something special: la pomme (A European Tour)

One of our participants this month at PHM is Apol from La Pomme. And today she's sharing a few photos from her part of world in the south of France. (Dream, dream, dream). Being surrounded by such beauty we can now understand how it reflects in her work. You can check out Apol's two Etsy shops: La Pomme and La Pomme Stories. Here's her tour.

They say that the South of France where I live is a lazy kind of place. Most probably true, judging from the kinds of things I like doing when I have some time free.

I like looking at old walls.



As well as staring at old stones.




Just because I’m naturally curious, I adore quaint little doors.



I’m attracted to windows as well (they’re much easier to peek through !).



Sightseeing can be tiring, so I rejuvenate with shopping. No giant malls to be found over here, fortunately. I go to the city center for the weekly market, to get delicious stuff like olives, teas, and soap.



Then off to a café for a glass or two of wine—the perfect way to end a perfectly lazy time.



La Pomme
La Pomme Stories
La Pomme Blog

something special: nea wall art

One of the Canadians (out of Montreal) in Poppytalk Handmade this month is designer, Janick Gravel who launched her beautiful embroidered wall wear at the beginning of this summer which has been making waves around the blogs. I asked her to send some photos that perhaps haven't been seen elsewhere of her work. It takes Janick between one and five hours to embroider these. Some are in vintage hoops, others are new. Click here to see more.

something special: mollycoddle

A nice little sunday brunch feature: Marketing Your Handiwork by Kelly DeVries of Mollycoddle Soap.

I didn't begin as a soap maker - quite contrary! I went to school for Fine Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design and a minor in English Writing (and almost a minor in Biology as I enjoyed it so much that I nearly earned enough credits for a minor.

Read more....

something Special: alyssa ettinger

Potter, Alyssa Ettinger is sharing some insights into her home in this post on Something Special. And with that we see she has some new product fresh out of the kiln, which are NYC themed from her Antique Replica bottle series. Here, in her own words, she shares some thoughts. You can see more of her work at her online Etsy shop, HERE.

My first career was as a magazine editor where I covered home, new products, and lifestyle. I did a lot of decorating shoots, but none for magazines with modern direction. The results were a stack of gorgeous stories, most of them Mary Emmerling-inspired--lots of white, modern country, some kitch. My favorite designer, still, is Tricia Foley; google her, her aesthetic and style are impeccable.



This is a look I love, but I find it changing in a more modern direction these days. I'm trying to incorporate some mid-century pieces into my home--check out those lampshades!--and I'm starting with framing some pictures to add a jazzier feel. My first project was the framed photos on the wall near the sofa, those two door pictures were found in a literary magazine I read. I found the frame at a tag sale and swapped in those pics.
My next projects will be framing a favorite Jen Renninger Alphabet print--I bartered a bowl for several prints, this is such a fun part of being an artist! The print will be on top of a matte I covered in beige linen (needed: matte, Mod Podge, linen--mine was from an old skirt). I'll be using acid-free glue stick to place the print on the linen, and a plain wooden frame.



Next will be framing those fabulous Eames postage stamps (you can always buy stamps at USPS.com, and find the ones you're seeking if your local PO doesn't have them. I bought 4 panes of them...). Not sure what I'll be doing with them yet, but likely a square frame to compliment the square of stamps.



After that I'll be tackling the bedroom. I'll be leaving the bed linens, night-table and everything on top, and the kitty (Harriet, she's 14 and has a really fun spotted belly). The vintage farmhouse bed, cast-iron and painted white, was bought on ebay and came from Ohio. It's a little futsy for my taste now, and I'll likely get--or make--a more modern headboard. I'm thinking that lengths of bamboo flooring might be a fun direction to head in. The camellia prints above the bed, found in my great aunts' apartment, will likely be put in storage. I've had them since my first apartment, and love them, but it's time for a newer look.



You can see more of Alyssa's work at her Poppytalk Handmade Table or her Etsy shop HERE.

something Special: Michelle Brusegaard

A painter and fiber artist from North Dakota, Michelle Brusegaard (now in Minneapolis) got her BFA in painting and photography. A coworker told her about the gocco machine, which she subsequently purchased and started making cards, printing stuff on fabric and screen-printed business cards. So, painting, photography, screen-printing, batik and sometimes a little mixed media this girl does. She thinks she has arts and crafts ADD. We think she's just got a lot of talent. You can see more of her work this month at Poppytalk Handmade and her own Etsy shop MichelleBrusegaard.etsy.com.

Something Special: Esther Coombs

Our Something Special post today is from UK's Esther Coombs who makes these beautifully hand-painted vintage dishes. Her newest pieces are plates and she put together a great collage of them and took a shot of them on one of the cobblestoned streets near her home in London. I love the yellow line in there (it adds an interesting touch). And she made this cute little video too (so fun)! Esther's amazing pieces are available through here and here.





EstherCoombs.etsy.com

something special: Cathy Nichols

Artist, Cathy Nichols fell in love with the encaustic process and used it to do many of her paintings in the past until she moved to Manhattan and became pregnant with her first child. The switch from sunny, outdoorsy L.A. to NYC left her with insufficient ventilation to continue with encaustic, so she invented a way to mimic what she loved best about the process using acrylic-based paints, scrap paper, a sharp sculpting tool and lots of gel medium. We asked about her process, here's her explanation, following the images:



"So, first I sketch out the painting in pencil and sometimes watercolor. Then I draw it onto wood (this piece of wood is hand-cut by my fiance, Christophe -- my wood-cutting assistant!). Then I start painting and glue paper down as I'm inspired. To glue them down, I use acrylic gel medium on the back and set the paper using a printing brayer rolled over wax paper. When I reach a certain point, I layer a whole bunch of heavy-bodied, clear acrylic gel medium over the whole piece and quickly etch in fine-lined details using my sharp metal sculpting tool. (Continued below the images).



"Then, once the acrylic gel dries completely, I'm ready for the funnest part. I layer acrylic paint over the whole thing, then wipe it off. It sets in only where I've etched the lines. It's quite cool! For "Wedding Day," I used transparent raw umber because it contrasted nicely with the blue/green tones of the painting. Finally, I paint and apply more cut paper for contrast and depth. Then I add another. And, yes, all of my paint is non-toxic if inhaled as I use only acrylic-based products. Considering my huge belly and visiting 18-month-old, this is essential for peace of mind!"





The final piece is for sale at Cathy's Etsy shop, or you can visit her table at Poppytalk Handmade here, and etsy shop here.

Thanks Cathy!

something special: green island studios

Jo of Green Island Studios lives by the sea in Cornwall, in a remote part of the United Kingdom. She works full time from her artspace which is situated in a woody glade near the seaside village of St Agnes.

Specialising in visual art, she produces originals, limited edition hand prints, and also one off pieces mounted on objet trouve. Jo graduated with a first class MA from Falmouth College of Arts in 2004 and particularly enjoys working in her colour darkroom, printing and making photograms, cyanotypes and salt prints. She also likes to adapt antique and homemade cameras to make her vintage inspired work with, and also tries to squeeze in a bit of painting and collage. A life we dream of. Click here to visit her table at Poppytalk Handmade or visit her Etsy shop here.

Something Special: Modern Quilts

Today's Something Special comes from Regina of Modern Quilts. She sent along some photos to show us how interested she is in color, along with robots/faces and beings. But what struck me was her mother's influence in the framed color studies. She found them in her notebook after she died and thought they were so beautiful. What I find profound is how her quilt (pink and brown one below) resembles these color studies. Intentional or not, this is something special. If you haven't seen Regina's work yet, you must take a look at it. She has some stunning pieces. I love the hand quilted words series. Shown below (the white one) is called 70 or 80 cakes, "Well, that's the way life goes....you grow up, you die, you come back, maybe, you get 70 or 80 cakes...." The blase yet wise words of a sleepy six year old are inscribed with detailed hand quilting stitches on a simple white cotton field (the backing shows angels in the clouds). A real piece of art. See her work at this month's market here or visit her Etsy shop here.

Something Special: Heather Smith Jones

My second installment on Something Special is on the artist, Heather Smith Jones. Each month that she has participated in the market she has incorporated the theme of the month into a selection of a new series. Because this month's theme is a housewares market she is featuring drawings of houses and buildings incorporated into her art, inspired by homes around her neighbourhood. It's a limited series of twenty original one-of-a-kind pieces . Her work is really stunning and sometimes you miss that when just looking at the thumbnails. The works in this series would make a great gift for someone who has just moved into a new home. Click here to visit her table at the market or visit her Etsy shop here.

Something Special: Shanna Murray

Soar Plaque by Shanna Murray.

I'm doing a series this month called, Something Special where I visit the blogs of this month's Home Sweet Home market participants and pick out something special I see from their site (if they have a blog) or I ask them to reveal something to me if they don't. I hope to do some posts revealing something on all of them if they are game, be it a tutorial, d.i.y. project, studio tour, house tour or maybe just sharing their favorite recipe. So the first one out of the bunch is from Shanna Murray. Visiting her blog, the first image I saw was this bed (in her studio). And what struck me was the entire scene. The walls with pages out of the book Pride and Prejudice (I'm told after I approached her - I love that wall), mixed in with the grey sheets, whites and creams. It all just works so well. That's something special.



Then of course there is her beautiful arts and crafts. The pillows, plaques and prints. All so beautiful. You can see more of her work here this month at Poppytalk Handmade or visit her etsy shop here.