Visit Sparkle Thots for cute and really affordable handmade jewelry. Mention "modish may" in the comments at checkout and get 10% off your order! Please wait for a
revised invoice to be sent with your discounted total.
I received a special present in the mail yesterday from the lovely lady Angie behind Poketo- a pair of wonderful melamine plates! 
They're not handmade, but since they were sneakily sent my way and I love them so much, I just had to publicly say a big thank you to Angie! Thank you! They're great! Not only are they cool to look at, but melamine is super durable, lightweight and great to use outdoors camping or on picnics. Check out the new plate designs for yourself, along with tees, wallets and more great stuff, at Poketo!
I haven't posted about new items from the modish shoppe in a loooong time, and since it's well overdue and I happen to have lots of wonderful new items in for spring, I thought it high time to show some off!
First off, I'd like to introduce a new artist to the shoppe, Stephanie DosReis! I feel honored to carry her wonderful mixed media prints and (my favorite) her adooooorable plush houses made from vintage fabrics, they're each one of kind!
There's also beautiful new jewelry and a pretty new color of poppy pins and hairpins for the summer, by foundling:
Also, back in the shoppe, Mood Swing's wonderful reversible storybook charm necklaces- you get two necklaces in one!
There's also lots of new prints by a modish favorite, Swallowfield- they're all so colorful and cheery!
There's a lot more new goodies on the way to the shoppe too, including new tees from wenifnotnow, plates by New Work, jewelry by Odd Bird, new bags by Jenna Rose and Queen Puff Puff, new jewelry from Mollie Dash, and more more more! Check in often and remember, you can use the code "modish" for free shipping!
Visit Eclectic Eccentricity for re-vamped vintage jewelry that's feminine and fun! Enter code MODISH08 at checkout and receive 10% off your order!
Today's eco-friendly find is colorful and cheerful, creating lovely wallets, business card holders, fabric wraps, iron ons, coasters, bibs, scarves and more (more? yes, more!) all from repurposed vintage fabrics- they're eco-friendly and cool and a lot of the designs are customizable. What is this wonderful place, you ask? It's rikrak! Check it out! 
These lovely greeting cards are a new line by MEiC+ViLLENEUVE inspired by vintage imagery and stories from the past- there's lots of florals, butterflies and birds for classic looking, feminine greetings for every occasion!
There's tons of different cards to choose from and they are available with hand-glittered detail for that extra special touch- check out all the pretty new designs at MEiC+ViLLENEUVE!
Visit Moop for beautiful, durable, large and in charge bags for your everyday!
So you totally blew it, again. Mother's Day snuck up on you like the littlest kid in the playground, and you want to do something that has a personal handmade touch with, oh, three days or so. Impossible? I think not. Here are some great ideas to add personal touches with fabulous crafty flair that show a lot of effort in little time.
MAKE BRUNCH FOR MOM AND ACCENT THE TABLE WITH "FLOWERS". Thanks to Michael's, Martha Stewart Crafts is all over the place and you can probably find this great tissue paper flower kit with ease in a drivable distance from your house. Why not throw a few kits together and get the griddle going? The won't die like real flowers, and your mom will have a memento of all of your hard work putting together a great meal so she could relax and enjoy the family time. Even better - stick a bunch of the flowers on a tray and serve her breakfast in bed!
AWAKEN HER INNER FLOWER CHILD. Grab a set of seeds from your local garden store and put them in personalized seed packets with our dieline here. Grab a gift basket (and, if you wish, cellophane) from your local garden store and deck it out in ribbon. Want to really go all out? Substitute a tissue or crinkle paper base with fake moss (available at most craft stores - if they carry silk florals, they'll probably have it) and set your seed packets among the moss and gardening tools to boost the overall "wow" effect.
SHOW HER HOW SWEET SHE IS. If you're mom's got a sweet tooth, bake her cupcakes! Cupcake Bakeshop has a wide variety of recipes that can suit any palate - from fruity to spicy to good old traditional choco-licious. Run to your local crafts center and pick up a bunch of stock paper in any color or tone group you wish. Bring them home, cut them into strips, and fold the strips in half so they are doubled over lengthwise, cutting the original width in two. Insert a toothpick into the center of the fold - the top of the toothpick should be just under the top edge of the paper. Glue the paper together ensuring the toothpick stays put, and you've got yourself a basic decoration! Write on each flag one reason you appreciate your mom (awwwwwww), and insert the flag into each cupcake after it's been iced. Feel free to decorate as you wish - try layering papers or using decorative punches!
GIVE HER THE GIFT OF TIME - IN A BOOK. A lot of families these days are moving at the speed of light, and it's hard to find time together, so find a moment to reflect on what you all have done together. Go to a craft store or somewhere that carries scrapbooking supplies and buy yourself one, or a couple books. Make sure to purchase tools: buy a LOT of adhesive (even more than you think you'll need because you'll run out fast!), paper and embellishments. Wrap them all up in a box and then let her unwrap it on Mother's Day. Take the afternoon to go through family photos with her and any other family members who want to join in, then spend the afternoon creating scrapbook pages so you all contribute to the book. At the end of the day, she'll have a keepsake that not only reflects on memories, but created one as well!
Maddy Susser is a graphic designer and
artist that has a soft spot for all things paper and English period
pieces (in other words, men in tights and funny vests). Armed with a
number of years in marketing for retail on a small business and
corporate scope she collects tidbits of information learned along the
way and puts it into easy terms to share, formerly on her blog Try This
at Home, and now on Modish. She's currently working on a line of paper
goods.
I was going to include this spicy cha cha cha painting (you see it there below- it's the one that makes you feel like dancing!) in the cinco de mayo post yesterday, but decided to stick with Mexican artists on that one...but when searching for today's post, I could hear the lovely lady still calling my name- "Hola jena, remember me senorita? Will I get the chance to dance on your blog? Baila! Cha cha cha!" And how could I refuse her? Especially when she brought some lovely friends along...
You can find these beautiful paintings in Karin Grown's shop- they are giclee prints stretched on canvas with hand-painted touches to bring out the highlights in each piece. She also makes pretty little jewelry adornments featuring vintage stamps and papers soldered under glass. Cha cha yourself on over and check everything out!
Visit Cut & Paste for a wonderfully curated collection of handmade goodies!
Today's delightfully cheery handmade space belongs to Cindy, the creator of the lovely stationery line, Blue Rose Design, and most recently, she's developing a new line of goods that combine paper and fabric which will hopefully soon be available for purchase. In the meantime, you can keep up with her on her blog, Quaint Handmade, or check out her flickr photostream. Now, on to her beautiful studio!
What do you create in this space?
I grew up making all kinds of crafts,
but stopped for some reason when I started my professional career. Several
years ago I became involved in more creative areas at work and revived
my interest in painting. I like to use watercolors as they’re so beautiful
when done well – not an easy task. I can also work quickly and they’re
portable. I tend to like things that are small and enjoy paper quilting,
too. My love of flowers often results in tiny (quaint) bouquets.
A few years ago I purchased a sewing
machine to use for the handmade greeting cards I was making at the time.
Before I knew it, I was taking quilting classes and really became interested
in sewing. I love fabric, which is like a different type of palette,
and usually make things that are functional in some way. I’ve worked
in technology and find that sewing is absolutely the hardest thing I’ve
ever done. The necessary planning (patience) is worth it though as it’s
so rewarding when you can use something you’ve made with your own
hands. I’ve always loved school/office supplies and hope to bring
paper + fabric together in some special way.
Can you describe what we see in the
pics a bit?
This room serves as a guest room and
a studio for me. We love vintage so it’s eco-friendly, too. My husband
used to play businessman at the small desk when he was a kid. The typewriter
is mine from the 1970s. There’s also a vintage fan and a Tivoli radio,
which connects to my iPod. I couldn’t live without it as something
is always playing. 
Paper supplies are stored in the hutch and fabric
in a rolling cart.
We also have a few inspiration boards,
including one I made for my husband. When they get too full, I’ll
remove everything from the boards and start again. I love Japanese craft
books, which makes sewing even harder since I can only figure out the
directions from the pictures. Work from other artists is a must and
includes treasures from Shim + Sons, Posie Gets Cozy, Little Birds and
Greenbean Baby Art.
How do you feel when you enter your
"handmade space?
It’s a small room, so it naturally
has a cozy feeling. It faces west so the afternoon sun is quite bright
giving a nice light. The room is painted pale pink and is very cheery,
although I’m tempted to paint it a pale blue to make it more soothing.
The room has some special treasures, including my Father in Law’s
childhood mahogany sleigh bed. It serves as another workspace to use
to lay out fabric choices and a nice place to take a break as it’s
covered with pillows.
I like to keep things neat, which is
a blessing and a curse. When I would color as a child, I not only stayed
in the lines, I outlined them in black crayon – ugh! I’ve been fighting
that tendency ever since and have to really try to be more painterly
in all of my work. In terms of the room, I like to put everything back
in its place at the end of the day as though I’m leaving the office.
But, note to self, take some photos of the room when it’s a mess and
leave it like that for 24 hours!
Oh, how I would love to walk into this room every morning to get some work done! I love love love it, it's feminine and inspiring. Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Today has become a day to celebrate Mexican culture in the United States- although I'm sure you'll see many examples of the capitalization that has made Cinco de Mayo so popular here ($1 margarita happy hour anyone?), I hope you'll also find celebrations of the Mexican heritage, art, music and culture that have helped make America what it is today. To help celebrate some of that talent, here are some handmade goods by Mexico based artists and crafters that I found on good ol' etsy!
{cyrano doll, set of 5 cards by Cara Carmina :: Pink strawberry charm by allen! :: hedgehog march notepads by micasita house}
{Fungi print by Rosie Music :: tulips wallet by ziazia :: Mexican embroidered bag by That Retro Thing :: Mexican embroidered tunic by Aida Coronado} 
{filigree flower and bird earrings by tutarubli :: city lights necklace by Colibri Dreams :: seashells box by Sea Debris :: "remember" print by Geninne}
I’m not much on joining clubs or group activities, perhaps it’s because like most creative entrepreneurs I stay really busy just trying to make do. However, when I read about the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Habitat program, I decided to join the other 90,000 people who have already taken what can literally be considered a natural plunge.
Lately I've spent afternoons ripping out invasive plants, planting edibles where there once was grass, and mulching with leaves and the grass clippings from our ever-diminishing lawn. I mean, I’m already doing what they require, I’m actively making changes they suggest, so why not?! Plus you get a pretty little certificate and the option to buy a metal plague to put up in your yard. Which, I bought. I am part of a consumer culture, after all. Anything in the name of self-validation, right?
The best part is, now I can passive-aggressively point to the sign and shrug, which will be hung in a very conspicuous spot, if neighbors complain about my yard. (Have I mentioned my Mr. has kindly dubbed my style “Trash Americana”?) I tend to think lawns are a great yawn, but living in the middle of Suburban America, I'm a minority in terms of taste. Regardless of stylistic differences, adopting the natural path has certain advantages.
{food} We’ve
added feeders for the birds which have resulted in a need to fill the feeders
daily now. . . Who came up with the term “Eats like a bird”? They’re highly misguided. We’ve also got a Red Shouldered Hawk hanging
around, blue birds, towhees and other interesting feathered creatures to watch
with great amusement. The bees seem to
be hanging around, with no interest of relocating, in a time of great worry
about those positive little pollinators.
{water} I’m now more apt to check on the watering holes (an old thrifted bowl and a big plastic planter saucer) to make sure everyone has something to drink, another important way to alleviate the effects of the drought we’re still in here in the Southeastern U.S. It’s taught me to hold water in greater regard, conserving use inside and capturing the rain outside (a la rain barrels) for the garden. I’m seriously considering adding a bog to the yard, but one project at a time.
{shelter} The natural areas have become windows of curiosity, allowing me to peek in on nests, notice strange little insects, and understand that “natural areas” are not eyesores in a well groomed lawn (which mine is not) but are essential homes in the greater local community, the one that reminds me that animals are important contributors to the human process of survival.
{garden sustainably} But what it all boils down to is a gentle step back into the symbiotic process. I feel like a part of the cycle when the dirt under my nails attracts a new animal friend to the yard. Perhaps it was reading Ranger Rick growing up that attracted me to the National Wildlife Federation’s site, or perhaps it was a simple desire to contribute to my own little one acre world. Either way, I have a plaque in my yard to remind me to keep on participating in life.
Renee Garner has a passion to make things grow, although her brownish
thumb wants her to believe otherwise. When mud pies aren't on the
menu, you can find her doodling the days away at Wolfie and the Sneak.
ZNE is accepting early bird reservations for their first ConvenZioNE, an
event celebrating one of the world's largest mixed
media and indie artist's group- register now to be part of the three day event which includes a gallery and boutique walk through Pleasanton, a special screening of a documentary, workshops led by some amazing mixed media artists, and VIP admission + 10% off at the Art Paperie and Pleasantries craft show. Check out ZNE for all the info and sign up now to be part of this fun and inspiring weekend in sunny Pleasanton this summer!
