Projekt Mobilivre - Bookmobile Project is primarily based in Montreal and Philadelphia. It is a trailer converted into a small mobile gallery and library that showcases handmade books and zines from all over the world.  Traveling through Canada and US, this bookmobile visits community centers, schools, colleges, libraries, festivals and artist-run centers.  I happened to run into Mobilivre-Bookmobile while I was studying at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and was stunned by the idea of a traveling gallery/library. 






Bookmobile is a vehicle designed as a traveling library.  Slumgullion,  is a collaboration project that strives to create community, empower young voices, and promote literacy and the humanities through the book arts and zines. It is based in Missoula, Montana.  Slumgullion’s bookmobile exhibits handmade books, art zines and is just like a regular bookmobile only it is bike powered!

May 02, 2009

*Above: Patchwork Harmony - http://www.patchworkharmony.co.uk

April 25, 2009

I love these beautiful nature inspired wallpaper designs by William Morris.  William Morris was an English architect, furniture and textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement.  The Arts and Crafts Movement was a British, Canadian, and American aesthetic movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries that influenced arts, crafts and architecture. The Arts and Crafts Movement was inspired by the writings of John Ruskin and a romantic idealization of a craftsperson taking pride in their personal handiwork. The movement was a reaction to the eclectic revival of historic styles of the Victorian era and to “soulless” machine-made production aided by the Industrial Revolution.

March 29, 2009

I love Charley Harper’s print, The Desert. 

March 15, 2009

Wow. Handmade floor mat from old vintage leather belts.  Design by Inghua Ting.

March 11, 2009

I went to NYU open studios today and this is what I found.  Very talented artist and designer - Hana Tanimura.

http://www.hanatanimura.com/

March 08, 2009

Beautiful ceramic plates inspired by Ernst Haeckel’s biological drawings (book named Art Forms in Nature) by Megha Patel.



*above:  Ernst Haeckel’s book “Art Forms in Nature”

March 07, 2009

Siesta stiffened crocheted doily by Stanley Ruiz . This is really nice.  I even was thinking of making it myself - taking old lace, stiffening it with starch…  but it probably would not be as nice as the one above.

March 06, 2009

These are so awesome! They are animal pelts knitted from 100% nonwool yarns by Becky Stern.

February 08, 2009

MANILLA MADE is a blog about all things ethical organized by Helen Cuthbert, a textile designer in UK.  All things ethical are all things handmade, recycled, bright and colorful! I love this blog.
My favorite pieces on this blog are:  vintage glass salt and pepper shakers, handmade shadow lanterns made out of recycled metal food cans, and soy teacup candles!!!

February 07, 2009

I just found this amazing online store called Three Potato Four.  Three Potato Four is started by Janet Morales & Stu Eli because of their love of collections. The store features old and vintage home decor objects, tableware and toys.

January 30, 2009

Marlies Spaan and Jolanda Muilenburg silkscreened patterns on beech wood cabinets and wardrobes.
I was also thinking, if you are tired of your old furniture and if your furniture is simply very boring and ugly, it is possible to achieve similar effect by adding some pattern to your furniture through using stencils or wallpaper. I do not know though if it is going to look as beautiful as the wardrobe on the picture above.

January 26, 2009

Do you have a lot of old seaters that are unfashionable, uncool, shrunken or simply too old? Well, you can reuse them to make mittens.  These mittens by Baabaazuzu are made from old sweaters.  Each mitten is unique. Two images below are quilts made out of old wool blankets by Marlies Spaan, a textile designer from Netherlands.


Or, company called StitchT in New York City is making quilts out of old t-shirts for you.  You bring old t-shirts and they stich them together into a nice beautiful quilt.

      

I like finding pine cones in the forest. It is fun to observe them, study them,  bring them home - put the on shelves and tables or use them as Christmas tree decorations.  These ceramic pine cones by Coe&Waito are a real masterpiece. “Each porcelain pine cone is meticulously hand sculpted capturing the intricate beauty of natural specimens” Ceramics pine cones available are black pine cone, white sprice cone, red pine cone and white pine cone.

January 06, 2009

I love Trailer Park furniture, accessories and home furnishings! Mostly Trailer Park carries handcrafted Amish and vintage (1950s-1970s) furniture.
Trailer Park’s Amish collection includes tables, kitchen hutches, bookcases, dressers, sideboards, desks, benches and more. Each piece is handcrafted using recycled wood from old barns! Amish furniture from recycled wood is made without electric tools, mostly by using hand-tools.

January 04, 2009

AuH2O is a sustainable clothing store owned by Kate Goldwater. All AuH2O clothing is made from recycled fabric from old shirts, dresses and ties.  Kate sews everything herself at her store which makes her garments sweat shop free, unique and less carbon-dioxide emitting shipments are invovled.  Kate alters garments you buy at the store free of charge to your liking - straps can be added to tube tops, skirt length can be adjusted and e.t.c.

December 30, 2008

Reform School is a store, web shop and collective based in Los Angeles, CA. 
Billie and Tootie write about their store:  “We definitely wanted to talk about how sustainable design is a huge focus for us, and that green living is important to us, not only in business but in our personal lives as well. We wanted to be eco-friendly without being too in-your-face about it. The last thing we wanted was to be another shop selling all things hemp & bamboo ( not that we don’t love hemp & bamboo)”
To visit: Reform School.

Chest of drawers by Wis Design made out of discarded drawers rescued from flea markets.

December 23, 2008

This pillow is made out of vintage cotton handkerchiefs.  I found it on Etsy and it is by an artist and designer Flyingrhymes. Have you ever wondered why nobody uses colorful handkerchiefs anymore?  When I was growing up in Russia there was no Kleenex.  I don’t know whether it was better or worse. 

November 25, 2008

Dan of Kreepy Doll Factory have been making dolls out of old t-shirts and fabric scraps.  Every doll is unique.
The one on the left is the Night Man - “Living shadow found roaming in the dark of night” . One on the right is the Flying Red Hot Dog - “Mysterious winged weiner seen in the skies over downtown”. haha.

November 23, 2008

Brooklyn-based designer Sarah Cihat scours garage sales and thrift shops, looking for ceramics that she can give a second life to. She takes the discarded dishware and reglazes it, turning old and frumpy cast-offs into fun, funky, artful dishes. Fond of the silhouette, most of her work features animals, people and things like anchors and skull-n-crossbones in colorful contrast the ceramics’ new glaze; says the designer, “Each piece represents a rejection of more brand new products filling shelves and storage closets. Rehabilitated Dishware is a subtle statement of the importance of recycling and the renewed value of unwanted things.” - from Treehugger

November 18, 2008

This is a large terranium that has slow growing moss and tiny ceramic mushrooms in it. The mushrooms are crafted by Mudpuppy. These mushrooms are adorable!
  Terranium requires very little care, just leave it in a room with bright indirect sunlight. Water every 2-3 weeks and whatever you do don’t over water! This little jar will take care of itself. - MadebyMavis  I never thought of growing moss as an inside plant but now that I think of it is a great idea. I love moss.  It is nice to find large flat beds of moss on the forest floor and take a nap on.  I heard you can put moss in the freezer and nothing will happen to it - you can replant it whenever you want.

Have you ever felt bad for the numerous broken umbrellas during the storm? You do not have to anymore!
They all can be turned into a bag! Yes Yes.

taken from FIFTYRX3, a blog about style and sustainability by Jill Danyelle.
(“fiftyRX3 was a project in style and sustainability. It consisted of a photo documentary of what Jill Danyelle wore everyday for a year with a goal of averaging fifty percent sustainability based on the environmental mantra ‘reuse, reduce, recycle’. There was also exploration into the relationship we have with our clothing and how others perceive who we are through what we wear.)

November 17, 2008

Cog and Pearl in Park Slope, Brooklyn carries these wallets made from recycled old leather jackets. Each wallet is one of a kind but made from black leather only. In Cog and Pearl you can find plenty of handmade items including jewelry, personal and home accessories, apparel, fine art as well as books, cards and “the occasional uncategorizable but gotta-have-it thing”