A new “column” for The Violet Hours. Occasionally I will feature one artist/maker/crafter/inventor…someone whose creations are comprehensively worth inspecting.
This is the work of Christien Meindertsma, from Utrecht, Netherlands. Her work mainly involves wool that she felts to make chunky, gorgeous, pillow-like yarn. She works the origin of the material into her pieces, which is very much a part of her concept. Unlike most “fine art” she wants her pieces used; it is a larger compliment to her when her work is purchased and put to work in a space. You can hear her thoughts on this here.
Her website doesn’t offer much explanation, but it’s quite jaw-dropping. Here are a few highlights…
Project: Idaho. A project for the Nature Conservancy made with wool from an organic flock of Panama sheep from Lava lake Ranch, Idaho.
Project: One Sheep Cardigan. These sweaters were made from one animal, and were designed based on the size of the sheep.
Project: Aran Rug. This piece is made from the wool of 18 merino sheep.
Project: Texel Ottoman. These stools are essentially over-sized yarn skeins.
There is nothing wrong with a framed photo on the wall…nothing at all! But check out these creative ways to display your family portrait.
With the K Studios family series pillow, you choose your pillow size, color, family members and pets, and the design is embroidered on. Love!
Cozy Blue will make your family tree, with the parents on the inside and the kids on the leaves around. Such a cool, graphic idea! Found via Wise Craft.
I’m a huge lover of silhouettes…make a silhouette family equation (mom plus dad equals kids). Via Lil Sugar.
When you hear porcelain, you may imagine a high-gloss statuette of a girl walking a dog, glazed in pastels and perched on a pedestal with a tiny brass placard. And it would obviously be living in your grandmother’s curio cabinet. A new porcelain craze has been born…
Chopsticks are not just for Kung Pao Chicken anymore…(okay, except for a few.)
Wouldn’t it be great if these chopsticks actually did write? Sadly, it’s just design. Via LMNOP, available for purchase at Pearl River.
Chopchucks are the brainchild of my very clever, and mostly irreverent, brother-in-law. As the site says: Never again will you be left vulnerable to random violence while eating Asian food.
I love Danny Seo’s attempt to make his own scent diffuser with chopsticks. Check out his (humorous) instructions at Daily Danny.
This dude made a canoe out of 7,382 chopsticks. For reals. Check it out on Geekologie.
Set a cup of these in the middle of your table for a Japanese dinner party. Lovely! Found via Aesthetics of Joy.
As my husband and I were moving to our new apartment, we sort of admitted to each other that we were on the verge of being hoarders. (Have you seen that show? Heartbreaking.) We just have so much stuff; when we see interesting things at flea markets, thrift stores, and the like, it pains us to leave them behind. Just like these 2 sets of interesting cake toppers…
I found these amazing Celebration Toast Glasses at an antique market near Blairsville, Georgia. The box says “add charm and distinction to any occasion”. Love it. And I found the tiny wire candle holders at Tinsel Trading. Okay, not a flea market, but they are a vintage trinket nonetheless. Here they are in action…
So many ideas for the toast glasses! Dessert wine, champagne, a little flower…I’m obsessed!
It’s a perfect sized candle for a cupcake!
How about a little toothpick with fruit as a topper? Seriously, the crafty options are endless. Have you made a great topper? Tell me!
This post is dedicated to my womb friend Traci (our moms were besties while pregnant with us). Since we were little, she’s always been obsessed with itty bitty things.
You have to watch this whole slideshow from The New York Times on Modernist dollhouses. I could seriously live in any of these rooms. In fact, I have that Saarinen chair in that exact color combo. If only I were 4 inches tall…
Ahhhh…teeny Hershey kisses! Mayamade wrapped chocolate chips with foil and inserted a little white tissue paper.
I love the idea of making your own napkins for a special occasion. Yes, you have to be a dedicated crafter/entertainer, but all you need really is iron-on transfer paper, freezer paper, or stencils. (Or, if you are very serious, you can embroider. But that is not for the faint of craft.)
Yes, a little more time consuming, but I couldn’t resist. If you don’t want to embroider, find an embroidery font and do an iron-on transfer. Via Apartment Therapy.
Perfect for a holiday or small wedding, turn napkins into place cards. (They used fabric markers.) Via Country Living.
A love note for your sweetie, found via Design Mom.
Kill two birds with one stone with menu napkins. Found via Country Living.
Our dear friends Aaron and Lindsay are getting married in May. They came to us months ago (and by us, I mean my husband and me) with the idea that they wanted to send books as their invitations. We all tossed around a bunch of ideas for a bunch of weeks, and here is the end result…
The bride and groom spent weeks collecting books, and refused to pay more than a dollar for any of them (a good thing since they had to send out over 90 of them). My very talented husband designed the printed matter, and I consulted on things like the pocket, the rounded corners, the ribbon, the wax seal, etc. We love the way it turned out, as did they!
Here are a few other book invites that caught my eye…
Jordan of Oh Happy Day designed this lovely invite for the now (sadly) defunct Cookie Nesting Blog. It was for a bookworm party for kids. So cute! (Read her post for her defense of cutting up a book.)
This is positively the most ambitious book invitation I’ve ever seen…they actually made the books. They began with the story of the bride and groom, and towards the end of the book, the reader would find the wedding invite and the perforated reply card. So much time and love went into these. I tip my hat to Nikki and Nick. Found on Merriment Design.
Mikodesign planned a trés jolie fête for her daughter’s birthday. The theme was Paris, and she made a little photobooth with these talk bubbles. Genius! Originally spotted on Party Perfect Blog.
Inchmark made these precious thank you note cards for son.
Let your kids think inside the bubble. Maya Made‘s daughter came up with this idea herself. So cute!
Of course these chalkboard wall decals exist! From Wall Sticker Shop.
