Robots on my Mind

This week has been a week for robots.  My almost 12 year old son was attending a camp all this week where they learned to build robots that could navigate a maze.  The robots were made out of Legos and used Mindstorms software to make it move. 

 I also finished a collection based on one of my favorite drawings.  It's one of my favorites because I used shapes I ordinarily don't use, colors I ordinarily don't prefer and subject matter rather than abstraction and it came out really cool. 

The way I like to design is to take pieces and parts of a picture and make a new design from it.  Like this:

Or this:

See if you can spot which bits I used.  And if you are burning with curiosity you can check out the whole collection of Robots and Rectangles.

Red Hot Valentine's Day Goodies

In one month, it's going to be Valentine's Day, and when I think of Valentines I think of RED!  Some people think that this holiday is only about mass marketing--but it doesn't have to be.  For the people who are special and unique in your life, you don't have to settle for gifts that are cheaply produced and sold in every chain store.  Gifts from your heart require creativity and thought--so you're in luck.  Etsy is chock full of people who use their creativity and thought every day to make their stores really special. These featured items are either handmade or handpicked vintage pieces that are available right now to get you thinking about how to suprise all your sweeties.   So without further ado, please enjoy!

Wear this adorable red nautical dress from Nou Nou Vintage when delivering your valentines.  I love these handmade ones from Studio Haus. These love notes are personal, totally unique and very reasonably priced.  What's not to love about that?

No ensemble is complete without the right accessories!  These sparkly red Swarovski crystal hearts from Jay Behrle and adorable red love bracelet by ZaneyMay could be a gift for someone special, or  for you if you drop the right hints...

Valentine's Day is only once a year, but you can feel fun flirty at anytime with this fluffy handbag by Gladraggz. 

Hang a dash of romance in your house year round with this cute country hug and kiss garland by PACountryCrafts.

Not everyone is into mushy romantic Valentine's Day things.  No problem--you can still share the love!  These robots by DesignLab443 have a sneaky heart on the back and  a secret zipper to hide a love note, a candy kiss or two, or a sweet (but not sugary!) present like these pink and red skull magnets from FiveFootFury13.

No Valentine's Day would be complete without a heart shaped candy dish and this vintage piece by Heliopsis fits the bill perfectly.  Where else are you going to put your Conversation Hearts?  Or better yet, you can stash those earrings and bracelet to wear again!

Thanks for looking!