Baubles and Bags

I have put four hoop earring styles from B Jewelry's Brooke collection online. They are superb - a polished and hammered surface, one organic swoop of metal without an awkward soldered clasp or hinge, yet you can't lose them. More styles are at the shop. Cynthia can make any pair in gold (yellow, rose, white) as well.

And - Kristen Aronsson flew into the shop today to drop off her long-awaited Plait bags in fall colors. The bags are a little wider, the straps a little sturdier, the details a little finer. As a result the price has gone up a bit but we think it's worth it. See the new colors here. There are only a few dozen of these bags in existence so if you like this style, this is your last chance!

Kristen also unveiled a small bubble clutch or wallet with a braided strap, for going out of tossing into your larger bag.

We had a lovely day at the shop today, the shopping season begins with the brisk weather I guess. Don't forget that the Jill Bliss show will be up for just one more week so come by to check out the art or pick up a journal or tote before they go away.

Friday Images

In the interest of saving my wrists from Photoshop, I have borrowed some images of the OK47 pieces that we just got in stock. The actual cardigan is a brighter teal, and the actual skirt has two shades of pink leaves. They are both fab.




Also, many of you have been clamoring for hoop earrings...my friend Cynthia of B Jewelry makes the best ones (I don't buy jewelry and I have bought 2 pair from her at various shows!) and now we carry them at the store...just a few of the styles below. They are not your average round hoops - are round hoops rare? nah! - but are instead cool shapes in 2 and 3 dimensions. They are really comfortable and I have slept in the smaller pairs, they are springy, not brittle...Cynthia has been a metalsmith for a long time and knows her stuff. We have them in sterling silver but they are also available in gold (white, yellow, rose) by special order.

OK47

We've finally got a bit of OK47 in stock at the shop! They've brought back their very popular pinestripe screenprinted fabric (you might remember a few coveted tote bags when we opened a year ago) and made them into A-line skirts that are really great. We also have another design, a curious assortment of curlicues and cartoon faces on a soft teal jersey tie-front kimono cardigan that is super to take the chill off of sitting in the office under the A/C. Email us if you need pictures.

Also restocked are some favorite books - it's telling about the neighborhood that the best sellers are active and not passive. One is DIY - Design It Yourself, and the other is Drawing From Life - The Journal as Art. Both are filled with tons of inspirational images and stories.

New for us is a book that looks incredible - By Hand: The Use of Craft in Contemporary Art. Can't wait to sit down and read this one! I also have Blackstock's Collections, a visual catalog of, well, everything, by an autistic Seattle man, and for the doers, I have the new Speed Knitting, patterns by Brooklynite Kris Percival. There is also a copy of the new Jasper Morrison: Everything but the Walls but I might be keeping that for myself. Yes, we can reorder.

Finally, an update about Pinder Bags, since we get so many calls about them: no, I don't have any more of their laptop bags in stock. No, I'm not sure when there will be more! To fill the cute laptop sleeve void, I am talking to an independent designer who will make lovely, durable and waterproof handmade sleeves (with removable shoulder strap) that use wonderful fabrics on the outside, instead of the usual nylon or microfiber. Stay tuned about those...

Reminder: tonight is the opening reception for Converter, curated by Deadly Squire, at the Riviera gallery on Metropolitan in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. See you there!

As promised, here are a couple images of the Angela Johe porcelain bowls. I do love color but there is something about the contrast of textures on white that is so marvelous.




Camilla's calendar is also available on the site for purchase...as is Herman Yu's and Nikki McClure's. We'll have the Jill Bliss/Saelee Oh one up soon too.

Today, in anticipation of a new shipment of Vynil wall stickers from France, we started putting up the Jungle Pod stickers at the shop. Here's a peek. They are a bit spendy but this particular pack has tons of stickers (many more than you see here) and will cover a wall pretty easy, with lots of leaves and stems to spare. We have them sprouting upside-down but you may arrange them as you see fit. Hopefully they are in transit as we speak!

Angela Johe

Way back in January, I saw the most beautiful porcelain at the Gift Show and I finally have a bit of it at the shop. Angela Johe of Germany makes lovely, irregular bowls and plates. The outsides are matte and pitted, a bit like a stucco wall or a canteloupe, and the insides are coated in a shiny glaze. The best pieces are about 5" in diameter and teabowl-like, they have a word delicately written under the glaze, and the littlest pouring spout pinched into the edge. I will get some photos of these up ASAP.

Also new at the shop - Camilla Engman's 2007 calendar! They are really lovely and I will work on getting them into the online store this week. And, we have some new letterpress cards from DeLuce Design, including holiday boxed cards. I'm so tempted to put them out (I have a bunch of different designers' cards hiding in the back) but it's only October! I am trying to wait until November at least.

West Coast Shopping

Congrats to Lauren and Derek for launching the Curiousity Shoppe! They have really cute stuff and a nice focus on kits to enable your own fun-making...

Also in is a great new top from Dace - black, long sleeves, a standup collar, slightly sheer, cool buttons as usual. Fall clothing is looking great here...

More tomorrow - today is a day off and I'm going to check out Sky Mirror at Rockefeller on a grey, rainy day.