buzzville

decole goodness!

I've been lucky to meet Madeline through this blog, and to occasionally compare notes with her on the ins and outs of doing a Japanese import business. But, I've been such a slacker that I've always missed out on ordering stuff from Colorful Cute - that is, until now! I got the most amazing package of goodness in the mail today:

yes - hedgehogs!

mmmmmm - milk!

a complete tea set! includes teapot, strainer, cup, and lid!

and, of course, the incomparable little red riding hood!

Thanks Madeline! Such amazing goodies - and shipped super fast, too!

Now, you may be wondering why I'm buying Japanese cute stuff after just having returned from Japan. Well, there are a few reasons:

1. we were so busy doing superbuzzy stuff, we really didn't have much time for "fun" shopping - sad but true!
2. I was saving all the extra space in my luggage for bolts of fabric and stuff for the shop!
3. The cute stuff isn't all located in one place. We would see bits here and there, but we never saw the entire Decole or Cram Cream line in one spot. The best selection we saw was on the ground floor of the Yuzawaya in Kichijoji (thanks again Kat!) - lots of Cram Cream!

Now, that's not to say that there isn't the perfect shop for all this stuff somewhere, but if there is one, I don't know about it! Kiddyland is amazing - 5 floors of toys and cute stuff - but it was more focused on Sanrio, San-X, vinyl toys, licensed goods (lots of Ed Emberley, Miffy, Moomin, etc.), and stationery type stuff. Kiddyland is definitely worth a stop, but I wouldn't count on finding much Decole and Cram Cream there. I did buy cute stuff, and I'm terribly late in showing it all off (coming soon!), but I didn't see any of the stuff from Colorful Cute while I was in Japan!

Speaking of cute, is it really awful to have my daughter do our advertising for us?!? She doesn't seem to mind - really!

am I the only magazine fanatic out there?

I'm guessing I'm not, given how often other folks are posting about fun magazine stuff, but sometimes I wonder... As Jerry is quick to point out, sometimes my piles beget more piles which then seem to breed and beget more piles... of magazines. It's something I'm trying to get a handle on, but there's just something about those shiny, fresh issues filled with beautifully styled photos of things inspirational, yummy, and covetable. It was a no-brainer when Adriana made a call out for the magazine swap - of course I wanted to join in! I was thrilled to find out that I was matched up with Magni in Norway, especially because we both share a love of modern design and crafting, and we both love to make things for our little ones.

Here is the incredible collection Magni sent:

great home & lifestyle magazine filled with beautiful homes, furniture and accessories

an incredible magazine featuring Bunad - the traditional Norwegian dress. It's so cool to see these beautifully crafted (both antique and contemporary) examples of bunad - they're incredibly elaborate and are obviously instant heirlooms.

Elle Interiors - I'm always amazed at the difference between the US and various European versions of the magazine... my taste is much more in tune with what's popular in Europe!

This is a great magazine filled with great recipes, cute sewing and embellishing projects, and other fun crafty ideas. It's similar in its breadth to Martha Stewart Living, and there's lots of potential in there for future projects.

Magni was such a sweetie - she also sent me this vintage pattern book that was her grandmother's! It includes sewing and knitting patterns, and some very cool, retro projects. I'm especially excited about a wall hanging they made using fabric squares cut with pinking shears...

I was totally spoiled in this swap, and I hope that Magni is happy with her goods. Of course, she's got a few other things on her mind at the moment - she just got married! Huge congratulations and thanks to Magni, and thanks also to Adriana for setting up the swap!

Check out results from more magazine swappers!

And, while I'm on the topic of magazines, I was thrilled to see Rosa's incredible dolls featured in the July issue of Interior Design magazine - one of the premier trade publications for interior designers! It's *so* exciting for me to see fellow bloggers reach the mainstream! Congratulations Rosa!

love and goodness from Japan!

Mariko is the ultimate source for all things good and crafty, so it's no surprise that she turned me on to the Gimme Your Stuff "cultural exchange blog". Not surprisingly, I immediately searched for any bloggers up for a swap from Japan, and awesome Anjali was willing to swap with me! We agreed on a budget and theme (notions & treats!), and we both went out shopping. My package arrived early this week, crammed with fun, kawaii goodies she picked out especially for me! Here's a picture of (some of) the loot (I just can't seem to find the sweet treats anywhere... I wonder where they've gotten to?!?):

I love how all the trims are packaged onto a little piece of cardboard and tied with string... reminds me of all the careful yet casual styling in so many of my Japanese craft books. Anjali did an amazing job of picking for me - plenty of cute and fun to last me quite a while! Did you notice the "I am sitting" and "I am drinking" trims? Too much!

Anyway, the swap was a total success at my end, and I hope Anjali enjoys the goodies I sent her way just as well. Now I'm wondering if I should stalk someone else for another round...

Love from Belgium...

Sounds as if it could be a Bond film, don't you think? Well, this time, I was 007 getting all the love from the uber-sweet Didine. Despite the best efforts of the Belgian postal service, her fantastic package made it to California and was quickly disassembled here. Check out the amazing goodies:

No, your eyes are not deceiving you... not only did she send all these lovely fabrics, but she also made a custom tissue holder for me with my name on it! That means that I can legitimately wrench this out of anyone else's hands, yelling "it's mine, all mine"!!!!

But wait, there's more:

a beautiful blank book, some gorgeous pink floral cards, Yoshitomo Nara postcards, 2 buttons (which now apparently belong to Brynne), and this incredible craft book that describes how to use ink from walnuts to create some cool effects. The funny coincidence is that our neighbor has an old walnut tree that drops loads of walnuts in our yard each year - I have all the materials I need!

It's been great getting some fun swap packages in the mail lately... I was under a self-imposed swap moratorium for a little while because I was so over-extended, but I've been easing into a few things here and there, and it's so great to be getting fun surprises in the mail again. Thanks Didine for being so sweet and generous with this package - everything is perfect!

mail from across an ocean!

There's really nothing quite as fun as good mail, right? ... especially when that mail comes from a far away place! I had a lovely package show up in my mailbox yesterday from Portugal, home of so many fantastically talented crafty women. This particular package was sent by Hilda as part of our May Project Spectrum postcard swap. Check out the fantastic goods:

She made this gorgeous hand-appliqued postcard of the woman and stitched it all to this great burlap-like fabric (only it's not rough and scratchy, but soft and natural)! She also included a packet of her beautiful printed bird postcards that I can share with the world! Look - even the back of her appliqued postcard is incredible:

I feel so loved! Thanks Hilda for this beautiful piece of original artwork! Viva crafty mail!

pajama party...

Are all good things made in Australia? I'm starting to wonder about all the fabulous stuff coming from down under lately... We got a fantastic package in yesterday's mail:

from my dear bloggy friend Alison! I knew that something was on its way, but I had no idea that she had completely outdone herself with this pair of beautiful (look at those fabrics!) pajamas for Brynne!

As you can see, Brynne is quite thrilled with her gift, and I think she may wear the pajamas non-stop until they stand up on their own! I've discovered her standing in front of the mirror, admiring herself, and she says: "I'm so cute!". Indeed!

Alison has such a talent with combining prints, and this set is no exception... beautifully put together and such fun patterns for us to enjoy. And yes, Alison also sent the adorable kangaroo hand puppet and some chocolate. hmmm, now where did that chocolate get to...?

The fuzzy little kangaroo is well loved, and we've spotted interspecific kisses being exchanged:

We all know this, of course, but blog friendships are so wonderful and unique. Alison has been a fantastic, far-away friend, and I'm so grateful to have "met" her. Thanks Alison for thinking of us, and for taking the time to make something special with your own hands.

A new friend arrives!

Lisa has been making fantastic things forever, but I always missed out on her creations for one reason or another. I was finally able to snatch up some of her incredible handmade goodness, and this fantastic modbird, who we've named Ingrid, has arrived to her destined home!

She fits right in with our bright green bedroom scheme, and she also seems right at home with a bit of Jonathan Adler by her feet. Thanks Lisa! We love her!

Bloggy Goodness Abounds!

You know, it's really amazing - in over a year of blogging, I've gotten nothing but amazing support, wonderful new friends, and the most incredible inspiration a wanna-be crafter could ever hope for. Until now. Today I received my very first negative and somewhat inflammatory comment to one of my posts, and while I'm actually quite pleased that something I wrote inspired someone to speak out, I'm also somewhat in shock! Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later!

What I *really* wanted to post about today is the majority of what is out there in this burgeoning craft-o-sphere - the goodness! I was lucky enough to snag one of the subscriptions to Amy's super cool (yes, super cool is the phrase I was looking for!) mailorder project. I experienced such giddy excitement when that treasured red envelope arrived in the mail. I was even more excited (sorry dearest husband!) when I realized that the package provided a fantastic excuse to go and purchase new crafting tools... behold:

I finished this a little while ago, but I'm thrilled to share my completed first project, the birthday calendar:

and, as is warranted for completing said project, the first merit badge:

It's really hard to explain how happy this stuff makes me, so huge thanks to Amy for giving me something I didn't even know I wanted!

And there is so much of this good stuff around lately - fantastic tutorials, resources and inspiration, free patterns, thought provoking posts, and of course, more inspiration than I can possibly keep up with! I'm really hoping to get out of the slump I've been in for a little while, and hopefully give something back to all of you who continue to be so generous.

feeling very loved!

Before I write anything else, I want to send a huge thank you to all of you who commented or emailed in response to my last post. The outpouring of suggestions and support was so wonderful, and was just what I needed! I'm feeling much better now, and Brynne and I have had a couple of good days together - more of the giggles and fun and less of the power struggles and tantrums. It's sometimes hard living in this place (which I really and truly love!) without any friends other than my hubby; but, it's so reassuring to know that if I need a little boost, I can draw on my blog friends for support, kind words, and virtual hugs! Thank you all, really and truly!

Even more love came my way through the mail... Amy (of amyville fame) sent me a fantastic swap package for one of the little deer I sent her way. Can you believe all the goodness?!?

She sent 3 adorable fabrics from the Max & Nobie Tiny Town line - these are so cute and sweet! Then there's the most incredible vintage crocheted hand puppet kit!!! These are going to be so fun to make - can you seen the little embroidered details on their clothing? She also sent some incredible Karabella Aurora 8 yarn in the softest, sweetest color - what do you all think I should knit/crochet out of that? A great set of tiny origami papers was also in the package - and I mentioned to Amy that we've actually been showing Brynne some *very* simple paper folding techniques - so I know we're going to have a lot of fun with these. And of course, the icing on the cake, or the cherry on top, is some genuine amyville merchandise - 4 stitchmarkers (or zipper pulls) - one black olive and three green olives with pimento! I know I've said this before, but her attention to detail and perfection in these tiny pieces is amazing! Thanks Amy! buzzville loves amyville!

thanks to all!

I'm quite tardy in mentioning some amazing things that have been arriving in my mailbox. Here's a quick rundown...

I ordered this incredible zippered pouch from Nordic Section - yes, it has pom poms and a birdhouse charm!

Then the amazingly gifted and creative Sarah sent a suprise gifty of her fun and incredibly functional Crafty Recipe Idea Cards! Have you seen her Stick Family Portraits yet?!? Totally fab!

Mariko was an incredible swap buddy, and she made me this cute tote bag in exchange for the little reindeer I offered up before Christmas. Can you believe this fabric - snails and mushrooms?!?

Last, but certainly not least, Rose sent this incredible little package of goodies as a swap for her little deer. Can you believe she made this incredibly cute little stuffed deer?!? Oh, the patience required to make softies at a small scale... and she also sent the Denyse Schmidt Dots and Jots correspondence set, a beautiful piece of Kaffe Fassett's beach ball fabric, and some Japanese twill tape printed with little kawaii houses and critters!

I love when craftiness comes to the mailbox! Thanks everyone!