Inspiration

26.2, thing 15

I had this time-warp trip in the wayback machine while exploring Cafepress and Zazzle - we sure have come a long way since I used to go to the record (yes, vinyl) store in our local mall where you could choose a design off the wall and have it hot-pressed onto a t-shirt of your choice, baseball shirts being popular at the time...this being my era of buying Sean Cassidy recordings (dare I admit)! Threadless rocks - some very cool designs. What I like about Etsy and other such sites most, is that it's like being able to virtually roam around a great craft fair or open art studios. I try as much as possible to spend my consumer dollars NOT at the big stores, chain stores, but locally, and this is a different perpsective on this idea. Also a way to find some unique gifts, and to tickle my own creative urges.

I have already forwarded the URL for Spoonflower to my mother-in-law, a well-known artist/quilter who will really get a bang out of this idea. The site reminded me of an artist I recently met at Dorchester Open Studios, Annika Schmidt, who does a lot of her own fabric design for her creations; also of a favorite author of mine, Virginia Lee Burton, who, besides writing some fantastic children's books, began Folly Cove Designers, in Gloucester, MA in 1940 - an artist collabortive focused on block print fabric designs, and "inspired by the belief that what was made should be useful and beautiful" ..... seems the folks at Etsy might be in this camp too - lucky for us!

So now, after writing this blog entry of a million links....I'm going to ogle some more artful merchandise.... : )