Journaling

Considered a mindful practice, journaling has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. It can also be a check-in tool at times when we feel unbalanced and unmotivated. Most of all, it’s a way of staying creative and being present.

Instagram inspiration: Menw Hurkens

The owner of Etsy store Rippels Paperhugger, Hurkens celebrates all things paper, highlighting the joyful practice of journaling. Based in the Netherlands, Hurkens’ Instagram is filled with the kind of journaling inspiration that will get your creative juices flowing.

Embroidery

The past year has seen a steady rise in embroiderers, and it’s easy to see why. Embroidery is a great and relatively cheap way to pass the time, and the end result makes for a great decoration. From embroidered wall hangings to quilts, they are elegant works of art.

Instagram inspiration: Liz Stiglets

“Let’s all slow down, get cozy, get crafty,” reads Liz Stiglets’ Instagram bio, which sounds like a perfect plan for quarantine.  The owner of cozyblue, Siglets believes that small, simple acts of creativity can make the world a calmer, happier place.

Hand Lettering

Hand lettering can be very meditative and relaxing. It also doesn’t cost much and the possibilities are endless! You can create custom birthday and thank you cards for family and friends, design typography prints to hang in your living room, or you can upgrade that journal you just started.

Instagram inspiration: Lauren Fitzmaurice

Watching Lauren Fitzmaurice’s lettering videos on Instagram can be relaxing in and of itself. Luckily for us, she also passes her knowledge onto others, by sharing her work on Instagram and teaching online classes. Her toolbox includes pointed pens, gouache, Tombow brush pens, and watercolor brushes.

The post 3 Unique Hobbies to Try During Quarantine appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With a background in textile and industrial design, Choedamphai enjoys experimenting with different materials, colors, and textures, combining different techniques such as watercolor, paper folding, and collage. “I’ve been making things since I was a child because my mom was always encouraging us,” she relayed in an interview with the Etsy blog. “Even if she was just baking, she might give us a little bit of dough so we could make our own version of bread. Now, I can’t not be making things, so of course, I have lots of supplies in my studio, and after a while, I started selling them along with my own designs.”

According to Choedamphai, it all started in April 2012, when she made a dinosaur pop-up card for her 3-year-old nephew who absolutely loved it. She went on to launch her business in July 2012, while still living in Oxford, UK, working from her bedroom and garden shed. Having moved back to her home town in Thailand, she decided to expand this business and added a range of carefully selected craft supplies and handmade hair accessories.

“I’ve always been drawn to textures and love running my hands over them,” says Choedamphai. “Generally, I won’t use a material if I don’t like how it feels, and I’m very picky.” According to Choedamphai, the handmade paper in Thailand, made from mulberry tree bark, has a rich texture to it – the sort of perfect imperfections she’s drawn to when choosing her materials.

Below you find some of the products she offers in her shop:

The post Looking for Ways to Fill Up the Time? Why Not Try Crafting appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“My work is a bit retro, twisted, fun, colorful, nerdy, and cute (but in questionable taste),” she relayed in an interview with Frankie. “Luckily I usually make what I want. And I hope my work can make people smile!”

Amongst her more notable creations are her soft sculptures (but don’t call them toys!) featuring realistic and imagined creatures. Those have been exhibited in galleries in the US, Australia, and Japan, and are featured in books and magazines, as well as commissioned for Adobe Creative Cloud event in NYC, and a New York Times web campaign.

“It takes a long time to make a needle-felted piece,” Mizushima admits, “especially for me (I’m a slow crafter). It has also crippled me! (Seriously, I have been having a problem in my shoulder and arm for months!)” Some of her felt creations and prints can be found on her Etsy shop.

Other than her sculptures, Mizushima has also been commissioned for many music videos for the band They Might Be Giants, and has made miniature collages for several book covers in Japan. “When I started to work on my second stop-motion music video for They Might Be Giants in 2007, I needed to make needle-felted characters and props for the first time,” she recalled. “That’s when I found out that I really love to make 3D stuff with wool fibre, so I started making more, and then I opened my Etsy shop. If I hadn’t got the video job, I probably wouldn’t have started needle-felting.”

Take a look at some of her work in the gallery below:

The post The Soft Sculptures of Hiné Mizushima appeared first on PlayJunkie.

According to Chiao, they treat natural and synthetic materials as equal sources of inspiration. “We might agree that the spectrum of natural versus artificial is continuous,” she says. “Nature is really a construction of the human mind in a way, maybe designed as a way to separate ourselves as humans from the natural world. But in reality, we are a part of it. So a lot of the things that we’re attracted to come from the ‘man-made’ or ‘utilitarian’ world versus the ‘natural’ world. So they’re two descriptors that we use but they often flow into each other.”

“If we ever copy nature we generally fail, but if we use it as a starting point it leads to something more unique in the end,” notes Frezza. Play and craft are also important elements in their work. “Play means giving ourselves permission to do whatever we want and craft means the editors in us coming out and mediating the making process,” explains Frezza. “But play and craft are in constant flux in our practice,” he adds.

Founded in 2011 and based in New York City, the two have exhibited their collaborative work in solo exhibitions in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, in numerous group shows around the US, and in a variety of art and design venues internationally. And with more than 35k fans on Instagram, they’re making quite a splash both offline and online. See for yourself:

The post A Colorful Mess: Artist Duo Experiments with Different Materials appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A 100% self-taught artist, she says that making something from nothing with your hands is one of the most gratifying feelings you can have. “After being a lifetime appreciator of the arts, I never considered myself an artist,” she admits. “I used to think an artist was only someone that could paint or draw. I know now that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The creative world is vast and there is room for everyone.”

Her inspiration comes from walks around her neighborhood and garden visits. “Some of the best gardens I’ve ever seen are in Capitol Hill,” she told Ballpitmag. “I also have easy access to the National Botanic Garden, the Arboretum and I have family in Pennsylvania where I can go to Longwood Gardens a few times a year. Seeing a flower in real life is what triggers my creativity and desire to recreate it in paper.”

According to Paluska, flowers are the sort of natural glue that keeps us connected to where we came from and where we’re going. Take a look at some of her paper gardens in the gallery below.

The post Emily Paluska’s Paper Flowers Are in Full Bloom appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Although I’ve always loved art, I didn’t have any particular interest in textile arts when I was growing up, nor did I have any close relatives who did,” she admitted in an interview with Textile Artist. “When I started sewing near the end of my degree it was the first time I’d picked up a needle in years and I didn’t really know what I was doing with it. But I have always loved to draw and spent a lot of time drawing animals and exploring nature, and I think I’ve come back round to this in my current work.”

Originally from Buckinghamshire, and currently living and working in York, Giordano has been hard at work since graduating in 2011. As her work is freehand there is no prior pattern, meaning she works from her own drawings that have been created using a combination of reference and imagination. And with clients that include Penguin, Vintage Books, Bloomsbury, Liberty, and a range of private clients – her original work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I think I fell in love with the tactile nature of sewing and working with fabric, but I don’t regret any of the hours spent drawing as it informs how I work now,” she says. “I find I get a sense of satisfaction from working with textiles that I never had with 2D mediums.”

Working on unbleached calico that she dyes by hand, as well as single strands of sewing thread (either cotton or polyester), Giordano’s designs are drawn onto the fabric with a vanishing fabric marker.

“I’m always a bit torn between referring to my work as ‘illustration’ or ‘embroidery’,” she says, “having gone into it with the mindset of an illustrator and having no background in traditional crafts, and yet I spend too much time playing around with fabric and sewing needles to feel I can entirely say I’m an illustrator – but I like to think that’s what people find interesting about my art, that it is in a space between embroidery and painting.”

The post Chloe Giordano’s Art is at a Crossroads Between Embroidery and Illustration appeared first on PlayJunkie.

Journaling

Considered a mindful practice, journaling has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. It can also be a check-in tool at times when we feel unbalanced and unmotivated. Most of all, it’s a way of staying creative and being present.

Instagram inspiration: Menw Hurkens

The owner of Etsy store Rippels Paperhugger, Hurkens celebrates all things paper, highlighting the joyful practice of journaling. Based in the Netherlands, Hurkens’ Instagram is filled with the kind of journaling inspiration that will get your creative juices flowing.

Embroidery

The past year has seen a steady rise in embroiderers, and it’s easy to see why. Embroidery is a great and relatively cheap way to pass the time, and the end result makes for a great decoration. From embroidered wall hangings to quilts, they are elegant works of art.

Instagram inspiration: Liz Stiglets

“Let’s all slow down, get cozy, get crafty,” reads Liz Stiglets’ Instagram bio, which sounds like a perfect plan for quarantine.  The owner of cozyblue, Siglets believes that small, simple acts of creativity can make the world a calmer, happier place.

Hand Lettering

Hand lettering can be very meditative and relaxing. It also doesn’t cost much and the possibilities are endless! You can create custom birthday and thank you cards for family and friends, design typography prints to hang in your living room, or you can upgrade that journal you just started.

Instagram inspiration: Lauren Fitzmaurice

Watching Lauren Fitzmaurice’s lettering videos on Instagram can be relaxing in and of itself. Luckily for us, she also passes her knowledge onto others, by sharing her work on Instagram and teaching online classes. Her toolbox includes pointed pens, gouache, Tombow brush pens, and watercolor brushes.

The post 3 Unique Hobbies to Try During Quarantine appeared first on PlayJunkie.

With a background in textile and industrial design, Choedamphai enjoys experimenting with different materials, colors, and textures, combining different techniques such as watercolor, paper folding, and collage. “I’ve been making things since I was a child because my mom was always encouraging us,” she relayed in an interview with the Etsy blog. “Even if she was just baking, she might give us a little bit of dough so we could make our own version of bread. Now, I can’t not be making things, so of course, I have lots of supplies in my studio, and after a while, I started selling them along with my own designs.”

According to Choedamphai, it all started in April 2012, when she made a dinosaur pop-up card for her 3-year-old nephew who absolutely loved it. She went on to launch her business in July 2012, while still living in Oxford, UK, working from her bedroom and garden shed. Having moved back to her home town in Thailand, she decided to expand this business and added a range of carefully selected craft supplies and handmade hair accessories.

“I’ve always been drawn to textures and love running my hands over them,” says Choedamphai. “Generally, I won’t use a material if I don’t like how it feels, and I’m very picky.” According to Choedamphai, the handmade paper in Thailand, made from mulberry tree bark, has a rich texture to it – the sort of perfect imperfections she’s drawn to when choosing her materials.

Below you find some of the products she offers in her shop:

The post Looking for Ways to Fill Up the Time? Why Not Try Crafting appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“My work is a bit retro, twisted, fun, colorful, nerdy, and cute (but in questionable taste),” she relayed in an interview with Frankie. “Luckily I usually make what I want. And I hope my work can make people smile!”

Amongst her more notable creations are her soft sculptures (but don’t call them toys!) featuring realistic and imagined creatures. Those have been exhibited in galleries in the US, Australia, and Japan, and are featured in books and magazines, as well as commissioned for Adobe Creative Cloud event in NYC, and a New York Times web campaign.

“It takes a long time to make a needle-felted piece,” Mizushima admits, “especially for me (I’m a slow crafter). It has also crippled me! (Seriously, I have been having a problem in my shoulder and arm for months!)” Some of her felt creations and prints can be found on her Etsy shop.

Other than her sculptures, Mizushima has also been commissioned for many music videos for the band They Might Be Giants, and has made miniature collages for several book covers in Japan. “When I started to work on my second stop-motion music video for They Might Be Giants in 2007, I needed to make needle-felted characters and props for the first time,” she recalled. “That’s when I found out that I really love to make 3D stuff with wool fibre, so I started making more, and then I opened my Etsy shop. If I hadn’t got the video job, I probably wouldn’t have started needle-felting.”

Take a look at some of her work in the gallery below:

The post The Soft Sculptures of Hiné Mizushima appeared first on PlayJunkie.

According to Chiao, they treat natural and synthetic materials as equal sources of inspiration. “We might agree that the spectrum of natural versus artificial is continuous,” she says. “Nature is really a construction of the human mind in a way, maybe designed as a way to separate ourselves as humans from the natural world. But in reality, we are a part of it. So a lot of the things that we’re attracted to come from the ‘man-made’ or ‘utilitarian’ world versus the ‘natural’ world. So they’re two descriptors that we use but they often flow into each other.”

“If we ever copy nature we generally fail, but if we use it as a starting point it leads to something more unique in the end,” notes Frezza. Play and craft are also important elements in their work. “Play means giving ourselves permission to do whatever we want and craft means the editors in us coming out and mediating the making process,” explains Frezza. “But play and craft are in constant flux in our practice,” he adds.

Founded in 2011 and based in New York City, the two have exhibited their collaborative work in solo exhibitions in New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, in numerous group shows around the US, and in a variety of art and design venues internationally. And with more than 35k fans on Instagram, they’re making quite a splash both offline and online. See for yourself:

The post A Colorful Mess: Artist Duo Experiments with Different Materials appeared first on PlayJunkie.

A 100% self-taught artist, she says that making something from nothing with your hands is one of the most gratifying feelings you can have. “After being a lifetime appreciator of the arts, I never considered myself an artist,” she admits. “I used to think an artist was only someone that could paint or draw. I know now that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The creative world is vast and there is room for everyone.”

Her inspiration comes from walks around her neighborhood and garden visits. “Some of the best gardens I’ve ever seen are in Capitol Hill,” she told Ballpitmag. “I also have easy access to the National Botanic Garden, the Arboretum and I have family in Pennsylvania where I can go to Longwood Gardens a few times a year. Seeing a flower in real life is what triggers my creativity and desire to recreate it in paper.”

According to Paluska, flowers are the sort of natural glue that keeps us connected to where we came from and where we’re going. Take a look at some of her paper gardens in the gallery below.

The post Emily Paluska’s Paper Flowers Are in Full Bloom appeared first on PlayJunkie.

“Although I’ve always loved art, I didn’t have any particular interest in textile arts when I was growing up, nor did I have any close relatives who did,” she admitted in an interview with Textile Artist. “When I started sewing near the end of my degree it was the first time I’d picked up a needle in years and I didn’t really know what I was doing with it. But I have always loved to draw and spent a lot of time drawing animals and exploring nature, and I think I’ve come back round to this in my current work.”

Originally from Buckinghamshire, and currently living and working in York, Giordano has been hard at work since graduating in 2011. As her work is freehand there is no prior pattern, meaning she works from her own drawings that have been created using a combination of reference and imagination. And with clients that include Penguin, Vintage Books, Bloomsbury, Liberty, and a range of private clients – her original work hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“I think I fell in love with the tactile nature of sewing and working with fabric, but I don’t regret any of the hours spent drawing as it informs how I work now,” she says. “I find I get a sense of satisfaction from working with textiles that I never had with 2D mediums.”

Working on unbleached calico that she dyes by hand, as well as single strands of sewing thread (either cotton or polyester), Giordano’s designs are drawn onto the fabric with a vanishing fabric marker.

“I’m always a bit torn between referring to my work as ‘illustration’ or ‘embroidery’,” she says, “having gone into it with the mindset of an illustrator and having no background in traditional crafts, and yet I spend too much time playing around with fabric and sewing needles to feel I can entirely say I’m an illustrator – but I like to think that’s what people find interesting about my art, that it is in a space between embroidery and painting.”

The post Chloe Giordano’s Art is at a Crossroads Between Embroidery and Illustration appeared first on PlayJunkie.