Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Perfect Paper Clips

Wow!  These are the most awesome paper clips that I have ever seen!

Circus Line Elephant Paper Clips
Duck Tails Paper Clips

Made by Midori in Japan, there are 30 paper clips in each box. I've seen turtles, squirrels, hippos, birds, whales and quite a few other animal types and all of them run around $7-8 per box.  That is definitely on the pricey side for paper clips, but they are supposedly extra strong and are intended to be kept and reused.  That's perfect for me, because I'm such a freak about cute stationary and office supplies...after I get it, I can't bear to use it up.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Two Years

Two years ago today, Mr.CP and I tied the knot.  My how time flies...


I don't think I would want to go through planning a wedding ever again, but on special occasions such as today, one can't help but get a little nostalgic.  We wanted to keep things casual and within our budget, so there were quite a few DIY elements involved.

My wonderful bridesmaids came in a couple days early to help bake cupcakes for dessert and cookies for wedding favors.  That's me, working below, but I could not have done it all without them.


 

We supplied the bartenders with lots of beer, liquor and wine.


Mr. CP's mother took care of the flowers and the table runners.



Mr. CP wanted to make sure we had good food for our guests, so we had BBQ catered family style.  Mmm...cornbread and smoked ribs...



We had a rockband set up!



And a good time was had by all.  =)
 

Friday, August 27, 2010

The Lottery List

What is the Lottery List?  Friday is the day of the week where we here at ChunkyPineapple pick something that we lust after BIG TIME but can't really justify on a normal person's budget.  Then, we go buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket after work in hopes of a change in fortune.  ;)

My first lottery list pick is these Lolita Suspension Lamps by Moooi.


They are all at once simple and modern while also being fun and flirty in their own way.  They seem to look best when hung as a set of more than one, especially if you mix up the colors.


Too bad they cost a small fortune.  Sigh...

Thursday, August 26, 2010

DIY Abstract Art


This painting project has shown up in a number of blogs since the original authors at The New Domestic posted it back in March.  I have a bunch of acrylic paint that I've been meaning to break out, a roll of drafting tape and the project seems manageable enough, so I'm excited to get started.  I just have to get myself a really big pre-stretched canvas first.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Modern Lace and Doilies

I am generally not a fan of doilies and lace.  I'm not sure whether it's just mental association with old, musty and grungy things in the attic or whether it is because it's simply too frilly for me.  There are exceptions though...

Two years ago, when I was on the hunt for a wedding dress, I saw the most beautiful deep v-neck mermaid wedding dress in a gallery of professional wedding photos.  I never did find out who made that dress, but it looked alot like this one by Jim Hjelm without the sash.

Lace V-Neck Wedding Dress by Jim Hjelm

I was certain it would cost more than I could pay though and our wedding theme was relatively casual, so lace seemed too dressy for it.

I thought of this exception to my anti-lace and doilies policy when I saw these cute drink parasols and bike basket this morning. 

The parasols are a fun DIY project.  Make them for your end of summer party!  You can download the free instructions here.

This "Granny-chic" bicycle basket is strengthened with a metal frame and comes with a set of hooks. It is also easily detachable and has a useful strap so it may be carried while shopping. 

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Monday, August 23, 2010

Paper Trimmers

There are simply too many options.  There are guillotine trimmers and rotary trimmers.  There are portable trimmers and heavier stationary trimmers.  Plastic vs wood.  Some even come with lasers!  What makes it even more difficult is that the number of reviews on Amazon.com for these items are low, somewhere along the lines of 1-9 reviews per item.  That's a very small sample size.

Up until now, I've been printing only A2 size cards and 5x7 prints, so my paper vendor cuts and scores the paper to size for me.  This doesn't cost a ton, but I've noticed that some of the heavier weight papers I purchased were not cut with a sharp enough blade.  The cuts were not clean and I could see some fraying at the edges, so I end up having to clean them up with our office paper trimmer.  Unfortunately, the office paper trimmer sucks!  Things don't line up easily and the blade on that isn't super sharp either.  Also, I will soon be branching out to printing some items on smaller papers such as business cards and gift tags, so I need something that I can use at home.

I hear good things about Rotatrims, but they are way outside of my budget.  I think I might try this model by Carl, but if anyone out there has any suggestions, please let me know!

CARL 12220 Bidex heavy-duty rotary trimmer

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Treasury of the Week

I was looking around Etsy for some new packaging materials to add a little something to my cards that are sold in packages of 4 or 5.  I came across a lot of great things so I was inspired to put many of them together in this treasury.  Enjoy!


Get a closer look at these items here.

Friday, August 20, 2010

End of Summer Reading

When I first opened my Etsy store, I had questions about how to price my cards.  A very kind card printer told me that Craft, Inc. was required reading.  I immediately picked up a copy from the SF public library, but the book is so popular that someone put it on hold right away so I couldn't renew.  I didn't have much time to read it and was forced to skim.  The book included some helpful tips on how to start your own business, including pointers relating to applying for a license to sell, and also contained some success stories of artists and designers who were able to make a living by selling their crafts (i.e. Jonathan Adler and Lotta Jansdotter).  I think I may need to get my own copy along with the Craft, Inc. Business Planner also by Meg Mateo Ilasco.



And for those of you out there who are designers or freelancers, Meg Mateo Ilasco has teamed up with Joy Deangdeelert Cho of Oh Joy! blog fame for a new book called Creative Inc.  There aren't any reviews up on Amazon.com for that one yet, but I'd love to hear any feedback from any of you who read it.  =)

Ninjabread Men Cookie Cutters!

I can't bake until we get a new oven and we can't get a new oven until we re-do our kitchen, but I saw these on Gasp! yesterday and they look awesome!

I also have way too many cookie cutters already and promised myself that enough was enough, but these may really be too hard to pass up.  It looks like they aren't in stock yet, but should be available sometime this month here.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Spiro-Mania

I know you all remember this...

It's a little retro and a tad nerdy, and it's probably tucked away somewhere in your parents' attic.  I received mine sometime in the 80's and I was all about using my fat 10 color clicking pen with it.  Good times...

When I was designing my spirograph birthday and thank you cards, I wanted to find my old set, but unfortunately, I would have had to travel back to NY to dig through my mom's closets to find it.  Lucky for me, Mr. CP showed me how to make them in Adobe Illustrator.  Below are my very first two card designs...the beginnings of ChunkyPineapple!

Gocco-Printed Spirograph Birthday Card.
Gocco-Printed Spirograph Thank You Cards (5 pack).
I think the designs I used for my cards came out great, but I'm still going to find my old set for future projects.


Below are a couple other spirograph inspired works:

Light Switch and Outlet Covers by LindsayLights.
With the right background and some complementary accessories here and there, I think these would be a unique addition to any child's bedroom.

Letterpress Coasters by Marquandeditions.
 These coasters are perfect for dressing up any coffee table!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Birch Inspiration

I am allergic to birch trees.  Mr. CP recently made a little children's pushcart out of birch wood and the sawdust made my eyes all red and watery.  I can't eat peaches or plums, because they make my throat super itchy and the doctors tell me that they're related to the birch tree too.  But I do like the natural rustic look of birch tree bark.  I think the tree's long and lean silhouette complement a clean and modern style and pale coloring makes it easy to pair with a ton of color schemes. 

Vinyl Wall Art Decal by WallDecors.
You can also paint birch trees on your wall with paint and stencils.  It looks like a fun DIY project that would have a lot of impact on an accent wall.  In this photo, it looks like the wall is painted in a metallic color, but the off-white birch trees break up the gold so you can have some bling in your house without it being too gaudy.

Wall Stencil by CuttingEdgeStencils.


Somehow, I don't think Mr. CP will allow me to stick decals onto our walls, let alone paint designs onto them, but I've got a few ideas for smaller, less permanent uses for both home decor and ChunkyPineapple cards.  Perhaps winter holiday cards or a wedding invitation suite....yes, I'll have to get a jump on these new ideas soon.

Two cushion covers by Buttongrass made with fabric designed by Lara Cameron.
8"x10" Modern Minimal Forest Print by PrissDesigns.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

New Butterfly Notecards

This past weekend, I designed and printed my new Butterfly flat notecards.  I took a butterfly silhouette and masked it with an interesting art deco pattern to create this delicate design.  The butterflies were then printed on my Gocco in rose petal pearl ink on white matte and natural matte cardstock. 

Available at ChunkyPineapple on Etsy.

The butterflies are printed in the upper right-hand corner to leave ample space for notes and all types of correspondence.

Monday, August 16, 2010

The Finish Line

When Mr. CP and I  first embarked on our floor sanding adventure, I figured we'd be done in one or two weekends.  I had sanded several floors before, and sure, it's dusty and loud, but it's not that bad considering what you save by DIY.  However, I had not in any of those occasions come up against a hardwood floor that had a pattern in it.  Because you should sand with the grain of the wood, the patterns make EVERYTHING more difficult and much slower.

After many hours of backbreaking work and using several different tools and machines, we have decided that we never want to sand our floors again. As we near the finish line (pun intended), we have to chosen to use Osmo PolyX to seal and protect our red oak floors.


Unlike polyurethane which coats the floor like a film, PolyX seeps into the wood and protects the wood from the inside.  It is advertised to be resistant to scratching and to last as long as polyurethane.  The one HUGE benefit of this product is that you can spot treat areas that become bare or scratched without ever re-sanding your floors.  You can just apply a coat right over the existing cleaned floor.  PolyX is advertised as an eco-friendly product that is low is VOCs, but honestly, the idea that we will never have to sand again really sealed the deal.

Useful tools for sanding:
Makita Belt Sander
40 Grit
60 Grit
80 Grit

100 Grit
120 Grit

Festool Sanding Paper
60 Grit
100 Grit

Other Stuff:
Book
Shoes