easter::eggs!

make paper, make camera, make art

make!

make your own paper pin hole camera rubikon 2

[by jaroslav juřica]

{via yellowgoat}

Small Adventure::Showcase! and Giveaway!

Today is a very exciting day! 

I am very proud to be showcasing a new upcoming shop and craft venture, 

as well as the talent of two lovely ladies (who are creative geniuses might I add)!

And I am hosting a giveaway! Yay!

It is my pleasure to introduce to you,

--Small Adventure--

by Keiko Brodeur-Ward and Anna Hurley

What you can win!

reusable felt mailing envelope

If Only I Could Get To You Somehow Card & Monogrammed Heart Pin

A little bit about Small Adventure!
The following questions were answered by Keiko, the founder! :)

Tell us about yourself!
I started Small Adventure almost a year ago in response to all the awesome high quality crafts I was seeing on Etsy and the ingenuity and imagination people were putting into their ideas. I became very excited to try it myself since I've always loved making things. I started with some simple crafts like the elephants and button pins and am now trying to do both crafts and paper goods with the emphasis being mostly on the paper goods. Anna Hurley, who is a master designer, joined Small Adventure a few months ago and began adding her beautiful work to the shop. 

What inspires you to create the products you do? 

Anna and I both have similar taste and a love of old children's illustrations, graphic design and stories. We feel inspired and challenged to create a cohesive line of adventure-y themed products with a child-like feel to them. Although we are inspired by pretty much everything cool on the web there are a few particular Etsy shops that we have been extremely inspired by. Somethings Hiding In Here (etsy), Ninon (etsy), Nice (etsy), Forest Bound (etsy) and Darling Clementine (etsy) are just a few of those. There are also tons of awesome illustrators out there that have given us so many great ideas.

Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years With Your Craft Business?

First of all, we'd love to have a huge line of paper goods and a strong line of high quality crafts that are truly unique. We'd also love to exhibit at tons of different craft fairs, especially the Renegade Craft Fairs which we're trying to get into this year in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Another big goal I'd like to see us fulfill in the next 5 years (maybe?) is to go to the National Stationery Show in New York which would be so surreal! But ultimately no matter what we do, I'd like for us to be able to support ourselves with our business and continue making things that stretch our creativity.

Thank you Keiko and Anna for sharing with us! You both are so inspiring!

How to enter the giveaway!

{You can enter up to three times}

1. Visit Small Adventure's etsy shop and comment on this post with what your favorite item is!

2. Become a follower of "I art U" by clicking the "follow" button on the left hand side of this blog (easy entry if you are a blogspot user!) and comment to let me know if you already "follow" this blog or are a new follower!

3. Blog or Tweet about this giveaway and comment with a link from your post! 

(note: you may comment once stating the (one to three) ways you have entered, or leave separate comments for each entry!) If you have any questions, feel free to email me at iartu.jennifer@gmail.com!

The giveaway ends Tuesday, February 16 at 11:59 PM!
Comments left after this time will not be accepted.

Winner will be announced on February 17!

Alright, now it's your turn! Please spread the word and show Small Adventure some loooooooooooooove!!! :)
Comment away!

Good day, and Good luck!

♥!

j,

d.i.y. vday round-up!

so this year my husband and i are doing handmade gifts for valentine's day.

 i've been researching a lot of d.i.y. projects and stumbled across a few that i thought i'd share with you!

enjoy :)

hop on over to kind over matter for a FREE (yeah, that's right, i said free! :)
diy valentine papercut template! HOT.

from yours truly.

neil's flickr.

neil's blog.

chicken wire heart filled with pete moss.

{via}

a kiss in your pocket!

{via color me katie}

mini berry pies!

{via the o.a.o. martha}

necktie envelope(s)!

{via martha, again!}

super and simple sweet valentines.

(lip and moustache lollipops)

{via}

valentines LED display

(i would really LOVE to see someone make this! let me know if you do!!!)

{via!}

if you need wrapping paper...

beautiful lace wrapping paper.

{yes, again!}

yarn and fabric embellished paper valentines

{via}

recycled egg carton--->heart.

{via}

crayon heart valentines day card!
(sooooo cool!)

{via}

hope you enjoyed these!
good luck!

!make!

{via}

hello, weekend!

i had a much needed low-key weekend that included...

painting, 

pottery, 

home cookin',

sally loo loo's,

a mini photo shoot,

dear friends+delish indian grub!

and relaxing!

how was your weekend?!

thank you cards for haiti benefit participants {inspired by cocoagreen's haiti potato prints!}

asparagus, squash, and swiss chard frittata! (via)

and more to come on these lovely feet!

xoxo,

j!

haiti relief follow-up!

wow. i am really beyond words!

and my words will definitely fall short...

the sense of community was palpable on friday evening!

i've never felt anything like it.

a melting pot of 

artists, 

lovers, 

believers, 

designers,

musicians, 

students, 

friends,

families

bakers, 

photographers, 

crafters, 

(etc.!) 

gathered together to do what they could, to help a nation rise. 

the elements in the following pictures

 create a perfect and intoxicating concoction 

that make me weak in the knees!

they create warmth, hope, inspiration and fulfillment.

a feast for my senses and then some!

most importantly i was struck with an epiphany. 

for once i deeply grasped what we as people should be doing...

and how we as a community should be living and loving! 

(photo by mike young)

a HUGE thank you goes out to each and every one of you who participated in this event!
whether you donated your time, talent, and efforts or just attended the benefit, it could not have been possible without each and every one of you!
collectively, we raised approximately $4000 for this event!!!
it was wildly successful and a powerful fulfillment of our vision as a community!

here is a sweet video summary created by the mustang daily!


special thanks go out to:
{please let me know if i left someone off of the list!}
jen and brandon manuele
sally loo
all the workers at sally loo's!
members of slo refuge
all of the talented face painters!
dan and jodie davies
travis adelman

the wells family
pacheco kindergartners and daria hernandez

mary o'neill

craig van rooyen

heidi shelton

mo

jim ringley

adela soo

neal breton

sharon burnett

andy padre
yvonne macias

ashley kitto
becca flaiz
michael young and tommy panigot of le grand cru
shannon and jesse moore
matt cross
amy williams
adam pasion
crooked wheel
sierra chavez
black water union
josh collins
jon gallo and alicia baratta
talia ortega