It seems you can customize everything these days (these new iPhone covers are a favorite), so it was only a matter of time before Swiss water bottle company SIGG got in on the action. They joined forces with CafePress, and now users can write their own text, choose a design, and even upload a photo. To get to it, click here.
A handful of friends and I have started a Friday breakfast club that is by far one of the best things about 2010. We rotate houses and hosts and it’s such a fantastic way to make sure we all see each other on a regular basis. The girls include three other editors, bloggers, a photographer and the owners of my favorite local shop, so we can gossip, talk about our latest crafts and generally start the day off on the right foot. It’s simple and yet so, so satisfying. (And for the record coworkers, that’s why I will, on occassion, be late to the office on Fridays. I hope you understand.)
Image by Bethany Kohoutek, an editor over at DIY Ideas (be sure to check out her flickr stream); recipe I made last week was the Baked Oatmeal with Bananas and Blueberries from Seven Spoons.
I love getting notes from readers, particularly when they’re showing off things they’ve made. Not long ago, reader Samantha Barsky got in touch to say that she had created one of our most popular projects (and a technically daunting one, if I say so myself): the tabletop letterpress printer from Issue 32.
Here’s what Samantha had to say about her project (and after the jump, a print she created on her homemade press).
Hi Katherine,
I live in San Francisco, so we have the fabulous San Francisco Center for the Book, and I had taken an intro to letterpress printing class there. I design note cards, gift tags and invites, but I really love doing gift tags, so I thought it would be fun to get a tabletop press. About that time is when I read the Readymade article on the DIY Tabletop Press. I got really excited about it, but didn’t do anything with it for a while. My dad is really good at building things, making things, etc., so I showed him the article and he said it would be easy. So we made a plan to do the project together.We went out, bought the supplies, and made the press. We ran into a few issues, and we had to make some modifications, but it works! Of course now I just need a bigger space, can you do an article on making my tiny little craft closet into a space where I can fit a big work table? Anyway, I love letterpress and wish I could do more of it, but in the meantime, I do little projects on my homemade press. The barn print I sent you was an original photograph of mine that I got made into a plate from Boxcar Press. I like to take my photos and turn them into plates, I have done it with some flowers too. Let me know if you want to know more.
Thank you,
Samantha
www.noteify.com
We published a reader-submitted incandescent bulb vase project in our latest issue, so I guess I just have light bulbs on the brain. This piece, from artist Tim Fishlock, is comprised of 1,243 different sized bulbs suspended from the ceiling and illuminated by a single low-energy light. From his website:
By 2011, all forms of incandescent light bulb will have been phased out in favour of greener alternatives. What Watt? marks the passing of a design that has remained relatively unchanged since its invention 130 years ago.
(via Inhabitat)
In the February/March issue of ReadyMade, we run an introductory lesson in tatting, an ancient lace-making art based on hand-tied knots and loops.
We found that it’s a little hard to learn tatting on your own, so our writer, Keith Mulvihill, stopped by the home of Nina Libin, who lives on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Nina has been teaching tatting for over 20 years, so she really knows how to demonstrate the basics. Her own tatting handiwork is amazing. She has also combined tatting with beading—a process she calls beanile—to make intricate jewelry pieces. If you want to learn more about Nina, you can read this interview she did a few years ago. Nina is also the author of “Tatted Lace of Beads, the Techniques of Beanile Lace.”
Tatting Video
Nina Starts off by demonstrating the Double Stitch
At 2:02 she shows how to make a Picot
At 3:01 you can learn how to make a simple 8 petal flower.
Below the fold, check out two examples of Nina’s beanile work.
After choosing last week’s FBOTW, Honey & Jam, I clicked through most of the links in Hannah’s blog roll and found So Good and Tasty, a total gem of a new food blog. Here’s what caught my eye—in addition to the illustrated banner: “When I’m not in the kitchen you’ll find me outside on my bike, surfing, nature walking, crafting and picture taking. Eating fresh, lovingly cooked meals is a favorite pastime and here is where I can keep track of all the good eats that have crossed my path.” Which essentially means that if I lived nearby, I’m confident that Jacqui and I would be friends.
Since then, I’ve explored the recipes on her blog which are straightforward but also come with an excellent amount of how-to photography. I love the idea of Stuffed Scones and of covering broccoli with cheddar cheese and piling it on top of a crust that includes oats, whole wheat flour and pepper for a Broccoli Garlic Quiche. Jacqui and her husband are behind Slide Sideways where they make screen printed goodies for your house. Like these:
Looking forward to following this blog closely!
It’s been a few years since craft fairs underwent a makeover and became ubiquitous again (in a good way), and the Renegade Craft Fair was one of the first to lead the charge. Renegade is still going strong—we should know; we covered the 2009 Chicago Fair live—and they’ve just announced their 2010 schedule. New this year: the first Renegade Craft Fair in Austin, Texas.
Check it out and mark your calendars, whether you’re thinking about signing up as a vendor, or just want to head out, shop, and see what people have been making.
Austin, TX: May 15 + 16 at the Palmer Events Center
Applications Run: Now – Feb. 5
Brooklyn, NY: June 5 + 6 at McCarren Park
Applications Run: Feb. 5 – March 5
Los Angeles, CA: July 24 + 25 at Los Angeles Historic State Park
Applications Run: March 5 – April 2
San Francisco, CA: July 31 + Aug. 1 at Fort Mason Center
Applications Run: March 5 – April 2
Chicago, IL: Sept. 11 + 12 along Division Street in Wicker Park
Applications Run: May 7 – June 11
A little history, courtesy of the good people at Renegade:
Currently in its 8th year, The Renegade Craft Fair began in Chicago’s Wicker Park and quickly drew the attention of indie craft makers + enthusiasts from all over the nation, and now draws thousands of shoppers at a time. Jewelry designer Sue Daly (Timber!) initiated the Renegade Craft Fair as a venue for emerging designers of affordable art goods upon the realization that no other festival adequately represented the creativity of the burgeoning DIY movement.
Flavorpill: San Francisco has called The Renegade Craft Fair ‘one of the biggest and best-attended craft-shopping spectacles in the country,’ the New York Post has named the event ‘Craft-a-palooza!’, and the San Francisco Examiner has hailed the event as ‘the biggest revolution in the world of do-it-yourselfers.’
Each Renegade Craft Fair is individually juried and features upwards of 200 local + traveling vendors at a time, always showcasing an eclectic mix of items: clothing + jewelry, art + illustrations, knits + plush, rock-posters + zines, ceramics + housewares, papergoods + more! Other features of the event include craft workshops + demonstrations, free raffles + giveaways, live music (most frequently rock’n’roll marching bands), food + drink, and book-signings.
So now you know. Do we have any readers who plan to be there selling?
In the February/March issue of ReadyMade, we bring the old “How Did You Get That F*&%ing Awesome Job” column back to life in print. Our first victim—er—profilee is Jonathan Adler, potter, businessman, and decorative muse extraordinaire. We’re going to be throwing a little party at Jonathan’s Soho store, at 47 Greene Street in New York, from 6 to 9 pm next Tuesday, February 2. Do come by and join us if you’re in the neighborhood!
Whether your vows have been said or you’re gearing up for the big day, Ruffled is here to help. Today marks the blog’s launch of its free wedding classifieds section, where you can upload up to four images (along with a description) of anything used in your vintage-inspired wedding that you wish to sell. Also, brides-to-be can post ads describing what they would like to purchase. Remember, reuse comes before recycle…so help a fellow wedding planner out and recoup some costs at the same time!
(Image via Ruffled)
The colors in this Blood Orange Tart from Tim of Lottie + Doof are so bright and cheery, so uplifting, that I just needed to share. I’m sure it tastes really great too!
Image via Lottie + Doof
While perusing Recyclart, I became instantly fascinated by these buttons. Made from recycled PET bottles, they retain a handmade feel while still being strikingly modern. Maybe it’s the translucence? Either way, they definitely add a little something extra to blah henleys. Available at Tertium Non’s Etsy shop, or your nearest grocery store.
(via Recyclart and Tertium Non)
As I expected I broke in my new-to-me stand mixer in proper style. Saturday morning I made an Apple Cake—which was this Old Fashioned Pear Cake, only made with apples since I had them in the fridge—and Sunday I made pizza. The apple cake is super simple to make and the results were a cake with slightly crunchy edges and a filling that’s chock full of buttery goodness (and apples). After I first turned on the mixer, I immediately turned it off just so that I could make my exclamations heard.
On Sunday I pulled out the paddle attachment and made whole wheat pizza dough. Holy moly, I know I extol the glory of the dough whisk in our current issue, but I was not prepared for the power of the stand mixer when making dough. I was a happy girl. I topped the dough with caramelized onions, black and green olives and feta and happily ate the leftovers last night. I decided that pizza dough is going to be something that I make a lot and master this year since it’s so simple to make and is so open to possibilities in terms of the toppings.
Next up, some sort of dessert that requires whipping egg whites into stiff peaks!
Featured in TreeHugger’s Materials Monday, Kirei Coco Tiles not only look beautiful but also have the added bonus of sustainability. Since harvesters pick coconuts for their fleshy interiors and usually burn the brown shells, the interiors company decided to put the rapidly renewable material to good use. The tiles come in a smattering of different colors, and textures, the pieces can be applied to headboards, walls, mirrors, or backsplashes—so you can have some fun with them.
(Via TreeHugger and Kirei)
Liz at Felt Café has a tutorial up for needle-felted Valentine’s day hearts. It’s a perfect Valentine’s Day craft and, as Liz notes, not half bad as an introductory needle-felting project.
The process of stabbing the wool roving with a felting needle to produce a small, heart-shaped lump of felt, and then tattooing in the message in contrasting wool, looks unbelievably satisfying. (And the end result, a sweet alternative to flowers, chocolates, or the chalky candy hearts that inspired these soft felted ones.)
[via Felt Café]
We at ReadyMade are proud to announce that we’ve teamed up with our friends at GOOD to coauthor a special section of GOOD’s Winter 2010 issue. The theme of the issue is “Slow Down: Perspectives on a smarter, better, and slower future.” Now, we ReadyMakers may be industrious, we also love nothing more than a good relax, so we were more than happy to pitch in with instructions and encouragement on ten techniques designed to help you take it easy.
You can read the entire “GOOD (and ReadyMade) Guide To Slowing Down” online at GOOD’s site.
Some of the projects in the package had their beginnings right here on this blog If you care to dig a little deeper, here are links to the original musings that led to some of the slowing-down projects in GOOD.
1. Eliminate Something (”A Week Without Plastic“)
2. Build an Indoor Stoop (”Still Dreaming of an Interior Stoop“)
3. Take Time to Still Your Mind (”Get High Now Officially Available“)
4. Build a Backyard Dumpster Pool (”Dumpster Diving“)
8. Watch Your Garden Grow (”Crowdsourcing the Cottage Garden“)
9. Make Yourself a Place to Escape (”Weekend Warriors: Mexican Swinging Bed Thing“)
Read happily, and not too fast. Remember: it’s quality over quantity.
Alexa Fornoff is the assistant editor of ReadyMade, and she blogs here about art and happenings. She enjoys reading—a lot—and is currently making her way through the Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions. When her nose isn't buried between pages, she likes to eat good food and drink good drinks.
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Amy Palanjian is originally from a mile-wide town in south Jersey. When she's not creating color-coded spreadsheets, watching out for excessive garnish on food shoots and keeping the ship afloat as ReadyMade's deputy editor in Des Moines, she quilts, bakes granola and blogs about people who make things at her appropriately titled blog, Things We Make. She blogs daily about food.
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Katherine Sharpe is the online editor of ReadyMade. She lives in Brooklyn, where she mostly makes food and to-do lists, but she's interested in bigger, headier creations: think Buckminster Fuller-esque architectural utopianism. She blogs daily or almost-daily about furniture, design, buildings, awesome jobs, and books.
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Andrew Wagner, ReadyMade's editor-in-chief, has long been driven by his curiosity about how people and places mutually affect one another. After founding Dodge City Journal, and helping to found Limn and Dwell, he saw American Craft through a major redesign. His interests include architecture, design, art, music, baseball, and the ineffable yogurt/granola combination. He tries his best to post on Tuesdays about architecture, design, and cities.
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