Happy Monday! I’d like to begin this week with some beautiful inspiration from Up in the Air Somewhere, a shop filled with gorgeous ceramic pieces and paper items hand made by Chicago-based artist and designer Susan Dwyer.
Susan graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago with a focus on sculpture, and soon after was inspired by the clean and minimalist aesthetics of industrial architecture to create a line of ceramic and papier- mâché vessels. From silos to warehouses and water towers mirroring the Chicago landscape, Susan hand builds stunning and elegant vases, votives and planters into one-of-a-kind pieces. With a soft and natural color scheme, the ceramic and papier-mâché products maintain a very organic and delicate aesthetic, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes from round bowls, to oval tubes, square bases and long cylinders.
The hand made quality in Susan’s work is a huge part of the result of course, creating a personal and familiar touch to the work, making them come alive with love and personality. The form of each product is unique, and the texture also makes these ceramics so appealing to display in your home, don’t you think? The Scandinavian style of the white and gray pitchers, and yellow and gray cups make them perfect for the kitchen, with clean lines and utilitarian design they are durable and easy to use. And where can you find a pitcher this gorgeous? You can find the list of retailers across the US that carry Up in the Air Somewhere’s stunning line here on their website.
Do you have a favorite piece? The thin papier-mâché bowls, designed to perfection with a white base and a touch of yellow or gold color on the inside, are my favorites from Up in the Air Somewhere. They could be stand alone art themselves, but they are also functional to hold dry food or other small items like rings or beads.
(images: up in the air somewhere)
Happy Friday! The weekend is finally upon us, so let’s look at some exciting design inspiration together. Formed in 2004, The Loyal Loot Collective is based out of Edmonton in Canada, and is the individual and collaborative work of Doha Chebib, Carmen Douville, Dara Mumniski, and Anna Thomas.
These artists all maintain varying perspectives and knowledge, sharing a common dedication to creating an eclectic mix of beautiful and functional objects which posses an inherent value that will endure and remain loved.
I found the Log Bowls by artist Doha Chebib most interesting and captivating, mostly through their high contrast between the rough, natural logs and modern, glossy finish in the colorful bowls. Even more impressive is that each bowl is handmade using only locally reclaimed trees of all varieties that have fallen or were cut down due to infrastructure, re-landscaping, droughts, or stormy weather. The trees are all hand selected, gathered, turned and finished. Tell me, are you completely drawn to these stunning bowls, that also make great display accessories?
(images: loyal loot collective)
Cynthia Vardhan is a ceramic designer working in Ohio, with a degree in fine arts, and a diverse and beautiful body of handmade work that you are just going to love!
Cynthia produces gorgeous collections of tableware and vases that are intricately detailed. The wide range of bright colors in her patterns and paintings creates such a rich contrast with the translucent porcelain that she uses for her pottery. Each piece is hand decorated with pigmented clay and occasionally, patterns are applied with relief printing, giving the pieces their distinctive raised patterns and great visual depth.
Cynthia’s ceramics are so gorgeous in all their color, decorative patterns, lines and shapes, as all these elements create the perfect balance of an art piece that also serves as a functional object. I would love a few vases to display in my home, and put a few stems in them, and some tableware as well to display on open shelving. Such art!
If you would like to order Cynthia Vardhan Ceramics, her work is available in fine boutiques across the U.S, in addition to shows that she participates in and also in her own Etsy shop.
(images: cynthia vardhan)
Paloma’s Nest is a handcrafted modern heirloom company founded in 2007 by designer Caroline Colóm Vásquez. Paloma’s Nest creates modern heirlooms made from clay, wood, porcelain and cloth; best known for inventing the original Ring Bearer Bowl™, but now offers ornaments, text bowls, stationery, wooden decorative products, tabletop products and other keepsakes.
Paloma’s Nest just recently introduced their latest “Little Bird Collection: For Baby and Family” which includes a variety of pieces for very affordable prices that you can purchase from their website. Some of their new products that you can find include Baby Plaque, Initial Ornaments, Baby’s First Plate, Custom Baby Hanger and Mother Tiny Text Bowl.
Caroline describes the new line as “My newest collection is inspired by today’s modern family, who are looking to establish their own traditions with a modern spin, while still honoring the past. By creating work that commemorates the sweetest occasion – a new child, and the emotion connected to that occasion – I hope that these timeless pieces convey devotion, playfulness and love.”
This is such a great idea isn’t it? And it works really well for those of us who love the meaning behind heirloom items, but still prefer the modern design. The work is so clean, functional and beautiful, Paloma’s Nest is definitely on my must-buy list whenever I will be ready to start a family!
And you? Would you buy something from here for your baby?
(images: paloma’s nest)
Hello dear friends! How are you doing today? Happy Earth day! I have some lovely etsy shops to share with you today, so let’s get right to it!
At A Alicia Accessories you will find lots of gorgeous handmade fashion accessories, made of fabric that burst with color, texture, and shape. I am in love with the big fluffy balls that are hand sewn into necklaces, hair pins, and even a bracelet if you like. A Alicia Accessories is all about getting creative and having fun with your accessories!
Illustrator Nina Moscrip from Hampshire, England loves to spend her days drawing, painting and printing. Ah, the joys of an artist! She sells her lovely paintings at Art Quirk, where you will find a lovely collection filled with the great lines and soft colors she captures from buildings and architecture.
I love the mostly vintage and repurposed jewelry you can find from Laura Lombardi Jewelry. Leave it up to her to recreate something and make it absolutely gorgeous! I see so many layers, heavy objects, geometrical shapes, symmetry and contrast in her collection, and it all draws me in.
Chicago-based designer and artist Susan Dwyer creates the most beautiful line of housewares you will find at her shop, Up in the air somewhere. Inspired by the forms found in industrial architecture, Susan creates stunning, vivid accessories from papier-mâché, ceramic and fiber that will look fantastic in any home. The more I look at her work, the more I find myself urging to bring some of her beauties into my home.
Do you see anything that speaks to you in a certain way?
(images: sources listed above)
Hello friends! How are you today? I’ve been very busy, between work and doing some freelance after work hours, my life has been hectic lately! Hopefully it will slow down a bit after I finish the projects I’m working on, so I can give myself a break. But being back here with you to share inspirational design always gets me excited! Alright, so are you ready to look at my Etsy picks for the week? Today, it’s all about working with the hands, creating beautiful clay and pottery pieces and making them available to all.
I’ve been wanting small porcelain nut mix ornaments since last Christmas. And I found the perfect ones, and much more too from KG + AB in Brooklyn. You will find the most adorable little pieces, with such impressive detail and craftsmanship.
Sara Paloma Pottery hand makes all her pottery on the wheel and fires it in an electric kiln. You can find beautiful white bowls, vases and plates in all shades of white. And now, she is even offering wedding registries, so you can fill your new place with beautiful white pottery.
If you are looking for modern, clear, clean and seamless pottery and clay, Amanda Gentry Wares is the shop for you. With subtle tones of white and soft hues like yellow and teal, the sets you will find here are casual and functional. Amanda emphasizes the natural beauty of clay, and it’s texture highlighting the unglazed portions of a piece.
For a variety of shapes and textures in pottery, make sure you visit Back Creek Pottery. A team of two, Audrey makes pots all day in her studio, and carves the beautiful designs on the pieces, and Jacob glazes in the evenings after a long day of teaching. Combined, they create beautiful pieces that can be used everyday.
“A piece that is handmade has been dreamed up, coddled into reality, touched, and loved before anyone else sees it.”
This is why I admire handmade artists, they put their heart and soul into a piece of work, and by giving yourself to what you are doing, you are being authentic and living creatively.
(images: sources listed above)
I recently featured Marimekko in a post about Samu-Jussi Koski’s new collection I keep going back to lust over the incredible inspiration of Finnish print design. With brands covering fashion, interior decoration, and design from every possible field, you are bound to find something you adore, and it will likely keep your interest for longer than you expect!
What got me this time is the kitchen and tabletop accessories by illustrator and textile designer Maija Louekari. Her Kippis design uses a playful painted look pattern of drink glasses on porcelain, a series of mugs, glass plates, bowls, paper napkins, tea towels and fun plywood trays. Those will be sure to liven up your kitchen!
The Oiva tableware collection is the result of a beautiful collaboration of two artists, designer Sami Ruotsalainen and pattern designer Maija Louekari. They come together to bring a bold, high contrast set of tableware that is artistic, young with a captivating combination of elaborate drawings and perfect balance of black and white with a touch of striking color.
I’ve always loved the balance that’s present in Scandinavian design. In the use of colors, shapes and patterns, everything is harmonized, with lots of white space that is contrasted with bright color, always creating a wonderful aesthetic.
(images: marimekko)
I’ve been going back and forth all day wanting to post, and it’s about time, isn’t it? I can finally share with you what has been running in my mind today, the inspirational work of one of my favorite ceramicists, Nina van de Goor.
Nina is a design, art and craft lover, maker, and successful small business owner in the Netherlands. She creates handmade ceramics, screen prints gorgeous patterns and designs on china and makes collages, all can be found in her online shop.
This selection of my favorite photos truly shows the way that Nina lives and the art she creates is full of joy and brightness. You can really see through her creative space that Nina surrounds herself with and is inspired by an abundance of color, shapes and beauty in all its forms. I particularly like Nina’s visual aesthetic and consistency in style, as well as the variations in detail from one piece to the next.
She creates art and brings so-called mundane, functional everyday objects to life and shows us that they can be so interesting and captivating. As I look through the photos of her individual pieces and the way they are displayed in her home, I can’t help but imagine how beautiful they would look together on a wall, to drink from, or as bowls, or for flowers. I really ought to start a collection soon, I have long admired china collections. I imagine it would be fun to even buy some vintage china and personalize it, the way the very talented Nina does and other designers do as well nowadays, in a fresh, modern way by screen printing.
Nina authors a delightful interior design, art and crafts blog called Ninainvorm where you can surely find more inspiration on a daily basis, and partake in interesting topics as well.
This is a quote from Nina I’d like to share, because I believe in it is true in life, and we can all learn from it. “Beauty then seems to be everywhere, and it makes me realize that we shouldn’t try too hard and make it all too perfect. So right now I’m inspired to look for this nonchalant beauty instead of the too perfect, over-styled things.”
(images: nina van de goor)
Hello friends! How are you today? I have such a sweet Etsy finds for you coming from four lovely sellers. Ready to pay a little visit to each one?
Alyssa Zygmunt is a fashion designer living in Brooklyn. She loves the endless creative possibilities in recreating abandoned objects and pieces. And they are such beauties, from her adorable little porcelain animals to beautiful charmed necklaces. Be sure to hop on over to her new blog and have a look around.
Mandy Lynne is one talented lady! You can see for yourself if you visit her website. There is something so beautiful and innocent about her photography. Skippy designs demonstrates that, her passion for creating timeless imagery. Mandy’s work is “simply an expression of my heart, inspired by my children and simple life experiences.”
Indo Bay creates modern hand-printed textiles. The organic shapes, natural prints, textures and colors are so warm and welcoming. And with a playful and loving attitude, these charming creations would brighten up any home!
Here comes a local reference! Sweetbeets in Ontario designs letterpress cards and prints using a vintage printing press. Most of the work is targeted for children, Sweetbeets uses beautiful warm tones that capture the magic of childhood in creative ways. Visit Lisa’s blog for Sweetbeets updates and handmade inspiration for children!
So tell me friends, what did you think of these shops? What stood out to you the most?
(images: sources listed above)
