Be green(er)

Happy Earth Day!

It seems that everyone nowadays is trying their best to be a little bit greener. With Blend Creations, we try and use off-cut materials whenever possible, we recycle all of our scraps, and part of the reason we chose to work with stainless steel was because it is both a recycled and recyclable material.

I think having a child makes you want to be a better environmentalist, if for no other reason than when they're an angry teenager, you can honestly say, "hey, we tried to do what we could!".

Ever since Jack was a wee little baby, he's been at least part-time in cloth diapers -- we use Fuzzi Bunz on him and they've worked quite well.

I got to thinking how if Jack was in cloth diapers, that perhaps I should try and do a little bit more myself in terms of the female equivalent of over-used paper-products. (Guys, I can understand if you want to skip a post about menstrual products).

I'd seen LunaPads before in Bitch magazine, and after being reminded of them again at Arbour (an environmental shop here in Ottawa), I decided to give them a try and I ordered the Deluxe kit in the mixed light fabrics. My first thought when I received them in the mail? "Oooh they're pretty."



And normally, who thinks that about menstrual products?

The "extra" work with these reusable pads is minimal -- just a cold rinse before putting them in the wash, which isn't really "extra" work if you're already used to washing cloth diapers. The LunaPads FAQ is here. I wholeheartedly give them my thumbs-up and it's nice that they're a Canadian company too!

A wee post

Inspiration comes from so many sources, and as a designer, I can truthfully say that sometimes, what I've done I've thought to be original and mine, but in essence borrows so much from what I've seen that it has seeped into my unconscious mind. If the ideas are too similar to someone else's, then it gets shelved until something can be done to actually make it "mine" -- through an improvement or my own interpretation.

It is also quite possible that an idea is so great that many people can simultaneously hit a very similar "Eureka!" point independently. With our products, we try very much to make sure that the things we produce don't infringe on anyone else's creative rights and it pains me when others do not share the same sort of respect.

Today, I was reading wee wonderfuls and my 'creative' side aches for Hillary Lang, because no one who has ever put in the time, thought, energy and most importantly heart into any sort of creative endeavour wants to see someone else take that creation and claim it, un-rightfully, as their own.



To be fair to the company that has produced the dolls, I know nothing about why/how they came to be. To an outside observer though, it just seems that the dolls shown just look remarkably similar to the patterns that were produced by Hillary Lang, that were never meant to be produced commercially without her consent.

I can only hope that that company will do what's right.

Indie baby

I'm sure other parents of young children will agree that anything that you can do to help your child sleep and stay sleeping is worth it. We follow a routine of bath, stories (yay for Sandra Boynton!) and into bed where the bed part involves having a projection mobile overhead, a fan, and this:



This sleep bag is from Antemille Inc., a small Canadian company that makes all sorts of baby bedding like receiving blankets, pillows and the like. We've had Jack in a sleep bag since he was done with being swaddled. I'm a big fan of sleep bags since they kept our monkey from standing up in his crib for the longest time (though not any more), but more so because I think he associates the sleep bag with, well, sleep. (And then there's the obvious benefit of not having him tangled up/stuck under blankets). I like these ones in particular since they're available in the 'Grande' size of 6-18 months and have designs that are cute without being fussy or tacky.

In an attempt to blog again

As you can see, the blogging on our site has been sporadic at best. And even then, the word 'sporadic' is probably too generous and should be replaced with 'rare' or 'once in a blue moon'.

It had been so long since the last posting, I'd forgotten the password to the blogger account. In fact, I'd not only forgotten the password, but I'd forgotten the actual username. Though, in part, that would be Google's fault :P since they took over blogger and I have two gmail accounts and that involved a mess of even finding the blog.

So that's a good way to make a short story long. What's been going on in the mean time? Well, I could say that we've been busy dreaming up new designs (we have, but they're a ways from being in production). I could also say that we've been busy filling orders (we were for a while after we re-stocked), but things are finally calming down a bit.

The reality is probably closer to being tired (comes with feeling like an often clueless first-time mom) and lazy (the perpetual to-do list is hard to tackle) and the idea of updating the blog falls somewhere after the idea of maybe vacuuming under the desk now and then. That, and Facebook and reading cupcake blogs seemed to be a better way to use waste time most days.

So in the lull of finally feeling like we know what we're doing as parents, we've been slinging Jack around quite happily in the summer weather. Rather than exhaust all of what I might have to say for the next little while, I'll leave you all with a picture of Eric slinging Jack, and hopefully over the next bit, the blog posts will be rolling out once again :)



P.S. The sling is from Lucky Baby. Both Eric and I each have one (since they aren't adjustable) and Jack is quite content to be 'slung' around with his hippy parents since it lets him see the world from a higher perspective than from his stroller and we're quite happy with them as well :)

Inner geek treat

Pillowhead, (found via AsianBuzz, posted by Mimie) makes these awesome geeky little magnets with emoticons on them:



They'd be perfect for the geek in your life, and amazingly, they're HAND-embroidered little pillows. No machines, just two hands. Crazy. And $3.75 each. Or you can get lots and get a price break (like say a set of 6 for $16.50). Something I'm considering since we might as well geek up our fridge too!

And to boot, Angela, the girl behind Pillowhead is from Ottawa too. It IS a small world, after all. Check out the rest of her Etsy store for sachets and embroidered goods of all sorts.

Fellow indie designer: Plueys

I originally heard of Plueys through the Switchboards (a great forum for creative women in business -- lots of other indies, naturally). Plueys makes a fine selection of products all geared towards rainy days -- impressive products for a small business.

My favourite 'puddle stompers' are the Go Fish! boots ($55 US):


View the full selection of boots here. They've also got some cute little kid boots too for $21.


So if it's raining today in your neck of the woods, maybe something colourful will make it less grey?

Fellow Indie Designer: Happy Owl Glass

Waay back when, the first barter we did with another indie designer was with Tracy Bull of Happy Owl Glass. I jumped at the chance of a trade since I've loved Tracy's work since the very first time I'd ever seen it.

I have a couple of lovely pendants from her Badge Menagerie collection. The badges retail for $7US each, or you can have them as a pendant for $25.




Aside from the signature badges, I also love the owl nightlight ($35):


and the recently added Happy Owl t-shirts ($20). So cute!

Mmm... sushi

One of the (many) things I missed being able to eat while pregnant was sushi -- I mean real sushi with the raw fish and not the placate-the-craving-with-the-cooked-stuff kind that I was able to eat. Though, I do have to say that the Dynamic Rolls and some of the other special Maki at Sushi Time on Queen St. in Toronto are really freakin' good.

But I digress. This post is supposed to be about some cool sushi-inspired pillows. My brother and sister-in-law recently purchased these pillows and apparently they're just as cool in person.

The pillows are made by Cindy Tomm and Mel Maghuyop and sold on their site. These original sushi pillows make a good I-heart-sushi gift :), especially when they've got a fall sale going on.

My favourite is the Ebi Nigiri, for the shape of the shrimp ($35 US). (Yes, I realize this is a 'cooked' sushi -- the eating and the pillow-thing are different).


The rolls are pretty cool too.
Like this 'Flat California Roll' ($36):

You can see the full catalog here, and then go out for sushi.

Eee! Monsters!

As you may have surmised from previous posts, we do love our unusual plush around here. (As a side note, we've adopted a Woof Man since that post, though he prefers to be called by the name 'Logan' for some reason).

Eric recently came across Cotton Monster (via Modish) -- the work of quilt/monster maker Jennifer Strunge. Jennifer makes a range of monsters that vary in size and price (between $35US for a baby monster and $80 for a more grown-up one).





The monsters are all made with recycled clothes and linens. A much better use for a fleece that's been outgrown, I'd say.

Make sure you check out the Monster Care guide and the Cotton Monster blog. Jennifer's got images of some crazy big monsters there and other fabulous creations.

Fellow indie designer: Pink loves Brown

Pink loves Brown is the crafty/product side of designer Nicole Balch. Nicole is also the graphic designer for all those great Indie Finds ads (for which Blend Creations is part of)! Just in time for 'back to school', Nicole's got these artist's sets of 12 coloured pencils in a pretty cloth carrier for $32 US.




My other favourite Pink loves Brown products are these little pink paper suitcases, which apparently are perfect for kittens. Or stationery. Take your pick ;) The suitcases go for $20 for a set of two, or you can get a gift set with stationery for $32.




I checked though, and it turns out you can't get a paper suitcase with a kitten. :) Probably better that way because the shipping could be a problem!

Fellow indie designer: Fetopia

Fetopia is run by husband and wife team, Todd and Rachel out of Cincinnati, Ohio. It's one of those crazy little shops that takes a theme (fetos!) and runs wild with it ;) Basically, they sell polymer clay-sculpted fetuses that can be used as beads (or you can also get them without holes, as magnets or in the form of accessories).

I like some of the odd facts about their business:
1) More Fetos have been sold to individuals in Texas than in every other state combined. Roughly 1/3 of all orders filled are headed to Texas. and
2) The most requested fetus is the Spiney, or "Heather Graham" fetus.

Your basic Cletus Fetus starts at $0.50 for your basic fetus that measures about 1.5" w x 1.5" h.


Cletus the Fetus.

They've got an assortment of 'basic' fetuses, but then they go and get all fancy with their 'signature' collections: astrological signs, feti of the world, anipals, and my favorite, the celebrity-inspired Fetos.


Japanese feto with little tiny sushi!


Dylan the skunk.


Feto Gene Simmons (and the rest of KISS as well).

If you're looking for something unusual and definitely indie, Fetopia's worth a look. Certainly would make an unusual gift!

Fellow indie designer: Soapylove

Debbie Chialtas' Soapylove soaps need to be filed under the category "don't eat this, no matter how badly you want to". Now normally I wouldn't post about a product like soap unless I could appreciate its other qualities like it's smell and latherability or something useful because it is soap afterall. I make an exception in this case because Debbie makes popsicle-shaped soaps that actually smell like popsicles. Yum.

Like this "Orange You Cute" Soapsicle that smells like a creamsicle. It even has the creamy white filling that you can see from the bite that's missing from it:


Or this candy-like creation, the "Peace, Love, and Soapiness" Soapsicle.


The Soapsicles retail for $6 US each and I can see them being a fun gift to give or receive. There are many other soaps in the gallery. You can buy the soaps from Debbie's Etsy store:
The Soapylove Shop.

Pick your own pendant

Today we're revisiting the work of glassmaker and designer Izik Levy. You may remember this previous post about Izik's work.

Izik's just launched his new online store: Rockettoro, where he's selling these pretty glass vials that are meant for plucking a little blossom and wearing it around your neck:



They're $36US each and a nice way to have 'fresh' jewelry every day :)
I'll certainly be keeping an eye out on Rockettoro to see when Izik puts up new stuff!

Fellow indie designer: india*romeo

A little reminder that the August issue of the Blend Creations newsletter goes out today around noon EDT. If you're looking for incentive to join our newsletter, each one comes with an exclusive discount for subscribers.

Now onto our fellow indie: india*romeo. india*romeo is another fellow Indie Finds business. (If you haven't checked out Indie Finds, do it! There's lots of uh.. indies to find). india*romeo is based out of Raleigh, NC and run by the 'lovely-thing-maker' Ileana Rodriguez.

Ileana's got quite the product range with so many things to check out, including some fabulous skirts ($68 US):


Hair accessories (from $6.50)


And even a Pretty Paper Bird Mobile:


Oooh, or if you're hunting for a bargain, check out the 'Sale' page too!

Fellow indie designer: Little flower designs

I found Little Flower Designs through Indie Finds (where both Little Flower and Blend Creations are members!)

Little Flower Designs features the creative ceramic works of Linda Johnson. The first piece of Linda's that caught my eye was this pretty little hand-carved and hand-painted teacup ($30US):



Even better would be to pair some teacups with the matching teapot ($100):



We still have a spot o' tea in the evenings around here -- unless it's crazy humid and hot. If it's too hot for tea where you are, Linda also has sushi sets ($45):



It looks like Linda will be adding vases and bowls in the near future, so best check back to her site now and then to see what else she's been up to :)

Fellow indie designer: Mohop shoes

I've been a long-time admirer of Mohop shoes. Designer Annie Mohaupt is a former architect who now devotes herself full-time to her shoe company.

Last week I received my trade with Annie for my very own pair of Mohops!



(I actually got this 'Hibiscus' print on the square-toed 'Susanna' sole with the kitten heel).

They're quite easily the prettiest pair of shoes I ever owned. And I don't just mean, 'look how pretty they go with my outfit', I mean, they look so beautiful as a product that they could be shadow-boxed and displayed as art. :)

Unfortunately my current requirement of having to wear ugly orthopedic and highly-arch-supportive shoes has not allowed me to take my new Mohops out for a spin. So for a little while at least, my brand new Mohops will actually become art for all to see.

All of Annie's shoes retail for $150US, and if you're interested in owning your very own pair, she's got this sizing chart that you can print out to help you figure out your exact size. Once you get them, check out the guide on how to tie your Mohops to get a new look everyday.

When I'm feeling a little more ambitious, I think I'll try these:

Fellow indie designer: mi-SPA

I'd wash my mouth out with soap if I could be guaranteed that the soap I used tasted exactly like it smelled. :)

This week's fellow indie designer is Mimie Wong of mi-SPA. We recently did a little trade (yay trades!) and we're now washing in luxury. Upon opening Mimie's package, there was a deliciously clean smell.

Since we're in the middle of moving house (no fun!), we've only been able to try the Mango Ice Tea luxury soap so far.



It's a wonderfully subtle and fruity smell that puts me in a spa mood. And it also makes me want a mango bubble tea, but that's a whole other thing altogether. ;)

Once we're settled into the new place, I'm going to be trying Mimie's shampoo-mi bar and following it up with the conditioning hair rinse.




They both smell gooooood. There's something fun and luxurious about spa products!

The 'mi' in mi-SPA refers to "rice" in Chinese, since the products use rice bran oil/rice extracts along with other natural ingredients. Oh and hey, we received some wonderful little samples from mi-SPA which we'll be giving away with our orders while they last so you can all try some too.

Fellow indie designer: Girls' Night Out

I'm not really a girly-girl, but I do appreciate a funky purse, and fellow indie Holly Bedard and her company Girls' Night Out sure has some funky purses made with old cigar boxes.

The purses have a retro/vintage feel to them, with a velvet lining, and some of them even have a little mirror inside them -- like a jewelry box :)

My favorites are:
The Champagne Cocktail ($65 US):


And the Scarlett Fever ($65), with its bamboo handle:


Holly's full collection of cigar box purses can be seen here, and while you're at it make sure to check out some of her jewelry too!

A new little store to check out

In a past post, I've said how much I admire Lori Joy Smith's work. She's a talented illustrator who's originally from Ottawa (holla!) and now lives in Vancouver.

Well, she's now opened up her own little online store where she's got screen-printed plates,


shirts,


and hand-sewn greeting cards.


And if you go alll the way down to the bottom, you can inquire about commissions.

This:


was the painting that she did for us. It'll have a very special place in our new home. If you like Lori's style, I highly recommend getting a commisioned work since she's great to work with, and in the end you get such a personal piece of art. :)

Fellow indie designer: Sick on Sin

Just a quick reminder that today is the LAST DAY to enter our Blog Contest. You have until 11:59pm EDT to blog and send us an email to let us know you've entered.

I had to feature a Canadian fellow indie this week since Canada Day is tomorrow. Sick on Sin is based out of Toronto and they've got some really cute stuff.

They've just released their Canada Friends magnet set, for what else? Canada Day!


$10 CAD for five 1" magnets -- looove the beaver :) (They've also got a 3-button pack with the Canada Friends on them for $6).

Sick on Sin has a bunch of t-shirts for men, women, kids and pets!

Some of my favourite graphics are:
Brian, from the Orneryboy comics (available on a Men's T-shirt, $26)


Foxy (available on a Girly T, $26)


and this sweet little Elephant (available on a Kid's T, $24)


Very cute stuff overall -- go look.