[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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May
26 housewares
MAKE OUR OWN record album storage files

If you are anything like me, you have quite a few record albums sitting on your shelf. While I really love the way some of my favorite songs sound when they are played on my ancient record player, I don’t really love the way they look cluttering up my shelves. I spent some time searching the internet for a great storage solution but nothing really suited my style, so I decided to create my own. Think about how great these are going to look lining your shelves! For full instructions head on over to the newnew blog where I have posted full diagrams and a simple How-to.

record

May
20 housewares
DIY KITS to keep you busy this summer

my boyfriend was joking that i need a new project to work on, (I currently have 4 rather large projects going on currently, one of them is of course my product line.) But that got me thinking about all the great things that are available on etsy, and all the wonderful kits you can buy on there to learn a new skill, make something tasty, or just make someone’s day. I used to love getting craft kits to keep me busy in the summer months. So I took a peek at the vast pages of the etsy universe and here are a few of my favorites.

kits

a. DIY cheese kit from Urban Cheesecraft $21   b. Designer chair tablescape kit from L Brandt $30   c. Giraffe embroidery pattern from Penguin and Fish $6   d. Make your own cup cozy from byrd and belle $8   e. Spice kits from Purpose design $16   f. Cottontail needle felting kit from fancy tiger $12   g. Moss terrarium kit from Lady Farrah $35

May
19 housewares
KNICK KNACKS just got awesome

I’ve never really been a big fan of decorations just for decorations. I think things you have in your home should have meaning and a story behind them. With that being said, I ran into these little stoneware creations from iktomi yesterday. Some of course do have deeper meaning, like this raccoon spirit guide, which pretty much sums me up. Are you a sharp, crafty individual who makes the best of every opportunity that comes your way? Then let the Raccoon be your guide. These little hedgehogs are just plain awesome! amazing glazing colors and I love the detail of the patterns on their backs. I could definitely see some of her work on my bookshelf in the very near future. I can’t wait to see more of her work very soon.

spirit

May
18 housewares
I HAVE STRAWBERRIES on the brain

So I had to do a photo-shoot for my new  felt trivets and I thought the best way to show the colors off was to contrast them with a bowl of strawberries. So now I have some great shots of a new product and got to eat some tasty berries once the photos were taken, along with some pretty decent biscuits. We also planted some strawberry plants in a big strawberry pot and put it out on the fire-escape yesterday afternoon. So following suit, I figured I should showcase some of my favorite strawberry inspired etsy finds.strawberry

a. Eco Friendly Grocery Tote Bags from Kid Pirate $15 b. Strawberry bird form Melissa Sue $26 c. Strawberry bag charm from apple cottage company $10 d. Strawberry cream cupcake oil painting from Nizas Art $100

May
11 housewares
BEAUTIFUL VESSELS for flowers and more

I love little vessels to hide things in. I especially love ones that have little surprises of their own inside. These colorful bambina vessels from Popkraft have a wonderful burst of color inside, waiting to keep your little treasures safe and warm. These also work beautifully as a small single flower vase as well, check out how cute that little orchid looks in the pollock inspired piece. Right now she has a buy 2 get one free sale on her bambina vases, so shop well, and shop fast. 

vessels

May
07 housewares
PLANT STAKES to die for

It’s been raining here for about a week. I would like the sun to come out for a bit sometime soon, but the rain does help with being able to get the really big weeds out of the ground. We are taking a trip to the garden center this weekend, so I’m very excited to see what I can pick up there. In the meantime I’ve  been designing some lasercut plant stakes, and wante dto share with you guys two of my favorite garden plant marker makers on etsy. Metal hand-stamped markers from Nina Gibson Designs, and Stoneware markers from Dbabcock. Happy gardening everyone!

plant

May
04 housewares
UPCYCLED plates

One of the things i miss most about living in a small town is garage sales and thrift stores. I don’t miss the lack of other things to do however. I am going to upstate NY this weekend to see Matt’s sister graduate so maybe we can sneak in a thrift-store visit between congratulations. The plates by Sarah Burden really caught my eye this week. I love when people take something that is looking rather unloved, and revamp it to make it a must have. Upcycling is such a simple idea a lot of the times, and in a throwaway culture, in which we live, I always appreciate an object knowing love made it into something better than it was before. So check out her upcycled dishware, this girl can really draw.

plates

Apr
29 housewares
AMAZING DESIGNER TOYS made from wood

If you survive the cuteness factor of these new designer toys, you have me beat. These amazing wood toys from Noferin are beyond words. Noferin is the collaboration of two amazing artists: Candy and Nick. Candy paintings intricate paintings of the make believe Carrara Island and Nick turns these works of art into little wood sculptures. Their previous series of toys have long sold out, but chin up, the newest collection launch next Tuesday, May 5th. So head on over to their site, and add your name to their mailing list so you are sure not to miss out. I mean really who wouldn’t want one of these amazing creatures.

pecanpals

Apr
27 housewares
THE BIRDS ARE LOVING this warm weather

I’m not such a big fan of warm weather. Give me a crisp fall day and I’m as happy as a jack-o-lantern. It seems that spring is over all ready, this weekend in Brooklyn we saw temperatures as high as 89, and I have the sunburn to prove it. We did however enjoy sitting in the backyard sunday morning while it was still a little cool in the shade, while Einstein played with his favorite ball and we relaxed a bit after spending saturday at the Flea. I realized how many birds congregate in the yards behind out apartment, and thought about getting a bird house  to put on the fence or hang from the beautiful magnolia tree that has just finished blooming. Well I love these swallow bird houses from Duckabush Woodworks. Available in a variety of colors, these amazing handmade birdhouses would sure to make some little bird very happy. How cool would these look lined up on the edge of the forest, a little bit of added color, and some beautiful birds too. 

birdhouses

Apr
24 housewares
NEW COASTER DESIGNS from peppersprouts

Yesterday I received a large order of coasters and other fun things from my favorite laser cutters Ponoko. I spent some time working on a new design for a new series that’s a little more organic then my other coasters and I got to hold them in my nervous little hands yesterday for the first time. They need a few tweaks the next go-around but I have to say I am very happy with them. I took a quick snapshot of one to share with you guys since hopefully I will sell out of them this weekend when I’m vending at the Brooklyn Flea. So if your in the area stop by and say hi, I’ll be in good company with the {newnew}. I put a set aside for myself for a more professional product photoshoot. I also have some felt doily’s on their way that I just finished designing, I know you guys are going to love them!

bird_c2

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