I first heard of Crankbunny from a post at Rare Bird Finds that is still definitely one of my favorite pieces from this shop, but they have plenty more at etsy.  I would sum up their aesthetic as lush, heavily detailed and strongly imagined, but see for yourself.

key to one’s heart, $8 pop up card

ByCOLE (photography and handmade treasures) caught my eye with the barbie print.  Like I was saying yesterday, I’m a sucker for messing with childhood iconography.  I’m sorry for the weird white gaps, its part of the presentation on the image and makes more sense over at ByCOLE’s etsy page.

barbie was a wino, 4×6″ print

So I usually think the idea of a “battle of the sexes” and gender conformity in general is lame lame lame, so maybe i’m only going to reccomend these items for trans folks or people where wearing them would be a genuine political statement, but i certainly won’t say anything if you buy them while my back is turned.  I discovered Chain Chain Chained on Cut + Paste but they also have an etsy shop.  They fulfill my requirements for whimsical, eye-catching and unusual to a T.

boy vs. girl earrings …

I stumbled upon this artist while looking at whale-related art after seeing some big great painted whales on the side of the San Francisco Aquarium.  I’ve always been a sucker for giant squid b-movie plot devices, so the feature seemed a natural move.  From there I discovered another print that I really enjoyed, which I’d be tempted to spring for the original if it was a little less dear or I was a little more flush.  Either way, enjoy.  Her originals are acrylic on canvas, reproductions are printed on canvas …

Kerry Hawkins first got my attention simply through her involvement with Boston Handmade, but she drew me in through her bizarre mannequin head portraits, whimsical collages and generally off-the-cuff perspective.  The rest of her etsy shop is here, stalk her private work and other goings on here.

amusement ride mosaic, 8.5″x11″ for $25

I’d like to recommend following this studio both at the homepage and at the etsy shop. Photographer Irene assembles both winsome self-portraits and faux vintage polaroid snapshots and landscapes with an eye for delicate beauty and the sometimes blurry lens of recollection. “Faceless photography” has always been interesting to me, since it has the ability to both allow the viewer to project themselves into the shot but can also function to present “bodies without identity,” which has a more disturbing element to it. I’m always interested to …

I’ve been featuring t shirts a lot lately but a) they’re comfy b) they’re affordable and c) I couldn’t pass up a chance to share this first shirt from The Smiling Squid. Their other shirts are pretty nifty as well but the first one actually made me laugh out loud when I saw it.
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A Vicious Cycle T Shirt, $15.00

When I was choosing my plates for my first apartment, I selected orange plates, yellow bowls and red saucers. The settings were cheerful looking but inspired more than one person to ask me what Mexican restaurant I had bought them from. The plates below lean towards the..bold side but it is easier to get away with a little garishness on plates than on your walls.

Studio Melamine Salad Plates,  8″ x 8″  for $6 each  (dishwasher safe, don’t microwave)

Fran Shea sent me an email introduction to her company, Zeichen Press. The design and letterpress studio features paper products (cards, coasters, cd holders, etc.) made from recycled or tree free paper. The cards are great for those who need insulin after reading the sugary sweet cards other companies sell.
For those breakups where it is less “it’s not you, it’s me” and more “it is totally you”:

“I hate you. I always have.” card with envelope, $4.50

There’s something nostalgic about the images from Alicia Bock Photography. They could be pictures your parents took when they went on a road trip twenty years ago. The images- dandelions, horses, surfers and Ferris wheels- are sleepily poignant.
 
The photos with the black borders were taken “using a combination of vintage and modern cameras resulting in a photograph that highlights the dust, scratches and interesting bits that make vintage photographs so charming. The black border will be visible on your print.”

January’s Daydreams