed. Be sure to also check out their collection of wine cellar labels, where you can create a genuine “French” feeling for your private wine collection.
The entire table setting label collection can be viewed here.
Mini Cloche en Verre - 15h x 9.5d - 8 euro each or set of 2 - 12 euro
Marque Place - Pack of 10 - 7 x 5 cm - 13 euro
Médaille Gravée - 3d cm - 3.10 euro
Tin Label Stick - 13l x 2w cm - 1 euro
Aluminum Souple - Pack of 25 - 8.5l x 2.5w cm - 11 euro
Bouquet de la Mariée - Pack of 50 - 10l x 1.8w cm - 5.10 euro
Botanique Éditions ships internationally
Website is in French
Very Brit : Keep Calm Gallery
I am groovin’ on this eclectic mix of letterpress and hand pulled silk screen printed posters from the Keep Calm Gallery in the UK.
Lucas and Hayley established the company in 2007 and have designed a large portion of the posters available. The collection has been expanded by prints designed by a variety of artists such as Douglas Wilson of Missouri, USA, Alyson Fox from Texas and Jacob Arden McClure of San Francisco, California. Keep Calm also offers to frame your choice before shipping.
If you are in London then be sure to check out the current exhibition of their posters through the month of April at Urban Retreat, an in-store restaurant of the department store Harrods.
Various posters as pictured above - approx. 40w x 60h cm - prices ranging from £18 to £39
Keep Calm Gallery shipping internationally from the UK
Website in English
Practical : Take Out Menu Organizer
How often do you use a take out service? Some of us working full time do it more often than we cook. If this scenario describes your current lifestyle then to make it even easier to order in and stop the chaos of favorite menus lost in jumbled junk drawers, try the Take Out Menu Organizer. The Organizer contains 30 sleeves for storing up to 60 menus, six tabbed dividers for various cuisines, 50 ratings stickers, takeout tips and a 50-sheet group ordering pad.
Take Out Menu Organizer - 30l x 28w x 5d cm - $20 = 12.80 euro
Shipping Costs to all of Europe = $22.95 = 14.60 euro
Uncommon Goods ships internationally from the USA
Website in English
Homage : Beate Boucht & Flora for Lisa
The multi-talented, Swedish illustrator and graphic designer Beate Boucht has a 10 poster series entitled “Flora for Lisa” up for sale at Designista. I am in awe at the detail of the work she has created and absolutely in awe that the series depicts an amazing story of those with unfulfilled destinies.
Quoting Designista “The inspiration is taken from the daughter of Carl von Linné, Elisabeth “Lisa” Christina, who though she had a great talent for botany and science never got a chance to study. Beata Boucht has made a homage to her and others with the same destiny.” This is a definite collection for us with women in our families who could not fulfill their dreams because of their gender.
Flora for Lisa - 10 Poster Set - 50w x 70l cm - 450 SEK - 48 euro
Designista is a web portal and online shop showcasing designers from around the globe.
Shipping worldwide from Sweden
Website in Swedish and English
Verbage : It’s Pop It’s Art
Hey I am loving these bold silk screened prints from It’s Pop It’s Art sold through Soma in the UK.
It’s Pop It’s Art is a collaboration between London based graphic design agency Airside and EMI Publishing UK. The project is built upon a love of both music and art and the outcome is a series of unique visual cover versions of the songs in the form of screen prints.
Limited run, signed silk screen prints.
Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On - 70w x 100h cm - £150
Rolling Stones - Miss You - 70w x 100h cm - £150
In Deep - Last Night A DJ Saved My Life - 100w x 70h cm - £150
Available through Soma Gallery, will ship internationally
Website in English
Paper Surprise: Studio Job Paper Furniture
These pieces you wouldn’t want to leave out in the rain! Made of paper, cardboard and papier-mâché. They are advertised as being strong and durable because they are decorated with honeycomb panels. Studio Job’s Paper collection includes cupboard, cabinet, table, floor lamp and 2 sizes of pendant light.
Buffet - 90h x 165w x 61.5d cm - 1570 euro
Cupborad - 240h x 156w x 67.5d cm - 2620 euro
Cabinet - 243h x 132w x 67,5d cm - 2040 euro
POAA website in English and Dutch with multiple currencies
Shipping internationally from the Netherlands
Coded Message : What’s Your Poison Coasters
Set of 8 Periodic Table of Elements drinkmats designed in 2003 by Frank named “What’s Your Poison?”.
I am a huge fan of ironic products, like the bathing cap bag featured above or the Park Planters by Tristan Zimmermann featured below. I enjoy the wit and cleverness involved to create a product that not only functions but makes you rethink the source of inspiration. These clever drinkmats do just that - how about gold for your favorite person and arsenic for your not so favorite. Contains AU (Gold) / Fe (Iron) / Pb (Lead) / As (Arsenic) / C (Carbon) / Hg (Mercury) / Br (Bromine) / Zn (Zinc). Made of mat board.
8 Drinkmats - 9.4 x 9.4 cm - 69 DKK = approx. 8.50 euro
Hay in Denmark carries these
Shipping internationally
Website in English and Danish
Birds Of A Feather : Etsy & Retail Finds
Stefan, my friend and design guru, loves birds and before I met Stefan I never thought of these feathered creatures as objects of beauty outside of nature. Now with new eyes I am seeing birds everywhere - handtowels, art prints, sculptures, t-shirts, bedding, table trays…. the list goes on. If you have never thought of birds as objects of desire then keep your eyes open you will be pleasantly surprised how charming, sophisticated and down right contagious they can be.
The four prints above are by Aline *Yumi* Yamada the Etsy shop owner of YumiYumi. She is a fine art illustrator hailing from Brazil and transplanted to Ohio, USA. Her giclee prints are of her original illustrations and are printed on museum quality paper, signed and dated. Lovely.
Each print pictured costs $20 - 21.5w x 28h cm - YumiYumi ships worldwide
More birds at Etsy:
Check out Gypsy and Twink for painted and collaged, wooden owls -$60 or birds - $40
3 Gift Cards by Luckychelle7 - $1.85
Vintage fabric plisse pouch “Tweetheart” by McYarnpants. - 14 x 14 cm - $18
Wallpaper covered notebooks by myright2write - $11
Tweed and velvet shoulder bag by PeskyCatDesigns - $55
Retail Finds:
‘Blue Feather Bird’ Decoration - Really Linda Barker - £7.95
‘Birds on the Wire’ Clothes Pegs - Pack of 25 - Pedlars - £7.95
Alessi Kettle - Alessi - 99 euro
‘Owls’ Wall Stickers - Scandinavian Design Center - 34,33 euro
‘Feather’ Wallpaper by Ferm Living - Scandi Living - £39 per 10m
Mini Pouf ‘Bird’ for children - Souk Shop - 74.95 euro
Talk To Me: Table Topic Cards
Now this is a clever idea. Wrappables in the USA is offering these place holder cards to jump start a dinner conversation. As they say “you know great parties begin with great conversations.” Questions include “When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?” and “What’s the most beautiful place you’ve ever seen?” Box includes placecards, each with 12 conversation starting questions. They also offer Party Topic Coasters and Table Topic Cards* containing 136 questions.
Wrappables does not ship outside of the USA but the idea is clever enough that you may have to locate a local printer or letterpress to whip you up some for your next dinner party.
Party Topic Cards - 7.6 x 7.6 cm - $6.95
Website is in English
Shipping only within the USA
*Update: I have been able to find “Table Topic Cards” at I Want One of Those in the UK - 19.99
Super Colossal: Cardboard Cubby
In early February 2008 the architecture office Super Colossal based in Sydney, Australia participated in the Sydney Design and Decoration trade show and were 1 of 6 architects and designers that were asked to produce a “Sustainable Room” as a centerpiece of the show.
Super Colossal designed and produced this awesome construction from cardboard material sponsered by Visy. The cubby house can be easily recycled “once it is no longer fun, or when it rains, whichever comes first.” You can’t buy but it is awesome to look at. View the whole story here.
Etsy : 12fifteen
Graphic designer and Etsy and DaWanda store owner Johanna Anderes runs 12fifteen. She was born in Germany and now lives in Connecticut designing and producing these impressive notecards, coasters and prints. 12fifteen’s products are letterpress printed by hand on her vintage Chandler & Price press and her work has been featured in apartement therapy chicago, poppytalk, mixedplateblog, indiediner and others. Love the subtle designs and her choice of ink color. A real winner. 12fifteen also does personalized notecards, which are printed on a high quality inkjet printer, as shown on the bottom right.
8 coasters - $12 on Etsy or 8.50 euro on DaWanda
4 flat notecards with envelopes - $11
12 flat personalized notecards with envelopes - $16
International shipping - $5 or 3.50 euro
Etsy is in English
DaWanda is in English, German and French