[uhp-steyt fan-see] - adjective

1. not exorbitant or extravagent by city standards, however in a rural setting (like upstate new york) it is in fact, quite fancy.

2. a wonderful blog dedicated to art, design and other things that are indeed upstate fancy.

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Aug
31
fashion
BEAUTIFUL CUSTOM clothes from idea2lifestyle

I love so many things in the idea2lifestyle shop. I recently bought the far far away scarf And can not wait until the weather gets cold enough to wear it, the colors are even better in person, and I love the pockets. One of the things I really love about this shop is they can make any of their designs in custom sizes which is perfect for gals like me who often find things they love only available up to size 10. The quality of construction on the scarf is superb, and I can’t wait to order some more things from them this fall.

idea2lifestyle

Aug
28
design
VIDEO GAME FACTORIES: fact or fiction?

Just wanted to leave you with some eye candy for the weekend. Where are video games produced? In a dark room by a bunch of programers or in dusty old factories by craftsman with years of experience? These photos from French agency Amusement wonders just that. Below is the tetris factory, but check out some other video game factories by visiting their site.

videogames

Aug
26
paper goods
NATURE INSPIRED CARDS from yobittles

I really can’t wait for autumn. I love when the colors change and a walk through the woods doesn’t leave your shirt wet with sweat. WIth all this daydreaming about the changing seasons, I guess that is why I was do fond of these nature cards from yobittles. There are only a few styles currently available in her shop, but i suspect more are on their way. I love the simplicity of her illustrations and am looking forward to her next move.

Yobittles_leaf_cards

Aug
24
art
ADAM BEANE will sculpt your socks off

After I picked my jaw up off the table, I decided I had to share the work of Adam Beane with you all. I know you have seen those action figures and collectable figurines based off popular movies and the like. Well someone has to actually sit and sculpt the original piece that all of those figures are produced from. Adam Beane is one of those guys. I mean seriously look at the detail on Leia’s hair, and that is propped between his fingers in that photo, talk about great things coming in small packages. I am just astounded. It just makes you appreciate things in a whole different light when you see the original piece that was crafted by hand.

sculpture_of_toys

Aug
20
design
THE BEST OF NYIGF – megan auman

I have been a fan of Megan Auman’s work for quite a while. Not only are her designs beautiful, she is a really wonderful person as well. I was very happy to run into her at the NYIGF this year and her booth really stood out to me. First off I love her name placement, the whole setup felt like you were in an art gallery or a museum store’s special artist section. All of her designs felt very prominent and stood out against her custom designed backdrop that also featured her signature leaf pattern. Her booth design was very open and had room to walk around and really take in her work which was a welcome change from only being able to stand in one spot and glance around. On the side wall she proudly showcased her jewelry line, hung upon little white canvases. This really highlighted the artistic quality of the pieces, jewelry as art not just adornments. I really can’t wait t see what is next from this very talented lady.

megan_auman_nyigf_2009

Aug
19
design
THE BEST OF NYIGF – made by humans

Continuing on our NYIGF adventure, I really liked the Made By Humans booth. They had a prime spot on the end cap near the middle of the gift fair. I believe they had a double wide space (it seemed huge) and they used it to its full potential. There were no walls or curtains at the made by humans booth which made it very easy to walk through their plethora of cardboard pedestals.

They also covered their area in a puzzle like rubber flooring reminiscent of a children’s play room which provided some much needed relief for my sore feet by that point in the day. This booth had a great use of space and was able to have multiple buyers looking at different products without feeling like they were on top of each other. That goes a long way in my book.

made_by_humans_2009_nyigf

Aug
18
design
THE BEST OF NYIGF – suck uk

You probably have seen a few of Suck UK’s products before, but may not have known the company’s name. Their goods are stocked at a few small shops like urban outfitters, fred flair, target, you know just the small mom and pop shops really. Of course I’m kidding Suck UK is HUGE. You remember the sunjar, yeah that was theirs.

I really loved their booth at the 2009 NYIGF. It was simple and straight to the point. Everything was clearly labeled but it didn’t feel academic at all. Their setup was another that clearly let the products stand up for themselves without the bells and whistles of flashy signs or over-the-top decor. I also really liked that everything was placed against the wall and was easy to lance at while still standing in the aisle. With so many different products this layout and booth design made all of their products seem like they were as worthy as what was sitting next to them, there was no “hot item” to be purchased. Everything they do is so well designed that nothing seemed to be outranking anything else.

suck_uk_nyigf_2009_booth

Aug
17
Uncategorized
THE BEST OF NYIGF- laurel denise

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) 2009. It was a very warm day here in NYC but the javits center was heavily air conditioned so it made for an enjoyable morning. I met some really wonderful people, saw some amazing products, and some really amazing booth designs as well. Of course there were some booth designs that were plain and boring, but we wont talk about those here. So all this week I will be showcasing some of my favorite displays and products from the NYIGF 2009.

I really enjoyed the setup of Laurel Denise. It helped that i have seen her beautiful jewelry pieces before, but to me the display really stood out upstairs in the Handmade section. I appreciated that all of the pieces were out in the air and could be touched without having to open a case, they were pretty without being unapproachable. I also love the consistency of the booth and the brand. I know there was a lot of thought that went into setting up the display, it didn’t feel overdone but it looked amazing. The use of natural materials and kraft paper tags kept the emphasis on the jewelry and probably kept the cost of display down as well. You can take a closer look at the beautiful glass jewelry on their retail site and pick up a pendant of your own.

laurel_denise_nyigf

Aug
13
art
MATTHEW SCOTT is my new illustration hero

I love to draw. I doodle whenever I have the time. There are always little characters waiting to get out of my head, but I do it for myself not. I do not consider myself to be an illustrator, but I always had dreams to be one. In part I think that is why I love children’s books. I now how much fun the artist had making these characters come to life, and knowing how much fun children had reading these books and getting lost in these worlds they created.

And that is where Matthew Scott comes into play. He is my newest illustration hero. Although he doesn’t strictly draw children’s illustrations, they are most definitely my favorite. He just completed the cover design for Nickelodeon’s comic book which you can see on his portfolio homepage. Matthew has also opened an etsy shop of his very own with some limited edition prints, in case you have to have one of your very own. This little picture below is from one of his design sheets for his third book about an adventurer of the seven seas ‘Goldfish Rum.’ Be sure to check out his blog as well for some stories and new pieces. 

endnobubbles

Aug
12
Accessories
FABRIC BIRDS by abigail brown

Oh Abigail Brown, why must you make me swoon so often over all your fantastic pieces. Today in particular I am pining over your small fabric birds. When I was younger my parents had a wooden swan that i would pet everyday, hoping that one day it would come alive. I know I was a strange child. But the point of this story is, I really do think these little fabric birds might come to life if you pet them often enough.

birds

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