October 2009

A comic book is a periodical made up of narrative artwork often accompanied by dialog, usually in word balloons, which are what I would consider the emblematic USP of the comic book art form (and the only acceptable application of Comic Sans – see earlier ‘Fonts’ post here). I love the bright colours and the stylised artwork of comics, and I think comic book imagery – the superheroine, the Über villain, the misunderstood anti-hero – lends itself well to all sorts of projects.

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Here lie said projects:

Pow! (1,3) Zap! (2,4).

1. I had to include this ‘POW’ purse from Abreaka Studios. Sadly it sold out before I could bring it to you, so look but don’t touch.

2. Chaos and Anarchy‘s ‘ZAP’ scrabble tile magnet set.

3. POW POW earrings by Super Clover

4. An excellent value set of 12 ‘ZAP’ cards and envelopes by Mackerel Made.

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Comic book plushies (1, 3-4) and crochet Hallowe’en mask (2).

1. Daven Evan Xaviour crochet’d us up some Tiny Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

2. Halloween costumes on Threadbanger. It took a prolonged flex of my (and my lab-mate’s) Googling fingers to come up with who this green guy was reminding me of. It turned out to be the villainous, amphibious, Mer-man from Masters of the Universe.

3. Beast! Awesome!

4. Hellboy plush, complete with cigar, featured on Craft.

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Hehehehehe. The Thing, a doll by Fat Cat Studio.

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Comic book accessories for you and for home.

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer shoes, made from upcycled comic book pages, care of Dame Creations. Check the team’s nice Etsy Bio.

2. Hand printed, hand stitched comic book brooch by Plastic Fairy.

3. Bombus‘ comic decoupage chair. If I’m not careful my place will fill up with furniture like this.

4. Handbag by Uniquely Different, from Alexander Henry’s ‘Soap’ fabric.

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Comic book artwork.

1. Dreamy Productions comic book artwork: ‘Dear God…How Could I Have Done it Again’.

2. The Art of Vintage Marvel postcards. I am a particular fan of these babies, we used them for our Save the Date cards for our wedding.

3. Superman Fold and Mail Stationery — It’s a letter! It’s an envelope! Actually—it’s both! Simply write, moisten, fold, and stamp.

4. SMACART‘s ‘If I Can’t Have You…’. This image is lifted from an old romance comic book by one-time graffiti artist SMACART. The artist used three stencil layers to spray paint the image on to 172 hand made concrete tiles. The tiles, of varying heights, were made using a small paint tray as a mold, and create a three dimensional feel. So so good!

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Comic book jewellery.

1. This one-of-a-kind bracelet by Dada Dreams tells a complete story in 7 panels.

2. Bits and Bats of Edinburgh. Ace Wonderwoman choker.

3. Charming and Pretty and fantastic. Upcycled comics AND jigsaws…sweet.

4. Design by Hands is a non profit organization located in Bogota, Colombia, which works to help fundraise for social quality-of-life-improving entities by selling members handmade wares. I hope we can generate a sale or two at their DaWanda shop. Spanish comic dialogue anyone?

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Comic book clothing for her (1-3) and one for Blythe (4).

1.  This is a wonderful dress by Kia of Nostalgia – it’s made of an original 1978 Charlie Brown vintage fabric. Check the Etsy shop for more original creations.

2. Threadless T-shirt ‘The Hall of Cliche Superheroes’. Threadless is a community-based tee shirt company with an ongoing, open call for design submissions. Not ordered yet? Where’ve you been? Also see here for the Supervillains version.

3. Tutu skirt/babydoll top in rare vintage original Joker fabric by XPoppy’s Wicked GardenX.

4. Plastic Peach is kitting out Blythe in fitting Wonder Woman attire. As the Peach says, ‘this is a do it yourself paper dress kit. You’ll get two dresses on one sheet and instructions. All you need is a pair of scissors, a cutting blade and some glue.’

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Comic book print textiles.

1.This handmade crochet hook organizer from Mad Bird is made with Alexander Henry’s ‘Home Sewing is Easy’ fabric.

2. Cotton twill zip pouch by Queen Bee Handmade, made to order and customisable – a whole world of comic book print.

3. Rainbow Fabrics add some to your stash.

4. Set of four cute and ‘not so serious’ coasters from Misfits Emporium. Hmmmm, maybe I’ll need comic coasters to go on my comic covered table…

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See you later then – It’s clobberin’ time!

I love notebooks. I love fancy paper of all sorts, and mini-envelopes and stickers and such, but I do love notebooks. No surprise eh, each Wednesday MUSEROUND begins (I love dolls…I love science…I love fairytales). I do love notebooks though. You know, there’s a Wikipedia entry for ‘notebook’.  Oh it’s not interesting, I’m not linking it, It just tells you a notebook is a book you can write notes in. Sha, really?

Come on then, crafted notebooks…

Leather bound beauties (1-4)

1. Luxury black leather journal by Julie Boyles.

2. Mossy green Totoro journal from Etsy shop Bind Me.

3. Wonderful (wonderful) red suede wedding guest book with hand inked artwork. Care of Strikebooks on DaWanda.

4. The Binding Bee‘s upcycled leather handbound journal.

Fancy your chances at making your own, for starters why not try this beginners softback leather book tutorial from Armor Geek’s blog.

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Or perhaps you have a boring old cheapie you could spruce up with a reuseable cover?

1. A sewn notebook slip cover tutorial from Craftzine.

2. A5 notebook with removable reusable slipcover in Autumn Leaves, by Mirka Design.

3. Share and keep track of your wine favorites with Concepcioun’s wine log book with reuseable grey felt cover.

4. Made Whilst Listening To brings us a slipcover made from a vintage sixties cotton print.

Here’s another slip cover tutorial on CraftBlog.

And Tapebubba, Downstairs Designs, and Feral Girl offer different types of ready made covers for you to pop your little notebook right into.

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I saw a set of notebooks in Waterstones recently with old fashioned Ladybird book covers, they were a touch on the expensive side though, at £8. Handily, online retailers Kiss Me Kwik (1) are doing them at £3.99. And if you’d prefer the real(er) thing, try a notebook with original re-purposed Ladybird book covers from Rhubarb Crumble (2).

3. Penquin alternatives from Little Silverleaf. Each book’s cover is taken from part of a recycled Penguin advertising poster.

4. And while we’re on the re-purposed notebook cover thing (and there are plenty of upcycled cereal boxes, chocolate boxes, medicine boxes on Folksy/Etsy) check this refashioned Creedence album cover from Vintage Paperworks. I love the Creedence (surprise)!

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And while we’re on recycling (did I tell you I love recycling {winks}):

1. The best notebook EVER. Sukie’s Rescued Paper Notebook. So satisfying. I have a BIG stash of these.

2. Bad Books make this awesome recycled envelope notebook. The cover is packing cardboard and if you buy one they stick the stamps directly to it and post it to you. Novel!

3. The Mini Faus Bois Notebook by Oh So Good is made up of a unique collection of found pages including grid, lined, coloured, and outdated day planner sheets.

4. Another re-purposed cover sneaking in from Swirly Arts on Folksy. This one has recycled pages too. Great way to keep them out of landfill!

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The Dada Coloring Book project. Pictured is one of a run of 50 fully handmade journals, crafted over a three year period. These journals are made from many different pieces of paper glued together to create a textured milieu of art journaling excitement. The years of working on this book have been documented by a thread on the Craftster website. Each sturdy Dada Coloring Book is crafted in the traditional case bound method, with tipped in endpapers, and contains 70 pages. And because all surfaces are paper and paper only, every square inch can accept media including pen, pencil, watercolor, etc. Here they are on Etsy:

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Knock Knock do a fantastic line in organisational planners, jotters, post-its and notebooks, some with a tongue in cheek twist. Two of my favourites below – there are many others!

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Notebooks in miniature:

1. Little matchbook notebooks by Brendaswhite. email them for a custom order, announce a baby’s birth, shop promo freebie, wedding favours?

2. See the Wood Designs made these tiny but useable (!) notebook earrings.

3. ‘plattenblau’ notebook by Smil on DaWanda.

4. This little leather journal is just 2×2.5″. For a selection of beautiful colours see Susan Green Books.

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A quick note about the beloved Moleskine notebook, in particular, ways to hack it. See here, some kind person has catalogued a ton of sites showing you how to adapt, tailor, customise, reload and pimp your moleskine. Do take the time to gaze through this gallery on the Moleskein website showing the artwork of Moleskine users. How do YOU do it?

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Fancy a crack at making a book? Try here for something like a Moleskine, here for traditional  Japanese Stab Binding, here on Instructables for a 100 pager, or try back at Craft Candy’s workshops page sometime in the future. Our very own Heather Dewick runs a mean workshop on bookbinding. I was so pleased with the little book I made – I carried it around in my bag for a month forcing everyone I met to admire it!

I’m done.

Dolls. Some people think they’re creepy. Not me. I like-a the dolls very much. Some are creepy (but I’ll try not to include any here today – it’s not quite Hallowe’en yet). Dolls as a concept are objects which represent a figure or person; often, but not always, a baby. I’m not so much with the Tiny Tears really,  so most of the collection today showcases dolls, or themes, shaped like adults (or at least children out of nappies).

Handmade dolls (1&2), and handmade by dolls (3&4).

1. Handmade felt Doll by The Tinderbox on Folksy.

2. Gothic Annie by Northfield Primatives. Ok maybe a small part creepy, but I like her.

3. Dolly Knits brings us this fine flap hat in teal.

4. Tremendous handmade 50s style party frocks from Dollface Betty’s.

Paper dolls (1&2), and Russian (Matryoshka) dolls (3&4).

1. New Paper Dolls from top Etsy seller Black Apple.

2. Lin, hand painted by La Señorita Pil.

3. Beaky’s Babushka Pincushion. Slightly creepy? Somewhat voodoo doll?

4. A dinky little lambswool Russian doll Egg Cosy, knitted by Sara Carr.

And while we’re on the Russian doll, see a set of nesting KISS dolls here. Yes KISS, as in God Gave Rock and Roll to You. If anyone wants to know what to get me for Christmas…but please do conference, I don’t know what I’d do with two sets.

Modern dollistas (1&2) and doll tutorials (3&4).

1. Hillary Lang of Wee Wonderfuls. The Wee Wonderfuls doll Flickr set and the store where you can buy ‘make-along’ patterns for Olive & Archie (pictured above).

2. Tattooed Lady doll by the glorious Mimi Kirchner. {soundtrack}

3. Felt doll tutorial by Black Apple – on Martha Stewart Crafts.

4. Yarnigans’ free Blank Slate Doll Pattern.

Oh my goodness, The Enchanted Doll by Marina Bychkova. I’ve never seen dolls like it. Breathtaking!

Wooden clothespin doll wedding toppers, tutorials and kits (1-4).

1. Made to order personalised wedding toppers by my hero, the glorious Sarah Neuburger over at the Small Object.

2. Clothespin doll tutorial at the Going Sew Crazy blog.

3. Fancy it a bit more ready made? Try this lovely looking peg doll kit from Pretty Ditty.

4. Cotton bobbin doll tutorial at Goody Goody.

And more: Cloth Kits; wooden family dolls at Gemmie Lou; Japanese doll kits – MeMeCraftwork; Amigurumi doll kit by Amy Gaines.

I couldn’t let the opportunity for some Blythe ogling pass. This doll is a dream to dress up and photograph, . And I mean dress up! There are thousands of online shops dedicated to selling Blythe outfits, handmade leather shoes, eyewear, accessories and furniture. Here’s the Etsy search results for Blythe Doll. Dreadfully expensive, I covet these dolls badly. And we have two home-grown Etsy shops dedicated to Blythe goody goodness, based right here in Sheffield (1&2).

1. Blythe Anchor Hat by Love and Monsters.

2. Millie Made‘s customisable Blythe Sundress.

3. Aussie owned DaWanda shop, The Paper Doll specialises in Blythe photo prints.

4. The Blythe Irregular Choice shoes I tried so desperately to get a pair of.

Doll brooches (1-4).

1. Cherry Pips Katie Kewpie Doll brooch.

2. Spooky Doll Face brooch Made by Milla. OK, this one’s spooky.

3. Barbie, dressed in a gold and teal ensemble and emblazoned on a kilt pin by Venus Flytrap Jewels.

4. Whskr‘s Art Doll brooch available at New Zealand handmade outlet, Felt.

OK OK, dismembered doll parts are spooky (1-4).

1. Lorain Blanken‘s Doll Jewellery Holder tutorial.

2. Polka Dot Riot brings you…Barbie arms earrings.

3. Blinking Eye Ring tutorial brought to you by the Street Anatomy Blog. Blinkin’ brilliant.

4. Fingers Brooch by EfiGee.

Just before sign off, do you remember these? Cabbage Patch Kids Dolls. Now, remember these?! Garbage Pail Kids. They are both creepy and grotesque…and enjoying something of a revival it seems. And I admit it, I couldn’t do a non-creepy doll post.

Until next Wednesday – Inspire or Expire.