Etsy in Wonderland - Treasury

The treasury I made last night was inspired by themes from Alice In Wonderland.

Etsy sellers, from left to right: The Nebulous Kingdom, Apak, Andy's House, Niko Art, Little Elfs Toyshop, Wakuseiya, Just Be Designs, Darkling Woods, Lilla Lotta, Another Feather, Elsita, Naokosstoop.

There are so many lovely handmade items on Etsy which have been inspired by Alice in Wonderland, I will be doing another treasury with the same theme... so watch this space if you like this!

I did read the book many many years ago when I was a nipper, but about 15 years ago (when I was a very moody teenager) I came across and became a big fan of Jan Svankmajer's "Alice". If you haven't heard of it, you really need to watch it (see below, first of nine parts). It's a fantastically imaginiative, dark and memorable stop-motion film based on Alice in Wonderland. In my opinion, it's the best version in film, both for children and adults alike.

Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 5

Hello! As always, bunnigami is just slightly late... whoops! This time, you can learn how to make a crane. This is perhaps the most widely-recognised origami model, and there is a tradition in Japan that if you make a thousand cranes, you will be granted a wish.

You will need to know how to make the preliminary base first; this is covered in the instructions on how to make the waterbomb.

Click on the two pictures below to make them larger.

Now you've made one crane, you only have another 999 to make until your wish can be granted...

Good luck and happy folding!

Joey x

Camera Camaraderie: Treasury

Last week we went to the National Media Museum (NMM) in Bradford, which has inspired this treasury.

Sellers above , from left to right: Majesty Inc, Yaelfran, Japonicas, Ura Star House, CB78, Little Big Pants, Two Guitars, Moy Toys, Vivienne Strauss, Artsy, Sewn by Blythe, Roberta Grove.

Don't read the next paragraph if you would rather not read about morbid things. Just skip to the next paragraph after the photo of the television.

I had been to the museum before about 13 years ago, when it was still known as the National Photography, Film and Television Museum. The main thing I can remember from that first visit was a special exhibition of Victorian photographs of the recently deceased. It was very moving, although more than a little disturbing to me and others I was with, as this isn't a concept we're used to these days. Even though we hear about violence and death all the time through television, internet and the press, we aren't generally shown dead people because it's considered in bad taste to do so, therefore I found it quite surprising to see such a large collection of "death portraits" (often babies and children in their parents arms or in coffins, as if peacefully sleeping) from a time I perceived to have far more taboos about death than we have today. Seeing those photographs made me feel sad, not just because they commemorated the death rather than life of that person, but also because their family wanted to remember the moment of their death, and that they will keep that photograph to look at again.

Anyway, the NMM these days has a variety of interactive displays to entertain children and extensive collections of photographic and televisual equipment and memorabilia for all us geeks! I really enjoyed looking at vintage and antique camera designs, and I took quite a lot of pictures which you can see on my flickr stream: pictures of National Media Museum. I particularly liked the tiny Sony portable television which comes in it's very own cute little case! How cool is that? I really like it's minimal design, sleek but clunky at the same time. And I just happen to have a photograph of an advert for this exact model, which was in an early 1970s tourist guide to Japan.

Cheers for reading!

Joey :-)

Button Up!

If you are a sewer, embroiderer, knitter or like making all sorts of crafty things, then like me, you're probably obsessed with buttons and will happily spend all your pocket money on them, whether you actually need them or intend to ever use them, or not! Well, if this is you, then it's likely that you'll like this treasury!

Sellers, from left to right:
Made for Fun, The Black Apple, Chanchke Designs, Jilliann's, Hand Knitted Things, Soap Store, Sweetgum Handbags, Brandywine, Veronica Buttons, Sugar Inc, Hydra Heart, Namolio.

Enjoy!
Joey xx

NEW! Joey's Dream Garden Badges!

Bowls of Badges!, originally uploaded by Joey 7.

Yippee! My badges came this morning, which only took 2 days for the brilliant Brilliant Badges to make! I recommend them.

I wanted a way to enable more people to own my designs without me having to sew night & day to make enough things & make my fingers bleed... so there are sets of four cute little badges available in my Etsy shop now!

If you are in the Sheffield or Derbyshire area you may be interested to visit the little picturesque village of Tissington on either 8th or 9th August where i'll be doing the Tissington Village Hall craft fair on both days. It's opposite the duck pond, and opening times are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cheers
Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 4

Oh whoops! A bit late again I'm afraid, I was very busy yesterday! Lame excuse... Here's what I'm making at the moment, bunny pouches embroidered with my bunny drawings. This is the first one:

Here is the next part of the bunnigami series, a waterbomb this time. Click on the pictures to get a bigger and clearer view of the text.

Good luck with the waterbomb, I hope you enjoy making it!

Best wishes

Joey x

Pinky Olives Etsy Treasury

This is my current treasury west list, what do you think? I really like these colours together, but I didn't know that until I came across Pirilampo Riscardo's super-sweet and unusual seed pod choker in salmon, olive, chocolate and cream (imagine THAT as the foodstuffs all together! Maybe not so good!). This inspired me to find more things with the same colour combination and these are the fruits of my labours!

Featured Etsy sellers, from left to right:
Uncommon, Pirlampo Riscardo, Lic Gifts, 5 Gardenias, Stash/Mariforssell, Pen Felt, Circs, Thumble, Amanda Archer, Jazz Baby 1920, Utile Mud, Golly Bard

Enjoy!
Joey x

I'm Likin' this Lichen...

This is my latest Etsy treasury west. What do you think to it?

Take a closer look at the treasury items above in the Etsy shops, from left to right:

Thredworx, Elin Art, Bodhitree, Budpnq, Wee Green Spot, Jessica Doyle, Mandella Glass, Element Clay Studio, Natalie's Art, Little Creek Yarn, Nature Mandalas, Love All Around

I really love lichen and mosses, because although they're usually very tiny, their little details are quite beautiful when you get very close, which I love to do by taking pictures with the super-macro facility on my camera, like this:

I hope this inspires you to look more closely when you see a bit of insignificant-looking lichen... a natural work of art!

Joey xx

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 3

If you've been following this series, you'll have noticed that I'm a couple of days late this posting part 3. Whoops, sorry! I don't know what happened actually. I think I was cooking lentil dhal when I usually remember...

Anyway, here is the latest part, this time you can make a masu box. This is a traditional Japanese model which is meant to resemble a square wooden box which was originally used to measure rice, and later used to drink sake (rice wine) from. I don't recommend using yours to drink wine from though!

You may need to click on the image of the instructions above to get a clearer view. If you get stuck, just leave a comment below.

You can use any sort of paper, but it needs to be precisely square. If you want to make a small box, you will need to use lightweight paper, like cheap printer paper or cheap wrapping paper. If you want to make a very large box, you will find that it holds its shape better if you use thick paper like sugar paper (contruction paper in the US) or even wallpaper.

Have fun!
Joey x

Next Thurs 16th July: a waterbomb!

Rudo Y Cursi - film review

Rudo Y Cursi is a comedy about two half-brothers in Mexico who are spotted by a talent scout and rise from rural obscurity to become professional footballers. I'm not into football at all but I really liked this film. It was great for a Friday night; very funny and I don't think i've read as many subtitled swear-words before! Which is entertaining in itself, in a juvenile sort of way. I do like Gael Garcia Bernal (who played Tato, nicknamed Cursi, above left) which is one of the reasons I wanted to see the film.

The story starts with them working on their banana plantation, with Cursi playing his accordion in any spare moment he gets, and Rudo (played by Diego Luna) struggling to make ends meet to support his family. From desperate poverty, they are lifted to stardom as professional footballers (Cursi was a striker and Beto/Rudo a goalkeeper) in different teams, which adds fuel to their ongoing resentments with each other. However, their rise to fame isn't long-lived or simple, and they each go through their own life-changing journeys.

What I think was particularly good about this film was some great acting, from Bernal and Luna and also Guillermo Francella who played Baton, the talent scout (Francella is apparently big in his home country, Argentina). I really warmed to Tato and Beto because like many of us, they have high goals, but their human weaknesses (lust for one, gambling for another) quickly and cruelly bring them back down to earth.

I'd recommend Rudo Y Cursi for anyone's Friday night entertainment, football fanatic or not.

Now I'm Just Being Greedy!

Etsy treasuries are like buses, you wait ages for one to come along and then two turn up at once.

But that's part of the pleasure of putting them together, it's a game of chance... ;-)

Here's the two treasuries I created (above was made in 'treasury west', the second is in the 'main' treasury):

First treasury (theme: ladybirds)
Etsy shops, from left to right:
Mad Tea Party Furniture, Queen Artist, Mama Runs With Scissors, Bohtieque, Lucky 17, Elizabeth Jewelry, Owlishly, Lagoa Designs, Amber Alexander, Elvyess, Agatka, The Fetching Hound

Second treasury, no theme just things I like
Etsy shops, from left to right:
Louise Broomhead, Tim's Sally, Green Post, Ninainvorm, Sugar Elf, Hydra Heart, Owlishly, Tree for You, The Secret Nest

I hope you liked looking at all the lovely items!
Joey x

Bunnigami! Simple Origami with Bunnies Part 2

Here's the second part of my origami instructions with bunnies! This week there are two pictures; the first are diagrams of origami symbols which are commonly used in origami books written in different languages, the second is the first model you can make: a paper cup!

I hope you enjoy them! :D

Next Thursday: a masu box! Please come back next week...

Joey x