jikits

fantastic!

2012-01-31T12:32:00.000-08:00

we've been having some fantastic california summer-like, vacation weather for january. i've been working outside on 3 new mobiles. here's one, the other is in progress and the third is top secret...
for now :)

j'adore

2012-01-24T06:38:00.000-08:00

Source: flickr.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: odetteny.blogspot.com via TeenAngster on Pinterest

Source: ulicam.blogspot.com via Elisabeth on Pinterest

Source: kattymaurey.tumblr.com via Mallory on Pinterest

did i tell you i'm on pinterest now?
here are some images that i love:
cactus cardon by adrianaah pinned via heather moore
odette ny jewelery pinned via teenangster
the girl w 7 horses by ulrika kestere pinned via elisabeth dunker
katty maurey's sapling in a bottle pinned via mallory mcinnis

twigeli 2

2012-01-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

my second and latest mobile made of twigs. it's now in the shop!

bottles and cans

2012-01-22T08:44:00.000-08:00

aurel schmidt is a n.y. artist who makes delicate color pencil drawings of flowers in bottles and cans

today i am cleaning up bottles and cans after a wonderful birthday party we had for my husband, steve. we had company flying in all the way from virginia and my friend shellie made the most amazing pineapple upside down cake ever. I'm hoping she'll share the recipe on her blog (;

i love u

2012-01-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

a new pillow i embroidered for hapa collective

twigeli

2012-01-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

(himmeli- inspired:) twig mobile

drop city

2012-01-11T15:37:00.001-08:00

DropCity841, a photo by UTBK on Flickr.

drop city found via flickr

lisa hamilton found via design for mankind

aaron moran found via all the mountains

himmeli mobile found via amradio

i've had that hanging lamp (from the drop city photo) in the back of my mind for some time now as well as fantastic himmeli mobiles, wooden sculptures and shapes

be sure to come by my blog tomorrow as i will be posting a very special new mobile that is connected to all these wonderful inspirations!

the dip

2012-01-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite artists, ula einstein posted about the dip on her fb wall today.

as i move forward on this path of where i need to go/explore (with art) i sometimes find myself feeling alone in unchartered territory.
via seth godin's blog:
out on a limb
that's where artists do their work.

not in the safe places, but out there, in a place where they might fail, where it might end badly, where connections might be lost, sensibilities might be offended, jokes might not be gotten.
if you work with artists, don't saw off the limb. don't waste a lot of time explaining how dangerous it is, either. no, your job is to quietly support the limb at the same time you egg your team on, pushing them ever further out there.
and if you don't have a trader joe's nearby, here's the easy recipe for edamame hummus, my newest addiction

n.y.c. sewer

2012-01-03T11:43:00.000-08:00

i'm making some fun new wooden spinners

this is my first one and it's in the shop:)

good night

2012-01-03T00:52:00.000-08:00

it's been a busy and progressive week-end painting walls, cleaning and fixing as we are finally starting to get settled in our new place. we're expecting lots of company to visit from out of town this year: my husbands' bandmates are flying in for his birthday in a few weeks (big party), relatives are visiting a week later, my childhood friend from germany in april and these cool friends from tokyo again this summer!
ahhhh..... good night

treehouse

2012-01-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

my first spoonflower fabric design
so much fun!

looking forward

2012-01-01T06:39:00.000-08:00

had a nice visit with my sister. the cousins played on the old teeter-totter we played on as kids

eating lemonade popsicles and staring up at the daytime moon

looking forward to a fresh start. may this be a year of balance, inspiration and wonderful surprises

happy new year!

2011-12-31T08:24:00.000-08:00

2012 is the year of the dragon
bringing good luck and success in the coming year for all human beings on earth.
this is cosmo
he sybolizes:
strength
goodness
luck
and supernatural forces
here's to our wonderful new year!

le sigh

2011-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

my favorite marianne fathfull clip.
there's something so irrisistible and cool about her
even her rough lip synch en francais is faboo
happy birthday marianne!
p.s. you can see serge gainsbourg w her at the beginning

fun

2011-12-28T09:19:00.000-08:00

some fun things today:

teapot zillah by bonniejones

santa's legs (our neighbor's xmas decor)

cute couple by taller maminas nice housepants!

sid's face eating 'toxic waste' (sour candy)

pema

2011-12-26T05:39:00.000-08:00

meet pema dragon. he's made of papier mache, origami papers and a stick found in the mojave desert.
looking forward to celebrate the new year and a visit from my sister
pema is in the shop!

merry chrismukkahwanza

2011-12-25T06:26:00.000-08:00

went to a chinese market to gather fresh fish for my mother's traditional christmas boulliabase and found these little snowman label popsicle molds. there is no snow in southern california but the lemon trees are loaded and we will have lemon pops instead of snowcones.
oh yeah

super tweet

2011-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

a couple days ago, kickcan and conkers tweeted about spoon and tamago's blogpost and i can't seem to get these lovely images off my mind. just look at the japanese tree combined as a table with the mini green furniture set.... the teeny tiny tent and treehouse...eek! super sweet
you can follow me on twitter here

big hits

2011-12-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

look what i got at urban outfitters yesterday! i am smitten with these mittens :)
designed by elisabeth dunker of fine little day
now to get my vintage oven fixed....
good thing my friend shellie's oven is working. see what she cooked up for us last night!

world holiday

2011-12-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

i am in love with mia christopher's watercolors

simple, wonderful and right-on

like the necklace my proud calliope wore home from her world holiday school party

made of cut straws and yarn

all about fish

2011-12-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

i made a mobile and my son made a book and origami aquarium. oh how we influence each other!
some music to go along with

pulver

2011-12-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

i like sara pulver's icebox snowman

today i unpacked a painting that i bought from her 9 years ago on ebay:

a game of chase

look at these characters she's formed of drip art

inspiration: check out this woman!

pinecone puppet show

2011-12-10T06:19:00.000-08:00

some things the kids made

and this pinecone buggy i found on flickr

enjoy the week-end!

johnny little wolf

2011-12-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

can't wait to get a frame for johnny little wolf (a vintage print by monteague). he will go in my 2 yr old son's bedroom. this little 'mobile home on the range' is for a 1 yr old cowboy. it has a buffalo, teepee, snakeskin boot, yellow guitar and feather hat. i hope he will love it <3

hello buffalo

2011-12-06T14:18:00.000-08:00

after grazing, this little buffalo will get a papier mache. he'll belong to 'mobile home on the range'
a visit to my favorite local japanese market, marukai because i can never get enough origami paper!
each mini mobile in the shop gets a little handsewn, embroidered tag
want to make an origami buffalo? here's how

design sponge

2011-11-28T06:14:00.000-08:00

mobile homes and my shop are featured on design sponge today!
for blog followers or those stopping by, i'm having a 20% cyber monday sale on everything in the shop.
the coupon code is: bugrock

mini mobiles

2011-11-25T11:37:00.000-08:00

look and sea:
3 new mini mobiles are now in the shop!

bugrock sale!

2011-11-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

enter coupon code: bugrock
and take 20% off your purchase in my shop
black friday the 25th through cyber monday the 28th

9 ate 10

2011-11-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

the last 3 ornaments have morphed into a mini mobile
wishing you a happy thanksgiving with lots of good things to eat!

tumbleweed

2011-11-22T09:18:00.001-08:00

TUMBLEWEED, a photo by Tumbleweed Art on Flickr.
beautiful tumbleweed from bishop, california

this little potted cactus got stuck in a tumbleweed! (#7 from my papier mache ornament series of 10)

abe

2011-11-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

my son made this papier mache abraham lincoln puppet

a favorite abraham lincoln quote on a ceramic egg by palomasnest

6 french pet names

2011-11-21T08:19:00.000-08:00

a very cool girl asked me to make an origami bunting for her boyfriend's birthday.
his pet name is champignon(means mushroom in french). i think that is the sweetest!
here's a list i found of other french pet names for lovers
i prefer mouche for my guy...he's so fly!
which do you like?

5

2011-11-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

benny the jackalope, a rare snow-white species

4

2011-11-20T07:12:00.001-08:00

_MG_1186, a photo by iambenl on Flickr.
i found this cozy wintry photo on flickr's a-frame group

here's my a-frame

3

2011-11-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

hank the snowman needs a home for the holidays

he's now in the shop:)

first 2

2011-11-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

here's a peek at the first 2 new string ornaments. i'm working on 10 different styles and hope to have them all in the shop for cyber monday. enjoy the week-end!

stringy

2011-11-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

working on something new, a jackalope, calliope and the pumpkin we grew
this pretty little song from a local l.a. band is getting lots of play. we hear it everyday

modernburl

2011-11-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

there's a brand new pop-up shop in the yukon that just opened its doors today. here are some preview pics of the super awesome shop (you can find mobile homes there:)
visit the modernburl blog today, they are having a haiku giveaway contest
or like them on facebook and enter there!

my table

2011-11-10T13:22:00.000-08:00

gloomy day, no sun. been busy working a few orders for the holidays and local shops. it's 1:00 (break time) and this is what's on my table: hot cocoa,geek girls unite(library), succulent cutting (from a venice beach alley), calliope's pinecones(from our walk to school) and an old doll (sid found around the house...)
what's on your table?
been hearing this song by a local band getting lots of play in l.a.(beware, it's catchy)
revolution girl

happy land

2011-11-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

things to stay sunny on a gray day like today:)

calliope's rainbow bunnies

my yellow embroidered mary janes from renegade l.a.

yummy cookies and cheesecake at fraeulein text blog

lili scratchy's wonderful tree people

+ happy land by carlton & the shoes

all hallows eve

2011-10-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

frida kahlo- girl w/ death mask 1938

mini pumpkins by my 3 kids

mystical king tut and embroidered third eye mary janes to ward off evil spirits

shakin' all over by chad allen and the expressions 1965

chop shop

2011-10-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

meet "twitchy" the betta fish. my son won him at the fair

all the rain we've had the past 2 days inspired me to embroider these navy storm mary janes
sid got a new toolbox from aunt nancy to use in his chop shop
and this barbara lynn song/video rocks!

woven origami boxes

2011-10-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

over the summer i began weaving leftover origami scrap paper. now they have become little stacking boxes. the weaving has been cured with a water-base sealant to help make them stiff and sturdy with a heavy gray paper to secure the edges.i think they're pretty both inside and out but i'm not sure what they will be used for...maybe a box for barbie accessories? legos?
there is always a sea of little things floating around my house
p.s. mama bear has a new home in germany! see the wonderful philuko blog

kitty

2011-10-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

the kitty i made for little sid

karma

2011-10-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

goodmorning batty mobiles!
donovan's cute little karma shirt is from spencer butte ink

tra la la triangle

2011-10-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

calliope's boots
i've added a new little triangle tent to mobile homes
and here's patsy:

dig this!

2011-10-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

local artist rebecca morris untitled (#09-09)

antique red bull quilt pillow at wiltsiebridgecs

vintage west german vases at lawtonmull

mediterranean ceramic bead necklace by digoyo

any and everything by local artist peter voulkos

sage

2011-10-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

sage grows wild in these parts of southern california and the smell of fresh picked sage is wonderful. a visit from my sister this week-end prompted a sage-wreath making session.

she used floral wire to wrap the sage bundles around the grapevine wreath form.

then added some feathers and ribbon. the pommegranite i picked is from our tree.

the cousins played, there was a tea party

a sunflower

and willy!
it was a perfect saturday

dots

2011-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

happy week-end!

thanks

2011-10-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

because there is always someone to thank!
new little linocut cards now in the shop

kawaii day

2011-10-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

a cute japanese picture book i found from 1977

with story translation from the author tucked inside on adorable tennis paper!

mini dog collection: 4 of them are hand carved from wood (from the 1930's)

and a sweet little cookie video from one of my favorite artist: mogu takahashi

mobile memories

2011-09-28T15:36:00.001-07:00

IMG_1525, a photo by thearnoswimmer on Flickr.

mobile memories of one little boy's trip to los angeles:

a purple guitar,an airplane ride, an orange tree,a griffith park train ride and an uncle's cool vw bus

treetents & treepees

2011-09-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

weeeeeeeeee!!!

pink bling

2011-09-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

today, everything i see seems to be connected

one thing leads to another

these are now in the shop!

trading post

2011-09-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

vintage trading post art that uses a half-cut cardboard tube to make it 3-dimensional...
and what's been done with hank williams lost notebooks..... brilliant!

velveteen rabbit

2011-09-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

when a doodle becomes reality!
they're in the shop

some pretties

2011-09-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

Source: baldheretic.com via Becky on Pinterest

love, love this automobile

this pretty new print on my wall: prizm

and storylines (featured in west elm) both by callen thompson
to make our house a little bit cooler!
check out her new autumn field series, pure gorgeousness!!!

winter cacti

2011-09-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

that never die

a package of origami bunting and mobile homes is on its way to this cute little handmade shop in nova scotia : dots and loops (photo found on the gouda life)

last monh i bought this pillow cover from finepillowcovers and finally got an insert. it's divine!

off to the klondike!

2011-09-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

yukon yurt beah burger

yurts in progress (save those toilet paper rolls!)

little papier mache homes hung out to dry in the old rose bush

i'm working a large order of mobile homes that are headed to a new shop in the yukon!
modernburl (love the name)is a pop up shop that will open in november.
someday..... i will take the yukon trail railroad across the white pass

capistrano

2011-09-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

new capistrano swallow embroidered mary janes in oatmeal and they're in the shop!

living in...tropical paradise

2011-09-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

a pink lemon from our pink lemon tree

macadamia nuts

deshelled and tasty

from our macadamia nut tree

some fun/atypical-traditional christmas cards i printed this morning

our loaded frontyard kona coffee tree

dehusked and dried

wok roasted

mmmmm the coffee aroma fills the house

fresh squeezed tangelo juice

and sweet hibiscus flowers!
ok, so this is a bit of a long labor day week-end blog post but i must brag about our yard. we moved into a friend's house who is a photographer living in england. her mother was a transplant from holland and was a wonderful gardener who planted a bit of everything in this suburban so. california yard. we are discovering something new every day. if you suddenly realize that the poison berry tree you have in your yard is a coffee tree, heres a groovy video to help you harvest those little beans!
enjoy the week-end and last few days of summer
p.s. did i mention that we also have a banana tree and a pineapple tree?

hi

2011-09-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

some new batty lino cards i printed this morning are in the shop!
i'm thinking of having a halloween party for the kids this year......

howling wolf

2011-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:00

new origami gray wolf bunting with glow in the dark origami paper for the moons!
thank you etsy france for choosing mobile homes in your holiday press selections:
cadeaux pour enfants!

flying mobile

2011-08-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

a new "flying mobile" of creatures : vulture, yellow-bellied sap sucker, blue jay, crow and bat. custom made for one of my favorite artists, calliehelen

spraypaint!

2011-08-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

we just moved into a house with a yard, some weathered staturary and planters and a garage full of different color spraycans...voila! gold buddah, green dragon, neon pink chevron planter and blue and white stripey pot
my new favorite blog: thefinderskeepers just voted mobilehomes in their top 3 picks from the renegade l.a. show. so sweet!

moon pie

2011-08-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

the succulent garden is a wonderful little etsy shop owned by dear friends shellie, daniel and their little ones sophie and jack. they live on a succulent farm in fontana, ca and invited us over yesterday evening for a pie party. shellie had the trees decorated with colorful chinese lanterns and hanging succulents. the kids ran around like a wild pack while i strolled through the succulent gardens under the full moon. it was lovely!
oh! i forgot to mention that the key lime pie my kids made with their dad from our backyard garden limes took 2nd place. unfortunately i was tasting the pies and not taking photos at that time.... i'm sure shellie will have some more photos on her blog soulflower real soon. pop over and say hi!

mobile rings

2011-08-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

a new mobile of braided jasmine vines. it's in the shop!

origami owls

2011-08-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

i learned how to make owls that can sit w feet resting on twigs. this bunch is custom for a fall handmade wedding: centerpieces of white pumpkins and curly vines.these little guys will be sitting atop. there will be a few dark gray origami bats flying around as well. sounds lovely and i'm sure it will be!

chalkboard geometry

2011-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

be cool and go back to school in these forest green, velvet, embroidered 'chalkboard geometry' mary janes in the shop!

dolly

2011-07-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

calliope's new favoite strawberry girl from lil sprinkles

happy birthday!

2011-07-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

today sid is 2 years old and mick jagger is 68. it's a great day!
check out this super cute blog post on 'til there was you featuring my ice-cream mobile!!!
and sid's adorable cyclops shirt is from pinecone+chickadee ( i bought it at the renegade l.a.)

new bobbies

2011-07-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

something new i made just for the renegade: origami bobbies! they're in the shop

renegade l.a.

2011-07-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

if you're in l.a this week-end, come out to the renegade and visit me and my friend shellie of soulflower.

flying lessons

2011-06-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

hot pink cotton mary janes with embroidered feathers

lazy weather

2011-06-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

summer is officially here and i've been embroidering mary janes. here's my first pair in the shop!

dead kennedys

2011-06-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

the california state flag embroidered pillow w inspiration from this old punk song

artist profile!

2011-06-15T05:46:00.001-07:00

my little spotlight at hardcore norfolk

it's time!

2011-06-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

it's time....... for fresh croissants and homemade apricot jam with tea

a plate i made this fall and had forgotten to share

2 placemats i made with recycled origami paper scraps

and little sid's new watch

mama's boy

2011-06-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

on sunday, my 8 year old son's band, monsters made of stone performed at the house of blues in hollywood at a battle of the bands for los angeles city schools...and they won! (for the second year in a row:) he's the frontman, that's mama's boy!
because they were doing a cover song from the late 60's, i made him a lucky skull bead choker just like the singer of the guess who. i also scored this groovy vintage kids vest (with satin lining)on etsy at lishyloo.

zakka red lines

2011-06-04T18:55:00.000-07:00

the perfect fabric i got in the mail today from this shop here
and a cute/lame video of two brothers who rock!
( i got to see them play at a show in silverlake:)

glowigami

2011-05-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

glow in the dark origami is fun! look at this sphynx and pyramid on flickr

beechwood

2011-05-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

beechwood canyon is the perfect hike to see the hollywood sign. here's a peek (photos a dear friend took of some secret t-shirts we've been working on). in the canyon we found the monkees house and it's for sale! oh, how i would love to live there.... did i mention we also came within of few feet of 2 wild coyotes?!!!! unfortunately we couldn't get the camera out in time

garden of oz

2011-05-22T13:33:00.001-07:00

we stumbled across this beautiful hidden garden on our walk through a secret canyon in hollywood: the garden of oz = an artist's paradise blessed by the dali llama's monks
photos by melissssaf on Flickr.

progress

2011-05-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

i've started painting and assembling my carved bears. there are six of them and they are fun and new. i went out last night for the first time in a long while to see the greenhornes. they were amazing! i got to meet some of the members and brought home some purple vinyl. inspiration= progress

coffee can

2011-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

a new/ vintage coffee can i just scored on ebay! i'm so excited and have big plans for this little beauty

balsa

2011-05-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

got my hands on some soft balsa wood and am thoroughly enjoying carving and sanding. i never knew it was so easy! i'm hoping to have a few bears ready for the summer renegade l.a.
here are some wonderful photos by jordannakamura taken from the set of the movie my son is working on

old yucaipa schoolhouse

2011-05-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

this week-end my son donovan played young william in a period film called the flight of man. it was filmed in an old schoolhouse (preserved from the early 1900's) in yucaipa, ca. i've been thinking a lot about the old days, this gorgeous original victorolla from the yucaipa museum and this old schoolhouse photo from luckylittledot

tradition, fun and inspiration

2011-04-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

for 2 weeks i had the most wonderful time with my dear friend yoshiko and her daughter rokko who came here to escape from the earthquake aftermath of a very scary japan. we went and did everything we possibly could in such a short time. i am exhausted and filled with inspiration. can't wait to try out some of the cute hello kitty origami from this book (above)!

godzilla!

2011-04-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

we went to seal beach this week-end and it was cold. a friend gifted us with this sweet handmade sweater. sid held on to his babydoll all day and people on the beach started to shout "godzilla!!!"
inkybinkyproductions

japan style

2011-04-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

custom order origami rabbit strands in pretty shades of green to welcome a new baby boy in this year of the rabbit (vertical- hanging, japan style). my daughter's new little friend rokko who will be visiting us from japan. her mother is the singer of this cool band. can't wait!

let's hang out

2011-03-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

my latest: purple embroidered sloth pillow!

purple power

2011-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

our neighborhood is so trendy. this morning i woke up to see this freshly painted purple fire hydrant on the corner! i really dig this geode talisman necklace by MYknitwear.

top secret

2011-03-03T15:15:00.000-08:00

this is what i've been working on......... it's a secret that i've kept for much too long!
a new t- shirt design for rock action/scott asheton of my favorite band the stooges!!!they just got back from australia and will be touring at festivals across europe and the u.s. this summer.

today

2011-02-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

yay! i am artist/designer of the day! thank you mareike :)

rabbits

2011-02-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

new! origami rabbit bunting is now in the shop!

this is an original design that i came up with after trying several different origami patterns for rabbits

i like

2011-02-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

vintage scenic abalone pendant-ebay, vintage frankoma mayan aztec peach casserole-msjarmer, pink hair-richard chai love fall fashion 2011, primitive 19th century irish chain quilt-fabriquefantastique

and this song:

bowling

2011-02-14T06:45:00.000-08:00

this week-end we discovered a bowling alley in eagle rock with a tiki bar, live bands and dancing:
all star lanes

bat baby

2011-02-12T09:47:00.000-08:00

one lucky little baby boy by the name of oliver will have these little battys hanging in his nursery. (that's a new linocut just for you) ollie! by the way, your parents are the coooolest

sweet coyote

2011-02-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

my sister just turned me on to thedailycoyote. now i want to read the book and drink hot tea in this sweet little tea cup!

egyptian lover

2011-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

in search of cool vintage pendants w/ nefertiti and egypt on my mind....

luxor revival necklace and earrings via raleighvintage, nefertiti necklace via clearvintage, 1930's art deco egyptian mesh necklace via niceassets, vintage egyptian nefertiti filigree via ebay, raku nefertiti pendants ebay