with thanks: to etsy, the storque & gooseflesh!

what a week it's been, nicies!
i'm overjoyed with all of your enthusiastic supportings of eco week!
thanks lovelies!

in other fun news... my latest etsy storque article is up!

check out one of my favourite nature-inspired collections i've ever seen... gooseflesh' stunningly beautiful beach detritus collection.

i promise... it's amazing!

(you might recall she was one of the first in my own collections series here on the blog, way back when!)

so head on over to etsy and leave helle a cheer if you can in the comments!

yay to earth day celebrations everyday!

AND... have a glorious weekend, nicies!
there's still time to enter to WIN the other 6 fabulous giveaways on the blog!

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WIN WIN WIN....

1. a beautiful handwoven recycled rag rug by *fiveforty* here!: now CLOSED!
2. a necklace by the *broken plate*, here. (ends today!)
3. a gorgeous eco chic seatbelt bag by *alamodestuff* here.
4. a fashionista's dream moo moo dress by *julesmae* here.
5. a lovely textile necklace by *vadjutka*, here.
6. a pair of fabulous wall pockets by *greencouchdesign*, here.
7. a gorgeous rose organza purse by *karen meyers* , here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

and see you monday for lots of fun!
cheerio, sweeties!



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collections: with fleurfatale

I just love seeing what folks are collecting. I guess I feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their homes. Today, I'm delighted to present the next in an ongoing series here & on Etsy's Blog: The Collectors. Check out the whole series here on the rikrak studio, it's 11 and a half quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting (apart from their art supplies!)

{you can check out the article on Etsy's *the storque* blog, here and be sure to leave a cheer y hello for the fleurfatale!}

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Gosh. I just adore a great story. And I love the tales behind handmade collections: the where did it come from; the how did it begin.

You know the kind of fables I mean: a collection story that can capture our imaginations with riveting plotlines, exotic scenery, inspiring characters, all the while allowing us to escape into another world, if just for a few minutes! Now that’s a good story in my book.

Such is certainly the case with today’s beautiful handmade hats and shoes collection. Talented Belgian Etsy designer fleurfatale began her collection while on a journey to adopt a child on another continent. Each piece she gathers tells its own important tale within her inspiring and amazing life story.

Who (are you): My name is Greet Tanghe and my Etsy shop is fleurfatale.

What (are you collecting): Handmade Asian tribal children’s hats and tribal baby shoes.

When (did you start): I bought the first back in 1998 in the mountain hills of North Vietnam when I went to Hanoi for the adoption of my eldest child, Maia. 


How (many do you have?): Not too many, as you only find them here in Europe in antique shops and they are quite expensive! 


Where (do you find them): I brought some from Vietnam, friends bring them from their travels and my brother (who is married to a Chinese woman and lives in Beijing) gives me the Chinese ones. 


Where (do you keep them): They travel around my house, changing with the seasons and my mood —
sometimes I expose just one, sometimes more, in combination with my other thrifted finds.


What (‘s an interesting story behind one): I like the traditional Chinese belief behind the tiger hats and shoes: Chinese parents believe that these tigers protect the little babies and kids from any danger.

What (piece would you like to add): I saw some very cute antique tiger boots in a shop in Bruges, but they were very expensive!

Why (do you love them): I was touched by the beautiful handiwork of the women in the hill tribe Hmong (North Vietnam), from which my daughter originates. I love the embroidery, the lively colors, the use of fabric scraps and thrown away materials. 


Which (one is your favourite) & why: The hat with the bells and the blue cat shoes with embroidery on the bottom. 


What (else do you collect): I also collect vintage buttons, miniature teapots, vintage wallpaper and all kind of vintage findings that I can reuse in my jewelry work.

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Thanks so very much for sharing your wonderful story, fleurfatale. Like her beautiful collection, fleurfatale’s own fabled handmade jewelry boutique captures our imaginations, each piece telling a story rich in whimsical artistry. Be sure to visit her inspiring blog for a delightful trip into her world. I'm such a fan!

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collections: with slinkymalinkicat

there is something that i just adore about vintage, hand coloured engravings & prints: the artistry of the daily; the beauty of all around us. so imagine the delight of visiting an ever-changing collection of them in slinkymalinkicat's lovely shop. aren't they just beautiful?

beyond that collection, i also love her great personal collection: of ice fishing decoys. i had no idea there was such creative beauty in ice-fishing tools. the artistry of daily, indeed!

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who (are you): Kim (slinkymalinkicat)

what (are you collecting): ice fishing decoys

when (did you start): Approx. 3 years ago

how (many do you have?): 40

where (do you find them): the internet

where (do you keep them): where there is space, in between my husband's collection of fossils

what (is a crazy/interesting story behind one): I think there is probably an interesting story behind most of them, something I often think about

what (piece would you like to add): a decoy by Oscar Peterson

why (do you love them): they have been lovingly handmade, have a history behind them and I think they are beautiful

which (one is your favourite) and why: the Union Jack decoy, a present to my husband, I had it custom made by David Perkins ( http://www.duluthfishdecoys.com/21_dfd.htm ) who is actually renowned for his 'stars and stripes' decoys

what (else do you collect): antique natural history prints and handmade pottery

..............

thanks so much, kim.
and happy finding the lovely in everyday, nicies!

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collections: with momerath

i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series: 11 & a 1/2 quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) you can also check out my new *the collectors* series, based on these posts, on Etsy's blog, the storque! hope you'll just love: women's passports from the 1950's and earlier with MomeRath.

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oh wanderlust!
what a thrill it is to travel to see the world. it's one of my favourite things: the endless possibility & education that unfolds as we explore new places.

how fortunate i feel that where I live, the freedom to travel, on our own, with friends, with family, has luckily become second nature to many women of my generation. we know it wasn't always this way for female travellers, and today's fantastic collection offers us a glimpse of eras when women travelling on their own, or without a male companion, was a rare and curious thing indeed.

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Who (are you): I'm MomeRath on Etsy.

What (are you collecting): I collect women's passports from the 1950s and earlier.

When (did you start): 2004.

How (many do you have): Seven.

Where (do you find them) : Ebay, mostly. And friends buy them for me.

Where (do you keep them): On the plate rail of what in a more civilized house would be

the dining room, but in our house it's the playroom.

What (‘s a crazy/interesting story behind one): One of the first things you notice in these passports is how they were often created to be issued to a traveler and "wife" -- Husband and wife could travel on one passport, and the assumption was that a traveler would be male, with perhaps a wife coming along. Women traveling solo screwed up the system -- the issuer would have to go through crossing out all the blanks for "wife." Children, too, could travel on a passport with their parent.

What (piece would you like to add): I wish I had my grandmother's passport. She moved to France in the 1950s. It was a difficult time for her, isolated with her young son, my father, in an unfamiliar place, unable to speak the language.

Why (do you love them): My own passport has always been a prized possession; it

represents freedom, possibility, adventure. I like imagining why these women were

traveling at a time when women weren't "supposed" to go roaming about, and certainly not unescorted. Their passports give tantalizing hints.

Which (one is your favourite) & why: I honestly cannot choose a favorite.

What (else do you collect): I take photos of informational and warning signs that show

that little guy, Stick Figure Man, and all his adventures. He's a secret agent, I'm sure of it. I'm compiling a dossier.

.......................


thanks so very much, momerath! what a wonderful part of our liberating history you're collecting.

on your cyber travels, be sure to visit this collectors' shop, too, where adventures await at every turn! it's an eco-friendly a trip into the wonderful world of the stickman and his endlessly crazy capers.


Here's to adventuring, nicies!

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with thanks to etsy, the storque + my favourite dress!

oh the festive festive season of entertaining and celebrating is upon us!
yay!

need some inspiration in the kitchen?
another fun installment of the new Etsy storque series :: the collectors:: launched today... yay!

with guest curator, ME!

and this one features the fabulous myfavouritedress who shares with us her GORGEOUS vintage kitchenware collection - one i'd adore having myself!
(i heart vintage pyrex indeed!)

as you might remember, the etsy series is based on my own :: collections series:: from here on my little rikrak studio blog! be sure to visit today's post on Etsy, and if you can, leave cheers for the wonderful claire & her fantastic collection . yay kitschy kitchenware!

and many thanks to etsy, & vanessa @ the wonderful storque, too!

have a fascinating collection you might like to share with us?
please be sure to let me know! thanks!

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collections: with boopsie daisy

i just love seeing what folks are collecting. i guess i kind of feel it tells us just a little bit about what inspires them, what they love, and what they choose to surround themselves with in their home. today, i'm delighted to present the next in the rikrak studio's collections series: 11 & a 1/2 quick questions with a wonderful artist on what they're collecting, (apart from their art supplies! ) ... this article first appeared in my new *the collectors* series, based on these posts, on Etsy's blog, the storque! hope you'll just love this ooey-gooey halloweenie fun: pez dispensers with the fabulous boopsie daisy!


Oh October!
How I love you! And i just adore this collection, too! Like Halloween, BoopsieDaisy’s Pez dispensers showcase an appreciation of nostalgia, a love of whimsy, a panache for color, and a celebration of…candy! Delightful! So join me as we skip hand-in-hand down Gumdrop Lane and revel in the sugar-covered sweet sweet joy of collecting!

...............................

Who (are you?): Missy Munday of Boopsiedaisy

What (are you collecting?): Pez Dispensers

When (did you start?): Seven years ago

How (many do you have?): 209 at last count

Where (do you find them) and (do you keep them?): Yard sales, thrift stores, flea markets & souvenir shops. I keep them in our dining room.

What (piece would you like to add?): The two that top my wish list are Snow White and Frankenstein, the original 60's versions.

Why (do you love them?): Besides that they double as delicious, colorful wall candy, they're instantly recognizable as collectible, totally timeless, and seem to beckon back to a time that was simpler. Plus they spoonfeed you candy.

Which (one is your favorite?): It's sort of a three-way toss-up between Gargamel (for looks), the vintage clown (my rarest) and the vintage witch (which has sentimental value).

What (else do you collect): Too much to list, really, but primarily different editions of Snow White and Alice in Wonderland books, dolls, Wizard of Oz merch, Muppets stuff, vintage valentines and squeak toys, and anything relating to Drew Barrymore.

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Like her delicious and fun-filled collection, Missy’s brilliant shop is genuine eye candy for the soul. Just a moment savoring her sweet and sugar-coated, tantalizing and gasp-worthy, rainbow-sprinkled handmade world, promises to banish the grayest day and delight your senses!

Her enchanting and whimsical creations have captured the wide-eyed imagination of many, and it’s with holding-my-breath delight that I tune in on a daily basis to see what fantastical new fairy tales she’s crafted in her vivid life and work. What a joy!

Thanks so much, lovely BoopsieDaisy! Wishing you all the sweetest of days!

What do you collect? I’d love to hear! Please post in the comments below!

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with thanks: to etsy, the storque + boopsie daisy!

need some fun in your day? grey rainy weather got you down?

here's the tonic!
another fun installment of the new Etsy storque series :: the collectors:: launched today... yay!

with guest curator, ME!

and this one features the fabulous boopsie daisy, who brings sunshine and joy to the world with her rainbow-sparkling arts & crafts, and her fabulous & fun-filled collection!

as you might remember, the etsy series is based on my own :: collections series:: from here on my little rikrak studio blog! be sure to visit today's post on Etsy, and if you can, leave cheers for the wonderful boopsie daisy & her fantastic pez dispenser collection . yay candy!

many thanks to etsy, vanessa @ the wonderful storque & boopsie daisy herself!

have a fascinating collection you might like to share with us?
please be sure to let me know! thanks!

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with thanks: to Etsy, the storque & theme fragrance!

xanadu!

another fun installment of the new Etsy storque series :: the collectors:: launched today... yay!
with guest curator, ME!

as you might remember, the etsy series is based on my own :: collections series:: from here on my little rikrak studio blog! be sure to visit today's post on Etsy, and if you can, leave cheers for theme fragrance & her gorgeous bird object collection. yay birds!

many thanks to etsy, vanessa @ the wonderful storque & theme fragrance!

have a fascinating collection you might like to share with us?
please be sure to let me know! thanks!

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with thanks: to Etsy, the storque & the lovely chakrapennywhistle!

some wonderful news, nicies!

many thanks goes out to Etsy's fabulous blog, the Storque,

and it's webwonderwoman, vanessa!

yesterday, the first in the new Etsy storque feature:

the collectors, with guest curator: ....ME, launched.

it's a fun new Etsy series based on my own rikrakstudio series: collections!

we started things off with the ever-wonderful chakrapennywhistle!
{thanks for sharing, lovely!}

please be sure to visit the post over on etsy, and cheer on (i.e. leave a funfun comment!) the new series! the first highlights the wonderful chakrapennywhislte's fabulous collection of vintage 8mm video cameras!

thanks so much, Etsy & Vanessa & chakrapennywhistle!

i'm thrilled to be part of the fun!

you can catch the rest of my collections series here,

featuring fabulous artists and what they collect, aside from art supplies!

have a fascinating collection you might like to share with us?

please be sure to let me know!

thanks nicies!

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