Our friend, Lea Redmond, she of the World's Smallest Post Service, has a number of fun little Print + Play paper projects on her website. One of them is a set of printable inner-home post cards: "Greeting from the couch," "...from the yard," "...from the corner of the room," etc. Six cards in all.
These might keep your kids occupied for at least several precious minutes. Read the rest
Ooo, betrothed comic book nerds, this one's for you. Mallory McKenney of Wisconsin makes wedding bouquets and boutonnieres by cutting up upcycled comics. From Batman to the Wolverine, and just about any character in between, the Milwaukee crafter can whip up something super for your big day.
Before you get all up in arms about the comics she's chopping up, Mallory's husband Nick explains her source, "...she actually buys damaged comic books for super cheap from a couple comic book stores here in Milwaukee, so she’s definitely not using ones that anyone would want otherwise. The only real exceptions are if people request really specific comic books or characters that aren’t super popular and didn’t appear in too many issues."
She sells her creations in her Etsy shop, glamMKE. Prices start at $10 (for a single flower) and go up to $200 (something for the entire wedding party).
I'm so utterly charmed by these intricately-cut paper dresses by Ukranian artist Eugenia Zoloto (and, really, all her work). She has a few of these kirigami pretties up for sale on Etsy, starting at $250.
photos via Eugenia Zoloto Read the rest
David A. Carter and James Diaz' You Call That Art?! is a great, brief history of modern sculpture that encourages you to make your own!
Perfect for middle and high school age students, this book offers a brief look at 10 great 20th-century artists: Auguste Rodin, Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso, Naum Gabo, Alexander Calder, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Louise Nevelson, and Lygia Clark. Stories about these artists, and their works, serve as inspiration for your own crazy projects!
The book also comes complete with its own set of die-cut cardboard pieces that fit together any way you like. Having taken residence on our coffee table, designing odd new sculptures has be come a household pastime.
You Call That Art?!: Learn about Modern Sculpture and Make Your Own Read the rest
I like to buy these adorable little critter-shaped paperclips from stationary accessories maker Midori of Japan on Amazon. They work just the same as regular paperclips, but they add a lot of sweetness and personality when the design matters, not just the function.
More than 24 designs are available in Midori's super-kawaii D-Clips series, with lots of little animals and birds to choose from: elephant, turtle, squirrels, whales, penguin, and more, on sale for $7-8 per pack of 30 clips at the time of this blog post.
No simpleminded origami project, when your kid is done folding this cardboard they'll have an Imperial trooper at their beck and call. My daughter has a blast making hers.
Instructions are simple, and almost unnecessary. The lovely, cut and lightly stamped cardboard is pretty obvious about where it needs a fold, and the tabs seem to magically come together... as if guided by a mysterious energy. My kid is 8 and needed no help, honestly she pointed out a mistake I'd made on one leg. With focus comes great power.
We also have Chewbacca ready to fold. His bowcaster is impressive.
12" paper craft Stormtrooper via Amazon Read the rest
