Modish

Picture Perfect: MarianneS

Eco-Friendly Find: Bread and Badger

Bread and Badger, home to hand-etched glass goodness, has just released their new eco-friendly fall line!  It features spouted bottles and soap pumps made from recycled glass, and hand etched with wonderful banjo playing badgers, cicadas and other fun designs.  You add the oil and vinegar or colorful soap to the clear glass for a fun splash of color, as well as a pretty way to store your handy dandies! 

They also have vases and other items made from recycled glass, or up-cycled from thrift store glass finds.  And, not recycled, but still oh so wonderful, are their little blue shot glasses etched with ships and fun pint glasses with a mustache on the side!  Each style comes in a variety of etched designs for you to choose from- check them all out for yourself!  And while you're there, be sure to snoop around as selected summer items are marked 25-50% off!

Eco-Friendly Find: Found & Made

All of the items you'll find at found & made are not only incredibly darling, they're also hand-crafted from bits and pieces of recycled, vintage and repurposed items!  Each piece is thus an eco-friendly find, giving a cast off item a new lease on life. 

I especially love the little journal key-chains and pendants, filled with 30 pages of random hand-cut vintage pages.  They'd be perfect to jot down notes or doodles on, where ever you are!

Inspiring textiles

Hand screen-printed fabrics are so beautiful to me, patterned with slight imperfections that only a hand can create.  Aussie Lara Cameron designs some of the most incredible fabrics I've ever seen- her colorful designs are inspired by nature and are sure to inspire wonderful craft creations, including some of her own!
 
Kirin & Co is Lara's collection of hand screen-printed fabrics for sale, along with the crafty goodness that came from them, including stunning clutches with cut-out wooden handles and beautiful pillows to spice up your decor.  Take a peek at the entire collection at Kirin & Co!

Cupcakes!

It's my birthday and I love me some cupcakes, so I hope you'll join in the festivities with these awesome (unfortunately inedible but still adorable) cupcake themed goodies:

1 :: pink cupcake, original watercolor painting by Something Different!
2 :: Cuppington the Cupcake necklace by Metal Sugar
3 :: raspberry flowers glass cupcake by  Malmsey's
4 :: faux very cherry pink cupcake by Jenni B Originals
5 :: handmade soap cupcakes by Soap Store
6 :: cuppie and armadillo original watercolor painting by Cakespy

Eco-Friendly Find: BananaSaurus Rex

BananaSaurus Rex is a vintage fabric lovers dream come true, as everything, and I mean everything in the shop is made from vintage, recycled and reused materials: vintage tablecloths become carryall bags, vintage hankies are turned into yummy lavender sachets, ugly old vintage ties become pretty flower brooches! 

The creations are simple, feminine and endlessly functional, from wine sachets to grocery totes, and all are created with the Earth in mind.  BananaSaurus Rex is creative recycling at its best!

Como se llama? LAMA!

If you want some color, some spice, some Latin flavor for your home, look no further than brand spankin' new shop, LAMA!  Filled with wonderful handmade and small-production designs by Latino artists from both abroad and the US, LAMA (which stands for Latin America in the Modern Age) is a fantastic shop filling a much needed niche.

From ceramics and pillows to paper goods and comfy hammocks, LAMA's style is vivid and vibrant.  It brings much deserved attention to Latino independent designers, helping them reach an audience that some of them may not have had access to before.  Although many designs embrace traditional handicrafts and imagery, everything on the site has a distinctly contemporary feel, bringing the beauty of Latin heritage and art right in line with modern style.

I am head over heels with this shop, I wish I could show you everything, but alas, you'll have to check it out yourself.  Christine you did a great job!  Congratulations!  LAMA, te amo mucho!

Grab your Ray-bans...

...because these goodies are so bright, you gotta wear shades!  Raeburn Ink is a little slice of highlighter heaven, brimming over with hot pink, laser lime and electric yellow.  Their goods just ooze the feeling of summer, young, fun and oh so colorful.  With humble surroundings in tiny (but oh so cool) Eureka, CA, Raeburn Ink's style is international, an eclectic mix of hippie chic and a late night Tokyo arcade.  Saiko! (that's Japanese for "awesome!")

I was introduced to Raeburn Ink by my partner in crime, Renee, who just bought one of their tee-shirts and says it rocks!  Bring a little rock into your own wardrobe, and home, with Raeburn Ink!  Chobegu!! (you'll have to look that one up :)

Moose turns two! Special deal for you!

One of my favorite shops to find indie designers from Australia, Moose, turns two years old today!  And to celebrate, they're offering you modish lovelies a special 15% off deal, valid on everything you see on the site from today thru Monday, July 15th.  Just use the code "modishmoo2" at checkout to redeem your discount!  There's soooo much good stuff at Moose, and the collection just keeps getting better and better.  Congrats Moose on turning two!  Way to go!

Extending the olive branch...

I'm pleased to announce that yet another great place to find handmade and unique goods has stepped onto the scene, 29olives!  The site is suuuuper duper cute (of course it is, since it was designed by my favorite web designer, Aeolidia!) and houses loads of equally cute goods, from adorable tote bags and housewares, to precious jewelry and paper goods. 
It's a great collection that I'm sure will only grow with time, which is kind of a scary thought, because I already want to buy olive it!  (hey, it's not easy being punny before coffee :)  Much luck to you and your new shop, Erin!

Good timing for a good egg

You've heard that as one door closes another one opens, and in the case of indie shop doors, that appears to be true!  As I prepare to close the Modish shoppe, a brand spankin' new shop to find handmade goods has just opened its doors- goodEGG!  Good timing!

Run by Laural from Thimble and Jen from the Toronto Craft Alert (teaming up! A good idea!) goodEGG is packed full of hand-picked, handmade designs by a wealth of talented Canadians, including designers you've seen in my shoppe before (Anatomy of a Skirt and Bookhou), designers you've seen highlighted on this blog before (Nightjar Books and Rikrak) and other skilled designers that I'm pleased to have been introduced to.  I'm glad to know that goodEGG will be around to serve some of your handmade shopping needs after the Modish shoppe is gone. 

You are indeed a good egg, uh, goodEGG, and I wish you much luck with your wonderful new shop!

Daisy Janie is gettin' busy!

You may not know how talented Miss Jan DiCintio, my fellow blogger over at Scoutie Girl, really is; not only does she keep up a wonderful blog, she also just released a beautiful new line of handbags in her shop, Daisy Janie!

And, not only are these handmade handbags and totes super cool and unique, perfect for your everyday, they're also made with custom fabrics that have been designed by Jan too! (She also sells them by the yard, if you're interested in creating your own goodies from them!)  Is it possible that someone out there is busier than me?  I may have met my match!

Jan also has these wonderful new pillow covers that feature a completely hidden zipper and a flip side that you can sport for a more simple look.  Along with these pretty little tea towels that feature a touch of Jan's fabric, you can accessorize your house in style.

And, as if she weren't busy enough already, Jan is, as we speak preparing for the Art Star Craft Bazaar that will be taking place in Philly this weekend- if you live nearby, be sure to stop by and check out all her awesome wares in person. 

I don't know how you do it all Jan- I'm tired just from typing this!  Phew!  :)

Rockin' Robin...tweet, tweet, tweet!

Or should I say, rockin' birdies in general, as there are no robins in this group of beautiful hand-painted birds by Zosienka, but there are finches and warblers, stripey birds and dottie birds and the ultimate, golden birds!  And they all ROCK!

I discovered these little gems, perfect for gift toppers or desk happiers or cheer you uppers, at Bonbi Forest, home to many wonderful indie designers including the fresh and fabulous Zosienka that I wish I had found before today!

Wakey wakey

Sorry for the late start today- it was SO HOT in pdx this weekend that it was just too hot to sleep!  I'm dragging today and finding it hard to be interested in much other than the thought of a nap, but while I'm preparing my 2nd pot of French press to get me going, I stumbled upon these beautiful little reminders from Handgrown Pottery:

I was introduced to Handgrown Pottery awhile back by a lovely reader (thank you!) and for some reason today, these simple and pretty little dishes really started to speak to me.  They'd be great to have around to hold your little trinkets or to keep as daily reminders for yourself- find more inspirational thoughts like these at Handgrown!

Poketo Surprise!

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! 

New goodies in the shoppe!

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!

Eco-Friendly Find: rikrak

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!

For the Mums: Gardening goodies

This last Mother's Day gift idea post is inspired by my own mama, an avid gardener and bird lover who would surely enjoy any of the gifts below- in fact, I bought her the bird feeder for Christmas last year!  For your own flower pickin' mamas, hopefully some of these suggestions will hit home:

1. Egg bird feeder by Jim Schatz (beautiful! My mom loves hers!)- $135
2. Birdhouse stakes made from salvaged house parts, by Dryads Dancing- $42/set of 3
3. English garden rose dream (made from polymer clay! wow!) at Petal by Petal- $80
4. Flowers for mom vase by Beth Mueller at Uncommon Goods- $32
5. Campy planters by Perch Design- $72
6. Garden organizer by Milk Pail- $27
7. Purple tit print by Bird Nerd- $20
8. "Suprise Mi!" deluxe spa set (for after a long day of gardening!) by mi SPA- $125

For the Mums: In the kitchen

For the mom who likes to cook and entertain, relax with some tea, bake cookies or keep their kitchen looking snazzy, even if it's just used to dish out to-go food, here are some nifty gifty ideas, all handmade, all wonderful!

1. Spoons apron in steel by Skinny LaMinx- $25
2. Ginko tea towels set on eco-friendly hemp/cotton by Blossom Creations- $45
3. Bird measuring spoons by Beehive Kitchenware Co- $88
4. Dizzy Lizzy oven mitt by Collisionware- $15
5. Summer Peony tray with hand-painted tiles by Luna Studio Tile- $130
6. Sprouted mixing bowls set by Mud Stuffing- $110
7. Bird tea cosie by Bookhou- $44
8. Vines tablecloth by Margot Bianca- $35.

For the Mums: Ceramics

For the next few days I'll be bringing you handmade Mother's Day gift ideas, starting with beautiful ceramic pieces because well, moms are as precious as porcelain, awwww:

1. Porcelain bottles with platinum decals by Coe & Waito, at Peek Keep- $72
2. Pink Lollipop porcelain "wall pillow" by Stepanka Ceramics- $47
3. Illustrated bird vase by Little Flower Designs- $65
4. "Shhh" series cup and saucer set by Bailey Doesn't Bark- $21
5. Fern platter by Pat Pyott, at Zanisa- $62
6. Mocha flourish pendant by Sofia Masri- $67
7. "Fly" earthenware bowl by Paloma's Nest- $44

Eco-Friendly Find: Bombus

It can definitely be argued that people have lost some sort of personal connection by corresponding simply through email and text messages, having entire conversations in abbreviated text speak (which, as a writer, I absolutely H8! :) but not only is it more convenient, it's actually more eco-friendly (potential brain tumors not withstanding) to write an email or send a text than to send some paper through the mail.  But alas, Bombus is here to help us get back to the wonders of the written word and old school correspondence with their notecards and envelopes made from recycled books, atlases, maps and more:

They also create gift items like the paperweight cubes and plates you see above, all decoupaged with re-used images, stamps, and other recycled items.  Find more fun stuff at Bombus and start writing in full sentences again!

Spring is a poppin'!

Spring is here!  Spring is here!  Let's celebrate with some cupcakes, shall we?

Made by joojoo, these yummy little polymer clay treats look good enough to eat!  Yum!  Don't pop these in your mouth though, the magnets probably wouldn't do well in your digestive tract- instead, you can pop them on the fridge to hold up your spring cleaning chore list (blech!), or pop them on top of the oven to inspire you to bake some real cupcakes, or pop them into your ears to wear some spring-a-liciousness with you all day long.  Yay for joojoo and yay for spring!

Memory Safekeepers

I love these hand-embroidered photo albums by Singapore based For the Record- they're each original and one of a kind, and there's nothing better than having a creative place to house all the memories you've created over the years.

The devil made me do it...

I just went on a little etsy shopping spree and got some cute new things for our cute new apartment (and one thing for my not quite so cute body) and thought I'd share!

What you see here is:
- a kitty-rific pillow cover in blue for my office chair, and a mushroom themed kitchen towel for our (kinda) mushroom themed kitchen from PataPri.
- a wicked awesome wall art clock in orange to match our yummy orange sheets in the bedroom, by Decoylab.
- two mustard-fantastic pillow covers made from vintage fabric to cuddle up with on our couch, by absoluut.
- and a cute little hand silk-screened top to strut down the Portland streets with, by noisedesign.

Alright, time to finish unpacking boxes and get our house ready for all the new goodies!

Maddy's Currently Loving: Coasters from LydiDesigns

How cute are these coasters from LydiDesigns?! The set of four 4" coasters feature handpainted paisley prints that give an incredible vintage feel when paired with the warm black and antique white colors.

I completely came across these randomly - that's the beauty of Etsy! - but I thought they were so sweet and hip that I had to share. Good luck snatching it up - it appears there's only one set!