Graduation time is here again, and some of you may be looking for a gift for a hopeful new grad. Since a Ferrari is slightly over your budget, and a new job isn't really within your resources—sorry mom and dad—here's a clever graduation gift that everyone could use.

An 8oz. jar of optimism! Created by Reed Seifer as an art project for Optimism Advertising Agency New York, Seifer is working to promote optimism one button, poster, and sticker at a time. Better hurry before they start charging for Hope.

Jill

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I recently found a blog (thanks Tech Jennifer) entry that just blew me away. Photos were taken of Buddhist Monks creating a masterful art piece - out of sand. Not too unusual, right? Well, this type of sand art requires more thought, time, and detail then the typical ones you will see at the beach. Using colored sand, toothpicks, and a few other instruments, the monks created a decadent design to only finish and be brushed away.



I'm amazed at how meticulous and crafty they are. Two thumbs up to awesome art.

tina

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I’m always on the look out for online eye candy, and recently I stumbled onto a great new site that lets artists host their online portfolios for all to ogle and admire. Currently in private beta (invitation only), Dripbook not only allows artist to publish their works online, but also creates a community where artists—and art aficionados—from all mediums can come together and get their creative juices flowing.

Offering all the traditional social networking features like messaging, networking, tagging, and more, Dripbook sets itself apart by ensuring that the art comes first by eliminating all the “noise” and clutter that detracts from many sites. Dripbook accounts come in Standard (free), or you can upgrade to a Premium account for just $9 a month (annual price) to remove the sponsoring ads and increase the variety of display abilities, images, and books.

Even if you aren’t able to snag a covetable invite, the site is a great pool for ideas and just plain ol’ fun for looking at all things creative. You can search by users, genre, tags, and even location. Extreme RADness.

Jill

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What do you get when you combine black and white images of debonair gentlemen and Victorian ladies, organisms from the plant and animal kingdom, and huge amounts of imagination?

You get the creative works of San Francisco based artist Alexis Anne MacKenzie. Carefully combining hand-cut pieces from books collected over the years, Alexis conveys “the world as a flawed thing of beauty—a place that shines brightly, but has a dark side to match”.

So much more than a simple collage, Alexis Anne’s creations are never digitally altered, making it a real testament and addition to traditional forms of art. Intricately pieced together by hand, each work portrays a unique story that is simultaneously strange, tragic, comical, and appealing.

From mermaid women with shell hats to business/armor-clad heroines impaling clawed creatures from the deep, the pieces will incite your curiosity, leaving you a bit dumbfounded and markedly affected.

Jill

UPDATE: Those of you interested in seeing Alexis Anne's work in person, check out the dates and location of her most recent exhibition.

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I am always a little torn when something I really like whether it be a hole in the wall restaurant, some unknown designer, a yet-to-be discovered artist, or some street musician strikes it big. Part of me is ecstatic that these budding artists or businesses are finally getting some well-deserved recognition, yet there is always a small part of me that feels a slight tinge of sadness and fear that these people will become so big, that what was once so special about them becomes an adulterated or worse, watered down imitation of the original.

Despite the looming threat of mass popularity, some things are just too good not to share. With that in mind I introduce you to, Stella im Hultberg. According to her online bio, Stella is a painter and drawer living in New York City with a background in industrial and toy design and a penchant for hunting down the perfect cupcake.

I actually discovered Stella a while back and always had the intention of purchasing one of her beautifully feminine prints, but it looks like I was not alone in recognizing her talents because most of her prints are now SOLD OUT. Fear not. New limited edition prints will be available at Art Star and through some galleries like thinkspace gallery.

If prints aren’t really your thing, she also has shirts, mirrors, and iPod and laptop skins available. The laptop skins are so lovely that I’m tempted to end my lasting relationship with PCs and pick up a MacBook.

Jill

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OK, so I admit it. If you haven’t already noticed from my prior posts glorifying Anthropologie for its modern take on antiquated homeware, fun and elegant clothing, and just plain ol’ supreme cuteness—I am a total slave to Anthropologie. Sure they charge exorbitant prices for simple things like door knobs, tank tops, underwear, or light switches, but if you are lucky enough to live close to one of its numerous branches, they usually have sales that let you buy a few good pieces (read: a pair of socks and earrings if you’re lucky).

Case and point—I managed to snag a few fancy schmancy drawer knobs to bling-ify my otherwise staid cabinet for only $3! That’s a good price for knobs isn’t it? What do I know about buying hardware. If it’s pretty, shiny, and looks like it could be useful, I say come to Mama. Maybe I am a little biased and deluded from seeing anything in the store for under $10, but I digress.

So, if like me, waiting for a sale to happen is not enough to satisfy your cuteness hunger pangs, then maybe checking out Bound Together, Anthropologie’s exhibit of handmade artists’ books, will satiate that insatiable I-Like-Pretty palette. The exhibit opens on June 28th at their gallery at Rockefeller Center in New York and features bound books from out of the ordinary materials and sculptural objects created from recycled everyday items.

For all you non-New York residents, you can check out some of the artwork at Anthropologie's website. It's not much, but it should hold you over at least until the next big sale!

Jill

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A few months back, Sherry introduced me to Lula magazine, a funtabulous biannual fashion and art magazine based in the UK. The magazine is full of wonderfully styled editorials, fun interviews, and a ton of eye candy for those of you, like me, who covet the artsy fartsy.

A bit of a challenge to find, you can subscribe to Lula through their website ($54 for 2 issues—kind of steep), or if you’re one of the lucky few who stumble across this elusive little magazine at a local bookstore, it is about $15 plus tax per issue. Only in its fourth issue, Lula is a great addition to any collection, not only for its writing, but also for the dreamlike shoots and illustrations.

Jill

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Last weekend, I went to see the Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion exhibit at the de Young Museum for the second time, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my admission was free compliments of Bank of America.

Helping the nation become a bit more cultured, Bank of America is running the Museums on Us 2007 promotion for the entire month of May. With your Bank of America ATM, check or credit card or MBNA credit card, you and a guest can get free admission to over 95 museums across the Northeast and in California.

However, do note that admissions into special exhibits (such as the Westwood exhibit) may not be free. Be sure to check your local museum’s website for details.

Jill

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Nothing pleases me more than when I find a great new artist, music, designer, blog, gadget, website you name it, to add to my inspiration jar! That’s why I was tickled pink when I stumbled upon Alyson Fox’s illustrations. Something about the simplicity of her faceless/headless creations really appeals to me. Fox’s drawings depict everyday occurrences splashed with a touch of whimsy and fantasy. Set on a brown paper backdrop, portions of the artwork are subtly highlighted with a pop of color. I love the faintness of each line and the randomness of the images like taking a snapshot of her daydreams.

With a degree in photography and fine arts and a background in visual merchandising, Fox currently freelances on design projects, as well as creating her own line of fashion accessories and products for the home. For more detailed images and information on pricing, check out her website.

P.S. Big ups to design*sponge for making my inspiration jar a little more happy!

Jill

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Here’s the perfect post-holidays gift for the dieter who has (and eats) everything. Or for anyone who checks the scale both before and after dinner (you know who you are). If you’re going to spend that much time staring at your (im)perfections, then you may as well decorate your scale with inspirational, accusatory or merely decorative detail. Art De Toilette, a custom art service created by S.F. Bay Area designer Wendy Gold, creates one of a kind bathroom scales to your specifications. And why stop at scale art when you can order a matching toilet seat or one that commemorates great or ignominious moments in your life? Wendy’s custom toilet and scale works have been written about in many style publications and her designs grace the bathrooms of such notables as Jude Law and Jack Nicholson. And though this item just cries out for some bathroom humor, I’ll let you supply the punch line. I’m not going to weigh in or water down this post.

Mimi

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All you word lovers can thank me later but right now I have to tell you about a company whose sole intent is to encourage you to write on your walls (and other surfaces). Wonderful Graffiti sells great words on very thin, clear vinyl that you simply peel and stick. You can use their ideas, or send them your own favorite quotes. For those for whom words ARE art, this is a treasury of great graphic ideas.

They have wall words, border lines, refrigerator thoughts, chalkboard choices (daily menus anyone?) as well as a sampling of small type designed for hand labeling your homemade gifts. This is a terrific idea for creating and packaging your own potpourri, preserves and potions for holiday gifts with a very personalized touch.

Of course, you could write directly on your walls yourself, but if you have a lousy handwriting or can’t letter neatly, it won’t look any better blown up to wall size. Or you could coat one wall with chalkboard paint (blatant plug) and let the kids loose on a wall to write or draw (okay, you can scribble there, too, if you must) and wash off when you’re done.

If your walls could speak, what would they say?

Mimi

P.S. Don't forget that the deadline for this Wednesday's Carnival of Shopping is Tuesday at noon. (First edition here.) Send your entries our way via BlogCarnival.com or by emailing us at pocketchangeREMOVETHISPARTIFYOUREHUMAN@become.com.

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After my first post about my Moleskine notebook fetish, I’ve learned there’s a whole world of obsessive-compulsive moleskiners. Despite the exhibitionistic and voyeuristic pleasures of blogging, some of us still crave the pleasure of a reflection or doodle inscribed in a sensuously appointed PRIVATE volume that’s ours alone.

So, I’m thrilled to let you know that Moleskine will be launching a fabulous new line of City Notebooks. It’s absolutely brilliant! You will now be able to create your own touring guidebooks to major cities of the world. Each book comes equipped with a key map and numerous smaller neighborhood maps. There are 76 blank pages for your original commentary, pockets for saving tickets, mementos, etc, tabs to help organize your travels, removable sheets and sheer overlays so you can trace your route. Whether your City Notebook becomes a memento you re-read years later with fond recollection or share with friends and family to help them discover some of your great finds, the Moleskine notebook takes travel writing to a whole new level. Watch out Frommers, Fodor’s, Lonely Planet, et al…you don’t have the travel market to yourself anymore.

Or you won’t for long! Because, Mesdames et Monsieurs, I regret to report that books are launching first in Europe this fall and won’t be available in the U.S. until 2007. However, should you be visiting Europe, snap them up. You, too, can become a Bruce Chatwin, a Dr. Livingston, Amelia Earhart or any other wild adventurer by designing your own uncharted (well nearly) itinerary for travel

Mimi

p.s. Thanks to Cool Hunting, a blog I follow avidly, whose post first brought the City Notebook to my attention.

Posted by Mimi at 05:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Everbody uses Post-it notes. I use them as reminders plastered on my monitor, my mirror and my dashboard. Most people use them to attach pithy notes to documents. But not too many use them the way capstrat did. And herein lies my tale. I recently came across a post on Cool Hunting about the rapidly growing cult of “Post-it Art.” That got me researching and I went straight to the source. Capstrat is a creative communications company in North Carolina that has parlayed a dull office wall into artwork seen round the world via the Internet and mainstream media coverage. They started by creating a wall-size, rather startling likeness of Elvis completely composed of colored Post-its. They even more recently evolved it into Einstein, the ultimate pop icon of the intellectual pin up set. Check out the video of their Elvis to Einstein creation.

So students, for your homework today drop everything and stock up on Post-its before cult-induced scarcity strikes. You can decorate your dorm room (or ceiling) like the Sistene Chapel or or Madonna on tour. And when you’re tired of that, you can use them for notating your term paper or for reminders to your roomie to empty your mini fridge (ahem, blatant plug) on Fridays.

Mimi

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I’ve been a Moleskine freak for several years after discovering this addictive little black notebook at a paper goods store in New York. How could I resist their simple marketing line: “The legendary notebook of Hemingway, Picasso, Chatwin.” And me!

I filled my first Moleskine with deep thoughts at a café in Paris so I didn’t feel quite so lonely eating alone. I bought my second Moleskine with a vivid purple cover at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. I really wanted a yellow one (suggestive of Van Gogh’s sunflowers) but a colleague beat me to it. I have since tried to find the yellow one online. But alas, the colored covers seemed to be a Van Gogh Museum exclusive…until recently. You can now find them online in limited quantities and several brilliant colors by looking online at places like Become (shameless plug) and Amazon.

What makes Moleskine so special? The pocket size (lined, unlined or art paper) is perfect for travelers, artists, writers and dreamers. It includes a cloth bookmark to save your pages, an elastic clasp to keep it tightly shut and a delicious little pocket in the back where you can store ticket stubs, pictures, flowers or other little mementos. Oh, and it is politically correct as no moles were killed or skinned in its manufacture.

What people really care passionately about is using their Moleskine creatively. It even has its own blog called Moleskinerie. There is the global Wandering Moleskine Project, and you can see a cool collection of Moleskine art on Flickr. But the best site of all may be Moleskine’s company site, which includes stories and pictures of famous notebook users such as Apollinaire, Sartre, Paul Bowles, Gertrude Stein, Chatwin and Picasso.

So what if my current Moleskine is filled with prosaic work notes, and lists of books, films, music, meals and wines I hope to experience? By turning to a fresh page and applying my pen, I enter the magical realm of “the Moleskine writer.”

Mimi

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If you've ever seen a Fornasetti image, you’ll never forget his style. Piero Fonasetti's inventive use of graphics, architectural details and period touches transformed the most basic items to iconic objects of desire. Fornasetti spent his life in Milan, Italy and created over 11,000 items and graphic images, many of them featuring the face of an opera singer of the day, Lina Cavalieri.

His Julia plate features a woman's sensuous visage imposed on clock face. It is part of the ultra luxe Rosenthal China collection which collectors can buy new or used. Fornasetti’s clever collection of neckties (and perfect Father's Day gift) range from mathematical images to celestial ones, each one an exciting design play on what is often simply a boring fabric noose.

Even Fornasetti’s website is a visual delight. You must pluck a skeleton key and maneuver it in a keyhole to enter his world.  To learn more about the artist, there are lots of Fornasetti research results on Become (blatant plug!) but my favorite is an article in a hip magazine called designboom.

My own deep desire is to sleep in Fornasetti's bed. My husband's fine with that as long as he can come along! Actually, Fornasetti's son is keeping the dream alive by renting out rooms in Piero Fornasetti’s elegant guest apartment in Milan for vacationers seeking total Fornasetti immersion. The New York Times wrote about it last year in a travel article.

Any family members or friends reading this post should also note that any Fornasetti item would make a lovely birthday or other gift! There is also an illustrated book about Fornasetti called Fornasetti:Designer of Dreams featuring many of his whimsical, amusing, fantastic and haunting designs. The only problem is the book is out of print. I've put in a request on alibris, which specializes in hard to secure books to let me know when one turns up.

Mimi

Posted by Mimi at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After forgetting about Mother’s Day last year and being chewed out by my dad for not sending my mom a card, I resolved to show my parents that I’m not a total ingrate. I decided to search for crafty activities for my mom to become involved with since she is very artistic and loves taking classes on new things. I discovered the perfect present, which is a voucher for an Introduction to Stained Glass course through Signature Days. It’s a great site for finding fun activities and experiences for yourself and your loved ones in locations across the country – from facials to surfing lessons.

Hopefully on May 14th (that’s next Sunday, kids!) this present will get me out of the doghouse and back into my mom’s good graces.

Mercedes

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