LOVE TERRARIUM

I created a succulent terrarium this weekend for the little love birds, Brooke & Trever. Its no Paula Hayes, but it is awfully cute. Right before I began, I thought this might be a good DIY for MStetson; below are my how-to steps. It was such a fun project; I highly recommend it!

{ Step No. 01 | BUYING SUPPLIES }

GLASS CONTAINER | Now, if you plan on using succulents, as above, it is best to have a glass container with a large opening versus a traditional terrarium container. Succulents (most succulents, I should say) prefer dry, desert-like conditions. A traditional terrarium with little-to-no opening are very humid and will not support the proper climate for succulents or cacti. Also consider how many plants you would like to be placed in the container, as well as the height of the plants.
ROCKS | You will need to purchase a bag of rocks that will allow for drainage and air circulation for the roots.

HORTICULTURAL CHARCOAL | This will be the second layer in your terrarium. This helps "sweeten" the water and lessen the chance of any molds or bacteria.

CACTUS SOIL | Using pre-mixed cactus soil is a perfect way to avoid having to mix your own. Succulents and cacti need soil that have extra good drainage, so if you opt to mix your own, do some good research on soil/sand proportions.

PLANTS | It is really important when you pick your succulents, to select ones with similar sun conditions. These below are full sun, which are perfect for sunny Southern California.
{ Step No. 02 | CREATE }

LAYER ROCKS & CHARCOAL | I poured in about a 2 1/2" layer of rocks, smoothed them out evenly and then carefully poured in the 1"-1 1/2" layer of charcoal. I know once the soil starts to settle and the terrarium is watered, the layers may not look as clearly defined, but until then, I wanted them looking perfect.

POUR IN SOIL | I then poured in about one quarter of the container's worth of soil and smoothed out evenly. Again, upon watering, the soil will begin to compact.

PLANT YOUR SUCCULENTS | Arrange the succulents to your liking. (I went through a few rounds.) I tried to place the ones with a bit more height in the center. Plant them and gently pack the soil surrounding them.
ADD ANY FINAL TOUCHES | I decided to insert a garden maker with Brooke & Trev's new phrase, "we are hoehne". But, I have seen rocks, figurines, etc.

{ Step No. 03 | GIFT WRAP }

HOW-TO TAG | I opted for a hand-written "how-to" tag. (I am on the computer way to much!) It reads:

How to care for your Succulent Terrarium.
No. 01: Don't over water.
No. 02: These succas like it hot! (full sun).
No. 03: Love on them & enjoy.

WRAP | I'm going to be honest, this was no easy task for my container. It was so large, it was hard to find anything large enough to wrap the whole thing. A fabric or cloth might have been a good option, however I decided to work with kraft paper and come to terms that the bottom may be exposed. (Ya, not the most forgiving and flexible material.) I cut out a large circle and centered it on the top. Then, I carefully began to tuck in layers and ended up stapling them because the double-stick tape wasn't actually sticking. Upon completion, I used a small ribbon to cinch the wrap around the top lip of the container. Finally, I made a little gift tag and voila...
p.s. I am addicted to these. I've already made a small one for my house and planted the extra succulents outside... don't be surprised if you get one for your birthday!

PRINTS

I came across this lovely Australian store, blink design. How come I didn't know about them already? They use their great textile designs to create home accessories as well as apparel and handbags. I also loved the clocks and tea towels below. Love 'em...

BRAGGING RIGHTS

I don't really mention family much on MStetson, but my niece is brilliant. I just had to share. ARE YOU LOOKING AT THOSE PAINTINGS!?! She started art classes when she was three. I was (and am) always so excited to encourage her creative passion. I remember asking about her painting and her reply… "Noooo Auntie, I use pastels." Then, I would ask how her pastels were coming and she would reply, "Aaaauunntttiieee, now I do watercolor." Now that she is seven, it is more like "Ahhhh Auntie Lindsay, I did watercolor when I was five. I paint with oils now."

One of my favorites I tuck away in my heart is when my sister told me about my niece wanting to move to California to be an artist like her Auntie when she grows up... pretty sure this seven-year-old has already surpassed her twenty-seven-year-old aunt.

Want to inspire creativity in your little one? Make sure to check out Bloesom Kids craft projects... and maybe the DIYs too.

I WANT...

I mean, I really want the vines large collage diptych by artist Lisa Congdon. View Lisa's portfolio.

LUCKY LADIES

The ladies of Hello! Lucky will be debuting their new letterpress personalized stationery line at the National Stationery Show. Look how pretty... beautiful florals, graphic patterns, elegant flourishes paired with bold colored envelopes. My favorite is sophisticate.

{ ...and as if that's not enough... }

The ladies will also be promoting their new book published by Chronicle Books, Handmade Hellos, with a Meet 'n Greet Giveaway valued at over $1000. They describe the book as:

Handmade Hellos features more than 25 projects from some of today's most talented professional paper artists, gathered by card-mavens Eunice and Sabrina Moyle of Hello!Lucky:
Abigail Brown, Amy Karol, Binth, Cielo Blu, Daniel James, Darling Clementine, Egg Press, Foxy & Winston, François Vigneault, Hearts & Anchors, Hello!Lucky, Julianna Swaney, Kate Sutton, La Familia Green, MikWright, Pancake & Franks, Paper + Cup, Petra Boase, Pie Bird, The Small Object, Shim + Sons, Two Trick Pony, You Send Me.
Inside this beautifully illustrated book, you'll find easy instructions to make cards that celebrate birthdays, holidays, new homes and new babies, weddings, friendships, parties and more. With designs ranging from elegant to striking and sometimes both sweet and snarky, there's a clever card for every crafter—and for every recipient.

SANS

Oooo Rae Dunn now offers SANS SERIFS! You can purchase them here…

MIX IT UP

The delicacy of the line art paired with the bold graphic elements, make the mixed media works of Sheila Metcalf Tobin some of my favorite. The natural woodgrain of the plywood is an excellent backdrop to her botanical shapes and forms. Sheila also sells lovely limited edition screen prints (see below) on her etsy shop. Delightful color palettes, I might add.

B–10

I am constantly purchasing journals with the intention that this is going to be the one I actually complete. I never do, however I don’t mind; it’s made for a nice little collection. One has become my logo sketch book, another full of creative concepts, but all with blank pages in case I want to add more later. I think I’ve found my next edition: the BINGO book by May Day Studio. These beautifully stitched books use bingo cards as covers and contain 8, 12 page cotton paper signatures covered with decorative flyleaves just waiting for my le pens. May Day Studio also has a great line covered in vintage fabrics… make sure to check them out here.

HANGING

There is something about mobiles that seem to catch my attention. Sometimes, I attribute it to being easily amused, other times I find the delicate balance of materials, both in weight and composition, make them true works of art. Julie Frith has harnessed these elements into a wide variety of mobiles and stabiles very very well. You can find Julie’s work at her website, her etsy store or on her flickr site.

They certainly create beautiful shadows while in movement, don’t they? (see below)

SNACKTIME

Textile designer Karen Barbé printed a small run of her biscuits patterns for these charming screen printed goods. The fushia, orange and yellow of the round biscuits print is what caught my eye, but I also love the grey values used in the square biscuits. Can you picture these hanging from a magnetic hook on my new magnetic chalkboard wall? Lovely.

SOFT SPOT

Happy Valentines Day. I thought I’d leave you with a tempting little treat for today. I had the privilege of tasting (probably more like devouring) a box of Sugar Cookie Couture’s heart sugar cookies. (I brought one home for my husband, but, uh… it didn’t actually make it past the threshold before I started sneaking bites. Oops!) They were so soft and yummy, not-to-mention adorable. I was also able to meet the brilliant baker behind Sugar Cookie Couture, Linzy. (She is also adorable.) She told me it is a family recipe and that she offers custom orders for any occasion. I love the white on white wedding cookies, too. Contact her through etsy for more information.

GIDDY UP

These screen printed, eco-friendly note cards from Two Trick Pony are kicking. As you know, I am way into the grey/yellow combo and have always admired a good blue/red. (M not so much a fan of red, except when used sparingly.) You can download their complete 2007 catalog here or check out their stock on etsy. Can’t wait to see what they have in store for 2008!

(I prefer to spell grey with an “e” versus an “a”... don’t you think it looks better? Or am I totally weird?)

LUCKY M

In the middle of a design meeting, I had to stop M mid-sentence… “what is that on your hand,” I exclaimed as I yanked it closer. It was my first encounter with jewelry designed by Anna Beck and I am definitely not going to let it be my last! Read about how Anna Beck found her way to her Balinese techniques here... so interesting. Below is a sampling of her collections…

{ bali | sumatra }

{ java | nila }

{ lombok | masa }

GOOD INDEED

As I have said before, I love hand-blown glass. New York City based jGoodDesign takes this artform a step further. Sculptural art + function. Without the lights on, the pieces can stand alone. With the lights on, they become alive… light interacting with the inconsistencies that come from being handmade. Perfectly imperfect.

PLUSH

{ papaver vert }The grouping of these gorgeous felted wool trees is too sweet and the stitching makes them even more charming. Each tree is handmade to order. Make sure to check out the vessels and pillows Patty offers as well.


{ debi van zyl }Debi creates some of the best paper goods on etsy, but these quirky little guys are what really caught my eye. They are so full of character with their bright color combinations and patterns as well as the adorable button eyes. I love that one of her customers created a blog to document their travels.


{ tinywarbler }These little handmade plush animals are precious. The fabric combinations make each animal so unique. I love them all; I can’t pick a favorite. Kate’s stock should be updated shortly at both indie fixx and her etsy site so make sure to check back often. (You can start a convo through etsy for requests, as well.)

GLAZED

I usually try (try being the key word) to restrain myself from posting every single product companies and artists offer, but when it comes to coe&waito, what restraint I have flew straight out the window. Alissa Coe and Carly Waito are the powerful duo designing these beautiful ceramics. Each product seems so sophisticated and refined, yet organic and natural. The simplicity in color allows you to respond purely to its texture and form. Contact them here for purchase.

D O N ’ T E V E N …

Just when I thought my post on OCHRE couldn’t get any better… I receive an email from Andrew over at OCHRE notifying me they also have a new online store showcasing some of their smaller home accessories and that of their friends. If only Andrew knew how he has made my day. Do you think they also sell self-restraint? This could be a very dangerous place to know about.

Don’t forget to check out some of their fabulous vintage finds...
(Have I said how much I love all of their product photography? Beautiful.)

W O O L I E

As I sit here on my laptop, browsing away, I am getting chilly… and what do I do? Start googling. This time it was definitely worth it. I found Swans Island, a company best known for its handmade wool blankets. Their high standards and quality craftsmanship have made Swans Island a leader in hand woven, earth-friendly products. The lines have increased over the years from blankets and pillows to scarfs and handbags and even to a new line of skin care products in 2007.

I just love the idea of custom monogramming on a blanket or pillow. (See Lars & Nancy below.) Even the Swans Island logomark on the corners is charming.

C U R R E N T L Y D A T E D

Artist Liz Saintsing is transforming vintage accessories into one-of-a-kind wearable, functional art. Her organic hand screen printed patterns enliven these abandoned quality accessories. My faves: green peacock ($250), red beetle ($300) and blue osterich ($325). Contact Liz for additional information and availability.


BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE…
Not only can you wear these artistic pieces, you can eat them. One of our favorite chocolatiers, Michael Recchiuti, is featuring Liz on his decadent Burnt Caramel Chocolates. (I know that I devoured way too many sweets over the holidays, but it doesn’t mean I am any less tempted.)

T A C T I L E

M&Stets delight in patterns. We are the shoppers you see touching every fabric and textile in the store. We are equal opportunity pattern appreciators. Their shapes and forms, color combinations, scale and texture captivate us, whether it is to our tastes or not. Eleanor Pritchard is a master of all of the previously mentioned. Her collections are inspired and inspiring. While some of her works might be manufactured elsewhere, all of her textiles begin in her studio with her loom and heat press. Her selection of colors make us stir.