Products

Poppytalk Handmade

Poppytalk is a Canadian (Vancouver-based) design blog that I just love. Founders Jan and Earl (husband and wife) are dedicated to promoting emerging design talent. So much so that they opened up an online market place called Poppytalk Handmade in 2007. They have monthly themes which provide an opportunity for artists, designers + cottage industries to be seen amongst the “sea of independent shops” out there. They pick the cream of the crop to showcase on their site. Everything is just lovely.

This month’s theme is Mother’s Day + Eco. These are just a few of my favorites:

1. reversible buckets by Cozy Memories / 2. folding stool by Gallant + Jones / 3. drawing food journal by Claudia Pearson / 4. grain sack pillows by Jill Bent / 5. photography by Janis Nicolay / 6. paintings by Lisa Golightly

Happy shopping!

2 May 2013By: Barbara Rucci Category: Featured, Inspire, Products Tags: Poppytalk, products

Silk Dyed Eggs

I saw these on someone’s blog recently, or maybe it was Pinterest? The internet is a fascinating place but it sometimes turns my mind into a warped speed slide show. (Hence my one word resolution which is staring me in the face right now.) Ok, so this idea has been around for a while but is a new discovery for me. I bought a kit on Etsy which arrived just in time for the weekend. I made these with my daughter and it was equal parts frustrating and amazing! Here are some tips if you want to make these yourself.

Silk Tie Eggs // Art Bar

First of all, I forgot to read the directions and I hard boiled all my eggs. With this method, you actually have to use raw eggs because you hard boil after they are wrapped. Duh! (for me, not you – because you’re smarter). Secondly, the scraps from Etsy were just a teensy bit too small. We had trouble wrapping them around the eggs. We ended up doing each egg as a team. One person would hold the scraps in place while the other wrapped with the white scrap. It then took two people to twist tie. In the future, I think I will just go to the thrift shop and get some old ties to cut up myself so that I can use bigger scraps. Oh, and one more thing…the tie scraps looked sort of dark and dull to me. But afterwards, they transfer onto the egg much lighter and they really do look so beautiful! We used both white and brown eggs.

Silk Tie Eggs // Art Bar

I really love these eggs. The best part was that I didn’t have to take out any dyes! No dyed hands, no mess to clean up for a change. Give it a try!

{Ages 8 and up with a parent just because of frustration factor.}

25 Mar 2013By: Barbara Rucci Category: Crafts, Create, DIY, Featured, Products, Recycled, Science Tags: Easter eggs, eggs, silk tie dye

Family Reunion Tees

“Finally, the concept of a cool family reunion t-shirt is no longer an oxymoron!” says the infinitely talented Angela Hardison. I came across Angela’s shop recently and I have to say that she is a woman after my own heart. She started designing these t-shirts for her own family reunions. After many years and many requests for her to make them for others, she opened up her online shop Kin. I love her simple, graphic style, her groovy color choices, and the name she chose for her company. Creative and smart…a lucky combination!

Visit Angela’s shop and blog.

22 Jan 2013By: Barbara Rucci Category: Featured, Inspire, Products Tags: angela harrison, family reunion tees, t-shirts

A New Postcard Movie

As you may know, I have a postcard business called Late Night Cake. I just finished my second season of holiday postcards and it was crazy good. I love making cards for people. I also love making movies, but rarely have the time anymore. This movie is the second in a three part series on the art of writing notes. I started it almost one year ago. I probably would never have finished it if it wasn’t for last Friday when my 6-yr old was home sick and sat on my lap the entire day. I couldn’t get any actual design work done, but he could help with a little editing (which can be done with one arm…sort of). Anyway, you get the gist…things happen for a reason.

It’s thank-you note writing season, so what better way to get inspired than watching a little movie!

xo Bar

10 Jan 2013By: Barbara Rucci Category: Featured, Inspire, Products Tags: Late Night Cake, movie, postcards, thank you notes, writing

Holiday Gift Guide 2012

As you all may know by now, I’m not as much into “stuff” as I am into “make”. But I thought I would share my own holiday wish list for my kids. Santa always brings books, that is a given. Clothes are necessary for growing kids – why not make them cute? Art supplies are a must (after food, shelter, clothing & books). And games are a healthy addition to the playroom and good for the brain.

So here we go. Let’s start with books! (To read a short review on each book, visit my Pinterest board.)

Read:

Stuck – Oliver Jeffers / The Frank Show – David Mackintosh / My Travelin’ Eye – Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw / I’ve Lost My Hippopotamus – Jack Prelutsky / Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School – David Mackintosh / Same, Same but Different – Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw / The Night I Followed the Dog – Nina Laden / For Just One Day – Marc Boutavant / I Know Here – Laurel Croza / The Hair of Zoe Fleefenbacher Goes to School – Laurie Halse Anderson

{A little side note on picture books: My kids are 6, 10 and 12 (soon to be a teen!)…but I still read picture books aloud to them all. It makes them better writers!}

Some of these toys & games may be on the expensive side. I believe in buying one good toy that will last through all of the childhood years, rather than 5 or 6 toys that will break or lose their interest.

Play + Wear:

1. Colorful Magnet Game $32 good for the brain 2. Wooden Doll Pram $110 made in Denmark 3. Cursive Magna Tab $19 sensory reinforced practice 4. Oeuf NYC Polka Dot Hat $48 for kid or teen 5. Organic Anorak Hoodie $62 for boy or girl 6. Little French Suitcase $38 pretty storage 7. Cotton/Lambswool Turtle $84 stripes for boy or girl 8. Artists Blocks $25 create 6 different paintings 9. Boiled Wool Slippers $44 warm + cute and last forever 10. Polka Dot PJ’s $52 little or big girl 11. Boy’s Red T $39 will be his fave 12. Tegu Magnetic Blocks $70 innovative 13. Faces Memory Game $14 everyone is different 14. Sled & Helmut $39 outdoor winter fun 15. Orange Jump Rope $32 from nautical rope 16. Alphabet Blocks $20 beautiful

My favorite way to inspire creativity is to simply put out a medium (paint, pencils, collage…) and some plain paper and let the kids explore. But sometimes it’s nice to have a pre-packaged craft, especially during the holidays.

Create:

1. Learn to Knit Kit $62 merino wool + patterns 2. Japanese Washi Tape $18 so many possibilities 3. Neon Twine $12 bracelets galore 4. Sketchbook $12 everyone needs one 5. Marled Yarn $8 pom-poms are calling 6. Le Pen $2 each doodling + writing thank you notes 7. Liquid Water Colors $30 vibrant + gorgeous 8. Chalkboard Laptop $52 iLove this 9. Table Top Paper Holder $34 for big drawing 10. Multi Ink Pad $17 stamp the day away 11. Alphabet Stamp Kit $35 words as art 12. Button Factory $19 rainy day activity 13. Watercolor Pencils $37 make cards 14. Kraft Paper Roll $26 d.i.y. wrap

Phew! That was fun.

Happy Shopping ♡

21 Nov 2012By: Barbara Rucci Category: Featured, Inspire, Products, Read, Supplies Tags: Holiday Gift Guide

If I Had a Store // No. 1

I dream about owning a shop, oh, just about every day. Pinterest has allowed me to live out my fantasy, without buying merchandise or paying rent. Are you crazy about Pinterest like I am? You can follow me and my obsession if you’d like. If you are not a pinner (I envy you), well then you can enjoy this post.

mini dachshunds // most beautiful hats // melamine plates // stainless mixing bowls // perfect pom-pom yarn // paper pom-poms // vintage school chairs // art supply display // glass pendants // floral napkins // bed linens // rainbow dresser

I’ve labeled this post No. 1 because I’m quite certain I will be adding to my store in the near future!

1 Nov 2012By: Barbara Rucci Category: Decorate, Featured, Inspire, Moms in Business, Products Tags: My Store, Pinterest

Small Paintings

These small paintings are beautiful, aren’t they? I love this project. It is perfect for any age (we had ages 2 to 12 painting these sweet little gems), and the white edge is so striking and arty it just makes me happy. Truly, you could have the ugliest little painting but when that tape comes off it becomes a Rothko or an O’Keefe. It’s magical!

Supplies:

Watercolors (we used our awesome new set from Vilac)

Tape (I tried both masking and washi to similar effect)

Brushes

Sponge

Watercolor paper (cut to 4 x 6)

Tape down a piece of paper for each person (our border is about 1/4″). I put out newspaper but you could easily tape it to another piece of paper so it’s movable, or directly to your work surface. This is not a messy project, the newspaper was really there just to protect the table from the tape. We did several variations on the small theme: small portraits, small still lifes and small abstracts. (For more in depth instruction on using watercolors with kids, you can read my post here.) The only rule was to cover all of the paper with paint. (This makes for a more dramatic white edge!)

Once they are dry, sloooowwwwly peel off the tape. And then, voila! You have beautiful art to hang in your home.

Enjoy this project…and you should make one, too! Leave the supplies out for a day or two and make many paintings so that you can hang them all up together.

Via Red Bird Crafts

9 Oct 2012By: Barbara Rucci Category: Art Room, Create, DIY, Easy, Featured, Products, Teach Tags: painting, small paintings, watercolor

XO – In My Room

Ok, freaking out about this amazing furniture. I want every piece! I would have to get a new house, which is an obstacle I admit. Wow, though. Just beautiful.

Here’s a little bit about XO – In My Room. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the company was started by three brothers. (I love it even more! A family business is so cool.) Each piece is handmade from reclaimed wood and other high quality materials, and are named after and inspired by their own kids (10 between them). I love their vintage modern feel…I could stare at these photos all day! Is that weird?

via Babyccino Kids

1 Oct 2012By: Barbara Rucci Category: Decorate, Featured, Kid Spaces, Products Tags: furniture, handmade, kids room

Washi Tape Art

This idea comes from Rubyellen (mom to four!) of CAKIES. It’s such a simple and fun idea…all you need is tape and paper.

Rubyellen’s tape is from Kid Made Modern at Target. I like the use of solid tape for this project. It lends itself better to interpreting ideas than patterned tape would, especially for smaller children. But I think my older girls (9 & 12) will try it with our collection of patterned washi tape!

Check out CAKIES blog for more beautiful photos of this project!

29 Jul 2012By: Barbara Rucci Category: Crafts, Create, DIY, Easy, Featured, Products Tags: craft, Create, easy, tape, tape art

A Japanese Rubber Stamp Kit

We love making patterns here at home. My kids’ early childhood roots are firmly planted in the rich and beautiful land of Montessori materials. This, along with their mother’s love of prints and textiles, has provided them with many years of creating and recognizing patterns or every kind. Whether visual, auditory or tactile, they are always delighted to point out a pattern they’ve found!

This stamp kit by Tokyo based Torafu Architects is everything you need to get your kids started in making their own patterns. The shapes are simple and beautiful, as Japanese designs always are. Use the stamps to create anything, from cards to wrapping paper to wall art!

I discovered this set on ebabee LIKES‘ beautiful blog. You can purchase your own set at Upon a Fold. I can’t wait for ours to come in the mail!