Rare Device

This Blog is Going Away!

2007-02-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight we have done the Big Switchover from one webhost to another. We have at the same time switched from Blogger to Wordpress, so going forward, please check for our blog at http://www.raredevice.net/blog and switch your RSS feed to this link. Thanks and see you on the other side!

Year of the Pig

2007-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's the Year of the Pig, or rather Golden Pig, which only happens every 5 cycles of the zodiac (60 years) so if you know anyone turning 60 this year, they are very lucky indeed!

We might be open a tad late but we'll be open. We have hung the new pendant light in the window and it is just amazing when it's on. Come by and check it out.

In other news, Brooklyn Designs is coming and this year they are going to do a Mart, a little marketplace for Brooklyn-made goods. Info and an application is here.

A nice lady who works down the street at one of the yoga places came in for a new journal today, as she just ran out of space in her last one. She said she really appreciated interesting, handmade journals because when you fill one up, it's as if you become part of the work. I thought that was the nicest thing I heard all day. I told her that we'd be getting a slew of new notebooks from Mustertussi any day now - they are the epitome of thought and intent and action, all in a neatly sewn package. I am so excited to get these for the shop.

Bits and Pieces

2007-02-16T14:00:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts and images on a very chilly Friday afternoon.

Steven makes awesome journals from foam, rivets and magnets, rubber, and little charms. They were so damn clever that I had to get a few for the shop! The magnet clasp is genius, as is the little image tucked inside, a slice of NY life taken on his cameraphone. I have picked out a cheerful flower pattern, one with a coffee charm (for your discriminating tasting notes) and one with the classic subway token - a nice welcome to the city gift.

Sian brought Ollie by to pick up work by another Olle...by the way the Olle Eksell book is way out of stock again. More are coming from Japan but it will be at least a month.

Polli sent a crazy cool laser-cut jewelry stand/art piece. This is a bad photo but there are cockatoos and some little Australian critters hiding in the trees.

This is the owl onesie from Ferdinand which I need to put in the webshop. I am stocking the size 6-12 mos. which is good for a newborn gift, I think.

Polli's stainless steel mobile in the window. We had a little sun today, it was nice.

Restocked: black glass sake sets by Sugahara, keyaki wood teacups, and cute hats by Elasticco.

Also, Donna of re-surface brought one very very limited edition A-light over, it's in the window now, and has a pink/mauve ceramic base. Looks great. She *also* brought by a pendant light, which I'm dying to install in the window. For those of you who love her A-lights but want something a bit bigger, this lamp (roughly 5" diam by 11") takes a 75w bulb and hangs from a 15" long cord (she includes a hardwire kit too). It will look awesome above your kitchen table, perhaps, or in an entryway. Pictures soon, email me for more info in the meantime.

Ferdinand

2007-02-15T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we got a little package from Ferdinand in Portland, ME. More of Diane's great cards in stock, and some baby onesies that we will get into the webshop soon - the infamous squirrel playing a drum, and a sweet and serious owl print in burgundy ink, both on organic cotton bodies. We also received a bit more jewelry from Amy Tavern, including her tiny gold rings, we now range from a size 4.5 to a 9 in the store.

Also - the pet pillows are in the webshop!

New Cards

2007-02-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

New cards in from Amy Ruppel, Lisa DeJohn, Forest Spirit and Juliette. Also a shot of the pyrex charms/necklaces by Jane D'Arensbourg. We strung them on waxed cotton to make them a little easier to deal with.

Pillow Pillow Pillow

2007-02-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's due to the Westminster Dog Show going on in NYC right now, but our pet pillows are flying out the door! Design*sponge just posted about them and we are getting calls to purchase them - they'll be in the webshop as soon as we can manage it, but meanwhile email us if you are interested in getting one.

Donna Brady's A-lights are also benefiting from a blurb in Apartment Therapy last week, so much so that we are all out of them for a while, but you can pre-order now. She also was featured in Swedish design mag Rum which is very cool, even if we can't read the text!

Not much else going on - I'm at the shop today to catch last-minute V-Day buyers and to install Quickbooks on my delicate old Powerbook. Other things going on now or soon: Gordon Matta-Clark retrospective at the Whitney; David Grubbs and Ken Vandermark at Union Hall in Brooklyn this week; Lisa Congdon art show at Reform School in Los Angeles.

Today's CDs: new (Shins, the Books, Deerhoof) and old (Codeine, Dieselhed and the Geraldine Fibbers).

Around and About

2007-02-11T08:10:00.000-08:00

Today I'm going to wander the neighborhoods, here and in Manhattan, and let my wrists and arms recuperate a bit. I have ulnar tunnel problems and the daily posting, as well as photo cropping, emailing, inventory receiving and general computer silliness, are really killing me lately. So, no images today, but here are places I am going to or want to check out:

If I were a guy, this would be heaven. Remodeled and reopening tomorrow. My first apt in Brooklyn was a sublet just around the corner from this wee shop.

I want to visit Denise's store and generally see that nabe, I never go up there and that's a shame.

I hear there is a new joint in Williamsburg called Mc & Co. that has great housewares and designy things, how can I resist? While I'm there, I will be visiting Sodafine and getting a coffee at Oslo.

I will hit Edge NY and Market NYC on Mulberry also to see new designers, I haven't scouted in a while.

OK maybe I won't get to all those places but I'm going to try!

Too Many Treats

2007-02-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

I got too many treats today, not only did I receive many lovely goodies but I got to chat with four of my designers in person, and that is always fun. First up, Mollie Dash brought more bracelets and also a few keychains in a similar style that I convinced her to do...okay it wasn't hard to convince her! I shot a picture, see below. Again, they are mixed vintage chains plus a little add-on from her stash of Cool Bits of Things That Might Become Jewelry Someday.

Next, Judith of Analogous brought a few more anatomical heart necklaces - we got some nice blog press this week and we are already sold out of the pieces! We do have a tiny version of the heart necklace, and matching earrings, these are at the store, along with other pendants and lockets. (Speaking of lockets, Greenjeans is doing a locket show that I need to catch tomorrow, I love art jewelry).

And then David of the Bubble Roome stopped by with his Tangerine and Lavender soaps, and the shop smells awesome as usual now. And *then* our newest designer came by - Jane D'Arensbourg makes jewelry from borosilicate, aka Pyrex glass. They look delicate but are strong! She says people have slept in her link necklaces. We've got rings and earrings, we'll get that up on the website soon. As a treat, in-store customers can check out the bowl of charms at a very insta-purchase price - these are one to three glass rings on a colored thread, which can be used as a necklace, moved to a different chain, whatever.

The mailman brought me a new batch of hats by Giant Dwarf. We are lucky to get any at all, Sue has been so busy this year selling them all over the place! The Flame Cloche is made from recycled sweaters, with wool felt, vintage silk ribbon, bits of lace and French glass button embellishment, they are all one of a kind and very special.

What else - the dog and cat pillows by Aaron Stewart are here! They are clustered in the front window...little kids are already running up and grabbing for them as they pass by outside. Up in the webshop very soon.

Finally, we are restocked on Kbox, the modular jewelry box system. Our favorite combo is the magenta sculpted pads with the black long box, it will make your sterling silver jewelry look great. We hide a bit of anti-tarnish paper under the pad, put the lid on and you are good to go.

Books

2007-02-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

The good news: the Olle Eksell book is back in stock, so backorders will go out immediately. The bad news: we received so many backorders that after processing everyone, we will only have 4 books left! If you want this book this week, hurry and order now. We can get more, of course, but it will be another 2 weeks, probably.

We are also back in stock on a great inspirational book called 'Book Design of Graphic Designers in Japan'. Like the Eksell book, it's mostly images and little bits of text in Japanese, but it's great eye candy. I don't have this on the site as it sells out in the store so quickly, but email if you are still interested.

New goodies, again. Saturn Press sent more hilarious letterpressed cards, which some people are taking home to frame. They do a more woodsy vintage style so I have instructional cards on identifying your cloud formations, how to build a canoe, a 'house parts' card for your favorite architect, and shadowcraft, for really pro shadow puppeteering.

And - Susie of boygirlparty sent some too-cute 1" buttons, postcards and notecards, plus an octopus-adorned to-do list and brand-new recipe cards, to share with your friends. Some images below.

The Ivy coat rack system is finally here - I need to install these at the shop somewhere...the colors are a very bright green we are calling Kermit, and a dark taupe-y grey-brown that we have dubbed Weimaraner. Considering the scarves, hats and umbrellas people must unburden themselves from when they enter the store, I guess I should put it right by the door.

Finally, we brought back a few favorite Crystalyn Kae bag and tote styles, in burgundy and dark blue. I'm not really good at buying a straight black bag for the store, but if you ask nice I can order you one.

Happy 300

2007-02-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Actually, 301. This is my 301st post to this blog! We have been open for a year and four months so that is quite frequent. We are going to move things to Wordpress very soon (when the new site is live) so I hope I don't make it past, oh, 315 or so on Blogger...

Karen from Clothes-Pin was kind enough to interview me for her shop owner post today. You will see that the philosophy of the shop is taking shape, more than when I started.

So, so many things arrived today. A lovely hand-pulled print by Stolen Chicken, if you are in the mood for art; new styles from Catherine Weitzman jewelry; brand-new jewelry from Prismera, aka my assistant/elf Laura; the tiniest beadwork ever from Laurice Curran; coin purses back in stock from Deadly Squire; fantastic laminated passport cases from Tinymeat (yup, that's the name of the company). I'm probably forgetting something, but some pictures below.

And now, I could use some advice:
1) If you were going to Italy for a week, where would you go? (80% sure I'll be there in March)
2) How do you prevent that annoying gap at the base of the thumb when you are knitting mittens or gloves?
3) If you have ulnar tunnel injuries, what is better - pen and tablet, trackball, mouse or touchpad?

New Year

2007-02-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

It's kind of fun to get to celebrate the New Year again...Chinese New Year, year of the pig, is February 18 and what I like is that it's all about hanging with your family...and eating. There is so much eating involved. This year we are going to gather a posse and hit Chinatown for possibly the silliest day ever to try and eat dim sum. It will be packed at the restaurants but that's part of the fun.

New things at the shop this week include jewelry by San Francisco's Gretchen Walker, cute and crazy pet pillows by NYC's Aaron Stewart, awesome anti-valentine's jewelry by Analogous, spring tops and coverups by OK47, and more cute woolen hats by Elasticco. We'll be restocked on jewels by Buji and Laurice Curran too.

Did we mention we'll be open next Monday and Tuesday for last-minute V Day needs? Come keep up company in the chilly store. There may be chocolaty treats...

Bags and Blossoms

2007-01-31T14:51:00.000-08:00

We spent a while today processing all the new items, mostly bags, plus the first of the spring clothing, and Vynil! Finally! We're restocked on the Pantheon stickers, the Vynil + Clock, and the Potato Queen (though they are already 80% sold out again).

The Umsteigen hoodies are here and they are great. The red striped top has the blossom print and the black striped top has vines and birds. Pippi the mannequin is sporting the red one and already attracting attention, it's such a nice pop of color. We'll put this on the webshop for sale this week.

And then bags...new Rabeanco leather satchels, new Melie Bianco styles in bright faux patent leather, a great new Hayden-Harnett bag called Louvre, and canvas shoppers from Bungalow 360. Most of these have polka-dot lining which must be the thing right now. Lots of photos here:

We just got more midcentury piggy banks in stock as well, a sweetly packaged present, and also another batch of Pamela Barsky's vintage scarf buttons. Pamela scours the flea markets in LA for silk scarves and creates a great assortment of buttons from them.

That's it for now...we have finished 2 long days at the gift show, finding new goodies for you. There is a fun little coat hook (I have a coat hook obsession right now) that I first saw at ICFF last year, and it's finally in production, we'll have those in a couple months. Also we are picking up glass jewelry from Verre New York and vases from Perch! and gorgeous ceramic tiles from Xenia Taler and crazy wilderness cards from Saturn Press, like how to build a canoe or identify cloud formations. Even though it's the gift show, we like working directly with the designers when we can help it.

Fig and Fiction

2007-01-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

New items are starting to trickle in...we were down to one lonely candle and now we have restocked - two of the best-sellers and two new scents - one is Pink Grapefruit which is what I have for breakfast every morning, and the other is White Fig which just smells incredible. There is an amazing fig cocktail at the restaurant A Coté in Oakland, CA and it makes me think of it.

We also have great graphic design books and kids books in...there is one about Olle Eksell, a Swedish designer, and there is a Japanese book design one, and a couple incredible Bruno Munari kids books with die-cut pages, vellum and other mixed paper pages, and stickers. We also have a version of Alice in Wonderland with photographs by Suzy Lee. All really great books!

We have more yellow handbags for you too. The first round of Matt & Nat disappeared so fast, we brought in more! Due in tomorrow are also some new Rabeanco leather bags, and Bungalow 360 canvas totes are on the way.

Meet Oma

2007-01-24T19:17:00.000-08:00

Oma is the name of a very lovely lemon squeezer. I'm not kidding. It is meant to be cupped in the hand and displayed proudly on the table, unlike the scuffed-up plastic one that sits at the bottom of your utility drawer. We can't believe we waited this long to bring it in the shop. Oma is from Tonfisk Design and you can find it here.

We are restocked on the Warm tea sets and Sula tealights from Tonfisk, too. We are also restocked on the wonderful B Jewelry hoops, plus we have a charming new heart hoop design, and a heart and arrow lariat in time for you-know-what holiday.

Site update news: Just like the tortoise, we are slowly and steadily getting ready for the 3rd version of this website. It is very fun to see how far I, and the web, have come. In 1995 I got my first job in web design and even though I quit that long ago and have the Brooklyn shop and do so many different things during my day, I seem to be still poking around at sites! In 1999 I tediously started my first blog (though we didn't call it that back then) and today I just click an button and voila, another little message to you is created. I am sure that as soon as the new site is up, I will be scheming about version four. It just seems such a natural part of business these days, and really important to this business in particular.

Blogged

2007-01-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

oh joy! was so kind as to include me in her design*sponge guest blog store display coverage today. We are in very good company!

Tomorrow, Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting opens at the Museum of Art and Design, got to go see that. If you can't make the opening, there are many great public programs and events going on through the run of the show.

And in the near future, the first of the spring clothing rolls in...here is the tiniest preview, cute skinny hoodie from Umsteigen:

Today we expect to get a shipment of the Ivy wall rack system by mos Office. We are getting charcoal grey and chartreuse. If you drive by later, I'm sure you'll see us installing it all over the wall and ceiling.

In the Nabe

2007-01-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

We are celebrating that our neighbors Greenjeans have launched their new site and online store. They have really special, entirely handmade gifts to offer. Now I have to get off my butt and work on our new site too. There are at least 20 products I want to put up but due to the reasons in paragraph one, it's been a bit slow.

Also in the hood, a new clothing store is shaping up next to Shoe Mine, half a block down. Just when you thought the South Slope couldn't get anymore south! And, Blue Apron has morphed into Grab. They have an overwhelming salami and cheese selection, it's encouraging.

Things have been relatively sluggish, storewise, partly due to a general winter malaise, partly due to prepping for tax season, partly due to our running a sale in the shop itself. It is interesting, we are not entirely a clothing store but all of the ones around us are having a sale, so we are having a sale too. Due in any day now: Archipelago candles, Vynil (cross fingers), more Matt and Nat bags, more Rabeanco bags, more books, new Catherine Weitzman jewelry. Our Valentine's-esque cards are here too.

Today I went to a tradeshow to choose bags and accessories with the gentlemen in mind. Our Property Of bags are doing really well - both men and women seem to like them - and it's fun to pick new styles. I am eyeing another line as well. Heavy, distressed leather with raw edges seems to be a thing this year...we'll have both handcrafted and almost rustic items, and also sleek patent leather in bold shapes. Should be interesting.

For those who are curious - I do shop the shows but I would say no more than 15% of my designers are found there. Everyone asks how I find people for the store, and the answer is - mostly online. I am a good researcher and generally know what I want when I see it. I hit the shows when I am trying to find a specific thing - keychains, let's say - that I haven't seen elsewhere. I wish my answer was more exciting, but it's not!

Things I am on the hunt for: keychains, "guy stuff", bags (always), paper products, unique electronic devices, chocolate, beauty/bath stuff, and the perfect gift under $50 that you will just have to have this year.

Serrote

2007-01-20T10:30:00.000-08:00

We have two new notebook designs in from Serrote in Portugal. They have lovely letterpress covers made from bits of old wood and lead type, and the interior pages are always playful. We received Quadriculado, with a medium-blue grid paper inside, and Toalha de Mesa, which uses that slightly quilted white paper tablecloth/napkin inside - a very clever comment on folks who doodle their ideas at the dinner table. These notebooks are printed in runs of 1500 and 2000, respectively, and are numbered on the back. They are great for paper fanatics, like me...

Bags and Books

2007-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

New bags by Hayden-Harnett and new books...here is a photo of my fave new bag, the Hudson Satchel in Smoke Blue, it is a dandy. And a layout from "The Great Escape" which has very cutting-edge illustration and photography from around the world.

Today we are listening to very sweet pop by Say Hi to Your Mom and the Bird and the Bee. Those are two band names by the way...also I want to say thank you to my brother for the iPod shuffle Xmas present. It is completely loaded up with indie music from the eighties and nineties, cuz that's how old I am.

Pictures

2007-01-18T16:40:00.000-08:00

A few shots of new things at the shop (Property Of men's or unisex bags, Mollie's bracelets and Katie's cards). We also have a cute Valentine's card by Good on Paper, new card designs by Herman Yu, lots of excellent design books, and more. The Hanna Werning posters are back in stock also!

Today I read the piece in the Times about retail blogs - people seem to pooh-pooh them a bit. Is it annoying that I write about things in the store on my own blog? I hope not. Work is work and I have other blogs for Real Life (what little I have of that). OK, sometimes I make you read about my dog...

Mollie and Katie

2007-01-13T14:08:00.000-08:00

We have two new designers, Mollie Dash and Katie Muth. Mollie lives in Brooklyn and we have her bracelets made from vintage chain she finds at thrift stores. They are simple but bold compositions. I'll work on getting a photo uploaded soon. I am really picky about bracelets but these resonate - I think they remind me of being little and fishing through the "junk drawer" at home...I would take old metal expandable watchbands and tie the ends together and make bracelets.

Katie is an artist and printer, she lives in Toronto and she makes linocuts for her artwork. We have five designs which reflect different seasons in a calendar year. Her Valentines-esque card is particularly wonderful. I will have a picture for you soon.

That is all - did you know we are having a sale at the shop? Come by as we have many things marked down, including bags and clothing.

I will be in Sacramento for a few days, visiting the family and, like a good foodie, making the pilgrimage to Corti Brothers to stock up on items that basically aren't sold anywhere else in the country. Anyway, the shop is open as always Wednesday through Saturday, 12-7 and Sunday 12-6. Have a great holiday weekend!

P.S. The yellow and the red bags that I blogged earlier this week are already sold out, but I can take preorders for these via email.

New This Week

2007-01-11T12:46:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures for you.

Today we are restocked on Lumen and Kbox as well. And we found a couple more glass teapots while doing inventory, so those are back up in the webshop.

Welcome Back

2007-01-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

The shop is open again, and I am drowning in boxes from the past 10 days! It's chilly out there but it is worth a visit. Or, check out the site - we promise to update it tonight, there are many things back in stock:

Bee House teapots
Poketo wallets
Inhabit Structures watch component pendants and rings
Amy Tavern jewelry
Droplet sake/wine glasses
Hlaska wallets
Postcard books from Japan (finally!)
Stop Talking and Poker cards

Plus brand-new Li Xi (at home we call that "lai see") envelopes from Design Night to celebrate Chinese New Years, or any happy occasion. And did we mention that the spring Matt & Nat bags are here? And we have a few of the brass button satchels back in stock (design*sponge has one and it happened to be in a photo; more people asked about that bag than her spanky new sofa!)...so much going on here.

1000 Journals

2007-01-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

Ah, a blast from the past - the 1000 Journals project is still alive and kicking, and there will even be a book out soon with artwork from some of the returned journals. Of course we will stock these books! Many, many years ago, we participated in the project and contributed to a journal, but ours had a very short run and never was returned...I still hope it turns up someday.

This makes me think of a similar project that Poketo is doing right now...speaking of Poketo, new wallets in very soon. And we got more millimeter/milligram in today (I know we aren't open but that doesn't mean I am not doing work at the store!) which I will get online for you to buy ASAP. I have been trying to decide if I should hold new products for the new website, but since the launchdate is stretching out a bit, I think I have to deliver the goods now so you are not without adorable planners and datebooks! OK I am off to photograph said planners right now.

Vinyl

2007-01-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

In light of everyone's interest in our Vynil wall art stickers by various European artists, here is an American artist who has taken it to a beautiful extreme - just got an email from the Traywick gallery in California about Benicia Gantner who uses cut vinyl extensively in her work. So very lovely...they remind me a bit of Darren Waterston and his hypnotic paintings.

Speaking of Vynil, we are hoping to be back in stock on all styles in a week or so. Everyone is coming back from their holidays and it's an odd time to have stuff shipped over, but slowly it is all arriving. We'll have more Hanna Werning posters, including the sold-out hippo and crocodile styles, as soon as we are back at the shop.

Welcome 2007

2007-01-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

We are still on holiday at Rare Device but we'll see you at noon on January 10! Web orders placed between the 1st and the 9th will go out when we return. We're trying to take a break and rejuvenate so that we can make more improvements to the Brooklyn store and the webstore as well. (If you are hankering to go shopping, though, we suggest the Kim Family Benefit Auction which will run over the next 4 days...)

So what improvements are we talking about? Now that we have experienced your voracious appetite for certain rare products, we will try and keep a larger inventory on hand. It sort of counteracts the "rare" part but when you gotta have it - we understand.

We are trying to launch the new and improved website this month - let's call it RD 3.0 - and there will be more accurate inventory indicators and backorder management, the ability to save shipping addresses and your credit card info, order history, wishlist capabilities and all of that good stuff. Of course, getting it right means lots of testing so please bear with us as we get it right.

Products we are are planning to bring in over the next couple months: Ivy wall hook system, Katie Muth and Golden Hen Press printed goods, Coe & Waito porcelain, boygirlparty goodies, and lots of cool art and design books. There will be even more but that will have to be a surprise. Also, in an effort to make space for said goodies, we'll be holding a grand sale at the end of the month.

That's it for now - off to ship and do more work - but I will say I had a lovely day in the city, seeing the contemporary ceramics show at the Japan Society and eating a late lunch at Casa Mono with friends, then taking a catnap at home, eating a homemade Meyer lemon pudding cake and finishing knitting a new wooly hat. A pretty great day.

Dwell

2006-12-30T13:32:00.000-08:00

The February issue of Dwell is devoted to craft in design. It's quite a good read...I feel this marks a shift in some way to how people treat the subject of craft, because Dwell is largely (though not exclusively) about architecture and solutions for the home. There are multiple articles that ruminate about craft that are going to puzzle some readers about why they are included (fontography, anyone?) but I think it is great that Dwell is covering this topic from many angles. It mainstreams the subject in a strange, but good way.

Holiday schedule - we will be open 12-4 tomorrow (New Years' Eve) and then closed for rest, repair, resolutions, reductions, and renovation possibly, until January 10, when we will be open at noon with regular hours. We'll see you in 2007...thanks everyone for a really great year.

Imaginary Store

2006-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

We are back at work, hope you had a nice holiday. My gifts included corduroy, a small living cactus on a keychain, and coffee bean sachets.

FYI we are open through New Years Eve, around 4pm, and then we will be CLOSED until January 10th at noon. We'll be doing inventory and preparing for our big, store-wide sale! We want to clear space for great new items in 2007.

So...many people ask how we find our designers. Like most things these days, they are found on the Internet...and despite our very extensive designer list, there are many things we don't carry, due to lack of space or category or just that we are unable to get it for you. Here are some fun things that I really and truly like but we don't have at Rare Device.

1. Tancho Tique lavender-scented hair pomade. This stuff is awesome. I have been looking for it in stores since the gal who did my hair for my wedding used it all over my head. Keeps even thick and shaggy Asian hair in line.

2. Jorg & Olif city bikes. If it weren't a pain to haul a heavy steel bike up my stairs every day, I'd have one of these.

3. Sunny outdoor lounger by Lebello. On my list when I have a backyard again.

4. Recchiuti chocolates and a freezer-full of It's It mint chip ice cream sandwiches.

So you see...even shopkeepers have dream lists. If you have any requests for us, please send them in and we'll see what we can do.

Last-Minute Gifts

2006-12-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

Just arrived for late in the game shoppers - Coffee for One sets ($30) in aqua blue and red, and Faryn Davis' lovely resin pendants ($42 and up). We also have Alyssa Ettinger's knitware espresso cups ($50 for 2) and more B Jewelry sterling silver hoop earrings ($42-65) in many styles. I am also making up some simple bits of jewelry in the $40-50 range...lots of options!

And the Villagers Rejoice.

2006-12-20T11:16:00.000-08:00

This is Laura, standing in for Rena, joyfully announcing that the white pages are here!

Bags

2006-12-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

A few brightly-colored Erin Templeton bags are in the post, I hear. Erin is in Canada and hand-makes her bags which are simple and versatile. I am always on the hunt for interesting colors and shapes, and not too much hardware. Erin's bags either come with two sets of straps so you can go long or short (the Hobo bag), or are expandable - the bag scrunches on the sides so you adjust how big it really is (the Bitch bag). Some samples below.

One year of white pages report: not yet, sadly, but soon.

It's a Miracle..

2006-12-18T20:18:00.000-08:00

..but it looks like my One Year of White Pages notebook set has passed muster in Milan, has jetted off from Cologne, and will be in NYC tomorrow (Tuesday). These were delayed by over a week - which is critical at this time of year - and may be a little late for some, but they are really supposed to be here. I am reloading the UPS tracking page over and over until they show up!

If you were on my waiting list, you'll get another email when they truly are in the store. For my sanity, I am going to do shipping two ways: If you absolutely need these by Christmas and are in the U.S., you must order Express Shipping (overnight delivery) which is $20 and we'll get these out the door the next morning. If you are NOT in a hurry, you can order standard shipping (Priority Mail) but we won't ship until after Christmas...even store owners need a day off. If you are in the area, you can of course come down to the shop and purchase a set this week.

Again - I'll update this when the giant stack of notebooks are physically in front of me...

Girls Room

2006-12-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

My pal Youngna sent over word that she will have artwork in a new show of women artists called The Girl's Room, opening Wednesday at the Jen Bekman Gallery. Caroline Hwang and Swoon and just a ton of other talented ladies are in it. I don't know if I can hit the opening but I really want to see the exhibition.

Shop news: still good stuff available. Kind of late for holiday delivery, however, unless 1) it's in stock and 2) you will pay Express Mail shipping. We do have the ever-popular gift certificates available, though, hand-printed by yours truly. They're pretty snazzy.

Shop hours: open every day through the 24th, from noon to 7ish, or 8. It depends on foot traffic. Then we are closed for Dec 25 and 26, back open on the 27th. We'll have slightly shorter hours on New Years Eve and then we will be CLOSED until Wednesday, January 10. Web orders will be processed, if a bit more slowly, during that week.

Gifts

2006-12-17T18:56:00.000-08:00

A little break from the store news, since you can guess the store is crazy and that's all there is to say about it.

Gifts to myself:
This great big lovely Annette Messager book
A frame for a poster that has been sitting in plastic since I bought it at a super ephemera sale at Addison Endpapers in Oakland, CA
Health insurance (finally!)

Gifts I hope to get:
A subscription to George Howell's Coffee Club or possibly just a pound or two of Blue Bottle beans every once in a while
New pillows - every so often you just have to replace them
1096-S Priority Mail boxes for shipping, those things are like gold these days

Gifts I have gotten already from customers:
A potted succulent that "flowers when you neglect it" which seems pretty much the ticket for the shop window
A recipe for Swedish Apple Pie with a yummy crumbly crust
A survival goodie bag of oranges, trashy gossip magazines and Aero bars

Back to the store - we are open every day this week, get your last-minute shopping done, and say hi. There may be some final inning restock surprises so it pays to come by or call...there are a few piggy banks left, a couple glass tea kettles, etc. besides all of our regular fun fare. Today someone said we had the 'most cool per square foot' - we kinda like that!

In Stock

2006-12-17T07:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Hannukah! It's getting a bit thin at the store, but some of the lovely things we do have in stock -

Karin Eriksson tealight holders in two styles
Tonfisk tea lanterns and cups with oak 'bracelets'
Kikatsu handblown, handetched glassware
Old School Stationers wall prints (plenty of 7 out of 9 styles)
Wren Handmade 2007 wall calendars
A new batch of jewelry by Laurice Curran
Screenprinted vintage leather wallets and coin holders by Shara Porter
Art, comic, photography and design books

And more... When I say 'thin' that is from a retailer's perspective, but I think shoppers don't notice quite as much! We are working to restock some of the most popular items, being the Lumens and Baby Journals and even those Year of White Pages...but they are not here yet. We have over a week to go til Christmas and new items will be arriving all week.

PS Yes, the ornaments in the window are for sale, and they are $10.

Knit and Feathers

2006-12-14T10:45:00.000-08:00

Alyssa Ettinger brought by some of her little espresso cups (or tealight holders, or cupcake holders, or toothpick holders, what have you) and yes, they really are that cute.

Also, the ornaments in our window are for sale. Go ahead, denude our window, we are okay with that. They are large matte ornaments with a feather or a bird in clear glass...

HOLIDAY SHIPPING NOTE: Folks, we appreciate your business SO MUCH and we are quite overwhelmed by your love this year. At this point we really and truly don't know if the orders we receive online will get to you in time. We are striving to ship everything by Monday or Tuesday, even the orders we have received after our December 10 deadline, but the shipping department is also the store salesperson, that is to say - me. We are not offering rush shipping because believe me, I can't rush any faster! We are also removing some items from the site to save for in-store shoppers in Brooklyn. We hope you'll understand...and we'll be much more ready for the next season. Thanks a bunch.

Clicks

2006-12-13T11:11:00.000-08:00

I am making jewelry today, but every 45 minutes I take a break to do my web-snooping around...

If you are sad that the Year of White Pages are not here (we are trying to have them instore next week but I can't promise anything) you might like this instead.

Love, love this man's work.

Welcome, Ben, to the great wide world.

And..an update from the shop - Vynil stickers are back in stock (limited) and we'll update the site about that. More soon!

Tuesday Grey

2006-12-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Just a photo of a display in our window. I'm pretty happy about the Return of Grey this season and even though I'm supposed to be doing a holiday-themed window, I couldn't resist.

Items include: Andrew DeWitt bubble bud vase, SML Bags clutch, Karin Eriksson vase, Beccalights travel candle, Joanna Mendicino shorebird vase, Barrick Design crackle candle. And some totebags, in the background.

Top Shops

2006-12-11T15:29:00.000-08:00

We are surprised and honored to find ourselves in the running for Apartment Therapy's Top Modern NYC Gift Shop - and in really great company too! If you are so inclined, mosey on down to their website and vote for us. If you have not dropped by the store, please do, we have a lot of one-of-a-kind pieces that we don't have in the webshop. Unfair, I know!

While you are journeying to Brooklyn, make sure you hit these two great multi-designer sales this weekend:

Saturday: The Gift on Grand - really good stuff happening all up and down Grand St in Williamsburg
Sunday: Indielicious Holiday Bazaar - all handmade, all the time on Smith St in Boerum Hill

New in the shop: The Property Of... bags which are flying out the door, this is great because it means I can order more unisex and men's bags. Also, the crazy 'rocker' hand necklace, a little tiny cast silver hand, hanging from a chain, by Judith of Analogous Jewelry. Silly creepy funny all at once.

Open Every Day

2006-12-11T09:34:00.000-08:00

In an effort to try and make things a little easier on you, we're open today at noon and every day through the 24th. Weekday shopping allows you to do some leisurely browsing without bumping elbows...I think we had about 17 people in the shop on Sunday at the peak of craziness, and for a sub-250 sq foot shop, that is insane!

Webshop update: we can no longer guarantee holiday delivery for orders, yesterday was our cutoff date. However, we will of course try to processing any incoming orders as quickly as possible. We're out of stock on quite a few items, and we removed things from the webshop so that we can keep a few on hand at the actual Brooklyn store, so it pays to call or email the shop and see if we are keeping any inventory on hand for the locals.

Lucky Shopping

2006-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome new visitors from Lucky Magazine! I hear we are in the Shopping Report (haven't even seen the issue yet) which is fantastic. FYI, we are in the middle of the last-minute push for holiday gifts. We are running out of items but there are plenty of fun gifts left on the site. (Also if you are not in a hurry, things become much better :)

More updates as soon as my fingers thaw out, it is a COLD one in NYC today...

The Property Of

2006-12-07T08:16:00.000-08:00

At a tradeshow this summer, I met the nice fellas from The Property Of..., a bag and small leather goods company in Singapore. I knew this would be a great men's/unisex line for the shop. The quality is excellent and the details (I love details) are fabulous. We have picked up 3 bag styles to start - a microfiber tote, a herringbone day bag/computer bag, and a crackled leather mini-duffel that has the infamous extra shoulder strap we love so well in the Slope - plus some card holders and wallets. The great thing about these bags is that, while lined and kitted out with pockets, they are light as a feather! If you read the Times article on massages and physical therapy for people who lug around heavy bags, these are the counterpoint. Pics below.

Holiday webshop alert: don't forget, December 10 is the last day for holiday shipping. We are fairly inundated here. A gentle hint that for fastest results, order items that don't have "these are arriving any day now" availability warnings :) it makes everyone's lives easier!

Take a Moment

2006-12-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

It's 12:18am and I have just started to read the news for the day. I have been packing boxes for 3 hours and I'm tired and whiny and suddenly it doesn't really matter because the Kim family has lost a husband, a father, a son. Please send your love and support to Kati and family. I have been told often I need to meet her (I have been in Doe once and my shop is a bit like hers) and now I feel awkward and strange, but all of my thoughts are with the family. It's hard for me to focus right now. Regular updates tomorrow...

Chilly Weather Gear

2006-12-04T23:20:00.000-08:00

In a stroke of fortuitous timing, a new local knitwear designer send me an email just about the time I was hunting for someone with a knitting machine to remake my shabby, but useful acrylic circular scarf in a nicer yarn. A few weeks later and voila! Happiness, and on the first really chilly day of fall.

I don't have a picture yet but may I tantalize you with some of the more complex and interesting work Gail of N.I.T. does (versus a big ol' donut, which is what I requested of her):

Do you love it? I am pondering bringing some of those armwarmers in the store. They are so elegant, and made of a great super merino.

By the way - this week expect those awesome, guy-friendly bags and wallets I've been talking about to hit the store, plus a lot of restocked items...

Sales

2006-12-03T16:13:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to check this one out next weekend if you are in Manhattan, lots of our designers will be in it! Looks like a really good one.

Shake

2006-12-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

The fans of our Vanessa Yanow zipper necklaces are going to like these a lot. Nicole of Inhabit Structures sent a package of necklaces, rings and cufflinks made from old watches. They are quite incredible! She plays off the fact that watches have tiny gems, like rubies, set into the surface, and her "shake" pendants in particular include additional gemstones among the watch parts that move when you do.

We also are introducing a new handbag line, Hayden Harnett. We have some of their bags, some wallets and some fun coin purses too. Take a look:

Email us if you are interested in any of these items.

Added just a couple things to the webshop. I need to add the Magnolia Tree version of the Lumen, we have a few of those and they are great! I remember watching one bloom in my neighborhood in Oakland, CA and thinking that it was the wrong time of the year...the seasons are a bit funny over there. I also made a fix to the RSS feed for the New Products. You can sign up for the feed, or even have new products emailed to you! Just go to any product page and sign up in the right-hand column of the page, toward the bottom. Look for the little orange RSS symbol.

We hear the weather is going to drop dramatically tomorrow (from 69 to 49) so it will be a nice time to come out and start that gift shopping in earnest. We'll see you soon!

Tim Biskup

2006-11-29T21:19:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to get a couple items featuring SoCal artist Tim Biskup - his style is self-described as mid-century modern meets punk rock. Laura and I were oohing and aahing over the art today. Some shots below, one is a slender but oversized art book for his show "American Cyclops", with incredible fluorescent endpapers and produced by a gallery in Spain, and the other is a cool deck of cards in a tin, 52 unique cards plus 3 bonus ones, just for fun. If you are interested in either of these, contact us ASAP as we only got a couple of each. The card deck ($15) we might be able to get more of, the books ($40) are less likely, they are an edition of 2000. Sorry, they are not eligible for our 20% off sale!

It was crazy box day as Wednesdays always are. Lots of turnover, lots of things going in and out of stock on the website. I know it drives ya crazy sometimes but we really do like to keep some things as rare as we can.

Worldchanging

2006-11-27T17:15:00.000-08:00

Supergal Molly mentions that she'll be in town for the latest party to celebrate the WorldChanging book, we keep missing her so this time we're sure to be there. Are we getting the book for the store? Heck yeah!

That shindig is December 12. Let's see, this week there is a party for the latest issue of 400 Words, and an illustration show in Williamsburg, and one at Giant Robot in the East Village. I am going to try and be the most social I have been in 2006 and attend all three - plus ship out orders to all you crazy, nice people. December 10 is the deadline for holiday orders, if I don't poop out before then!

We'll be restocked on the Year of White Pages by December 4 if all goes well with customs, and then we'll be fulfilling many backorders and even reserving a few for the store itself.

I put a bunch of new products in the webshop, and more to come, to change things up a little. I am also working with the web team on the new site (RD 3.0) where you'll be able to keep wishlists and registries and save multiple shipping addresses and all of that good stuff. It's very exciting.

Sunshine

2006-11-26T17:27:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it is almost December when people are running around in shorts and t-shirts in Brooklyn! It put me in an awfully good mood today so we had an impromptu 20% off sale on all clothing and books, and it went over very well, so I think we'll just keep on with the discount until I change my mind, or the weather becomes inclement, or both. If you have been hesitant to come out to the Slope, we hope that will help make it worth your while.

Thanks all for being so patient as we wait for this from Italy, that from Sweden, this other from France to be restocked. I am being a nervous mother hen (who knows how to e-mail) herding her chicks, or packages...I am mixing too many metaphors now so I think I will stop.

We are going to add a handbag designer who is getting very nice coverage and reviews lately - Hayden-Harnett, a little company that operates out of Brooklyn, somewhere between the shop and my house. They are expanding to apparel and rather luscious belts for the spring but we are going to try and stay focused on the bags for right now. Expect to see their trademark frame bag, big squishy hobos and maybe a very nice, aspirational satchel (with crossbody strap, natch) quite soon, plus some of their coin purses, wallets and other little goodies. I think they will fit in well with the mix - beautiful colored leather, sweet printed linings and functional pockets inside, not too much hardware, and just the right size.

I have been lagging a bit about putting things up in the webshop, but the wrists are a bit achy. I promise I'll get some new stuff up soon, including the last couple Lithuanian tea bowls that are one of kind pieces. Why not? They'll be beautiful gifts for someone.

Happy Friday

2006-11-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

Did you all have a good Thanksgiving? I had a crispy flaked catfish Thai salad, it was very good!

Some tidbits:

Very cool-looking illustration show in Williamsburg next Friday, I will be there after work

More on defining art and craft, i like this statement by Lisa Solomon

Just got a copy of Craftivity (thanks Jeffrey!) - looks good

Got more Vynil wall stickers in! I will put the new styles up ASAP. Besides a restock of the Potato Queen, we have a cool Vynil + clockface, a circlet of animals that you can put around your ceiling light fixture like a medallion, some "stitched" letters that you can combine to make text, a curtain of dangling green peashoots to put along your ceiling, and more.

Deliveries

2006-11-22T20:06:00.000-08:00

We were visited by every delivery service except for DHL today. Lots of boxes to unload and unpack before the holiday. The Year of White Pages are in and will be sent out to the patient folks who pre-ordered them this month - we pre-sold the whole batch, who knew? - but more are on the way, I promise, and you'll have them before the holidays. We also got more of the Coffee for One sets in stock, more Nikki McClure calendars, more of pretty much everything you love this year.

We also have a few new items. First up, there are cute and very giftable votives from Beccalights, plus more fun travel tins in scents like Kissing Ball and Sparkling Cranberry. Second, we brought in Archipelago Botanicals as they have lovely, intriguing scents in a sturdy gift box at just the right price. The first three scents are "manly" being Burlwood, Bergamot Tobacco and Mocha Cardamom, and the fruitier ones are due in next week. The store smells pretty heavenly right now.

Next are a few gorgeous flameworked glass necklaces from Daa Glass - they are bold and lovely and come on silk cord, leather, and chain in many different sizes and colors. We are lucky to have these on short notice from Daneen, we are short on the glass jewelry (though we have Laurel Denise's great illustrations on glass for you too).

Finally we received a new product, a baby journal from Nikki McClure. If you love her artwork and collect her calendars, you have got to see the journal, truly. We'll be getting these on the website soon.

Next up (besides Thanksgiving) is a newly retooled Pinder laptop bag - they have re-engineered this one to make it even better, we will have them in stock probably next week.

Holiday Sales

2006-11-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Laura from Wren Handmade has gathered over 30 designers for a holiday sale in just a couple weeks, wow! You will be able to find clothing, kids stuff, jewelry, handbags, pretty much everything there. It is on my list!

The Ladies Independent Design League is also having a sale on Smith St in Brooklyn the following weekend, there is a vendor list here.

So many sales to hit next month, it's going to be a good time!

The Rare Guide

2006-11-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Folks, I am dead tired. We prepped dozens of boxes for shipping tonight and it will only be crazier as we get closer to the holidays. I wanted to do a big lovely photo-spread gift guide...and I just don't have the energy. So I will just point out a few things we have in stock, or are readily available, that shouldn't be overlooked.

Elegant Gifts

My top pick is Tonfisk from Finland. Their Warm tea lantern is gorgeous and not to be missed, I think 80% of the in-store shoppers pick this one up to examine it. Tonfisk also has these incredible tealight holders with soft, "melted" ceramic shades and lovely walnut bases.

We also have a couple sets of the Sugahara black glass sake sets back in stock. All three items are very elegant gifts.

Custom Gifts

We do an all silver tag necklace with your word or phrase stamped into it...this is good for the person who has everything, it can be a funny gift or a very sentimental one. Or both! There is also a monogram pillow which is a fun present, in your choice of pillow and ink color (and letter, of course.) Please get your orders in for these by the 10th of December at the latest to give us time to make them for you.

Rena's Faves

Some of my current faves at the shop (and it changes often) are the florentine earring in gold vermeil or sterling silver, and the green leather satchel which is super-soft and just the right size.
green satchel. I am also very fond of the Deadly Squire fabric-covered journal because it has a gilt edge and I'm a sucker for details like that.

That's it for today - we are working hard to get more of the products in the shop up onto the website, expect some updates over the holiday. We are open on Wednesday and closed Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving!

PS: A little preview of items in transit to the store - a Serious Gnome cupcake wall hanging ($85), as it still seems to be the year of the cupcake, and a couple new necklace designs ($42) from ever-popular Fernworks of Seattle.

Sunday Omnibus

2006-11-19T15:29:00.000-08:00

My apologies if this store blog is straying rather far from the store, but everything really is connected, you know, and today I have some interesting tidbits for you.

Karin links to this interesting essay that feeds the discussion about craft, design, mass-market, consumerism, and the kitchen sink too. The site has a lot of great links about these discussions and includes a very thoughtful and interesting manifesto as well. Now I learn that Ulla-Maaria is a PhD student studying emerging forms of collaborative design activity. How awesome is that? She is my dream come true!

As Thanksgiving and Black Friday (or Buy Nothing Day) approaches, the NY Times talks to Kate Bingaman, who we have mentioned before, and her Obsessive Consumption project.

We know that Friday you will be out at your favorite mall or shopping strip but alternately we like to think of it as Buy Local Day...what do you think? In SoHo, a very yummy perfumerie that I just wandered into states in their window that Friday will be a day of learning and not shopping. If you are interested in how perfumes are made, you should stop by! I like this idea also...I wish my store was just a smidgen bigger (I say this like a broken record these days) so I could have a big table for learning, it would be so nice to host classes for the neighborhood at Rare Device.

Ruth Asawa

2006-11-18T22:57:00.000-08:00

If you are in San Francisco, you must go see the Ruth Asawa retrospective that opens this weekend at the deYoung. I am so in love with this woman's work. I hope I get back to see the show before it closes! The accompanying catalog is definitely on my wish list.

Also, kudos to Brandon Stosuy, who I started reading 10 or 15 years ago when he had his zine and his indie label, for his book Up is Up, But So is Down, which chronicles the NY downtown literary scene, post-punk and pre-Internet, and landed in the Times Review of Books this weekend, yay!

Just a note to say that next week's schedule is - closed Mon/Tues as usual, open Wednesday, closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving, and back open on Friday at noon as always. We don't expect to see many of you as people tend to head to the big shops in the city on Black Friday but if you do come by we will be happy to see you...and no neverending Christmas music we promise!

Bird and Bud Vases

2006-11-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

Just in are a few new Joanna Mendicino vases - see an assortment of them below. If you are interested in any, email or give us a ring, there are only 1 or 2 of each style at the shop!

Coming soon - a great new design from Crystalyn Kae, this one is called the monarch hobo and we'll be trying burgundy and navy blue first. Crystalyn's bags are made of a durable and soft glazed fabric...the bag is not too big, not too small and has an adjustable shoulder strap so you can go from under the arm to cross-body in a flash.

Elsewhere this weekend - if you are in the SF Bay Area, do not miss this holiday trunk show in Alameda on Sunday - my sweet friend Andrea will be selling her gorgeous jewelry and there will be 5 other designers' wares as well. Give her a big hello from me!

That's it for this update - I just want to reiterate that if you are interested in a product that I mention or take a picture of here - HURRY. I only get a few pieces in (you know, that "rare" part) and they tend to move fast. Also, if you are stuck for gift ideas, email or call and we can give you suggestions from the shop. We just need to know who it's for and a budget and we will work with you.

Letterpress Wall Print

2006-11-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

We are very excited that the red bird letterpress wall print by Old School Stationers is in the Real Simple holiday gift guide! This style and 7 others are available here.

We are also pleased to be in good company with other independent designers and businesses such as Cherry Tee, Blend Creations, My Perennial for Mahar Dry Goods, Tiny Showcase and more. Kudos to the magazine for doing their homework!

We are also in a fairly new magazine called Imbibe, run out of Portland, OR and all about drinks - liquor, beer, wine, coffee and tea. It's a fun read! They featured our keyaki wood teacups in their holiday guide.

Fun reminders for NYC folk: don't miss The Gift on Grand on December 16 in Williamsburg, there will be a ton of great designers bringing their wares straight to you in a gorgeous old building on Grand St. I am particularly enamored of Purldrop knit and crochetwear, Lena Corwin textile treats, Mociun clothing, Jane D'Arensbourg's pyrex jewelry, anything by Deadly Squire, M. Carter tees, Plunket & Pivet handbags and many more. I'll be here at the shop (sniff!) so go shop for me!

Also - just so you know what is going on behind the scenes...we are finally getting with the times and working on a new version of our website. We are adding features to make your life easier, like wishlists, order history and customer registration, more shipping options and hopefully an all-around better shopping experience. Thanks for supporting us!

Melissa

2006-11-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

There is a fun, bright, crazy Brazilian shoe company called Melissa, and they often work with well-known designers and artists to make shoes and accessories out of their trademark plastic. I promise you are going to see the shoes in a big way come spring, but what I am getting for the shop is a very, very limited-edition digital watch. It's superwide and chunky and it is embossed with this wavy texture and it's so retro, it's cool. It also happens to be designed by Karim Rashid, and it's one of the nicest things I have seen from him. Anyway, here are a few photos of the watch in black, we'll have only a few pieces in each color, and so far we are the only ones who will be carrying it in North America, so if you are a watch collector or a Rashid collector or you just like spacey, chunky watches, this one is for you. Drop by the shop to see the sample if you like.

New at the shop: cute as pie art print/key hooks from Fluffy Co. in San Francisco. They have silkscreened and painted panels of wood and then attached cup hooks so you can hang up your keys, your dog leash, whatever. Simple and clever!

Also new - a few publications from Napa Books of Helsinki. A little illustration/comics, a little photography, really good stuff.

We are restocked on a bit of the Japanese wood product, and a few of the Coffee for One sets. They are turning out to be the hot gift this year! They are actually neck and neck with the Year of White Pages in terms of hotness.

Finally - we might have a great new product soon for you, it will satisfy many needs at once as it is both decorative and functional and for your wall, which seems to be quite the combo this year. More soon I hope.

Finally finally - design*sponge let the cat out of the bag about the "business lady nights" we've been holding informally this year. I can't have y'all over to my house as we just don't have enough seats, but any interested parties should read that post and contact Grace about joining...and I'll see you next time!

Diversion

2006-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

Some photos taken around my home...I think things look different than what I carry at the shop, so you may be surprised, but maybe I'm wrong. Also, a photo of my new Etsy wallet from jennalou06. We will resume regular programming tomorrow!

Possum and Chestnut

2006-11-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

We have a little batch of the very clever Possum and Chestnut cards in stock - they are "interactive" holiday cards in that they turn into something else - the Christmas one turns into an ornament, and the Hannukah one into a menorah. They are at the shop and also online in the webshop.

On the way are more Nikki McClure calendars, and a brand-new baby journal... 128 pages of her paper-cut art in book form. It will make you want to have kids! Also coming are a few more Melie Bianco bags, perhaps a bit of lovely handmade glass jewelry from Daa Glass, and the new Re-Surface lamps.

It's supposed to be a very grey week. It reminds of of a Northern California winter, really - grey and rainy. To combat this, I am going to take some pictures around my home as I am a BIG fan of color, it really keeps me going. The apartment is extremely messy but some judicious photoshop cropping might help me out. My friend Judith is documenting her art collection on Flickr right now and I will sort of do the same thing. A little insight into this shopkeeper, I think.

Holiday shipping update: I looked at the calendar and we are going to set December 10 as the cutoff day for guaranteed order arrivals by the 23rd. Any orders after that will need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis and we cannot gurantee an early arrival, partly due to inventory and such, but partly due to the US Postal Service, who will be quite swamped at that time. Please keep December 10 in mind! We do a lot of overseas ordering and things take a while to get here, the Australians go on holiday, bad timing etc etc so order as early as you can. Yes, this month is a good time - preorder now as things run out very fast. They are Rare Picks after all!

Things I am fond of:

1. My new wallet which I got from Etsy. It's perfect!
2. Lamb gyro from the cart in front of the Barnes and Noble on Court St in Downtown Brooklyn
3. Pink CZ briolettes that I am turning into very sparkly pendants for the holidays
4. The scarf I am finally finishing - it's in a diagonal rib and when I finish, I get to start something else
5. Blue-green suede braided belt I scored at the A.P.C. sample sale
6. Aeolidia, who is working on a major website update for me, the most organized folks I have worked with
7. My Moo minicards
8. Laura, who is functioning nicely as the brains of this operation
9. Getting confirmation that the Year of White Pages really are going to be back in stock on the 20th (whew!)
10. A good night's sleep

Radical Craft

2006-11-12T23:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is what I think about on my days off, besides wondering how much Fra'mani Salumetto I can eat and not feel like a little piggy myself...anyway, the new Surface* mentions Tord Boontje and Target and how he is at the front of the radical craft movement. There was a conference entitled Radical Craft in the spring that I did not get to go to, there is an interesting summary of it here, and while it is very cool, it is not exactly what I thought it would be. It was about big name designers, industrial designers, and experiments with craft, craft as a way to generate new ideas. The products are great but some are theoretical and most are outside of the scope of what I can offer at Rare Device.

Now, there is something else called Craft Congress which is going to happen the last week of March in 2007, and it also sounds great but not quite what I was thinking of. This meeting is for indie craft organizers to get together and share resources and ideas. For some reason, the name led me to believe it would be a real conference about craft today, in the newest, Etsy-influenced, contemporary art trend-making sort of way...but it's not.

Where is the conference that has both practical seminars and showcases of extreme craftsmanship? Is it possible? Are people interested in craft as art, craft as commerce, craft as hobby, craft as community? I think so - I hope so. I am! I love the high-school kid in the Midwest learning to be a businesswoman, learning about the internet, plus learning how to make things, and I love those who would document this as a movement, analyze it and talk about the importance of it, how it influences traditional media and is influenced by it. I love hearing about new materials, and using old ones in new ways (and vice versa). Ah, I am rambling and it's almost 3am so I am going to stop. Weeks ago I thought that as my next big project, I would organize such a conference...and then I scoffed at doing such a big thing! And now I am hoping someone else will do it first...it's the right time.

Sunshine

2006-11-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

I'm so enjoying the sun, it brings people out and about! It's a bit cooler than yesterday, there will be a run on mittens and hats again, so if you have your eye on any of those Crowded Teeth ones, get them soon.

I'm putting out tree ornaments, a few at a time. We have the pewter seahorses and now we'll have some laser-etched stainless steel ones from Polli. These are very similar to the earrings, except cut from a lighter sheet. If you want something non-traditional on your tree, or just want something pretty to hang in the window, come and see these, there are two styles.

The glass tea kettle is here! I like it a lot. I just put it up on the webshop too.

I also received some new books, but you will have to come in the store to browse. We have fun art, design and comic books which make great gifts.

On the way: New vases from Joanna Mendicino, holiday cards from Possum & Chestnut, and some surprises...

The Party

2006-11-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

You missed the party for Deadly Squire! And if you did, you missed Anna, Tim and Benjamin, Laura's homemade chocolate chip cookies, mingling with awesome illustrators and fashion designers, lots of fabric drumsticks being brandished about, and the funniest thing ever, a dachschund puppy reunion and small dog orgy in front of the store. Here are some photos by MK Wong who manages Cursive at ABC Carpet and Home, and one by me of Benjy on his Deadly Squire changing pad. Thanks to the DSQ crew and everyone who came by.

Silkscreen

2006-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

I love silkscreened work. You get a double dose of texture and color...texture because the ink is usually slightly raised off the paper and matte, almost powdery like a milk paint, and the colors are very pure and saturated - no dot patterns! The latest bit of silkscreen at Rare Device arrived today in the form of notecards by Deadly Squire.

If you love their patterns you must get these! They are bundled into sets of 6 different patterns, each set wrapped in a band and some sealing wax stamped with the dagger logo. Anna and Tim made the cards for their show (reception tonight!) and you can only get them here.

mmmg and more

2006-11-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

New arrivals: millimeter/milligram planners, sketchbooks and journals - everybody loves these and they will go fast! Somehow they have picked up on two hot trends (owls and masked wrestlers) and put them together...and it works.

A lovely brown knit kimono cardigan from OK47, gracing Pippi the mannequin right now, she looks very cozy.

Restock of Amy Tavern jewelry (and we've added a new necklace style to the webshop). Pamela Barsky's white midcentury modern piggy banks are back in as well.

A Beehouse mini teapot in a new shade they call "oolong", it's a serene taupe color, very nice.

On the way: I found a tea kettle that I like, finally - yes, one you can put on the stovetop, whether gas or electric. It's completely clear too, so you get to watch your water boil! They will be here by Friday, and will be in the store and online this weekend. Here is a picture:

And, we're going to have just a bit of clothing from awesome cult brand Odd Molly from Sweden! These are hard to find in the States, and I am getting some fun tops and a super sweater coat to test the waters, so to speak.

P.S. Reception for Deadly Squire is tonight (Thursday)! I think the rain will stop so come by and have some wine and cider.

P.P.S. I got all industrious last night and wrote my RSS feed for new webshop products. Ah, I'm such a geek. I'm still testing everything but if you are curious it's at http://www.raredevice.net/feed and I will eventually change out the link from the webshop page. Bear with me...

November News

2006-11-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest goings-on at Rare Device. As always, thanks for your interest!

EVENTS:
Please join us for a reception for Tim and Anna Harrington of Deadly Squire who have created the fabulous window display at Rare Device. The show Hayo Makamak includes handsewn pigs, ducks, fish, pumpkins, corn and drumsticks, all available for purchase - take home a one of a kind work of art! The reception is this Thursday night from 6 - 9 pm.

WEBSHOP: Here are a few of the latest products available through our webshop. Quantities are limited and some items are custom and require a couple weeks to fulfill so order early for the holidays!

Laurice Curran - Florentine Discs Earrings

Angela Johe - Sentiment Bowl

Shotoku Glass - Droplet Vessel for Wine or Sake

Adam Frank - Lumen Oil Lamp

PRESS:
We are pleased to have received such a nice writeup from a new Brooklyn interests blog Until Monday. Many of our Brooklyn designers are mentioned, pointing to the incredible wealth of talent right here - good job everyone!

We also congratulate Courtney Skott who is in this month's Surface magazine as an up-and-coming talent and one to watch.

Buji

2006-11-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

We have jewelry in from a new designer and also one who has been with us since we opened! First, Buji Bijoux is the creation of May Chen, and the first collection is based on the ancient art of filigree. It's a bit girlier than the usual stuff I have but I have a weakness for filigree and I couldn't resist! Some images below...

Next, Laurice Curran brought in more of her new collection...she has a fantastic sense of color and shape and many customers are own many of her pieces...

We are so proud to work with these designers - they are small and independent but very business-savvy and I think they'll go far.

This Is How It Works

2006-11-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

This is how it works, post-Internet age. Charming British couple visit Rare Device while on holiday because of a link from Scottish designer Clare Nicolson's website. They make their own gorgeous textiles and now we are interested in somehow carrying their products. From Norfolk to Brooklyn, this is how it works!

Really though, the patterns are lovely and wistfully vintage but very British, I like them very much. The colors especially (a vibrant mustard yellow) make me think of the great UK clothing line Saltwater, too.

We just got some 60's-esque clothing in from San Francisco's Lemon Twist. You loved the A-line skirts so this time there are high-necked shift dresses in the same vein with a very flattering fit, in a lightweight olive and mango denim. Also, we're trying a new skirt out in nubby raspberry wool, with a cool belt feature.

It's a lovely lazy Friday and I'm contemplating where to hang the catnip bird and branch in the store, and what to have for lunch...

Catherine Weitzman

2006-11-02T10:09:00.000-08:00

New at the shop - Catherine Weitzman jewelry. Catherine lives in Hawaii (formerly of California) and her latest collection involves delicately detailed castings of twigs and ferns. What I love about her jewelry is that she is not content to just cast an object and place it on a necklace - the fernlets are oxidized, plated, bunched and hinged so they are an articulated bunch, and the twigs are wrapped into circle shapes and soldered onto chain. This attention to detail really makes her work stand out. I'm so pleased to bring it to you!

Also new - some fabulous cards from Set Editions of Brooklyn. Alison loves text and color and cleanly presents her straightforward sentiments in a funny way...I put some up in the webshop so you can see what I mean.

And - we have a few signed copies of the children's book "Octonauts & the Only Lonely Monster" by Meomi, a graphic design firm who create adorable characters (who love to have adventures). I worked very briefly with one of the Meomi folk long ago, and knew she was destined for greatness!

We are restocked on Purldrop handknit and crocheted accessories, including mittens, headkerchiefs and beanies and scarves, just in time for the latest cold snap. We are also restocked on the Itchyknee catnip-filled birds and pewter branches - these are new in the webshop too.

Note: make sure you are signed up for our store newsletter to receive special discounts and early notifications on products!

SFO

2006-10-31T22:23:00.000-08:00

I rather like the art of Weston Teruya, who has a show opening at Patricia Sweetow Gallery in San Francisco, where I used to work. Weston was in a great summer group show there, which I am sad I missed.

Speaking of art, Camilla Engman just had another Tiny Showcase print. Congrats! If you missed getting one of her prints there, we have a few silkscreens at the shop for you, plus her 2007 calendar. And speaking of more art, we have the new issue of The Drama at the shop as well.

Elsewhere - I believe both Sodafine (clothing) and Greenjeans (everything else) have joined the e-commerce world in a big way today. Congrats to them and happy shopping!

New here - a beautiful Zuzutop tunic in a brown and teal anemone (flower) print, and Flicka laptop bags! These are padded sleeves with a detachable shoulder strap. The fabrics are wonderful and not your boring laptop standard at all. Also, we have new hand-blown glassware, for cocktails and sake and the like, from Japan, plus the Droplet - a beautiful soy sauce or olive oil dispenser - I'll have a picture up soon.

Deadly Squire

2006-10-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight, while the numerous small costumed children of Brooklyn watched, Tim and Anna installed their window display. It involves guts (fake) and an axe (real) so it was quite appropriate for Halloween! The show is up, and it's great. There are lovingly hand-sewn oysters and fish and ducks and turkey drumsticks. And guts...

Please come by anytime until December 3 to check out Deadly Squire's show. The reception is next Thursday, the 9th, from 6 - 9pm. I will be adding more Deadly Squire products to the website soon (oven mitts, napkins and placemats, zippered pouches) and possibly some of those turkey drumsticks.

Restocked: mi-spa's yummy lip balms, and more of the perfume oils. I am not going to say stocking stuffer because it's way too early, but maybe we'll call them pocketbook-appropriate instead. I found yet more fall clothing and scarves so we're trying to figure out where to put it all! I think I will put the holiday cards out now, though.

Soon: new jewelry from Catherine Weitzman, a West Coast fave, and Buji Bijoux, lovely new pieces made of swirls of filigree.

Janine Marie

2006-10-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

We've got a few handbags in from a Northern California designer, Janine Marie - they are handsewn from ultrasuede and other fabrics that feel wonderful under the hand. The belted bag comes with a bright contrasting belt that can also be worn on the hips - this style is fun as you can change the look of the bag by adding a different belt or scarf. Yes, there's an adjustable shoulder strap too. If you are not really a big leather bag kind of person, come check these out.

Today is very warm and breezy - an odd October day. The leaves are rapidly dropping and people are in a strolling mood. It's nice!

Lumen

2006-10-27T11:08:00.000-07:00

I tried to post earlier but Blogger was foiling me. Anyway, here is the scoop of what's new at the shop:

- Lumen oil lamp projectors - a sweet housewarming present perhaps, the stainless steel oil lamp throws a softly waving shadow of an etched panel on a wall. If you love the mystery of a flickering candle, you must have one of these.

- Donna Brady's A-light got some great press on design*sponge today. We have these on pre-order at the webshop. Donna says there are glossy black bases as well, email if you'd like a picture of that.

- We've got the 'Vintage Fabric from the States' book back in stock, and added a few new books too, plus a DVD/book collection called VisualRocks, with behind the scenes looks at music videos, great if you want to break into the biz.

I added 10 products to the webshop yesterday so be sure to take a peek. And don't forget - the last day for Jill Bliss' show is Sunday, and then we'll reopen on Wednesday with the Deadly Squire show. The reception is on the 9th, see you there!

Vynil and More

2006-10-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

FedEx kindly released our box from France and now Vynil wall stickers are back in stock! We have more of the Ich & Kar Jungle pods in pink, plus a new design from them. We have Potato Queen II and the Poppies from Maison Georgette. All looks great.

The fingerless glove/mittens from Crowded Teeth are back in stock, we have all three styles for fall, plus some matching scarves cuz why not? We have more of their charming button sets also. People sift throw the button bowls like candy...

Brand-new are ceramic coasters from Alyssa Ettinger, who lives in the nabe. They have imprints of different knitted fabrics and are unglazed or in lovely muted colors. I'm working to get these online for you ASAP.

Pamela Barsky's mid-century piggy banks are back in stock, this time in the pea green (or maybe green tea) color.

Also on the way - an upgraded version of Donna Brady's Re-Surface lamps. She's switched the bases from wood to ceramic and they look super sharp. These will be up in Rare Picks for purchase soon too, they are so great with their Brooklyn urban landscape lampshades.

The Outside World

2006-10-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Now that I have decided to largely relinquish webshop products to the Rare Picks blog, I feel this one can be devoted a little more to the store, and even non-store things that may be of interest to you. Today we are closed so this post is just a little rambly.

STORE: we love to bring you things from outside the U.S. but sometimes they...get stuck. we have new Vynil wall stickers from France that still seem to be in customs. i need to do more investigations. anyway, they are almost here. and we have some art/design books from Napa Books that were sent from Finland and alas, nobody knows where they are right now. we're working on that too!

we're restocked on razorblade neckaces, and soon the cloud necklaces will be in also. the crowded teeth mittens will be in any day now, and we're adding just a few new products to the holiday line-up - like Lumen oil lamps and Set Editions cards.

even further in the future, we are plotting a new window display for the spring, courtesy of the lovely Lisa Congdon from San Francisco who has a cult following, it seems! we're really pleased to have a brand-new show by Lisa, theme TBA. Lisa is friends with Maria of Port 2 Port so expect fun printed collaborative items made for the show!

NON-STORE: everyone can still apply for Post-Postcard 10, operated by The LAB in San Francisco. this is a venerable indie affordable art show, 10 years strong, and some of my most favorite pieces of art at home are from past editions of this show. anyone can enter, you just need to make small art and send it to them. i think i'm going to bribe my San Franciscan readers to pick me up some treats from this (and maybe half a pound of Blue Bottle Coffee beans) in exchange for lovely treats from the shop...also, looks like there will be a Post-Postcard in LA this year too.

if you are in Portland OR, you are lucky and you get to attend the studio craft sale next weekend. this is just one of many, many events and sales by independent designers around the holidays. yep i said it, we're nearly in the holiday season! i am going to put my holiday cards and a few ornaments out in november!

other than that...i'm reading the great greenjeans blog about the ongoing discussion of "craft" in America, and dreaming of living on the first floor so that i can get a jorg & olif bike, which just looks a wee bit heavy to lug up the stairs. or maybe one of these gorgeous vanilla bikes - if i win the lottery. a hand-built bike is a thing of beauty, and curiously straddles art, craft, science and function. it's fun to think of all the things that do...

LAST WORD: prospective designers, i am really pretty well done with reviewing products for this year. i love you all but i get 3-5 calls and/or emails a day and i can't get back to you all. trust me, i look at everything and if something fits, i will contact you! it might be months down the line but i have a pretty good memory :) thanks for your interest in our little shop.

I Heart Technology

2006-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

As always, on my days off I find myself working late into the night, trying to improve the experience for those interested in keeping up with goings-on at Rare Device. I'm starting up the newest feature, which is called 'Rare Picks' after the shopping part of the website. Rare Picks is our new blog that just has the latest products on it, purchasable online. This should help those who are tired of sifting through this store blog, looking at pictures of store-only goods which you can't click and buy. The new blog is just the facts, ma'am!

The best part is that you'll be able to keep up to date in two ways. Those of you who must see the latest products ASAP can subscribe to the RSS feed, and those who want to check in periodically can sign up for an e-mail newsletter that will be sent whenever there are, say, half a dozen new products on the site. (Sign up now in the little green box on the Rare Picks blog, if you like.) The choice is up to you.

Baubles and Bags

2006-10-21T21:56:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-19T21:47:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

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!

2006-10-18T22:41:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2006-10-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

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.

Deadly/Peace

2006-10-14T23:20:00.000-07:00

1. More info about the November Deadly Squire exhibition is here. We're so excited! Some very limited paper goods will be available, made just for this occasion. Meanwhile, check out the Jill Bliss show, grab some tiny art or a datebook.

2. We have color swatches of the felted wool created by Peace Industry, the maker of our awesome rug. You can view all the styles online but we are the only place in New York that has the real deal in situ plus actual swatches for you to touch and look at, so if you are in the market, swing on by and we can help with your order.

FYI 1. The cause of the "what smells so good in this store?" that everybody asks about is the Juniper Ridge sachets. Yum yum, just like going on a hike.

FYI 2. Today (Sunday) is the last day of our one year anniversary sale at the Brooklyn shop! Everything but the Jill artwork, the Courtney Skott stump, and gift certificates are fair game. If you have been eyeing That Bag or That Necklace, now is the time to get it...

Bags

2006-10-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

We are nutty about bags over here. OK maybe not nutty, but it's an interesting design problem and a there are a thousand ways to address it...hence the huge number of designs we have at the shop.

I took some pictures so that you can see the latest ones from Rabeanco - I don't put these on Rare Picks because I usually get one or two pieces and there are benefits if you can come shop in the store! But, if any of these strike your fancy, let me know. I have 2 tote styles, both with removable adjustable cross-body straps, and one big squishy carryall (with removable strap) in a color somewhere between a catcher's mitt and a basketball. Also, Pippi is looking fine in her Dace top and J Balducci necklace.

I have added some other things to the webshop, however, check it out.

Today is the first really chilly one. There are pumpkins on doorsteps and leaves all over the place. I remember jumping in piles of them with my best bud Courtney when we were growing up in Sacramento. Now I am here at the shop, staring at the piles of hats and scarves and trying to pick one for this year...

Cobble Hill

2006-10-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

We'll have a table out at the Cobble Hill Designer Fair, at wee Cobble Hill Park on October 21 (October 28 rain date). I will be at the shop but Laura will have her own handmade goodies out, plus a selection of goods from the shop - great for folks who live over there who just never find the time to make it to the Slope...

Coming up: more clothing from Dace and OK47, a new candle line, more Crowded Teeth goodies (we're out of the fingerless glove/mittens and it's not even November!) and maybe even a little jewelry by yours truly.

We are working as fast as we can in photographing items at the shop and getting them online for your buying pleasure. Of course the "we" is just me, for the most part, so if things get a little slow, go easy! And just send me an email if you need something.

Oh! Nearly forgot. One year ago today, Rare Device opened its doors to the public. It was a scary decision to finally "go live" as there was no going back. Thanks for a really great year, everybody!

The picture below was taken on move in day last summer.

Rainy Day

2006-10-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Such a rainy day - a contrast to this week! Anyway we are busy bees at the shop, rearranging and putting out new products, as always.

New - Laurice Curran jewelry, all new styles and already moving fast; screenprinted vintage wallets and clutches from Shara Porter; long-sleeved tops from Umsteigen; and we are restocked on Tonfisk tea lanterns and cups! We'll get those online shortly, they are really nice wedding presents or gifts for tea lovers.

Testing

2006-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Not sure why I am doing this but here is my Technorati Profile.

Postscript: the reception was a blast, it's 73 degrees out, I am having a very nice day (not in the store!)

Chilly

2006-10-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

It's the first truly autumn day today - brisk, grey, quiet. When you walk into the shop, it smells like a forest, which is quite appropriate for Jill Bliss' exhibition. Don't forget to come out tomorrow and meet her! Jill is a sweet lady who mails pinecones to my California-born dog to chew on and play with...

And! Courtney Skott's tremendously cool tree stump stool is here and in the window. It is a marvel of construction. I will take a slew of pictures tomorrow when the camera battery gets recharged.

Had a visit from Denise of Beryl Boutique, on 6th Ave near Bergen, she is making amazing jewelry so if you are at the north end of the hood, go get your fix!

New at the shop: Last night my Dace shipment showed up right at closing. Dace is a clothing line in Canada...they make simple, structured pieces with great attention to detail. They also love interesting necklaces and pleats and so do I, so it's a great match! I also have some lovely things from Laura of Wren Handmade, who lives in the neighborhood. I have just a few great collaged cards and gift tags and some wee tiny stuffed elephants for a very sophisticated baby's room.

New online: I have added the Talla heart hoodie from our Fall Lookbook to the site, plus some Jill Bliss products, including the show poster.

Peace Industry

2006-10-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today my Peace Industry rug arrived! Peace Industry was formed by a couple who wanted to help bring the age-old (and dwindling) art of felted rugmaking to the masses by combining modern new designs with ancient techniques. They are designed in California and made by Iranian rug makers. I believe new rug makers are being trained now as these have become more popular so the tradition is not going away soon, hurray! These are all wool and super thick and durable, Melina tells me they are doing well with families who are worried about longevity of a rug around young children, also they are made with natural dyes and are chemical free. Come check it out if you are curious what these feel like, I am working on getting a swatch set so you can order your own rug here in New York.

I have one more announcement - right after Jill's show, we have lined up Deadly Squire for the month of November. Deadly Squire's show is titled "Hayo Makamak" which boils down to "High Muck-a-muck" in English and so they are going to recreate a feast that such a person might throw...all made out of their fabrics. Yes, Deadly Squire turkeys and pumpkins and the like. I'll get the press release up soon!

Deadly Squire also has a show coming up called Converter - opening October 19 in Williamsburg. I will see you there!

Store restocks: Polli jewelry and mobiles and also a new silk dress from Talla which will be really cute at a holiday party.

Jill Bliss

2006-10-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

The artwork of Jill Bliss is up in our window at Rare Device. Please come take a look! The reception is Saturday from 12-4pm and Jill will be in attendance. I think if you are nice, you can convince her to sign one of her limited-edition posters :)

The shop smells SO GOOD due to the pine needles shipped directly from Jill's front yard, and the Juniper Ridge soaps and sachets, also from Northern California. It makes me think of going on walks through Point Reyes.

Adds to the store - we have a lovely leather bag by Emmaluv of Philly who recycled a couch into three hip carryalls. We also have a bit of Purldrop/Sodafine handknits, some mittens and some headkerchiefs for the cooler weather...which is not here yet, but why not get ready now?

A few shop photos:

Fall Fashion

2006-10-02T23:13:00.000-07:00

In between everything else, we managed to create a lookbook of some of our fall styles! Please take a look here (requires Flash) and let us know what you think. If you are interested in any of the clothing or jewelry, email us at info@raredevice.net. We haven't really put much clothing online as the sizing issues are a bit scary, but if there is demand for it, we will make it happen. Thanks to Youngna Park for the beautiful photography and our supermodel Alison, and thanks Lena and Josh for lending us their house for the day...and extra tummy rubs to the on-location puppy, Gus.

It's been a busy day - we also installed the Jill Bliss show and are madly excited, we hope you will be too. The afternoon sun was not cooperating with my camera but here is one sneak peek.

Visits

2006-10-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Shana of SML Bags brought a small stash of bags today. She loves her colored leather and we have got some gorgeous clutches that are going to *sing* against your brand-new black winter coat...if it ever cools down enough to wear it! I admit that I am loving the weather now, it's very much like my last home in the SF Bay Area...cool and breezy and then cloudy or sunny and energizing.

Elodie of Elasticco also brought in some new work - she too is acknowledging the change of seasons and this time with grey wool hats and mittens. The hats are more properly caps or elf helmets and they are screenprinted or have petals sewn on the side, or both...they work very well with my new elf haircut.

Nam Kim brought a Santa Fe tote bag in a new, limited color, which I will add to the website as soon as I'm able. It's a slightly crinkly leather in a shade I'm going to call "latte".

And, Youngna brought a disc with the Fall fashion photoshoot images! I will be going through these and posting a little lookbook as soon as I get a breather. Not only do you get a glimpse of the clothing and jewelry in the shop, you'll see a bit more of the location, which is Lena Corwin's house.

Whew! Time to ship Internet orders and prep. More Wednesday...

Weekend

2006-09-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

It's a blustery day here in Brooklyn, and appropriately I am winding a ball of birthday yarn (thanks Laura!) to later turn into a hat. Hat season, can you believe it! Juliet of Smith & Hone visited me yesterday to show me her scarf and hat styles for this year. She handknits or handlooms each piece. We'll get a few styles plus a great camel-colored bolero which is a nice intermediate layer under a heavier coat.

What else...Domestic has a ton of new vinyl decals, we're getting some old faves and also some of the new styles. They are out of stock of two of the coolest (one is a series of letters that look stitched, and the other is a set of clock hands and a variety of stickers to "build" your own clock on the wall) but we'll get them in as soon as we can.

Kbox is up on the site for purchase, and we are mentally preparing for the weekend. If we weren't at the shop we'd be checking out the Sky Mirror at Rockafeller Center, or maybe the contemporary Japanese ceramics show at the Japan Society.

Mimi

2006-09-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am on a bag hunt. OK I guess that's not unusual, but I am really trying to find great quality bags from small designers, and I think I am succeeding...this morning I received a little shipment from Mimi, a lady in London who has a shop with the same name where she sells her handmade leather bags, purses and wallets. The store simply smells great, like leather, now that the bags are hung up on the wall! I also have some little frame coin purses, each lined in whimsical prints. I really want to visit Mimi's shop - in fact her whole neighborhood - it sounds like the coolest area (more about Spitalfields shopping here).

This weekend we're getting a few clutches by SML Bags, Shana is a local designer and we spotted her at the Market NYC and have been waiting for the right time to introduce her wares. She also has a fondness for colored leather, cool fabrics and also appliques or ribbon detail.

I have two more bag lines I am looking at, one is leather and the other is made from old Italian wool army blankets (!) but I will save those for later.

Side note: If you love shoes, they are going fast at Sodafine.com's new online shop. She has Chie Mihara at great prices, as well as a selection of clothing from the shop.

Other side note: Lena Corwin popped by with her pup Gus and some of the best-selling "Travel" plates from her collection. I have a lil' stack of them at the shop, and you can see it in the window as well.

New at Rare Device

2006-09-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

The usual Wednesday bonanza at the shop...we are restocked on the Melie Bianco bags, and I have more of the cool colored leather ones coming in a couple weeks. Also, we have a fabulous red Poketo tee with birds on it, but not the cuddly kind...and we have new Pancake and Franks cards from San Francisco. There is a red tiger tattoo card for all occasions and some other treats.

On to the new stuff! We are proud to carry limited-edition books from Cloverfield Press in Los Angeles. The folks running the press are teaming up an author and an artist to make lovely mini books of short fiction, housed in a letterpressed cover. We have 4 titles, including a little Haruki Murakami story and one by filmmaker Miranda July.

Also new are Kbox from Australia. These are the minimalist's jewelry box! They are lovely black aluminum with rubber micro feet so they don't scratch. They are modular and can stack, and there are two styles of felt inserts in 4 colors to accomdate earrings, cufflinks, bangles etc. I love them. Soon to be on the website.

Finally, a little jewelry from Swallow, one of my favorite shops in Carroll Gardens. Ria is a sculptor and makes wonderful jewelry, we are lucky to get a bit for the shop.

Metal

2006-09-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Well I almost forgot to post about this, but I heard some Van Halen in a store today (you know the album, the long long intro...yes I used to own it!) and it reminded me. Judith from Analogous Jewelry came by with more of her razorblade necklaces as well as a few new designs. I think the outstanding one is a zigzaggy snake with a heart-shaped pearl, much like something from the Lucky Charms box, in its mouth. However she also brought a little hand, cast in silver and curled up into heavy metal horns, strung on a chain. Oh my I laughed a LOT. You have to come see this.

On the way, I believe: elegant fall clothes from Dace, a Vancouver line, plus a new candle line, and oh yeah the Jill Bliss drawings! I am so excited to get it, though not exactly sure yet how I am going to hang it all. Also, as a special treat, we'll have one of Courtney Skott's faux bois stools in the window too. It is so gorgeous, she upholstered a "stump" in tea-dyed silk with a bumpy, removable bark cover. So much California talent, I can't stand it! Don't forget to come meet Jill on Saturday at the shop.

Finally, Lena Corwin is kindly bringing some of her bestselling melamine plate designs in for the holidays. These decorative plates would look sweet on your wall.

Talla

2006-09-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

I just got a visit from Talla of the eponymous clothing line, she is in town for the tradeshows and doing a bit of shopping today. She is a lovely lady from San Francisco and her patterns and clothes are easy and fun to wear. I'm quite excited about her Spring line also, which I got to pick out this week, it was influenced by a trip to Tokyo.

Herman Yu calendars and cards are here. We have two 2007 calendars in store so far and should have two more very soon. It's not too early to think about! Also not too early - mittens, hats and scarves. Despite the balmy weather in Brooklyn today, people bought snug knit hats and crazy cute fingerless glove/mittens from Crowded Teeth.

I have added a few things to the site today - the Nikki McClure calendar and also those crazy Swedish ice scrapers.

November show news: Deadly Squire has revealed their plans to me and they are so good. Let's just say it's a Thanksgiving feast with a twist...

That's about it! Tomorrow is my birthday and I might have to bring cookies to the store to share, what do you think?

Brooklyn in Color

2006-09-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Ranjit has his first solo photography show...at the Atlantic Ave subway station! They have blown up some of his images to amazing sizes and put them in lightboxes along the corridors...here is a sneak peek. Congrats Ranjit!

Barrick

2006-09-21T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have always been fond of Barrick Design's candles but never knew who made them until the last gift show, when I scouted extra-hard and found them. They are handpoured in Pennsylvania and have a pleasing, plump teardrop shape, and a crackle finish just under the very smooth surface. I have no idea how they do that. Anyway, the candles come in a trio of different heights and colors and they are unscented and if you can bring yourself to light them, the whole thing glows. Very pretty.

I am restocked on the Coffee for Ones in all 4 colors, and on celadon Beehouse teapots. I am awaiting more Polli jewelry - the price is going up a little bit with the new arrivals. Same on new Beehouse - everyone adjusted their prices up so I must pass it on, sorry about that. It's just by a couple dollars in most cases.

Items I've picked for Jill Bliss' show are starting to arrive too, don't forget it opens the first week of October.

We are conducting the Fall fashion shoot this weekend so next week you'll get to see what else is going on at Rare Device! We will be presenting new items by Talla, Paper Bird, Nisa, Umsteigen and lots of bags and jewelry too. I think we'll add some hats and scarves as well - it is very fall weather here in Brooklyn, and the breeze is up, and suddenly I want to wear sweaters and light scarves. That's kind of fun.

OK, the tradeshows - maybe it's due to attending on day one but there was a definite spirit of optimism going on and the spring stuff looks great. There are tons of dresses still and yes, volume - but that means a more forgiving cut that will work for many body types. We have ordered some cute new clothing lines but what I am really excited about is our first watch. It is unisex and very limited edition and plastic (!) and I will put it on the website for pre-orders when I get more photos and information for you. It is definitely a Rare Find.

Today's listen: Mouse on Mars 'Idiology' and Joshua Bell/Edgar Meyer 'Short Trip Home'. No, they really don't go together at all.

Dasmarca

2006-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

I got a box from England filled with outrageous knit scarves from Dasmarca. They are outrageous because the designer, Bidyut Das, knits with ultra super mega bulky wool on needles basically the size of broomsticks. Knitting turned into a very kinetic and physical act! Despite the bulk the yarn squishes down very soft in your hands. I have got just a few fun styles in for the season, I'll get some photos up later but for now you can go to their website.

Also in are the 2007 Nikki McClure calendars which feature images in her cut-paper style. I also got a dozen clever mini-wallets or cardholders from Akemi Designs made from upholstery leather samples. Each is embossed with the color name and style number and they are soft and just $18. Each is one of a kind and thus only available in the store, sorry web shoppers!

Piggy bank update: these Pamela Barsky piggies are sure popular. I am down to white until more of the colored ones are made, there is a 2-3 week lead time for the pea green ones. You can come by the store for the white ones or order online.

Speaking of online, we just added a half-dozen items to Rare Picks, including a new Highway laptop-worthy tote, Poketo items, fabric-covered journals, a great glass carafe...and we'll be adding more this weekend, including a very limited ruby pendant by Laurice Curran, leather goods by Nava Design, and more this and that...

Elsewhere...

2006-09-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

1. You can sign up for Post-Postcard 10 held at The Lab in San Francisco. The show itself is in December but you can submit your artwork now! This is the granddaddy of tiny affordable art shows, 10 years strong. Some of my favorite pieces of art in my house came from this show. Nothing over $30.

2. Carol has moved her Undesigned boutique and studio to Los Feliz and will have a grand opening party on October 1. Go to her site to see a beautiful short film that serves as the lookbook for her fall collection.

3. Renegade Craft Fair is in Chicago this weekend. Have fun everybody!!