nice tote

saw this on dress, design, decor, and i'm simply loving it. Anya Hindmarch (of I'm Not A Plastic Bag fame) designed a tote, following the trend of culinary illustration.

there are also totes for Toys, Ballet, Laundry, Beach, and Gym. check them out here.

how to have nightmares

my son and i recently watched a Pokemon movie, The Rise of Darkrai. he is now incessantly talking about Pokemon, and even pretending to be a Pokemon trainer (releasing water Pokemons during bath time!). luckily i have had some background on these critters, but i haven't updated my knowledge about them since high school. well, i have to say Pokemon has been one of the longest running anime and game to date.

well the movie was fairly good, a bit cheesy since they're geared towards grade schoolers. but i was very much interested in Darkrai. he reminds me of Silas in The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, with the billowy visage and all. when i Googled Darkrai, i got more info than i can chew, so i gave up. what i know is he gives nightmares to Pokemons, and let's leave it at that.

so, my son is currently awaiting for his dad to return his DS lite so he can get a turn in playing Pokemon. as for me, i don't know if i have to brush up on my Pokemon knowledge or just leave it to my boyfriend to answer all of our son's questions about them. after all, he introduced Pokemon to him. haha!

look below... you'll find something new

added a new widget here. it's a direct link to my etsy shop! yay! hope you'll all visit. happy weekend everyone!

Culinary Illustrations

these are creative ways of depicting recipes, it makes them more enticing and less intimidating (for new cooks!). but whether you cook or just eat, an epicurean or artist, these illustrations are very delicioso for the eyes! read more on the etsy blog here.

illustrations courtesy of Etsy Blog

cat prints

i can say i'm a cat lover, and right now i'm finding these cards super cute. these are from Natsuo Ikegami's etsy shop. i like her pen&ink works most specially, they're more textured and a lot of them have humor. check out her shop and her blog!

studies

some sketches during the past week, wondering if i'm going to transfer these onto fabric, but i probably will.

more to ponder on as the weekend approaches. i'm also working on my niece's shirt, with some crochet details along the way. i'll be sure to post the final product. :)

craving

yes! on my desktop!

found a new fave for my sweet tooth, honey camote (sweet potato in Filipino) chips from The Echo Store. they're incredibly light despite the sticky honey-ness of the lot. i like how the slices of camote are thinly sliced, which adds to each chip's crispyness.

i also tried their taro chips which had a onion/garlic flavor, but was not able to take a photo of it since none of it was left when i remembered that i should take a photo of it. the salty onion/garlic flavor complements the light sweetness of the taro. YUM! a healthy alternative to those who like to munch with a crunch.




Kenneth Cobonpue does it again, wowwing the design world with the first bamboo and rattan car in the Imagination and Innovation design exhibit in Milan. click here to read the full article on inquirer.net.

photos courtesy of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Mr. Cobonpue is reknowned for designing furniture, some pieces of which were bought by the Jolie-Pitts. what i love about his designs is that he uses renewable indigenous materials and turns them into forms only one can imagine. now a car made of renewable resources. and biodegradable at that! who won't be impressed?

new craft?



 finally go to learn a new craft over the past two weekends. last weekend, i bought a crochet needle and a spool of yarn. i also managed to find a a book with crochet basics and patterns, and a bargain at that! however, my inept ability to understand needlecraft i was not able to get any further than the basic chain stitch.

luckily, my mom still remembers how to crochet (thank GOD! i was about to give-up on it already). and with the steady visuals she provided me (okay, she had to slow down crocheting so i can catch up), i was able to grasp what i could not with the book. and so here it is, the product of my (and my mom's) labor... drum roll please...

i know, i know. not much, huh? still i spent almost all day doing this! thank you, mom. it's as if i received an heirloom gift. :)

Japan

continuing my fixation on Japanese things, well despite the traumatic events that devastated many of our Japanese friends, i have to feature something on the positive side. Moshimo shop has the cutest, and i do mean cutest, toys on Etsy.

also many of Japanese Etsians are donating a percentage of their sales for relief. be sure to check out Team Etsy Japan if you think this is a way to do your part for their country.


more less interesting, but deserving, news from Japan. i found this on yahoo and my heart just melted, and i haven't even watched the video yet! click here to read more.

i remember the movie Hachiko in this news. that's why i love dogs, they're very affectionate and caring. i miss my Boltie (my sibe/spitz mix baby)! this is a reminder that humans are not the only creatures capable of camaraderie and concern, and we are not the only inhabitants of this planet!

... and counting

added a new widget, in case you haven't noticed! counting down to the US release date of The Warlock. woohoo! almost two more months to go!

seriously, i cannot wait for this book. i keep on reading other books and re-reading the series, just to keep me busy or have something to read, but my mind is on this one.

lit fidgeting anyone?

etsy euroweek

we're celebrating Euroweek on Etsy from the 21st of March until the 27th. it's quite exciting really, as more european designers/artists will be featured.

so drop by etsy to discover hidden treasures in Europe!

hope etsy could also make an asian week. :)

tardiness

so sorry for this super late post about what's new with Popkin! but it is better late than never... or dead.  so here is my latest wearable/functional artwork. yes, a peacock (or hen!) head on an eco-tote. this is already on sale at my etsy shop.

i'm working on my niece's shirt also, following the hummingbird sketch in my last post. hopefully i can take a photo of her in that shirt. :)

high time for tea

photo from the madplanter's etsy shop

ok, i've just realized that making a treasury can be quite addicting, what-with having a title of curator. made another one yesterday, A Party for Tea. going a bit english as of the moment, probably influenced by Dr. John Dee.

treasury

today, i made my very first treasury on Etsy, featuring items made by members from one of my teams. i quite enjoyed it really, searching for items to match your concept/theme. it's like doing a mood board of sorts. please visit  my treasury: Give it to Mom!

in a rut

was in a creative rut for the most part of the week, until my sis-in-law requested for a shirt for my niece (thanks, Rica! for releasing me from my stupor!). here are some doodles made on the blank parts my planner

let me introduce you to Mars Ultor, The Avenger and warlock

a squirrel's back side

supposed to be a bleeding heart pigeon

proposed Jean d' Arc

secretary bird and half a cat's face

cheetah and Philippine Eagle

peacock which is so in vogue right now

a cutesy hummingbird

so that's it for now. some of these might go on the shirts :)

amazing!

guess what these rings were made from?

photos from Revisions Design Studio

vintage flatware, guys! yes, repurposed spoon handles. they're quite lovely, aren't they? visit Revisions Design Studio on etsy for more of these amazing beauties!

crazy robots

the sentinels of my son's toys

prior to my son's rambles about making origami, he did some robots he calls 'crazy can robots' (but they're jars morelike). these are the sentinels of the baywindow where his toys are. they're cute, it's  as though they each have personalities,  and i like the idea that my son recycled things to make these.

Summer

my son recently put up a sign on our door to the den (aka his playroom) concerning 'house rules". i couldn't help laughing as i read it!       



Javie is my son's younger cousin



well, it is summer, that though he still has one final exam, i think he knows what the season means (he's in prep by the way). two nights ago, he told me he wanted to make origami mushrooms from his how-to origami book (his fascination for mushrooms stems from playing Mario). i told him we can do it during the weekend, after his exam. then just last night he wanted to make origami pets. then this morning he insisted on making one already! i told him to review first, and after his exam he can do all the arts-and-crafts he likes.

so tomorrow's his final exam, but i can feel he's itching to get his hands on some colored paper already!

j'adore

i'm loving these artworks from Valerie Chua's Esty shop. it has a vintage manga feel which i have always liked. this one is an instant fave :) visit her blog for more of her lovely works of art

Art=fun

Paperbag, Artzooka mascot of sorts

my son is currently hooked on Artzooka, a how-to art show on Nickelodeon. what i found good about the show is that they have out-of-the-box art projects, and they promote recycling in their projects, and the art mediums are updated as well (digital cams for video/photos).

my son just loves the silly movies they make featuring none other than Paperbag. i hope producers make more shows (ehem, local networks) like Artzooka because art can give children a big boost on their confidence and skills. that is, i'm afraid, what we lack in the Philippines. we are a country that thinks art is for the elite, when it should be free for the public.

Under the apple tree canopy bed by atilladesign

can this four-poster get any dreamier? i can imagine vividly waking up always on the right side of this bed :)

quit it

loving this section on Etsy:

Quit Your Day Job

the posts are very inspiring, i really admire the people who have given up work to pursue their craft while making profit out of it at the same time. i hope i can achieve this in the near future!

daydream, anyone?