The Ice Cave, by Maia C. Larkin

With the Holiday season in full swing, I thought it was a good time to do one of my Etsy shopping roundups and put up a selection of my favorite things from the world of all-things-handmade!

I'll start out by mentioning that, in my own shop The Voyagers (above) all 8.5 x 11 prints are discounted from $25 to $19 right now. In addition, look for free or discounted shipping (depending on your location) throughout the shop! AND, through Cyber Monday only, use COUPON CODE ThankYou10 at checkout for 10% off of you entire purchase!

Without further ado, here are some of my picks for the most magical things in the handmade universe this holiday season!

O is for Owl by Rebekka Seale

The shop of the gorgeous, sweet and talented Rebekka Seale, whose illustrations never fail to enchant (Q has one hanging near her bed to sweeten her dreams!)

These AMAZING folklore cups made to order by Ninainvorm out of The Netherlands.
I had such a hard time choosing a single image from this shop because each and every item is so absolutely wonderful!

boutique Snow Bloom dress/tunic by Poompatta

The gorgeous, embellished, India-inspired dresses at Poompatta. Q has a couple in her closet, and they are beautiful and enduring!

Upcycled deer mugs by Second Chance Ceramics. Perfect for a cup of cocoa on a snowy day. I love the reindeer mug too!

The amazing confectionary world of Andie's Specialty Sweets. If you ever have the need to decorate the cake of all cakes, this is where to go!

 And by way of a stocking-stuffer, the Mid-Century Designers pencil set at oneupdesigns.

That's all for today!
Happy Shopping!!

I don't often talk about books on this blog, which is not about books. And in fact, lit major that I was, most of my "reading" these days is done by way of the audio books that I download on my computer and listen to in the studio through hours and hours and hours of illustration work. 

But I'm here to tell you to read this book, because it is simply and utterly exquisite. As many books as I listen to in a year, most of them blend into the background. This one stands out like cut crystal. When it came to its end, I hit play and started all over again. 

Download it, borrow it, buy it, but by all means, do not miss this one.

 Like so many, I have been following the phenomenon that is EmersonMade for quite some time now. To my mind, it's the next logical step in the "made" movement - a personal creative vision that started out small and went viral in record time, without ever faltering in its ever-confident style as it grows. As our financial climate and job market are shaken to the core, changes are certainly afoot in the arenas of business and commerce, and my feeling is that EmersonMade is one to watch as a harbinger of what is to come. Emerson and Ryan have created and built on a beautiful and very personal vision with panache, confidence and a razor-sharp business sense. It's been exciting to watch.

 So naturally I was thrilled when my first EmersonMade piece arrived - the Mod LBD. As anticipated, the quality and craftsmanship are superb. These pieces are built like fine architecture - with timeless style and heirloom quality (and the sachet of freshly-dried lavender in the box was the perfect final note).  Another reason that I hope that EmersonMade will be a bellwether in its field is that I dearly miss craftsmanship - and I mean real, old-school craftsmanship, as in stone masonry, hand-blocked fabrics, the building of boats and of cathedrals. The kind of craftsmanship that has become a lost art in recent generations. The art of making things that are built to last, rather than things that are built for quick obsolescence. I think it's time for the tide to turn again.

This photo and all photos below by EmersonMade

 And of course, as a follower of the EmersonMade travel journals, my heart beat a little bit faster when I saw the photos of Emerson and Ryan's trip to India.

 I could hardly wait to see what came of these fabrics and these inspirations!

 So needless to say, I held my breath this morning when I saw the first set of photos of the Butterfly Caftan.

 Perfection.

I am also intrigued to see what comes of these India-inspired ring designs....

I didn't buy this Wovenplay suit when I first saw it last spring, but it has haunted me a bit. It has snuck into drawings and sketches and circus images that play in my head. When I finally did go back looking for one, it was sold out everywhere. So I was thrilled to find it last week at the new Hong Kong-based shop Storytime...not only in Q's size, not only in my preferred color, but on clearance no less! I guess it was meant to be ;)

 LOVE these! By Jimbob Art.

 It's been some time since I did a "favorites" roundup, so here are a few things that have been making me happy:

 This shop, Storytime. Wonderful interview with the Hong Kong-based owner on Bloesem Kids here.

Just one of the many pieces I adore in this amazing shop. Also, read her sweet blog here.

 This blog, Le Japon Que J'aime, full of gorgeous photos of Japan by Beatrice De (photos above and below by Beatrice De)

...you'll find yourself wanting to linger!

This perfect fedora from the Etsy shop Karina's Couture, which has instantly become my fall staple for headgear. 

 

 And this lust-worthy fall traveling coat from EmersonMade. Oof!

A few lovely things while I'm rounding up the troops in an attempt at catching up, even slightly, with my photos...

Untitled from Maia Larkin on Vimeo.

My very first published video of The Q. Granted, it isn't much. Video has not been my medium. But now that I have an iPhone and some attendant apps, I have lost the battle with my self control and signed up for a Vimeo account. Now, clearly, I really don't need a new vehicle for time-suckage, but Q's charisma outsteps the boundaries of Photoshop. Sooner or later, she had to be captured in motion. This particular video is far from the best, and the storyline lacks...pretty much everything. Still, it is the first video I uploaded from the iPhone, so here it is - raw and uncut. I call it "The Cheese Bandaid". I promise to share better and more compelling videos in the future. Far in the future. At some undetermined time in the distant future.

Then there's this wonderful new wallpaper at fine little day. If you don't follow their blog, you really should.
So simple, so wonderful.

And then, my new favorite band...

I'll be honest, it's been a long time since I had a "new favorite" in the music world. I've been underwhelmed of late by the "scene". I'm still mad about Carla Bruni (her music, I mean) although I really prefer when she sings in French. I still follow Jack White's various projects. I resort to Gainsbourg (Serge and/or Charlotte) and Birkin when all else fails me. And I will quite possibly never be really over Flogging Molly...but this is the first new arrival on the scene to make me feel like I still have a pulse. Mumford and Sons gives me hope.
And then there's this guy. I drew him. Q named him "Ben" (after a horse she recently rode). He was inspired by a graffiti creature that Q found in a doorway in Chelsea, near the end of a very long morning of walking from Wall Street to the Upper West Side for the ENK show at the piers. The door itself was red, which probably attracted Q's attention, since it was her favorite color from an early age, and since our own front door is red. The critter was about a foot high, and Q could not be distracted from it. When we got home, I decided to reinterpret the creature as a drawing for Q. I wasn't sure what type of creature it might be...rabbit? Squirrel? Thankfully Yoli identified it as a red panda, so red panda he is. I'm hoping to make Q a screen printed dress of the drawing. Many thanks to the anonymous graffiti artist who inspired this latest imaginary friend of our little animal-lover.

Coup de Foudre:
My friend Yoli, whose latenight net-surfing always turns up the most beautiful discoveries, recently sent me the link to the French line Gabriel et Valentin, and it was love at first sight.
Created by mother and erstwhile model Nathalie Scemama, the line is all luxe materials (cashmere, leather, sheepskin) earthy colors and classic lines.
LOVE this boy's outfit.
The ponchos are perfection. OK, now I think I'm ready to start thinking about fall.

My blog friend Christiane in France sent me the link to this gorgeous and moving video about a doomed village in Kamchatka, Russia. It so happens that my mother often travels to Kamchatka for fly fishing, so I have heard many stories about the region. The video is beautiful and haunting.

Since we're off to Vail in the morning to escape a forecasted three days of rain here in Denver, and I'm scrambling to get ready, I'll let you read about the filmmakers and their cause on the site. Do watch the little film. It's quite something.

Yesterday during the first Friday art walk, we stopped in to the über-cool Studio Bini kids store which, to our delight, recently moved into our neighborhood, among the galleries and antique shops on Tennyson Street.
Q picked up this awesome bowling pin hat. You've also gotta love their retro-gas station coveralls here.

I have Kickcan & Conkers to thank for the discovery of this amazing shop, the ChinnyChinChin store on Etsy.
Between the photos and the designs, it was love at first glance for me.
I absolutely adore these high-waisted pants. How cool is this look?
There are wonderful things for both girls and boys (and if you have a tomboy like me, a lot of it is very interchangeable!)
Then I checked out her blog, and saw these designs from last fall...
I'm absolutely mad for these hats! You can bet I'll be watching this shop closely as the seasons progress! What a find.